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Archive for June, 2007

Procrastination

Jun 30

Posted by Tony Alessandra in Leadership, Negotiation, People!, Personal Development, Planning | No Comments

“Don’t put off for tomorrow what you can do today.” (My Mother, ever since I can remember.)

Procrastination is like a virus. It creeps up on you slowly, drains you of energy, and is difficult to get rid of if your resistance is low. Procrastination is a close relative of incompetence and a first cousin to inefficiency, which is why their marriage is taboo. These suggestions will help you conquer the virus:

1. Give yourself deadlines. In moderation, pressure motivates. Extreme pressure debilitates. Set appointments, make commitments, write out your goals, and otherwise develop the determination to succeed.

2. Don’t duck the difficult problems. Every day we are faced with both difficult and easy tasks. Tackle the difficult ones first so that you can look forward to the easy ones. If you work on the easy ones first, you might expand the time that they take in order to avoid the difficult ones waiting for you.

Many people put off difficult or large tasks because they appear too huge to tackle in a reasonable period. They feel that if they start and complete the “large” task at one sitting, it will prevent them from accomplishing any of the other tasks they have to do on that day. The answer to this problem is to break all large or difficult tasks into their smaller subparts. Then, you can do each of the subparts of the larger project over a series of days, if appropriate.

3. Don’t let perfectionism paralyze you. This is a problem that many writers have when writing articles or books. They sit with pad and pen in hand waiting for the “right” words to come out. What they are doing is avoiding the process of writing. Be prolific in your activities. You can always go back later and polish those things you are unhappy with. Better yet, you can delegate the polishing to someone else.

Because humans are so susceptible to procrastination, you must work at building up your immunity to it. Effective action is the best medicine.

Tragic Business…

Jun 30

Posted by Steve Gray in Health and Safety Dept, People!, Personal Development, Risk Management | No Comments

In our local paper today we read of a 30 yr old who had taken his life… Sad, and tragic, what made it worse my wife and I had taught this “lad” I remember his boisterousness, his propensity to get in to mischief, his moments of sheer happiness and the odd moment of withdrawl. In the main he was a good kid that went on to pursue a dream in hospitality and became  a head chef in one of our local restaurants after a number of years studying, and travelling overseas. At age 30 it seems too young, but then it happens at many ages.

My thoughts turn to those who had a longer connection with him, as their team leader, boss, mentor, and teacher. Then the company he worked for, how they would be effected by his departure.

What does a company do when someone decides to exit in this way… Were there indicators or signs this was happening? Could they have done anything? Possibly not. What comes next is the effects, the ongoing thoughts that he should be there, that he is not, that he did so much and will be missed, then on to the reality phase of acceptance and moving on.

Question. What would you do? At every phase of the process… What could you say to make things better, to lighten the load, to brighten the moment, to provide support to one and all…

There is no doubt it is a tricky situation and there are people qualified to advise and support better than you or I, however the process starts somewhere. I invite you to say, what if, but say it BEFORE the process kicks in.

What if I could steer people to the right sort of support? What if I could be perceptive to the subtleties of communication that I could see (at least some of) the writing on the wall? What if others had the ability to let me know as the leader of the organisation that things were not okay…? What if I could be strong enough to sit and chat about challenges my people might face personal and professionally? What if I could assist them to build solid foundations in their lives so they could function  effectively and elegantly at higher levels?

For some they lose the way in life through not goal setting enough, for others its about exploring a more open ended approach and being clear of the reestrictions goals might impose. What ever the reason for losing their way we all share some responsibility if we allow ourselves to not be able to act in effective and elegant ways on what is a tragic turn of events for all concerned, near or far.

Applying the Genius of Humor

Jun 29

Posted by Tony Alessandra in Innovation and Creativity, People!, Personal Development | No Comments

The genius of humor obviously pertains to communication, but humor is not just a secondary form of genius. Humor is vital. However, there is a wrong way and a right way to use it.

