http://www.truevisionary.com Personal Development and Self Improvment Strategies Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:18:44 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/where-the-winners-in-business-come-from/ http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/where-the-winners-in-business-come-from/#comments Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:15:47 +0000 Admin-Eric http://thoughtsearch.com/Where-the-Winners-in-Business-Come-From/143999/437.html Title: Where the Winners in Business Come From

Article: You and I both probably had painful childhood experiences that involved winning and losing. I was always picked last when choosing teams for pick-up basketball games. Perhaps you had YOUR heart set on making a team or winning a contest, and it just didn't happen. You can still remember the hurt to this day. Today I'm concerned for our children. Both as a parent and as a member of society, I'm interested in the raising of psychologically healthy and strong children who will one day (sooner than we might like to think) be contributing to society, running our businesses and leading our country. I'm concerned that parents are letting the pain from their past corrupt the children of the present. Who's a Loser? I was listening to a radio talk show this morning when the on-their personalities tossed this controversy into the air: should children be labeled winners and losers? They cited several news stories to fan the flames. - One was about children's sporting events where no score was kept; because no team could be defeated, there could be no losers. - Another was about a trend at children's birthday parties, where everyone got a prize. Playing games like Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Donkey would be done for entertainment, but no specific price would be awarded because it would be wrong to declare a winner thus make all the other children losers. - Finally, mention was made of the grading scale used in schools, which stratifies students into categories of winners and losers. As you might imagine, many called into the radio station. A sustained debate ensued about whether children should be allowed to compete when the outcome apparently risks labeling many as losers. Unfortunately, there was no clear winner. I'd like to change that. Worth the Debate I applaud all parents who care enough to have an opinion on this topic, because it's important. We want to avoid sending ill-equipped offspring into careers where they will fail to reach optimum levels of satisfaction and reward. Parents seem happiest when their children are productive, happy, satisfied, and eventually living purposeful lives as adults. Yet this ongoing debate about whether children should compete seems to leave parents unhappy if not angered. I happen to agree with both sides of the argument. The points I'll offer shortly should clarify that apparent contradiction. Now for the disclaimer; I am not a psychologist. I only have two qualifications that qualify me to address this issue: I was once a child (duh), and I also am fortunate to be the parent of several children who are now adults. Hopefully my insights will serve you. Put the Ending First I am opposed to labeling anyone, young or old, losers. I'm not really in favor of labeling people at all, but if there must be labels, let them be positive ones like the term "winner." So how could there be winners but no losers? Because there's a big difference between winners and losers, and winning and losing. Losing a game does not automatically earn anyone the label of loser. The term "losing" is simply the reflection of the score of a particular event that took place at a specific instance in time. In other words, winning and losing have nothing to do with being a winner or loser. Sometimes we win, and sometimes we lose. Except in basketball; I always lose. But that doesn't make me a loser. I can win, and do win at lots of other things. And so do our children. It's the -ING, not the -ER, that we should be concerned with and should be the focus in our use of language. Winning Requires Luck We tend to associate the terms winning and losing with all games. However, I contend there is a better word than winning to use in some instances. Games generally require some combination of luck and skill. Some games are almost pure luck, others almost pure skill. Choosing the winning number on a article wheel is almost pure luck. Winning at Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Donkey is also a rather lucky endeavor. However, where sports are concerned, the emphasis shifts to skill. Players in these games can most certainly influence the outcome of the game based on how skillfully they execute the requirements of the game. Where skill is not only encouraged but required, it's an insult to the players to conclude that one team "won" the game. While we might be able to point to a few exceptions, the reality is that players usually earn the victory. I made this distinction some years back when I heard my wife talking to one of her friends. I was in sales at the time, and had just qualified for our annual President's Club incentive trip. She was explaining to her friend how I had won a trip to Hawaii. After she hung up the phone, I explained that I didn't win anything. After working like a dog and skillfully applying the expertise I had developed over the years, I earned that trip as a reward. Clearly I was winning in my job, and I felt like a winner, but make no mistake about it; it was clear to me and my bosses that I had earned that reward. Make sure your children can tell the difference between winning and earning. No one can afford to live their lives dependent on luck. If we want our children to develop their skills and learning, we should separate winning from earning. Born to Earn It's obvious that winning is more fun than losing. Success is better than failure. Ideally, we would like to win at everything. But we can't. We're each born with a different set of gifts, a different set of strengths. We can develop these into useful and productive skills that will help us earn opportunities to win. Dr. Howard Gardner explains in his 1983 book titled "Frames of Mind" that there are at least seven different forms of human intelligence. In this initial book, he labeled them: - Linguistic (spoken and written language) - Logical-Mathematical - Musical - Bodily-Kinesthetic - Spatial (patterns of space) - Intrapersonal - Interpersonal This means that some will be more inclined to win at music while others are inclined to win at math. Or running. Or writing. Or shearing sheep. I like to see people playing games that they CAN win, even though sometimes they won't. I get excited when I see young people figure out that they're really good at something they also really like to do. That is usually the kernel for a productive and satisfying career. The Business of Growing Winners So what can parents do to raise happy, healthy children who will become satisfied, productive contributors to the world? First of all, forget about saving your child from pain. They're going to fall down. They're going to be disappointed. There will be many unhappy moments. Get over it, because they will. Let your child try stuff. Give them opportunities to discover their strengths and to sample the things that they might be good at. Even more important, let them figure out how THEY have fun. Not everyone enjoys spelling bees, but some people do. Not everyone enjoys practicing music, but some people do. Not everyone enjoys standing in the outfield when there are no dandelions to pick, but some people do. Let's give our children opportunities to try winning and losing; that will make them winners. Let's help them understand that some games are won, and some victories are earned. Let's help children explore their gifts and discover their strengths so they will confidently know how they can win in this game of life. One day they may be working in the next office over from you. Copyright 2009 Paul Johnson. Paul Johnson is the keynote speaker who gives teams the courage, motivation, and insight to overcome obstacles and create breakthrough growth opportunities at http://TroubleBreaker.com. Learn about business growth topics at http://Paul-Johnson.com.

