Presentations: Longer is Sometimes Not Better.

I had to deliver a keynote to a large group of business owners the other day. I was asked to compose a quick 6-8 minute talk — and if you know me, it's a VERY short time to talk. I used iWork Keynote with an LCD projector (all set up well ahead of time) — I felt each slide would add impact (see presentation here). As you can see — no bullets, bold statements — get in and get out.

As the meeting wore on, I realized we were running out of time. To add insult to injury, the speaker before me used ALL of his allotted time (plus some) — so I received a subtle prod from the vice president to severely cut down my time. Accomplished presenters run into this all the time — if you're last on the docket, you're usually asked to shorten your talk a bit.

So I did. I talked for a total of 3-4 minutes (a 50% reduction) with the same presentation.

Guess what? Major accolades from the entire audience. What did I do?

1. I jumped up, grabbed my remote, dispersed with the bio about me, introduced myself, and started the talk.
2. I kicked up my energy another 50% (on top of my usual 150% enthusiasm level). This is important.
3. I moved around and used my hands to deliver each point.
4. I interacted with the audience — I asked questions like, "Who going to try this?" They immediately raised their hands.
5. I spoke a bit faster, but I added assertive emphasis to each of my points.
6. No questions. There was no time.
7. I closed within the 4 minute mark, thanked my audience, and sat down.

The room of 60+ people burst into applause. Longer is sometimes not better.

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P.S. Has this ever happened to you? Let’s talk. I’ve coached thousands of executives step up their presentation game — call or email me to schedule a complimentary session.

You Have To Keep Your Eye On Goldman Sachs.

We all know Goldman Sachs. Big company. Billions. Influences and touches a large portion of the investment world. Here's the letter (NY Times Op-Ed) from a past GS employee.

Then . . . here's their rebuttal from the CEO and COO.

But then the facts start trickling in from other sources.

Here are some immutable business truths:

• You can't hide bad behavior forever. It will see the light.
• Being bad has short term gains, but in the long run being good wins out.
• Don't work for GS in the near future. I think this is just the start.

3 Simple Rules In Life.

1. If you do not GO after what you want, you'll never have it.

Be honest with yourself, there is no limousine pulling up to your door to whisk you away to that new job, to millions of dollars, or a new life. It's up to you to make it happen.

2. If you do not ASK, the answer will always be NO.

It doesn't hurt to ask. You will be pleasantly surprised sometimes when the answer is Yes. If the answer is NO, ask what you need to do to make it YES.

3. If you do not STEP FORWARD, you'll always be in the same PLACE.

When volunteers are requested, or you see an opportunity to do something challenging, take that chance. You will not only be glad you did, you will grow in many directions because of it.

It's that simple. So what are you waiting for?

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P.S. Which rule do you procrastinate on? If you do and REALLY want to make it happen, let’s talk. I’ve coached thousands of people (just like you) and have helped take a decisive step in their life — call or email me to schedule a complimentary session.

This quote was found on Reddit this morning, one of my favorite sites to be inspired! 

Why The Universe Doesn't Drop What We Want In Our Lap.

"What you wish for doesn't fall in your lap — it falls somewhere nearby, and you have to recognize it, stand up, and put in the time and work it takes to get it. This isn't because the universe is cruel. It's because the universe is smart. It has it's own 'cat-string' theory and knows we don't appreciate things that fall into our laps." — Neil Strauss I've been saying this to clients for years — prior to the recession, money fell from the sky and we all had laundry baskets to catch it. Now, the money is still falling, but it's swirling around in the wind and landing on the ground. We just need to bend over and pick it up.

And that takes work and determination. 

You know what your career or business needs — step out of your 'fear zone' and take the steps to get it. Nothing important will ever fall into our laps.

POST YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BELOW

P.S. Trying to look for your laundry basket? If so, Let’s talk. I’ve worked with thousands of people and have helped them manage their ‘fear zone' behaviors — call or email me to schedule a complimentary session.

Start Living Like The Main Character In Your Life Story.

My wife and I were at a party this weekend and we met a lot of interesting people. Most of the guests were doing well and making lots of personal and business connections. I say most.

