The International Coaching Federation Welcomes Rich Gee.

Incredible. I had a great time Friday morning presenting to a packed crowd at the Connecticut Chapter of the International Coaching Federation. I was blown away with the attendance of so many powerful peers in the industry, all looking to collaborate and learn how to leverage our craft more effectively in this changing marketplace — it's nice to present to a group I know I can help.

Based on the feedback I received via my evaluation forms, everyone had a powerful experience.

First off, a big 'thank you' to the entire ICF committee. I run workshops all across the country in many venues — they were the perfect hosts (they covered ALL the bases), the location was smashing (I love the Doubletree Hotel - it was just renovated), the room was perfect, the food scrumptious, and any request was met with a smile. Kudos!

As promised, here are the links to access the full presentation and the sites I mentioned:

1. Market Yourself To Success — Full Presentation (13mb - might take a bit to download)
2. Business Cards - Moo.com or 4by6.com (tell them Rich Gee sent you)
3. Virtual Office - Regus.com
4. Website Company Who Built My Wordpress Site - Nurenu.com (tell BJ Flagg you were sent by Rich Gee)
5. Wordpress - www.wordpress.com
6. Template for my Wordpress Site - Thesis
7. PR Professional - Ron Magas at Magas Media Consultants, LLC - www.magasmedia.com (tell Ron you were sent by Rich Gee)
8. BNI - CT Chapter - www.bnict.com
9. Credit Card Payments - www.paypal.com (look for Virtual Terminal)
10. Professional Voice Mail Recordings - www.provoicegreetings.com
11. Matt Harding Video (big hit!) - Click Here
12. My Current Workshop Schedule - Click Here

Enjoy the rest of November and hope to see you again! - Rich

P.S. Books That I Recommend to businesses nationwide:

• Never Eat Alone
• Linchpin
• The Little Gold Book of Yes Attitude
• The Little Black Book of Connections
• Brag - The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It
• Strengthsfinder 2.0

Are You Ready For Success?

Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be." - George Sheehan Most of the time it's not the place, the time, the people, or the circumstances. It's YOU.

It's not the obstacles or lack of opportunity. It's YOU.

Successful people blast through obstacles and make their own opportunity.

It's that simple. So start today by looking inside and be the person you believe you were meant to be.

Do You Keep Your Nose To The Grindstone?

To grind corn in the old-time grist mills, corn was fed through a hole in the runner stone, and then, by means of centrifgugal force, was carried between two great stones, grinding all the way. However, these two great stones never touched. To accomodate the different grain sizes, the miller was able to adjust the gap between the stones by means of a wheel that was connected by a rod to a lever upon which the central shaft rested. The movement of this adjusting wheel moved one of the great grinding stones, the runner stone, from the other, called the bed stone.

By keeping their nose to the grindstone, the miller could detect the smell of granite, which indicated that the two grinding stones were too close together.

So the term "keeping your nose to the grindstone" doesn't really mean working hard or late. It means ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?

• To what is important and letting go of the minutae that fills our valuable time.
• To what is happening at a macro and strategic level and not the small stuff.
• To who is leaving, who is coming aboard, and where you stand in the hierarchy.
• To your customer's wants, needs and concerns.

If you pay a little more attention to the important things, you'll grind a lot of grain, and keep your grist mill running strong.

Want To Be Successful? This Is What You Do.

This morning, I'm speaking in front of a packed crowd at the Wilton Library on LinkedIn.

Candidly, I'm not a true 'authority' on LinkedIn, but it does help my business, and I'm presenting to business owners about how they can leverage it too.

So you want to be successful? Want to make mid-to-high six figures a year? Learn how to speak in front of people. And get good at it. It takes practice — but once you have the correct formula of presence, information, and broadway — it works.

I'm not saying that speaking is the end-all of business, it's a tool to be used to help grow your business. The more people that you are in front of and can experience your service, the more that they actually sell themselves.

Why? Speakers are at the apex of communication. Of course we have writers and actors. We also have social media. But public speaking is one of the most powerful forms of communication today. Why?

