THANK GOODNESS IT’S MONDAY

TGIM #243

PAUL NEWMAN’S

TIME MANAGEMENT SECRET

Years and years ago — in the early days of his super-star popularity — the about-to-become legendary actor Paul Newman was having a late lunch in a nearly deserted New York restaurant. His celebrated spouse, actress Joanne Woodward, was with him.

They dined uninterrupted. But as they finished their meal, they were approached by a man who asked Newman for an autograph.

Let me interrupt this story for a moment to say: I am not the fan who did the interrupting. I was, however, with “Chuck” who was bold enough to figure he could disturb someone’s lunch. We worked for the retail store across the street from this upscale hamburger joint. (This was in the nearly Dark Ages before fast food chains were ubiquitous.)

The point is: I know what transpired next and I’ve always found it to be a useful Life Lesson at several levels. Eric and I often share an account of it in live-and-in-person versions of the Best Year Ever! Program.

So if you’ve heard it before, I hope you appreciate this TGIM retelling for its “tickler” value.

And if you haven’t heard it, I think you’ll find the TGIM Takeaways I’ve found in this experience applicable and useful.

To discover how Paul Newman responded when asked for his autograph –

“Sorry, but that’s not something I do,” was Paul Newman’s polite but firm reply.

He’s a “Cool Hand” that Paul Newman. (The encounter took place exactly in the Cool Hand Luke phase of his career.) “Sorry, but that’s not something I do,” seems to me to be the just about perfect refusal. It certainly was for Chuck who didn’t press the issue at all but spent the next week spinning the story to anyone who would listen as well as eating at the hamburger joint daily. And I’ve been trading on this story for years.

TGIM ACTION IDEA: Mastering a response like Paul Newman’s is something we all should do. With all the demands placed on our time and energy, it’s important to be able to say “No” in a pleasant-but-definite way.

Sometimes people find it difficult to say “No.”

But it’s something we all have the right to do.

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: A good way to start is to practice saying “No” aloud. Imagine situations you’ve faced – or are likely to face – and practice your response. Get accustomed to the sound of your own voice saying “No.”

For occasions when a flat “No” seems too blunt –

Take a cue from Paul Newman: For long-term relationships (and to not upset your fan base) it’s best not to show displeasure. But you don’t want to be a doormat. So soften the turndown with a tactful apology, and then firmly state your position.

Silence is golden. It’s also useful to let silence do some of the work for you. Don’t explain excessively. You may want to provide some reason or explanation. But often it’s not necessary. In any case –

Don’t sound apologetic. You have every right to choose what you will and won’t do and will seldom need to defend your decision.

Variations On A Theme

● Learn the heroic “No.” In the work-a-day world you might feel uncomfortable turning down business or saying “No” to, let’s say, a boss. But if you seriously doubt you can fill the request (for example, you’re already too busy), make the turn down diplomatic and you can probably appear to be quite the hero. Just couch your turndown in terms like –

“Sorry, but I don’t have time to give that my best effort now.” The reaction you get to such forthrightness is often gratitude and amazement. Hint: If you’re able, you might also suggest another resource.

● Learn to say “No, not now.” If you’re interested in a request or a project that you don’t have the time or inclination to take on now — but might want to be involved with in the future — say so. Many requests have deadlines that can be flexible and moved to accommodate your needs, especially if you are a valued asset.

● Learn to say “Yes, but …” An alternative to saying an absolute “No!” is to say “Yes” on your terms. So that might involve extending the “best effort” turndown with the idea that “I might be able to shuffle some of my schedule around, but won’t be able to accommodate your request until the end of the month, not in the three days it would normally take. Is that OK?”

Wow! Look at the time. I should really let you get to work applying some of what you’ve read here. Hope we haven’t had, as Strother Martin playing The Captain of the work gang and Newman’s nemesis in Cool Hand Luke memorably phrased it, “Failure to communicate.”

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373
tgimguy@gmail.com

P.S. Of course the young Paul Newman of this TGIM went on to even greater fame as an actor. And he used that celebrity to establish a variety of charitable activities including his Hole in the Wall Gang Camps serving children and their families coping with cancer and other serious illnesses and conditions and the “Newman’s Own” food brand where all profits are donated to various charities.

When the idea of “Newman’s Own” came up he’s reported to have reacted: I said, “Are you crazy? Stick my face on the label of salad dressing?” And then, of course, we got the whole idea of exploitation and how circular it is. Why not, really, go to the fullest length, and the silliest length, in exploiting yourself and turn the proceeds back to the community? And he later observed, The embarrassing thing is that the salad dressing is outgrossing my films.

P.P.S. Another inspiring Empowerment Group brush with celebrity that we often share is with our hero Christopher Reeve. That story is at the core of the Best Year Ever! Program; so much so that every BYE sale triggers a donation to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. For more details, click HERE.

GEOFF STECK leads Alexander Publishing & Marketing, a company he formed in 1986. The core AP&M mission: To create and publish leadership, sales mastery, self-improvement and workplace skill-building resources and tools. The focus: Areas such as business communication, staff support, customer care and frontline management. Geoff also puts his corporate and entrepreneurial experience, independent perspective, and skills as a catalyst to work for other firms (ranging from multinational corporations to more modest operations), not-for-profits, and individuals who have conceived or developed programs or initiatives but are frustrated in getting them implemented.

THANK GOODNESS IT’S MONDAY

TGIM #242

DON’T LET THE ‘HALO EFFECT’

BECOME A HELLUVA PROBLEM

The ‘Halo Effect” – When one characteristic of a person, or one aspect of a situation, influences your judgment of other traits or aspects.

It’s thought that Edward L. Thorndike (1874-1949) was the first to support the Halo Effect with empirical research. In a psychology study published in 1920, Thorndike asked commanding officers to rate their soldiers; Thorndike found high cross-correlation between all positive and all negative traits. People seem not to think of other individuals in mixed terms; instead we seem to see each person as roughly good or roughly bad across all categories of measurement.

It can be one helluva problem – especially if you manage other people – because it’s so insidious. What looks good (or bad) keeps us from seeing the more important factors.

TGIM ACTION IDEA: Let’s take a look at some typical cases to get a clear picture of what we’re talking about and then review strategies for keeping the tendency to invest others with heavenly attributes in check.

Case #1: Judging performance. “That guy from my old alma mater is smokin’ hot,” the sales manager tells you one day. “In just six months on the sales force he’s finished among the top three producers all but his first month.”

