Look for the Positive

There are a lot of distractions going on in life today. We are in the middle of a Presidential election, (who knows what is going to happen?), there is a lot of social unrest taking place in our streets and prices keep going up. One can get consumed with the entire negative “buzz” happening around them at this moment in time.

I challenge you, to look at everything that is going right in your life, and be thankful for what you have that is positive in your life.  I realize that I have a ton of amazing things happening in my life and sometimes I need reminded as well. I am not going to bore you with my list, but challenge you TODAY, to take 10 minutes out of your busy life, and create a list of all the great things you have to be positive about; leave nothing out ………if you have a bed to sleep in, be thankful, if you have food to eat, be thankful, if you have someone that loves you, be thankful, etc.

It is human nature to get caught up in and focus on the negative in life, for just this one day, I challenge you to focus on all the positive things that are happening in your life. You never know, you might just realize that life is not all that bad!

Become Your Own Architect!

You must take control of your life in all aspects and begin now. There are five different areas that must be controlled: Spiritual, Physical, Financial, Mental, and Emotional. These areas must be controlled by you. You should be the architect of your life, not the economy, the federal government, who wins the election, what is happening with your 401K, or what is going on with the value of your house at the present time. Why you may ask? Well because all those things I listed are out of our control. We must work hard to control our own life, and how we are doing is completely sustained by what we are doing.

How do we do that? Watch where your $$ is going, make sure you love what you are doing, take care of your family by loving them, be thankful for all the great things in your life and don't get frustrated by short term obstacles. A good friend of mine in New Orleans always says, "tough times don't last, tough people do!" We all go through our own "roller coasters" in life, and yes, what is happening with our economy does have an impact on each of us.

That being said, we must remain focused on what we CAN control. Can you spend less today? Can you save a little more money? Can you tell someone you care about that you love them and how much they mean to you? Can you read something that will enhance your mind? Can you do something today that will make your situation better?

Remember, today is the only day you have. Yesterday is gone, and tomorrow is not here yet. Make the most of today by focusing on what is right, not what is wrong!

Making It Matter

High school teachers are special people. I remember one who was a real classic. She was incredibly passionate about the subjects she taught: English, American History and World History - and about her profession in general. She put her heart and soul into ensuring her students understood the facts, concepts, and what was expected of them in her class. She knew her value to her students...the young people that would some day be leaders in businesses and communities.

An experienced teacher, she had developed a true style that was effective and memorable. Similes and metaphors rolled off her tongue with the greatest of ease. They were used many times over to illustrate her points and many of them stuck with her students.

She specialized in history and English and her passion for learning showed through in the way she taught. She continually improved her game through reading and research(before the age of the Internet), but she stuck to her guns when it came to style and personality. She created a brand that was memorable.

"Speak softly and carry a big stick," was one of her favorite go-to lines (she loved Teddy Roosevelt). Among others were:
"What's good for the goose is good for the gander."
"We raise sheep, we rear children."
Inevitably, when something seemed tough, she would chalk it up to "building character."
And one of her favorite questions, "Clear as mud?" was used artfully to get students to voice inquiries when they didn't quite understand the day's lecture.

She attacked every day with enthusiasm because she knew she was making an impact through her unique style of teaching and the knowledge she was sharing.

This teacher, whether accidentally or on-purpose, knew the answers to some fundamental questions which helped her become the best she could be and kept her from getting bogged down in high school politics, or issues which simply didn't apply.

She had created her value premise. Below are some questions you can ask yourself to discover or create yours. Keep the answers at the top of your mind, in your work area or at your fingertips daily, to help you establish trust and credibility for yourself and those around you.

What do you specialize in doing? What are you really good at that makes a difference in your job?

What do you love about it? How do you learn more?

How does what you do every day add value? What is your company's mission and how do you fit it?

What part do you play? Why does it matter?

Who is impacted by your work? Who misses you when you are gone? What goes undone?

How do those impacted benefit from your work? Do you lighten someone's load, encourage their creativity or keep them on task? Do you help customers on a daily basis?

What is your personal brand? What do people remember about you? How would they describe you to others?