• You instantly become an authority. People still respect professionals who speak and take the information they provide at face value. Try doing that in any other medium.
• You are a billboard for you and your company. Standing up and speaking on a topic commands respect — for you and your product. It's free advertising that actually works.
• You move people with your words. You touch their heartstrings. I've had people come up to me after a keynote or workshop and hug me. You don't get that from a Tweet.
• You get true two-way communication. Attendees can meet and touch you. They can ask questions and have your personalize your response to their situation. That's special today.
• You can guide them to other products you offer. Since they have already bought into you, they are usually very interested in extending the experience by purchasing more of your services. Your here to make MONEY.

So if you want to be truly successful — learn, practice and perfect your speaking style. Today.

Do You Have The Girlfriend Effect?

What's the Girlfriend Effect?

Remember in high school, if a boy didn't have a girlfriend, it was pretty darn near impossible for him to attract one? But if the boy did have a girlfriend, all her friends seemed to flock over to him and be instantly interested in him?

Well, the girlfriend effect is alive and well in business today and it starts with the atmosphere you create.

It's how you act, your confidence, your self-esteem, the way you react in situations, the way you carry yourself.

If you own or run your own business or if you are an executive in a corporation, you understand the power of first impressions, charisma, and confident behavior.

If you don't have it, you need to get it. When I work with my clients, I frequently say that you need to always have your "hot shit" persona on. Because if you don't think you are important, influential, and experienced, no one will. It all starts with you.

Here are some incredible books that you can grab to build your confidence, charisma, and image:

1. Executive Charisma: Six Steps to Mastering the Art of Leadership By D.A. Benton. A proven six-step process for acquiring the style, flair, and credibility needed to make it to the top. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, managers who do not exude an all encompassing self-confidence, style, poise, and energy, in short, “executive presence,” are highly unlikely to make it to the corner office.
2. The Secret Language of Success: Using Body Language to Get What You Want By David Lewis. The jewel of my library. Have you ever felt that you could walk into a room without being noticed and leave and not be missed? Your inability to make your presence felt has probably made you frustrated on more than one occasion. This book teaches you the secret language of silent speech and body language.
3. How to Win Friends & Influence People By Dale Carnegie. This is the bible — buy it and live it. This grandfather of all people-skills books was first published in 1937. It was an overnight hit, eventually selling 15 million copies. How to Win Friends and Influence People is just as useful today as it was when it was first published, because Dale Carnegie had an understanding of human nature that will never be outdated.

P.S. Hope I haven't offended anyone by possibly positioning my post badly around women or men - not trying to be sexist here, just exhibiting a point.

Do You Have A Career "Plan B"?

You just missed the last recession, hopefully things are getting better. You're getting quite adept at dodging the executioner's axe — ducking at the last minute while watching fellow peers lose their heads. Are you talented or just lucky? At my last corporate gig, I managed to have seven bosses in six years. Six LONG years.

Talented and lucky just don't take you very far anymore. There might be a time when you need to resort to "Plan B".

What is "Plan B"? It's that time of your career when you realize that it's time to change, to make a move, to take ACTION. Some executives realize it when they are still employed and some realize it when they are carrying the contents of their desk in a box.

Here are some basic "Plan B" activities:

• Get Out & Meet New People. Today. Try to have lunch with a new person every week. Do it.
• Get Out & Strengthen Current/Old Relationships. They already know you. Pick the most motivational and influential and connect with them again.
• Brainstorm. Sit down with a white sheet of paper — draw a line down the center and write energize on the left and enervate on the right. List all the elements of past positions that energize you and all elements that enervate or deplete your energy. Your new position should leverage the 'energize' elements.
• Keep Alert. What's happening in your company? In your marketplace? In your city/state? What companies are doing well? Which ones need help? If you're going to go — go for the gold.
• Get Your Resume In Order. Work with a professional (I have a few great recommendations if need be).
• Start Reading The WSJ/Financial Times/The Economist/BusinessWeek. It tells you what's happening. Where to focus. What areas are growing, who's shrinking. New areas you never even knew existed.
• Past Bosses. Have lunch with them. Find out what they're doing. They might want you.

Bottom line, now is the time to take action and develop a robust "Plan B". Today.

