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          

The Hill

I recently saw a documentary on Walter Payton. He is an athlete that is near and dear to my heart because I played him in the Viejo Elementary production of The Superbowl Shuffle in 1985. He was called "Sweetness" because he had a certain style, on the field and off, that came to characterize the charismatic Chicago Bears of the mid-80's. The team won the super bowl by a landslide, losing only 1 game the entire season. They dominated. It should be noted that the head bands, haircuts and flashy clothes did not contribute to the Bears success - their success was a result of one thing: Hard Work!

That year I saw an article in a magazine. It was about "The Hill", a piece of land that Walter Payton owned. While some would have used the landscape for hunting or to built a race track for the kids, Sweetness used the land as a training ground. When football practice ended, Walter went back home and ran up and down a near vertical hill on the property...over and over. He pushed his physical limitations ever forging a new frontier of conditioning...never stopping until he reached the mountain top. It was a foreign concept to many, to use your limited free time to torture yourself. The result was the aforementioned championship and personal achievements that will forever be enshrined in the pro football hall of fame. More than the results, The Hill represented the American Dream: success is there for you if you are willing to work really, really hard!

New York Knicks point guard, Jeremy Lin, has become an American Icon of late. Tim Tebow completed one of the most hyped football seasons in 2011. Neither of these young men are the most talented in their trade. They are a phenomena because they have worked hard to earn their place in the spot light. In a time of multi-million dollar contracts, endorsement deals, flashy cars and tattoos; Lin and Tebow chose to make a career of a game through hard work. They went back to The Hill!

In business, there are those who have big ideas, others are blessed with the gift of gab, and some people have a firm grasp on the art of finance. No matter who you are or what you do there is one thing that will always ensure success: Hard Work!

What does The Hill look like to you?

We all have goals to conquer. Each of us is tasked with making the impossible a reality and then doing it again next year. The Hill we face is mighty and we must start the climb!

We are six weeks into 2012. Have you started the climb?

The cleats and the headband are not enough. Here are a few tips for getting up The Hill:
1. Wake Up One Hour Earlier
2. Listen to What you Have to
3. Be Persistent

Get There First
I never believe people who say they do not have enough time to perform certain tasks. This excuse is a result of poor time management. Are you too busy or are you busy doing unnecessary work?

Holstee released their organizational manifesto in 2011. The line most prominent, "if you don't have enough time, stop watching TV". You spend time on facebook, watch stupid shows, and sit on a bar stool in an effort to decompress from the rat race - I get it! But, your time can be better spent.

When the excuse of limited time became a staple in my vocabulary, I made a commitment....to wake up at 5am every day! It is hard....the air is cold, the sky is dark, and the snooze button is inviting. The adjustment took a few days but I learned to shut off the TV and go to bed earlier. I stopped spending time on the bar stool to avoid waking up with a lamp shade on my head.

Try it for one week....wake up an hour earlier!

You have to hear this
Most often in life, we are told what we want to hear. Cell phones were created to fill time on our commute calling a friend, complaining about our day, and hearing we are right for feeling disgruntled. We seek validation for our lack of effort and our friends are kind enough to lend it. The people who really love you may, from time to time, tell you not what you want to hear but what you have to hear! It stings and it cuts deep.

Only you spend every moment of every day with you. Only you know if you have done everything you could have done today. If you are to be successful you have to be honest with yourself. You have to face the tough decisions head on and do the right thing.

The Hill gets no less ominous if you stand there and look at it!

Never Give Up
My dad would often test my resolve by telling me "NO". I would walk away upset and he would say, "You're going to give up that easily?".....The thought often crossed my mind that if he was willing to give me a buck for nachos, why didn't he just hand it over. He wanted me to earn it.

In this day and age very few people will hand you anything. They need to know you are committed. Now more than ever loyalty is a result of trust. Trust has to be earned. You can have a less attractive marketing strategy and might even neglect wearing a fancy suit. If you can prove you will not let someone down; they will take a chance on you. But, you have to earn it.

If, with every challenge failed, you put your tail between your legs you won't even make it to the foot of The Hill.

Get Started >>>>
The image of Sweetness pumping his legs as he climbs The Hill remains the benchmark for hard work. We always see the Great Ones with the trophy in hand. We seldom see the failures they had to overcome to get there. The camera does not light up at practice. The media does not wake up at 5am to document the morning jog.

The Hill is in front of you and it is yours to conquer!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave
      

The 3 P's

Most often, this blog deals the bigger issues that relate one's personality to their professional development. Today, we will work in much more direct terms. As a Career Coach, I am often asked for the silver bullet methods for success that one can implement in their climb to professional nirvana. It changes based on variable factors but I can suggest the following:
Preparation
Purpose
Personal Attention

The 3 P's are a excellent method in differentiating a truly successful company from the pretenders. They are also a turn-key to good professional habits. It is important to conduct oneself in a professionally graceful manner. Follow the 3 P's......