Here are my suggestions for improving your sense of humor: First, find out what your strong suit is, humor-wise. Ask a friend who will be honest with you. Second, know who you are talking with. Not everybody thinks the same things are funny — and there are a few people who do not think anything is funny, or at least nothing that has been discovered yet. Third, work on your timing. Try out your best lines on your family and your friends — and test bad puns on your enemies! Finally, remember that the best target for humor is yourself. A little self-deprecating humor can go a long way toward making people feel at ease with you.

In short, humor is much more than an icebreaker. When things are good, it can keep egos from becoming inflated. Moreover, when the going is tough, it can be an affirmation of dignity, a declaration of your faith in ultimate success.

The Adventure of Creative Problem-Solving

Jun 29

Posted by Michael Crooks in Innovation and Creativity, Personal Development, Starting out in business, The Marketing Dept | 1 Comment

I racked a fresh shell of 00 Buck into the chamber of my 12-gauge shotgun and drew the weapon to my shoulder. As I took careful aim at the dead tree branch about 30 feet above and 10 feet down range of me, my friend asked, “What are you doing?”

“Creative problem-solving,” I answered.

The smooth squeeze of the trigger was followed by a bellowing thunder, followed by the thud of the branch hitting the ground.

“Problem solved,” I said.

The problem I just solved wasn’t a saw problem. No, I had chainsaws and regular saws. What I didn’t have was a ladder tall enough to reach the branch. If I couldn’t get up there, what could I send up there instead? I thought of creating a bolo where I’d duct tape a couple of rocks to either end of a short rope, tie a longer line in the middle and throw it up there in hopes the line would wrap itself around the branch and I could pull like crazy and break the branch off.

I remembered reading that back in the pirate days they’d shoot bolos out of a cannon to tear down the enemy’s sails and rigging and disable the ship. That’s when it hit me … using buckshot and my shotgun as a cutting tool.

Sometimes, creative problem-solving involves looking at an item differently than you normally look at it. The best example of this type of thinking was the old tv show McGyver, who with little more than a ball point pen, a disposable butane lighter and a paper clip could create a rocket capable of taking down a small airplane. In the real world of promotional marketing, employing creative problem-solving may not be quite that exciting but, nevertheless, is just as effective.

For instance, using imprinted plastic flying disks (upside down) as paper plate holders or snack trays. Why spend the money on expensive traffic cones for your bike rally when less expensive, imprinted 7″ orange megaphones will do the trick? How about using coffee mugs as handled flower pots?

A few of our clients keep a supply of their imprinted coffee mugs at the local florist. When they need to send a get-well, sympathy or celebratory flower arrangement, they have the florist create and deliver the arrangement in my client’s mug. The mug remains long after the flowers wither, reminding the recipient of my client’s thoughtfulness. And because there is sentiment involved, the mug is more highly regarded.

You’ve employed creative problem-solving if you’ve ever cut three holes in a 33 gallon trash bag to use as an emergency poncho, or used a piece of cardboard as a dustpan or rolled a piece of paper into a makeshift funnel. I’ve used my pocket comb as an ice scraper, a kazoo (wrap a piece of tissue paper around it), a letter opener and to hold a small nail to keep from whacking my fingers.

Another approach to creative problem-solving is to question why something is done the way it is. I once met with a new client about her annual membership directory. The book had always been saddle stitched, meaning two staples in the middle held the thing together. But this new lady-in-charge didn’t like the fact that the book wouldn’t lay flat when you opened it. She wanted to bind it using comb binding. But that would cost more and they didn’t have the budget.

I asked one simple question that made all the difference. “Does the directory have to be the size that it is?” She thought for a moment and said no. I resized the book to use less pages, which meant less paper, less signatures, less plates, less plate changes, less gathering and collating. The savings went into the more expensive comb binding and we were able to deliver a membership directory that laid flat when you opened it … for the same price as the year before.

My final example of creative problem-solving was used by the criminal element when they went on a wheel-stealing rampage in the parking lot of my father’s auto repair facility. They had a wrench but no jack. So they loosened the lug nuts, took rocks from around the building and blocked up the undercarriage of the cars. Then they simply let the air out of the tires.

Children are some of the best creative problem-solvers in the world, because they don’t know “how things are supposed to be.” They question … they ask why and they ponder. For most people, that ability is taught out of them by the end of grade school through such statements as, “Do as you’re told,” “Follow the rules” and “Color inside the lines”.