Syndication Source: ThoughtSearch.com]]> http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/where-the-winners-in-business-come-from/feed/ 0 http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/banish-that-helpless-feeling-when-trends-turn-negative/ http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/banish-that-helpless-feeling-when-trends-turn-negative/#comments Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:15:47 +0000 Admin-Eric http://thoughtsearch.com/Banish-that-Helpless-Feeling-When-Trends-Turn-Negative/87056/437.html Title: Banish that Helpless Feeling When Trends Turn Negative

Article: People who feel helpless often react that way because they cannot locate any acceptable alternatives in their own minds. A good way to circumvent that problem is to find others who have had similar problems, and ask them what they would do in your situation. Undoubtedly, you'll get some ideas, and then you can test the more plausible ones on a limited basis to find out which ones actually work. Alan G. Robinson and Sam Stern report that the Japanese national railway company was building a tunnel through one of the many large mountains in that country. Construction was delayed by enormous quantities of water that poured through the rock as the tunneling proceeded. Pumps were set up everywhere, and engineers were engaged to find a way to cheaply draw off all of this unexpected water. At one of the meetings, a tunnel worker suggested that, instead of helplessly viewing the water as a nuisance, it be bottled and sold to consumers. Why? The worker had tasted the water and found it to be delicious. Encouraged by this experience, many of the workers had been routinely drinking the water. This ingenious observation led to a way to use the water that generated millions of dollars in profitable revenue annually from the tunnel, while reducing the cost of eliminating excess water. The irresistible force you can rely on here is the individuality of perception. Finding out more about the problem will usually stimulate someone to see the problem differently, perhaps even as an opportunity. The best way to do this is to experience the problem firsthand, and to try out some alternatives on the spot (like tasting the water in the tunnel). You should always view every situation as being one where something positive can be done. You'll be much more effective in adopting that viewpoint if you can first identify what is causing you to feel helpless and then determine how to eliminate that cause. What assumption or belief causes people in our organization to feel helpless in this circumstance? Those assumptions will usually prove to be at least partially untrue when looked at more closely. For example, many people are concerned about driving on mountain roads because they fear that their car will be thrown over the edge if a tire bursts. As youngsters, many people learned that concern from their parents. However, tires today have been much improved, and you can buy tires that will probably never burst under any condition (some will even allow you to drive safely for 50 miles even after you experience a massive puncture). If you have to do a lot of mountain driving, you can eliminate a good deal of your anxiety by learning more about these tires and purchasing the ones that are most appropriate for your type of driving. By knowing under what circumstances the tires can burst, you can then adjust your maintenance of the tires and avoid serious driving hazards resulting in very low risk. What can be done to eliminate the causes of the feeling of helplessness? One of the best ways to find new alternatives is to involve lots of people with a variety of backgrounds. Chances are, someone already knows of a solution. Howard Gardner points out that each person is uniquely gifted to perform at a high level along some of a variety of types of intelligence. Since many problems uniquely lend themselves to forms of intelligence other than those that are primarily reinforced in schools, you should deliberately select these diverse resources. For example, a problem may not be solvable if everyone only looks out for their short-term interests (such as who will earn the most money from the first transaction). But someone with great emotional intelligence may see that the problem lies in helping everyone to shift their focus to the best long-term mutual interest (such as how everyone will earn the most money from all of the transactions over time). With strong communications intelligence, another person will perceive a way to explain this perspective so that it can be quickly grasped by the other parties involved. Donald Mitchell is an author of seven books including Adventures of an Optimist, The 2,000 Percent Squared Solution, The 2,000 Percent Solution, The 2,000 Percent Solution Workbook, The Irresistible Growth Enterprise, and The Ultimate Competitive Advantage. Read about creating breakthroughs through 2,000 percent solutions and receive tips by e-mail by registering for free at http://www.2000percentsolution.com .

Syndication Source: ThoughtSearch.com]]> http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/banish-that-helpless-feeling-when-trends-turn-negative/feed/ 0 http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/be-wise-like-an-owl-in-choosing-your-breakthrough-directions/ http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/be-wise-like-an-owl-in-choosing-your-breakthrough-directions/#comments Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:15:47 +0000 Admin-Eric http://thoughtsearch.com/Be-Wise-Like-an-Owl-in-Choosing-Your-Breakthrough-Directions/84057/437.html Title: Be Wise Like an Owl in Choosing Your Breakthrough Directions

Article: Owls are wise. They hunt at night when few others can compete with them for food. During the day when all the other birds are busy competing with one another, owls enjoy a nice snooze. As a result, owls always eat well. I want you to be wise in the same way by picking the right time and place to pursue your breakthroughs. A mistake that many people make is to focus on relatively unimportant activities in creating breakthrough solutions (ways of accomplishing 20 times as much with the same time, effort, and resources). Why not gain as much benefit as possible from your efforts as possible? Now, let's look at questions to help you get started in achieving great results. I suggest that you jot down your answers. These notes will be helpful to you when you repeat the eight step process in the future by reminding you of what you did and did not consider. 1. What activities in your organization have the most positive impact on total profits now? For a mining company, the answer may be reducing the cost of raw materials by extracting the lowest cost ore first. For a manufacturing company, the answer may lie in avoiding costly errors in its products so that rework and warranty costs are avoided. For a wholesaler, the answer may lie in purchasing the lowest cost items and being able to keep those goods in stock with low inventory levels. For a brokerage firm, it may be interesting clients in trading more frequently in profitable ways for the clients and the firm. 2. What activities in your organization will have the most impact on total profits five years from now? For the mining company, the answer may be locating new sources of lower cost ore. For the manufacturing company, the answer may lie in redesigning products and developing new products that are less expensive to make and cause fewer errors in producing. For the wholesaler, the answer may lie in creating new computer systems that allow for more efficient purchasing and management of inventory. For a brokerage firm, it may be adding new services and increasing the value of existing services to attract more profitable clients and retain them longer. 3. In which of these activities do you suspect that some of your organization's efforts are much more productive than the least effective efforts? Although you cannot know until you measure, you have probably observed differences in performance or heard stories that lead you to believe that there are differences in some areas. These differences may occur from individual to individual (such as how rapidly and correctly transactions are processed), office to office among people doing the same function (such as regional sales and administrative operations), or from plant to plant producing the same item. 4. What measurements already exist that could help you identify the size and value of these differences in performance? In many cases, measurements are not available in a convenient form for this purpose, but could be assembled to help you understand differences. For example, you may have individual productivity by employee in some performance areas. Those individual data could be combined to determine if office by office productivity differs. That measurement would be helpful because it could help identify superior management practices in some locations that are not performed in other locations. Many people assume that such measurements only exist in accounting, information technology and manufacturing functions. Be sure to also ask people who work in the activities that interest you. You may be pleasantly surprised to find out that there are other measurements in place that you have never seen. 5. What measurements could you inexpensively add for other high value opportunities where you have no information about relative performance now? Talk with those who would have to be involved in making the new measurements to learn their ideas about what can be done easily and inexpensively. Then, take a little time to make these measurements on a one-time basis. Later you can decide if it is worth continuing these new measurements. 6. What do the measurements you have already suggest the greatest differences in the value of performance are? In looking at this question, you should be sure to consider the economic impact of differences in performance as well as the percentage size of the differences in performance. For example, your most productive salesperson may be selling 50 times as much as the least productive. But if everyone operated at that level, you might only save one percent of revenues. If everyone matched your most productive design engineer in finding less costly and more valuable ways to redesign existing products and design new ones, you might save as much as five percent of revenues. Obviously, the latter alternative would be the one to work on first assuming that all else is equal. 7. Where do you suspect that the greatest value differences in performance are among areas where you have no measurements available? 8. How hard will it be to make improvements in performance in the most valuable opportunity activities identified in questions 6 and 7? In answering this question, you need to consider difficulty, risk of not succeeding, cost of working on the problem compared to what you can afford and how long you can expect it to take in the worst case. Many such changes are difficult. The most challenging are those performance areas where people have to change their long-held habits and beliefs. Don't rely solely on your own judgment in answering this question. Speak with those who work in those areas as well as outside experts who have helped organizations improve performance in these areas. 9. What area of performance improvement should be your top priority? My suggestion is that you pick an area with a high payoff which can probably be improved rapidly with fewer resources and risk than other activities you are considering. Be sure to consider the potential enthusiasm with which those who will need to change will probably view the necessary adjustments. If in doubt, pick the activity where enthusiasm is highest for the needed changes. Donald Mitchell is coauthor of six books including The 2,000 Percent Squared Solution, The 2,000 Percent Solution, and The 2,000 Percent Solution Workbook. Read about creating breakthroughs through 2,000 percent solutions by registering for free at http://www.2000percentsolution.com .

