Is Your Competition Waving As They Pass You?

On with one of my oldest clients this morning and came up with a spot-on analogy about a lot of organizational management today: Your company is a ship on the open sea and your mission is to navigate and guide it into port.

Your captain (management) wants you to take it in slow and steady, so they hit their schedule perfectly. They don't want to expend any more fuel, any more people, or take a chance by accelerating the ship to get to the port faster. It's the way they've done things for years and they are not changing.

Unfortunately, you're guiding the ship and you're seeing all of the competing ships (and some speedboats) passing you by in the night because they are going faster and using innovative techniques and strategies to beat you.

But the captain doesn't see this, because they're sleeping. But you do — and you tell them everyday that the ship needs to go faster and to develop innovative techniques and strategies like your competition.

The captain disagrees. "Slow and steady will get us into port on-time and on-schedule" (and the captain will be rewarded by management with a healthy bonus if this happens).

But you know the competing ships (and speedboats) will hit port way before you do, unload their cargo, sell their wares quickly, and be off before you realize it.

In addition, when they pass, they are making bigger waves that affect your ship's progress. But the captain maintains a slow and steady approach.

They are NOT LISTENING.

And you're seeing the future of your industry happen RIGHT BEFORE YOUR EYES.

And you're not part of it. You're a spectator. And the competition is EATING YOUR LUNCH.

Sometimes, the captain doesn't notice until it's too late — and then — and only then — they want you to accelerate. But it's too little, too late. And when you tell them, they get mad.

WHAT DO YOU DO? My ADVICE:

Don't open up the throttle — but you should subtly 'click' it forward just enough where management doesn't notice (at first), but where you begin to catch up, pace, and sometimes pass the competition. Add a resource, accelerate the deadline, increase the scope a bit, start a small skunkworks in the basement — but do something.

Also — EVANGELIZE your perspective and strategy all the time. You might be ridiculed at first — but after the competition beats you — you can stand there with a huge 'I told you so' face. They might listen to you next time.

You might get into trouble if management ultimately uncovers what you're doing — but no one was ever fired for doing the right thing and taking a small chance to advance the company forward.

And if you are reprimanded or fired, it makes a great story to tell when interviewing with the competition!

P.S. This happens ALL THE TIME. Think of Kodak, Blockbuster, and Nokia to name a few. What others can you think of?

Are You Crushing It Every Day?

“Love your family, work super hard, live your passion.” - Gary Vaynerchuk, from Crush It! Great words from Gary in one of my favorite books (I require all of my clients to read). He is spot on with this one.

See how he constructs the quote — Family — Work — Passion. Not the other way around.

Unfortunately, many of the C-Level clients I coach work it the other way and find they're not happy, they have a shitty marriage, they never see their kids or their kids hate them, and their only passion in life is putting in mucho hours on the job. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

Yes — you've got the three M's — Money, Mansion, Mercedes (or Maserati) — but deep down, you're not happy. Something is missing and time is running out.

So here goes — you can have all three — it's just how you look at them AND how you prioritize them. I am currently working with the CEO/Owner of a top engineering firm and we're currently spinning the sequence around to help him enjoy the benefits of his labor. He's built the organization from the ground up and now it's time to enjoy life!

NUMBER ONE RULE — Family Comes First. No exceptions.

I'm not saying to fill up your calendar with family-oriented activities and let work suffer. Within reason, try to start your workweek by making time for your wife/partner, kids, friends, etc. If there is a baseball game, a romantic dinner, a morning run, hiking at the park — make sure it is recorded and blocked off on your calendar FIRST.

Again, within reason — I understand you work for a living. But taking a vacation day once in awhile is fine, even encouraged. Leave work early to catch your son's or daughter's soccer game. Come in late because you took your family to an early breakfast at your favorite diner. You know, the one where you all sit together with no TV, no smartphones and just eat and talk.

ACTION: Get your assistant in your office right now and start blocking off your calendar. TODAY.

NUMBER TWO RULE — Work Super Hard. But work smart.

I know you work hard. That's how you got to your position in the first place. But what got you to the captain's chair probably won't help you stay happy there. You worked hard, put in the thousands of hours of blood, sweat and tears. You made all the right decisions (and a few stinkers). You made the right connections with the right people. YOU HUSTLED.

Now it's time to sit in the captain's chair and start delegating even more. Don't act like Captain Kirk and accompany the away team on every mission, stay on-board the Enterprise and direct your resources in strategic ways. What got you here isn't going to keep you here for very long without compromising your home life, your happiness, and your health. You're not getting any younger either.

ACTION: Look at all your meetings and start culling them down by 10%. Stop reading every email/text that comes in. Have your assistant monitor your information flow and decide what get priority. They're the gatekeeper — ensure they guard the gate.

Cut down on one-on-ones with everyone — start to develop a sharper pyramid reporting structure with very few people touching you (no more than 5-7) Remember the Godfather? He had three direct reports — his Consigliere (who died - morte), and two Capos — Clemenza and Tessio. That's it.