Halo wake-up call. “I’ve noticed his record,” you’re able to tell the sales manager. “And his cancellation rate is right up there, too. Net he hasn’t finished above average yet.”

Case #2: Handling promotions. Candidate Gray is a three-piece suit, starched-white-shirt, sincere-tie kind of guy. Candidate Brown presents a slightly rumpled, tweed jacket, professorial look. Each has a management style to match. Both have been on the team about the same length of time and get equally good results from the people under them.

Who gets the next promotion?

Halo wake-up call. If you think you can decide just on these facts, perhaps the halo effect of dress styles is unduly influencing your decision. Who gets promoted should be determined by who’s the right person for the opening. Dress styles may ultimately enter the picture, but not on the limited facts at hand.

Case #3: Making assignments. Song Li, a bit of a lone eagle, shows facility with numbers. So she’s assigned to the budget review committee where her performance is exemplary. On the strength of this her next assignment is on the human resources task force. She gets nowhere.

Halo wake-up call. Hindsight reveals what you might have known all along: She’s fine working with numbers and those who also work with numbers. But she’s currently out of her element when dealing with a broad range of people issues. The glow of her work on the budget blocked the overall view. (And by the way, was the decision at all influenced by her being a woman or representing an ethnic minority?)

TGIM Takeaway: From time to time it’s a good practice to remind yourself that everyone’s judgment – even yours – is susceptible to illogical pressures. Be aware of the “blinding” effects of the Halo Effect, especially when rating people. Simply being aware of it can go a long way to warding off its worse consequences.

Beyond that: You may want to put systems in place to force objectivity in situations where people tend to be less than impersonal.

● Know yourself better. Ask trusted individuals for their honest appraisal of prejudices you may have exhibited toward others. It’s usually human characteristics such as our personal likes and dislikes projected on to others that shine up or tarnish those halos. Sometimes it takes a frank outside perspective to spot this and point it out.  (Now all you have to do is choose your would-be critics objectively.)

● Double-team personnel problems. As in the sales manager example we started with, it’s more difficult to be blinded by the Halo Effect when you get another point of view. When rating people, seek a second informed opinion. And even then, take it with a grain of salt. Be objective about that person’s objectivity.

● Take one thing at a time. Notice the point here is one thing, not one person. Say it’s annual salary review time. Wishing to be evenhanded, you dig out the checklist of all the traits you want to evaluate. Then, person by person, you score each subordinate on the entire list.

Wrong approach! – At least from a Halo Effect point of view. To ensure greater objectivity, go trait by trait. Rate, let’s say, only cooperation, for each person until everyone’s’ “cooperation quotient” has been evaluated and plotted.  Then rate initiative and so on down the list of characteristics. This sidesteps the danger of letting a low (or high) mark for one trait focus your thinking for an individual and influence the employee’s score for subsequent traits.

One last reminder:

● Not just people acquire halos. Does the phrase Pet Project have meaning in your life? Or Old Favorite?

Sound familiar? “Acme Tool & Die wouldn’t be the same without old Drill Press #101; it was Mr. Acme’s pride and joy when he founded the place after WWII. The Acme sales force better get on the stick and get it moving again.”

See the historic Halo? Before the sales force takes the blame, maybe engineering and/or marketing ought to provide a 21^st Century assessment of the value of “Old #101” in today’s marketplace. The historic Halo may be hiding a dust-laden drag on people power, finances, material and inventory. And we’d bet Mr. Acme wouldn’t approve of that.

Heavens! We’ve reached the end of today’s TGIM.

I’ve had a helluva good time putting it together for you. Hope it was helpful and I was not just exercising a “pet” point of view. Let me know what you think. And –

Shine on!

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373
tgimguy@gmail.com

P.S. Among the many things that Edward L. Thorndike said is, “The real difference between a man’s scientific judgments about himself and the judgment of others about him is he has added sources of knowledge.”

P.P.S. These days the Halo Effect is often judged a valuable trait in branding products e.g. the iPod creates a positive perception of all Apple products. If you thought favorably of this TGIM, you might want to take a look at the many additional secrets and strategies for accelerating your success that can be found in the pages of the Best Year Ever! Program. For more details, click HERE.

GEOFF STECK leads Alexander Publishing & Marketing, a company he formed in 1986. The core AP&M mission: To create and publish leadership, sales mastery, self-improvement and workplace skill-building resources and tools. The focus: Areas such as business communication, staff support, customer care and frontline management. Geoff also puts his corporate and entrepreneurial experience, independent perspective, and skills as a catalyst to work for other firms (ranging from multinational corporations to more modest operations), not-for-profits, and individuals who have conceived or developed programs or initiatives but are frustrated in getting them implemented.

THANK GOODNESS IT’S MONDAY

TGIM #241

INSTRUCTIONS FOR

A HAPPY, HOPE-FILLED LIFE

When Nobel Peace Prize winners meet, what do they talk about?

I don’t know. I never had the privilege of being in the room. But I bet I can guess some of what was talked about at a recent get together.

Global political considerations muted the reporting of last week’s exchange between the 1989 Peace Prize winner Tenzin Gyatso (aka His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people) and 2009 Peace Prize recipient Barack Obama (the elected leader of the people of the USA).

But it’s very easy to discover a view they hold in common … have articulated passionately and publicly … and what must have been the basis for any dialogue between such distinguished honorees.

It’s –

HOPE

The Obama presidential campaign was centered on it. But –

As a rule we don’t do contemporary political thought in TGIM so we’ll skip Obama-isms for now, although it’s probably fair to suggest in this context that, if you desired, you could check out his Nobel Prize acceptance speech and maybe compare it to the Dalai Lama’s twenty years earlier for an interesting exercise.

As for “Hope” and the Dalai Lama: As Howard C. Cutler, coauthor with the Dalai Lama of the bestselling book, The Art of Happiness has explained:

“When I initially conceived of this book, I envisioned a conventional self-help format in which the Dalai Lama would present clear and simple solutions to all life’s problems. By the end of our series of meetings I had given up on that idea. I found that his approach encompassed a much broader and more complex paradigm; incorporating all the nuance, richness, and complexity that life has to offer.

“Gradually, however, I began to hear the single note he constantly sounded. It is one of hope. His hope is based on the belief that while attaining genuine and lasting happiness is not easy, it nevertheless can be done.

