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I chose November 4 as Use Your Common Sense Day because it is Will Rogers' birthday. Will was a great American humorist who was famous for saying, "Common sense ain't all that common." We are all born with five senses: sight, sound, touch, taste and smell. These senses help us navigate our way through the world.
Your boss and other leaders in your company are some of the most important people in your life. You need to build strong relationships with them. Yet, you have to be careful about stepping over the line. USA Today had an interesting article on brown nosing.
I liked the 2010 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony for its simple elegance. As I was watching, I took note of a line in Slam Poet Shane Koyczan' tribute to Canada, We Are More… And some say what defines usr Is something as simple as "please" and "thank you" The Canadian audience roared when they heard that line. After all, Canadians are known for being polite. Creating positive personal impact is one of the competencies that comprise my career success system. If you want to create positive personal impact, you need to do three things.
This is a tough time to be looking for a job. Many of my career success coaching clients are having difficulty getting interviews let alone landing a job. However, I heard a story not too long ago about a new MBA from NYU who got five job offers. He did it by creating unique resumes especially tailored to the job for which he was applying. This takes work, but in this fellow's case, the hard work paid off. In the old days -- before computers -- creating unique resumes for every job for which you apply would have involved a mega amount of work. In the digital age, it's a lot easier.
I saw this quote from George Will on line the other day… "The nice part about being a pessimist is that you are constantly being either proven right or pleasantly surprised." I couldn't let it go. As a career success coach, I'm always telling my clients that they can boost their self confidence through the power of optimism. So I don't see a lot of value in being a pessimist. If you're "constantly being proven right" you're probably creating your own self fulfilling prophecies.
Last Wednesday the Wall Street Journal ran a small article called "Apprenticeship 101." Diane Prucino, the co-managing partner at the Kilpatrick Stockton law firm in Atlanta offered suggestions on what young lawyers should do to succeed as an associate in a large law firm. One of the suggestions that Ms. Prucino offered was, "Find and use a good mentor." This is good advice, not just for young law firm associates, but for anyone interested in becoming a career and life success.
If you want to create the successful life and career that you want and deserve, you need to perform at a high level consistently. High performers manage their time, life and stress well. They pay particular attention to their health and well being. It's impossible to perform at a consistently high level if you don't feel healthy and energized. In this post, I'd like to discuss two issues when it comes to managing your stress and feeling healthy and energized -- restoring energy and dealing with headaches. We all get tired, run down and out of sorts occasionally.
The other day, I was at a workshop and one of the speakers was clearly nervous. He began his talk by telling the old story about the survey that asked people to name their greatest fear. Public speaking came in first, by a large margin. Death was fourth. So, if you believe the results of this survey, most people would rather die than stand up and give a talk. He was one of them. He urged us to be kind to him because he was nervous doing this talk. He was suffering from what is known by a number of names: presentation anxiety, stage fright, the jitters.
Commitment to taking personal responsibility for your success is one of the keys to career and life success. If you want to succeed, you must commit to three things. First, you must take personal responsibility for your success. Only you can make you a success. You need to be willing to do the things necessary to succeed. Second, you must set high goals -- and then do whatever it takes to achieve them. Third, stuff happens; as you go through life you will encounter many problems and setbacks.
George Bernard Shaw is one of my very favorite playwrights. I always enjoy a production of one of his plays. I quoted him in a recent article and I'd like to quote him again.
To develop your personal clarity or purpose you need to do three things. First, define what success means to you. Second, create a vivid mental image of you as a success. Third, clarify your personal values. To develop your clarity of purpose you need to carefully think through your priorities -- and then align your behavior to ensure that you are living according to them. To do so, ask yourself two very important questions: 1. What do I want to do in this life? 2. What is the result I want to achieve?
Relationship building may be the most important of the success competencies. No one can do it alone. If you want to create a successful life and career you need to learn how to build and maintain strong relationships. Period. I am in North Carolina as I am writing this post. I am doing a talk for the local National Association of Women Business Owners today. As I was driving to my hotel the other evening, I was listening to a country radio station. I don't listen to much country as I'm a rock and roller. However, I find that when I listen to country music I enjoy it.
Mentors, by definition are positive people. They are willing to give of themselves to help others grow and succeed. That's why I urge all of my coaching clients to find mentors. However, it is also important to be a mentor. By mentoring others you are giving back, and you are building your self confidence. The more you serve others, the more confidence -- and success -- will come your way. Besides that, you'll grow by mentoring.
