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Are You Going Through the Motions or Focusing on Objectives?

I have to ask you this serious question: Are You Going Through the Motions or Focusing on Your Objectives? I realized this past weekend how easy it is to forgot or overlook the real objectives in any situation.

Okay, so what happened to allow for this realization? This past weekend I was entertaining myself by playing a computer game on my computer. Since computer games are really designed for you to win – if you follow the correct game strategy and stay true to the objectives.

This is why the great “ah-ha” happened. I realized I was focusing on the activities of moving cards, rather than the objective of “turning” the cards. Now that may seem like a small difference – yet, the change in results were significant. So I began to expand my thinking regarding the “right” focus in several areas of our business. Again, the ideas and information flowed into focus.

I need to do more focusing on objectives rather than just going through the motions of past practices!

The trap of going through the motions of past practices is around us everyday. We must make choices to excel in life and business. Our choices are not difficult in most cases – just relate your choices to your overarching goals and objectives. Continue reading ‘Are You Going Through the Motions or Focusing on Objectives?’ »

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Posted by Voss Graham on March 30, 2009 at 5:18 am under Personal Development.
Tags: Focus on Objectives, Getting results, Goals, Personal Development
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Priorities Drive Productivity and Time Management

Okay, there is no rocket science involved with increasing your productivity and gaining additional time for high performance outcomes. Its all about how you handle the highest priorities. You know, the reasons you are on the payroll or driving your business. Priorities are at the pinnacle of importance.

Most people have no clue as to what priorities are. They have no lists – to do list, goals, objectives or any type of action plan. They tend to “wing it” regarding their time. They get things done based upon two factors: 1) They do what they are told to do by someone else (reaching the goals others have set). or,
2) Just doing what is fun and easy – no real effort involved.

So what separates the high performers from the “thundering herd” of individuals today? Continue reading ‘Priorities Drive Productivity and Time Management’ »

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Posted by Voss Graham on February 13, 2009 at 5:07 am under Performance management.
Tags: action plans, Getting results, Managing Performance Priorities, Personal Development
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R & D Key to Top Talent in Organizations

Yes, you read the title correctly. R & D is the key to getting Top Talent in your organization. Research and Development is only half right with my version of R & D. The new version of R & D is Recruit and Develop. I borrowed this term from college football. During the major recruiting event of the year ( First Wednesday in the month of February), several coaches were talking about the dual importance of getting the “best” prospects to sign on – yet, it was the coaches responsibility to Develop the talent during their tenure on campus.

What a great analogy for all organizations to follow. First, recruit the “best” potential people for your company. And second, Develop the talent to the next level of performance and productivity. Interestingly, this seems to fit the methods used by the top companies. You know the ones that are ranked in both “Best Place to Work” and the “Top Performing Companies” lists. Continue reading ‘R & D Key to Top Talent in Organizations’ »

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Posted by Voss Graham on February 11, 2009 at 4:43 am under Hiring, Selection and Retention.
Tags: hiring and selection, hiring systems and processes, job benchmarking, Personal Development
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You Have to Earn It!

Listening to President Obama’s speech, one sentence rang out loud and true. “You have to earn it!” And, he connected to dots of this statement with Greatness. He is right, you cannot be given greatness – you have to earn it. This goes for business people and individuals as well as nations.

I have gotten tired of so many expecting something while giving so little. The greedy executive, union rep, sales person, manager, consultant or stockholder. You do have to earn it or at some point pay the piper! There are a few types that I believe need to re-think their positions. Let me explain. Continue reading ‘You Have to Earn It!’ »

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Posted by Voss Graham on January 26, 2009 at 4:30 am under Personal Development.
Tags: Earn it, Goals, Obama, Personal Development, Vision
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Mismatcher’s Can Be See as Troublesome

Did you see Saturday’s comic section and the Dilbert strip in particular? I was thinking how funny it was and then I realized that most people would not understand the deeper meaning. Okay, let me explain. This is all about the human operating system and was uncovered by the team of Bandler and Grinder. They named the technology Neuro-Linguistic-Programming or NLP.

NLP shows how the brain works and how people use certain triggers in their everyday lives – including such basic functions as communication, interaction with others, decision making and problem solving. In some European countries this system is being used in all departments of corporates to improve communication and understand decision making at all levels – not to mention just plain old personal development.

Now about the Dilbert cartoon this weekend and particularly the statement in the next to last frame about “…manipulating the puppet strings…” which can be misunderstood. It is true if a person does not understand NLP or even basic behavioral styles – then they can be manipulated by others. The key is always the intent of the other person. Personally, I have been using both NLP techniques and behavioral style factors for years. Not to manipulate others… because my intent is to gain rapport and trust, which leads to open and objective dialogue with others. When I match the other person’s style and preferences, the barriers or natural resistance to open dialogue is welcome.

Back to the Comic strip story line, the punchline was based upon people understanding the match – mismatch differences. First, the matchers look for common factors to connect with making other matchers feel good. Matchers look for sameness in describing things and can have some issues with problem solving – since they do not automatically see problems or differences from the norm – they are looking for sameness.