There were a few who stood out during the evening with their attitude towards business, life, politics, the market, whatever. They were downers to say the least — they were pessimistic, short-sighted, and downright uncomfortable to be around.

Years ago, a good friend pulled me over when I was acting like a downer during a party and said, "No one, let me repeat, NO ONE cares or wants to hear your pessimistic rants. Start acting more positive in your life — take the bull by the horns — and you will begin living the life you've always wanted."

POW — right between the eyes. Today, I say this to myself everyday: "Start Living Like The Main Character In Your Life Story". Why? Because I'm an avid reader, I believe we all have a wonderful story in our lives and we either embrace and expand the narrative or we shun and quell our story.

We see this often with retired people. They complain about their lives, their ailments, and anything else they can think about. Do you like hanging around people like that? Now remember back and envision the one elderly person who taught you something or made a major impact in your life — were they complaining all the time? Or did they engage you, ask you questions, and energize you?

Which one will you today? And tomorrow? And every day?

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P.S. Are you the main character in your life's story? No? Let’s talk. I’ve worked with thousands of people and have helped them manage their ‘de-motivational’ behaviors — call or email me to schedule a complimentary session.

Watch this video/commercial — it brings home my idea of becoming YOUR main character:

106 Excuses That Prevent You From Ever Becoming Great.

I rarely do this. I'm pointing you to an incredible blog with an incredible message. I'm an avid reader of Chris Brogan's blog and tweets — he is THE guru of social media and tours the world helping organizations efficiently and effectively employ it in their marketing. Well . . . he hosted a guest post from Tommy Walker that knocked my socks off.

I went through all 106 excuses and to be honest — I find many of them creep into my head from time to time. This information is a great way to stop that from happening and ensure you stay on your chosen path to greatness.

So here it is . . . Enjoy!

POST YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BELOW

P.S. What excuses do you use to keep you from being great? Let’s talk. I’ve worked with thousands of business owners and executives and have helped them manage their 'de-motivational' behaviors — call or email me to schedule a complimentary session.

Stop Being Scared On The Job.

I coached the head of sales of a Fortune 500 company yesterday and we had an interesting conversation. 

She had a recurring issue with some of the executive board members she reports to — they are frequently challenging her management of the sales force because sales have dipped slightly over the past six months.

Sales performance is a highly subjective area in business because if it is dropping off, many factors can come into play such as pricing, marketing, product management, distribution, the marketplace . . . I can go on forever. During these meetings though, it all seemed to fall right on her shoulders. Why?

Initially, she was a bit complacent. She saw the numbers falling slightly, but didn't really see any reason to change strategy. Then when they really started to turn downward, she became gun-shy. And then right before the next board meeting, she was scared.

I call it falling down the rabbit hole. Complacent to gun-shy to scared — it's a disturbing vortex many managers go through (especially in today's marketplace). We feel the market will have it's ups and downs and then something bad happens — and we are afraid to do anything because we are gun-shy — we don't want to make things worse.

Ultimately, we move to being scared because we don't know where to turn. Here's how we solved her problem:

1. THINK - Develop a series of strategies to solve the issue. Predict outcomes and impacts for each of the strategies.
2. TAKE ACTION - Choose the best one.
3. COMMUNICATE - Massively communicate your decision to your peers and superiors with your logic before they begin to complain.

The board wasn't concerned about her strategy or performance — they were concerned about her lack of communication, perceived interest, and action. Once you show people you are ON IT, they usually back off. In addition, if you show them your thinking around the problem, they see you've taken the time to work the issue. Only certain 'evil' people will take this as a chance to sabotage you. In addition, she also engaged all the other areas impacted for their input — which pretty well ameliorated any sabotage from the 'evil' people.

So don't fall down the rabbit hole — Think, Take Action, and Communicate.

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P.S. Are you getting complacent at work? Let’s talk. I’ve worked with thousands of executives and have helped them manage difficult situations — call or email me to schedule a complimentary session.

Enjoy The Little Things In Life.

