Start Today!

Think about something you deem to be impossible.

Now ask yourself a couple of questions and see if you get any closer to believing it can be done.

This is our conundrum. We have forced ourselves to believe that the past determines the future. When determining the viability of any given opportunity our first inclination is to ask if it had been done before. This frame of thought helps us determine our fate by the actions of others.

Only you control your destiny.

I hearken back to the story of MoneyBall. Billy Beane as the Oakland A's General Manager recognized that his team had plateaued. If he was going to succeed he needed to change the game.

Do you think Steve Jobs considered the actions of his predecessors before releasing the I-pad? At the time bringing a tablet to market seemed unconventional.

For every Billy Beane and Steve Jobs, there are a billion people who have done nothing. We determine an opportunity, measure it against what has been achieved by others, and go back to being normal.

What is the real price of taking chances? If you really boiled it down, do you think all of the things you are afraid of will actually manifest themselves. If the worst happened could you recover?

If you work hard your company appreciates you. I doubt you would lose your job over an idea you designed and supported with best intentions in mind.

If you wife loves you, she won't divorce you if you dream big and try something that you genuinely believe in.

Let's start simple:
Ask Questions
Try Something New
Find Someone to Help

What if....?
How many times have you abandoned an idea because you didn't want to rock the boat? I bet if you would have asked a few questions to disrupt dismissive thinking you could have gained a little ground. Those who stick to convention want to do new things, they just have to know it will work. If you believe in something, you can prove it.

It's time to rock the boat!

12 Minutes
In this day and age you can find information on anything in a matter of minutes. If you neglect to hit the snooze button tomorrow...you can open a door.

In just 12 minutes time you can look up an alternate solution and send an email to someone. That's all it takes.

Seize your opportunity to present something new!

Recognize Hidden Talent
There are unconventional thinkers everywhere. The "industry experts" only possess the answers you have paid them to validate. Sometimes you need to look outside your industry to find someone who thinks differently.

Bounce your big idea off someone who is untethered from your cause!

The answers are all there. You just have to stop being afraid.

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave  

Best Laid Plans

I am often asked about the keys to leadership. Of course, there are core characteristics that we can list and quantify. Most often, however, I hearken back to sound advice. The best bosses I have had assisted my career development through very human interactions. The strategy book is thrown out the window and you talk to one another in caring terms.

Here is some of the best advice I have received:

"If you keep working that hard, you will be a State qualifier"
At a tender age I began to participate in the sport of wrestling. To be an exceptional wrestler you have to have outstanding physical conditioning, unflappable will power, and extraordinary patience. You workout for hours a day to get to a 6 minute match in which every muscle in your body is used to exhaustion. All the while, you are controlling your diet to make weight. When you lose, you have no one to blame but yourself. Wrestling is not the world's most popular sport because very few people have the courage to endure it.

In wrestling your hard work is validated with gold medals. Wrestling also allows you to overcome your greatest opponent in life....yourself! When you know that you can push yourself beyond your limitations, you are consistently willing to try harder.

The season is long and tiresome. You work so hard and occasionally you lose. You question how far you can push yourself. While your friends are cruising chicks and drinking their first beer, you can't even eat. So, when my coach pointed to me at the end of practice and told me the words highlighted above that was all I needed. Indeed, our success is often predicated on one compliment from someone we respect. When my coach told me he recognized my effort, it made me want to try ten times harder.

"Once you have wrestled, everything in life is easier" - Dan Gable

"You will not beat them, you will become one of them"
In our professional lives we are always looking for opportunities to improve ourselves. I was with a company for some time and I was getting restless. I needed some variation to the daily grind. I did everything I could to get promoted. When the opportunity for advancement finally came my way I sat down with a senior leader in the company. He asked me why I wanted a position in management. I went into my professional mission statement of making the company better by evolving the workforce.....he stopped me and said. I'm asking you why you think it is a good idea to get out of sales and go into management? After a slight pause, I told him that I thought the middle management in our company sucked and that I was willing to commit myself to inspiring our workforce instead of regulating them. He smiled and then he proclaimed the statement highlighted above.

This senior staff member could have recommended me to the hiring manager but he felt I would be wasting my life if he did. He cared enough to tell me that I could do more than position myself for lifelong mediocrity. I cherish his advice to this day....because he was right!

"Don't go gettin' insecure"
People love having a new job because it allows them to wipe the slate clean. I cannot recommend strongly enough that when changing careers an attitude make over is absolutely critical. You probably left your former job because there was some bad blood....leave it there. Easy for me to say!

I had a new job and my boss was in from out of town. I had worked hard to get a meeting with a key prospective client and was really excited to showcase my talent for the new boss. I picked him up at the airport, we arrived at the client's location, and she was not there. The excitement deflated by the need to reschedule, my boss's precious time wasted.

As we hopped back into the car, I expressed my frustration. How could someone agree to meet and then neglect the importance of our time? To which he said, "don't go gettin' insecure on me". It was a critical turning point in my career. My boss didn't hire me to see me display my skill in front of a new client, he trusted my talent. Here I was still interviewing two weeks after being employed. Despite my career change, I was still carrying the baggage of the corporate politics from my former occupation. My boss's words caused me to remember my greatness, for far too long before meeting him I was ruled by people who managed to make me believe I was not good enough....and that I had to prove myself.

These three lessons have one thing in common. They are all simple words of advice given to me from people who genuinely cared about me....and in their simple words I came to understand that.

Leadership is the act of inspiring confidence. Management is the process of challenging job function.

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

Personal Prophecy Perspective

Let's examine the life of a critic. Your occupation is to criticize. I would guess the underlying premise of said occupation would be to spend your life judging others to avoid any judgement upon yourself.

I never put stock in reviews. In fact, a bad review from one of the aforementioned deflectors of personal accountability may even prompt me to engage the art that they seek to destroy. Reviews are meaningless. If reviews were of such profound merit, we wouldn't have to see a film at all, we would simply let a few interpret the creation of others. All things created are yours to interpret in your own way. No one's opinion should matter more to you than your own!

In this blog we have frowned negativity as a motivational tactic and we have scrapped popular opinion in favor of unique individual inspiration. Today will be no different.

No one lives every minute in your shoes. Still, you will be told of ways to improve yourself and on the surface level this may seem like an attack. In most cases, people see your path to potential and want to help you kick the pebbles aside. It is vitally important not to let a pebble slow your pathway stridings. Be aware that the intent of your accuser is nothing more than a pebble on your motivational path.

Consider the Source
My friend was interviewed recently for a job she was entertaining. She called me afterward in disbelief of the interviewer's arrogance. The 20 year sales veteran was questioned by an accusatory staffing pro who's time on earth barely matched her career length. She explained to me that the job offered less money than she was currently being paid, the company was not a proven, and that the person interviewing her made no correlation of her applicable skills to the position. In short, she had met the gatekeeper to a land she didn't even want to enter.

