Dysfunctions
Reading a very interesting book at the moment titled “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team”
It does an excellent job of showing how teams fail, how simple it is for them to succeed, and why most never do succeed.
It also illustrates very clearly to me why most marriages end in divorce, why brothers don’t speak to each other for 25 years, and even why most people avoid eye contact with strangers.
Relationships are just like golf, the basics are easy enough to let us attempt it, the little successes make us want to get better at it,
And most of us still suck at it even after decades of ‘playing’
Practice What You Teach…..
I have taught people to do some truly difficult things.
These people had heard most of the info I shared with them before.
So why was I successful at teaching when others had failed ?
Well there are likely a few reasons, but I think a key factor was this;
People watch you and, if you walk the walk……they are more apt to learn from you.
Who would you rather learn about making money from?
-Someone who has made money with the methods they are teaching?
-Someone who has made no money from te methods they are teaching?
Point number two….don’t teach what you don’t know.
Given the Choice…….
Given a choice, most everyone chooses the easy path.
- Work out now or work out later ? most say later.
- Get up now or sleep for another 10 minutes? most sleep.
- File my taxes now or wait until tomorrow ? most wait.
The list goes on and on……. the results are the same.
So how does a person avoid this trap?
Here’s one solution; Don’t give yourself choices.
Stop the either/or cycle.
Do this.
Do it now.
There is no later.
Treat your actions as a first impression…… you only get one chance to do it right.
Talking to Walls
I know a man who trains people to be speakers. During his training, the instructor gave a very friendly, but implicit warning; Don’t train people who are from a specific industry. These people will only cause trouble and in the end, they won’t be able to become speakers or trainers.
The man heard the advice and made certain to follow it until, there came a day, when one of these people approached him and made a very convincing, heartfelt plea to train them. It went against everything he had been taught, but he figured there was always an exception to the rule and this person must be it! He decided to train her.
It was a nightmarish experience. The entire weekend of training was the worst he had ever been a part of. Not only did it take up so much of his time (which was wasted in the end) but it also took away from those who were there and getting something out of the training.
There are people out there who just don’t get it. I’ve seen people spend years (decades even) trying to show these people the world in a different light. It will never work.
Most people see negative only. Any situation could contain 100 positive things about it, but they focus on, and can only see, the negative aspects.
Words don’t work on walls, so save your breath for those that can hear.
Don’t Give Up
I met a gentleman yesterday. I had met him a week or two ago; but I got to know him a bit better yesterday. He came into my restaurant to sell us advertising space in a local coupon book. I began to ask him about his past …….I blinked, and an hour and a half had suddenly flown by.
This man was fascinating ! He’d done so much with his life, and his ability to retell these events held me captivated.
He also gave me hope, and recharged me.
It’s easy to get down, for all of us. Once you begin the downhill journey, it can be difficult to climb out of it. Most people get to a certain point and simply give up.
Imagine floating in the middle of the ocean with no hope of being rescued. Each person will tread water for a different length of time. Eventually every single person’s strength and determination will leave them, resulting in a slow sinking below the water surface.
What would happen if, at your darkest moment of despair, you saw another person floating slowly towards you? You would likely find a new reserve of strength and attempt to get close to the other survivor. Once the two of you got close enough, both of you would be re energized by each other.
You would survive a little longer.
This man who walked into my store the other day was a fellow survivor, wading through life and doing very well at it. I was getting tired of the wading…..
Thanks to Glenn, who will likely never read this blog.
To the rest of you…… don’t give up. Look on the horizon and find someone to help you.
No one can do it alone.
It really is that simple.
We love to complicate things. Maybe because, from an uninformed perspective, things look really complicated.
We hate to appear stupid. Rather than admit our short comings…… we console ourselves by saying topics and skills are so complicated, that only an expert can understand .
What am I talking about specifically? Pick a topic. Love, how to play the guitar, the stock market, real estate, customer service, marketing, tooth decay, ,,,,,, anything.
Everyone shrugs.
The novice who quits, shrugs and claims it’s too complicated.
The master shrugs and says things are so simple.
Who’s right?
They both are.
Everything is complicated when you first see it. Do you want to spend enough time and effort to understand your topic ? If do, then things will change from complicated…… to simple.
It’s magic……yet it works every time.
If you’re content to see things as complicated; then you will remain frustrated and a novice.
If you continuously struggle to see things as simple; you will be on your way to becoming a master.
the life long novice accomplishes nothing.
Teachers needed …… Desperately !
Are you a teacher?
Before you answer , let me clarify the question……
I’m not asking if your job title is “Teacher”.
I’m not wondering if you happen to work in a school and children refer to you as their teacher.
I’m not asking what you are called…… I’m asking what you do.
There are very few people working at schools who are actually Teachers. Before you disagree with me take a look at this generation of young children actually graduating school with a lower level of education than the previous group. Sit in a classroom for half a day ( I have). Watch how many of the adults charged with the responsibility of teaching our children fail miserably at their given task.
There are many great teachers in schools….. but not nearly enough to even garner attention in most cases.
Are you a teacher?
No matter what job title you actually possess, are you able to impart knowledge to others around you? In a fun and relaxed and specific way, do you naturally help people to learn ?
- Are you a technician who not only fixes the computer problem, but your customers also learn more about their computers because you have helped to educate them about it?
- A jewellery sales person who educates a young man about what to look for in a diamond engagement ring, then encourages them to go look elsewhere before deciding to buy…..even though the young man wants to buy now from you.
- A sales manager who challenges his young sales people to read books, listen to tapes, or attend seminars in order to learn about their new craft of sales ……
- A real estate investor who talks in detail about 20 of her last deals with new people so that they can learn how to be successful also.
We need teachers who ask the questions and don’t have to look the answer up in a master book.
We need teachers who help people to learn.
Are you one of the rare people who teach?
Many of these types of teachers are Gold Apples.
We need to find you.
We must value you more than we currently do.
The future depends on it
Finally a post on Steve’s Blog
If you would like to read it click below
Worth the wait in my opinion
Customer Service is Fun!
The old saying is true ; “If you’re not having fun, then you’re not doing it right”
But what about the grumpy customers who complain all day long to me?
All I do is put out fires, no one is ever happy when they call me !
You can always find a reason to be miserable. Even though it takes significantly more muscles to frown than it does to smile, it appears that most people are more apt to frown.
You can be different. You can smile.
Find a way to make what you’re doing fun. There’s always a way.
Time goes by quicker when you’re having fun. People around you are happier when you’re having fun.
Walk through a busy store and observe the people around you. Almost none of them will be happy or smiling.
The people who are having fun standout.
I would rather deal with a person who is happy than one who isn’t.
Everyone would.
Who’s Business Do You Work For?
It doesn’t matter if you are an employee or the owner of the business. Your answer should be the same.
“This is my business. This is my company.”
It’s a true strength for everyone working at a company to view it as “Theirs”
This world is full of people who don’t won’t take responsibility.
Your boss wants to you believe the company is yours. If every person was as excited, motivated, and eager to succeed as she/he was then the business would be exploding.
At a seminar the presenter said something that has stuck with me;
“Once you stop working ‘for’ your company and start working ‘on’ your company, you’re an executive…… regardless of your actual title.”
Some of the most successful companies I’ve seen ( and worked with) encourage their staff to treat the business as if it were theirs.
When you own a restaurant and your hostess gives you a well thought out list of improvements for increasing customer satisfaction…… you know you’re on the right track.
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