Yesterday I wrote about the importance of knowing yourself when it comes to building relationships. Today, I'd like to focus on building relationships on the internet. The internet gives you the opportunity to maintain relationships with people you know well, strengthen relationships with people you know only a little and build new relationships with people who can help you create the successful life and career you want and deserve. I believe that LinkedIn is the best social network for professionals. Facebook, Plaxo and Twitter are OK too.
If you want to succeed, you must commit to three things. First, you must take personal responsibility for your success. Only you can make you a success. You need to be willing to do the things necessary to succeed. Second, you must set high goals -- and then do whatever it takes to achieve them. Third, stuff happens; as you go through life you will encounter many problems and setbacks. You need to react positively to the negative stuff and move forward toward your goals. Last week I read an article in USA Today about a new book by Beth Fertig called why cant u teach me 2 read?
In an article on taking personal responsibility for finishing strong in 2009 and starting fast in 2010, I mentioned that the things that happen to us in life aren't as important as how we react to them. As I was writing, I was reminded of a something else I had written in the past. Stuff Happens: Choose to React Positively. Stuff happens: good stuff, bad stuff, frustrating stuff, unexpected stuff. Successful people respond to the stuff that happens in a positive way. Humans are the only animals with free will.
In the new George Clooney movie, Up in the Air, George plays an outplacement consultant who has a speaking business on the side. He uses a backpack as a metaphor in his speeches. The first time we see him doing a speech in the movie, he is urging the audience to empty their backpacks of the unnecessary "things" in their lives. "Not bad," I thought. "He's suggesting that life is more than a race to gather possessions." The next time we see him doing a talk, he is urging the audience to empty their backpacks and lives of all of the relationships in them. "No way" I thought.
I love to read. I especially love to read mysteries. I think this comes from my childhood when I devoured every Hardy Boy and Nancy Drew mystery at the local library. Sue Grafton is one of my favorite writers. Starting in 1982, she has written a series of mysteries; beginning with A is for Alibi. Last week, U is for Undertow came out. I want to take a few minutes here to talk about Sue Grafton. She is someone who is very clear on her purpose in life -- writing entertaining mystery stories. On December 1, I read an interview with her that appeared in USA Today.
The other day, I came across a quote from Dwight Eisenhower. “Pessimism never won any battle.” I agree. In fact, I believe that a true pessimist would never even join the battle for fear of it being lost before it began. The 2008 Super Bowl was a good example. The media hype surrounding the game could have made the New York Giants wonder why they were even going to show up. But they did show up, and they won the game over the seemingly invincible New England Patriots. This isn’t a sports article, so that’s all I’m going to say about the 2008 Super Bowl.
This is the eleventh and final article in a series on applying The Optimist Creed to help you succeed in your life and career. You can find all ten points of The Optimist Creed in the first article in this series. The Optimist Creed, Point 10 "Promise yourself to be too large for worry, too ...
This is the sixth article in a series on applying The Optimist Creed to help you succeed in your life and career. You can find all ten points of The Optimist Creed in the first article in this series. The Optimist Creed, Part 5 “Promise yourself to think only of the best, to work only for ...
This is the fifth article in a series on applying The Optimist Creed to help you succeed in your life and career. You can find all ten points of The Optimist Creed in the first article in this series. The Optimist Creed Point 4 “Promise yourself to look at the sunny side of everything and ...
This is the third article in a series on applying The Optimist Creed to help you succeed in your life and career. You can find all ten points of The Optimist Creed in the first article in this series. The Optimist Creed Part 2: “Promise yourself to talk health, happiness and prosperity to ...
This is the second article in a series on applying The Optimist Creed to help you succeed in your life and career. The Optimist Creed: Point 1 "Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind." The first point of The Optimist Creed is a tall order – but one that ...
I often tell my executive coaching clients that all self confident people have three things in common. • Self confident people are optimistic.r • Self confident people face their fears and deal with them.r • Self confident people surround themselves with positive people. When I was a young guy, I participated in the Optimist International oratory contest. The topic that year was, “Optimism, Youth’s Greatest Asset;” which is hard enough for a ninth grader to say, (Think Joe Pesci in My Cousin Vinnie.) let alone to write and deliver a 10 minute talk .