Second, the mismatchers on the other hand can be seen as real problem people. They are not actually the “bad” person they get labeled as by others. Their issue is their brain looks for differences, mismatches or exceptions to the rule. They are mentally conditioned to see the exception or different issue – in every situation, statement or person. This people are usually labeled as troublesome or difficult to get along with by others (the matchers!). Actually, these people are great problem solvers and can isolate an problem or exception immediately.

Finally, learn to recognize the traits of people. Are they matchers or mismatchers? This will give you a hugh advantage in understanding the actions of others – and how to gain rapport with people. If you are pure matcher or pure mismatcher, then the ability to flex to others becomes more difficult. Yet, it can be done if you use discipline in your communication and choose to do the right thing in your communication with others.

Understanding the human operating system is one of the systems that we use in our coaching process for leaders and sales people. We explain the fundamentals and model the use of the system in the coaching process. If you want to learn how to gain rapport with anyone, build trust with your team (or customers), and be able to communicate effectively with everyone – call us today and learn how to use this process.

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Posted by Voss Graham on December 15, 2008 at 11:01 am under Coaching.
Tags: Communication, Dilbert, NLP, Personal Development
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Leaders Are Readers – Really!

One of the oldest sayings or cliches is Leaders are Readers. And, you know, it is true. Let me explain the reasoning behind this statement.

First, the act of reading is one of the most positive methods of activating the brain. Brain stimulation is a key factor in creativity and decision making. Without stimulation the brain can become sluggish and slow to comprehend ideas, thoughts and facts. The act of reading allows your brain to open up to new ideas and visualize the future.

Second, reading is a form of research on specific topics. Is there a subject that you need to understand better – six sigma, rapport building, team building, strategy, lead generation? There are collections of books written by experts on these and other subjects that will provide you with answers and insights into another topic that you need to know. Today, there are more books available on every topic or subject than ever before.

Third, your natural advantage is applied research. When you read, you will need to read about five books on any subject. This allows you to learn the process behind the information. By the learning the process, you learn exactly how things work or are capable of working. Too often I find an individual who has read ONE BOOK on a topic, is blown away by the information and becomes a follower of the author’s version of the topic. This action creates a follower rather than a leader. A true leader will read multiple sources on the topics and combine the information for total understanding of the topic or subject.

Fourth, your decision making abilities improve significantly when you read. The reason is two-fold. First, you have a better understanding of the subject and stay focused on the important parts for the decision. Second, due to your expanded knowledge – you have more alternatives in your decision making process. The more alternatives you have, the more control you have regarding your choices. You have the flexibility to select a choice that matches the real situation – thus, better choices.

Some people have told me that they don’t read because they are slow readers and it takes too long to read a book. This was a problem for me at one time. However, I learned that the act of reading made reading easier. Also, I discovered Evelyn Wood’s Dynamic Reading course – which I highly recommend to you. It tripled my reading speed and increased my retention significantly. You can find these on Ebay or Amazon in both new and used versions. Get and it learn to read faster – it works.

If you are looking for a source of what business books to read, then use the Business Book Review site that is listed in our IACG sites links on the right. I provide an brief explanation of what is important about the business book listed on the site. Enjoy and tell others to check it out.

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Posted by Voss Graham on December 12, 2008 at 6:00 am under Personal Development.
Tags: Personal Development, personal growth, reading
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Dreams or Goals – What Really Matters?

This past weekend I was reflecting upon the economy, my clients, and the future. About the time that I was about to start a new project, I read this quote from Henry David Thoreau.

“If you advance confidently in the direction of your dreams, and endeavor to live the life which you have imagined, you will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”

Wow! What a revelation of thought from this simple quote. Let me explain. We as human beings are success oriented beings. The only thing that stops us from succeeding in life are our own thoughts. I know that some people will argue this point (since they don’t believe they can be successful – which is another discussion for another day.) and then the law of self-fulfilling belief takes over. Continue reading ‘Dreams or Goals – What Really Matters?’ »

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Posted by Voss Graham on December 8, 2008 at 9:24 am under Personal Development.
Tags: create future success, Dreams to Goals, Goals, Personal Development
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Perfection vs. Progress – An Everyday Battle of Wits

From really high levels to the lowest level of importance, this battle of Perfection or Progress goes on everyday. What is there to understand about this human condition? There are two camps of thought. First, there is the Perfection group which looks at the world through lenses that suggest everything has to be perfect. Second, there is the Progress group which looks at world through lenses that suggest that everything is not perfect, yet, progress is being made towards that goal.

Okay, let’s look a little deeper into the two camps. First, the perfection camp where people believe that everything has to be perfect and non-perfection is totally unacceptable. Therefore, when things are not perfect (using their definition of how things should be) they need someone to blame for the imperfection. They look for fault or someone to “take the blame” for their expectations not being met. They do not care if the other person or group’s self esteem is damaged by their attacks because it is their fault for the imperfection!

The Progress group or individual looks at the world as a “under construction” project. They believe that moving forward – no matter how fast or slow – is still moving forward and should therefore be celebrated. They focus upon what has been accomplished or achieved relative to where they were in the past. Improvement is the goal rather than perfection. They believe that “done is better than perfect” and feel good about incremental improvement as well as radical advances.