Bottom line, if someone you worked with didn't see you for 20 years, what would they remember about your work or your personal style? Did you speak softly and carry a big stick or were you looking for ways build character?

Lessons from Whoville

The Mean One, Mr. Grinch, was a bad banana with a greasy black peel. But, even with garlic in his soul, he managed to revise his vision, change his course and "his heart grew three sizes that day.  No one is as foul as the great Grinch, but we’ve assembled the Top Ten Tips on personal improvement to keep you far, far away from the king of sinful sots. Do the most important and hardest tasks first. They are easier to accomplish when you are fresh and rested. Write down your plan, in several places. Writing things down makes them feel more important, necessary and easily accessible. Make midcourse adjustments as needed. Recommit to exercise, a relationship, learning something new or a worthy cause and get excited about it. Make small attainable goals a part of your plan. Remember, today is the only day you have. Yesterday is gone, and tomorrow is not here yet. Make the most of today by focusing on what is right, not what is wrong. Deal with your setbacks. Everyone has them, but letting them steal your confidence, is not the answer, you must continue to persist through setbacks. Reward yourself when you achieve one of your goals or meet a deadline and be thankful for what you have and what you have achieved. Don’t worry what other people think about you. They are so wrapped up in their own lives that they are not thinking about you. Keep a smile on your face and surround yourself with positive people. A good attitude and people who share it are great gifts you can give yourself. Block out all the noise and concentrate on the things that you can control, like staying organized so things don’t fall through the cracks. Work at staying healthy. Without your health nothing else really matters. Happy Holidays!!!

The Robot Life

When I was a kid watching Saturday morning cartoons, I figured by the time I grew up, every family would have a housekeeper like Rosie the Robot from the television show The Jetsons.

Fast forward to today. Everyone has a smart phone, but no domestic robots...yet. However, many of us live a robot life from one time to another. We get so comfortable in our daily routine, that we just keep going, doing the same thing day after day – moving, but not going anywhere. Like we get up each morning and push REPLAY. Ideally, this is when our brains should start sending off a signal, a beeping noise of some sort, warning of the danger of a robotic phase.

When we don’t step out of our comfort zones, we get stuck in a rut, which is just a grave without the dirt kicked in. We might be frantic and busy, but not productive. We might be unhappy, but unable to stop the drudgery causing our discontent. When we do a lot of activities without thinking about them, our brains begin to die off because we are not challenging ourselves.

Take a few minutes, stop and look at the things you are doing and why you are doing them? And then make a plan for the next day to have a purpose, not to just get up and let the robot life begin again.

Shake things up.  What do you want to change?

Do you want to be more positive?

Do you want to make your spouse feel more appreciated?

Do you want a different job?

Do you want to work less?

Do you want to save more money?

You have to take the first step toward that goal sometime, why not tomorrow? You can start by just changing something small to get used to the idea of change. Keep your goal in mind and set up baby steps to get to it. One thing is sure, time does not stop. So even if it takes 2 years, or 5 years…at least you are moving forward toward that goal. Without starting now, in 2 years you could be in the same place you are today, looking back wishing you would have done something.

Humans don’t come preprogrammed with a set of if-then commands. We’re not robots, step out of your comfort zone, take a chance, get results.

“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” – Michael Jordan

The Boys of Fall

 I saw a movie this weekend that was based on a true story  (and a book) about a football team in Concord, CA: When the Game Stands Tall. From 1992 to 03, the De La Salle Spartans, coached by Bob Ladouceur, did not lose, not one game in 12 years making for a 151 game winning streak! 

 

The movie picks up where the streak ends…just before the team’s first heartbreaking loss. It’s a little cheezy and clichéd, but no one can deny this coach, and his team-building legacy are an incredible, real-life demonstration of an inspirational leader.

 

Ladouceur says he was never concerned with the wins or the streak, but rather with building his team into men who could be depended on in their life after high school. The sorts of employees many managers are scrambling to find every day.