You will walk into "no win" situations. It is always better to be polite, give the gatekeeper a few cookies, and to move on to a land in which you will be appreciated. The company may have another candidate in mind, you may be column fodder for due process, and maybe the interviewer's brother wants the job. It is my candid advice not to over-analyze strange misgivings. If you start a climb at the bottom of the hill with a ton of bricks on your back, two things can happen:
1. You succeed at the behest of your accuser
2. You will fail

Neither is an all-fulfilling formula for winning. When you prove someone wrong you usually put money in their pocket for betting against you. Why would you want to do that?

Path Assessment
The best partnerships are not forced. You can point to people and companies with whom you have worked who just "get it". They understand that you add value becuase you are not trying to fit a big square in a small circle.

You may love your I-pod but that doesn't mean Apple is a good company to work for. You may be a music fanatic but a position in Def Jam's marketing department might cause you to hate music. You could be an awesome golfer but your drive accuracy will probably not make you a better salesman for Callaway.

It's about finding partnerships that fit:

Do your organizational cultures align?

Does your product address their need without a ton of work arounds?

Does the person with whom you will work appreciative of you as a person?

Find Your Kingdom 
I would venture to guess that a dream job is out there for every one of us. A place where we can have fun, make money, and bring value to the world.

Professional life offers two options:
a. Search tirelessly for that perfect fit and do not compromise until you find it
b. Make your current job the best it can be

Start by considering the criticism you face every day. Sometimes you are given advice that you have to hear....it will help you remove obstacles and make you a better professional. Accept advice, assess how it will fit into your strategy and apply what will make you better. If in considering the criticism of your accuser you cannot find merit, politely ignore them!

You are in charge. You can make your current job your dream job. You know better than anyone if you have given your maximum effort. Listen to others but let your personal motivation drive. Take advice with a grain of salt and thank those who help you grow. Ignore the unkind. Be critical of your effort without beating up on yourself.

It's not just a job, it's your life. You will succeed by being honest with yourself. You are the only person who knows your genuine truth! Let your genuine truth lead!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave           

The 4 Intricate Disciplines

There are 4 Intricate Disciplines essential to professional success:
Planning
Execution
Fortitude
Positivity

...of course, there are a million other things that the readers of this blog can site as "absolutely essential" to success. Be that as it may, I would be willing to bet that any more specific skill set would fit in one of the 4 categories mentioned above. Today our mission is to explore the 4 intricate disciplines of professional success and to figure out how to put them into action. Sound simple? It is so very far from simple. Let's dive in.

Some people have amazing strategic planning discipline, others are very good at executing at the point of customer engagement, there are those who have an uncanny ability to persevere in lieu of failure, and some people just know how to find the best in every situation. Which of these areas best characterises your professional excellence? If you execute just one of the 4 intricate disciplines well, you will be successful. If you are able to execute all 4 intricate disciplines really well, every day, you will be a professional Rock Star!

Let's Rock!

All Points Considered
Aaron Levie the CEO of Box has an uncanny ability to articulate solutions in the enterprise with rapid fire precision. It might come as a surprise but Levie's admirable leadership is a result of introspection. The best talkers are not those who talk the most. People who speak well are well thought out. They spend more time preparing what they say than they do saying it. So, in fewer words they can articulate with greater precision.

Preparation is not just a matter of writing a check list. Preparation is the art of fact finding and differentiating a solution that engages personal relevance. The true visionaries rehearse every potential conclusion with the board of directors of their mind.

Showtime
I used to think I could get by on product knowledge and my ability to entertain. I assumed I could call myself an expert if I knew what my product did while possessing the gift of gab. It worked for a while but eventually people got tired of my bravado. I learned to slow down, ask questions, and share knowledge. It is about sharing not grandstanding.

Selling is not telling. You can no longer pretend your good looks and fast tongue will help you succeed.

Know your audience, speak their language, and make it look effortless!

Fall Down, Get Up
I remember getting upset when I heard Michael Jordan proclaim that he had failed more than he had succeeded. It was the point when I realized that there is no finish line. Every day presents a new challenge and those of us wired for success are always seeking a challenge. We are not willing to accept winning as an end point but rather an opportunity to do more.
 
Did you know Rovio failed 51 times before creating Angry Birds. This overnight success took 8 years to develop. Nothing comes easy! Everything that produces interest is a result of hard work and conviction.

Anger is Easy
Anger is a result of frustration. Frustration results from having all the tools but being unable to utilize them in the proper fashion. Everyone possesses massive talent. Most people choose to let their fear prevent their potential. Ultimately, the ability to develop momentum is permanently disabled. This produces bitterness.

The easiest thing in the world is to be negative. To sit on the sidelines with arms crossed, criticizing those in the game. Then there are those who have the moxie to get out there and make things happen. With every effort you are open to criticism, with every failure the naysayers nod in disgust, then you look up and you are on top of the mountain.

"Do or do not, There is no try" - Yoda 

4 Intricate Disciplines
Every day our world is advancing. What an exciting time to be alive. With progress comes competition and the need to do more with greater efficiency. No longer can you be good at just one thing. You have to be good at everything!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave          

Plant a Tree

My son is out of his mind with excitement! The Lorax is coming! In preparation for this most anticipated artistic event, I have had to recall the story of Dr Seuss' epic tale. The Lorax is, in essence, a story of boy who wants to impress a girl. The songs I have loved, the movies I have cired over, and the athletic feats I have performed have mirrored this boy's ambition. On Friday, my son will join the tribe of boys who do things to impress girls.


Time has a way of wearing down our romantic sentiment. Logic trumps risk, routine becomes standard operating procedure, and our days blur together. The magic tends to fade when the chase is over. My son is sailing on an all together different ship! I look up from my lap top at him in the backyard: running in circles, frolicking among cotton candy trees in his mind, conquering the evil forest....all to impress a girl in his day dream. What a wonderment; to wake up every day full of possibility, to be impressed by everything, to be new!

We have not lost our way, dear readers, we have merely forgotten the power of our imagination. Your perspective can change without venturing to the cotton candy forest in your mind. Those we are tasked with teaching have something to teach us as well. Everyone has something to teach. May we remember the simplicity of escaping convention through original thought....and how easy it is to do that.

Fear Not The Unknown
Ominous in the distance of anyone's mind is a dark forest. It is a place fraught with risk, unknown twists and turns, and evil creatures. We are often terrified to go there for fear of getting lost or being bitten. Without knowing the forest that exists within the trees we choose to ignore the unknown. Our time could be spent performing a task on our "to do" list...and it's better to spend our time wisely.

So you wake up, perform the day's tasks.....and eventually you die having never tried anything new. Safe, secure, and bored! Every great thinker explored new frontiers. Every great athlete ignored the detractors who told them they could not compete at the highest level. Every nerd who kissed a hot chick did so by having the courage to sing her a song.

Our time here is fleeting and no one gets points for doing the safe thing! Try something new today!

Plan An Adventure
An older gentleman I know once told me he got through his career planning one personal vacation a year. Each day on this way to work he imagined himself fly fishing....and it motivated him to get through that day. Vacation time to many of us has become a thing of the past but we all need to take a break from time to time.