NUMBER THREE RULE — Live Your Passion. But find what your REAL passion is.

Too many C-Level executives hit the big show and start to abuse the passion that got them there. They forget the fun, innovation, excitement and give in to boredom, politics, and hitting the targets for their buddies on the board. The world becomes pedantic and the passion flows out of them.

They try to make safe decisions and safe moves, and impact their business, their organization, and their customers. They prioritize their bonus, their safety, and their reputation over what's really important. I know it's hard, but sometimes you have to sacrifice the temporary pleasures to fully engage with what really matters. It's not all money (and if you believe it is - READ THIS - another mandatory book I recommend to C-Level clients).

ACTION: Sit down and assess what your real passions are right at this moment. What gets your motor running? What gets you excited about life? What motivates you to do GREAT work? You need to re-establish a connection with your passion and make sure you fill up your enthusiasm gas tank every day.

Are you crushing it every day?

"No excuses. Make it happen." - Rich Gee

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Start Looking For A Job By Mike Rowe.

Powerful words from Mike Rowe (Dirty Jobs host): "Stop looking for the “right” career, and start looking for a job. Any job.

Forget about what you like. Focus on what’s available. Get yourself hired.

Show up early. Stay late. Volunteer for the scut work. Become indispensable. You can always quit later, and be no worse off than you are today.

But don’t waste another year looking for a career that doesn’t exist.

And most of all, stop worrying about your happiness. Happiness does not come from a job. It comes from knowing what you truly value, and behaving in a way that’s consistent with those beliefs."

Mike Rowe  is an American media personality, actor and comedian best known as the host of the Discovery Channel series Dirty Jobs. He can also be heard as narrator on a variety of series and has appeared in recurring commercials for Ford Motor Company. 

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A Memorial Day Management Test.

This isn't scientific. Let me state that right from the start. But . . . This test has worked for me during my 20 years of managing large teams in corporate settings.

First, enjoy your Memorial Day weekend. Relax. Have fun. Spend it with people you love.

When you get to work on Tuesday, get there early and observe your team members as they arrive. See how they act the first 30 minutes at work.

Are they grumpy? Are they not happy to be at work? Do they miss their long weekend? Are they complaining? Or . . .

Are they energized? Ready to hit the ground running with a smile? Did they have fun on the weekend, but now they are ready to make some money?

Short holidays are great opportunities to better understand your team's appreciation of their job.

If they come in grumpy —

• They might not like their job.
• They might not like what they do.
• They might be hitting obstacles.
• They might be checking out.

If they come in energized —

• They probably like what they do.
• They probably enjoy your role as their manager.
• They are probably crushing it with their responsibilities.
• They will probably stick around.

Again — this isn't scientific. But I've found if you gracefully approach the grumpy team members individually and find out what is missing in their work life, you might turn them around and energize them.

If people don't realize work is a part of life and you have to make the best of it, it's high time to find out if they've bought into this concept. Because if they're not consistently bringing their A-game to the office, you're going to receive sub-standard work and deal with stinky personalities.

And life's too short to deal with stinky personalities.

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The 3 A's Of Awesome.

Neil Pasricha's blog '1000 Awesome Things' savors life's simple pleasures, from free refills to clean sheets. In this heartfelt talk, he reveals the 3 secrets (all starting with A) to leading a life that's truly awesome. (Filmed at TEDxToronto.)

Catch Neil's blog here: http://1000awesomethings.com Catch more TED talks here: http://www.ted.com

Image sourced from video.

You've Got The Power.

“You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

"I've got the power. Radical mind day and night all the time, Seven, fourteen, wise, divine, Maniac, brainiac, winning the game, I'm the lyrical Jesse James." — Snap, 90's German pop group

Now I've done it. How do I equate the great Marcus Aurelius with a bad one-hit-wonder pop group like Snap?

Easy. I want you to absorb the first quote with the logical/factual side of your brain and the second with the emotional/passionate part. Because each is important in their own way.

I love Marcus Aurelius. He's THE MAN. I regularly read Meditations to reinforce my personal belief structure. I also let it energize and motivate me to MOVE FORWARD.

What is Marcus really saying here? No one is out to get you. There is no bad luck. You haven't put yourself in a position you can't get out of (most of the time). YOU HAVE THE POWER.

Control your overall thinking (philosophy) and your thoughts (those millions of ideas you get every day). You will quickly realize you have unlimited power to do almost anything in your life or change any situation by just reaching inward and grabbing the strength we all have.

Unfortunately, we tend to focus on the emotional/storytelling side of our brain and let it rule our life and actions. We tell ourselves stories that we are not adequate, we are unlucky, we can never have the good things in life, and on and on and on. We slowly dig a hole full of made up stories when squeezed into a huge ball in our mind, and we find ourselves painted in a proverbial corner.

I run into this frequently with clients. They make themselves believe there is no other option, no alternative, no direction to go. They get frazzled, they lose hope, they break down, and the machine STOPS.

