Secrets in the work place

Secret #1 – Think Big

·         Present and pursue bold initiatives

·         Pursue Business success on a large scale –it the only success worth pursuing

·         Be willing to challenge the status quo.

·         Overcome complacency

·         Launch, define, and operate your business and your career in a way that continually shatters people’s preconceptions.

·         Remember: People have a way of making room at the table for big thinkers.

·         Realize that small ideas rarely lead to large accomplishments.

·         Don’t forget that time is tight in today’s business environment.

·         Learn to imitate other notably successful entrepreneurs. 

Secret #2 – Show the Competition No Mercy

·         Identify and neutralize your company’s competition and your own competition.

·         Pay attention to both internal and external competition in the business world.

·         Remember, in the world of the high achiever, competition is a rule of life.

·         Learn what must be done in order to outperform other people and other institutions.

·         Never forget that your goal is to become a leader.

·         Don’t hold grudges.

·         Focus on the best ways to win.

·         Know that internal competition is what makes high-level external competitions possible.

·         Don’t concentrate exclusively on helping your team, but rather on helping yourself and your team. 

Secret #3 Defend Yourself Aggressively

·         Don’t expect others to defend you.

·         Remember, life in the business world is not always fair.

·         Study the competition, look at all the options, and think your plans through ahead of time.

·         Expect others to notice your ability to respond effectively to situations,

·         If you’re under attack, step forward and state your case.

·         Hone the ability to provide a reasoned, well-articulated, and impassioned defense of what I believe in.

·         Don’t expect attacks to disappear by letting them go unanswered.

·         Forget about “rising above the fray,” ignoring charges that do not deserve a response” and “letting others do the fighting.”

Public Speaking

Can you identify with this scenario?   I have averaged maybe two speaking engagements a year and these were not even paid engagements. I had never handled my speaking career in a professional manner.  Everything was catch-as-catch can, word-of- mouth, seat of the pants.  I had my niche, but I never promoted myself.  I never called or emailed to thank a client afterward.  I never even kept track of what I'd done for each group that I spoke to. 

How will I change it? I decided that if I'm a public speaker and I have a message to share that I need to get serious and be professional about what I'm promoting.  I've decided to contact a free local newspaper and ask the editor to publish a story about me.  Whew!  Big move and a bit scary.  An article all about me.  Yes, me and what I have to offer. I am ready, I have what it takes and the universe needs to see me back in action.  I'll going to check back in six months to evaluate personal my progress. 

.More about insight, drive and focus in my next post.  I'm off to get another cup of  Joe.  See you at the meeting.

 

Allies

There are a few things that an ally in the work place does for you:

1. They help you realize that you are not alone.
2. They offer constructive feedback.  They can point out things you might be doing or not doing.
3. They help you strategize everything from your next project to your next position. 
4. They provide access to information. 

Women should not shy away from making connections with each other.  Men do it all the time on the golf course or even over Scotch.  Building alliances with other women is most helpful.  It takes courage to take the time to connect with another woman and get to know her.  Keep in mind that these alliance are about career building, not about snaggin another girlfirend.  Keep it professional.

The office hub

It is already mid-July and this is my very first post.  I gotten side track with the summer programs on TV after work and just chilling.  Time to refocus.  As I rethink what's been going on in my life; I'm recalling that I've been more focused, direct and deliberate with working on entreprenial experience.  And that is what has taken me away from my professional blogging.  My office, mine personally often times ends up being a hub where people come to find out all kinds of information i.e. feed back on a presentation, the whereabouts of the boss, his mood, fashion questions and often timescareer advice.  You name it and people come talk to me about it.  I'm in an attempt to explode the myth that I am "just an admin" because in most cases I am truly the hub they are looking for. 

I have some of the most endearing connections and what is good about it is that I like bring people together.  It's kind of a key in lock theory.  It's not always about who you are, but aout what or who you know.  And I know some people.  I see taking on the role of the hub as one of the most valuable people in an organization.  I network with others in the business community, not because I have a piece of business to give them at that moment, but I might in the future or I might refere someone who will give them that piece of valuable information or business.  I love it.

I have countless individuals that stop by on a daily basis just for me to give them a read on a personal or professional scenario.  I appreciate their confidence in my insight.  From where I sit, I can see things from a very different and non-judgmental empowering position.  In most meetings, I'm meeting new people and making connections which is what networking is all about. 