3 Ways To Successfully Attain Any Goal In Life.

You have grand designs on your future - unfortunately, you never meet your personal or professional goals. Why does that happen? It comes down to three areas - SRS or Simple — Realistic — Steps (not five, as in SMART, or seven as in SMARTER - let's keep it simple!).

What do I mean?

1. Simple - Keep your dreams simple. Don't make them too complex. If you do, you'll find you will be spending more time deciphering what to do next and questioning if you did it to completion. Simplicity is key. Also break out the goal into smaller, more attainable goals (see #3).

2. Realistic - Be honest to yourself and pick those goals that you can actually achieve. So many people go off half-cocked and attempt something grandiose or unattainable by any measure and then find themselves cashing in again on a failed project, initiative, or life goal. Then they get frustrated and angry. And they never try anything again.

3. Steps - Chunk out each goal into simple and realistic tasks or activities. In addition, look at your goal, if it is too big or unwieldy, break it up into manageable steps. An example might be, "I want to own a BMW Z4 sports car". Normal steps might be save money, research best way to purchase, buy car. A better way to break up your steps would be to have three segmented goals (with sub-goals) that build up to your main goal, ownership of the Z4:

• Finance - a. Ensure constant stream of revenue to pay all bills and have extra left over. b. Investigate a general financial goal for the Z4. c. Develop a time/payment schedule to save. d. Ensure that no unplanned emergencies arise to deplete the Z4 funding machine. e. Find a profitable 'holding area' for the funds saved that will deliver the best interest. f. Ensure your credit score remains high to garner the best interest rate deal. g. Set up goal markers to check off during this process.
• Research - a. Why do you want a Z4? b. Investigate alternatives to the Z4 - cheaper, better, other brands. c. What are the best dealerships? d. Who are the best salespeople that can educate you on the Z4 and get you the best price? e. How much will insurance be? f. What is the resale value? g. Lease or buy? h. Return policies? Warranties? i. Set up goal markers to check off during this process.
• Purchase - a. When are the Finance and Research steps complete? b. Initiate the finance process. c. Plan for any hiccups in the process. d. Sell your current car. e. Make a list of items to check when you sign the papers and pick up the car. f. Set up goal markers to check off during this process.

This is an over-simplified example to show how you can chunk out each step to cover any issue or problem that might arise, but also to move you forward during the process, making each step simple, manageable and motivational, ensuring your success.

3 Ways To Grow Your Business . . . Today.

I work with a LOT of companies. Solopreneurs. Small Businesses. Large Businesses. Corporations. Across the entire spectrum of the marketplace, I see three standard rules that make companies successful. How they service their clients everyday. How they incrementally grow by making the right decisions and recovering quickly from the wrong ones.

So without further ado, here they are:

1. Delight Your Customer. Not just service them - DELIGHT them. Make them step back and say "Wow". In one of my past posts, I mentioned add 'Pizazz' to everything you do. This is the same thing. When you deliver your service, find one way to go the extra mile and make your customer smile and think "I am so glad I shopped here/worked with you." How can you do it? Nordstrom's excels in customer service and quality. Jet Blue does it with customer service and price (and great seats!). Trader Joe's excels in products, price, and customer service. Get where I'm going?

   Next Step: Look at your pricing, your product, or your customer service and tweak a bit. Give them something they don't expect. Make them say 'Wow". Go the extra mile.

2. Meet New People. Everyday. Get out of your office/store/home and meet people. And not just any people - important people that can HELP you grow your business. That means finding those people who are your customers and touching them or finding connectors that will help you meet your customers. Do lunches, coffee, drinks after work, breakfast, dinner, show up with a pizza . . . whatever. You need to touch people to learn what's happening in the outside world, meet and greet new prospects, and spread the word about your great products.

   Next Step: Make it a point of getting out in the next 24 hours with ANYONE. Take the plunge - do it now.

3. Ask Lots of Questions and Listen. Whoever I meet, I ask key, basic questions to get them going. "How's business?" "How's the family?" "Where did you go for vacation?" "How's that rash healing?" You know - all the small talk questions. Then I add in a follow up question: "Really . . . tell me more." That is the magic question - getting them to delve deeper into their experience while you just SHUT UP and LISTEN. You are listening for openings, for ability to seed your services, to help your fellow person. That is invaluable in today's marketplace when all people do today is TALK.