I'm here to tell you there's always another way. YOU have power over your mind. YOU have control over how you react to the outside world. Don't let emotions get the better of you. Here are some suggestions:

1. Separate yourself from your current location. If you're at the office, go for a walk. If your at home, step outside into your yard.
2. Meditate. Stop thinking of all the bad things. Turn off your phone. Close your eyes and meditate, pray or just clear your thoughts.
3. Put your problems in context. Are they really THAT bad? Or are you making them huge and impenetrable in your mind?
4. Get focused. When your problem is brought into real focus, begin to think of a number of ways to solve that problem — even if the solution is not in your power at this time.
5. Stay calm. Odds are you still have a roof over your head, food to eat and a family to love you. It's not that bad.
6. Stop playing the martyr. Most of all, NEVER feel like the world is out to get you. It isn't. It might feel that way, but it just the emotional side of your brain talking.
7. Use the emotional side of your brain and power it up with music, dance, art, etc. Fill up your emotional gasoline tank with energy to fuel our thoughts and deliver positive actions.

As Marcus also says, “The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.” 

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Your Communication Skills Stink.

If you pare down your job or business — and take away all the extraneous stuff you do — the most important part is COMMUNICATION. Simple, two-way and CLEAR communication. I give you information and I get your response. You tell me to do something and I tell you when I can get it done. I explain the merits of my products and services and you buy. And on and on and on.

Here's the simple fact — it's not as easy as it looks. In fact, some people tend to screw it up most of the time and wonder why they are being listened to or why their people or clients are not doing what they've been told. Do you find yourself saying:

• "They just aren't listening!"
• "Why are my clients checking out?"
• "Why do I tell my team one thing and they do another?"

If you catch yourself saying these and other choice phrases — you might need to tighten up your communication style.

Communication is a very complex process. When you communicate, you need to keep a sharp eye on the person you are communicating to. Why? There are so many signals where you need to modulate your communication to ensure they are understanding what you're saying.

Communication is made up of two competing spheres:

1. Facts & Information (F&I) - this is the 'what' of the conversation. And usually where you do a good job of transmitting.
2. Emotions & Feelings (E&F) - this is the 'why' of the conversation. And usually where you do a bad job of transmitting.

To communicate effectively, you need to better balance the two. Most of the time, we spend 80-90% of our efforts in F&I and 10-20% in E&F. Unfortunately, in certain situations, you need to increase your E&F — but you don't — and this is where communication breaks down.

Why does this happen? Because communicating facts and information are easy — you just blabber away. Emotions and feelings take a certain amount of restrain — you have to ask questions, listen, and react to the other person's feelings and emotions. And that's hard for most people. It's the EQ (emotional quotient) of the conversation.

The bottom line — if you take the E&F into account and speak to it — your communication success will increase exponentially.

But how do you bridge that gap? Three steps:

1. Bring Them In.

Bring them into the conversation. If you find you are doing all or most of the talking, STOP. Start asking them questions, get their side of the conversation, issue, or situation. Then paraphrase what they said to ensure you are listening correctly, and then ask more questions. We tend to blabber on without a care about the person we are speaking with. One of my favorite phrases to use is "Tell Me More". If that fails . . .

2. Ask Them A Permission Question.

Pause and then ask one of these permission questions:

• May I offer a suggestion . . . ?
• Can we further explore . . . ?
• Would it be alright if . . . ?
• With your permission, can we . . . ?

These permission questions immediately stop the conversation, reverse it, and allow you to better understand what's going on in the head of the person you're speaking with. If that fails . . .

3. Tell Them A Story.

One of the best ways to bridge the gap between Facts & Information and Emotions & Feelings is to tell a related story, example or scenario. It adds weight to the conversation and allows the person to visualize and mentally illustrate what you're talking about.

Each of these steps allows the speaker — YOU — to better communicate, bring the client or team member into the conversation, and hopefully deliver better, faster and more clear communication to whatever you do.

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TED Talk: Amy Cuddy - Physical Dominance.

Body language affects how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy shows how “power posing” — standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don’t feel confident — can affect testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain, and might even have an impact on our chances for success.

[ted id=1569]

This talk was presented at an official TED conference.

It's All About GRACE.

I was sitting in church last night during our Maundy Thursday service and as I was reading along in the cantata, one word kept popping up. GRACE.

And I realized, we all can do with a little more GRACE in our lives in how we treat other people. Honestly, when was the last time you used the word GRACE in conversation?

As you know, this is a business and career blog — so how do I incorporate GRACE into that?

The definition of GRACE is:

As a noun — simple elegance or refinement of movement or conversation.

As a verb — to do honor or credit to (someone or something) by one's presence.

So here goes:

1. When dealing with a direct report, add a bit more grace to the conversation. Show them a bit more refinement in your words. Even if they've done something wrong, try to credit them in some way.
2. At a meeting, comport yourself with a little more grace than usual. Listen to what other people say without barging in and giving them your perspective.
3. Be grateful you have a business or career and let others know it. Tell your boss or clients how much they mean to you. Honor them.
4. When meeting someone for the first time, show them how refined you really are. Don't be pushy, brazen, or assertive — simple elegance will take you far.
5. It does matter for any gender: If you're a woman, elegance and refinement come easily to you — use them frequently. People will be impressed and call you a 'sharp' executive. If you're a man, spend a bit more time giving credit or honor to people — they will start calling you a 'true' gentleman.