Where will you go? Take a week off to travel, go see an old friend, take the kids to the forest...? Whatever it may be you need the assurance of escape to keep you moving through the hard times. When you get there you owe it to yourself to enjoy it! Life is too short to be a slave to your cell phone.

Plant a Tree
Our hero in "The Lorax" lives in a land that is completely manufactured. He embraces the seemingly impossible goal of planting a tree in a plastic world. He will travel to great lengths and will brave danger to attain and plant this wonder of nature. A heroic premise with the hopeful conclusion of getting the girl!

Do you remember the last time you wanted something so badly that you would brave the deep dark forest to attain it?

It's time to start believing again. It's time to put the romance of adventure back into your life. It's time to start a journey into the unknown. You may fail, you may encounter danger, but it will be worth it when you get to kiss the girl!

Be a Hero! Plant a Tree!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

Another Manifesto

Possible is merely a word in a dictionary. YOU determine your happiness by the emphasis you put upon the occurrences in your life. There will always be risk in taking chances, but the girl at the coffee shop will not go out with you if you do not ask. Regret results from lost opportunities. You will be unhappy if you turn away from new things because you are a prisoner to your comfort zone. Be critical of your life goals not of your personal ability. Listen more than you talk. Seeking validation is a formula for failure. If you do what you do because it is important to you...success is guaranteed. No one is qualified to judge the ability of another. If you find yourself being judged, ignore your accuser. Ignore those who criticize your effort. Positivity is a way of life, negativity is a reaction. You are loved! If you are trying new things, you will have to endure failure. Endure failure. Be aware that failure is a better teacher than success. Be aware that it is more important to celebrate success than to obsess over failure. Stick up for yourself! Know what makes you happy and prioritize accordingly. Put your genuine self in everything you do. Do not stray from the path of genuine fulfillment. Desperate acts result from acting out of character. You act out of character when you allow the expectations of others greater priority than your own. Think of the great achievements in your life, every day! Forget your failures. Remember the first person you kissed, a game your team won, and the band aid your Mom put on your knee. Nothing is resoundingly important. Everything has its place. No one is all-knowing. Everyone has something to teach. Exercise. Have a drink if you need one, but don't drink too much. Meet one new person every day. Smile when you walk down the street. Don't just face your fears, confront them! Take one minute of each day to remember an old friend. Contact an old friend. Tell your parents you love them. Tell your siblings you love them. Tell your children you love them....every day! Life's great certainty is that our time here is fleeting, you will wake up tomorrow and you will be 80 years old. Spend no time worrying. Spend all your time developing bigger and better ideas. Take action. Rest when you have done everything that need be done. Live every moment with enthusiasm. Find opportunity in everything. Concentrate on the good stuff. Ignore the bad stuff. You are the only person who is with You every moment of every day, become your best friend. Be You! Make today magnificent. Make Every Day Magnificent! 

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

The Smile Priority

The year of 2011 will be concluded sooner than we know it. This means it's time to reflect: To be thankful for the people who care for us, to celebrate our achievements, and to assess potential areas of improvement. Perhaps the most valuable year end evaluation is the recognition of what we desire...and if its worth our energy?

We are motivated by that which we feel we need but do we really need it. Each year my wife and I rush to malls to fill the wish list of our extended families. We stand in line to grab to kids the hot new toy. We use SPIN selling techniques to uncover our unmet gifting needs.
Far more important than these grandiose, over-promoted, milestone family events are the moments in-between. If you think about the best times in your life, I would bet your memory may turn to a Tuesday afternoon in the park (not the events that took a year to plan). While we will never cancel Christmas it is important to reflect on what is truly important. Ask yourself the following and dedicate your energy accordingly:
What do I really need to be happy?
Why do I care about the things that suck the energy from me?
Is my goal setting in line with my pursuit of happiness?

Happiness
I have really enjoyed being part of the Delivering Happiness Movement. This group gathers, reflects, and sets priorities based on one thing: Happiness. People thought Tony Hsieh was nuts for founding a company that used happiness as it's core purpose.....Tony's critics were wrong. What the critics didn't know is that Tony had studied the psychology of motivation. He affirmed that people just want to be happy. He also knew from his time at Harvard, Oracle and as an entrepreneur that people mask their true intent.

We put on professional attire, speak with strategic business language, and align ourselves with those climbing the ladder. We neglect to display our true feelings. This is because the release of professional trappings generally leads to vigilante behavior. Tony Hsieh set out to dispel professional bravado and inspire......not by giving employees a forum to complain but by allowing employees to be happy.

Energy
Most great organizations have that one person who is a spark plug. He/she is always upbeat, driven, looking for solutions to problems no one else wants to touch. That person creates a ripple effect and the organization embraces his/her energy. You don't think that person has moments when they want to give up? The trick is to be uncompromising in your ability to achieve. If you allow detail to derail you, you will never be happy.

You too, can be that person of unlimited energy. All you have to do is to let possibility drive instead of being hung up on what sucks! YOU control two things: your perception and your attitude. You have to be light on your feet to consistently transcend the hurdles before you!

The Marriage of Effort & Happiness
Are you motivated by a task list or a grand purpose? If every day you strive to complete everything on your 'to do' list, success is impossible. You need to stop worrying about the 'what' and get down to the 'why'.

If you know what is genuinely important to you and you act accordingly, success is inevitable. All you have to do is assess every task to your grander purpose and prioritize accordingly. You might be amazed when you find out that others value the same things you do....and could care less about the mundane detail that stresses you out!

Life is a merry-go-round. Every day we have our moment of glee and our fits of frustration. If nothing else, allow the glee to take more of your attention than the frustration.

"More than anything...I want to see you take a glorious bite out of the whole world"
- Snow Patrol

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

The Mountain Top

I gave a speech at the wedding of a misunderstood friend. Some had questioned why this renegade was settling down. I explained that freedom is defined not by what you are running from but by what you are running to. As we grow up, the things we once feared become the very things that drive us: love, responsibility and an extended tribe. I heard Jesse Ventura say that he embraced being Governor with the ethos, "If not me then who". My friend grew up to be a great husband and father and the aforementioned professional wrestler ran the state of Minnesota in honorable fashion. Motivation is the process of what you do with your energy....eventually we all discover that it takes the same degree of energy to run from that it does to run to. In the time you waste avoiding your life's goals you could have achieved them.

Entitlement and Accountability are rival terms that strike us with the same degree of uncertainty. People don't like to be accountable to results...the connotation is motivation by fear. The aforementioned group may also be deemed entitled by seeking recognition for their every effort. We navigate a the tightrope of giving unto ourselves what we feel we deserve (entitlement). We also take a breath when the checklist is complete (accountability). In reality, neither of the previously mentioned forms of motivation are genuine. Short term effort for quick fix results do not serve to improve your personal process. Getting something done just to check it off a list is a means for senseless channeling of effort.

The real challenge should be to find that which you genuinely believe in, to ensure your every effort benefits what is truly important. Purpose, Constitution, and an ever-ascending Mountain Top - these things give a more grandiose reason to wake up in the morning.