   Next Step: The next person you meet (for lunch, at the supermarket, etc.) ask them a key probing question, follow up with  "Really . . . tell me more.", and then LISTEN. You will suprise yourself how much info you get out of that person.

By the way — all three of these ways to grow your business are incredibly fun to do. Trust me.

Are You Throwing Happiness Out The Window?

Lately, a lot of people feel 'stuck' in their life. Why?

• Because of their past decisions leading up to the present.
• Because of the possibility of jumping into another terrible position.
• Because of the economy.

This is what I call "Not Living In The Present". Why? Let's look at the three reasons again:

• PAST GUILT: Past decisions leading up to the present.
• FUTURE FEAR: Possibility of jumping into another terrible position.
• DISPLACED ANGER: The economy.

Past Guilt

Blaming actions in the past that you feel are affecting the present. You are currently not feeling 'adequate' to attempt to jump to a new job because of your past failings, lack of knowledge/experience, or some other situation that might have happened to you.

Solution: You can't do anything about it. Stop frustrating yourself because of things that have happened in the past and start dealing with the qualities, experience, and talents that you currently have. Make a list - you will surprise yourself.

Future Fear

Being scared of the future may be real to you, but in reality, a waste of your time and energy. Why? You are predicting the future . . . if you knew exactly what was going to happen, go buy a lottery ticket. We hold ourselves back because we are insecure of what 'might' happen and we begin to concoct elaborate stories in our head to make them real.

Solution: Deal with your anxiety about the future — start making a plan based on reality and move from fear back into a strong secure place in your head and life. Sit down and map out specific goals you want to accomplish and those activities and tasks that will get you there. Add a timetable and you are done!

Displaced Anger

Blaming other people or forces about your misery is a common practice with many of my clients. Because of the marketplace, the economy, your clients, or a crazy boss, you are eliminating all ability to take control of the situation. There are always other options to any situation, unfortunately, we tend to throw them out the window and begin to blame things we cannot control.

Solution: Uncover, understand, and focus on the things you CAN control. Start breaking down your frustrations with outside forces and other people and begin to see opportunities that were hidden from you. The best way to do this is to state your situation, come up with alternatives, and brainstorm options, no matter how crazy or outlandish they are. You'll find that some of these options quickly turn into opportunities.

Start living in the present. You will be much happier and have abundant energy to change where you are NOW.

The Best Kept Business Secret To Success.

To be successful in business, you need to make CONNECTIONS.It's that simple.

Connections to meet someone new, to make a sale, to find a new position, or to learn about a recent, yet unknown development.

I find that some of my clients, some of my workshop attendees, and for some people I meet, they 'rebel' against this notion.

And in my opinion, to their detriment.

FACT: Every weekday, every lunch, every upscale (and even downscale) restaurant, key executives are connecting. Just look around. There's a reason why lunches are cheaper, smaller, and served faster — for business lunches!

On average, I meet or speak to 2-3 new people a day, have 2000+ names in my address book, and ensure that every lunch I have is either meeting with someone, speaking with someone, or just bumping into someone.

It's like Tom Peters' 20 x 12 = 240 model (see below), you have ample opportunity to connect with A LOT of people.

Why do certain people rebel? Why do they think that it isn't important?

I think these people either don't like to talk to other people, don't find it useful, think they're too busy, or don't prepare for the lunch. They're wrong.

So if you're waiting for that big, shiny limousine to pull up at your home or office and whisk you off to a better life with more money — keep dreaming.

If you want to win the showcase on The Price Is Right, you at least have to show up and be in the audience. Make it happen!

How To Connect With Key People.

I attended a NSA (National Speakers Association) meeting last night. I know . . . after a full day at work, I spent additional hours in a cramped, hot hotel room looking at slides. I wouldn't change it for the world.

• I met a LOT of great people just like me. People that I can help and who also can help me.
• I experienced a great speaker who gave me a LOT of great information to grow my business exponentially.
• I had fun and it energized me (and my business).