TAKE ACTION: Over the next week (or two), take a Post-It note and write GRACE on it. Whenever you have an opportunity to interact with another person, add a bit more of YOUR GRACE to the conversation.

You might not only surprise yourself — others will be surprisingly impressed.

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Life Hacks To Make Your Work Day Easier.

Sometimes, it's hard enough to get through the entire day. So I've research a number of psychological business 'life hacks' to help you accelerate the painful portions of your day and make them a little bit brighter. Always listen and find people's soft spots. Instead of being confrontational, be kind and also play those points. What they don't like, don't like to hear, what they like to eat, to do, to listen to. One minute of listening will open the gates to whatever you want to do with that person.

Compliment first. Sometimes I have conferences with parents and they come in on the defense. I find that complimenting them right away helps to ease into conversation and allows me to dominate more of the conversation. This helps in many other situations as well.

Get things done. Pretend you have a 5 minute deadline for just about anything. You'd be amazed what you can get done IN A HURRY. Shit that would have normally taken you a week.

Look good. If you praise someone to another person, that person is likely to attribute the positive qualities you mentioned to you. I remembered this one when my boss, during a performance evaluation, used the same 3 positive words to describe me that I'd used to describe a coworker a couple of months earlier.

Do you have a rival? Or just someone who seems to dislike you, ask them for a favor. It will completely overhaul their outlook. This is known as the Ben Franklin effect as he documented it quiet thoroughly with the delegate from Delaware.

Someone yelling at you? When someone is having a breakdown, even if they are targeting you and verbally attacking you, don't make yourself the victim. Listen to what they say, and speak to them calmly and rationally. Once they are calmed down, tell them how it made you feel and how they may have been in the wrong. When people are having a breakdown, their emotions have full control of them and you letting your emotions take over is only going to make things worse. Just remember, if someone is acting this way, its not to hurt you, its because they feel hurt. And they will be much more willing to admit it if you treat them as the victim and yourself as the offender. At least until they calm down.

Want to make friends? If you want someone to like you in any given situation try not to wholly disagree with their opinions. Instead, initially show some resistance to their statement(s) and as time progresses, begin to show them that you are coming around to their idea/ that perhaps you have changed your view. The fact that they believe they have changed you opinion something positive about your interaction that they won't forget.

Want to be attractive? Wear red. For women, the color red makes them exponentially more attractive. Research has shown that men will go to great lengths to do things for a woman in red that they would not do otherwise like give her money or even carry her across the street.

Interview body language. So something that we do that we don't realize is mirror the body language of people that we like, like our friends. If they sit crossed legged, we will. If they touch their face, we will. This goes back to the subconscious will to be more like the people that we respect. You can kind of "force" this though, say in an interview. Put a conscious effort into mirroring the body posture of your interviewer, but don't be obvious about it. Be nice and subtle. This will trick their mind into thinking they like you. After all, you are doing similar things with your body, why not!

Get them to talk about themselves. People are selfish and they love talking about what they do. Ask your interviewer as many questions about what they do for work and really listen. They will walk away from the interview in a good mood because they got to talk about themselves and they will then think that the interview went well.

Schedule meetings as early as possible. There's a ton of cognitive psychology research about the primacy effect which essentially states that items are more memorable if they are presented earlier. So if you're meeting with someone where the person will literally be in meetings all day, you will be more memorable if you go first. If you are unable to be first go last. Similarly, there is research about the recency effect, which states that items are also memorable if they are presented last, though the primacy effect is more reliable. Just try not to be stuck in the middle.

Are you debating a position? Don't give your stance first. Give your argument. In some self interest research that I did myself in my undergrad, I found that your persuasiveness is fragile and dependent on your social identity. For example, if you came out and say "I'm an atheist and this is what I believe," you are already seen as less persuasive and more biased because people already know why you are arguing what you're arguing; you have something to gain by convincing people. You're an atheist. What you should do is not say you're an atheist at all. Say "this is what I believe..." Because people don't have an assumption already in their mind, they will be more likely to view you as less biased. Bonus points if you're on the opposite side. For example, a conservative arguing for gay rights is going to be viewed as very persuasive and not biased at all because they literally have nothing to gain from holding that viewpoint while a homosexual arguing for gay rights does have something to gain and thus is seen as more biased.

Have to make or present an important choice? People will incline to chose the last choice presented to them. In her case, this worked because asking "Should I take a note (for said person) or will you call back yourself?" would lead people to calling back themselves much more often making her work easier. Now this doesn't work with all questions ("Do you want to go to Venice or Rome for holidays?") but it usually works with questions where the choice isn't that important. "Do you want to eat pizza or takeout Chinese?" is another good one. Put the choice you want them to take as the last one and pray they take the bait. Another protip: DON'T let them know you do this, or they may think you're putting your choice as the last one when that ain't necessarily true.