Syndication Source: ThoughtSearch.com]]> http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/be-wise-like-an-owl-in-choosing-your-breakthrough-directions/feed/ 0 http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/why-create-an-annual-business-plan/ http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/why-create-an-annual-business-plan/#comments Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:11:28 +0000 Admin-Eric http://thoughtsearch.com/Why-Create-an-Annual-Business-Plan/76835/437.html Title: Why Create an Annual Business Plan?

Article: Can you imagine going on a road trip without knowing your destination? Or, building your house without plans? The same can be said about running your business without a plan. They say that -If you dont know where you are going, any road will do.- But if you dont know where you are going how do you know when you get there? Or if the road you are on is the right road or the scenic, roundabout route? Planning is essential if you have somewhere to go. If you want to grow your business, if you want to have more free time, if you want to introduce a new product, if you want to enter a new market. You dont need to plan if you have reached your destination, if your business is all you hoped it would be. BUT have you considered that the world is changing pretty rapidly these days. Even if you are happy with what you have, your environment is changing, which, if you like it or not, is going to change your business. Therefore, we come back again to the need to plan. What planning is NOT: It is NOT that 120 page document you created when you tried to get funding to start your business. That document was essential to start your business and it might be useful every 5 or so years if you change your business focus but it does not work for an annual plan. It is NOT a document that is placed on a bottom shelf and looked at once a quarter or once a year. It is NOT a to do list It is NOT a wish list What is annual planning? Annual planning is about creating a vision for the next 3-5 years and then formulating concrete plans to achieve that vision. It is about deciding on a future and how you intend to obtain that future, one year at a time. It is about creating measurable goals that can be tracked. It is about tracking those goals on a weekly and monthly basis so that they are actually achieved at the end of the year. Goals can only be tracked if they are measurable. Annual planning is about understanding what is working and not working and using that to set further action plans. Annual planning should also be able to able to monitor the performance and effectiveness of your staff over the year. A well structured plan will also have the ability to be used as an effective monthly reporting tool by managers. It becomes the common language. Planning is not only for whole businesses but also for business teams, divisions, projects and even individuals. Planning brings about focus and clarity of what is to be achieved. Equally when done effectively, planning brings about alignment between team members and people become accountable for completion of their goals. Planning brings about business success and bottom line results. By Graeme Nichol President of Arcturus Advisors. Please visit their website at http://www.arcturusadvisors.com. Arcturus Advisors works with business leaders to close the gap between great strategies and mediocre results. We use a process to get businesses to focus on a shared vision and agree on how to achieve results that far exceed individual contribution.

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Article: "The problems we have now in communities and societies are going to be resolved only when we are brought together by a common sense that each of us is a visionary. Each of us must come to the realization that we can function and live at the level of vision rather than following some great leader's vision. Instead of looking for a great leader, we are in an era where each of us needs to find the great leader in ourselves." -Werner Erhard In the twentieth century, it might have been good enough to operate from a position where you knew The truth, you knew what is Right, and you knew The answer/solution. It was easy enough to learn what was true, what was right and what to do. The person in power would tell you All you had to do to succeed or at least survive in his world was follow and obey. At work this looked like being a good employee, a company man. Fit in, follow, obey. At school this looked like being a good student. Fit in, follow, obey. In your country this looked like be a good citizen. Fit in, follow, obey. Etc., etc. Life was top-down. The masses were controlled by the people at the top. And it worked... on some level. There was order in the workplace, order at school, order in the streets. A person's main choice in life was which bus to ride. Ride the same bus my parents are riding, or ride a bus of my own choosing? Then get on the bus, sit down and trust that the driver knows where he's going. Stay in your seat, and obey the rules for passengers. When consciousness calls to you and says, hey face reality and look where the driver is taking us, make an excuse to ignore it. When consciousness calls to you and says, hey take a stand and speak up, make an excuse and ignore it. Quickly, the excuses pile up: The driver knows everything. The driver is right. I should stay on the bus at all times, because the driver said so. Getting off the bus is wrong. Thinking about getting off the bus is wrong. I am just a passenger, not a driver. Who am I to try to drive? The excuses form an easy reference guidebook for you as a passenger that you can defer to instead of thinking for yourself. You don't need to face reality or take a stand for your values, all you need to do is follow the guidebook of excuses. The guidebook is your Position. It is what guides you. Many buses come with ready-made guidebooks, or positions, to help make it easy for passengers to stay quietly in the passenger seats when consciousness calls. Maybe you got on the rebel bus? Your excuses for staying on the bus were plentiful and passionate. Drivers know nothing. Drivers are wrong. You can't drive me! I'm my own driver. Passengers are stupid. I am not a passenger. It's just another position. Maybe you got on the red bus. Reds rule. I am good because I am red. The blue bus is evil. Blue passengers are evil, and should bearticleed. The world we live in today is one of Positionaries guided by positions, not visionaries guided by vision. We choose a position and guide ourselves by it. In fact we identify with it. It's as if our position is who "I" is. Once that happens, there is little chance for us to create a world that works for everyone. Michael Skye, founder and CEO of VisionForce.com, works with a new breed of impassioned change agents around the world, who are giving their lives to stand for all of humanity. The Visionary Mind Shifts are available free at http://www.VisionForce.com/course.