Purpose
In his book "Delivering Happiness", Tony Hsieh explores his path to success: Purpose, Passion and Profits. Tony advises that we find the thing we believe in and to pursue it with unflappable intent. If you genuinely care about a cause, the money comes naturally. Conversely, if money is all that drives you, you will never be satisfied.

Purpose is the foundation of decision making. With every idea you have, every partnership you pursue, every person you invite into your life; the question of matching intent should be explored. Are you presenting to your team because you believe in a new directive or do you just want to prove your worth? Are you courting that large company because they are a good partner for your organization or do you just want to prove you can close a large deal? Is that new friend really someone you enjoy being around or do you want something they have?

Constitution
Last week we laughed at the idea of terms like Integrity and Accountability being company core values.
These terms seemed a little too high and mighty to be business terms. Constitution might be a more appropriate term in describing your personal motivation.

What is at the core of you and are you able to make it part of your professional life?

Do you enjoy serving the people you work for? Do you believe in your products and services? Are you empowered to mention if you feel otherwise? Are there parts of your Saturday in your Monday?

The Ever-Ascending Mountain Top
Entitlement comes from our intrinsic human need to have our effort rewarded. After the hunt we want food to bring back to camp. You work out to earn a burger. You hustle through the morning shift to earn a smoke break. This transactional motivation does nothing but fulfill short term checks and balances. It's a push/pull existence with only 2 certainties: a pay check & death!

What if with every achievement you sought not a pat on the back but more responsibility? What if the end result was not a conclusion but a new beginning? What if you quit smoking and gave up greasy food because the diminishing returns left you feeling purposeless.

I left you with a lot to ponder. I sit beside you in digesting these thoughts. It is very difficult not to get caught up in the rat race....to perform, receive praise and assume you have the appropriate direction. We all ponder the valued time we have on this earth and if any of it means anything. Next time you ponder your existence, do something about it.

You owe it to yourself to maximize every opportunity before you with your fullest effort and genuine intent. You should be empowered to ignore the insignificant. Your every action should be set in motion by your place in the sun surrounded by those who matter to you. Once you start climbing the mountain you will be surprised how much stamina you possess!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave 

Great Expectations

In Detroit, in the spring of 1992, I attended an orientation for The University of Southern California. During the "questions" portion of the event I boldly asked, "should I take the easy classes and get A's or should I take the hard classes and get C's". Without taking a breath the head recruiter replied, "take the hard classes and get A's". The expectation was clear, direct, and at a non-pedestrian level. As if to say, if you are coming to play bring everything you have....every day!

Do you ever ask a question seeking validation with doubt in your mind? Do you fish for compliments for acts previously performed?

Think about it....those who are extraordinary in their field do not ask questions or seek validation. They take what is rightfully theirs and win. This way of thinking is met with consistent results for one reason:
People are afraid to be great because people need other people to tell them they are great!

Why Not Just Be Great?
There is a ball and a basket - you get points for putting the ball in the basket. Any questions?

At some point, a whole lot of in-between became more important than the scoreboard. I certainly understand the aspect of being under-appreciated but only effort and ability determine the final score. Did you forget how great you are or has your effort wavered? As you have done less have you looked for someone else to blame? As the market has become more challenging are you unwilling to further challenge yourself? Is your memory of your greatness in black and white?

Self Expectations
The only means for another to extend appreciation to you is for that person to assess your performance. No one lives in your shoes and therefore can never understand the extent of your effort. So why would you allow another to determine your grade of excellence?

The only external determination you are asked to conform to are the classes you take. The difficulty of your curriculum is determined by others. This is based on past averages.....do you want to be average?

So, Then....
The way to ensure success:
* Have higher expectations for yourself than the expectations laid before you by others!
* Know that most people are content with average effort...contentment is an act of cowardice!
* Your judge and jury look at you through the mirror!

I want you to think of that day in which you did absolutely everything you could do. How you submitted to the pillow that evening and how you redefined what was possible in a day's time.

Let's assume there are 14,600 days left....there is no reason why each of them should not end with submission to your pillow...when you have done all you can possibly do, nothing keeps you up at night!!!

"there are two pains in life: the pain of discipline and the pain of regret" - Russ Hellickson

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

    

5 Questions for Dan Pink

I became aware of Dan Pink when a colleague of mine introduced me to his book, "A Whole New Mind". Having an appetite for business journalism, I was constantly seeking new professional motivation via the printed page. Mr. Pink's book provided a shocking reassurance. His description:
Lawyers, Accountants, Computer programmers. That's what our parents encouraged us to become when we grew up. But Mom and Dad were wrong. The future belongs to a very different type of person with a very different kind of mind.

He goes on to describe how right brain thinkers (me) will rule the world. He was right. Mom and Dad were wrong....that's all I needed to hear.

A lawyer by degree, Dan Pink has a knack for enticing healthy debate. This trait served him perfectly in his break through presentation at TED. In this presentation, Mr Pink introduced the concept of his latest book, Drive. Where "A Whole New Mind" challenged the relevance of formal education to one's professional motivation, "Drive" promotes education in the workplace. In debunking the carrot and stick process of motivation, Dan Pink frustrated the less inventive thinkers in the incentive industry and opened the door for a new breed of motivators...focused on the process of education as the greater goal to long term development.

Dan Pink afforded me a few minutes on the 4th of July 2011. He is an all-American guy who is willing to take time away from the parade for his admiring public.

1. I loved the concept of Symphony in "A Whole New Mind". Do you have a formula for bringing consistency to seemingly unrelated events?

No. I think it's less of a formula and more of a general attitude. Are you open to new ideas -- no matter where they come from? Are you reading in areas outside your own professional expertise? Are you talking to a wide range of people? When you put together a team, do you make sure there are diverse viewpoints? People who make this sort of behavior habitual generally do pretty well on Symphony.

2. In “Drive” you challenge the carrot and stick formula of prize for performance. How has this message been received by HR professionals?

So far, the response has been great. But I think HR professionals are more astute on these matters than many others in organizations -- because the very best among them spend their time and energy working on talent. They know that money does matter to talent -- but that it's not ultimately what gets them up in the morning. HR professionals can be hugely important ambassadors in bringing the science of motivation inside of organizations.

3. How important is Empathy in leadership?

It's hugely important. It's very hard to lead without being able to see the world through the eyes of those your leading. That's especially true for creative teams. And it's doubly true for the growing ranks of people who are leaders but who don't have much formal authority -- and therefore must rely on influence rather than command. There's also some recent research, led by Adam Galinsky at Northwestern University, that shows that as people accumulate power, they're less likely to see the world from another's perspective, which can often hamper their abilities to get others to go along with them. Leadership turns out to be a very delicate balance between action-orientation and perspective-taking. Too much of one rarely works.

4. Why have some companies simplified the process of education in the workplace down to product knowledge?

It's easier -- and they know how to do it. Plain and simple.

5. You are one of the most recognized business authors of our time yet you always make time to respond to your readers. How do you balance this?