Without further ado, here are some critical tips:

1. Get Out. The hardest thing my clients, colleagues, and friends do is to not get out and meet people. Find events and GO TO THEM. My motto: The more people you meet, the more opportunities you make, the more business you close. Corollary: The less people you meet, the less opportunities you make, the less business you close. It's that simple.
2. Show Enthusiasm & Energy. Don't be manic and scary though. Keep an upbeat focus on everyone you meet. Greet with a broad smile, hearty handshake and have one item/area to personally compliment the attendee. Do what you have to do to bring up your energy, go for a walk before the talk, listen to a power song on your iPod, drink an energy drink - anything. But come with ENERGY.
3. Wear Your Own Nametag. This sounds hokey - but it works. Everyone knows your name and what you do. And . . . you name is clearly visible to everyone you meet. In addition, the speaker could see it from her vantage point and mentioned my name — although I never met her! So it works.
4. Try To Do Something For Everyone You Meet. And then follow up the next day. I know it's hard, but this is how the big boys and girls do it.
5. Do a 360°. Talk to everyone around you when you sit down. During breaks, increase the frequency and solidify the relationship. Follow up the next day (this is critical).
6. Don't Eat. Not only is it difficult to handle a plate, shake hands, eat, and maintain a conversation, chewing and talking just don't go together. Eat beforehand. You look more polished and professional if you don't eat. Did you ever spit food while talking? Not cool.

Finally, two areas that I would like to promote:

• National Speakers Association - www.nsa.org - check them out - great meetings, incredible speakers, they make it happen!
• Rebecca Morgan - this professional clearly knows her stuff on how to "Make Money In Your Jammies" - www.rebeccamorgan.com

Why I'm Not Surprised You Got Fired.

It's funny. So many things happen in life that make us wonder, "Why did they do that?" "Why did they go with the other candidate?" "Why am I not getting that promotion?" "Why did I get laid off?"

It's the balance of factual and emotional and how we also balance them in our head and heart.

Unfortunately, we often tend to skew on the emotional side when it comes to highly personal and influential decisions. As I say to my clients, "You tell yourself stories."

You need to evaluate the FACTUAL side of the equation and you'll probably see why and how they made the decision.

Why do I mean by facts? Follow the money, perception, situation, and influencers. They are probably to blame.

On the other hand - there are situations when the people in charge make emotional decisions and let facts fly in the wind.

Candidly, you don't want to work for them. Trust me.

What Are You Afraid Of . . . Failure Or Success?

At some time in our careers, we self-sabotage. We know we need to do 'A' to move forward, but somehow we find ourselves doing 'B'. And 'B' isn't as good as 'A'. In fact, 'B' might make us take a number of steps backwards. But we do it anyway.

Why? Fear of Failure & Fear of Success.

Fear of Failure is simple - we don't want to attempt something if we feel that it's going to fail in the end — a sales call not attempted, a higher price asked, etc. We retreat to that safe, warm, and fuzzy place in our heads that takes us away from all possible failure scenarios. Unfortunately, you might be wrong — that call or price might be accepted and you suddenly move forward at a blinding speed with your career . . . and that's where fear of success steps in.

Fear of Success is even more insidious and calculating than fear of failure. It hides in the deep recesses of our psyche and when it comes out, we usually don't even notice it. Fear of Success sabotages our ability to make great leaps forward in our career by preying upon our irrational fears.

So how do we fix this?

Fear of Failure - Just do it. Most of the time, we are just putting up obstacles to procrastinate and hide of the pain of rejection. But the reality is that you usually have a better chance of acceptance is you just take action. Also - the rejection is not as bad as you think - so just do it.

Fear of Success - Get real. Most of the internal stories we tell ourselves are based upon fantasy. If we lose weight, we'll cheat on our spouse . . . if we get that big promotion, we'll never see our family again . . . and on and on and on. Sit down and list all the irrational ways you fear success, write them on paper. Then take each one and dissect it with a clear head and only use FACTS. You'll find that most of your fears are highly irrational and not based in the real world.

Now go out and face the world without fear!

Accelerate Your Job Search - Sales vs. Replenishment.

Have you ever sold products? Stood in front of a board of directors and pitched an idea? I have. In sales, there are two types of salespeople — salespeople whose goal is to sell some 'stuff' and salespeople who solve the client's problem. Guess who is more successful?