“Underlying all the Dalai Lama’s methods there is a set of basic beliefs that act as a substrate for all his actions: a belief in the fundamental gentleness and goodness of all human beings, a belief in the value of compassion, a belief in a policy of kindness, and a sense of commonality among all living creatures.”

I’ll bet you didn’t know: The designation “Dalai Lama” means Ocean of Wisdom. Tibetans normally refer to His Holiness as Yeshin Norbu, the Wish-fulfilling Gem, or simply, Kundun, meaning The Presence.

TGIM ACTION IDEA: Given the magnitude of these appellations it probably makes sense to pay attention to the wisdom and instructions for life this spiritual leader has to share with us.

The 14^th Dalai Lama has observed:

• Happiness can be achieved through training the mind.

• The fact that there is always a positive side to life is the one thing that gives me a lot of happiness.

• Where ignorance is our master, there is no possibility of real peace.

• Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend – or a meaningful day.

• If you have fear of some pain or suffering, you should examine whether there is anything you can do about it. If you can, there is no need to worry about it; if you cannot do anything, then there is also no need to worry.

• If you can, help others; if you cannot do that, at least do not harm them.

• Happiness is not something readymade. It comes from your own actions.

• Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.

• The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.

• Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.

• Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

• To be aware of a single shortcoming within oneself is more useful than to be aware of a thousand in somebody else. Rather than speaking badly about people and in ways that will produce friction and unrest in their lives, we should practice a purer perception of them, and when we speak of others, speak of their good qualities.

• Human potential is the same for all. Your feeling, “I am of no value,” is wrong. Absolutely wrong. You are deceiving yourself. We all have the power of thought – so what are you lacking? If you have willpower, then you can change anything.

And that last bullet-point observation gives me an opening for one of my most favorite bits of humor before we wrap up this TGIM. The tall story, which is built around the Buddhist concept of universal interrelationships, goes like this:

When he was visiting New York the Dalai Lama stopped at a pushcart vendor of hot dogs and said, “Make me one with everything.”

Now in some tellings, that’s where the joke ends. But I particularly like the version that goes on like this:

The Dalai Lama then gave the vendor a 20 dollar bill and started eating his hot dog.

After a while, his Holiness had to ask, “What about my change?”

The vendor replied: “All change comes from within”

Get it? Good. It’s part of the “happiness” aspect of this TGIM.

We’re not preaching here. You don’t have to be a Buddhist to “get down” with this wisdom.

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: I’m sharing these with you in that spirit. Choose and be guided by what resonates with you. One of the early challenges Eric and I pose in the Best Year Ever! Program is to examine where you get your beliefs; whether they’re ideas and ideals you’ve independently considered and accept or whether they’ve become part of your behavior because you bought into a path and mindset that someone else has laid out for you.

Although he’s accepted as both a spiritual and secular leader, in the world at large the Dalai Lama himself emphasizes the universal non-secular aspect of his views. He’s said:

“… all here are the same, whether rich or poor, educated or uneducated, Easterner or Westerner, believer or non-believer, and within believers whether Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and so on.  Basically, from the viewpoint of real human value we are all the same … I learn as much from a turtle as from a religious text …The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual’s own reason and critical analysis.”

One final word: The Dalai Lama also said: “Sometimes one creates a dynamic impression by saying something, and sometimes one creates as significant an impression by remaining silent.”

Listening to the silence – for now.

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373
tgimguy@gmail.com

P.S. To the extent there was dialogue about global politics between the two Nobel Laureates, we might expect the Dalai Lama reiterated a view he expressed in his Nobel Prize speech:

The need for simple human-to-human relationships is becoming increasingly urgent … Today the world is smaller and more interdependent. One nation’s problems can no longer be solved by itself completely. Thus, without a sense of universal responsibility, our very survival becomes threatened. Basically, universal responsibility is feeling for other people’s suffering just as we feel our own. It is the realization that even our enemy is entirely motivated by the quest for happiness. We must recognize that all beings want the same thing that we want. This is the way to achieve a true understanding, unfettered by artificial consideration.

P.P.S. What do you want from Your Best Year Ever? Many secrets and strategies for accelerating your success – about change, beliefs, goals, and much more — can be found in the pages of the Best Year Ever! Program. For more details, click HERE.

GEOFF STECK leads Alexander Publishing & Marketing, a company he formed in 1986. The core AP&M mission: To create and publish leadership, sales mastery, self-improvement and workplace skill-building resources and tools. The focus: Areas such as business communication, staff support, customer care and frontline management. Geoff also puts his corporate and entrepreneurial experience, independent perspective, and skills as a catalyst to work for other firms (ranging from multinational corporations to more modest operations), not-for-profits, and individuals who have conceived or developed programs or initiatives but are frustrated in getting them implemented.

THANK GOODNESS IT’S MONDAY

TGIM #240

HOW DO YOU PUNCTUATE PRESIDENTS DAY?

(AND DOES IT MATTER?)

one of the challenges of the day we observe today is sorting out just what we’re observing. And how the day is punctuated – Presidents’ Day … President’s Day … Presidents Day – doesn’t help much.

Let’s check the advertisements. Auto sales, furniture sales, all manner of goods get “presidential’ treatment in the back half of February. And punctuating the word “presidents” in the BIG SALE headlines is as varied, inconsistent and illogical as can be.

So, with no help there –

Let’s check the history books. If you’re old enough (and I am) you’ll recall a time when there was just one February federal holiday – Washington’s Birthday. In my youth there was none of this rounding-off-to-Monday stuff so that holiday, as a general rule, was celebrated on George Washington’s actual birthday – February 22.

So if the evolved 21^st Century version of a February holiday about presidential qualities is rooted there, the punctuation rule’s easy: One President + His birthday = President’s Day.

But few things are that simple. Add the Abe-Lincoln-born-in-February factor and we’ve got at least two presidential birthdays to contend with and so it’s plural possessive = Presidents’ Day.

But wait. There’s more. In 1951 a National Committee was formed in Washington D.C. The purpose: Not to honor any particular President, but to honor the office of the Presidency with a Presidents Day. So there was no apostrophe in the paperwork they filed. Only problem: The idea caught on in some places, but never at a nationwide level.

So …On January 1, 1971 the federal holiday honoring George Washington was shifted to the third Monday in February by the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. A draft of the Uniform Holidays Bill of 1968 would have renamed the holiday Presidents’ Day to honor the birthdays of both Washington and Lincoln. But … this proposal failed in committee and the bill as voted on and signed into law on June 28, 1968 kept the name Washington’s Birthday.

So there’s nothing official and we’re just about back where we began.