The adventure of creative problem-solving is still within you. You just need to let your mind think like a kid again. If you have trouble … go find a little kid to play with.

Socrates – Philosophical Genius

Jun 27

Posted by Tony Alessandra in Excellence!, Innovation and Creativity, Leadership, People!, Personal Development | 1 Comment

“If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always gotten.” In addition, if you keep doing what you have always done when conditions radically change, you will get a lot less than you have always gotten. How much can you accomplish when you really see things as they are – not with your eyes, but with all your heart and your soul?

The Athenian Greek philosopher Socrates, who lived in the fifth century BC, was able to accomplish his genius by opening his perception to the truth – and you can do the same.

Not much is known about Socrates’ early life, but he seems to have been quite an interesting fellow – interesting, but not exactly likable to the majority of people. He enjoyed calling people’s ideas into question. He enjoyed poking holes in their assumptions. He liked to make waves – and in the end, he paid for it with his life.

After Socrates served in the war between Athens and the rival city-state of Sparta, Socrates worked as a stonemason. He had also inherited a modest fortune from his father, from which he gained freedom to wander the city getting into discussions and arguments.

One of the formative events in Socrates’ life as a philosopher was his visit to the sacred oracle at the city of Delphi. The oracle was actually a priestess of the god Apollo. For a slight fee, the oracle would give advice and answer questions on any topic or problem. The only trouble was, like most fortune-tellers, the oracle would never give a straight yes or no answer. Often the questioner was more confused after consulting with the oracle than before, because of the riddles that the oracle passed of as answers.

In any case, there came a day when Socrates visited the oracle at Delphi. Maybe he paused a moment to look up at the motto that was carved above the door of the oracle’s temple: it read, “Know thyself.” This was certainly the basis of Socrates’ philosophy – and it may even have been the basis of the question that he addressed to the oracle that day. Maybe he said something like, “I want to know myself – but who am I, anyway?”

The exact question that Socrates put to the oracle is not known, but the oracle’s answer to him is very famous. Socrates himself was very shocked to hear it – because the oracle told him, “You are the wisest man in Athens.”

Socrates’ reaction to this is very interesting, and it was really the basis of his method as a philosopher. When the oracle told him he was the wisest man in Athens, Socrates simply did not believe it. Not only was he in disbelief about being the wisest man, but he did not even really believe he knew anything. He saw himself as a kind of blank slate, someone who had a lot of questions, but no real answers.

On the other hand, the oracle was the oracle. This was a god speaking, and when it said something – especially when it said something that seemed fairly straightforward for once – some attention should be paid. Therefore, Socrates decided to take action. He thought about the oracle’s pronouncement in a logical way. He realized that if he was not the wisest man, it must be because there were wiser men than him. So he started thinking of who some of these people might be, and he started dropping in on some of them and getting into some thought-provoking discussions.

On one occasion, for example, Socrates was talking with a very important and successful citizen of Athens, a man renowned for his good deeds and his responsible behavior in all areas of life. So Socrates said to him, “I’m trying to understand what it really means to be a good person, and I thought you might be able to help me out. Do you by any chance consider yourself a good person?” And the man said, “Yes, as a matter of fact I do.” So Socrates said, “Well, why exactly do you think that? What is it that makes you a good person?”

At this point, the man hesitated for a second – because he was not really used to answering these very direct questions about his virtue. So he thought for a minute, and then he said, “Well, I served in the army, and I pay my taxes.”

When Socrates heard this, he was completely stunned. He could not believe what he was hearing. This man was saying that he was a good person because he had been in the army and he paid his taxes – and this person was supposed to be one of the most accomplished citizens of Athens. His heart could be filled with hatred, he could be sneaking around at night setting fires or looking into peoples windows – yet he said he was a good person because he was in the army and he paid his taxes. Obviously, this was someone who had not given much thought to the meaning of good, or maybe even to the meaning of person. However, he seemed quite confident in what he said. He gave the impression that he knew what he was talking about. Yet it was clear to Socrates that he did not know anything. Even more importantly, he did not know that he did not know.