Why is it then, when most unemployed executives network, connect, and interview, they focus on selling 'stuff' and not solving problems? I call this the Sales vs. Replenishment Model. And it works perfectly when looking for a job.

Replenishment is just what it means - you are there to replenish an open position. And you try your hardest to fashion yourself in a cookie-cutter way to fit into that replenishment model. What happens? You usually fail. Most accomplished account executives know that you can only replenish inventory for so long until your client smartens up (or someone else pitches them a better solution) and cuts/eliminates your order.

True Sales is the ability to listen, learn and understand what issues, problems, and opportunities your clients have and then try to help them solve them with one of your inventory. This clearly applies to your job search. You need to do a massive amount of research prior to your meeting, ask a lot of questions during the initial meeting, and then (and only then) do you present possible solutions to your lunch partner's issues. One might say that this is a cookie-cutter approach to — but there is a lot less shoving a square peg into a round hole.

Bottom line — if you try to replenish, you lower yourself to every other salesperson out there hawking their stuff. If you endeavor to solve one of the company's problems or present an alternate way to do things - you will instantly catch their attention and make a major impression.

Your chances to get that job have now risen dramatically.

Three Major Mistakes Many C-Level Executives Make.

Look, your job is hard. Probably one of the hardest in your company. But then again, you are the best and most highly decorated/compensated employee too. But you're human and sometimes it hard to lead and execute perfectly. Over the past 10 years of advising C-Level executives, here are three of the more frequent mistakes made in your day-to-day endeavors running the whole 'lemonade stand':

1. Trying to do everything, not honing in on your talents.

A frequent occurrence since everyone that works for you thinks that you can solve all their problems. Or when issues, obstacles, and opportunities come at you from many directions, it hard not to say no. But you have to say no.

One way to fix this problem is to either say no, or not now. But that's hard to do. The best way to fix this issue is to delegate it to someone below you. You first need to know what key strengths your people exhibit and then you have to apply certain communication/management skills to pass on the task. Then ask them. Most of the time, they are dying to work on more complex/challenging stuff, especially your 'stuff'. Then you can go back and work on things that compliment your talents.

If you don't do this, you'll find that your days are filled with an avalanche of decisions and tasks, many that you're not the best at. And that spells trouble.

2. Less focus on planning, more focus on quick decisions.

When time is short and your to-do list is long, we tend to make more 'shoot-from-the-hip' decisions rather than planning ahead of time. Again, this is a hard thing to do in today's marketplace.

One line of attack is to clearly define key recurring areas that frequently need addressing and to bring your team together to plan for them, rather than waiting for something to blow up. You can segment them into client-based, financial-based, operations-based, marketing-based issues and have key, qualified people responsible to lead the charge. Once areas are planned and options are defined, it's much easier to chart your course in a more educated fashion.

If you don't do this, you'll find that you will spend more time substantiating your decisions with higher-ups, direct reports, and clients and realizing that many unplanned decisions usually aren't the best ones to execute.

3. Not asking for input from multiple sources.

This is the biggest and most important one — and it also aligns with the previous two mistakes. As you get comfortable in your position, it's really easy to insulate oneself from other learned sources when managing, leading, and running the business.

One way to eliminate this mistake is to actively and frequently reach out to people and ask them their opinion on a strategy, direction, or decision. They could be mentors that you've established, previous colleagues that you've worked with, key direct reports you can trust, and even employees that you never talk to. You'll be surprised with their answers — you might find that their line of thinking is completely different from yours. And it might be better!

If you don't do this, you'll slowly find that many people around you will be able to telegraph your position immediately (since you always make the decision) or they shut down completely since you are asking them for advice. Take a chance — listen to other sources.

Do One Thing Today That Scares You.

Do one thing today you've been procrastinating on that scares you. Anything. Why?

• You get something done (duh . . . Rich).
• It's the only way you grow (okay, I see where you're going).
• You will feel better about yourself (big win here).

Most of the time, we get down on ourselves when we don't get key stuff done. We are also even harder on ourselves when we hold ourselves back on the most important stuff.