This past weekend, I celebrated my birthday. In addition to receiving hundreds of incredible emails (I relished EVERY one and they made me feel so special), my wife hosted a small get-together with family and close friends. And for a few days, I let life FLOW. No direction - no worrying - no decisions - no running around. Just letting it FLOW. And let me tell you — it was GREAT.

It made me realize two things:

1. You need to detach from time-to-time and take it easy. No one is going to die on an operating table — your boss isn't going to fire you — and your clients aren't going to flee. Step back and enjoy the little things (life, health, family, friends) — which are usually more important than the big things (work).

Did you catch what I did? I actually called the most important things in life the little things and your career the big things. Why? Because that's how we usually treat them — we tend to worry, focus and act more on work items and let the more important things take a back seat.

I've always said you juggle a number of balls in the air — family, health, friends, relationship, kids and work. All the balls are made of glass, except for work, which is made of rubber. If you drop one, the glass balls shatter and are incredibly hard to replace. Your work ball bounces right back — because you can always find another job.

2. You need to focus on the little things and try to incorporate that attention every day. How? If you caught one of my previous posts last week (click here), at the end, Shawn Achor mentions five things you should do to make your life a little more special, more powerful, and have more meaning. They are:

a. Three gratitudes - think about 3 things you are grateful for. b. Journal - write down one positive experience in a small book or file. c. Exercise - get out each day - even for a simple walk and move your body. d. Meditation - take 5-10 minutes and meditate - focus inward. e. Random Act of Kindness - send one positive email to one person every day.

If you set aside just a little time every day (I do it and it takes me no more than 15-20 minutes throughout the day), I not only appreciate, but I embrace the 'little things' in life.

Try it.

POST YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BELOW

P.S. Having a hard time fitting in these small things? Let’s talk. I’ve worked with thousands of executives and have helped them manage their time — call or email me to schedule a complimentary session.

The Hartford — Thank YOU!

WOW. I'm speechless.  I've never had more fun speaking to such a professional, focused and responsive group in all my years of public speaking.

My sincere thanks goes out to Karen Senteio and all the people who work with her — she is one dynamite person! I first met Karen at an ICF meeting where I presented and she kept me in her back pocket for the right time to unleash at The Hartford. Thank you Karen!

You made me feel like a rockstar with the attendance figures (771 attendees at last count!), the photographer (thanks Jay!), and the AV crew (thank you AV Solutions!).

Finally, I had an enormous outpouring of support based on my own evaluation forms - all top scores. Now I have the incredible job of wading through the stack of evaluation sheets and emails for the lucky 30 complimentary coaching sessions - wish me luck!

Again — thanks for the support and praise — you've made my birthday an unbelievable event!

10 Tips To Write Well From David Oglivy.

David Oglivy was an accomplished advertising executive who has often been called "The Father of Advertising.In 1962, Time called him "the most sought-after wizard in today's advertising industry." He was known for a career of expanding the bounds of both creativity and morality. In 1982, David Ogilvy sent these tips within an internal memo to all agency employees, titled “How to Write”:

The better you write, the higher you go in Ogilvy & Mather. People who think well, write well. Woolly minded people write woolly memos, woolly letters and woolly speeches. Good writing is not a natural gift. You have to learn to write well. Here are 10 hints:

1. Read the Roman-Raphaelson book on writing. Read it three times.
2. Write the way you talk. Naturally.
3. Use short words, short sentences and short paragraphs.
4. Never use jargon words like reconceptualize, demassification, attitudinally, judgmentally. They are hallmarks of a pretentious ass.
5. Never write more than two pages on any subject.
6. Check your quotations.
7. Never send a letter or a memo on the day you write it. Read it aloud the next morning—and then edit it.
8. If it is something important, get a colleague to improve it.
9. Before you send your letter or your memo, make sure it is crystal clear what you want the recipient to do.
10. If you want ACTION, don’t write. Go and tell the guy what you want.

David

Okay - some of the items he refers to are a bit outdated — memo/letter, 'the guy' — but there are some true gems here. Take them to heart and abide by them.

Deliver Life-Changing Presentations Every Time.