This was the kind of experience that Socrates had repeatedly as he talked to people about important questions and ideas. Repeatedly he found that supposedly smart people were actually quite ignorant – and they were ignorant without even realizing it. And gradually, as if by default, Socrates began to wonder if maybe he really was the wisest man in Athens after all – not because he had a lot of wisdom, which he did not, but because he was at least aware of his ignorance.

Socrates was always quick to question people’s assumptions and to reveal the “sacred cows” in their thinking. He kept this up to the point that the rulers of the city of Athens viewed him as a threat. Eventually he was brought to trial on some trumped up charges and was sentenced to death. Socrates accepted this judgment with complete calm. After all, the rulers were just doing what they usually did, just like he was. As it was written at the temple of Delphi, Socrates knew himself – even if nobody else could honestly say the same.

Let me play the role of Socrates with you for a moment. First, let me play the role of the Delphic oracle. Suppose I was to tell you that you have much, much greater capabilities than you think you have. What would be your response? Would it be genuine disbelief like Socrates? Alternatively, would it be denial – maybe in order to not get out of your comfort zone? You need to move past your assumptions and your inhibitions and maybe you will re-think your own limitations. You have created them yourself, you know – or at least that is what Socrates would tell you.

Your profile tells tales…

Jun 27

Posted by Steve Gray in Leadership, People!, Personal Development, Planning, Risk Management, Starting out in business | No Comments

Is your business profile telling you you are doomed to a life of mediocrity, or that there is hope for the future?

Take a look at the profile (see the PDF attachment Business Profiles) and ask yourself the following.

1. Are you at a clear profile level, or moving between them?

2. Is the profile level totally accurate for your position?

3 Is there anything you can do about it? A YES!

It does not take long to realise there are no hard and fast guidelines about where you stand in the profiles and that they can be starting points to understanding and then growth, should you decide to accept that as an option.

The trouble is many people have no idea of where they stand and fail to do anything to alter their position. Sure there are ‘comfort zones’ people operate in and those that choose to bury their heads in the sand do so at their own peril.

One of the beauties of the profile as a simple system for understanding, is being able to recognize where you are at so you can progress, or at least more fully appreciate your weaknesses so you can focus on developing them into strengths.

The profile levels are not a truly accurate device but they allow us to make sense of our position (at least to some degree) so we can realise our greater potential. If we merely accept our profile position and stay there, is it fair to say we are in a stuck state (one that allows limited if any growth potenial) or are we playing comfort zone games with ourselves and not opening ourselves to the full potential we can become?

I hope your profile position inspires you to look further, do more, be more rather than possibly stagnating. like the old saying says “Use it or lose it”.

It’s A Banner. What’s To Think About?

Jun 27

Posted by Michael Crooks in Innovation and Creativity, Planning, Starting out in business, The Marketing Dept, The Operations Dept | No Comments

I couldn’t help myself. It just sort of slipped out. “Well, Shelly … you’re gonna have to either get a shorter banner or taller kindergarteners.”

A brief moment of silence was broken by her laughter letting me know I hadn’t “blown it” and that she had a sense of humor — something I really like in a client.

“Oh yeah, right,” she said. “If the banner is four feet high the kids will have to hold it above their heads for the whole parade.”

Like most things in life, there are few things to think about when ordering a banner for an event. For starters, if the banner will be carried in a parade, how tall the carriers are in relationship to the height of the banner needs some thought.

How the banner will be used and for how long will dictate the substrate or, the material, of which the banner is made. If the banner is for one-time use such as an indoor press conference or other short-term indoor use a lighter, banner paper that is less expensive is fine. However, if the banner will be used in multiple parades and/or hung up for long-term viewing after use, then you have other things to consider as well.

A heavier, more durable substrate such as a 13oz vinyl banner material is recommended for multiple uses to withstand foldings/rollings and “trunk abuse”. If the banner will be hung in a window, an Ultraviolet (UV) laminate should be considered to prevent fading of the colors.

When a banner is to be used for a parade, we generally engineer horizontal “pole pockets” across the top and bottom. A pole that is roughly two feet longer than the banner is wide is inserted, making a comfortable carrying handle. We recommend PVC pipe as it’s lightweight and inexpensive yet strong enough to offer the support you want.

