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Category: Self-Improvement
Start on time…end on time
Early in my career, I worked for a leadership training company. One of my responsibilities was sellling training. I would set up 1/1 meetings with the decision-makers to determine their needs and look to uncover areas where we could make them more profitable from improved team performance.
I remember one of my sales calls that taught me a valuable lesson; When I am on a call, it is my responsibility to manage my time AND the decision-maker’s I am talking to. Here is how the call went: The boss and I had agreed on a 1-hour meeting. That was fine. I began my asking questions designed to discover what he needed and why it was important to him. The conversation was going well. He was engaged and on a roll. When we came close to the end of the hour mark, I continued to let him talk (not wanting to interrupt). He ran 15 minutes over our agreed upon time. No problem, right? Since he was talking it didn’t make any difference, right? WRONG! We manage the clock. We scheduled a follow-up meeting and he criticized me for running longer than we agreed to. But,but,but…Sorry, it was my fault.
As you can imagine, that hurt a little bit. I asked my mentor for advice. The advice he gave me I never forgot and alsways used. Here is what he said:
“Steve, if you agree to a specific meeting length and you get to the end and they are still rolling, stop and say, “Jake it sounds like we have found an area where I believe I can help you. We are currently at the end of the time we agreed upon for this meeting I have allowed some extra time if you would like to continue. Otherwise, we can set a follow-up meeting and continue this discussion.”
I remembered Joe’s advice and from that time on, I did not have the problem again, and the quality of my calls improved.
Accountability is keeping our word
What happens when we “bite off more than we can chew”? We have to face the music.
When I was in 5th grade, I played the trumpet. The band teacher had planned a recital to be performed in front of the whole school. I was asked to play a specific piece, and I accepted the assignment. I did so with little knowledge of the song. That was a mistake.
As I began practicing the piece, it quickly became clear that the song was very hard and beyond my skill level. I kept trying and things seemed to be getting worse. Not wanting to make a fool of myself in front of the whole school audience, I decided to back out. Before I bailed I told my mom. She didn’t cut me any slack, and said, “Stephen, you gave that man your word and you must keep your word.” I replied, “But mom, I’ll make a fool of myself.” Mom responded, “Well I guess you”ll just have to make a fool of yourself. If you commit to something, you must follow through.”
The day of the dreaded event came, and I still couldn’t play the piece. With no alternative, I got my mind in the right place, and began by handing the accompanist her part. I let mind my mind float into another zone. I played the song beautifully and to perfection. I could’t believe what was coming out of that horn.
Thanks to Mom for challenging me to be a person on my word. When we do what we say we will do, we gain confidence and earn respect. A leader guides someone to a place they would not go on their own.
Use the power of the written word
It was in the early 1990’s, and I was reading an article about James Michener, the most popular historic fiction writer of that time. The article showed a picture of Mr. Michener seated at his desk in front of an ancient Underwood typewriter doing his work. Word processors were widely available by that time, and most of his books were over a 1000 pages. In spite of that, he chose to use his old manual typewriter to write. Hmmm…
A few months later I stopped by a typewriter repair shop to pick up a couple new ribbons. As I was making the purchase, I asked the store owner why James Michener used a manual typewriter. His answer came quick and was very simple. “Feeling”. Novelists like to put a lot of feeling into their writing, and working on a word processor can blunt that effort. This answer intrigued me, and heightened my respect for the power of the written word.
So what does the “power of the pen” mean to us? One benefit is stronger business relationships, which means we improve our ability to create and keep customers. For 20 years I was a leadership training facilitator. I would often write a note on a 3×5 card in the spur of the moment to class members. It was quite common that years later I would encounter an alum from my class who carried one of those 3×5 cards I had written to them.
The Declaration of Independence shows us that when you put a pen to a blank sheet of paper, great things can occur. Go ahead. Try it. Go to a quiet place, put on your “thinking cap”, grab a pen and sheet of paper, and let your mind flow. It could be an idea or simple note of encouragement or appreciation. Make a bigger impact!
The most important part of a vision
We’ve heard the expression, “I’m living a dream”. Having an exciting vision and making it happen can keep our spirit alive. One characteristic I have always found in a great vision: The fulfillment of a great vision leaves the world a better place.
In 1949 (the year I was born), Gerry Lerner invented “Mr. Potato Head”. Before you could play with Mr. Potato head, you needed to buy a real potato. It was a popular toy, and the kids liked it. Parents didn’t like it as much. You see, playing with real potatoes is a mess!
In 1964, someone came up with the idea of making the torso of Mr. Potato Head out of plastic instead of a real potato. Hygiene and child safety were key issues. The change to plastic was a success, and sales increased dramatically.
Fast forward to two weeks ago. My wife and I were playing with our grandchildren (ages 1-5). The activity was each person designing their own Mr. Potato Head. The kids imagination went wild. We role played. We laughed. It was silly fun and we were so connected with the little ones. Playing with Mr. Potato Head is our favorite activity with the grandchildren. 77 years ago Gerry Lerner had a vision. 62 years ago someone improved on his vision. Today, Mr. Potato Head lives on, and without a mess to clean up!
Whatever your vision or purpose, think in terms of what you will leave behind. Knowing and believing in our legacy can give us more energy, enthusiasm, and desire to stick with it. We can live with a daily sense of purpose and make a difference!
Achieve more by overcoming inertia
My late father-in-law spent his entire career helping to build locomotives. We loved watching trains, and when we were driving together, getting stopped by a train was a special event. Diesel locomotives are so powerful, and yet they start off so S-L-O-W. In time, the train gets up to full speed, and heaven help any vehicle that tries to stop it.
In the past year my wife spent some time going through old project lists and recipes. Her goal was to DECIDE what projects she still wanted to do and discard the ones she has lost interest in.
One project she chose was a Christmas calendar wreath project. It contained a hand-stitched wreath adorned by 24 ornaments. She had started it 40 years ago. She decided (key word) she wanted to complete it, and pass it along to our grandchildren. She committed to a certain time each day to work on the project for a half hour. She stuck with her “single daily action” and made no exceptions or excuses. When the holiday season came around, she presented the gift.
Since completing the project, she has found a renewed source of energy, focus, and commitment. I must admit some of that has rubbed off on me. The experience of taking action on something important that we have been procrastinating can be liberating. The wreath project was a hit, and provided us both with a sense of renewal.
Here is my challenge to you: Select a project or goal that you want to do but have put off doing. Break it down into an action plan. Seize the first opportunity to act. Start strong. Persist. Triumph! You will feel great. Get the freight train rolling!