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Article: Recently, I found myself in an interesting discussion with my good friend and walking buddy. We first met years ago when both of us were starting our careers at IBM. As we reminisced about the "good old days", we remembered some of our early mentors who showed us the ropes, provided us with knowledge and insights. Perhaps one of their greatest gifts to us was the Art of Encouragement. As we reflected on "then" and "now" what hit us between the eyes is how seldom people take time to encourage others today. It seems communication has become more efficient, but is it really effective? In our virtual world of email, conference calls, blackberries and the plethora of other high tech tools, we have had to learn to juggle so many priorities at once. Who has time to spend encouraging a co-worker? And yet, how many of us are where we are today because of those who made the time to encourage us and mentor us along the way. So, why does encouragement matter? What are the benefits of encouragement? I gave it some thought, and have listed here some of the key benefits for everyone involved. BENEFITS TO THE "ENCOURAGEE" * Builds self-confidence * Creates an ally * Provides feedback on what they are doing well * Circumvents mistakes, wasted time BENEFITS TO THE ENCOURAGER * Strengthens the relationship * Provides opportunity to "teach" others * Creates an ally * Expands one's expertise by teaching/modeling for someone else BENEFITS TO THE ORGANIZATION * Strengthens succession planning * Creates bench strength in emerging leaders * Passes on "tribal knowledge" within organization * Solidifies/deepens corporate culture What benefits would you add to this list? Think of a person in your life who has encouraged you along the way. What kind of a difference have they made in your life? Have you taken the time to thank them? If not now, when? Send them a card, give them a call, or offer to take them to lunch. Let them know how much their encouragement has meant to you. I can guarantee it will make their day. So, how do you go about encouraging someone else? Here are some keys to encouragement. KEYS TO ENCOURAGEMENT * Look for opportunities to encourage * Give encouragement freely * Be sincere and specific * Find ways to make it easy * Make it a habit * Take the time * Watch what happens! Remember that you had many encouragers along your journey. Take time to do the same for others. Practice the Art of Encouragement. Paula K. Switzer is a nationally recognized speaker, trainer and contributing author on the subjects of leadership, team building and communication. Free audio mini-course. Other articles.

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Article: The lessons taught in great books are misleading. The commerce in life is rarely so simple and never so just. --Anita Brookner By 2002, it was clear that the most adept and successful CEOs shared one common element: They had prospered by repeatedly upgrading their business models (these seven elements of their commerce: who, what, when, why, where, how, and how much) every three to five years. With increased global competition, the correct frequency of such business model innovations would undoubtedly increase. Since some types of business model improvements can be much less disruptive than others (such as adding complementary offerings), there is no obvious limit to such increased frequency. This observation about continuing business model innovation is also significant for world progress. If organizations began to focus on rapid business model innovations, performance improvements could be added more rapidly. Without this improved leadership capability, the sources of many prospective benefits from the 400 Year Project might lie fallow, waiting for leaders to get around to working on them. The real barrier to continuing business model innovation is that most organizations do not have this most important task on their agendas. Instead, leaders and the rank and file focus on doing the old tasks better and better. The fact that these old tasks are obsolete doesn't seem to occur to anyone (if it did, they kept quiet lest someone would shoot the messenger). What perspectives on continuing business model innovation success would people like to learn about? Three applications are most important: small companies (including one-person operations), nonprofit organizations, and organizations that had passed along business model innovation as a core task to a new generation of leaders. Fortunately, there are memorable, thought-provoking examples everywhere that would help business owners and CEOs see more ways to apply continuing business model innovation into their organizations. Many people, however, wanted to see examples codified rather than searching for the examples themselves. Part of the advantage that one-person companies have is that the path from strategy development to implementation is just a few inches of grey matter apart in the brain. The spread in education and experience in the one-person businesses is quite impressive as well, ranging from a golf caddy who grew up on the Isle of Man to Peter Drucker. The good news is that there are so many ways to succeed with this important task that anyone can find more than they can possibly use. What should business and organizational leaders do? Focus on the simplest, most available, and most productive opportunities -- increasing value without raising prices or costs; adjusting prices to increase sales profitably; and eliminating costs that reduce customer and end-user benefits -- and to provide a process for continuing innovation. If you focus on those three opportunities, you'll be well matched to outperform others, too. Are you ready to start creating your next business model? Donald Mitchell is an author of seven books including Adventures of an Optimist, The 2,000 Percent Squared Solution, The 2,000 Percent Solution, The 2,000 Percent Solution Workbook, The Irresistible Growth Enterprise, and The Ultimate Competitive Advantage. Read about creating breakthroughs through and receive tips by e-mail through registering for free at http://www.fastforward400.com