Sometimes people ask for vertical pole pockets at each end with an opening at the bottom and the pocket sewn shut at the top. The problem with this is that the banner carriers must remain a specific distance apart to keep the banner tight through the whole parade. It’s harder to do than it sounds and can make an otherwise enjoyable parade walk, miserable. The horizontal pockets are much easier to deal with.

The reason for the bottom horizontal pocket is to prevent the wind from blowing the banner either forward or back rendering it unreadable. We’ve found that a length of PCV pipe, that measures the width of the banner, with a couple end caps works great. You fill the pipe with sand, cap the ends and insert it into the bottom pole pocket giving it enough weight to remain stationary even if the wind blows.

If the banner will be hung after a parade, you’ll also want to have it manufactured with grommets that will give you more hanging options. We usually place grommets every two to three feet depending on the banner size. Anything over three feet high we usually put a grommet in the middle of each side as well.

For storage, rolling a banner is preferred to folding when your substrate is vinyl or paper. In cases where you have a digitally printed image on fabric, then folding is fine.

Once again, make sure the banner is short enough that the people carrying it in the parade can hold it about chest high without the bottom of the banner touching the ground.

Giving a little thought to your application, use and duration of use can produce a functional banner that looks great!

Awareness, Attentiveness and Intuition

Jun 26

Posted by Tony Alessandra in Excellence!, Leadership, People!, Personal Development | No Comments

Awareness refers to a continuously heightened sensitivity to what is going on in both your internal and your external environment. It has two separate but closely related ways of expressing itself. You must be aware of what is outside you — aware of the subtle behaviors of the people around you. In addition, you must be aware of your own reactions and inclinations.

It can be as simple as noticing when someone is getting bored, or tired, or stressed. It is recognizing the right and wrong moments for introducing new ideas. It knows when to speak and not to speak, when to act and not to act. Attentiveness is also the ability to tune into a problem and come up with its essential components. “What’s really going wrong here?” That insight provides the basis for envisioning something that will truly work better.

Attentiveness means you are open to more information coming in through your eyes, your ears, and your sense of touch — as well as your kinesthetic sense. It is better known as intuition, or gut feelings. It is how your muscles and the organs of your body react. Empathy is putting yourself in the other person’s shoes. Intuition gives you access to a person’s feelings when they are mirrored in your own body. For some reason this is especially useful with negative emotions such as fear, sadness, or doubt.

Effective communicators and leaders are good people-watchers. They look for the little signals that reveal what others are thinking or feeling. An especially important key to people watching is eye contact. It may not be a startling revelation, but people’s willingness to make eye contact says a lot about how comfortable they are with themselves and with you.

As you become an educated observer of what is going on around you, you will be able to evaluate your gut reactions from a more informed perspective. You will be able to know the world around you because you know yourself extremely well.

How do you know whether your intuition is right or wrong? Well, if you are often mistaken in your intuitive judgments, it is probably because you are being overly safe and overly protective. It is largely a matter of practice, because fears, wishes, negative thoughts, and ego needs can masquerade as intuition. When your ego is involved, it cancels out the gut. Your intuition will often point out possible problems, but your ego just adds to your problems.

A good way to develop you intuition is to start keeping track of your hunches. Write them down and then see what happens. By monitoring which come true and which do not, you will not only see what your record of accomplishment is, you will learn to recognize how true intuition feels. With practice, you will begin to see how genuinely intuitive feelings carry the most power and conviction. You will learn to recognize your fears and wishes, so you will not confuse them with your actually sixth sense.

There’s a story about a very educated English gentleman visiting a great Buddhist master. The holy man poured a cup of tea for the Englishman and kept pouring and pouring until there was tea all over the floor.

Finally, the Englishman could not sit silently any longer and asked: “Why are you overfilling the cup?” The Buddhist master replied: “This cup is like your head. It is so full of your own thoughts that nothing else will go into it. You must empty yourself first in order to learn anything new from me.”