In my work as an executive coach I have found that the single biggest mistake that people make is assuming that competence and performance are their ticket to success; when in fact they are merely the price of admission. Most people are good performers. It’s a huge mistake to think that good performance is the only element of a successful career. It takes a combination of self confidence, positive personal impact, outstanding performance, communication skills and interpersonal competence to succeed in your career and life.
I always tell my executive coaching clients that surrounding yourself with positive people is a great way to build self confidence. I urge them to find a mentor, someone who can help them on their success journey. An article in the December 2007 edition of Chief Learning Officer Magazine (www.clomedia.com) says it well. “In today’s competitive business climate, the need for continuous learning has never been greater.
In my work as an executive coach, I have found that interpersonally competent people share at least three things in common. 1. Interpersonally competent people are self aware. They understand themselves, and as a result they understand others. 2. Interpersonally competent people build solid, long lasting mutually beneficial relationships with the people in their lives. 3. Interpersonally competent people are able to resolve conflicts with a minimal amount of problems and upset to relationships. In this article, I’d like to focus on relationships.
All outstanding performers have at least three things in common: 1. Outstanding performers set and achieve goals. 2. Outstanding performers are organized. 3. Outstanding performers are detail oriented and execute well. In this post, I’ll delve into each of these three in more detail. Goals Outstanding performance begins with S.M.A.R.T. goals. These goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results Oriented and Time Specified. • Specific – Your goals should be targeted, nor broad and general. They should be unambiguous and explicit.
In my work as an executive coach I have found that the single biggest mistake that people make is assuming that competence and performance are their ticket to success; when in fact they are merely the price of admission. Most people are good performers. It’s a huge mistake to think that good performance is the only element of a successful career. All executive coaching consultants will tell you that it takes a combination of self confidence, positive personal impact, outstanding performance, communication skills and interpersonal competence to succeed in your career and life.
If you want to become interpersonally competent, you need to do three things. First, get to know yourself. Use this self knowledge to help you better understand and communicate with the other people in your life. Second, build solid, long lasting, mutually beneficial relationships with the people in your life. Third, resolve conflict positively and creatively. Use conflict as an opportunity to strengthen your relationships. Sometimes, I find little nuggets in fortune cookies that I reference.
You create positive personal impact in three ways: 1) creating and building a unique and powerful personal brand; 2) being impeccable in your presentation of self -- in person and on line; and 3) knowing and following the basic rules of etiquette. I was reading an article in October 2009 issue of Laptop Magazine called "Manage Your Online Rep." It ended with this piece of advice… "Staying offline is impossible. So keep things classy, or you may be passed over for a job that you're otherwise perfect for. Actively manage your on line reputation.
If you want to create positive personal impact, you need to do three things: 1) create, build and nurture your unique personal brand; 2) dress for success; and 3) know and follow the basic rules of etiquette. Have you created your personal brand yet? What is it? How do you use it to help create your career success? If you have already created your unique personal brand, please leave a comment sharing your personal branding experiences with us. If not, listen up. Here's how to do it. I get lots of questions about how to create, build and nurture a personal brand.
My Common Sense Success System is based on what I call the Four Cs of Success: • Clarity of purpose and directio • Commitment to taking personal responsibility for your own success • Confidence in your ability to create the successful life and career you deserve • Competence in four key areas. Let me tell you a little bit more about each of the Four Cs of Success… Clarity Let's start with clarity. Clarity of purpose and direction is fundamental to your personal and professional success.
If you want to become an outstanding performer, you need to become a lifelong learner. The other day, I came across a great quote from Louis L'Amour, the great American writer of stories about the old west. I think this quote captures the essence of lifelong learning… "There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning." I know a lot about career and life success. I've written several books on it. I give lots of talks about it.
In my work as an executive coach, keynote speaker, leadership consultant and author I have spent the last five years studying what it takes to succeed in your life and career. I have found that successful people share five traits in common. 1. Successful people are self confident. 2. Successful people have positive personal impact. 3. Successful people are outstanding performers. 4. Successful people are excellent communicators. 5.
Dynamic communication is one of the keys to personal and professional success. My talents, your talents, everyone's talents will be recognized and rewarded if we develop and use our communication skills. You need to develop each of the three basic communication skills if you want to have your talents recognized. Conversation Skills Become a good conversationalist by listening. Take an active interest in other people and what they're saying. Show them you're listening by asking appropriate follow up questions to what they say.
