Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Accountability.........The missing link?
Looking for motivation to do something that you don't like to do, or feel inclined to do?
Do you find yourself procrastinating and putting off certain tasks?
Are you really ready to begin to do the things that you know that you can?
OK. Good. Here we go......
To motivate yourself - then make yourself accountable to someone.
Too many people make promises and commitments to themselves - only to let themselves down at the first hurdle. You will be disappointed sure - but you can deal with that. And of course, you can tell yourself that you really will get around to doing it sometime soon. Maybe tomorrow....?
Manyana, manyana.....
Now, consider this...
Look how you behave when you have made a commitment to another.
When you are in a position where you are going to be held to account, or judged by another, you get your skates on and you do the thing you need to do.
Simply having to justify yourself and your actions is enough to motivate yourself.
If you do it - you get the buzz from doing the task, AND you get respect and approval from your 'accountability partner'.
If you don't do it, you get the feelings of guilt, and the sense of having let yourself and your 'accountability partner' down.
Think AA...
Most meetings are large scale 'accountability' events.
Think WeightWatchers...
Public weighings - or accountability events.
Think about the times when you get things done. It's likely that you were going to be held to account (either by a boss, or a customer, or a spouse or a friend or family member).
Most of the stuff we really want to do, but can't get around to doing because its tough i.e. like writing a book, learning to play piano etc doesn't happen because we are only letting ourselves down - and for some, this is just too easy. People break commitments they make to themselves all of the time.
Until you can truly discipline yourself, and hold yourself to account - find an 'accountability partner.'
Do you find yourself procrastinating and putting off certain tasks?
Are you really ready to begin to do the things that you know that you can?
OK. Good. Here we go......
To motivate yourself - then make yourself accountable to someone.
Too many people make promises and commitments to themselves - only to let themselves down at the first hurdle. You will be disappointed sure - but you can deal with that. And of course, you can tell yourself that you really will get around to doing it sometime soon. Maybe tomorrow....?
Manyana, manyana.....
Now, consider this...
Look how you behave when you have made a commitment to another.
When you are in a position where you are going to be held to account, or judged by another, you get your skates on and you do the thing you need to do.
Simply having to justify yourself and your actions is enough to motivate yourself.
If you do it - you get the buzz from doing the task, AND you get respect and approval from your 'accountability partner'.
If you don't do it, you get the feelings of guilt, and the sense of having let yourself and your 'accountability partner' down.
Think AA...
Most meetings are large scale 'accountability' events.
Think WeightWatchers...
Public weighings - or accountability events.
Think about the times when you get things done. It's likely that you were going to be held to account (either by a boss, or a customer, or a spouse or a friend or family member).
Most of the stuff we really want to do, but can't get around to doing because its tough i.e. like writing a book, learning to play piano etc doesn't happen because we are only letting ourselves down - and for some, this is just too easy. People break commitments they make to themselves all of the time.
Until you can truly discipline yourself, and hold yourself to account - find an 'accountability partner.'
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Class 'A'
No....not drugs. Or eggs for that matter....
What I want to know is: what makes a Class 'A' salesperson?
And perhaps more importantly, how can you tell if the person you are thinking of recruiting is Class 'A', Class 'B' or Class 'C'?
Sure the recruiter will tell you all about their Class 'A' attributes, whilst often explaining away or distracting you from the characteristics of their true pedigree.
I don't think that we really have a reliable answer for this question at this time - but I do believe that it is of vital importance that we get one.
Various recruitment processes, tools and techniques are employed to aid our quest - but at present there are too many conflicting priorities at work to ensure complete success.
1. The person with the vacancy is keen (often too keen) to fill the place quickly.
2. The candidate wants the job - and the package. It is usually better than what they currently have (otherwise, why would they be going for the job?).
3. The recruitment consultant will (often) only get paid if the candidate gets the job. He gets nothing for failure to get the candidate accepted.
We need a better way of determining the quality of the candidates.....
Mmmm. Something to think about.....
What I want to know is: what makes a Class 'A' salesperson?
And perhaps more importantly, how can you tell if the person you are thinking of recruiting is Class 'A', Class 'B' or Class 'C'?
Sure the recruiter will tell you all about their Class 'A' attributes, whilst often explaining away or distracting you from the characteristics of their true pedigree.
I don't think that we really have a reliable answer for this question at this time - but I do believe that it is of vital importance that we get one.
Various recruitment processes, tools and techniques are employed to aid our quest - but at present there are too many conflicting priorities at work to ensure complete success.
1. The person with the vacancy is keen (often too keen) to fill the place quickly.
2. The candidate wants the job - and the package. It is usually better than what they currently have (otherwise, why would they be going for the job?).
3. The recruitment consultant will (often) only get paid if the candidate gets the job. He gets nothing for failure to get the candidate accepted.
We need a better way of determining the quality of the candidates.....
Mmmm. Something to think about.....
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
7 Habits
I am currently re-tracing some very old steps of mine through Stephen Covey's book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. I read it first in 1996.
What a book!
Sometimes it can take me a day just to read and absorb the meaning I can find in a single page. The book must have taken him many years to have thought through his concepts to such a degree.
I have been re-reading it since November, and I am still only now getting on to Habit 4. Incredible.