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Article: General David Petraeus would be a rock star in the business world today. He is a man that knows how to turn the worst situation into a success relatively quickly. Gen. Petraeus took over command of the Iraq war at the start of 2007, and led what was called "the surge" of troops into Iraq. Most fully expected the General and his strategy to fail miserably. Most were wrong. A "surge" is needed in business to get our economic woes turned around. Think back to January of 2007. The Democrats had just taken control of Congress, and they put heavy pressure on President Bush to get out of Iraq. The war had become extremely unpopular, and we were losing 30-40 soldiers every month. The consensus was the U.S. should never have invaded Iraq, and had now lost the war. It felt like Vietnam all over again. Instead of urging retreat, Gen. Petraeus drew up the surge strategy to win the war. I don't know about you, but I was skeptical at the time. The one thing the General had going for him was that he knew he was right, and passionately believed our troops would prevail if given the right orders. He believed to his core he could turn the horrible mess around. A little more than 18 months later there is no one who can deny our brave men and women in uniform have soundly beaten the terrorists in Iraq. Thanks to the General, and his ability to go against what was popular, we are close to actually saying mission accomplished. For real this time. It was General Petraeus' maverick thinking that turned a complete military debacle into a success. Even if you didn't agree with going to war, you have to believe once there it is better to win than lose. The General went directly against what nearly everyone in the government and the military thought was the best course. He took a massive risk, not only with his military career, but more importantly with the lives of U.S. soldiers. The risk paid off, and General Petraeus is regarded as a modern-day U.S. Grant. Who will be the generals to solve our faltering economy? Who will be the maverick thinkers that can pull us out of the mess we're in today? Is there a new Steve Jobs or Bill Gates out there? Is there a new Warren Buffet with great new ideas that will spur on new industries, and revitalize others? We cannot rely on the government. They create problems, they don't solve them. All the government will do is tax the success of the men and women who drag the economy back from the brink. However, we control who runs the government, so our job as citizens is to be sure our leaders get out of the way and allow new ideas and businesses to flourish. I believe the new generals of business will be the many creative people who are working daily to find new, cheap, and clean forms of energy. Their efforts will change the way we power our cars, homes, businesses, everything. We are on the verge of an energy revolution that will change all our lives significantly for the better. The technology new energy develops will likely overlap into virtually every industry, such as manufacturing, transportation, electronics, bio tech, and health sciences. As with the computer revolution in the 1990's many other creative individuals will take the foundation built by new energy, and create fantastic new products. Think of the ways new energy will change computers, televisions, cell phones, etc. There is limitless potential. For instance, all over the internet you can find something called an HHO Generator for automobiles. There are many variations to be found, but basically an HHO generator is a container filled with water that has either two small sheets of metal or two coiled wires that dip into the water. The wires are connected to a power source in your car's engine, and a vacuum hose runs from the jar to your engine's manifold intake. When you start your car the metal coils are charged with electricity which then causes a reaction in the water resulting in the production of HHO (hydrogen and oxygen) gas. This gas will burn just like gasoline vapors. The hose running to your manifold intake then mixes this HHO with the gasoline vapors your engine burns. The result, if done correctly, is an increase in gas mileage of roughly 40-50 percent. Believe it or not it actually works. I've done it myself on my SUV, and went from 15 MPG to 27 MPG. At $4.10 per gallon that's quite a savings. I like my big SUV, and now it is cheaper to run. In addition, the HHO Generator actually reduces the emissions from the engine because when HHO is burned the byproduct is only water. This is not a new idea. This technology has been around since the 1870's, and has been used to power low heat blow torches. No one has used it for assisting in powering an automobile engine because until recent years gas prices were relatively cheap. This is a perfect example of using maverick thinking to solve a problem using technology already available. HHO Generators are not a long-term solution, but they could help us reduce oil consumption, and keep us from going broke on fuel prices until new fuel technology takes hold. Regular people in their garages have discovered HHO technology, and it is spreading across the internet. Like General Petraeus saved the U.S. from losing the war in Iraq, and drove down U.S. casualties, we need new leaders in industry to lead us through our current economic quagmire. Those leaders are out there. Please stand up with me. Ted Hebert is a writer and Maverick Thinker who works with business of all sizes to grow their business. If want to grow your business in new ways contact Ted at ted@atunga.com or visit www.Atunga.com.

Syndication Source: ThoughtSearch.com]]> http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/leading-an-economic-counter-insurgency/feed/ 0 http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/how-to-develop-leadership-skills/ http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/how-to-develop-leadership-skills/#comments Mon, 26 Jul 2010 07:09:12 +0000 Admin-Eric http://thoughtsearch.com/How-To-Develop-Leadership-Skills/96119/437.html Title: How To Develop Leadership Skills

Article: You must agree to the fact that leadership skills play a great role in heightening the possibility of your getting a high profile job. If you have leadership qualities, things are much easier for you when you are facing an interview or participation in a group discussion as a part of the interview or selection test. If you are eager to develop your leadership skills, and if you are in search for some tips and suggestions that will help you to develop characteristics, here are they. Follow them and make your leadership skills more effective. The first step to develop your leadership skills is to know the features that the successful leaders have. Try to develop those skills so that you can become a successful leader with unique and effective leadership skills. The features of the successful leaders have been discussed below. Sense of responsibility: This is one of the basic features that the successful leaders have. You should always be aware of what your duties are. Doing excellent work should not be sufficient for you. If you can ensure that all the team members of your team are doing their best, you can think that you have acted up to your responsibility. If you know something has to be done, either do it or ensure that it is done duly. Taking risk: in order to be an efficient leader, you have to have the courage to take risks. Do not take risks irrationally. If you are sure that you can manage the whole thing if you and your teamwork hard, you can take the risk. Trust in your men: since you want to develop your leadership skills. You cannot think of your existence in your profession without your team. You have to have faith in your men. You should believe that they are capable of doing the hardest job of they are led in the proper way and if they are inspired duly. Lifelong learners: you have to believe that you can learn things from each and every incident in your personal and professional life. You have to refine and update your knowledge and understanding of things and human behavior continually. Efficient dealing with complicacy: you cannot expect that you will go through the whole of your professional life without ever going through hard times. You are sure to face some tight situation that you have got to handle prudently and efficiently. You have to keep in mind that if you are worried in a complicated situation, your team members will also feel unsecured and unconfident. Communication: you should ensure that there should be no communication gap between you and your team members. If communication is excellent, your team is sure to perform better than ever before. You should be clear in saying what you expect from your team members. You should also understand their problems if they are real. The most important thing for a person having excellent leadership skills is to be efficient in his or her own job. It is the performance of the leader that inspires other team members of the team. Business Documents ,Ready to use for your Business and Call Center

