A SIMPLE SHIFT FOR SUCCESS

Tom came to our coaching call with the questions I hear a lot lately: "How can I keep myself motivated when there's so much bad news? And with such a bad economy, who wants to buy what I'm selling?" (Or for employees: how do I hang on to my job when everyone else is getting laid off?) Tom and I talked about several solutions, such as how he could shift his focus from what he can't control (the economy) to what he CAN control (his own actions and choices) and how to maintain his energy at a high level to keep taking consistent action. But what really made a difference for Tom was one very small but important shift. Tom stopped thinking about "selling" and started focusing on why people are better off with what he is selling. When Tom made that shift, he took off. He is now selling more than anyone else in his company, all because of a simple shift in perspective. This perspective is also the central premise in a wonderful little parable book entitled The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann. The story describes a young, ambitious, ends-justify-the-means kind of man who hears about a person who can teach him the 5 Laws of Stratospheric Success. With dollar signs in his eyes, the young man eagerly agrees to the one condition of learning the laws: he must apply each law on the day that he learns it. The lessons are a sharp contrast from what the man expects to learn. As a result of applying these laws, not only does he create financial success, but more importantly, he changes as a person. The lessons taught in this little book are especially appropriate in today's crazy world, as my client Tom discovered. For example, Law #1 is the Law of Value, which says that your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment. The story contrasts giving-to-get (the old, limiting model) with giving as a way of life (the way to create success). My client Tom provided an example of this when he realized that he wants to save others from going through the same family challenges that affected him as a child. His business became about the value he could provide. With this shift, his passion and authenticity came through and people responded enthusiastically. Law #2 was a perspective-shifter for me: Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them. Law #2 is about making a bigger impact. The example in the book was a school teacher, someone who provides an invaluable service yet makes relatively low pay. Contrast this with a sports figure, who really just entertains or inspires people yet earns millions of dollars each year. According to this law, the difference in compensation is a result of the number of people they impact at any one time (dozens in the case of teachers, thousands or millions in the case of sports heroes). When we keep ourselves small and safe, we also limit the impact we can have on the world, and therefore, limit our potential compensation. When Tom got excited about the difference he could make, he started reaching more and more people. How would your mindset and possibilities change if you focused more on giving value and creating impact in the world, versus focusing on what is wrong with the world? How would you feel if you were making news with your efforts, instead of watching the news? If you feel dragged down by the current conditions, I invite you to create a simple shift for success: give value and create impact! Copyright 2009 Karen Van Cleve, All rights reserved.