This really is a pure people issue and each individual’s growth depends upon which camp they choose to be in everyday. A healthier point of view is to join the progress team. This allows for individuals to achieve at higher levels, to grow personally, and accept responsibility and accountability for their results. This provides the catalyst for higher self-esteem and confidence. The perfectionist is always looking for someone to blame for a lack of results ( again defined as their expectations rather than true facts). This usually leads to lower self-esteem and a lack of self confidence.

These issues can be coached and corrected. Join the progress team. Call us at 901.757.4434 and ask about our Personal Kaizen process.

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Posted by Voss Graham on December 1, 2008 at 2:19 am under Coaching.
Tags: Coaching, Personal Development, Progress vs Perfection
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Life in the Fast Lane – Maybe We Should Slow Down?

Wow, everyone seems to be in a hurry today. While that is not really an issue in my opinion, the underlining factors of moving in the fast lane are the issues I see. This is one of those deep thinking posts so hang in there with me.

First, the faster we go, the less time is available for thinking and reflective thought. There is a lack of self learning as to the effects of the choices we have made or others have made for us. Reflective thought is a key process in personal development. Using this process allows us to learn why certain things have worked or didn’t work, it allows us to check into what to repeat for consistent results and performance. Without this timely thought process, the effects of our actions are left to chance or reaction.

Second, when going fast all the time I have found a total lack of attention to strategy and planning. Long term impact of strategy is ignored for the short term gratification. In fact, there seems to be a lack of understanding about the use of strategy as a method to create or design your future. We learn to react to situations rather than respond with a executable contingency plan – thus passing on a consist growth path.

Third, a lack of attention to details and simple courtesy – which has a direct impact upon the quality of customer service. And, thereby the customer experience is short changed in the name of efficiency. The true powerhouses of retail and service are the ones that focus upon the details of execution with a customer satisfaction goal. The customers get what they want – quality products or services, exact fit regarding their needs, a fair price relative to value, a positive experience and most importantly – someone they can TRUST.

If you are a fast tracker, cool. The only thing I ask of the fast trackers is the slow down occasionally and take a moment to reflect on your personal progress. What is working? And, what do you need to improve? Then schedule the time to improve. That sounds like a no-brainer, yet, fast trackers have a tendency to just announce to others – that’s just the way I am! Sorry, learn to adapt and you will actually get places faster!

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Posted by Voss Graham on November 24, 2008 at 6:20 am under Personal Development.
Tags: Growth, Personal Development, Strategy, Success
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Action is the Only Strategy during Economic Downcycles

I have recently been talking to CEO’s and Key Corporate Officers about the current economic conditions and how their results are during this time. After listening to all the different opinions one thing jumped out for me. The more successful companies and individuals were the ones that were taking focused and clear action. The ones who really in bad shape were taking the “Field of Dreams” approach – wishing and hoping that someone will come and buy what they offer!

Okay, so taking action should be a no-brainer for everyone in business. Well, it is not so according to the number of people that I meet and talk with on a daily basis. This is why I am writing about this subject today. Get out and touch someone – now!

There are several reasons for taking action. First, it keeps you focused and on target for getting results. Results are still the name of the game and if you are doing things that have no value added results – why do them?

Second, by staying in close contact with customers you can learn about opportunities that are coming up and work for positive results. I still believe that 70% of sales are made because you are top of the mind with the customer. The old saying – “out of sight is out of mind!” is more true today than ever before. Get out and visit or call – show interest in your customers and prospects.

Third, taking action today sets up the future for you – when the economy comes back and budgets are again opened up. Preparation is about taking focused action to develop the relationships even when things are not so great. People who make the big decisions are impressed by the people that care about them – in good and bad times. This action separates you from the “glad handers” who only show up to make a sale – when times are good.

Finally and most importantly, by taking action you feel good about YOU. Nothing works better for building personal esteem than accomplishment – getting results and doing positive things. Taking action is the number one catalyst for improving how you feel. When your attitude is positive, you attract additional opportunities into your life. Thus, the opportunity to succeed when others are flat or declining.

Remember another old saying – “When the going gets tough, the Tough get going!” Well, this one saying summarizes all that has been written in this post. We are in tough times and our responsibility to others, family and yourself is to take positive, focused action for results.

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Posted by Voss Graham on November 20, 2008 at 6:45 am under Personal Development, Sales, Strategy.
Tags: Economic downturn, Personal Development, Sales, Strategy
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Posts tagged ‘Personal Development’

Are You Going Through the Motions or Focusing on Objectives?

Priorities Drive Productivity and Time Management

R & D Key to Top Talent in Organizations

You Have to Earn It!

Mismatcher’s Can Be See as Troublesome

Leaders Are Readers – Really!

Dreams or Goals – What Really Matters?

Perfection vs. Progress – An Everyday Battle of Wits

Life in the Fast Lane – Maybe We Should Slow Down?

Action is the Only Strategy during Economic Downcycles

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