Syndication Source: ThoughtSearch.com]]> http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/how-to-develop-leadership-skills/feed/ 0 http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/business-leadership-gaining-competitive-advantage/ http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/business-leadership-gaining-competitive-advantage/#comments Sun, 25 Jul 2010 01:05:19 +0000 Admin-Eric http://thoughtsearch.com/Business-Leadership-Gaining-Competitive-Advantage/156306/437.html Title: Business Leadership: Gaining Competitive Advantage

Article: Copyright (c) 2010 Willie HortonOne of the most important elements of ongoing business success is gaining and maintaining competitive advantage. Lots of businesses talk about it, lots of businesses strive for it, but very few businesses really understand it. Put simply, competitive advantage means being different - not just different from your competitors, but being noticeably different as perceived by your target market - and the difference has to be substantive, not cosmetic. And it is in substantive real competitive advantage that most businesses simply fail. They don't understand that to be different, the key people who lead the business need to actually lead, behave and be different. Different from what? From the norm.Research shows that normal people are all the same, they use their mind the same, the behave in the same automatic and reactive way - they conform to norms, that is how they are normal. Research shows that normal people are, at best, dysfunctional and there's a vast body of research that proves that business teams, peopled as they are by normal people, are totally dysfunctional. Research indicates that normal people only apply about 1% of their mental capacity to what they do every day. The normal mind is otherwise engaged in dwelling in the formative past of our childhood years. These long-gone experiences enable the normal person get through the day, but do little else.So, it is quite bizarre, in these economically challenging times, that those businesses who are seeking to achieve ongoing success continually endeavour to recruit only those with a proven track record and past experience in what? In doing the same things, the same ways that led to the economic disaster that we are now living through. A client, an innovative thinker with a track record in enabling a number of his client companies achieve abnormal success is currently finding it difficult to get consulting work in the financial sector. Financial institutions, banks in particular, who want to recover from their recent problems and thrive in the new environment only wish to recruit bankers with previous experience or those who have worked for the major consultancy firms who have a track record in... well, let's be blunt about it, creating the current mess. In other words, these companies are not serious at all about doing things differently.Substantive difference, which leads to substantive competitive advantage and abnormal business success, comes about as a result of a business's leadership behaving substantively different. And if these people are normal (and there's a 96% chance that they are) there is simply no hope whatsoever of their behaving in an abnormal fashion. Perhaps that's why there is such little evidence of real leadership - either in politics or business. So-called "Leadership Development Programs" in business are simply relying on broken management theories and are creating a whole new breed of normal, crazy, lazy, automatons who are incapable of leadership.Real leadership, delivering real and sustainable competitive advantage, comes from vision and presence. Presence, the hallmark of all great leaders, simply means that those that have it are more present than the normal poor idiots who are only 1% present. If you want to be a real leader - one who drives real change and delivers real and tangible results - you're going to have to develop your ability to be present. There's no weird complex formula for doing this. Nor can only the chosen few be leaders. Research in the field on neuro-psychology indicates that one's ability to be abnormally successful is directly correlated with one's ability to pay attention - more than 1% attention.So, the process is simple. You have to re-learn how to pay attention. Some call it focus, some call it single-mindedness (another hallmark of all great leaders). But the bottom line is you simply have to re-learn to be attentive to what's actually going on in the here and now. I say "re-learn" because, as children, we all had a natural and innate ability to pay attention - it's only as we "developed" into adults that our psychological processes distanced us from this innate ability.When enabling my clients re-train their minds, I like to explain to them that they, in fact, all that they need to do is come to their senses. I mean this quite literally. We have five senses - a two-year old opening a new toy on Christmas morning uses all five of them to fully experience the moment. As adults, we become lazy, no longer paying attention to what our senses are telling us, preferring to experience the moment using what psychologists call our "stored knowledge" - out-dated subconscious snapshots from our formative years, useless nonsense when it comes to making sense of the here and now. You need to re-learn how to pay attention to what your five senses are telling you - not re-interpreting what's going on on the basis that you think that you know best. The normal person doesn't know best - the normal person knows precious little when it comes to handling the challenges that arise in the here and now, nor indeed, is the normal person equipped to spot and embrace the present moment's opportunities.So, to establish substantive change, substantive competitive advantage and an abnormal level of effortless business success you need to pay attention! You need to embark upon a program of mental training - you need to begin each day with a quiet reflective few minutes to set your mind appropriately for the day ahead. You need to meditate - a word that rubs many people up the wrong way because they simply don't understand that, through meditation, you develop the necessary mental discipline and attentiveness to be more tuned in, more present and different - the central prerequisite for gaining and maintaining competitive advantage. Willie Horton enables his clients live their dream - since he launched his acclaimed Personal Development Seminars in 1996. His clients include major corporations: Pfizer, Deloitte, Nestle, Wyeth, KPMG, G4S & Allergan. An Irishman, he lives in the French Alps and travels the world as a much sought after speaker and mentor. In 2008 he launched Gurdy.Net home to his Online Personal Development Seminars, Change Your Life & No More Stress

Syndication Source: ThoughtSearch.com]]> http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/business-leadership-gaining-competitive-advantage/feed/ 0 http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/basic-principles-in-leadership-development-2/ http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/basic-principles-in-leadership-development-2/#comments Sun, 25 Jul 2010 01:05:19 +0000 Admin-Eric http://thoughtsearch.com/Basic-Principles-In-Leadership-Development/127081/437.html Title: Basic Principles In Leadership Development

Article: Some say that a person is born to be a leader, but this is not true. Everyone has the potential to draw upon their strengths to become an efficient and effective leader. Many companies are now investing in leadership development courses for managers to improve the way businesses are run. We take a look at the elements that will be addressed in such a course. Leadership development is about extrapolating the strengths of an individual and devising methods to put them to greatest effect. To enhance leadership skills a variety of methods need to be utilised. Text based theory needs to be put into practice to determine the precise way an individual has taken information on board and then put it into practice. As each person learns and teaches in a unique way, each leadership development course needs to be tailored to meet an individual's needs. Leadership development courses will focus on understanding the company as a whole as well as understanding the needs of individuals within a team. The goal is to motivate a team to work towards a common goal which will benefit the entire company. Organisational and motivational skills will be honed and the ability to communicate effectively will be addressed. Communication is not just about getting a point across effectively, it is also about being able to listen and interpret the needs of people within a team. Effective communication does not come naturally to some people, and therefore it is necessary to help someone in a leadership role understand what a team member is trying to say. This can be compared to teaching someone to 'read between the lines' when presented with a complex text. Those who teach leadership development courses will use their own skills to recognise the personal elements within an individual that can be put to good use. Some key factors include openness, approachability, patience and understanding backed up by an air of authority. An approachable yet firm leader will elicit respect from those he or she is leading. It is wise to remember that team members look up to a leader and expect them to be able to direct them as necessary. It is a position of great responsibility as ultimately it shows others the correct way to behave and progress. For this reason it is essential that the correct skills are used to best effect to benefit both the company and the needs of individuals equally. Dom Donaldson is a career development expert. Find out more about Leadership Development and the individual courses available at Righttrack Consultancy.