Today, I had a CIO tell me that he is looking for a new adminstratve assistant and so I'm on the look out talking to other people that I know in the area that mayknow someone looking for a job or even a change. 

I have a few leads and I'm going to send them his way.  That connection will be a good one if I send him a good take charge individual.  I'll let you know how that works out in one of my next blogs in the months to follow. 

Decisions that were made...

It really isn't as difficult as I've been making it.  It's probably quite simple.  Unfortunately, I have so much "stuff" attached to it, I'm created a burden where there need not be one.  I'm creating a problem where none exists.  I'm causing myself a great deal of  upset for no reason. There is really no reason to fight or argue about it; to explain or to demand an explanation.  I'm clear about it.

I didn't like what happened.  It did not honor me.  It was a violation of my boundarires.  It was not in keeping with the agreement I made or agreement they made with me.  What is happening or has happened is not my choice, nor is it of my making.  So it's really very simple!  Stop looking and asking for an explanation.  Stop demanding that people do what they have already demonstrated an unwillingness or inability to do.  Accept what has happened and decide what to do about it.  One I make a decision as my grandmother would say I will be clear and I can move on.  The indecision is what causes so much confusion
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Allow my decison to honor me.  Just right now accept what I know and feel to be right for me without trying to convince others it must be right for them. 

Advice

Should you take someone's advice?  Good question and here are the reasons we end up taking someone's advice according to author Jeffrey Gitomer:

                                      1. Your firends with them.
                                      2. You trust their expertise.
                                      3. You have a relationship
                                      4. Your immediate family.
                                      5.  Battling logic verus emotion as you receive this advice.

Taking advice is a very sensitive and delicate process because it usually means someone else has helped you make a decision or made the decision for you, and you were willing to accept it based on a combination of your gut-level feeling and your trust.  I still ask is that what you should do? 

The last person's advice I trusted was the math teacher who told me that algebra would be useful to me someday.

Email Management

Did you know you email is controlling you?  Here are a few tips so that you can control your email.

1. Why cc or bc- it just give you more replies and increases the email traffic.  Only do it if necessary.
2. How many emails are in your in box - 100 many people have 300-500 email.  This is psychologically destroying you.  It is like having 1000 physical sheets of paper all over your desk. Now you wouldn't think of doing that would you?
3. Stop responding to email when it comes in.  A lot of people use email for procrastination.  Decide to respond to email 2 or 3 times in the morning and again in the afternoon (time trap) shut down the alert or even close the email.
4. Do no check your email in the evening or on weekends.  Enjoy the evening and weekend.
5. Don't send partial emails just to get back to people.  Use the draft feature, save and send later.
6. When emails turn into a back and forth discussions (time trap) just pick the phone.
7. Use subject titles to people using black berries/iphones.  Use EOM - End of Message, NTN -No Thanks need, NTR- No reply needed.
8. People give you 5-7 seconds to say what is necessary in your email.  State the purpose of the email right up front.  Use lots of white space because it is easier on the eye. Stop the on going saga......
9. Begin to coach everyone on minimizing the number of emails coming through.  This is a great coaching opportunity. Go see them face to face.
10. Last but not least set up email folders. 

If you will only use three of the above referenced tips you will begin to eliminate waisting time and control your email rather than it controlling you.  Then you will have more time to work on your negotiations skills to ask that big fat raise you want or maybe just the corner office.

Punchdrunk

When we are not clear that we are worthy, worthwhile and valuable beings, we believe that life must be hard.  This belief will bring into your experience difficult situations that you will have to fight your way through.  On the other end of the fight, you can sit back and marvel at what you have done.  You have bragging rights about what you have been through.  You are tough and a survivor!!! 

This may come as a shock and it might be difficult for you to understand that you are creating these situations to support the subconscious belief that you do not deserve to live a joy-filled or peaceful life. 

·         When we learn to duck and dodge the punches life sends our way, this process of living can become an exhausting habit. 

·         When you expect to be punched, you are always looking for the fist, and you know what it comes again and again.

Life does not have to be hard.  Check to make sure that you are not waiting for the next disaster to strike, just to prove that you can take it.   Begin to open your mind and your heart and expect that you can live a joy-filled and peaceful life.  Believe and Expect it.