Some people love to give presentations. Some people hate it. Most people fall somewhere in between these two points on the presentation spectrum.

What do want to most from your presentation? A decision? Enthusiasm for a idea? A sale? A way to present bad numbers so they look good?

It could be a myriad of things — but all great presentations have a few critical areas where they excel — Purpose, Resonance, Enthusiasm, Experience, Narrative. Let's look at each one and how it impacts your presentation:

Purpose

I can't tell you how many presentations I've been to where two minute into the presenter speaking, I'm already lost. They've given me no semblance of what they will be covering and some basic waypoints to gauge where we are in the presentation.

How to fix: One of your first slides should cover a brief summary of what you will be speaking about and what you expect from the presentation. Something as simple as: "Today, I will be covering why we should begin to move all of our executives onto iPads. I'm going to cover the current state, impact, and desired state of our mobile systems." It's that easy.

Resonance

You are not reading out test scores — you're trying to sway your audience to feel for your position. So empathy and communication play large parts in how you give and relate your presentation to your audience. One definition of resonance is 'a quality of evoking a response'. Your job is to feel for your audience — understand how they are absorbing the information you're presenting.

How to fix: Keep scanning the audience — watch body language — see if they are engaged or distracted or puzzled. You'll know. If they are checking out — get them involved — ask questions of the audience. Ask for their opinion and get them to raise their hands. Also, move around — engage all parts of your audience — get down to their level.

Enthusiasm

Here's a little secret: All presentations are 90% Broadway. They're performances. Why? The more your audience is emotionally engaged in your presentation, the more likely they are to like it, take away key information, and tell others about it. If you just stand there and recite slides, they're going to check out, miss key information, and tell everyone you stunk.

How to fix: You are an evangelist of information. Live and breathe your info — get them excited about it too! Smile, raise and lower the tonality of your voice, and move your hands to make points. If you aren't excited about what you're speaking about, who will be?

Experience

You have to know your stuff. Many speakers get up and immediately venture down unchartered territory. When one errant question arises, they sudden fall silent or stumble with an answer. You have to know your topic cold.

How to fix: Keep your presentation on point — less is more. Stick to your topic and hammer all points of it — be prepared — anticipate most of the questions that will be asked. If you don't know something — say it: "Wow, that's a good question. I don't know, but I can find out. Let's talk after the presentation." It's that easy.

Narrative

Just spilling out facts will not help you with the other four areas. You have to relate stories - people LOVE stories.

How to fix: Tell stories. I usually incorporate at least 1-2 stories during a presentation. Make sure they stay on topic, are interesting or funny, and can be told in less than two minutes. Pick a situation in your career, someone who made a positive impact on you, or an item you found in your research.

POST YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BELOW

P.S. If you’d like more information about how I deliver powerful presentations - Let’s talk. I’ve worked with thousands of executives and find this is a perfect way to start a coaching relationship — call or email me to schedule a complimentary session.

Your 360 Degree Assessment Stinks.

There . . . I've said it. When I googled '360 degree assessment', I received over 2,500,000 results (in 0.23 seconds - I love Google!). Even if 50%-75% are not really what we're talking about today, we're still in the ballpark of 625,000 results. So there's a LOT of 360 degree assessments out there.

So we're on the same page, a 360 degree assessment is: a tool to gather feedback from all around an employee. "360" refers to the 360 degrees in a circle, with an individual figuratively in the center of the circle. Feedback is provided by subordinates, peers, and supervisors. It also includes a self-assessment and, in some cases, feedback from external sources such as customers and suppliers or other interested stakeholders.

It's a powerful tool and used frequently when coaches are initiating coaching with executives. It gives us a better picture of what's going on in the battlefield.

The funny thing is . . . most assessments are terrible. Why?

• They've been around for a long time. Anything with a long half-life in business tends to get bigger, more complex.
• They've been institutionalized. When they become standardized, the wrong people start to make them boring and over-reaching.
• They've become a business. There are companies who do this for organizations. It's their job to make it 'important' (and big).