Boring? Maybe.

But there are some relevant TGIM Takeaways we should consider.

Remember the original challenge: Sorting out just what we’re observing today and its importance.

• President’s Day: If it’s about George Washington, we should be committed to learning all we can about what enabled this one man to rise above the many insightful Founding Fathers (and “Mothers”), provide inspired leadership to a rag-tag army of citizens who were certainly not his peers in wealth or influence, then keep united a new nation of very conflicting opinions and move it successfully forward.

• Presidents’ Day: If it includes Lincoln, we should be committed to learning all we can about what enabled this one man to rise above the disparate views of his day, overcome an intolerable institution, and still hold together the union that the Founding Fathers envisioned.

• Presidents Day: If it’s about the Presidency, an office that many would seek to hold but, to date, only 44 have achieved, we should be committed to learning all we can about what characteristics have made the greatest of those office holders great and what flaws have hampered the achievements of those who stumbled on their way.

TGIM ACTION IDEA: When you ponder presidential greatness, do this: Apply a brain-stimulating exercise that dates back to my days as the editor of the pocket-sized magazine Leadership … with a human touch. And it’s now a significant part of the Best Year Ever program.

For the President who most inspires you and whose characteristics you would like to emulate, take the –

L-E-A-D-E-R-S-H-I-P Challenge: For each of the letters in the word “Leadership,” supply words or phrases that – in your opinion – define the concept and admirable qualities as embodied by your presidential preference.

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: Make your list.

Cheat sheet: To get you started, here’s what comes quickly to my mind for Abraham Lincoln:

L – Listen. He listened to the many differing viewpoints of his council of rivals to inform his thinking.

E – Empathy. He tried to relate to the problems, and understand the difficulties, of others.

A – Accessible. He was available when others needed help and direction.

D – Desire. He knew the outcome he wanted and created an atmosphere that encouraged it.

E – Embolden. He allowed his advisors to give input without fear of reprisal.

R – Remember. He kept his humble beginnings in mind and applied the life lessons and experience of his formative years to his present situation. (“For score and seven years ago …”)

S – Selfless. His personal needs came second to the lofty goals he held for the nation.

H – Help. He was always willing to assist in whatever way he could.

I – Integrity. It wasn’t just by chance that he became known as “Honest Abe.”

P – Persevere. Even in the most difficult times, he strove to move forward – and did.

No weighty conclusions here. Just this: No matter what your political leanings are, it’s nearly impossible not to find some glimmer of the human side of each of the Presidents who come to mind today. The biggest point, as with many of the ideas we put forward here, is to have the process of self discovery.

TGIM Takeaway: You don’t have to be President to be great. The behaviors that we view as greatness are acquired. They can be learned. All change begins with the individual. A proven strategy for self improvement is to emulate the great.

You can be sure that all the Presidential leaders we remember and celebrate were aware of that. Now you are, too.

Punctuate today with an exclamation point! Find out all you can about what made your heroes great. Then — by George! – strive to follow and master their best practices as you build Your Best Year Ever.

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373
tgimguy@gmail.com

P.S. “If you are as happy, my dear sir, on entering this house as I am in leaving it and returning home, you are the happiest man in this country. The 15^th President, James Buchanan (1791 -1868), said that to the 16^th President, Abraham Lincoln (1809 – 1865).

P.P.S. Preceding all the Leadership information in the Best Year Ever! Program is the “Who’s Your Guru?” material that suggests many secrets and strategies for identifying and modeling your mentors in order to accelerate your success. For more details, click HERE.

GEOFF STECK leads Alexander Publishing & Marketing, a company he formed in 1986. The core AP&M mission: To create and publish leadership, sales mastery, self-improvement and workplace skill-building resources and tools. The focus: Areas such as business communication, staff support, customer care and frontline management. Geoff also puts his corporate and entrepreneurial experience, independent perspective, and skills as a catalyst to work for other firms (ranging from multinational corporations to more modest operations), not-for-profits, and individuals who have conceived or developed programs or initiatives but are frustrated in getting them implemented.

FYI#62

“If I persist,
if I continue to try,
if I continue to charge forward,
I will succeed.”

Today’s headline is a quote from Og Mandino, sales guru and author of the bestselling book The Greatest Salesman in the World. That was the first book I read when I began my sales career.

In August of 1982 – Wow! that’s practically 28 years ago – I answered an ad in the local newspaper for a “management training” position with a company called Townecraft. The ad said the position paid up to $12.00 dollars an hour and training would start immediately if you were hired.

One week later, I was in the business of “Direct Sales.” My product was 5-ply waterless stainless steel cookware, fine china and cutlery. (See, I can still do the spiel.) More commonly referred to as pots and pans, dishes and knives.

Since this was my first experience selling, I was told to practice my sales pitch on my “warm list” which, at 18 years old, was my family, friends and neighbors – everyone who supposedly loved me.

Good try, but … I was so bad at selling even my Mom didn’t buy from me. After getting rejected by all of those people and not making one sale, I was told by management that my training was over and it was time to start selling professionally. I guess that’s why the ad was called “management training.” How many managers still “train” the same way?

After six months of knocking on doors, hearing the word “No” hundreds of times and failing miserably, I was thinking about a career change.

Then I made my first sale. I don’t remember her name but she bought “Package A” – for $1,500.00. From that moment on, I was hooked on sales. I realized that if she saw value in my product, other people would too. I just needed to get better. As my friend, Jeffrey Gitomer says, I just needed to not “suck at sales”.

Warning: It’s no longer 1982. Door-to-door canvassing or cold calling people at their home can get you killed, especially in New Jersey.

But since 1982, I’ve been on thousands of sales calls and have made hundreds of presentations. And, out of all the sales training seminars and workshops I’ve attended or facilitated over the last two decades, my greatest lessons came from selling pots and pans door-to-door. I learned how to sell by being on the front-line. I knocked on doors and immersed myself in the selling process. I did it everyday for two years. Some days I was extremely successful. Some days I failed miserably.

Greatest Lesson Learned: I never quit.

From those early days I came to understand the importance of what Og Mandino wrote about in The Greatest Salesman in the World, self-discipline and persistence.

FYI Takeaway: What was initially scary, intimidating and challenging became one of my favorite things to do. It was fun and I had a blast doing it, and I did it everyday.

My persistence, belief and positive attitude and how I still sell today began from the experiences, training and philosophies I learned on the front line way back in 1982.

