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Name of author Rick Baker, P.Eng.

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Do Family Business People Have Better Work Ethic?

by Rick Baker
On Jan 4, 2012

Here is the thought behind that Question...

Recently, I read Jim Estill's CEO blog1 about work ethic. It reminded me of the stinging little Thought Post I wrote last year to address claims about attitudes of entitlement around the workplace. [Snakes & Ladders...and Entitlement]

Since reading Jim's blog, I followed his advice and I read the book 'Reviving Work Ethic'.

And, I re-listened to the short version of Napoleon Hill's 'Think and Grow Rich'. [I do that quite regularly]

I like many of the points Eric Chester made in 'Reviving Work Ethic'. Particularly, I like his views about of Work Ethic Markers:

Positive Attitude

Reliability

Professionalism

Initiative

Respect

Integrity

Gratitude

Those definitely are facets of a good work ethic.

And, Leaders ought to lead by example as they promote and encourage those facets of good work ethic.

Here is another way to look at it - the Napoleon Hill way...

QQS

Napoleon Hill taught:

  • we must over-deliver on Quantity of service,
  • we must over-deliver on Quality of service, and 
  • we must render that service with an enthusiastic Spirit2.

That, in summary, is Napoleon Hill's QQS Formula ["QQS"].

We can use QQS as the guide for good work ethic.

And, we can quickly see how the institution and practice of QQS provides tremendous benefits, ranging from workplace harmony to differential advantage.

That said, the question remains:

Do family business people have better work ethic?

 

Footnotes:

  1. Jim Estill's blog
  2. Spirit, as in Spirited Leaders

Tags:

Attitude: Creating Positive Attitude | Family Business and CFFB | Optimism & Pessimism | Questions?: The Art of Asking Good Questions | Values: Personal Values

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Thought Tweet #383

by Rick Baker
On Jan 4, 2012
Thought Tweet #383 "He who cherishes a beautiful vision, a lofty ideal in his heart, will one day realize it." James Allen
 
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
This is a quote from James Allen's 1903 book 'As a Man Thinketh'. Allen was a [modern-era] pioneer in the areas of positive thinking, abundance thinking, and the law of attraction. Apparently, Napoleon Hill and other self-development gurus were influenced by Allen's work. And, it seems Allen was influenced by Eastern philosophies.

Tags:

Abundance | Thought Tweets | Vision: The Leader's Vivid Vision

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Blinded by our own Brilliance

by Rick Baker
On Jan 3, 2012

To what extent are we blinded by our own brilliance?

[Of course, I mean our perception of our own brilliance...whether or not we are anywhere near as bright as we perceive.]

An old friend of mine, George, talked to me many times about his early career where he worked at a multinational energy company that continually found itself 'blinded by its own brilliance'. In fact, some senior folks at the company used that expression almost as often as they use the expression 'paralysis by analysis'. 

My memories of George's stories came back to me when I read the following last week1:

"So, what can business managers do to become better estimators of their team members' skill and ability? Consulting with someone less experienced may do the trick." [Sian Beilock]

This reminded me not only of my friend George's 'big-company stories' but also the story of Obvious Adams2. Obvious Adams was the unassuming fellow who saw obvious and simple solutions while all the people around him were confounded by visions of complexity and mired in unimportant details.

We will definitely take advantage of Sian Beilock's advice: it aligns with Spirited Leaders' philosophy 'Seek Simple'. 

It is easy to believe business is more challenging now than it ever was...and it is easy to forecast that trend will continue. I have heard many people say that. I have said it myself as recently as last week.

But now, after rethinking, I have decided to make a change.

I will never say things like 'business is tougher than it used to be" again. Instead, I will spend the time seeking out and getting advice from more Obvious Adamses.


Footnotes:

  1. Sian Beilock, 'Choke', (2010)
  2. Robert R. Updegraff, 'Obvious Adams', (1916)

Tags:

Attitude: Creating Positive Attitude | Optimism & Pessimism | Seeking Simple! | Solutions & Opportunities

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Thought Tweet #382

by Rick Baker
On Jan 3, 2012
Thought Tweet #382 Courage, Core, Encourage, and the Latin word Cor ["Heart"]…it isn't coincidence!
 
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
Spirited Leaders values 'Courage'. Courage is our #1 corporate Value. Courage is the finest ingredient of character. It enables other fine aspects of character. Courage is something everyone can work at….like all fine aspects of character it takes time, effort, and commitment.

Tags:

Spirited Leaders | Thought Tweets | Values: Personal Values

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Thought Tweet #381

by Rick Baker
On Jan 2, 2012
Thought Tweet #381 Hmmm…let me try to remember…what were those Resolutions again?

Tags:

Thought Tweets

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Hello. How do you do?

by Rick Baker
On Dec 30, 2011

Hello. How do you do?

or

Hi. How are you doing?

Where did these sorts of greetings come from?

Why do we do them?

[and...lurking behind the curtains of the business scenes...is this 'Networking'?]

Some traditions are wonderful things. I mean, there is a good reason behind the lingering of some traditions. These greetings are examples.

Consider the Bedouins...the desert-dwelling, Arabic nomads of the Middle East. There are some great Bedouin stories, which can help us understand why 'greetings' exist as they do today.

Here is an often-quoted piece of Bedouin philosophy:

"I against my brother, my bothers and me against my cousins, then my cousins and I against strangers."

About a dozen millennia ago, that thinking developed in the fertile crescent [at or close to Bedouin homelands]. And, that thinking has existed throughout the evolution of civilization. It is part of the human condition...our legacy, our present, and our future. 

For millennia the Bedouins have asked questions when they meet or greet people.

Trust is earned or lost first at home: I against my brother 

Then trust, if it can be gained, radiates from home outward.

That's the way civilization grew.

People wanted to explore. People wanted to own property. And, people did those things by conquering first and later by trading.

As people began to venture out into new territories greetings became a part of life...friend or foe was the first test performed by a greeting. As trading routes expanded the greeting tests expanded beyond friend or foe.

As an example, when meeting new people the Bedouins asked a series of questions...

  • Who are you?
  • Where are you from?
  • Where are you going?
Simple, straightforward questions, designed millennia ago to help strangers feel comfortable enough with one another to determine 'common ground'...including common ground for exchanging goods in trade.
 
[now I hinted above, some business thoughts were lurking here]
 
Isn't that more-or-less what Networking is all about?
 
Put another way, wouldn't it be OK to continue the habit well-proven by the Bedouins thousands of years ago.
 
Wouldn't it be OK to meet new people and ask: 
  • Who are you?
  • Where are you from?
  • Where are you going?
Of course, you will be tempted to massage those words a bit to make them more-catchy. 
 
Really, there is no need to do that.

Tags:

Networking: The Joys of Connection | Questions?: The Art of Asking Good Questions | Seeking Simple! | Wisdom: Surviving the Test of Time

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Copyright © 2012. W.F.C (Rick) Baker. All Rights Reserved.