Tag Archives: discipline

The missing ingredient in the success sauce

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As published in my column – Business Newsday Thursday, March 3 2011

In this fast paced world, boredom is prevalent. So much to do, so much to see – what’s next? We are never totally anywhere. We’re at the art gallery but in our heads we are already having dinner while another part of us is already in tomorrow getting ready for the big presentation.

We get bored of our advertising and marketing strategies. No sooner one campaign is out we are already on the phone to the ad execs looking for something new.

The shelf life of our electronic toys is probably a couple of months before we move on to the next level up with that one feature that we absolutely must have.

We sit in front of the television barely able to watch anything to completion before hitting that button that takes us to the next channel, sometimes five at a time before we spend a decent five minutes in one place – just long enough for us to decide that perhaps we should stick with what we started looking at. Alas – for how long?

How is this attention deficit behaviour affecting our own progress in our businesses and lives remains unknown to many because everyone’s moving and not taking time to really analyse why things are not improving despite all this movement and rapid fire action.

It started with instant coffee, fast food, the microwave and now TiVo. We used to have three radio stations – one FM and two AM, two daily newspapers, one evening newspaper and two TV channels – incidentally showing the same thing (just depended on your location).

Quite naturally if our physical world is heading in this direction we expect that how we learn will fall into place. Why is it taking so long for my employees to ‘get it’? I am spending tons and tons of money on training without any return on my investment. This just isn’t making any sense.

Maximising productivity through time management is crucial for any business yet to count the wasted hours would be embarrassing. How well you manage your time and the level of productivity and performance you require from your staff are specific competencies that few businesses ever fully capitalise on.

Let’s say a great ‘time management workshop’ surfaces. You decide that you are going to send your staff to this workshop. You even insist that those attending teach those back at the office who did not attend so that you get the maximum return on your investment.

The Monday morning following the workshop, attendees present the time management principles discovered. They show everyone how to apply the principles and there’s general buy-in that this could work. Employees leave this presentation fired up to apply this new knowledge.

Yet three months later neither you nor your staff are using any of the time management principles that you got from that one time course. This is what Chet Holmes of the Ultimate Sales Machine calls ‘event training’. You go to an event. You get some training. You come back to your office. You may even try some concepts. You may even see them work, but you quickly abandon them because you are missing the key ingredient that will make a truly successful company or department and that is pig headed discipline and determination.

You see understanding the principles of anything is not your problem. It’s all logical – simple follow through step by step by step. Do you agree with the principles? Of course you do – that’s not the problem either. Do you question whether they will work in your business? No way! But you will find in spite of all this compelling evidence that you still will not stick with them.

So if you want real success – if you want to apply a powerful force for creating anything that you want — then utilise the force called pigheaded discipline and determination. Take one principle and insist on everyone incorporating that method in their day to day activities. Keep at it. Inspect it.

Deal with the fact that staff will naturally resent change. Push past that and persevere.

I know it would be great to send folks through a conveyor belt and re-programme them to do what you want them to in less than five minutes. I’m sorry that people are not getting up to speed like our techie gadgets. Pat Bishop would tell me during rehearsals, do it right till you can’t do it wrong. It’s the same thing: practise, practise, practise until it becomes second nature. Sorry guys no instantaneous fix but think about, just one approach to making you and your business a success and that is pig headed discipline and determination. Oink!

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Great Teachers are Great Leaders (I’ve had a few in my life)…

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They don’t make teachers like they used to – But then again – I’m no longer in school so what do I know?

What I do know for sure is that at Bishop Anstey Junior School there were three teachers that had a significant impact on my life:

  1. Mrs Massiah
  2. Miss (as far as I can remember :) ) Cumberbatch (who myself, Cecilia Thompson and Jacqueline Morris referred to as Ms. Cumbie)
  3. and Leslie Hoyte

Mrs Massiah saw in me stuff that I didn’t see in myself. She encouraged me to stretch and to grow. She shone a light on my strengths and never hesitated to punish me when I went off track – but punishment of the ‘you can learn from this’ variety. Not beating. But sometimes a long stay up near the board, by yourself, so that you had some time to THINK about what you did. The thing is – once it was over. It was over. She didn’t refer to it ever again. No ‘you remember the time when I had to’ – no – none of that. In that light – I wanted to improve – first for myself. Anything after that was icing on the cake and it came as a broad beam on her face that told me that she was proud of me.

Ms Cumbie on the other hand was the scripture teacher. She had us learn psalm 100 and that popular prayer by St Ignatius of Loyola. At the time I had no clue why we had to memorize these verses yet today not only can I recite them by heart but just these two – have had a significant impact on my life. Psalm 100 is primarily about gratitude and that popular prayer by St I. is like a rule book for life. It’s about focus and what we focus on does expand. Had Ms Cumbie tried to wax philosophical then, she would have lost us. But I guess part of her new that by insisting on us committing it to memory that the words would stay indelibly on our hearts and influence our lives forever.

And finally Leslie Hoyte – the art teacher – who was wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy cool and wore black nail polish. She taught me that it is was OK to be different. Here I was, a fat kid, teased and mocked, so self conscious that I stuck to reading and trying to fade into the bland school walls. In art I was able to express. In art class Ms. Hoyte SAW me. I have no memory as to whether she thought my art was good or bad – what I do know is that being seen allowed me to open up in a way that I perhaps never did before.

We can all be Great Leaders but not by trying to be anything. I doubt that any of these teachers fully realized their impact. What each had was a definiteness of purpose, strong values and the intention to bring out the best in EVERY SINGLE CHILD that crossed their paths.

We can build a better world by taking home this one idea: today – why don’t you first bring out your best self and once you have the opportunity – encourage the best in others.

Thank you Mrs Massiah, Ms. Cumbie and Leslie (which she sometimes allowed me to call her although I never abused nor disrespected her :) !) – THANK YOU!!!!!

image from http://www.family.webshots.com

What Advice Would You Give Yourself at this Time in Your Life?

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I’ve been thinking about my life – its significance – am I doing what I should be doing?

For the first time it feels right. I’ve done things that I COULD do but didn’t necessarily enjoy doing. I’ve been paid for many  projects but was not fulfilled by the work.

Now I get to choose and that’s because I started to give myself different prerequisites…like

I must have fun

I must be able to make a difference

People must want more for themselves than I want for them

People must share my values

Clients must respect me and value my services

Now I’m giving myself some other tips.

Clients must have an exceptional experience when they interact with me. They must feel motivated and excited to explore ALL possibilities in their lives. Whenever they’re around me they must get a good feeling inside.

My advice to myself as I head into 2011:

Remember it’s a business that you’re running at all times. It’s OK to make money as you make a difference. The fees you charge announce your value and expertise – never be ashamed or bashful in quoting your fees. You may cause more damage to yourself and to the person you’re trying to help by giving away your services for FREE. This does not mean that you NEVER give. Simplicity is key. Always have in front of you your simple business formula. Ensure that you reflect every day on your mission, and values. Ensure that you don the right mindset for daily success. At the beginning of each day write down your number one goal and spend some time brainstorming at least twenty ways to achieve it. Don’t let business slip through the cracks. Maintain and update your client database often and design a one touch a month system for each person on that list. Be memorable. Be remarkable. Live your philosophy!

What advice would you give to you?

Image from http://www.scarletstarstudios.com

An obituary you SHOULD read…

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From a London newspaper:

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:

- Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
- Why the early bird gets the worm;
- Life isn’t always fair;
- and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don’t spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn’t defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement. Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, I Want It Now, Someone Else Is To Blame, and I’m A Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

How can we raise Common Sense from the dead?