You see, I wasn’t protected by the anonymity and facelessness that cold calling on the telephone provides. The feedback was real, it was physical. The interaction on every front doorstep was visible and immediate. I lived and died, sold or didn’t sell, by my ability to gain immediate rapport and engage people in an emotional and intelligent way. I had to be friendly, funny and savvy enough to get as much information as I could. On each block I canvassed, and every door I knocked on, my mission was to get a qualified lead and to make a sale. I wouldn’t end my day until one or both of those objectives were met.

FYI Q&A: Are there areas in your personal or professional life where you have decided to settle for less than you want? Have you given up? Have you decided to stop knocking on doors that might provide you with the answer?

My Advice: Don’t quit. You deserve the success you are striving for and it will come – if you persist.

My personal challenge to you: Get a 3×5 card. On one side write your biggest, most immediate goal. On the other side, write Og Mandino’s quote. Read it three times a day for the next 90 days or until you accomplish it, whichever comes first.

Then, like the shampoo directions, repeat.

Law of Diminishing Intent: If you think carrying your goals with you and reviewing them three times a day for 90 days is a good idea – you’re right. It is and it works. So don’t become a victim of the Law of Diminishing Intent. Don’t wait, do it now.

In September of 1962 President John F. Kennedy did not announce, “We intend on going to the moon pretty soon.”

He said this:

“We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.”

Choose to succeed. Make this a great week and your Best Year Ever!

Eric Taylor

THANK GOODNESS IT’S MONDAY

TGIM #239

21^st CENTURY LIFE LESSONS

FROM THE LATE CRETACEOUS PERIOD

What do you call a dinosaur that smashes everything in its path?

Tyrannosaurus wrecks.

Kids of a certain age love that joke. (Obviously, I like it too.) And I was reminded of it just the other day when a notice from New Jersey’s own Liberty Science Center arrived in my mail.

Its headline–

Look out … for “A T.rex Named Sue!”

And now I’m as excited as a kid of a certain age because one of the most remarkable fossil finds ever – the largest, most complete T.rex skeleton ever unearthed — is putting in an appearance in the Garden State.

An exhibition that took 67 million years to create. After walking the earth those millions of years ago, the most complete (90%) and well-preserved Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil was discovered in a part of the South Dakota Badlands so rich in fossils that “We call it ‘where the rexes roam,’” says field paleontologist Sue Hendrickson.

Oh, yeah. Sue Hendrickson is the discoverer of the namesake T.rex of the exhibit. An incredible 42 feet long and standing 12 feet high at the hip, Sue (the T.rex) has a skull that measures 5 feet long with 58 razor sharp teeth, some up to a foot long.

The find is so important that the National Geographic Society calls it a Rosetta Stone for the species. After some controversy about ownership and a public auction that realized $8.4 million (none of it went to Hendrickson), the cretaceous period Sue ended up at Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History for study and display.

Now, in an exhibit created by The Field Museum, a fully articulated cast skeleton of the “tyrant lizard king” has come to my backyard.

“Ok, Peter Pan,” you’re probably now thinking. “I hope you have fun. But what’s the 21^st Century TGIM Life Lesson in all this for the grownups?”

Sue Hendrickson knows how to look. To find the dinosaur she calls “the biggest, baddest carnivorous beast that ever walked on earth,” Hendrickson started with maps made by geologists searching for oil. She identified areas of rock from the late Cretaceous period, when T.rex lived. Walking along those rocks, Hendrickson reminded herself how fossils are made.

“To be preserved, an animal has to be sealed off from oxygen before it’s eaten or decomposes,” she says. “So I look for thin layers of rock, because thin layers were laid down quickly.”

Hendrickson’s trained eye can pick out differences in the rocks. Bone fragments at the base of a nearly 60-foot cliff provided the clue that led to the meeting of the Sues. One dark-brown rock was the bone from a 67-million-year-old T.rex.

“Because the fragments appeared to have fallen from above, I looked up,” Hendrickson is reported as saying.  “And there, about seven feet up the cliff face, three vertebrae were sticking out of the wall. By their shape, I knew the specimen had to be a meat eater. And by their size, I knew it could only be a T.rex.”

TGIM ACTION IDEA: While on the face of it, it might seem as if Sue Hendrickson possesses a sixth sense for making remarkable finds – she has qualities that any of us can copy and apply to “find” remarkable success in our chosen field.

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: You need a high level of commitment. You need to be interested in things outside your specialized area of interest. You must be able to utilize resources beyond the scope of your specific endeavor. You want to be curious and persistent. You should be prepared to challenge limits.  You have to know how to look before you can see what others don’t and make colossal discoveries. And sometimes you gotta look up.

And Sue H. has one more attribute worth emulating. See if she conveys it to you in her description of what making a discovery like Big Sue feels like:

“It was like I was a sculptor – the feeling is you are creating her from the rock, almost bringing her to life. You feel like she waited for you. When you’re the first person to see this creature, this magnificent, splendid, awesome creature that no living being has seen for 67 million years, it’s a thrill that defies description. It’s chemical, physical, emotional ….”

Can you recall having that kind of kid-like enthusiasm for something in your growing-up years? Maybe dinosaurs. Maybe something else.

TGIM Challenge: What excites you that way now? Where has that enthusiasm gone? Why?

Sue Hendrickson gets the next-to-last word: “Never lose your curiosity about everything in the universe – it can take you to places you never thought possible!  Be curious and persistent. Know that you have no limits and follow your passions.”

I get the last word: Passion fuels success. Enthusiasm makes the difference. This kid of a certain age hopes to see you at the museum.

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373
tgimguy@gmail.com

P.S. “Of all the discoveries which men need to make, the most important, at the present moment, is that of the self-forming power treasured up in themselves.” William Ellery Channing (1780-1842) said that in 1838.

P.P.S. What do you call a dinosaur that never gives up? A try – try – try ceratops. You might want to try the Best Year Ever program and discover the scores of Success Secrets & Strategies preserved there. Curious? Click HERE.

GEOFF STECK leads Alexander Publishing & Marketing, a company he formed in 1986. The core AP&M mission: To create and publish leadership, sales mastery, self-improvement and workplace skill-building resources and tools. The focus: Areas such as business communication, staff support, customer care and frontline management. Geoff also puts his corporate and entrepreneurial experience, independent perspective, and skills as a catalyst to work for other firms (ranging from multinational corporations to more modest operations), not-for-profits, and individuals who have conceived or developed programs or initiatives but are frustrated in getting them implemented.