I've seen 160-200 question assessments. How would you like to fill out one of these for your colleagues? What would happen around question 50? I know we all would begin to get punchy and start to quickly check off answers near the middle of the range (not to severely impact the reviewee).

This is what I do — I schedule a 10 minute call with each interviewee and ask three questions (let's say about Susan, their co-worker:

• What are Susan's strengths?
• What are Susan's weaknesses?
• Anything else you'd like to add?

I use 'strengths and weaknesses' rather than what do they do wrong or right. I find it allows the reviewee to open up about the person and talk about them as a member of their team. First you get emotions, then I probe for more factual items. I'll say, "Give me an example."

The best part?  I get straightforward answers and use no more than 10 minutes of their time. Just as we start . . . it's over.

I then take all the information and summarize it into two buckets ('Qualities that are well developed' and 'Qualities that need attention') and try to mix it together so the client doesn't immediately recognize who said it. It's better they focus on what is being said and not who.

Every time, when I show the documents to the person who has hired me, the results are always spot on. 

Try it! You might like it.

POST YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BELOW

P.S. If you'd like more information about how I deliver a 360 degree assessment - Let’s talk. I’ve worked with thousands of executives and find this is a perfect way to start a coaching relationship — call or email me to schedule a complimentary session.

Six Things Successful People Do Differently.

Everyone is looking for that one magic pill to take and instantly become successful. Here are some realities:

• It's hard. You're going to have to work at it.
• It's fleeting. Never, never, never give up. Stick with it.
• It's capricious. You have to be in the right place at the right time with the right people.

How does one get successful? You need to work at it — every day.

I've found six inter-related behaviors of highly successful clients I've tracked in my 11 years coaching:

1. They Self-Motivate

Get out there and make things happen. Most people expect their boss, their job, or their colleagues to somehow get them motivated (directly or indirectly) so they can perform their duties.

Successful people have an internal engine that revs them up in the morning and keeps them energized all day long. Or they leverage external motivators on a regular basis to keep them at a peak performing state.

Check Out: Five Ways To Make Your Commute Bearable

2. They Push Until It Hurts

Most (if not all) of us procrastinate in one form or another. We put things off, we extend deadlines, we miss delivery dates.

Successful people get things done, on time. They push themselves, their staff, and everyone around them to ensure agreed upon dates are met. Sometime it hurts, sometimes they work late, but in the end, the pushing delivers results.

Check Out: How To Eliminate Procrastination

3. They Partner & Connect

We tend to work with the same people and cocoon within our company. It's safe, it's easy, and it doesn't over-extend our comfort zone into meeting new people. Hey, it's worked so far, so what do you have to lose? A lot.

Successful people regularly extend themselves inside their company and outside into the marketplace. They reach out to connected individuals and influential executives to build solid relationships.

Check Out: Why Networking Is Dead - Part One & Why Networking Is Dead - Part Two

4. They Track

You go on your merry way each day getting your work done, taking on new projects and tasks, and never really step back and look at the big picture.

Successful people are not only working in their job, but they are also working on it — they step back and assess their progress regularly. They track themselves against their peers and clearly know what needs to be done to accelerate and excel.

Check Out: What Have You Done So Far?

5. They Relax

Business is cyclical — so is your career. It has it ups and downs — unfortunately, many people get too stressed out when things go wrong or not as planned. They then take it out on themselves and everyone around them.

Successful people take adversity in stride — they understand the peaks and valleys of the marketplace and office. Instead of devolving down into a funk, they use this opportunity to step back, reflect, and start anew.

Check Out: How To Be More Effective On The Job

6. They Are Positive & Confident

There are so many people in corporate and those who own their own businesses who wander through the day with a negative weight on their shoulders. In addition, they ensure everyone knows about it.

Successful people usually have a glass half-full point of view. They are the energizers, the brainstormers, and the people who hit the ground running every morning of every day. In addition, they project confidence (or at least try to) — they believe in their ability to make things happen, enact change and inspire people. Here's a secret —  they also have a lack of confidence — so they fake it (we all do).