Did you watch the Super Bowl on Sunday? About 100 million people did. The game was entertaining and fun to watch. New Orleans won 31-17. Drew Brees, the Saints quarterback was the Most Valuable Player, and he endeared himself to the country by bringing his little boy -- who was wearing noise reduction headphones -- on to the field and carrying him around after the game. I bring up the Super Bowl because you can learn a lot about branding from it.
This week Sue Shellenbarger had an interesting column in the Wall Street Journal called "Thinking Happy Thoughts at Work." The column focused on the application of recent research in positive psychology in the workplace. Put simply, positive psychology emphasizes building resiliency and positive attitudes instead of solving emotional problems. This is an approach whose time may have come. The latest Conference Board survey shows that 45% of US workers are satisfied with their jobs, down from 52% in 2005 and 61% in 1987.
I came across a Japanese proverb that relates to two of the four pillars of my Common Sense Success System: clarity and purpose of direction and commitment to taking personal responsibility for your life and success. Vision without action is a daydream.
Self-confidence is an important key to personal and professional success. If you want to become self confident you need to do three things. 1) Become an optimist. 2) Face your fears and take action. 3) Surround yourself with positive people. In this article, I'd like to focus on the importance of surrounding yourself with positive people. Positive people help your self-confidence because they tend to see the potential in you - even when you might not see it in yourself.
Presentation skills, conversation skills and writing skills are the three keys to effective communication. In this post, I'd like to focus on some tips for using non verbal communication to improve your presentation skills. Eye contact helps indicates your interest in the people in the audience. It increases your credibility. When you make eye contact with people in the audience, you increase your chances of getting your message across. Eye contact helps you establish a connection with the audience.
I love the Dilbert comic strip -- even though it often points out the how dysfunctional our workplaces can be. Sunday's strip was a classic. Dilbert approaches one of his colleagues and says… "Could you make these changes in the database? It will only take five minutes." Colleague: "Ooh I don't know…" Dilbert: "Wait.
I was asked to review a new book, The Big Picture: Essential Lessons for the Movies. Authors Kevin Coupe and Michael Sansolo do a great job of discussing the business and career success ideas in almost 200 movies. This is a very thoughtful book. Kevin and Michael make some great points about success that pop up in some unlikely movies. For example, they use the movie Babe to make the point that it's important to be different -- and break some rules -- if you want to get recognized and succeed. That's great personal branding advice.
Belonging to a mastermind group is one of the best ways of building strong, lasting, mutually beneficial relationships with the people in your life. To the best of my knowledge, Napoleon Hill was the first person to use the term mastermind group in his timeless work Think and Grow Rich. The idea behind a mastermind group is simple. No one person has sufficient experience, knowledge and ability to succeed in this life without the cooperation of other people. When you’re creating your success plan, it helps to get the input and thinking of as many people as possible.
If you want to succeed, you must commit to three things. First, you must take personal responsibility for your success. Only you can make you a success. You need to be willing to do the things necessary to succeed. Second, you must set high goals -- and then do whatever it takes to achieve them. Third, stuff happens; as you go through life you will encounter many problems and setbacks. You need to react positively to the negative stuff and move forward toward your goals. I can't begin the year without writing about goals and goal setting. I'm a fan of the S.M.A.R.T. system of goal setting.
You can become self confident by doing three things. First, choose optimism. Believe in your heart of hearts that today will be better than yesterday, and that tomorrow will be better than today. Second, face your fears and act. Procrastination and inaction feed fear and rob you of self confidence. Action cures fear. Third, surround yourself with positive people. Don’t let the naysayers into your life. Hang around with people who are positive about themselves, their careers and life in general. Mentors, by definition, are positive people.
Positive personal impact is an important key to personal and professional success. If you want to create positive personal impact you need to do three things. First, develop, nurture and constantly promote your unique personal brand. Second, be impeccable in your presentation of self - in person and on line. Third, know and follow the basic rules of etiquette. Mike Robbins has a new book out, "Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken." Great title -- and really true. As you might expect, it's all about authenticity. Personal brands are all about authenticity.
If you want to succeed, you must commit to three things. First, you must take personal responsibility for your success. Only you can make you a success. You need to be willing to do the things necessary to succeed. Second, you must set high goals -- and then do whatever it takes to achieve them. Third, stuff happens; as you go through life you will encounter many problems and setbacks. You need to react positively to the negative stuff and move forward toward your goals. I read an interesting article on the Huffington Post website by James Arthur Ray the other day. Mr.