THANK GOODNESS IT’S MONDAY

TGIM #238

IT’S TIME FOR SOME

COMMON-SENSE TIME MANAGEMENT

Wasn’t one of your 2010 resolutions to get more value from your time? Good!

So I can save a big hunk of time from the get-go and simply make the observation that, if we would start by applying some of the better time management principles that we’ve read and heard about from the beginning of time, we might have a solid foundation to build on.

Or maybe not.

Here’s a big catch: We’re all human, and with that “humanness” comes fallibility. But a great deal of the “classic” time management advice doesn’t seem to take that into account. It doesn’t allow room to be reasonable with our expectations for ourselves or others.

But …

Human beings are not automatons – mindless, emotionless mechanical beings who perfectly carry out every task or order like clockwork. And we don’t perform at our best when we’re treated that way.

So let’s invest the rest of this TGIM time in reviewing and challenging golden-oldie thinking and investigating some strategic alternatives.

TGIM Time Challenge #1: Fast action pays off. We’re reminded time and again that it’s important to be decisive, keep meetings short, keep the ball rolling. Doing things quickly supposedly saves time.

But …

Let me tell you a story: An executive in one of our client firms, desperate to do all these things, trained himself to be as brief as possible in meetings and abruptly cut through discussions with curt remarks like, “Get to the point” and “What’s your problem?”

By doing so he apparently saved time. But, as it turned out, he and his coworkers often had differing ideas of what had been decided and what would be done after a particular meeting.

Result: Fast action can slow results. Because of miscommunication, resolutions would inevitably become garbled and confused down the line. In the end the exec would spend twice the time that had been “saved” straightening out the mess.

TGIM ACTION IDEA: Be clear about being clear. Stay alert for times when rushing the decision-making process might backfire. Be more intent on reaching sound decisions than with quickly dispatching meetings and the like. Take a little extra time, even when you’re sure you’ve reached the end and everyone concurs, to recap — and hear others recap — for the benefit of all, “Who will do what, when.”

TGIM Time Challenge #2: Priority vs. Interest. Many time-management experts place great emphasis on doing things in order of priority. And, as a rule we would all agree it makes sense. Between watering the garden or putting out a raging fire, the right “priority” choice for the person with a hose in their hand is clear.

But …

Sometimes it’s better for people to do what they’re psychologically ready to do, even if it’s not the highest priority item. People are more interested in doing better, and therefore actually do better, when they’re able to follow their own “normal” routines rather than always being or feeling forced to do things strictly in some prioritized order of importance.

TGIM ACTION IDEA: All things being equal or almost equal, don’t force priorities onto the daily routine. Do what’s most interesting when it attracts you.

Added point: If you have the power to layout the agenda for others, allow them as much set-your-own-order leeway as possible, unless you can give them a compelling, high priority reason to do otherwise.

TGIM Time Challenge #3: Efficiency isn’t always “efficient.” Stopwatch toting time/motion study champions – the so-called efficiency experts – extol doing things in the most time-economic manner possible.

But …

Sometimes doing things a little less efficiently is far more enjoyable and more beneficial in the long run.

Let’s take another “meeting” example: One exec we know could easily cut the time he spends in meetings, probably by half. But he usually doesn’t want to. He enjoys talking and listening. Although it seems less efficient, he feels he gets a more nuanced sense of what’s going on with his staff and in his company and that he’s a better leader and decision maker for that.

Added benefit: His employees like the relaxed atmosphere too. And without “this meeting will end in a half-hour, precisely” pressure, they feel free to raise issues that might otherwise go unaddressed.

TGIM ACTION IDEA: Enjoy your time. And use more of your time for the things you enjoy. As Einstein pointed out, it’s relative. He really said, “Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour and it seems like a minute.” I may not comprehend the math and the physics of relativity but that makes sense to me.

TGIM Takeaway: Good time management principles are not immutable laws that apply equally to every situation and every person. As a group we are all so varied that few prescriptions can cover everyone at all times. So, in the quest to maximize the value of your time, realize that principles are neither absolute nor infallible and apply them with commons sense and tact.

The only true test is to find what works for you over time. Experiment, then – providing it doesn’t waste the time of the others you interact with — go with what works for you.

Time to test that Einstein wisdom. I’ve no doubt about the stove part, so I’ll skip that. It’s on to part two.

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373
tgimguy@gmail.com

P.S. “Time flies like an arrow … Fruit flies like a banana.” Julius Henry Marx (1890 – 1977) — the inimitable Groucho – is alleged to have said that.

P.P.S. You might also want to take a moment now to investigate some of the additional Secrets & Strategies in the Best Year Ever program.  A key component is the section Got Time? Prioritize & Maximize Your 24/7/365. Click HERE.

GEOFF STECK leads Alexander Publishing & Marketing, a company he formed in 1986. The core AP&M mission: To create and publish leadership, sales mastery, self-improvement and workplace skill-building resources and tools. The focus: Areas such as business communication, staff support, customer care and frontline management. Geoff also puts his corporate and entrepreneurial experience, independent perspective, and skills as a catalyst to work for other firms (ranging from multinational corporations to more modest operations), not-for-profits, and individuals who have conceived or developed programs or initiatives but are frustrated in getting them implemented.

THANK GOODNESS IT’S MONDAY

TGIM #237

WE ARE BOUND

AND WE ARE BOUND

Not so long ago I had the honor of delivering the first toast at the wedding of two good friends – Julie and Jerry.

And since each was (and is) fond of both playing games and using words effectively, that gave me the opportunity to stand up at the microphone with the wedding band behind me and recall a bit of verbal sparring that would occasionally take place when friends and family gathered. For example –

The challenge: Think of a word that can mean the opposite of itself; a word with two generally accepted meanings that contradict each other.

One easy-to-think-of one comes from slang usage.

Cool – definition: Frosty. “She was cool to the idea.”

Cool – definition: Hot! “Wow! She was a really, really cool chick.”

Or how about:

Fast – Moving rapidly. “Fast track.” “You got here fast.”

Or the opposite “fast” that is, fixed in position: “Hold fast, help is on the way.”

And one more:

Original – something creative or new. “That’s an original idea.”

Vs. Original in the sense of plain or unchanged, as in “the original flavor.”

Got it? Good. So did the wedding guests although, by this time they were wondering where this all was heading.

You too? To find out – and how it relates to today’s Martin Luther King observance and gives us a TGIM Takeaway

Contronyms. That’s what these self-contradicting words are called.