And that feeling and those behaviors take a subtle toll on our confidence. Your confidence is one of the major players in your success in business and life. It's what drives you and makes you attractive to others. You do not want to deplete it — you want to nurture and grow it. So you need to do SCARY things.

It's the only way you will grow your confidence level. So how do you do it?

• Call that one person that you are afraid of calling or you've been putting it off because your 'not prepared'. Just call.
• Make an appointment with an influential mover and shaker. Today.
• Start something that really scares you. An exercise program. Dancing. Singing. Speaking. Something.

It's doesn't matter WHAT it is. It's the action of just doing it that builds your confidence level. And that's a good thing.

Are You Sleeping At Work?

The past few posts have been a bit long, so this one will be concise and blunt. I run into many people at my workshops who are unemployed. When I offer a FREE coaching session to help them, a few balk. Why? I think:

• They like unemployment (stay with me here).
• They want someone else to do the thinking and searching for them.
• They are afraid of doing it themselves.
• It's easier to not make a decision/do something rather than making a decision or acting on an opportunity.

Why does this happen? Because they lived on the corporate teat for the last 20-25 years. What do I mean by that?

They got lazy at work. They did the same thing every day — hoping and praying (as the world changed around them) that no one would notice.

Unfortunately, someone did. And they were let go from their job. Now they are desperately looking for a new  job just like their old job. They are looking for a new job just like they worked for their old job — they're telegraphing it in.

I'm not saying that they didn't work hard. They probably did. But they didn't work SMART. They didn't push themselves into KEY initiatives or projects that would change the company. Or developed a process that saved the company a lot of money. Bottom line - did they affect the growth of the business, save a lot of money, or change the game? No. They sucked on the corporate teat.

Let me say that again — are you:

• Affecting the growth of your business? Talking to a new major client? Releasing a new product?
• Saving your company a lot of money? Cost cutting, streamlining, better allocation of resources?
• Changing the game? Orthogonal thinking, coming up with major ideas/solutions that no one has thought of?

What's funny is that these unemployed people are now moving from the corporate to the federal/state/city teat. They can't find a 'safe' job in corporate — so they hope to find a 'safe' job in a public position. Unfortunately, I see that cost-cutting will start to matriculate down into these areas too in the next 5-10 years. So guess what? These 'safe' jobs are not really safe.

So don't sleep at work. Impact the growth of your business. Save your company a lot of money. Change the game. Start TODAY.

The First Day of Autumn.

It's the most wonderful time of the year . . . I LOVE FALL! I used to run cross country - I love the smell in the air, the look of the trees, the wood stoves firing up. I get nostalgic for those times. But what is nature really telling us at this time of the year?

• Things die. Leaves are falling to the ground. Tilled my garden under for the winter.
• Things hibernate. Grass is turning light brown for the winter, but will come back in Spring.
• Things turn cold. Left the bedroom windows open last night. We FROZE!
• Time to pack things away. That incredible teal floral hawaiian swimsuit I bought thankfully goes away until next summer.
• Time to get ready for different weather. Having my famous wood stove cleaned as I type - wood is being delivered this week.
• Time for my favorite foods to appear. Macoun apples are MY favorite. By the way - looking for them - some help here would be appreciated.
• Get busy. Squirrels are losing their friggin' minds collecting thousands of acorns that have fallen on the ground.

How does this align with business? You career? Your life?

• Things die. Mourn their loss (a project, a system, a job) and MOVE ON. Right Now. It's never coming back.
• Things hibernate. A stream of business has gone away - look for others - don't fret! Take Action.
• Things turn cold. That's life - sometimes people or businesses give you the cold shoulder - find where the warmth lives.
• Time to pack things away. Things that haven't been working now might need to be put away for awhile. Work on new and interesting stuff.
• Time to get ready for different weather. Change your game - start targeting people instead of waiting for them to come to you.
• Time for my favorite foods to appear. New things appear on a regular timetable - what happens in your industry at this time? Take advantage of it - be prepared.

And finally . . .

GET BUSY! Stand up, get out, and start collecting the thousands of acorns that have fallen on the ground.

Just one might change your life.

Do You Give Unbelievable Customer Service?