Attentiveness is a lot like that. In order to be attentive, we need to empty ourselves of other thoughts and set ways of seeing things. When we use our senses to take in all we can about other people, we can much more accurately adjust our behavior to the needs of others. When we are attentive to situations, we have the power to make positive changes for others and ourselves.

How to create raving fans of your business, in 5 easy steps!

Jun 20

Posted by Bren Ryan in Excellence!, Innovation and Creativity, Starting out in business, The Board Room, The Customer Service Dept, The Operations Dept | 1 Comment

Ok, I admit it. I am a raving fan of one of my suppliers.

I tell my friends and colleagues about them.

I have referred dozens of people to them.

I have used them several times, and plan to use them again.

Ashop Commerce is a leading provider of hosted shopping cart software. They offer a complete solution for merchants to sell online.

I ordered my first Ashop after taking advantage of the 10 day free trial (enough time to set up a fully functioning ecommerce site), shortly after I ordered my second, third, and recently the fourth.

So how has Ashop made such a raving fan of me, and what can we learn from them?

1. AFFORDABILITY – Ashop’s shopping cart software is affordable. They charge enough to make a profit, but they know their market place, and where they fit. They know that although you can get free open source shopping carts, some of us are willing to pay for quality.

Lesson – know your market, and what makes an affordable price. Make a good profit, but offer value to make your product affordable

2. EASE OF USE - Anyone can set up an Ashop shopping cart. A quick look at the testimonial page on Ashop’s site is proof of that.

Lesson – Make it mind numbingly simple to deal with you!

3. CUSTOMER SERVICE Ashop bent over backwards to help me succeed. It’s not just ecommerce software, it’s the full service. The last time you contacted your ISP, did you talk to an answering machine, or a real human?

I have never had a business say to me, “Our customer service is pretty bad” Everyone says they offer great service, but how many actually do?

Lesson – Offer genuine great service. Don’t just pay lip service in a contrived mission statement.

4. BE AN EXPERT - I found Ashop by searching for “Shopping cart software” in Google. Guess who was #1 position in the world?

If I want to create an ecommerce website, I want to be shown how to do it by an SEO expert, right?

Lesson – Your customers want solutions to their problems. An expert will get more business than the amateur, and they charge more!

5. OFFER THE TOTAL SOLUTION - Ashop offer a total package. The shopping cart software is just the start.

Lesson – You can’t be all things to all people, but is there any reason you can’t be all things to your niche?

So, yes I am a raving fan of Ashop Commerce.

What business are you a fan of, and why?

What lessons can you learn from them?

Affordable Ecommerce
Comprehensive web based system
Level the playing field online!
www.ashop.com.au

Working Toward Your Goals

Jun 15

Posted by Tony Alessandra in Excellence!, People!, Personal Development | No Comments

Goals are the most important tools you need to accomplish anything, and there are certain steps you can take to complete your goals after you’ve made them. There are certain areas you need to consider while working toward your goals, which will help you succeed:

Define your goal. Your first task is to work out the factors of your goal, then write your goal down, as clearly as possible, and keep it in a prominent location.

Examine obstacles that stand in your way. This is a time to guard against negative assumptions and other self-defeating thoughts. Remember the definition of realistic. An obstacle blocks you only if you let it. You should also write down your innovative ways of overcoming obstacles with your goal.

W.I.I.F.M. What’s in it for me? Why do you want to achieve the goal? What kind of payoff is motivating you?

Plan your action. You need to carefully list the steps you will take to bring you closer to your goal. The smaller the increments the easier they will be to accomplish. There is a German proverb that says, “He who begins too much accomplishes little.” As the American Dental Association is fond of saying, “Don’t bite off more than you can chew.”

Project a target date for your goal. State your deadline range, such as, “between March 15 and April 1.” Think carefully about the amount of time you need. Too little time will increase the pressure and frustrate you. Too much time may reduce your drive.

Know how you’ll measure your success. Goals should be described in terms of the final outcome of an activity rather than as the activity. This is part of being specific. Instead of saying “I will be running more in four to six months,” you could say “I’ll be running three miles instead of two miles in four to six months.” How will you measure this? Probably by having one-third more blisters on your feet.

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