And, as I got around to making the toast, there’s one, I said, that was particularly appropriate for the couple and their wedding day:

BOUND

Bound together. Two people who have found each other, and know each other and love each other and choose to be interlocked, secure, united. Two families, joined. Bound.

And the opposite meaning: Be in motion. Move toward something. Bound away for new, shared experiences. Bound off for a new life, together.

The Toast: “To Julie and Jerry – today bound and bound – and bounded, as in surrounded, with all the love and support of your family and friends.”

Awwww. OK. So as I stepped away from the mike the lead singer in the band said, “You know that James Taylor song?”

I do. And in retrospect it’s obvious that it influenced my thinking and toast. And it’s the glue that connects us to this Monday as Martin Luther King Jr. Day and a TGIM Takeway.

Do you? The singer/songwriter James Taylor (no relation to Eric, sorry to say) was obviously inspired by MLK Jr. and, in 1991, on the album New Moon Shine, recorded this original song that both honors and pays forward the principles that guided the hero we celebrate today.

Shed A Little Light

Let us turn our thoughts today

To Martin Luther King

And recognize that there are ties between us

All men and women

Living on the earth

Ties of hope and love

Of sister and brotherhood

That we are bound together

In our desire to see the world become

A place in which our children

Can grow free and strong

We are bound together

By the task that stands before us

And the road that lies ahead

We are bound

And we are bound …

Listen up: That’s just part of it. You can hear James Taylor sing his lyrics here.

TGIM Challenge: What do you think about its message?

TGIM Takeaway: On the national holiday in the United States that commemorates the birthday of the late Martin Luther King, it’s tempting to let his eloquence speak for itself. There’s a world of wisdom in his writings and speeches that we all can apply in the pursuit of self improvement and a Best Year Ever and a Best Life Ever for ourselves and others.

But it’s also useful to realize how he inspired others and continues to, far beyond the limited frame of the Civil Rights Movement. I was pleasantly surprised to realize how, at some level, the spirit of what we as a people now honor with a national holiday moved into popular song and worked its way into a wedding toast.

And, in the light of the recent devastating tragedy in Haiti, it also speaks to our individual obligation to all in the the human family.

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: We’re strong advocates of modeling the behavior of all-time greats. We talk often about carefully selecting your heroes and mentors. Who’s your Guru?

Choose wisely. Once again, in 2010, we are bound and we are bound.

Sisters and brothers, I hope you are as well.

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373
tgimguy@gmail.com

P.S. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction…. The chain reaction of evil – hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars – must be broken, or we will be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation. MLK Jr. said that in his book Strength To Love.

P.P.S. Who’s your Guru? Want to know more about proven-in- action ways to Model Your Mentors to Accelerate Your Success? It’s part of the Best Year Ever program.  Click HERE.

GEOFF STECK leads Alexander Publishing & Marketing, a company he formed in 1986. The core AP&M mission: To create and publish leadership, sales mastery, self-improvement and workplace skill-building resources and tools. The focus: Areas such as business communication, staff support, customer care and frontline management. Geoff also puts his corporate and entrepreneurial experience, independent perspective, and skills as a catalyst to work for other firms (ranging from multinational corporations to more modest operations), not-for-profits, and individuals who have conceived or developed programs or initiatives but are frustrated in getting them implemented.

THANK GOODNESS IT’S MONDAY

TGIM #236

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMIN

Benjamin Franklin that is. Join me in celebrating his birthday this week — January 17.

Although Ben was born in 1706, his thinking and accomplishments are as inspired and inspiring a decade into the 21^st Century as they were before the American Revolution was being contemplated.

School daze: Impressive though it is, the Ben-as-a-Founding-Father lessons we were exposed to in the required history classes of our youth are a mere shadow of all he accomplished in his time and the lasting legacy he left.

And in the limited space of this TGIM I couldn’t begin to do them justice.

But that won’t stop me from sharing some highlights and looking for some TGIM Takeaways.

Let’s start with this: We can all recall Franklin was an inventor and improver of existing inventions – bifocals, the lightening rod, a battery, the practical Franklin stove, and an odometer for establishing the most efficient postal routes.

He played the violin, harp and guitar; composed music and, to less acclaim, invented a musical instrument. He also created a phonetic alphabet.

He experimented with electricity, made unprecedented discoveries in the natural world and contributed much more to many sciences.

He organized and inspired others, in the process creating a networking self-improvement group, volunteer fire departments, America’s first subscription library, civic leadership groups, scientific societies and insurance concerns.

But it wasn’t all business with Ben. Not by any means. He’s the first chess player known by name in the American colonies. He championed swimming when few knew how and invented a type of swim fins (for the hands) to make each stroke more efficient.

But, IMHO, his best invention is seldom considered.

Benjamin Franklin invented himself. And in doing so he invented the “modern” American and set the standard for all of us even 300+ years after his birth.

Thumbnail early biography: Ben was the fifteenth of 17 children born to a poor Puritan candle maker/soap maker in Boston. At age 10, with virtually no formal education, he was put to work with his father. At 12 he was apprenticed to his brother, a printer. At 17 he ran away from Boston to Philadelphia and became the creator and personification of the American Dream.

If you’re interested in self-improvement, Ben’s THE man. He practically invented it as it’s practiced these days. And if you’re interested in business and wealth building, being “all about the Benjamins” is being all about THE Benjamin; he’s the guy who popularized so many of the maxims we quote today.

TGIM ACTION IDEA: Ben taught himself by reading. He was a voracious reader. And, fortunately, he was a damn good writer in his eighteenth century way. So read what he wrote.

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: Start with the two-page essay Advice to a Young Tradesman where he offers wisdom that, if followed, would have prevented the entire recent financial debacle.

Try The Way to Wealth aka Father Abraham’s Speech which is a narrative version of many of the Poor Richard maxims. It won’t be hard to find. Before the end of the eighteenth century The Way to Wealth was reprinted at least 145 times in seven different languages.

And, of course: Read (and own) Franklin’s Autobiography. It conveys his legacy as he intended others to see it with actionable what-to-do and how-to-do-it ideas.

OK, class. You have your reading assignments. Now, for today’s classroom lesson I’m handing out Ben’s 13-point plan for how he would live his life.

Be like Ben: He put together this list and plan when he was 20. It was so successful that he stuck to it and continued to practice it in some form for the rest of his life. He would focus on one point each week — “leaving all others to their ordinary chance” — and so would cycle through the whole set four times per year. He kept track of his progress with a chart on which he would put a red dot for each fault against each virtue committed that day.