Want more confidence? You can affect your testosterone levels and convey mroe confidence by, simply, streching out and making yourself as big as possible for periods of 2 minutes! Watch this video. It WORKS!

Information for this article gathered from Reddit.

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Are You Feeling Guilty At Work?

I'm feeling guilty today. The funny thing is . . . I shouldn't. Every Tuesday, like clockwork, I attend my networking/sales team meeting with approximately 50 people.

It's called BNI (Business Networking International), a worldwide organization where businesspeople meet to learn about their services and deliver hot referrals (CLIENTS) each week. I find it powerful for my business (it delivers 40-45% of my clients each year) and wouldn't miss it for the world. In fact, if you have a business or a product to sell, BNI is THE place to go to increase your bottom line.

What happened?

Today, I'm missing my weekly meeting. I had to double-book a client over my meeting and could not schedule it for any other time this week. They HAD to meet at this time. And I did ALL the right things a BNI member should do:

I notified the leadership team of my absence.

I replace my open spot for the week with a great substitute who will do my commercial.

I let the visitor host team know of my sub so they could list them on our weekly roster.

And I did it all on-time, prior to our meeting.

I still feel guilty. I feel that I'm letting my colleagues down even though I've taken all the steps to ensure my absence is covered this week. Why do I feel guilty?

I feel like I'm letting my BNI colleagues down.

I feel that I'm missing out on something good.

That regular burst of enthusiasm I receive from attending will not be there this week.

Honestly, I shouldn't feel guilty. NOT ONE BIT. Why? Guilt is all about the PAST. And guess what? There's nothing I can do about it. NOTHING. It's in the past.

I've made a decision, I've prepared my absence — I've taken all the steps to ensure I shouldn't feel guilt about missing my meeting. So it's time to confront my guilt and realize I have to live in the present and move on from this 'fake' feeling. Why?

It's holding me back — I'm focusing on something that really doesn't matter.

I'm expending mental and physical energy towards a belief that is not true.

I'm not focusing on the present or planning for the future. This is where I can make serious progress towards my goals.

So the next time you feel GUILTY, remember it's all in the past and there's nothing you can really do about it. Take that guilt and repurpose its energy into the present and future. You will find yourself working faster, better, and with more enthusiasm.

Guilt is a mechanism for us to remember past mistakes so we don't repeat them — don't let it paralyze you.

I'D LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR GUILT AT WORK. LET ME KNOW BELOW.

"If You Don't Build Your Dream . . . Someone Else Will Hire You To Build Theirs."

A number of years ago, I turned 40 and for my birthday, a good buddy from college sent me a book. I read that book in two days and it totally changed my vision, my perspective and my life. That book was "Tuesdays With Morrie". If you haven't read it, pick it up TODAY. It taught me that life is fleeting and to spend each day enjoying life, your work, your family, and your friends. I spent too much time worrying at my job and seeing too many projects deferred by bad management. I experienced too many manager making too many bad decisions based on emotions and politics and not on facts and ethics. I realized I was no longer doing what I really wanted to do.

It took three 'insights' to help me realize my situation and deliver a solution.

My first insight was Tuesdays With Morrie.

My second insight was signing up for the Dale Carnegie course and attending all 12 sessions. Not only did I meet 50 wonderful professionals from all walks of life, I had an incredible instructor who helped me better understand my future career.

My third was hiring a coach to help me make the transition. He helped me rationalize the erratic fears of leaving a six-figure position for an unknown coaching practice that might fail. But he helped me understand what needed to be done, put goals and activities in place, and make the jump.

And many years later, I'm doing better every year — blowing away my past salaries and making more than I've ever dreamed. Yes — I have to work harder sometimes — but this is MY business. On the other hand, I am in COMPLETE CONTROL of my products, my promotions, what I write, what I do — and I have the flexibility many people wish for.

And the best part? I've helped hundreds of clients make the same jump from crazy corporate to owning their own business. And they hug and thank me every time they see me (they're my best cheerleaders).

So — take the plunge — step out of your comfort zone and start your own business. Come on in — the water's fine.

I leave you with Emerson, who also said (in Self Reliance): "In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts: they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty. Great works of art have no more affecting lesson for us than this. They teach us to abide by our spontaneous impression with good-humored inflexibility then most when the whole cry of voices is on the other side. Else, to-morrow a stranger will say with masterly good sense precisely what we have thought and felt all the time, and we shall be forced to take with shame our own opinion from another."

Image provided by Monika Majkowska at Unsplash.

Stupid Things People Do . . . Your Email.

Who loves their email? Lovin' those 150-200 emails you receive each day? I expect your answer to be "NO". But why do we put so much emphasis on it then? Why do we check it whenever we get a spare moment?

Why do we treat each email equally? That's STUPID.

Email is not a good communication platform. Actually, it's really not communicating - good communication happens in real-time and is between two or more people. How many misunderstood emails have you sent or received in your lifetime?