 

Coach Lad (as they call him) stood for more than winning, he stood for commitment, accountability and love among his team. He is described as cerebral in his coaching style, in sharp contrast to coaches who may be more intimidating in their techniques.

 

"Preparation is a high priority," Ladouceur said. "I tell the boys that in order to succeed you have to be working to get yourself into a position where success is possible.

 

He never expected perfect games, but rather requested players to give  their personal best, what he called a “perfect effort” during each game.

 

The night before a game, the players wrote down their goals for the game on a commitment card, and shared them aloud with the other players, pledging their goals to a particular teammate. The goals were always challenging, but attainable; and the week after the game teammates were responsible for following up on the goals that had been pledged to them.

 

A few member of the De La Salle teams from 2003 and 2004 have shared their look back on high school football and their time with Coach Lad, 10 years later.

 

"My experience playing football at De La Salle taught me how important work ethic, accountability, and mental toughness is in succeeding. To this day, I find these three traits to have the biggest impact on my successes and failures." – Chris Biller

 

"I know that my time at De La Salle is what set me up for success. I learned how to push myself to accomplish things I never thought possible, both individually and as part of a team. Being pushed to act with integrity and unwavering determination on and off the football field made this possible. These high expectations are what set DLS apart, in my opinion, and I wouldn't be the man I am today without having gone there.” – Britt Cecil

 

"DLS taught me important life lessons I believe will make you successful: accountability, respect, the ability to make a commitment, always being committed to hard work, and understanding the importance of being a quality teammate." – Steven Fujimoto

 

Whether they are football players, or customer service reps, or investment professionals; teams that are willing to sacrifice, commit, and hold each other accountable are fighting for a bigger mission and shared vision -- winning will be a byproduct. 

Is your workplace G-rated?

Every generation has their movies, their music, their heroes, their trendy hairstyles, clothes, TV shows and gadgets – all of which link people of a certain era together with a bond of memories.  

 

We can often quickly connect to someone who remembers Blazing Saddles, Dallas, Seinfeld or Saved By the Bell. However, when people of different generations are teamed together in the workplace, the variations between the generations can cause JR and Screech to butt heads.

 

The Traditionalists become annoyed the Millenials are constantly checking their phones and social media feeds; and Gen Xers think the Baby Boomers should be more open to changing the way they run meetings. Issues arise which could cause tempers to flare, inhibiting any fantasies of teamwork.

 

However hopeless it seems for people from ages 20 to 70 to work together productively, managers should focus less on the differences and find similarities to encourage working together across age groups.

A University of North Carolina Chapel Hill study on generation gaps, found that employees of different age groups actually have more in common than we might assume.  Every generation wants to work on challenging projects; be competitively compensated for their work; have opportunities for learning, growing and advancement in their jobs; be treated fairly; and be able to establish work-life balance.

 

Everyone also agrees the ideal leader leads by example; is accessible; helps others see how their role contributes to the organization; acts as a coach and mentor; provides challenges; and holds others accountable.

 

What can HR and talent management professionals do to help draw out commonalities and foster a spirit of teamwork and communication across generations?

• Offer employees opportunities to learn and develop so they can be more successful.

• Develop strong and genuine leadership programs to improve existing leaders’ skills and abilities; part of which includes finding and fostering future leaders within the organization.

• Offer coaching and mentoring programs to mix things up across the generational divide. Communication and career satisfaction will improve.

• Create employee reward systems that acknowledge employee contributions, so everyone who innovates or saves money gets recognized -- young, mature, and somewhere in the middle.

• Develop processes which help employees at all levels cope with a rapidly changing workplace. New computer system requires training for all!

• Clarify expectations about how different generations define work-life balance, professional behavior and workplace engagement, thus eliminating speculation.

• Offer work-life balance programs that meet employee’s needs at every life-stage.

People really aren’t that different, no matter their age. But where differences occur, view them as strengths.

Stephen Covey recognized this in describing his 6^th habit – synergy. He said it involved creative collaboration. “People bringing all their personal experience and expertise to the table. Together, they can produce far better results that they could individually. Valuing differences is what really drives synergy."

 

"Differences," said Covey, "add zest to life.”