Hmmm. I'll resist my lawyerly instinct to disagree with your premise and instead thank you for the overly generous assessment. On the matter of responding to readers, it's not all that complex. First, I like it. I learn a heckuva lot from readers and I always appreciate hearing from them. Second, it's the right thing to do. If someone spends 10 or 15 dollars and several hours of their time reading one of my books, the least I can do is spend zero dollars and five minutes of my time responding to their question. To me, what's weird is that everybody doesn't do this.

To find out more on all things Pink visit: http://www.danpink.com/

Don't Forget to Remember!

- Dave

A Letter to my Son

Well Big Guy - you did it! You have graduated from Pre-school. I know the morning hours were rough at times and being away from mom and dad for full day can be challenging. You have preserved, juice box in hand, a little older and lot wiser. Your Mom, Sister, Pet Turtle and I are so very proud of you.

Now it's off to the big world of Kindergarten. You will make new friends and leave a few behind. It is sad to see those you came up with move on to other opportunities. The great thing about life, however, is that you are consistently afforded the opportunity to reinvent yourself. Knowing this, you can take every situation with your best intent in mind. Meaning, you can choose who to Love and who to disregard....I would encourage you to try to Love more people than you disregard.

You will fall in Love, have your heart broken, get in a fight or two, feel ashamed, & come to realize the thrill of victory.

It took me 30 years to find your Mother...I hope you will be so lucky to find your other half in this world. Just know that Love is a mutual journey. You cannot give without getting back...if you do, you have to reconsider your audience.

Stick up for yourself! I will drop everything and pick you up at the Principal's office if you have protected the honor that you and your friends have built. As a youngster, the way to win friends often means proving yourself. You may have to eat a worm or punch the biggest kid on the playground. Respect has to be earned.

You will let me down...I apologize in advance for expecting so much of you. You will surprise me...I apologize in advance for not having more faith in you.

Know this, the world is filled with infinite possibility. Nothing is too important but everything has its significance. Some days it rains, others the sun will shine upon you in all its glory. It's OK to cry, but laughter feels better. You can be anyone you will yourself to be.

Maybe some day you will read this and laugh at it. I hope you do.

Until then...allow no one to limit your potential, revel in the sun, and find someone to Love!

PS - always be nice to your Mom, Sister and Turtle. Save the frustration for me.

Congratulations! Here's to the next step in life!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dad

Follow

What makes a great Leader? We often think of the traits of strong personality, public speaking prominence, and convicted commitment. Vocal, Prominent, Confident, and Ever Present.

Can it be said, however, that those who are truly admirable do not need to be in the public eye?

The question we pose today: What if You Didn't Need to be Validated?

Is our need to step out in front of a group and gather applause a characteristic of confidence or insecurity?

It is evident that Leadership is sorely lacking in today's professional world. I equate this to the fact that the task of Management has overwhelmed the Vision of Leadership. In many organizations the true visionaries choose to stay in individual contributor roles, start their own companies, or leave for different opportunities. In reality, those who are passionate in their conviction are just not willing to 'play the game'. Office politics, meetings about meetings, and the need to restrain genuine thought are management traits that tend to appal true leaders. So, the defacto Managers accept leadership roles as the 'safe bet' and the truly inspired become uninspired.

How Can We Take the Power Back?
* Create your own job description
* Recreate yourself every day
* Ignore the unimportant

The Goals of Self
Reports are homework to document effort. They are also meaningless. The need for metrics to prove professional existence makes people...numbers.

Developing the ability to find personal significance in each task is mastery of your professional existence. You don't need to quit your job. You need to understand what every task means to you, how you can adjust each chore to your vision, and to prioritize accordingly.

Ask Yourself:
1. Who Am I
2. Who Do I Want To Be?
3. What Does This Mean to the Rest of the World?

Stagnation is Damnation
When you stop moving forward, you start falling back. This doesn't mean you have to leap into every mundane task. It means you should recommit and adjust your vision every day. The best way to embrace change is to create it for yourself.

Ask yourself:
Is it better to master one thing or experience many things?

The Best Advice...
From time to time, I get caught up in the unimportant. I let personality differences get in the way of larger goals, I get hung up on passing comments, or mundane detail derails genuine intent.

I once asked my boss...how do you stay level headed in the midst of all these personality clashes?

He said: I ignore them!

Have we come to accept less because we expect less? Are we victims of circumstance? Are we products of our environment? Is our energy wasted on other people's goals?

Kick the peddles out of you way and climb mountains!

Life is far too short to get hung up in the mundane defacto chores of personal validation.

You Are Great Because You Know You Are Great!

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results"
- Albert Einstein

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

When You Were Young

Last night I watched the Fab Five documentary on ESPN. It was a tear jerker. I went to High School in Michigan during the University of Michigan's greatest recruiting effort. These five basketball players were our age, they were amazingly talented, and they were not taking any BS from anyone. Fresh out of High School they got on to the hard court and beat the crap out of the Seniors who had been on the big stage for 4 years.

For the first time in our lives, My friends and I had comrades who were changing the world. If they could do it, we could too. We, like them, were cocky and full of life! It was an amazing time in my life....young and full of hope!

And so we revisit the Generational Phenomena in the workplace: The tired generalization that Gen Y is an entitled group without discipline. The Fab Five were held to similar stereotypes of Generation Y...Full of Talent, lacking discipline.

I teach Human Relations courses through Dale Carnegie University. My latest group of students includes a Fab Four entrepreneur group in the Computer Programming world. I am enamored by their uncompromising drive to conduct their professional lives by their own rules. They navigate their careers with a chip on their shoulder with the same confidence that the Fab Five had when they took the court. I remember that point in my life and how great it felt to be untethered by the regulations of the 'more senior' workforce.

The questions surface:
Do You Wish to Lead your Millennial Superstars to Success?
or
Do You Wish to Regulate the Motivation of your Millennial Superstars?

Allowing Awesome
At Harvard, MIT, and other elite educational institutes; the purpose is to create a career not qualify for a job. These institutes have empowered the young upstart geniuses who grew up with their heads in computer monitors. The premise: why would you want to work for someone who you are smarter than? Awesome Question and one that fuels the motivation of the young.

Why not change the world instead of fitting into it?

The Leadership Perspective
Most organizations have a logical formula for success. Put people in positions to navigate a system that will produce results. Makes sense.....to those who are of the stability mind frame. However, the systematic development model is a prison to the creative minds that will soon run our country. Bless Them!

If you wish to curtail energy...you are a Manager not a Leader!

Generation Y is not an entitled generation! They simply have greater potential than we do...end of story! They are less programmed for predictability. This should be celebrated!

Let's Celebrate!
You know if you see the 'new girl' as a threat and she knows that you wish to categorize her motivation..."slow down, your making us look bad". Lame!

When I was young I thought I wanted to climb the corporate ladder. I did what I was told, made my numbers, and completed every task on time....only to receive more tasks. I was miscast in an organization that lacked the ability to utilize my strengths. I wanted to do everything....they wanted me to do nothing. I wish someone, anyone, would have told me to create something instead of advising me to 'slow down'.

