The ladies read their visions to the person sitting next to them. We talked about the visions they wrote and spoke. One of the women said that she had a hard time believing that she could make her vision a reality. I asked the group a question. Who heard a vision that they think the person reading it could make happen? Every hand shot up. They were all afraid. They didn't think they could do what they dreamed. They were all confident that the person next to them could do it. What … [Read more...]
Where’s your resume?
September 21, 2011 by
I work with people to help them manage change. When things go well, they produce results that they weren't able to produce on their own. This is a common outcome. I speak to many clients who want to leave their job. Their obstacle: Their resume isn't ready. They'll wallow in misery rather than write their resume. Meanwhile they deliver "Less than" results for the people they work for. This may last weeks, months or years. Disengagement is contagious. It needs to … [Read more...]
Dictate the future
August 24, 2011 by
I asked the group to close their eyes. I suggested they think about a day in the future (You can do this, too). I guided them with some questions. "Go six months out. Create a picture as vivid and real as possible. What goals have you achieved? What big wins are you celebrating? What is happening on this day 6 months out that isn't happening today? What clients are you talking to? What deals have you closed? What have you created? What's your business model? What's happening with … [Read more...]
Are you supposed to be here?
August 17, 2011 by
One of my favorite movies is Clerks. It's clever, raw and funny. There are two lead characters. One writes his own rules for reality. The other allows reality's rules to be written for him. The second guy, Dante, keeps muttering "I'm not even supposed to here." through the movie. He's torn between what he wants to do and what he feels he's supposed to do. I am most miserable when I think in 'Supposed to' "I'm supposed to get a merit increase." "They're supposed to refill my drink." … [Read more...]
Old school – What is limiting job growth?
August 16, 2011 by
Jobs. The latest 4 letter word being thrown across the aisle in Washington ... before Congress took a 1 month vacation. There is a battle for your hearts, minds, and votes. There is a problem with the jobs debate. The debate is based on the pre-1992 economy. We are arguing about an economy that died when new technologies took on life. We are arguing about a service economy that required people to deliver service. The post 1992 economy is different. Frederick Winslow Taylor created … [Read more...]
Out through the In Door
August 12, 2011 by
I was down in a depressive funk for the last few weeks. It tends to happen each year as approach my birthday. This year wasn't an exception. I was walking in the morning. Walking in the sunlight is a prescription for the funk. As I walked I prayed. I was asking for a way out. I received an answer. "Stop looking for a way out. Look for a way in." Looking for a way out isn't about finding something new. It's about leaving something old. You're not going anywhere. You're … [Read more...]
Bye-bye, Borders!
July 20, 2011 by
This morning I was reading about Borders Bookstore on Inc.com. They are closing the book on Borders. Their remaining 399 stores are closing their doors. What happened? They couldn't escape their own gravity. Borders evolved to be the Wal-mart of bookstores. They delivered an expansive inventory that small shops couldn't compete with. They had the same impact on mom and pop book shops that Wal-mart has had on small retailers. The small shops died. The small shops couldn't compete on … [Read more...]
Understanding the gravity of the (business) situation
July 18, 2011 by
Gravity is generated by objects that have mass. The greater the mass, the stronger the pull of gravity. The stronger the pull, the more it influences everything within it's reach. We float weightlessly when there is no gravity. We are like immovable boulders when there is a lot gravity. The longer a business is around the more likely it is to accumulate mass. The mass accumulates in the form of people, processes, culture, habits, inventory, customers, etc. As mass accumulates, so does … [Read more...]