Syndication Source: ThoughtSearch.com]]> http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/basic-principles-in-leadership-development-2/feed/ 0 http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/how-to-deal-with-a-project-that-is-not-meeting-deadlines/ http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/how-to-deal-with-a-project-that-is-not-meeting-deadlines/#comments Sun, 25 Jul 2010 01:05:19 +0000 Admin-Eric http://thoughtsearch.com/How-to-Deal-With-a-Project-That-is-Not-Meeting-Deadlines/135966/437.html Title: How to Deal With a Project That is Not Meeting Deadlines

Article: There are eight signs that are leading indicators for a project that can be expected not to reach its goals and targets in a timely manner. These eight signs are: 1. The project-team appears to be dealing with a very broad range of issues 2. The project team does not seem to be spending much time together 3. The team is spending a lot of time carrying out "interviews" 4. The team does not appear to be doing any meaningful analytics 5. The team has very limited interaction with you(and other sponsors ) 6. Key stake-holders, who's by-in will be required for the project to be a success, are not aware of the project 7. The project is not meeting agreed deadlines 8. It is difficult to pin the team down on any meaningful conclusions This article will highlight how best to deal with the seventh of these signs, a project that is not meeting deadlines. Why is it a problem that the project you are sponsoring is not meeting deadlines? In my discussions with executives across the world, the first complaint that they usually give about internal project teams is that they do not deliver the end-results of the project on time. You can be pretty sure that a project that is not meeting interim deadlines is highly likely not to meet the final deadlines as well (independent of what your project manager tells you). In addition to this, delays to intermediate deadlines are very often a sign of other potential issues. Typically, the delays are caused by the team not being able to make sufficient time available for the project, the team spending too much on the wrong activities (such as data gathering or interviews), or the team being very uncomfortable with the basic premises of the project (background, goals, expected deliverables, etc). What can you do if one of the project teams that you are responsible for is missing intermediate deadlines? The key message is not to let it slide, as it is very unlikely that the problem will go away by itself. The first action you need to take is to sit with the team and demand a fairly detailed explanation of why deadlines that have been agreed in their project plan have been missed (this assumes that the team has had input to the plan and has accepted the key deadlines in this plan). In this discussion, you should be prepared to dig beyond the standard answers to uncover the true reasons for the delays. A standard answer you will hear is that the team has not had sufficient time to carry out the activities. This is almost always true, but should have been known to the team when they agreed to the project plan. You therefore need to push the responsibility for sticking to the plan firmly back to the team. There may, however, be cases where the possibility to allocate time to the project has decreased due to changes in priorities with your organization. In this case, you need to be prepared to act. You will need to understand what these new issues are and why they require time from members of your project. You will need to discuss alternatives with the other executives claiming time from your team members. If it is not possible to solve the issues related to the available time, you will need to develop (together with the team) alternative plans. This can involve reducing the scope of the project, delaying key milestones, or adding resources. Each of these solutions has its own pros and cons and needs to be analyzed in the specific context of the project and the organization. If you believe that the delays are caused by the project team spending too much time on certain activities (i.e. data collection, analytics, etc), be prepared to dig deep for the real reasons for this. You will also need to hammer home the need to stick to deadlines. You should also communicate that 100% knowledge is impossible, and that you trust the team to come up with good conclusions and recommendations in the time that they have been given (and have agreed). In this case, you will also need to help the team prioritize its activities going forward in order to get back on plan. My final recommendation is to keep a close eye on the team going forward. This is based on my experience that once a team has shown an inclination not to meet deadlines, it is likely to do so again. Rune Aresvik is a consultant with more than twenty years of experience in project management training and project management consulting. Go to Rune"s project management blog for more articles.

Syndication Source: ThoughtSearch.com]]> http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/how-to-deal-with-a-project-that-is-not-meeting-deadlines/feed/ 0 http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/the-three-questions-a-leader-should-ask-in-troubled-times/ http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/the-three-questions-a-leader-should-ask-in-troubled-times/#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:01:40 +0000 Admin-Eric http://thoughtsearch.com/The-Three-Questions-a-Leader-Should-Ask-in-Troubled-Times/117332/437.html Title: The Three Questions a Leader Should Ask in Troubled Times

Article: Times of crisis require clear thinking on the part of business leaders. Bad news tends to pile up from day to day, and can seem overwhelming. How can you make sensible business decisions when you're waiting for the next bit of news which may well throw all your plans into chaos? Better to wait and not do anything, just in case. Well, no, of course not. That isn't going to get anything done. The most important thing to remember is that your fundamental priorities as a leader remain the same. Other people around you may feel that everything has changed, but if you hold fast to the practices of good leadership, you'll give your people, your team and your business the best chance it has to weather the storm. These good practices can be summarised very simply by asking yourself and your people three questions and here they are: 1. "What's up?" 2. "So what?", and 3. "What now?" The first question, "What's up?" is really about exploring the current situation facing you and the team. "What's up?" you ask. "What's the situation? What are the facts? What are we doing?" This is all about exploring the present situation in the present tense. Having got a good grasp of the situation, or as good a grasp as you're going to get - you'll never have all the information and all the answers at your fingers - then you can ask the second question. Now, the second question is "So what?" And you should actually ask this question. But not in a patronising or aggressive way. Ask the question as a prompt to your people. "So what? What are the implications of this information? Of the things we just discovered, of the facts we have?" And you should push your people quite hard here. "What are the implications for our suppliers and competitors as well as for us?" You can extend this question further by asking: "What are the options open to us?" In a way you are helping people to brainstorm - but don't call it brainstorming. Keep it informal and direct. Ask "What could we do? What are the possibilities we should consider?" This question "So what?" is in the future tense - it's about the things you haven't done yet, but the things you could do. And you'll have huge success if you remember to ask this question of your teams, giving them every opportunity to share their best thinking - no matter how strange their ideas might seem. Once you've started getting a few ideas - frankly that's the most dangerous time for you. This is when most poor managers stop the discussion and send teams off to the library or to the internet to research some or all of the thousands of possibilities. Instead, you should ask the third question: "What now?" You ask: "What are we going to do now? What decisions are the best decisions for us?" This is critical. This is the moment of truth; the time you choose what action to take. Your skill as a leadership coach is crucial here. You've got to help your people to analyse and evaluate the options you've developed and to choose a course of action everyone can support. You don't have to have all the answers, but you do need to know the right questions to ask. If you want the leadership success you deserve, get the leadership training you deserve. Download more free articles and leadership training videos from business journalist Jacqueline Moore and Steven Sonsino, authors of the Amazon bestseller "The Seven Failings of Really Useless Leaders" Get more FREE videos and articles right now: http://www.stevensonsino.com