Check Out: How To Be A Confident Executive & Be Like Jack LaLanne

POST YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BELOW

P.S. Successful isn't hard — it just takes planning. You and I can work on it together so you instantly get what I’m talking about - Let’s talk. I’ve worked with thousands of people who wanted to take assertive steps in this area — call or email me to schedule a complimentary session.

The Secret For Presentation Success Every Time.

I've sat through them all. The status report - the droning - the hot meeting room - the dark, comfy chair presentations. Slide after slide after slide.  Shoot me now.

I've given thousands of keynotes, workshops, seminars and sales presentations. I know what works and what doesn't. I know what keeps my audience lively and what puts them to sleep.

In the end, there's ONE clearcut rule almost every presenter forgets when they deliver their presentation.

The shorter the better.

That's it. But it's a lot harder to do in real life. So here's how I do it:

Step 1. Map out your presentation. What do you want to talk about, what do you want to convey, what decisions/next steps do you want to leave with?

Step 2. Kill as many bullets as you can. Kill them all if you have to. Bullets communicate to your audience you're lazy. You end up giving them lists, not convey a cogent message. Stick to one thought or piece of information per slide.

Step 3. When you finish the initial run through of slides, try to edit them by 50%. I know it's hard. But if you attack your slides with the vigor of an attendee to your presentation, you'll appreciate brevity.

Let me give you an example — I just presented a 7-minute sales presentation to my 45-member sales team the other day. Not one hour, 30 minutes, or 15 minutes . . . 7 minutes. And they gave me 10 minutes to present! I encapsulated EXACTLY what I wanted to say, what areas I wanted to focus on in 2012, and what I wanted them to do for me.

And it worked perfectly. So next time you have to give a presentation — The shorter the better.

POST YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BELOW

P.S. Big presentation coming up? You and I can work on it together so you instantly get what I'm talking about - Let’s talk. I’ve worked with thousands of people who wanted to take assertive steps in this area — call or email me to schedule a complimentary session.

How To Never Make A Mistake At Work.

It could be a momentary lapse of interpersonal communication.It could be a critical number transposed in a key document. It could be a missed appointment due to a misunderstanding.

We all make mistakes. Some are small (and maybe no one notices) and some are huge (we call those fiascos!). But in the end, we all make mistakes.

Often. That's right . . . OFTEN. We go left instead of right. We mention something we shouldn't mention. We say something to a client that is taken the wrong way. You, I, and everyone else in the world makes mistakes.

Why? Because of three reasons:

1. We are careless for a second. We let our guard down, we forget what we are doing, who we are talking to. We get caught off-guard and someone or something picks it up.
2. We are not fully prepared or informed. This happens often in business. We think we know what we need to know and make a decision. Or, more frequently, management hasn't given us all the requisite information, we make a decision, and it's wrong based upon info that we were not privy to.
3. We take educated and calculated risks. This is the BIG KAHUNA. We might not be playing it safe - we are out there on the burning edge of development or decision-making, we have to choose one way or the other - and we get singed.

I understand those who fail with #1. We're human. We can't be on guard all the time - you would need some heavy duty medication to do that.

And I also understand those who fail with #2. It isn't your fault - you were missing key information.

But I commend all who fail with #3. You need to take risks - that's the ONLY way you will take huge leaps in your career and business. It's the only way upper management will recognize you as a mover and shaker. You are no longer a cog in the machine, you are a LINCHPIN.

Oh yes . . . the title of this piece is how to never make a mistake at work. Here's the secret:

The first time you slip up, the first time you make a mistake . . . it's not really a mistake. It's a LEARNING EXPERIENCE.

You did it. And you'll never do it again. You've learned and now move on.

If you do it again - then it's a real mistake. And if you do THAT often, you better start looking for another job.

So make sure you NEVER make a mistake.

POST YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BELOW

P.S. You might need a coach - Let’s talk. I’ve worked with thousands of people who wanted to take assertive steps in this area — call or email me to schedule a complimentary session.

YOU Are The Real Problem At Work.

I was having a chat with my good friend Margo Meeker and we hit upon a reality that clearly crosses both our vocations (Therapist/Life Coach & Executive/Business Coach).