As many of you probably know, I took my family to Walt Disney World over the past two weeks. We had a BALL! In the middle of all the excitement and relaxation, my business mind was constantly going. I am very observant when it comes to viewing high level operational, organizational and customer service processes. And candidly, I saw a bunch of them:

• When we returned to our room (we stayed on-site) we found the room attended to by our maid, but the TV was left on. How strange! Then we turn to one of the beds and find my son's stuffed character Stitch sitting upright on the bed with the TV remote in his hand. It blew us away and we doubled her tip at the end of our trip.
• Our son had a broken arm (not bad, but it is in a cast) - and during our entire stay, whenever we had an interaction with a Disney cast member (that's what they call them, not employees) they would inquire with my son and then go out of their way to make the situation that much more special. They would give him stickers, or a better table, or faster service.
• The grounds were immaculate. No trash, nothing. They were even replacing old bushes with new grass around the resort walkway. In 100 degree heat. They were also repainting the main convention building even though for the life of me tell where it actually needed painting. It looked fine to me.
• Finally, at the resort's pool, the lifeguards were not only plentiful (9-10 on duty at any one time and this was not a big pool), but when some were on, the others jumped into the pool and got the guests to have a tug of war or a marco polo contest. They were even challenging the guests to volleyball!

Now that is customer service and attention to your clients needs.

What do you do currently that goes above and beyond your current customer service?

Are You Losing Your Game? Time To 'Adjust' It.

From Greg Couch in Paris:

"Venus Williams just keeps letting this happen to her, and she throws up her hands as if there is nothing she can do about it.

She had been playing her best tennis in years, and had a shot at moving to No. 1 in the world rankings, where she has spent just 11 weeks in her long career. And then she had an off day Sunday. Now, she's gone. Williams lost 6-4, 6-3 to Nadia Petrova in the fourth round at Roland Garros. It's clear now why Williams has never won the French Open, and never will. It's not about a lack of ability or comfort on clay.

It's unbelievable that someone who has been so great for so long would allow herself to play for all these years without a safety net. She has no adjustments to make, no alterations.

On hot days, the red clay is fast and on cold days it's slow. On wet days, even stickier. On Sunday, it was raining and windy, too. Nothing stays the same, and even on the best of days, you can't just impose physical strength on your opponent, the way Williams plays. The ball slows down when it bounces in this dirt, and gives players a chance to catch up to the power.

Sometimes it happens? Then why not be ready for it? Don't you have to make adjustments?"

Greg is spot on with Venus. Now here's the kicker . . . he sounds like me when I first talk to my clients. Things have been going so well for so long, then all of a sudden, everything falls apart. It's like their career or business just had a 4-6, 3-6 game and they don't know what to do. They've been playing their power game all along and the whole world around them has changed.

And it hits you smack in the center of your face just like a tennis ball. You suddenly realize that you no longer are employed, you're handling multiple positions that have been eliminated, or a majority of your clientele have disappeared. How do you fix this?

It's called FLEXIBILITY. LIMBERNESS. AGILITY. React to external conditions as they change (and you can bet your bottom dollar they will) and take steps to be flexible, limber and agile.

Here are some tips:

• Keep your eyes open. Major career or business changing events usually don't happen in an instant. There are predictors and subtle changes that should be alerting you. People just don't listen or they obstinately keep their eyes closed to the problem(s). When you see something begin to happen, take some time out to look out on the horizon. What is changing? For the better? For the worse? Who's leaving the company? What projects are being cut? Who is disappearing from certain projects?
• Set goals. It's that easy. Most executives and business-owners don't have goals. They just trundle along with no targets to hit. You're asking for trouble. Businesses - look at your last 12 months gross revenue, pick your three best months, average them and that is your current target for each month. If you want to be agressive, raise it by 5%. Executives - How is your project/department progressing? Are you hitting your deadlines? Are you receiving increases when you hit something out of the park (great review)?
• Have a plan in case things change. If the environment is going south, have a backup plan. Businesses - What is another customer base you can tap into? Why aren't you hitting them already? Executives - Is your resume up to date? Are you actively having lunch with colleagues outside of your company to survey the marketplace?

If you begin to attempt just one of these tips and MAKE ADJUSTMENTS, you'll find that you'll be winning the matches, rather than going home a loser.