In his own words: This is the set of values he says he set for himself in 1726 (plus his added commentary).

Thirteen Virtues

1. TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.

1. SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.

1. ORDER. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.

1. RESOLUTION. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.

1. FRUGALITY. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.

1. INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employ’d in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.

1. SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.

1. JUSTICE. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.

1. MODERATION. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.

1. CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.

1. TRANQUILLITY. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.

1. CHASTITY. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.

1. HUMILITY. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

Like the George Washington fable, Ben couldn’t tell or live a lie either. Delve deep enough into Ben’s biography and you’ll easily discover he didn’t live completely by his virtues. In fact, by his own admission, he fell short of them many times. Still, he believed the attempt made him a better man contributing greatly to his success and happiness.

Celebrate Ben’s birthday this year. Contribute to your own success and happiness. We can do it by honoring his autobiographical wish concerning the Thirteen Virtues which was: “I hope, therefore, that some of my descendants may follow the example and reap the benefit.”

Will do, Ben. This week I’m going to reap humbly.

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373
tgimguy@gmail.com

P.S. “The doors of wisdom are never shut.” No need to tell you who said that.

P.P.S. If your plan at this juncture is to make 2010 Your Best Year Ever, it probably makes sense to investigate the many useful secrets and strategies for creating the future of your dreams in the Best Year Ever Program. You can find out more HERE.

GEOFF STECK leads Alexander Publishing & Marketing, a company he formed in 1986. The core AP&M mission: To create and publish leadership, sales mastery, self-improvement and workplace skill-building resources and tools. The focus: Areas such as business communication, staff support, customer care and frontline management. Geoff also puts his corporate and entrepreneurial experience, independent perspective, and skills as a catalyst to work for other firms (ranging from multinational corporations to more modest operations), not-for-profits, and individuals who have conceived or developed programs or initiatives but are frustrated in getting them implemented.

THANK GOODNESS IT’S MONDAY

TGIM #235

NEW YEAR,

NEW RULES?

About the middle of last year (2009) we recounted a bundle of “Universal Rules” – remember? (If not, you may want to click back to TGIM #206.)

With New Year 2010 significantly under way, I’m wondering if, as part of your year-end resolution-making and goal-setting and planning, you’re thinking of enforcing any New Rules for yourself or recommitting to any Universal Rules you try to live by.

For starters: I’m sticking by a Universal Rule that’s guided my actions for many, many years. I’ve shared it with you before. The shorthand version goes –

EHFTB-FTWMIH

That stands for Everything Happens For The Best – For Those Who Make It Happen.

And for 2010 I’m going to keep applying a New Rule I recently discovered called:

“The 15-Minute Rule”

It works like this: When I don’t want to work out (which is pretty much most of the time) I have a little negotiation with myself. I tell myself that I’ll work out 15 minutes and then renegotiate. In the limited time I’ve been applying it, I find that the 15 minutes of activity breaks down my resistance and I roll on. (And, honestly, a few times I’ve called it quits; but I’m still ahead by 15 minutes, right?)

TGIM ACTION IDEA: Next time you’re confronted with a huge project … a mundane task … a craving … an action-blocker… whatever – try The 15-Minute Rule. And remember, EHFTB-FTWMIH.

But wait, there’s more. You didn’t think I’d end the first TGIM of 2010 with only that wisdom, do you?

Much more: I’ve gathered 20 “Rules” for success that are traditionally linked to famous names we recognize. To check them out – and learn a really terrific Rule Of How To Make The Most Of R.U.L.E.S. —

Zig Ziglar’s Rule: You can have everything in life you want, if you will help enough people get what they want.

Ann Lander’s Rule: It’s not what you do for your children, but what you have taught them to do for themselves that makes them successful human beings.

Walt Disney’s Rule: If you can dream it, you can do it.

Jim Henson’s Rule: Be kind to one another.

John Wooden’s Rule: It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.

Marian Anderson’s Rule: You lose a lot of time hating people.

Pearl Buck’s Rule: The secret of joy in work is contained in one word – excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.

B C Forbes’ Rule: If you don’t drive your business, you will be driven out of business.

Malcolm Forbes’ Rule: Executives who get there and stay there suggest solutions when they present the problems.

Harold Geneen’s Rule: It is an immutable law in business that words are words, explanations are explanations, promises are promises – but only performance is a reality.

J. Paul Getty’s Rule: No one can possibly achieve real and lasting success or “get rich” in business by being a conformist.

Henry J. Kaiser’s Rule: Problems are only opportunity in work clothes.

Woody Allen’s Rule: Eighty percent of success is showing up.

Alex Noble’s Rule: Success is a process, a quality of mind and way of being, an outgoing affirmation of life.

Irving Berlin’s Rule: Talent is only a starting point in this business. You’ve got to keep working on that talent.

Bill Cosby’s Rule: If you drop out, you miss out.

William James’ Rule: The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.

Rudyard Kipling’s Rule: If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting, too …

Dr. Benjamin Spock’s Rule: Trust yourself. You know more than you think you know.

Mr. (Star Trek) Spock’s Rule: Live long and prosper.

Welcome to 2010. Learn the rules. Make up your own. Abide by the ones that work for you. Set aside old rules that no longer apply. And live long and prosper.

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373
tgimguy@gmail.com

P.S. No, I didn’t forget. Here’s –

The Rule

Of How To

Make The Most

Of R.U.L.E.S.

Read them.

Use them.

Live them and

Encourage others by

Sharing them.

And that leads to the Rule Of Making Up Additional Rules: Please share your useful rules via a response to this blog post or to tgimguy@gmail.com.

P.P.S. If your plan at this juncture is to make 2010 Your Best Year Ever, it probably makes sense to investigate the many useful secrets and strategies for creating the future of your dreams in the Best Year Ever Program. You can find out more HERE.

GEOFF STECK leads Alexander Publishing & Marketing, a company he formed in 1986. The core AP&M mission: To create and publish leadership, sales mastery, self-improvement and workplace skill-building resources and tools. The focus: Areas such as business communication, staff support, customer care and frontline management. Geoff also puts his corporate and entrepreneurial experience, independent perspective, and skills as a catalyst to work for other firms (ranging from multinational corporations to more modest operations), not-for-profits, and individuals who have conceived or developed programs or initiatives but are frustrated in getting them implemented.