Most business problems in one way or another come from personal problems.

Let me begin by saying that this doesn't mean if your company's stock drops it is directly related to your fights with your spouse . . . . then again . . . . .

But there are many corollaries with many business issues/problems/obstacles and certain limitations that are personal. Here are some examples:

• The majority of business issues usually begin with bad communication. Why? If there is an issue or blow-up, it's usually bad or anemic communication channels that impact people's feelings and self-esteem. Monitor your feelings.
• Micro-managing bosses are extremely overbearing. Why? They focus more on your responsibilities and performance than their own deliverables. Why? They have trust issues that usually stem from past relationships. Build better 'trust' bridges with your boss.
• Peers that undercut you during a critical presentation or meeting shunts you into damage control. Why? They see everyone as a threat and instead of dealing with it internally, they lash out. Talk to them and find out what's really bothering them.
• Executives that lie, steal, and cheat. Why? They never built a strong moral code in their life and have consistently seen that their abberant behavior succeeds (in the short run) and pays handsome dividends in money and power (until they get caught). If you work for them, leave. If they work for you, fire them. If you work with them, rat them out (just kidding there folks).

Think of a situation or person that is causing you angst . . . odds are that they have one or more personal issues directing their behavior. The best way to ameliorate the issue? Try to figure out the personal problem impacting the business problem and nicely deliver solutions to (or at least try to understand) the real cause of the situation. You will be surprised how fast they disappear.

POST YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BELOW

P.S. You might need a coach - Let’s talk. I’ve worked with thousands of people who wanted to take assertive steps in this area — call or email me to schedule a complimentary session.

Is Your Career Going Up? Or Down?

This week was chock full of incredible conversations with clients, colleagues, partners and prospects! All had wonderful ideas and goals. Kudos! One of the topics that I discussed with many of them was my theory that our world is changing.

It's not a new idea - everyone knows that the world is changing. It changes everyday. You have two choices:

RIDE THE ROLLERCOASTER OR DRIVE YOUR LIFE!

What will you choose? Let's look at each one:

RIDE THE ROLLERCOASTER

• It's easy. Someone else does all the work. You get to put your feet up and enjoy the ride.
• Someone else makes all the decisions for you. Some might not be beneficial to you.
• When you start to feel insecure about the direction you're taking, there is nothing you can do. Someone else is in control.
• When things start to go south and you definitely do not like the position you're in, tough beans.
• When the world around you starts to radically change - you can't do much - you're still on the ride.
• When you see all of your friends and colleagues move to better situations - you realize you don't know how to stop the ride.
• When processes, systems, whole ecosystems fail and fall around you - THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO.

This is happening right now in Publishing. Newspapers. Bookstores. Music Stores. Video Stores. Finance. IT. Travel. And many, many other fields . . .

Rollercoasters never really go anywhere. They go up and down, left and right, but at the end of the ride, you are right back where you started. Do you want your job to be like that? Your career? Your life? I don't think so. Let's look at an alternative:

DRIVE YOUR LIFE

• It's scary. There is no map. You chart your course.
• It has its peaks and valleys. You are energized when things are good and enervated when things are bad. But you can change the game.
• If you see other systems, people, processes change, you can assess what's happening and make modifications to your journey.
• You make all of your decisions. You probably get input to help you weigh each alternative, but in the end, it's up to you.
• You want to go left? Go left. You want to go right? Go right. You are in control at all times.
• You decide who you want to work with, who you don't want to work with, where you want to go, what you want to do - no one else. That may be energizing or scary.
• You are your own safety net. You catch yourself when you fall (or fail). But you pick yourself up and start again. It's a learning experience. Not a failure.

So . . . who do you want to be today? Start making THE DECISION. Your job, career, and life depend on it.

POST YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BELOW

P.S. Getting tired of that rollercoaster? Let’s talk. I’ve worked with thousands of people who wanted to take assertive steps in their career — call or email me to schedule a complimentary session.

How To Be A Confident Executive.

The definition of CONFIDENCE is — Belief in oneself and one's powers or abilities, self-confidence, self-reliance, assurance, certitude. Does this sound right to you?