But even more incredible is the benefit that you can derive from completing the recommended tasks that are to be found in the book.
In particular, I found the work involved in developing a personal mission statement to be highly rewarding.
Very difficult at first, mind you. But when you maintain your focus on really defining your roles, your priorities and your values - you can get to the very core of what drives you - and you find out what is most important to you. I think that this is work that everyone should do. It is just so much more effective to live your life knowing who you are - and what you want to do in life.
My father would often say 'Man, know thyself', quoting the Oracle of Delphi. But until I had done this exercise, I did not really 'know' - not in any meaningful way. I had a sense of things - but now I have a real handle on who I am. I hadnt really thought about it. Until now......
I you haven't read it, be sure to pick up a copy - it contains what it says in the books strapline....'powerful lessons in personal change'.
What a book!
Sometimes it can take me a day just to read and absorb the meaning I can find in a single page. The book must have taken him many years to have thought through his concepts to such a degree.
I have been re-reading it since November, and I am still only now getting on to Habit 4. Incredible.
But even more incredible is the benefit that you can derive from completing the recommended tasks that are to be found in the book.
In particular, I found the work involved in developing a personal mission statement to be highly rewarding.
Very difficult at first, mind you. But when you maintain your focus on really defining your roles, your priorities and your values - you can get to the very core of what drives you - and you find out what is most important to you. I think that this is work that everyone should do. It is just so much more effective to live your life knowing who you are - and what you want to do in life.
My father would often say 'Man, know thyself', quoting the Oracle of Delphi. But until I had done this exercise, I did not really 'know' - not in any meaningful way. I had a sense of things - but now I have a real handle on who I am. I hadnt really thought about it. Until now......
I you haven't read it, be sure to pick up a copy - it contains what it says in the books strapline....'powerful lessons in personal change'.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Dragons Den
I have just had a telephone conversation with someone who took the time to outline their idea for delivering a new service to business users.
As is often the case, the person in question was very enthuisiastic about the service and about its prospects. He himself would have bought it - and wished that he had had a chance to buy a few years ago when he was in a similar business situation.
However, as is often the case on the 'Dragons Den' TV show, the person with the idea has a number of reasons to buy into the idea - over and above the real-world, economic rationale of providing a product or service to meet a need.
For them, there is also the vision of selling millions of pounds worth, and being a success, the kudos, the respect, the recognition....etc etc etc - and it is often the lure of this, that enables them to kid themselves.
All of a sudden, the mind stops functioning properly, and reality is suspended.
Don't get me wrong, many great inventions and businesses are formed in similar circumstances - with what Michael Gerber calls an 'entrepreneurial seizure' - but in these instances 'the idea' has real potential - not just the hopes of the idealist.
Most successful businesses are successful because they identify a clear need/demand - and then fill it effectively. They don't create new, whizz-bang solutions - to problems that don't exist - or only a few people have. There is no money in that.
Simply put, find out what customers want - and deliver it.
As is often the case, the person in question was very enthuisiastic about the service and about its prospects. He himself would have bought it - and wished that he had had a chance to buy a few years ago when he was in a similar business situation.
However, as is often the case on the 'Dragons Den' TV show, the person with the idea has a number of reasons to buy into the idea - over and above the real-world, economic rationale of providing a product or service to meet a need.
For them, there is also the vision of selling millions of pounds worth, and being a success, the kudos, the respect, the recognition....etc etc etc - and it is often the lure of this, that enables them to kid themselves.
All of a sudden, the mind stops functioning properly, and reality is suspended.
Don't get me wrong, many great inventions and businesses are formed in similar circumstances - with what Michael Gerber calls an 'entrepreneurial seizure' - but in these instances 'the idea' has real potential - not just the hopes of the idealist.
Most successful businesses are successful because they identify a clear need/demand - and then fill it effectively. They don't create new, whizz-bang solutions - to problems that don't exist - or only a few people have. There is no money in that.
Simply put, find out what customers want - and deliver it.
Monday, January 7, 2008
2008 - people and priorities
It's all about people and priorities....
So says Lee Iaccoca - and I happen to agree with him.
1. People. Show people respect and they will respect you. Fail to show them respect and you will find that they will often resent you and then fail to respect the job you have set them to do - leading to poor workmanship and poor results. A downward spiral can be set in motion easily. RESPECT is the key.
2. Priorities. Keep it simple - set out the key priorites, the things you must achieve. Keep the priorities in focus - and don't get sidetracked. Find out what your boss, or your customers or your colleagues priorities are. This is what they are interested in. Don't try selling them on an idea or a proposal if you can't align it to a priority of theirs. Make this your PRIORITY.
So says Lee Iaccoca - and I happen to agree with him.
1. People. Show people respect and they will respect you. Fail to show them respect and you will find that they will often resent you and then fail to respect the job you have set them to do - leading to poor workmanship and poor results. A downward spiral can be set in motion easily. RESPECT is the key.
2. Priorities. Keep it simple - set out the key priorites, the things you must achieve. Keep the priorities in focus - and don't get sidetracked. Find out what your boss, or your customers or your colleagues priorities are. This is what they are interested in. Don't try selling them on an idea or a proposal if you can't align it to a priority of theirs. Make this your PRIORITY.
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