This is SMART:

Prioritize your email. Use Rules to assign colors to important emails (Red for the Boss or Clients, Blue for emails with you on the TO: line) and Gray for all other email. Trash any CC: email - trust me, it's not important.

Check your email 3 times a day. In the morning, after lunch, and right before you leave. Instead of responding by email - call. If there is something important or an emergency, they should call you.

Use the phone more often. Leave 20-30 second messages and only talk to someone for no longer than 3-5 minutes. If you need longer, set up a 10-15 minute meeting, no longer.

Stop by offices more often. You then control the time you talk. Make the 'drive-by' 3-5 minutes and then be off.

At the end of the day, email will suck the living daylights out of your productivity, motivation, and life. Trust me.

Love to hear your thoughts - comment below or email me anytime! - Rich

Image provided by In 30 Minutes Guides at Flickr.

3 Clues You're About To Be Fired.

You go to work every day. You put in long hours. You get your tasks done. Everyone is happy. You think you're doing a great job — your position is safe — your expecting that promotion or raise.

You're WRONG.

A lot of people are in this mindset right now. Just keep your head down, do your work, don't make waves, and good things will be coming your way. It's the mistake many people are making.

All is well and good until there's a knock on your door or you're asked to a conference room at 7 AM. Oh look! It's your boss with someone from HR!

What happened? What did I do? OMG — I'm let go?

Here are the three most prevalent clues one received when things start to get "hinky" at work:

1. Communication is severely restricted.

Suddenly, the people you rely on the most are suddenly not available. You set up meetings, they cancel. That crucial status update meeting you scheduled? Postponed. It seems many things around you are starting to circle and enclose you.

What to do: Start prodding and poking the communication bubble. Look for a way to 'pop' it. Sometimes people find they just need to alter the way they communicate and instantly everyone notices your message or concerns. Maybe other people are yelling and screaming — so they get the attention. You need to get it back.

2. Projects and initiatives you are spearheading are suddenly downgraded.

You're at the top — everything is going fine and then, over a period of weeks or months, some of your projects are cancelled, you might lose a key resource, or the regular interest paid towards your work is moved from critical to on-hold.

What to do: Step back and take a broad view of your situation. Are all projects and initiative on hold? Maybe it's just not you. But if it is, try to understand the WHY of the downgrade — maybe it was too expensive, moving too slow, or your project was too strategic, too out there. Maybe you really didn't get the right buy-in from the important people at the top. Make that happen . . . today.

3. You get a 'different' vibe or tonality from your superiors.

Your great relationship with your boss suddenly changes. He/She speaks and directs you from email rather than meetings. Everything suddenly is in writing. His or her peers are standoffish or act weird around you.

What to do: I always start out by turning the mirror on myself. Is there anything I'm doing differently? Did I change anything? Sometimes, it could be as simple as a clothes-change or style modification. Second, check out if something personal is happening to your boss. Ask around or more importantly, ask them politely. You might find out their spouse is ill or their child was just diagnosed. Sometimes it's not you.

Then again — It's YOU.

If these things are happening and some of the suggestions don't work, your name might be on a short list somewhere. If two or all three of these things are happening — start taking steps to secure possible new digs somewhere else. Get your resume in order, start reaching out to key influencers, and start getting out and meeting recruiters.

You've received a message — take action!

POST YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BELOW

P.S. The alarm bells are ringing at work — and you don't know what to do next. Don't worry - you and I can work on it together so you instantly develop a plan of attack - 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.

Image provided by fczuardi at Flickr.

Thinking Big vs. Thinking Small.

Find yourself thinking small? Too afraid to think big? Think Big: Take chances. Think Small: Take no chances.

Think Big: Meet New People, Target important contacts, Touch Movers & Shakers Think Small: Stay within your current group of contacts and colleagues.

Think Big: Spend money, Invest in your business, Grow your career. Think Small: Don't spend money, hunker down and wait for the issues to go away.

Think Big: Speak in front of people, Go after bigger and bigger groups, Attract influentials. Think Small: Keep your ideas to yourself, Think of writing a book, Never complete it.

Think Big: Take on more than you can chew, Push yourself, Reach higher (and higher). Think Small: Keep things in context, Don't push yourself, Stay within your box.

Think Big: Inspire people, Get their attention, Be a BILLBOARD. Think Small: Do the same things and expect a different outcome.

Think Big: Challenge yourself, Change the game, Make It HAPPEN. Think Small: Be content.

Think Big: Consult with experts, Ask questions, Challenge the status quo. Think Small: You know enough.

Think Big: GROW. Think Small: SHRINK.

It's that simple.

Hard Work Beats Talent.

Caught the new episode of Mad Men last night — one of my favorite shows. In the middle of all the soap opera antics of the story (I do love Roger and his comments though), I study the interactions of the characters at work. How they speak to one another, how they talk to their clients, and what they accomplish during their time at the agency.

What shines through, and many people probably miss, is how they are so successful. Let's look at two characters, Don & Peggy.

They have talent — they are the creative sparks in each of the agencies they represent. But it goes deeper.