Syndication Source: ThoughtSearch.com]]> http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/the-three-questions-a-leader-should-ask-in-troubled-times/feed/ 0 http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/mountain-climbing-and-taking-care-of-business/ http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/mountain-climbing-and-taking-care-of-business/#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:01:40 +0000 Admin-Eric http://thoughtsearch.com/Mountain-Climbing-and-Taking-Care-of-Business/135979/437.html Title: Mountain Climbing and Taking Care of Business

Article: My two passions are business and mountain climbing. If you saw me coming down the street in my high-priced designer suit, it's unlikely that you would instantly recognize my passion for mountain climbing. However; I truly am as enthusiastic about and commited to this exhilarating sport as I am with my day to day career. I actually feel the assorted skills and focus that I have developed over the years as an avid outdoorsman have, at least in part, fostered the professional abilities that have allowed me to rapidly scale the corporate ladder. Vividly imagining the corporate ladder as that imposing mountain, I made up my mind to put on my helmet (or thinking cap) and aggressivly forge upward and onward. Once my business goals met with success, (and I should point out that success came relatively quickly), I was then able to apply that similar focus and turn the pastime of mountain climbing into a full-fledged obsession. While there are aspects of modern technology that might seem almost in opposition to this overwhelming need to commune with nature and all its exciting challenges, I have to give an exceptional amount of credit (particulary with regard to satellite internet service) to modern technology. It's honestly what has allowed me to grow, promote and maintain my career success while also devoting untold hours to my personal mountain-climbing interests. Taking advantage of the opportunity to contact my clients, prepare proposals and conduct even extensive research from afar, all the while continuing with uninterrupted business, was only possible due to the aid of high-speed satellite internet service. Meeting my goals at work even when I was out of the office became incredibly easy. These days, I seriously spend at least four days each week in the mountains. I'm sure if you saw me coming down the street these days in my designer-label attire, you'd think my huge gray beard, long hair, and the bandana on my head somewhat incongruous. You might even imagine that I was a caveman who'd mugged a stockbroker. It's easy to build a healthy balance in one's life when we allow technology to simplify our lives. Make these modern inventions work for you. There's no reason to be a slave to your office when a plethora of high-tech devices (cell phones, PDA and laptop computers) along with convient technology (wireless high speed internet services, for example) are ever at your fingertips. So, ditch the dial up service, step away from the desk and head for the hills. Let the wonders of up-to-date technology set you free! Taylor Jensen writes about high speed internet service, is considered an expert in the field ofsatellite Internet, and has published hundreds of articles informing consumers about what to look for when consideringhigh speed satellite Internet in their homes or remote businesses.

Syndication Source: ThoughtSearch.com]]> http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/mountain-climbing-and-taking-care-of-business/feed/ 0 http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/being-satisified-with-hiding-problems-leads-to-fatal-inaction/ http://www.truevisionary.com/2010/07/being-satisified-with-hiding-problems-leads-to-fatal-inaction/#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:01:40 +0000 Admin-Eric http://thoughtsearch.com/Being-Satisified-with-Hiding-Problems-Leads-to-Fatal-Inaction/87484/437.html Title: Being Satisified with Hiding Problems Leads to Fatal Inaction

Article: Still water breeds mosquitoes, not progress. You have probably seen many stagnant ponds. The lack of movement on the pond's surface makes a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes, and makes it easy for unattractive debris to cover the surface as well. Put a little movement into that pond, and you'll have many fewer mosquitoes and a much more attractive pond. A lot of leaders and managers don't understand this point. Instead, they like to focus on getting back to basics. New CEOs coming into stagnant companies understand this lesson very well. They also know that their own movement will not stir the waters nearly as much as the movement of all the people in the firm. A corporate officer in a newly-invigorated company, led by a new CEO brought in from outside the organization, shared this experience. The company had had almost no revenue and earnings growth for many years, and was doing little about it. The company had been the industry leader five years earlier, and now was half the size of the rapidly-growing current leader. The new CEO called a meeting of all the corporate officers the first day on the job, and asked each of them to outline what needed to be done to get the company moving again. The CEO indicated that he wanted the answers no later than five days hence. Then he waited. In the next few hours, the executive recounting this story wrote and turned in her report to the CEO. The CEO later told her that no one else produced a report until five days later, and some people even missed that deadline. The CEO excoriated everyone except her for taking the company's needs so casually. News reports indicated that almost every one of the executives who waited five or more days to report left the company within a few weeks. The replacements were told that their futures depended on both results, and sharing rapidly what they were running into. The company soon began to make progress again. Making mistakes and reporting them were okay, as long as the risks were understood and shared in advance. Irresistible growth enterprises should seek effectiveness, rather than personal perfection for its own sake. Most companies will make much more progress by doing a lot more and having some of it not work out, than doing almost nothing at all and making few mistakes. What are you doing to stir up greater ferment, ideas, and action among your people? How will you assist people in overcoming their desire to avoid embarrassment and making mistakes? Donald Mitchell is an author of seven books including Adventures of an Optimist, The 2,000 Percent Squared Solution, The 2,000 Percent Solution, The 2,000 Percent Solution Workbook, The Irresistible Growth Enterprise, and The Ultimate Competitive Advantage. Read about creating breakthroughs through 2,000 percent solutions and receive tips by e-mail by registering for free at http://www.2000percentsolution.com .

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