I hope I never stop moving forward. I hope the youngsters in this world keep me practicing. I am 100 times more motivated by the young than the old. My direct and extensive experience has given me no reason to think otherwise. Sorry....

Mark Zuckerberg, Tony Hsieh and Blake Mycoskie have shown us that motivation does not need a predetermined system of efficiency. That if we choose to categorize, we limit ourselves. That the gift of creativity is what makes companies great.

The Age of Predictability is Over! Generation Y will take over much quicker than Generation X has. Your position at the negotiating table may change much quicker than you think...

You Better Get on The Bus!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

YOUR Mission

It's the 6th Installment of the Employee Purpose Perspective (EPP). Thus far, we have introduced the following principles:
Collaboration
Purposeful Intent
Personal Relevance
Unique Value Proposition
Embrace Impossible

Today we ask the question: Is it possible to lead a group of individuals within a common system?

Answer: No!

70% of first time Managers fail. The number one reason Managers fall short is because they fail to engage their workforce. This is because Managers are told to throw a blanket over 10 completely different people and expect consistent results.

Work becomes synonymous with boredom because it is not given applicable relevance. You have team meetings twice a week...why? That's what your employees are asking....why are we here, again..? What's the Purpose?

The answer from the Manager's corner is usually....because....(that's it). It is what it is (the worst phrase ever and an insulting misinterpretation of a Buddhist philosophy). Manager's have their marching orders, they are instructed to bestow them upon their teams, and all march together to increase stock points. Rats in a maze without purpose.

We Can Do Better Than That!

The real question is: What separates Leaders from Managers?

Answer: the ability to give every one of their team members a personal mission.

Jason will have different motivations than Jennifer. We need to invest in understanding individual motivations and help the individuals find purpose. You cannot do that by setting group goals. You have to make THEIR goals ~ YOURS.

Relationships matter most. Relationships take personal investment. Work is seldom personal. Therefore, our investment is not in the PEOPLE that make up the system but the SYSTEM itself. Discard the people and plug into the spreadsheet - Cowardly!

Here's how to get to know your people:
Engage
Differentiate
Quantify

Paul Westerberg, where have you been?
We each have our artist of choice. Let's say you are a die hard Mats fan, if your boss sighted a lyric from Paul Westerberg in a sit down meeting - how much would that mean to you?

I get it, you can't pretend to love something you don't, and pretend it's personal. But the effort to genuinely understand means more than you know.

Togetherness
Boss #1 + Employee A = Two people with common frustrations and a need to make better. Why not talk about it?

I once had a boss who taught me how to be a man. He had been through the ringer, his life was difficult, and he spent countless hours listening to me complain. When he left our company, he told me in honest terms that he thought his advice was lost on me....that hurt.

What does it all mean...
Money isn't everything. You get to a point in your career when you come to understand that. Then what...?

What would you be willing to accept more than dollar bills? To some it means freedom to create their own schedule, for others the opportunity for advancement.

Your challenge is to determine what really matters to your employees, to help them make it part of their life, and to incent their courage accordingly.

Our core values speak to:
Integrity
Innovation
Accountability
...these ideals are something different to everyone.

We spend far too much time convincing others of what WE believe in. Why not invest in THEM and fashion your advising from there?

Micro-Management is dead, the rules are changing, and everyone has options.

Everyone is willing to put money aside to be part of something that they believe in.

All you have to do is understand what makes me, me...and incent accordingly.

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

Embrace Impossible

It's the 5th Installment of the Employee Purpose Perspective (EPP) and our task today is simple:
Embrace Impossible

When you join a new company the outstanding performer pulls you aside and lets you know, "how things are done around here".

Some see the extending of the olive branch as an honor. Others see proposed limits on the standard for success. It is simple to look at the best, admire their talent and strive to be like them. You can also understand that top performers want to stay at the top and every new team member may serve as a threat to their throne. Don't get me wrong, I despise internal competition, I also dislike the abuse of tenure!

Everyone has a plateau and it is horrifying to see the great fall from grace. Those who cling to the past do so because they have lost their ability to repeat greatness. Allow not proposed limits to keep you from exceeding the norm and redefining the standard. There is nothing impolite about doing the best you can, it helps everyone get better! If ever you are told to 'slow down' you know you have victory in your clutches. Never Slow Down...re-establish the standard.

Possibility is merely a metric of what has been. That time is past and there are no limits to where we go from here! If you are willing to accept the norm, you should stay in bed. If you are comfortable playing second fiddle, you shouldn't join the band. You belong on the field not on the bench. Allow no one to set the standard for you.

3 Keys to Achieving the Impossible:
Consider the Source
Give Yourself Credit
Do Not Entitle

The Best?
The team's number one producer is often not the most credible resource. Some people get lucky, others know how to work the system, there are those who use their resources well, and others that are massively disciplined in their approach. There is nothing wrong with succeeding by the means that fit your personality.

Warning: Do not assume 'top producer' means most knowledgeable!

What Got YOU here?
I was once told to go to the team's top producers to understand the formula for success. None of the advice I received made sense. I asked an employee in another department what he thought? He said, "If they define success, you should consider yourself a leader already"!

It made sense...be humble in seeking advice but don't take it as gospel. Don't forget who you are, what got you here and the achievements that got you hired. Don't think because you are the 'new girl' that you cannot be a leader.

Round Here....
Titles, tenure and earning statements don't tell the whole story. You do not need a trophy to prove your worth. You don't need to be at the top of the ranking report to know you are great at your job!

Think about who you really want to be and start from there. No one reserves the right to define boundaries for you. Maybe you have failed to establish the success you had five years ago....that does not mean you cannot get back there. Maybe you are the best on the team, that doesn't mean you have plateaued.

Think of your life's greatest achievements, keep them in your heart, and take the Glory back.

There is nothing you cannot achieve if you define, for yourself, what is possible.

When you get to the top of the mountain turn around and do it all over again.

There is no Finish Line!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

Purposeful Intent

Last week we introduced The Employee Purpose Perspective (EPP). Today's Second Installment of the EPP examines Purposeful Intent. You may ask yourself, "are not purpose and intent of the same ideology?". They are exactly not....which introduces our problem. Too often we are given a directive, which formulates our purpose, and we perform said directive...without intent.

This makes our lives a collection of meaningless tasks between clock punches. This is a waste!

What's Your Purpose?

Next week we will examine the inability of most organizations to bring meaning to the never ending task list. Today, I am going to ask you to define purpose for yourself. You cannot rely on your organization to assign Purposeful Intent, so you have to create it.

When you develop the ability to find personal meaning in every chore you free yourself to choose the life you wish to have.

It is a fairly simple process: When assigned a task ask yourself is what it means to you...and prioritize accordingly.

We have seen studies that convey that 70% of all workers are actively disengaged. That's probably a low estimate and the premise could be flawed. If we are honest with ourselves we have to admit that our company will open the doors, turn on the computers and supply some coffee. The rest is up to you. I repeat...

The Rest Is Up To You!

There is no such thing as the perfect job. Every company has people who have become irrelevant and seek to destroy the ambition of the optimistic. But, we don't need to sell our belongings and journey to Alaska to find our purpose.