Preparation
Do you get freaked out when someone you meet for the first time knows the college you attended, your favorite sports team or your past employers? Did you ever consider that this is information you have made readily available? Why wouldn't you be flattered if someone took a personal interest in you.

A 2 minute google search can tell you a lot about a person. Understand the common language that correlates to a person's lifestyle and work it into conversation. It's a great way to establish rapport and common interest.

The look of surprise is one of flattery not alienation.

Purpose
Common purpose creates a company identity that cultivates an organizational culture. A logo represents a professional ethos shared by everyone who humanizes a brand.

No two people are perfectly alike but let's consider a football analogy. The path to victory is driven by a style of playing the game and directives for success. Business is no different: every company has core values, every department has business critical goals. Professionals should be able to recite their company's core values and the top 3 directives of their business group. Purpose is driven by common goals and a style for achieving success.

Personal Attention
Can you commit to responding to every email/voicemail within 3 hours? I bet you can. Even if you do not have a perfect answer, you can at least lay out a plan of action or report that the process is under way. People love to know that they can ping someone and that person is reliable to the extent that any given task will be addressed in short time. Your boss loves it, your customers love it, your wife loves it.

Implement a 3 hour turnaround time!

In summation:
1. Google every person you meet
2. Believe in what you do (or do something else)
3. Implement a 3 hour turn around time

Don't sweat the small stuff but always remember the little things!

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

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

The Joy of Competition

It's Tournament time.....64 teams will battle it out for one spot. Countless hours in the gym, unlimited potential and an uncertain future all come down to one game at a time - win or go home!

In business, I always look to competitive people with admiration because they place higher standards upon themselves than any boss or company will. Anyone who has been a Champion knows the thrill of preparing, doubting, overcoming and achieving....this is what business is all about.

Through sports, I learned to give all out effort for roughly 60 minutes and walked from many-a-gym with a trophy in my hand. The discipline, drive and system for preparation I learned on the field carried over well into my sales career.

The Danger of Competition: A game lasts an hour, a season a quarter, but a professional career will span 30 years. When we are used to putting our head down and funneling pure effort for 60 minutes our time to shine is clearly defined. We also know that we want to hit our peak condition just before the playoffs. In business, however, the season is not as clearly defined. Challenges arise without announcement and the need to strategically direct our unapologetic motivation becomes paramount.

"You need to slow down man!"...advice of a poor leader who could not handle my manic energy. The intent was right, but when your competitive drive is fueled by proving to the naysayers wrong...challenging convention becomes a way of life.

The Answer: As Leaders, we need to understand how to take effort, direct it toward strategy and produce results. Essentially, we have a group of athletes for whom we are creating a season's schedule. They are ready to compete; we just need to help them take that drive to run 100 yards and help them get there 10 yards at a time.

Here are a few tips for channeling competitive effort to produce results:

1. Set short term goals

2. Create the goal line and use long term goals to get there

3. Recognize even the slightest achievements along the way

4. When accomplishments become measurable - reward them!

5. Establish a next step for organizational advancement - and help them get there!

The Final Score: Never tell a competitive person to slow down - help them understand that winning together is far more meaningful to their effort than crossing the finish line alone.

LEAD...let those with you know that they are part of a team that will not accept a loss.

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

References:

www.linkedin.com/in/davidkovacovich

Break the Mold

In an interview yesterday I was asked what was the best Tweet I ever saw.

Here it is:
@benjaminmccall - If I personally belived all statistics, then I wouldn't have accomplished anything! Break the mold.

Ben, like me, seems to be a guy who believes that convention is what got us in this mess in the first place. I am concerned that organizations are using this down time not to re-invent but to scale back. I am continually concerned that when things get better organizations will go back to the same old thing and hope it works this time.

In my consulting efforts I am always asked for 3 things:
References
Case Studies
Best Practices

People thirst for defendable statistics to take the guess work out of decision making. Essentially, "tell me what other companies are doing and we'll do that because if they decided it will work, it must".

If there is no where to go but up why not take a chance......if the other stuff didn't work why try it again....if everyone else is doing something and failing, does that make it right?...if Jack Welch jumped off a bridge.......(you get the idea)!

I know we're freaked out but FEAR will not move us forward, in fact, it will drag us back.

Be Bold, Be Couragious, Take a Chance.....Break the Mold!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

References:
http://twitter.com/davidkovacovich
www.linkedin.com/in/davidkovacovich