They are 100% committed to their work:

• They work late.
• They take work home.
• They interact with their colleagues during many off-hours.
• They are willing to push themselves AND their teams.
• They think and breathe their work.

Unfortunately, if you view the teams who work for them, they are presented as lazy, comical, and people who lack direction. They go home on-time and party (sometimes they do work late).

Both Don and Peggy are talented — but it's their commitment, drive, and hard work that delivers.

That's enough of Mad Men for now. Let's talk reality.

If you want to succeed — if you want to move up in your company — if you want your business to explode — you have to HUSTLE at work.

You need to work A LOT. Think about what you're working on ALL THE TIME. Obsess about it — LIVE it. You can't get that promotion by putting in a "9-to-5" attitude.

Here are some tips I have my clients try:

• Arrive at your office early. I used to hit work at 6:30 AM and start working — I would clock 2-3 hours more work than other people trundling in at 9, Did it work? The Chairman noticed I was always the first car in the parking lot — ultimately I won the Chairman's Award. With my current business, I start at 5 AM. Because it's MY business (I wrote this blog post from 5-6 AM this morning).
• Work while you are at work. Don't ditz around — no surfing, no wandering around — make your time at work count. Every minute.
• Ask for more work from your boss. Usually do this after a good meeting with them where they've complimented you on your progress/work.
• Stay late. Ask if you can help out on a project. You don't have to burn the midnight oil all the time, but put in 1-2 late nights a week — stay until 8.
• Work on the weekends. I get up at 5-6 AM and work until 9 AM on Sat/Sun. That gives me an extra 3-8 more hours of work in the week without it affecting my home life.
• Think outside the box. Get your head thinking where everyone else isn't. Go where the puck will be going. Mention new ideas during meetings — but be positive.
• Do extra-credit work. I used to do this ALL THE TIME. I would keep my ears open and listen for opportunities or gaps where I could approach management with help they might need, a new idea how to do something, or a side-project which would make the company millions. It worked ALL the time.

If you try 2-3 of these tips, I promise you will begin to get more done, get greater exposure (with the people who matter), and start to see openings where you can succeed.

I know, I know. You have a spouse, kids, parents, friends, responsibilities, and a myriad of other obstacles. But at the end of the day, if you want to succeed at what you do, you have to hustle.

And that's the truth.

P.S. If you want to watch a great video on Hard Work Beats Talent, watch this.

No Listening — No Communication!

We spend so much time honing our communications skills — how to have critical conversations, how to negotiate, how to stay calm during tough discussions, etc. But we never bring up THE most important part of communication — LISTENING to the other person.

Communication is a two-way street. I say something and then it's my turn to shut-up and LISTEN to the other person's response. Unfortunately, when that happens, we are usually NOT listening and thinking up a quick response. We are not truly looking them in the eye and absorbing everything they are communicating to us. So today, here are some simple listening strategies you can put into action immediately:

It's not just understanding their words.

You need to decipher how the speaker feels about what they are communicating. Are they irritated, happy, surprised, worried, sad, or angry? Your first impression of their mental state will allow you to set up your response back to them in a calm, cool, and informed manner.

Focus.

Focus fully on the speaker — their body language and other non-verbal cues will tell you volumes of information while you speak and listen back and forth.

Don't interrupt.

Avoid interrupting or trying to redirect the conversation to your concerns. In fact — shut-up until the other person runs out of gas and stops talking.

Don't judge.

Avoid seeming judgmental. You don't have to agree with them — fully listen and totally understand their position before you respond.

Use follow-up questions.

Show you care — ask follow up questions to their statements and let them respond.

Paraphrase.

Respond with: "So what your saying . . . " or "What I'm hearing . . ." or "I think I understand what you're pointing out . . .". Get them to nod YES before you move on.

Push them to keep talking.

Use phrases like: "Tell me more . . ." or "Keep going . . ." — they allow the speaker to feel what they are saying is valuable and that you really care.

You need to be an effective listener.

Make the speaker feel heard and understood while creating an environment where everyone feels safe to express their ideas.

When you show an open and encompassing demeanor while their speaking, they immediately feel they are important to you and you truly care about what they have to say.

They just want to be heard and understood. That's all.

What Do You Want Most?

Discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most. In today's society, we tend to go for immediate gratification when it comes to our wants and needs. It's funny — I just read a great post how one person replace their current wants with less expensive alternatives and ultimately got a major need in less than three years - a $10,000 down payment on a house - see link.

The best way to define the difference between the two is to sit down (and if you have a spouse/partner, sit them down too) and list all of your current wants. And then list all of your future wants.

The list above is a great example of one of these pages. It's simple, straightforward, and gets to the point quickly. How would this person move the focus from their current wants to the things they want the most?