Or do you understand confidence in your life to its secondary definition — Presumption or impudence?

When I talk with clients, I find there are varying degrees of confidence - total confidence, situational confidence, interpersonal interaction confidence, or no confidence whatsoever. My job as a coach is to help build and fashion my client's confidence level to suit their needs and to help them excel at whatever they do.

Let me give you an example: When we discuss the state of their career, I try to cut-to-the-chase and ask one question: Is your career Growing or Shrinking? I tend to be quite severe when asking questions like this (I don't believe in a flat career - only growing or shrinking). What do I get? Immediate and honest answers that allow us to look at the symptoms and diagnose immediate actions.

Those Actions are patterned around a very famous 'organizing' principle that comes directly from a colleague of mine - Matt Baier. When it comes to Organizing (your office, house, life), you have three choices: Act, File, or Toss. Pick up a piece of paper . . . Act on it, File it, or Toss it. It's that simple.

Now back to confidence. A confident executive is a person who clearly lives in the Act, File, Toss arena. In every interaction or decision, they either Act on it, File it away for later assessment/action, or Toss it away and stop focusing on it. They don't worry about it. They don't obsess on what the other person might think. They Act, File or Toss. They 'de-emotionalize' it.

An Example: A peer of yours 'challenges' you with a pointed (and irrelevant) question during your presentation to your team. Let's disregard that that is a shitty thing to do (it happens all the time) - but you have to respond. Let's look at how this confidence model works:

1. Act - Answer the question as efficiently as possible. Short, sweet and to the point. Move on quickly.
2. File - Delve into the question - qualify it, have them expand on it - and let them know that you will take it offline after the meeting due to length of the answer.
3. Toss - Acknowledge it and immediately move it to a "parking lot" sheet on the wall to discuss later if their is time (and you will never get to it).

Other confident attendees will immediately understand what you are doing and they will pat you on the back for handling the colleague. You are not being a jerk - you are eliminating all emotion and focusing on a number of present issues: the meeting has to end on time, you have a lot of info to present, the question asked is not relavant, and you have to take charge of the situation.

The next time you are put in a position that will test your confidence, take out all the emotion and make a decision - Act, File, Toss.

POST YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BELOW

P.S. Want to build up your confidence a bit? Let’s talk. I’ve worked with thousands of people who wanted to take assertive steps in their career — call or email me to schedule a complimentary session.

Why Lunches Are Good For Your Career.

Today's Thursday!Rush to work — get in — check your email — check your voicemail — and run off to your status meetings.

WORK. WORK. WORK. WORK. WORK.

Next thing you know, it's 6 PM and you're wondering where the day went.

I want you to make a change today. Take just one of the 10-12 hours spent at work and GO TO LUNCH.

Not at your desk. Not in your cafeteria. Not with anyone you currently work with.

Have lunch with someone new. Someone that energizes you. Someone that will get you to think out of the box. Someone that might get you to consider making a bold career move.

WHY? Because it's good for your CAREER. Meeting new and interesting people: Gets your mental energy moving. Grows your professional network. Allows you to search for future talent (so you don't have to work with those pesky people in HR). Allows potential management to look at you as possible future talent (that's always good to have under your belt).

And frankly, your work won't suffer one iota.

You need to do this more often. Why not the present?

Call that one person right now and make that lunch date. Do it. You'll thank me.

MLK's "The Fierce Urgency Of Now."

"We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism."- Martin Luther King, Jr.

I still get chills listening to MLK's speech. It's powerful. 

This line always gets me . . . the fierce urgency of now. What does it mean? What does it mean to you?

You might say, "There's no time like the present." or "Strike while the iron's hot.". But they're too weak in my opinion.

What would happen if you lived your life in the fierce urgency of now? No procrastination. No dabbling. No prevarication. Make it happen.Make it happen NOW.

It's time for you to make a decision in your life or your career or your relationships. What do you want to change? What do you want to make better?

Take hold and embrace The Fierce Urgency of NOW and apply it to your life. You might surprise yourself.