We find ourselves caught up in the myth of work hard, play hard. That we have the determination at work to win and then we take off our tie and escape to lunacy. This creates a double life: stress out and decompress. Make money, spend it and hide in your cubicle until the hangover subsides.

There is one absolute in every day: If you think today will suck, it will! If you find the ability to put your energy into that which matters you will be 100 times happier at work.

Here's how you can develop Purposeful Intent:
Avert Your Ego
Set Sensible Priorities
Have a Back Up Plan

Leave it!
Every task will take twice as long if you are intent on having your way. How our egos drive our goals and how silly that is. We have calls about calls, meetings about meetings and the only reason for this is so someone can receive confirmation that their opinion is valued....who gives a shit!

You will be amazed how much less stress exists in your day when you stop caring about having your name on the slide show. Let the insecure fisherman cast their dwindling line...and keep feeding them bait.

Your opinions will not be missed, you will spend less time doing things you wish not to, and you can get on with what actually matters.

Get Over It!
"I just want to get it over with" - this premise means you don't want to do it, so why do it? When someone tells you they are too busy it means they are willing to do a bunch of things that are not applicable to their grandiose intent. More precious living moments wasted!

...at some point you have to push back and just not do it!

Playing With the House's Money
Fact: if you have 100 prospects in your pipeline you will not care if one of them goes in another direction.
Fact: the mundane tasks of your job are avoidable if you don't care about losing your job.

I mean not to inspire a careless attitude...in fact, the opposite.

You can perform your job the way you want based on what is important to you. If you are genuinely great at what you do, your company will value your personal intent to empower organizational success. And if they don't, someone else will.

Our problem is that we forget our awesomeness...and we let others pretend to determine it for us.

Don't Undervalue Your Existence...Determine YOUR Worth...and Let That Drive You!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

Love & Glory

At a certain point, I came to discover that two things matter:
Love & Glory

You know the joy of triumph. You may find it in the strumming of an acoustic guitar, the words of your beloved, the thrill of victory, the taste of fine wine, as tears roll with movie credits or in viewing your child's foot from their crib.

Brothers and Sisters, we cannot forget these moments in time, for tomorrow they will be gone!

Winning is the accumulation of effort fueled by the strife of our loved ones. We stop feeling sorry for ourselves, leave the front door into darkness and go hunting for what is rightfully ours. Effort and determination ignited by the divine truth that we deserve to be happy.

Love and Glory are ours to experience: Not to force but to forge...Not to assimilate but to realize.

So if you are in strife, you need to remember this:
* When you meet your wife, you will know instantly
* Your effort when coupled with stamina will ALWAYS produce success
* The best way to avoid disappointment is to do only those things that you believe in

I've been waiting for you
When I was a wayward bachelor my friend's told me - "don't worry, when you meet 'the one' you will know". Sounded stupid at the time but sure enough when I met my wife...I knew.

You have to have a certain amount of belief in this life. That nothing is impossible, that the level by which you achieve can be raised every single day, that there is such a thing as magic, and that fate has brought you to this page at this moment for a divine purpose.

If you let your mind overwhelm your heart you are going to miss your wife as she walks past you...only catching the scent of her perfume.

Effort (is not) everything
In a perfect world your results would be a measure of your effort. The world is imperfect. Some times you work your ass off and you lose...you get outsmarted, your game plan is misconstrued, you get too caught up in the details.

The definition of character is trying, failing and understanding how to grow from it!

You have to fill your heart with determination and let that carry your effort. You also have to develop an ability keep your cheeks dry when you lose.

I can tell you with great certainty that the winners are those you develop an ability to see opportunity in disappointment.

Square Pegs
Some times you try and fail and try again without results....this may be because you are miscast. I will never be a calligrapher...I simply don't possess the ability. I could write and draw and trace and never have perfect penmanship. I have owned that. I know what I am good at and that which will never be a possibility for me.

With effort you can achieve anything. But your effort is best directed (and your life benefited) when you perform that which your skill set addresses directly.

Working Hard is the American Dream. Working Smart is the understanding of your skill set. Finding what you are meant to do and dedicating yourself to it is living your true human potential.

Life has it's peaks and valleys. You will see the girl you love walk away. You will practice harder and lose. Terrible things will happen to great people....and sometimes, things will just fall into place!

You have to BELIEVE in yourself! In that you are strong because of your dedication to be a better person. That every time you lose you get closer to winning and that every action has a divine purpose in the bigger picture!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

Will Work for Peace

Career progress is an interesting thing. We all want to advance ourselves professionally: to make a few more bucks, to learn, to lead, to be part of something bigger. Unfortunately, our metrics for progress are often skewed. Very few companies have well defined progress planning. It seems developed mentoring programs are a means to pacify ambition not encourage it. Far too many leaders fail to pass the torch for fear of losing their sphere of influence.


We tend to get ourselves caught up in the task list for advancement without clearly defining our personal vision for professional progress.

Do you want to progress because you believe in what you are doing or are you simply charting the next 'logical' step? Do you seek advice from your 'superiors' because you genuinely respect them or because you are looking for shoulders to stand upon? Is the advice you are afforded in-sync with your personal professional vision?

Based on the success of my father, I took to Corporate America with the intent of climbing the Corporate Ladder. Without personal purpose in my intent, I sought promotions and advancement as validation for my hard work. I was told that in order to make it on the 'fast track' I should do the following:
* Perform to my revenue goal
* Be willing to relocate
* Find a leader on the 'fast track' and attach myself to him/her

...bad advice....

I didn't care about the company I worked for at that time. I didn't know what achieving my quota was doing for the world. Relocation was not a means to make the company better, it was a test of commitment. I certainly didn't respect the 'leaders' who gave this advice. I thought I wanted to be a Manager because it was a perceived vertical move.

I pondered the aforementioned advice, quit the job, and came up with my own metrics for success:
* Have the freedom to interpret my job as applicable to the world around me
* Join an organization that trusted me
* Find a role with flexibility

Moving, making more money, taking on more responsibility, and influencing others to fall in line was replaced by one mission:
Allow me to live my job by my own motivation!

I had been dishonest in my pursuit of what didn't matter to me, and so, I vowed to be honest in the pursuit of what did.

At some point in your career, you will discover the following:
Honest Matters Most
You Must Find Purpose in Every Task
Certain things are unavoidable....give them your least attention

Consider Your Sphere of Influence
In sales, you are generally asked to create recommendations to your customers and prospective customers. Sometimes this is your chance to showcase your expertise. Other times this is the measure by which your BS barometer is put to the test.

We face loaded questions from Managers and Customers alike. We often are not prepared for this pre-framed nonsense and this is where we get caught up.

A customer cannot trust you to be an expert if you haven't considered all the angles

Your boss will not be willing to leave you alone if you haven't proven your ability to self-regulate

Make it Matter
If you are waiting for the perfect job you will forever spend your life in the waiting room.