• Starbucks Every Day - make your own coffee. At an average of $3 per day, they would save over $1000 each year.
• 2 New Cars Every Three Years - Buy used cars and forgo the $300-$400 per month payment (2x). Yearly savings = $10,000 per year.
• Big Screen TV - Stick with your old 36" that works just fine. Savings = $2000.
• Full Cable - Eliminate Cable and watch Netflix - $100/month to $7.95/month. Savings = $1,104/yearly.
• 3-4 Vacations Per Year - Family of four - Average vacation costs $3-4K - Only take 1 vacation and add very small weekend trips. Savings = $12,000/yearly.
• New Clothes - Slow down your clothes purchases. Savings = $2000/yearly.
• New iPhone Every Year - Savings = $200-300 (depending on cancel/exchange fees).

Add it up . . . we're looking at a potential (be calm, I'm ball-parking it here as an example) of $28,404 the first year and $15-25K every year after (you'll need another used car, TV, etc. someday).

If you stick to your plan of NOW vs. MOST - over 10 years, you'll have $200-250K in your savings account. What can you now pick off from the list on the right?

Okay - this is simple math - but I'm doing it to prove a point. You can exchange your NOW wants with your MOST wants. Instantly. And all it takes is just a simple piece of paper. And a lot of DISCIPLINE.

Some tools to help you? Here you go:

• Reddit SimpleLiving: http://www.reddit.com/r/simpleliving/
• Reddit Frugal: http://www.reddit.com/r/Frugal/
• Zen Habits (one of my favorite blogs): http://zenhabits.net/
• Clark Howard: http://www.clarkhoward.com/

Or you can just work harder, longer, or maybe take 2 extra jobs.

How's that working for you?

Get More Energy & Enthusiasm During The Day!

I've been noticing many of my clients, colleagues and friends inquire how I have so much energy and enthusiasm during the day. Here's my secret:

I wake up at 4:30 AM every morning. It's that easy.

Now you might be saying . . . "Rich, are you CRAZY? 4:30 AM? You are INSANE!!!!!" Maybe. Maybe not.

When I worked in corporate, I woke up at 4:30, showered, got dressed, and commuted one hour and hit my office by 6 AM. I started working and got in 3 hours of work before other people officially started at 9 AM. So when I left at 5 PM, I didn't feel bad at all - I actually was working (in office timing) until 8 PM every night. My superior knew (and most of my peers and clients in the UK and AsiaPac).

For the past 10+ years, I've run my coaching business and this model works SO WELL for me. I get SO MUCH done every morning and have more than enough time to coach my clients from 7 AM to 5 PM.

I also go to bed around 9:30-10 PM. What else would I do? Sit around and watch TV? What a waste of time.

I leave work at 5 PM, get home by 6 PM, and spend 3-4 quality hours with my family making dinner, cleaning up, helping with homework, and doing small chores around the house with my wife (we do things together).

So next time you say to yourself . . . "I don't have any time!" You actually do — it's how you use it.

Is Your Career Dying?

Not in the Hollywood sense of dying, where Bruce Willis finally kills you in a fiery crash or fall from the top of a skyscraper. I'm talking about the slow drip-drip-drip death as you watch your career eke away and there's nothing you can really do about it.

I run into this all the time. I have clients who own their own businesses and suddenly realize for the past 4-5 years their revenue and profits have been going down-down-down.

Or the executive who lives in a corporate hole their in working for an asshole, in a department of do-nothings, for a company who hates their employees (and loves the almighty dollar — but it doesn't go to the employees).

Sound familiar? 

People's careers are dying all around us. It's due to a number of factors:

1. GLOBAL - The world is changing faster & faster. Institutions we thought were going to last forever are either no longer there or are on their way to disappearing. Publishing, media, technology, transportation, education, advertising, manufacturing, and medical just to name a few.

2. COMPANY - Focus on short-term profits vs. producing quality products. Top management has one focus — how to please Wall Street. They gear ALL of their decisions on hitting their targets and they quickly forget the product, the customer, and their employees in the process.

3. PERSONAL - People have lost their enthusiasm, drive and energy for what they are doing. They've been doing it so long it becomes a chore or they realize they have changed and are interested in more important things.

How do I diagnose and treat this situation? I ask a simple, three-part question — Do you want to:

1. Stay and do nothing? (not a good idea)
2. Stay and change the dynamic to make it better?
3. Leave and/or do something else?

When your decision point drops down to this simple diagnosis — it instantly clarifies your situation and it sometimes scares people.

Most clients instantly recognize they've been doing #1 for many years. They've been sticking their heads in the sand and hiding in their cubicles waiting for something to change. Some knight in shining armor to whisk them off and save them. But it never does.

The truth is: YOU are the only one who can help YOU. You are in charge of your career and you need to stop waiting for things to happen to you and start directing your life (and explore your limits).

Step One: Get off your ass and stop living in #1. Start doing SOMETHING.

Step Two: Change the dynamic where you are. Start meeting new people, understand where the hot areas of where you work really are, and move towards that light.

Step Three: Get out and start meeting new people outside of your sphere. Open yourself up to new ideas and new ways of doing things. Start pushing yourself way out of your comfort zone.

By the way, I cover all of this in my award-winning workshop, "Bulletproof Your Career". Early next year, I will also be launching my personalized coaching program specifically geared towards bulletproofing your career. Stay tuned!