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Name of author Rick Baker, P.Eng.

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Thought Tweet #366

by Rick Baker
On Dec 12, 2011
Thought Tweet #366 “Expect the Best and Get It.” Norman Vincent Peale
 
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
I like the double entendre, despite the likely fact it was unintended. Let's pull out that double entendre by putting it another way -"Get It and Expect the Best." Really, there is much value in Getting It.

Tags:

Attitude: Creating Positive Attitude | Thought Tweets

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When I think about the future...

by Rick Baker
On Dec 9, 2011

I was listening to 'Keys to Success' when the following picture popped into my head:

 

  I like It I don't like it
I see    
I don't see    

 

In 'Keys to Success', Napoleon Hill was asking his readers/students questions like:

  • Where are you going?
  • How strong is your desire to get there?
  • What changes are you making to ensure you get there?
 
These are straightforward-enough questions.
 
And, straightforward-enough does not necessarily mean easy enough or simple enough.
 
One of the things we have noticed when we help people with Vision statements is: most people experience some difficulty. This is absolutely normal. About 19 out of 20 people experience difficulty describing in vivid detail the future they would like to live. For many people, it is difficult to be concrete about the future. After all, when it gets right down to it nobody can predict the future. On the other hand, most people have desires, wants, and needs. Often, those needs are strong, embedded, life-long needs. And, everyone has some level of imagination. Imagination exists in us. Why, it even works while we are asleep - creating various types of dreams...some quite fantastic. Yet, when it comes to people picturing their future, most people have difficulty. To help them, we have designed 1-Page Tools. for example, here is a link to one VISION: 1-Page Tool. 
 
The picture above forms the basis for another 1-Page Tool...a simpler tool, which will help people who need help to get into the swing of visioning, envisioning, contemplating, and finally holding a Vivid Vision of their desired future, firmly in their minds. In relative terms, it should be easier to start by considering the near-term future...say tomorrow.
 
When you think about what you expect to live through tomorrow:
  • What do you see happening?
  • What don't you see happening?
How do you feel about those things you expect to happen and those things you expect will not happen tomorrow:
  • Do you like them?
  • Do you dislike them?
 
Use the results to help your imagination take baby steps farther and farther into the future.
 
Then you can answer those important questions:
  • Where are you going?
  • How strong is your desire to get there?
  • What changes are you making to ensure you get there?
 
 

Tags:

1-Page Tools | Change: Creating Positive Change | Vision: The Leader's Vivid Vision

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Thought Tweet #365

by Rick Baker
On Dec 9, 2011
Thought Tweet #365 Sometimes people do a lot of going through the motions just to keep the status quo.
 
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
Business people go through the motions: (1) when they are just accepting their work/workplace, (2) when they are tolerating their work/workplace, and (3) when they are not enjoying their work/workplace. You can apply a graduated scale to it. (1) is better than (2) and (2) is better than (3). But, none of those 3 is particularly helpful when you are trying to grow or change a business.

Tags:

Attitude: Creating Positive Attitude | Thought Tweets

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How much must YOU CHANGE to realize your dreams?

by Rick Baker
On Dec 8, 2011

You probably will not read the words in this sentence if:

  1. you don't dream about achieving
  2. you think change is overrated or 
  3. you think you are incapable of making personal changes.
It is times like this I wish I was the most-gifted writer...then you would still be reading and wanting to read more.
 
However, the reality is there are more people who 'turn off' to this topic than people who 'tune in' to this topic...let's call the business people who do not dream of achievement or embrace change with an open mind the Unchanging Majority.
 
Hopefully, you have less than the normal share of Unchanging Majority people at your business. 
 
Regardless, you will have some of them. That's not 'bad news', it is just a fact. And, it is a fact you can deal with. You simply need to recognize people are different. Some people, due to past events dating back perhaps as far as the day they were born, for a huge range of reasons, do not dream of business achievement and do not embrace personal or business change with an open mind.
 
Is this a material problem for you?
 
You can get a better handle on the extent of the problem by rating yourself and rating others, using a Minus10-to-Plus10 Scale. 
 
Rate yourself in 3 areas:
  1. How vivid are my business dreams and how strong is my desire to achieve them?
  2. How important is it for me to make personal changes for the better?
  3. How willing am I to do the tough work of creating new Good Habits? 

Rate your people, one by one, in the same 3 areas.
 
Compare yourself to your people...check out the gaps.
 
Consider the significance, the broad implications, of your Good Habits!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Tags:

Change: Creating Positive Change | Habits: Good Habits, Bad Habits, & New Things | Measure & Monitor | Vision: The Leader's Vivid Vision

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Thought Tweet #364

by Rick Baker
On Dec 8, 2011
Thought Tweet #364 Success can mean Failure. Failure can mean Success.
 
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
And, Failure can mean Failure. And, Success can mean Success. It all depends on what you believe, what you truly know, and how you use what you truly know. And, of course, Emotions & Egos often have the ability to overrule Common Sense.

Tags:

Beyond Business | Thought Tweets

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Strengths & Weaknesses

by Rick Baker
On Dec 7, 2011

The great Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Our strength grows out of our weaknesses".

Ralph Waldo Emerson isn't a fellow I would want to debate. Well...let me re-state that. Actually, I would love the opportunity to exchange ideas with Emerson even if the only way to do it was debating him. And, I recognize the likelihood of me winning a debate with Emerson would be pretty close to absolute zero.

I know...more information than you needed...I could not help myself because I rarely disagree with the wisdom Ralph Waldo Emerson put to paper.

...back to the topic of Strengths and weaknesses.

Specifically, I am writing about Strengths and weaknesses people exhibit in workplaces...this is about business.

Speaking about my personal experiences and my observations of other people, I do not believe people's strengths grow out of weaknesses. I like the way the folks at and from the Gallup organization described the source of people's strengths: natural talent themes + specialized, pertinent knowledge + skills development = Strengths, where Strength is the ability to perform actions nearly perfectly almost all the time. [I have written, in some detail, about Strengths.]

The starting point for a person's Strengths is inborn, natural talent.

For the vast majority of people, Strengths are due to innate talents coupled with a lot of hard work.

***

That is not to say it is impossible to move from what we perceive as weakness to what we perceive as strength. Perhaps, Helen Keller illustrated this best. Helen Keller was born deaf and blind. She overcame these 'weaknesses' to be the first deaf and blind person to earn a Bachelor's Degree. She authored many books. And, she served as an inspiration to millions of people. 

Even still, it is difficult for me to agree with Emerson, "Our strength grows out of our weaknesses".

When I think of Helen Keller, I think "People can do amazing things despite what other people perceive to be weaknesses". And, I think, "Embedded in Helen Keller, deeper than those perceived weaknesses of deafness and blindness, was some innate gift of talent...perhaps it was  - LEARNER". Clearly, Helen Keller also had an amazing desire to ACHIEVE.

Our Strength can grow despite our weaknesses.

Nobody can argue with that!

Tags:

1-Page Tools | Hero Worship | STRENGTHS: People-Focused for Success | Wisdom: Surviving the Test of Time

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