Fact: There are great people and terrible people in every organization
Fact: A good or bad Boss can make any job good or bad
Fact: Only YOU can determine how the aforementioned factors effect your genuine motivation

Learn to be Ignorant!
I am a hard working man who is fiercely competitive. As such, I tend to freak out when I do my part and others do not. These actions, to my own detriment, reveal my insecurity and work against my effort.

The best advice I have received is to ignore that which is out of my control. It was impossible to accept this passive resistance at first. My mind frame of mutual accountability forcing me to believe that my effort needed to be met and replicated.

Then, something annoying happened and I chose not to give it the power of my influence. Strangely enough, life went on....over time I learned to give little (or no) attention to mundane distractions. And Life goes on.....

If you develop the ability to know where to put your energy (almost) every thing you do has a motivation driven by positive results! Hard to believe, but undoubtedly true. You should give it a try.

I am carried away by Martin Luther King and his words of Freedom. The times in which he spoke were loaded with turmoil. If America emerged from the standoff of civil rights a bolder and better nation, why can't you choose to work the way you like?

YOU choose what fuels your day!
YOU have the ability give attention to what matters!
YOU have the choice to empower or deter the naysayers!
YOU make a masterpiece or trash heap of every given day!
YOU can be FREE!

...and so our task is simple....

Ignore what distracts and empower what motivates!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

The Art of Being Selfless

How is it possible to be giving and self-motivated at the same time?

To support others while focusing on personal directives may categorically be competing ideologies. We strive to convince ourselves that there are two types of people in this world:

1. Those who focus, win, and allow no one to deter their forward motion
2. Those who are passive, ability free, and weak

Today we are going to explore how these seemingly competing ideologies may just be part of the same emotional package. I will do this by examining 3 simple principles:
* The will to win is an act of Love
* To compete only for validation is an act of insecurity
* Giving with the expectation of recognition is an act of cowardice

The Heart is on the Inside
You see the person who wins a football game and thanks God. His faith in himself being just as important. What drove him to win was the total confidence that he had in his ability and his willingness to recreate possible as it happened. His faith in god may have given him the extra inch but the other 10,000 inches came from preparation, self discipline, and creativity.

To win is not in effort to see others lose but rather an offering to lift them up. It is hard to be the best - everyone is always gunning for you while you have reached your highest point of potential. The great ones find an art in the game. They win for the sake of redefining themselves in an effort to create a different landscape; every day. Art is an act of creativity. Creativity is powered by the human condition of Love. Those who find new landscapes win and therefore; Winning is an Act of Love.

In order to be truly great, one must be ignorant of their competition not driven to best them.

Look At Me!!!!!!!!!
You can detect those who are full of sh*t pretty easily:
They talk too much
They consistently tout their achievements
They make an effort to point out their selfless nature

To speak without intent is to babble like a fool. There is never a need for explanation. People get hung up on re-iterating their greatness. They think that by consistently mentioning how awesome they are, we are going to have an Epiphany, and bow to their excellence. Don't flatter yourself and don't insult our intelligence.

The big mouths only act so because they want to beat you to the punch. They would not dare sit down and reveal themselves...they need to be represented by the bravado of their self marketing. They are not shouting for joy, they are crying for help.

No Reciept Necessary
No one ever sees the richest people in the world. Those who are truly charitable send an envelope, they don't require a red carpet. People who are genuinely dedicated to helping in the workplace do not need anything in return for evolving others: they do it because they care about their company and it's legacy.

Halls of Corporations are filled with so-called do-gooders who mask their goals for personal development in the positioning of helping others.

The test is simple: if you wait to pick up that piece of paper in the hall until the boss walks by you are masking your selfishness in pseudo-community service. If you have to have 4 vodka tonics before voicing your professional opinion, your thoughts will never be respected.

It's OK to care and show that you do. It's OK to shelf the facade and speak your mind. You have to help those around you without expecting a pat on the back.

No deed goes unnoticed and the pretenders are always exposed!!!!!!! Trust me on that one!

You need to validate those that are busting their tail for the sake of contributing to the success of your organization (and expect nothing in return). The moment you pull your hand back and put your head down, everything you were grabbing for will come to you. Helping others is the only way to help yourself. Do unto others without worrying about how it will advance you!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

2010 - Lessons Learned

There are two work weeks left in 2010. It has been a year of success, failure, and lessons learned in the process. I progress in strange ways...I have an inability to accept criticism or praise. I tend to disagree when people tell me where I'm falling short (it's just an opinion) or look for ulterior motives in praise (and try harder). These, among a thousand other character flaws, are things I've sought to improve in 2010.

I am a person of extreme self-confidence, driven by an intense competitive drive. This produces a determination to out-work, out-think and counter-point my constituents. It's also a terrible way to live....with each year I get a little less hell bent on winning and a little more focused on helping others. It will never be ideal, but I'm trying.

So as this year comes to a close I want to share 3 great Epiphanies that struck me while looking back on my success and failures:
Sports are still The Great Life Metaphor
One must learn to Channel their Determination with Elegance
Find YOUR Faith

Conditioning
I was really excited to see the life story of the Great Vince Lombardi played on HBO this weekend. An extraordinary story of a man with all the determination in the world. Coach Lombardi reminds me of my Dad: hard working, unknowing of complaints, and unemotional on the surface level. When I was young I would occasionally be awaken by my Dad's electric razor in the dead of morning...still dark outside, cold. I would sometimes walk into the bathroom in my Hulk pajamas and watch him tie his tie with all the honor of a World Leader. I didn't know much about his job but I was proud of him and I knew I wanted to be like him one day. Those were different times...

Like my Dad, Coach Lombardi was a man of pride by the virtue of his work. He spent the first 2 weeks of practice completely on conditioning. He worked his team to the breaking point and the survivors became his core contributors. This was a time when complaints were not an option, working hard was the only way and people appreciated their opportunities. Times have changed....I'll be the first to admit I can be a wuss at times (another one of my flaws). In 2010, I have come to remember that the emotions only surface when you haven't worked hard enough. In 2011, I promise to work harder, to blame no one and to keep my emotions to myself!

Presentation
At some point in my life, I became aware of how others were perceiving me and I didn't like the image presented. It is very difficult to be elegant when you are on the track of working harder than everyone else. I recognized that I was being insensitive and that I was not entitled to act in such a manner. If you are more talented you will win more. If you work hard you will out-condition your opponent. To be better doesn't give you the right to disparage others.

I have discouraged the touchdown dance though I have been guilty of it in the past. It is a release of insecurity. If you truly have talent you can replicate any feat....you simply live success. It has been a continued struggle to go into every day with the intent of winning and not running over everyone. In 2011, I will develop the ability to win gracefully!

Form
I am a strong proponent of No Religion, No Politics. Both topics appall me. But, I cannot deny that faith in something is essential to personal development. To have a belief in a higher power is paramount. Faith and Spirituality are 10 times more special and meaningful when you keep them to yourself. In 2011, I will continue to evolve my spirit (alone)!

Goals for 2011
1. Work harder than ever
2. Keep my emotions (and faith) to myself
3. Be Humble in victory and accountable in defeat

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave