By Robert Stevenson

TABLE OF CONTENTS

# 1 Success is Never Final # 2 Finding the Time to Become Better # 3 Limited Supply of Marbles # 4 The Power of Commitment # 5 Getting the Most Out of Life

# 6 The Power of the Female Buyers # 7 The Power of Our Thoughts # 8 Never Use Two Words When One Will Do # 9 The Power of Asking Questions # 10 How to View Difficult Customers

# 11 Feeling Stupid – You’ve Got Company # 12 The Most Powerful Form of Advertising # 13 Do You Annoy People # 14 Mean People # 15 Guaranteed Formula for Success

# 16 The Meaning of “Final” # 17 Change You First # 18 People Who Really Make a Difference # 19 Look For The Bigger Picture # 20 Why, Why Not, Why Don’t We Try

# 21 Oh How Things Change # 22 Chill # 23 Developing Talent # 24 It’s All About a Better You # 25 Eliminating Bad Habits

# 26 I Shall Find a Way or Make One # 27 Life is What You Make of It # 28 Making Sense of Nonsense # 29 Success Is A Result of Achievement Not Good Intentions # 30 Give More – Get More

# 31 Act as if the Whole World is Watching # 32 Just How Badly Do You Want Success # 33 Smile – It’s Good For You and Those Around You # 34 Capsule Course in Human Relations # 35 Your Choices Will Determine Your Success

# 36 The Latest and Greatest Sometimes Isn't # 37 Things We Take for Granted # 38 Subtraction is the Exercise of Genius # 39 Be Careful What You Pass Along # 40 It's Time "IZE" Get On With It

# 41 Show Excitement in Your Greetings # 42 Got Your Back # 43 High Self Esteem - Your Success Depends On It # 44 N.I.C.E. # 45 Some Management Ideas for Surviving a Recession

# 46 Walk The Talk # 47 The Challenge # 48 Sometimes You Must Lose a Fight to Win a War # 49 If You Want to Succeed – Then Start Focusing # 50 The Destructive Effects of Arrogance

# 51 How’s That Working for You # 52 1% Better Every Day # 53 When in Doubt Spell it Out # 54 I Just Need One Person # 55 Corporate Culture Counts

# 56 No Consequence to Me – Oh, Really? # 57 XVXRY KXY MUST WORK # 58 The Power of Appreciation # 59 Powerful Thoughts to Live By # 60 Your Future is Created in the Present

# 61 J.M. Smucker’s Rules for Success # 62 What Twitter and Thomas Jefferson Have In Common # 63 The Contrarian # 64 Humble Beginnings # 65 What is Unconventional Today Could be Conventional Tomorrow

#66 Some Success Tweets #67 Laughter is a POSITIVE STIMULANT to Profits #68 REALISTIC OPTIMIST #69 Chipping Away At Success #70 Life Is a Line - It Just Depends on How You Want To Draw It

#1 – Success is Never Final

230 of the Fortune 500 companies that existed in 1980 are gone. Go back 10 more years and that number jumps to 74%. The simple point to understand is if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll be gone.

Loyal clients in America are hard to find. Your competition is just waiting for you to drop the ball so they can scoop it right up and run with it. As I say in my programs; “don’t tell what you did for me yesterday, tell me what you are going to do for me tomorrow.”

One of the big problems I see with companies today is that they don’t really know what differentiates them from their competition. If I was conducting a Strategic Planning Session for your organization today, the first thing I would ask you is what does it take to be great in your industry. I would then ask, where are you excelling where are you meeting the standard where are you the weakest?

You’ve got to understand your strengths, especially those that differentiate you from you competitors. But you better fully understand where you need work. The Harvard business review stated, 1 in 24 customers complain, the other 23 just go somewhere else. When your clients leave they are a great deal harder to get back than they ever were to get in the first place.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #2 – Finding the Time to Become Better

According to the Nielsen Company, a firm who specializes in recording how many people watch television, the average person watches 6.5 hours of TV per day.

I find that really hard to believe, but if they are right, that means in an average life span we would spend about 11 years of our life watching television. If we quit watching commercials we would save about 3 years.

If you just reduced the time you spend watching TV by 1 hour, you would have an additional 365 hours per year to make yourself better. On a 40 hour work week, you just added an additional 9 weeks per year for perfecting your trade.

I don’t know how much time you spend watching television, but I do know this. If you really want to rise to the top, invest 1 hour per day to learn more about your industry.

Developing this single habit can make you an expert in your field within 5 years.

It’s up to you to find the time, so make it happen.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #3 – Limited Supply of Marbles

I once read about a man who, when he was 55 years old, came up with a simple way to remind him to focus on the important things in life. He had read that the average life span for a man was 75 years. Now that might seem like a long time when you are 10, 20 or 30 years old, but at 55, I would think you may have a different perspective. He determined that with 52 weeks in a year, he had approximately 1,000 weeks left in his life, according to the experts.

So, he went out and bought a large jar and 1,000 marbles and filled the jar with the marbles. He then placed the jar in a very visible location in his home. Every week that passed he took a marble out. He found that by watching the marbles diminish it caused him to focus on the important things in life.

None of us know how long we have on this earth, but we all need to be reminded once in a while, it is a finite amount of time. Too many times I find myself wishing for a future date to be here rather than truly appreciating the day that I have.

In 2 weeks I’m on vacation just two more months until Christmas when our son graduates we will have time to

Don’t be wishing your life away for tomorrow.

We all have a limited supply of marbles left, so enjoy today and get the most out of it.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #4 – The Power of Commitment

Until one is committed there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation) there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now. By – Goethe

They don’t write about people who are saying “I would’ve done that I could’ve done that I should’ve done that.” They write about the people who are doing it. Five hundred millionaires were asked what really caused them to be so successful. Most said, “I finally decided to get serious.” Many of those millionaires also said that they had faced their biggest adversity right before becoming successful in other words they hit rock bottom right before they hit their peak.

You don’t want to be a person with PERMANENT POTENTIAL.

Bring the magic you have in you out where we all can see it.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #5 – Getting the Most Out of Life

A professor stood before her Philosophy class and had some items in front of her. She picked up a very large and empty jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. She then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the professor picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. She shook the jar slightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. She then asked if the jar was full. The students agreed it was. The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar and the sand trickled into the even smaller open gaps. She then asked if the jar was full and the students responded with a unanimous, “Yes!” The professor then produces two cans of liquid chocolate from under the table and pours the entire contents into the jar effectively filling any empty space remaining.

“Now”, said the professor, “I want you to recognize that the jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things – your family, your spouse, your health, your children, your friends, your favorite passions – things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else – the small stuff. If you put the sand in the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Take care of the golf balls first – the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the chocolate represented. The professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for chocolate!” - Author Unknown

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #6 – The Power of the Female Buyers

In 1970 only 1 percent of the American business traveler was female. They now account for roughly 50 percent. From 1970 to 1998 men’s median income rose 0.6 percent, while women’s median income rose by 63 percent. Six out of every ten new web users are women. Women-owned businesses in America employ over 27.5 million workers, which is more workers than the fabled Fortune 500 employs worldwide. Women-owned companies last year account for $3.5 trillion in revenue, which exceeds the GDP of Germany.

The American’s female economy now accounts for more than half the U.S. GDP; around five trillion dollars. Women are also the chief decision makers in just about every kind of purchase; commercial or consumer. Just how powerful is the female decision maker?

All consumer purchases 83% Home furnishings 94% Vacations 92% New homes 91% “Do It Yourself” home projects 80% Consumer electronics 51% Healthcare 80% Back Accounts 89%

If your company, organization, association is not addressing the female market, speaking in female terms, researching female needs you are making a huge mistake.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #7 – The Power of Our Thoughts

“The secret of living a life of excellence is merely a matter of thinking thoughts of excellence.” Charles Swindell

“If you change your way of thinking, you change your life.” Brian Tracy

“All that we are arises with our thoughts.” Buddha

“Daily we must train our thoughts to see only what we wish to experience; and since we are growing into what we are mentally dwelling upon, we should put all small and insignificant thoughts and ideals out of our thinking and see things in a larger way.” Ernest Holmes

The starting point for bettering yourself all begins with your thoughts. You then turn your thoughts into a plan and your plan into action. Don’t tell me how bad it is, how wrong it was, how unfair they are; tell me what you are going to do about it.

The first day of the rest of your life is today, so make it a great one.

Think it, plan it, do it.

What are you waiting for?

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #8 – Never Use Two Words When One Will Do

When promulgating your esoteric cogitations or articulating your superficial sentimentalities and amicable philosophical and psychological observations, beware of platitudinous ponderosity. Let your verbal evaporations have lucidity, intelligibility and vivacity without thespian bombast. Sedulously avoid all polysyllabic profundity, pompous propensity and sophomoric vacuity.

The simple version of what you just read is, “don’t use big words.” Since time is a commodity you can never replace, you need to use it as wisely as possible. A good place to start is in your letter / memo / email writing. Cut out every word that you really don’t need. Don’t try to impress the reader with your knowledge of the English language. Change every inflated word to a simple equivalent (i.e. change utilize to use).

The Ten Commandments required less than 300 words, and Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address was a mere 10 sentences with only 271 words. It was Thomas Jefferson who said, “The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.”

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #9 – The Power of Asking Questions

I guess I am one of the fortunate ones that have finally learned the power of asking questions. It is amazing what can be accomplished or learned by just asking questions. You can become a better boss, manager, salesperson, friend, and spouse by just asking questions. If you are the one doing all the talking, you are not giving yourself the opportunity to learn anything. If you want to learn something, why not ask a question and then “shut-up” and listen. Let their answers lead you to other questions.

I have found that in most cases, people love to talk. So, by asking questions and letting them answer, you are allowing them to do what they like, thus making them comfortable, resulting in their seeing you in a more favorable light. You can also steer the conversation in the direction you want it to go by merely asking the right questions, allowing them to tell you what you need to know.

It has been said that you can gain and hold someone's attention better with a question than a statement. As long as you ask questions in a manner that invites a response rather than putting them on the defensive, you will learn more about the person, situation, problem, condition, etc.

If you want to be more successful, become more intelligent, and also be known as a great conversationalist, then start asking questions and listen intently.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #10 – How to View Difficult Customers

In my first “Consider This” article ( #1 - Success Is Never Final ) I stated that The Harvard Business Review once wrote 1 out of 25 customers complain, the other 24 go somewhere else. Those are extremely scary numbers. It doesn’t matter if you do or don’t agree with their findings. What matters is how you, your associates, your organization perceives an unhappy customer. Are they perceived as a complainer, bellyacher, griper, villain, and/or jerk? If they are perceived that way, you are going to need to do a major paradigm shift in this costly perception.

You need to label your outspoken unhappy customers as customer service consultants. They are unhappy customers who haven’t walked away, YET. They are actually giving you the opportunity to correct a situation. Their complaint can help to serve as a contribution to the future success of your organization.

It is time to start viewing these difficult customers as allies. They can help your organization prosper by identifying areas of discontent. Thank them for their feedback. If you can, figure out ways you can reward them for their feedback. Celebrate in the fact that you have been given a second chance; a chance to fix, adjust, tweak a problem you weren’t aware of. You can’t fix what you don’t know about. Be grateful they came forward, rather than deciding to say nothing and just go somewhere else.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson

#11 – Feeling Stupid – You’ve Got Company

Have you ever said something that really made you look stupid? Have you ever done something and wished you hadn’t. Well don’t feel alone. Your past, present and future will be riddled with people doing the same thing. Customers have called computer manufacturer help desks and

said they could not locate the “Any” key on their keyboard to comply with the instructions of “Press Any Key.”

actually opened a window in their home when the tech told them to click on the icon and open the window.

said their cup holder was broken on their computer. The computer phone tech finally figured out they were referring to the disc holder that pops out.

Past Presidents and Vice Presidents of our great country are not exempt from an occasional brush with stupid statements. Some great examples would be;

“When more and more people are thrown out of work, unemployment results.”

“I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don’t always agree with them.”

“I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix.”

If you are really feeling stupid just remember that in a survey conducted by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation on historical knowledge, 55 percent of the people surveyed identified Obi-Wan Kenobi as the person who said, “May the force be with you” in Star Wars. Only 9 percent knew George Washington was a general in the Revolutionary War. The actor James Caan turned down the starring roles in a string of box office hits, including MASH, Love Story, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Superman and Kramer vs. Kramer.

So when you are feeling a little down on yourself because of something you have said / done, or a bad decision you have made, don’t feel alone; learn from it, get over it and move on. Remember the words of Jonathan Swift – “A man should never be ashamed to own that he has been in the wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.”

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #12 – The Most Powerful Form of Advertising

Last week I had the opportunity to present two programs to one of the leading property casualty insurance companies in the country. They have been in business sense 1950 and now have over 2,900 associates working at corporate and over 1,000 working in the field as Field Claims Representatives. From their humble beginnings they have grown to a $3 billion corporation earning 11 cents on every dollar taken in. I find that to be a pretty amazing number considering the amount of hurricanes we have had in the last year-and-a-half.

After I had presented my programs, one of their senior executives asked me what I found to be the most interesting fact I had discovered about their company while I was doing my research to prepare for the engagements. I replied, “That’s easy … you don’t advertise. You’re doing over $3 billion in sales with no advertising.”

He responded, “Our claims department is our advertising; that is where we shine. Our Field Claims Representatives are our Promise Keepers. An insurance policy is only as good as how well the Promise is backed-up. We believe that if you deliver exceptional service, you don’t need to advertise; people will hear about you.”

The most powerful and trusted advertising in the world is “Word of Mouth.”

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #13 – Do You Annoy People

Do you annoy people? Do you have a certain habit that really bothers the heck out of family, friends, and associates? I have one relative who blows their nose at the dinner table every time they come over. Right in the middle of eating, out comes the handkerchief, and BAM, you know what’s coming next. Every Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, birthdays, no matter what the occasion, you can count on the big blow. There are people who follow almost every sentence with the phrase, “you know” or “you know what I mean.” You might know that person who uses the term “like” in almost every sentence; “Like, you know what I mean … Like, they really bother me … Like, get over it.” Do you smack your food when you eat? I’m not real fond of the person who chews their gum so you get to see it quite often. The list can go on and on; talking loud on your cell-phone, wearing too much cologne or perfume, twirling your hair, biting your nails, always late.

I had a terrible habit of always stealing the punch line when my wife was telling a funny story. One day she finally said, “do you always have to interrupt me and tell the ending.” I remember saying, “but I thought you had finished.” Her reply was, “no, I just took a breath.” I hadn’t realized that I was doing it. I just got wrapped up in her story and was helping her finish. Now that’s annoying. Having a fourteen year old son will also help to identify any annoying habits you may have. One day my son said, “hey Dad, you enjoying those peanuts?” I said, “yeah, why do you ask?” He said, “because I can hear you eating them all the way over here.” I can’t stand people who eat loud but there I was eating loud.

Being a professional speaker there are many times my program is videotaped. Each one of those tapes is a great learning experience for me when I review them. Tapes don’t lie; they show you everything you are doing right and anything you may be doing wrong. The audience might not pick up on it, but I do. In fact, if I catch myself over-using a particular phrase, I will write that phrase out in large print on a 3 X 5 card and place it close by me when I speak for the next several weeks, to remind myself to not over-use that phrase.

It is most likely that you won’t be videotaping yourself to help catch you doing those annoying things. You may not have that teenager who will help you change your ways. But it might behoove you to ask a few close friends or relatives if you do have any annoying habits. Don’t take umbrage with what they say. Remember, you asked. Now, you may think you don’t have any annoying habits and my response to you would be think again !

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #14 – Mean People

I just don’t understand why some people in positions of authority think that being mean, condescending, and/or cruel are effective ways to get the most out of people. I have unfortunately, run across numerous bosses, managers and teachers who are just plain mean. I guess some folks feel that when they are given a position of authority, or the title of Supervisor, Vice President, District Manager, etc., that they are now entitled to say and do whatever they want because they have “the authority” they have “the title.” Their associates, employees, or students are now below them and they can treat them as such.

Depending on what industry you are in, it costs somewhere between $5,000 to $75,000 to properly train an employee. I have had several clients tell me they have spent a great deal more. So why in the world would you spend all this time, effort and money to then have some manager rip into an employee and start to drive them away from your organization. You also might want to heed the old wise tale, “As you treat your employees, they will in turn treat your customers.”

I believe words like respect, fair, concern, help, assist, facilitate, teach, show, lead, and care are far more effective than push, yell, scream, force, scare, intimidate, bully, threaten, harass, and drive. I have always tried to follow the simple rule of “Praise in Public, Criticize in Private.” I would also suggest that if you have to criticize them, try and find something they are doing right, and talk about that for a few moments before sending them out to deal with fellow employees or customers.

My son’s history teacher last year was tough. He was an African-American teacher, retired military, a couple of years away from retirement, who had total control of his class. He demanded a lot of his students and my son had to work hard in his class, but my son still liked him. I asked him one time why he was his favorite teacher. He said, “Well Dad, he’s fair. He told us he wouldn’t try and trick us on tests. If we listened in class, took good notes and then studied the notes we would do well.” He then added, “And then after a test, if there was any time left in class, we would do some fun things. He likes to laugh and make others laugh.” Let’s see what we have here: a tough, demanding, old school, of a different race, teacher being respected and liked by a teenage student. Who would have ever thought that possible?

I don’t like mean people; never have, and never will. I don’t want to be associated with them, work for them, or be taught by them. And if I have a choice, I will go somewhere else.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #15 – Guaranteed Formula for Success

Successful people do what unsuccessful people won’t. Successful people don’t just arrive at the top of the heap. They had a personal discipline coupled with boundless energy and decided to make things happen. We are all creatures of habit. The problem is, some of those habits could be greatly improved upon. It’s your daily habits that will determine your future. I’m not going to get into helping you identify your bad and good habits today, though that is an excellent exercise for improving yourself. Today, I am going to share with you just one short story that could have a profound, positive effect on your future.

A man approached the late JP Morgan, held up an envelope and said, “Sir, in my hand I hold a guaranteed formula for success, which I will gladly sell you for $25,000.” JP Morgan replied, “Sir, I do not know what is in the envelope, however if you show me, and I like it, I give you my word as a gentleman that I will pay you what you ask.” The man agreed to the terms and handed over the envelope. JP Morgan opened it and took out a single sheet of paper. He gave it one look, just a mere glance, and then handed the single sheet of paper back to the man. JP Morgan then paid the gentleman $25,000.

Here is what was written on the paper.

1. Every morning, write a list of the things that need to be done that day.

2. Do Them !

Would you pay someone $25,000 for that advice; most people wouldn’t. The problem is, by not following the advice, it will cost you a great deal more.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #16 – The Meaning of “Final”

On January 2nd, 2006 my father passed away. The response I received from friends, family, and associates was overwhelming. So many people shared stories, poems and articles to lift my spirits and help me cope with my grief. I don’t want to be sad or depressing. On the contrary, I want it to be uplifting and hopefully a bit insightful.

My wife Ann had lost both her parents when she was in her early 30’s and it is not until now that I have any idea what she really went through. Probably the most profound thing I now realize is the meaning of “final.” Webster’s dictionary gives the definition of final as – of or coming to an end. Leaving no further chance for action; conclusive. Webster got that right. There will be no more conversations, hugs, kisses, or laughs. I can pick up the phone and call his phone number, but he will never answer again. So, don’t leave anything unsaid because someday the word “final” will have a new meaning to you, too; if it doesn’t already.

One note I received from a dear friend ended with two sentences that really struck a chord with me; I think they will with you as well.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

My Dad got that one right.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #17 ņ Change You First

The other day I was correcting my son about something annoying he was doing. I was trying to explain to him why he shouldn’t do it and that other people might also find it annoying. Tyler and I have a pretty open relationship and I try to encourage him to speak freely to me on any subject. So, after I corrected him, he asked me what he should do if I did something that annoyed him. I said that he should let me know. Tyler then proceeded to mimic a couple of things I do that annoy him. My wife happened to be in the room and I thought she was going to break a rib, because she was laughing so hard at Tyler’s depiction of a couple of my annoying habits. He kept going and Annie kept laughing.

There I sat in all my glory, receiving a mirror image of a couple of my annoying habits from my son. What should I say now how should I react to this telling depiction of myself? Do I take umbrage because my 15-year-old son is correcting me? And don’t forget, my wife is not coming to my defense; she is just about on the floor, she is laughing so hard. So what did I do? I started laughing, too. Tyler really wasn’t trying to be mean. He had hit the nail right on the head and the nail was me. Annie was probably thrilled with what Tyler had done. Maybe I would actually try and change as I was suggesting he do.

I make the statement in my programs, “Before asking others to change, change you first.” Maybe I should take my own advice. So, the next time the “Tyler” in your life makes a suggestion about something you could improve upon, change, or quit doing before taking offense give it some thought. It may make you better and that’s good.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #18 ņ People Who Really Make a Difference

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read the e-mail straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world. 2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners. 3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America. 4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize. 5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress. 6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies, awards tarnish, and achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners. Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school. 2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time. 3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile. 4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special. 5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier?

The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care. Pass this on to those people who have made a difference in your life.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #19 ņ Look for the Bigger Picture

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the fine details that we never move forward. Sometimes all we see is what is wrong with a new idea rather than what might possibly be right with it, even if only a portion of the idea will work. Maybe we should take a lesson from our own mind (brain).

Aoccdrnig to a rsechearer at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in what oredr the ltteers in a word apaepr, the only iprmoetnt thing is that the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can still raed it wouthit a porbelm. This is bcuseae the human mind deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the word as a wlohe.

I remember doing a speaking engagement where a lady came up to me afterwards with a hand written note pointing out the one misspelled word in my program. Normally, I would have been very thankful for her pointing out my error, but not this time. The manner in which she delivered her message was condescending, with a hint of glee that she had found a mistake. I had over 150 slides in my program that day, with several thousand words and she found the one typo. I wonder how long she sat there thinking about my typo, excited she found my typo, relishing in the fact that she found a mistake I made rather than trying to get something out of my message?

My message to you today is get past the little things. Look for the bigger picture. It is safe to say that most great discoveries came out of countless attempts, errors and mistakes. If you are going to

Ź base a person’s creative intelligence on their ability to spell every word perfectly

Ź shoot down an idea because it has never been done before

Ź not promote someone because they are not as detailed as you

Ź fire or not hire someone because they don’t conform to your fashion beliefs than do yourself a favor and don’t pursue a career that has anything to do with managing a company, leading people, or creating new and better ways to succeed.

Yes, soemtmies it is tugoh to see the big pcitrue wehn all you are dniog is fdinnig falut.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #20 ņ Why, Why Not, Why Don’t We Try

Nobel Laureate and physicist Richard Feynman said that it was no coincidence that virtually all major discoveries in physics were made by those under the age of 25. When he was asked why he concluded, “you don’t know what you don’t know.” I guess another way you could put it is, when you are unaware of something that supposedly can’t be done you go at it with a blind determination to see if it CAN be done.

Any time I do a strategic planning session for a company, I always ask them to make sure they have some of their younger talents in the room. If you want fresh, new ideas, I think it is only appropriate to have fresh, new, young employees in the room sharing their ideas. You won’t hear statements from them like, “that’s the way we’ve always done it,” because they’ve never done it. What you will hear are challenging statements like, “Why,” or “Why not,” or “Why don’t we try …”.

I am not saying that the veterans in a company should be “put out to pasture” when it comes to coming up with ideas that will improve it. I think experience is an incredibly powerful resource. Intellectual capital is one of the most valuable assets of any company. What I am saying is don’t discount an idea from a young associate by saying “What could they know … they are too young to know anything … they haven’t been here long enough to know how we do it at our company.”

In the mid 1800’s the head of the Patent Office in Washington recommended that the Patent Office be closed, because everything that could have been invented had already been invented. That same Patent Office rejected the patent applied for by the Wright Brothers for their flying machine stating they believed machines that were heavier than air could not fly. Someone forgot to tell the Wright Brothers. They just kept asking themselves “Why” … “Why not,” … “ Why don’t we try …”, and aren’t we glad they did.

Our young ones have grown up in a world of speed, multi-tasking, constantly changing technology where virtually anything is accessible through the Internet. I don’t care what they don’t know I want to hear what they want to change, don’t like, think is stupid or is a waste of time. If you want to say young then stay curious and keep asking WHY, WHY NOT, WHY DON’T WE TRY.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #21 ņOhHowThingsChange

I recently received an email that had some interesting statistics I wanted to share with you.

THE YEAR IS 1907

One hundred years ago. What a difference a century makes! Here are some of the U.S. Statistics for the Year 1907.

The average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47 years old. Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub. Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone. A three-minute call from Denver to New York City Cost eleven dollars. There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S and only 144 miles of paved roads. The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph. Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each more heavily populated than California. There were a mere 1.4 million people in California, which was only the 21st most populous state in the Union. The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!

The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents per hour. The average U.S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year. A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist made $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year. More than 95 percent of all births in the U.S. took place at home. Ninety percent of all U.S. doctors had no college education. Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press and the government as "substandard." Sugar cost four cents a pound. Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen. Coffee was fifteen cents a pound. Most women only washed their hair once a month and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo. Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.

The five leading causes of death in the U.S. were: 1. pneumonia and influenza 2. tuberculosis 3. diarrhea 4. heart disease 5. stroke.

The American flag had 45 stars. Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Alaska hadn't been admitted to the Union yet. The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30! Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea hadn't been invented yet. There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day. Two out of every 10 U.S. adults couldn't read or write. Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.

Now I have forwarded this message to you and others all over the United States and abroad in a matter of just seconds with just one click on a computer! Just try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years! IT STAGGERS THE MIND! Oh, how things change.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #22 ņ Chill

The other day my son Tyler and I were driving around running a few errands and to our misfortune we encounter a jerk. Now jerks can come in all shapes, sizes, ages, genders, and calibers. I use the word caliber in context to the degree of jerk they are; inconsiderate jerk, pestering jerk, annoying jerk, or off-the-chart jerk. The one we encountered was an off-the- charter.

I popped off in the car to Tyler about what a jerk this man was, yada, yada, yada, and Tyler can hear and see that I am noticeably angered by the situation. He looks at me and says, "Dad, CHILL!" Now if I had ever said that to my father, you probably wouldn't be reading this today. Tyler and I have a different kind of relationship. He wasn't being a flippant teenager with a smart mouth. He was actually concerned about my health.

He went on to put the matter in a very proper perspective. He said, "Dad, in the last seven months we have moved out-of-state into a rental home, then moved into a home we purchased in that state, then moved back to Florida. What this man is doing that bothers you is nothing compared to what we have been through." You know what, he was right. I was wound a little too tight from all that we had been through and was letting something trivial get to me. I decided to do something with Tyler's so appropriate word CHILL, and make an acronym for the word as a reminder of his excellent advice:

C H I L L = Calm Helps Individuals Live Longer

So, the next time you get angered, annoyed, or frustrated about something, just remember to CHILL. It will be better for your health, your attitude and especially those around you who are witnessing your angered state.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #23 ņ Developing Talent

How much time per year do you think a person should spend perfecting their profession? Should they work 99% of the time and study 1%? Should they study 2%, 5% or 10% of that time trying to learn how to become more proficient at their job? According to the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) the average number of hours spent in a classroom by an American worker is 26.3 hours.

If you had 2 weeks vacation per year and added another week for holidays, that would give you 49 workweeks. Based on a 40-hour workweek, you would have 1,960 work hours per year. According to the ASTD, 26.3 of those hours are spent in the classroom. That would mean the average American worker spends less than 1.5% of their workday perfecting their profession. To look at these numbers in simpler terms, on average American workers spend 6.5 minutes per day developing their talent.

If you are an employee of a company reading this article please don't rely on your company to make you better at your profession. I suggest if you want to catapult yourself to the top of your company/profession, you spend a minimum of 30 minutes per day studying / reading / learning ways to get better at what you do for a living.

If you are a manager or company owner reading this article, I suggest you make the investment to enhance the talent level of your people. Make sure they have the necessary time allotted to them so they can study ways to perfect their profession.

Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric, spent over 70 percent of his time on finding and developing talent. During Mr. Welch's tenure as CEO of GE he increased its market capitalization by $400 billion, making it the world's most valuable corporation. McKinsey & Company, one of the foremost consulting firms in the world stated; "Mr. Welch was arguably the Best Talent Developer in the past century to occupy a corner office in America, or perhaps the world.

Years ago in one of my programs I stated:

"Your only true security in life is your ability to perform."

Never let a day pass that you can't say, "I learned something today that I didn't know yesterday."

Make the investment, spend the time, reap the benefits

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #24 ņIt’sAllAboutaBetterYou

People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.

If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.

For you see, in the end, it's between you and your success. It never was between you and them anyway.

Anon.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #25 ņ Eliminating Bad Habits

The renowned author Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, "We all need an education in the obvious." Our problem is sometimes we fail to see, admit and/or identify what is really obvious to others; our bad habits. It has been proven time and time again that successful people are creatures of "good habits." So what could be holding you back from reaching your goals is an education in the obvious; identifying your bad habits.

This is not a pleasurable task, but it is a highly necessary one if you plan to grow, prosper and succeed. Over the years in training workshops I have conducted, I have collected a plethora of material on good and bad habits. Let me share with you some of the most common bad habits my attendees have identified:

Ź Taking work home with you Ź Getting no exercise Ź Socializing too much on the phone Ź Wasting time surfing the Internet Ź Allowing bills to go unpaid Ź Having your cell phone on all the time Ź Not paying off your credit card monthly Ź Shuffling papers on your desk Ź Not following through on promises Ź Not having a "Things To Do list" Ź Not following your "Things To Do List" Ź Lack of defined goals Ź Watching too much television Ź Associating yourself with losers Ź Wasting time gossiping

I don't have enough time right now to go into all of the possible bad habits we all can have. That's your job. If you don't like where you are in life, get honest with yourself and start eliminating the things that are holding you back. The only person who can fix you, is you.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson

#26 ņ I Shall Find a Way or Make One

Admiral Robert Peary had a dream. He was committed to be the first to find the exact location of the North Pole and be the first to stand upon it; the first to stand on top of the world. He had failed seven times trying to reach the North Pole. 756 other men before him had attempted the quest only to lose their lives. Admiral Peary had encountered enormous hardships, broken bones and lost several toes to frostbite in his attempts, but at least he was still alive.

On April 6, 1909, on his eighth attempt, he finally reached his goal. At his gravesite in Arlington National Cemetery you will find written on his tombstone his personal credo:

Inveniam viam aut facium, “I shall find a way or make one.”

I once heard the statement that the difference between a “Big Shot” and a “Little Shot” was that the “Big Shot” was a “Little Shot” who just kept on shooting. Right now things might not look so bright for you. You may have been passed over for a promotion, had a terrible sales year, lost money in a business deal or the stock market, been fired, feeling old / tired / out-of-shape, or just seem to be in a really bad rut. You may be wondering how you are ever going to possibly turn things around.

The first thing to understand is that many extremely successful people have lost their direction, made wrong decisions or just failed miserably. The difference is that their failure was for the moment. To them, it was just a setback. There is an old Japanese proverb for success: “Fall seven times, stand up eight.” The only person you need to believe in you, IS YOU. Ted Turner, Donald Trump, Walt Disney, Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, Lance Armstrong, Oprah Winfrey, and Christopher Reeve, to name just a few, all overcame some major setback in their lives.

There is nothing you can do about your past; what is done is done. It is what you are going to do now that counts. Failure is just an experience that didn’t work out. Learn from it, reorganize, re- energize, redefine your focus, redirect your efforts, and move on.

In other words to Find A Way or Make One you must Keep Shooting.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #27 ņ Life Is What You Make of It

How old would you be if we didn't keep track of time?

How pretty would you think you were if there was no such thing as a picture or reflection?

How smart would you think you were if you didn't know your IQ or you were never compared to anyone else?

How rich would you feel if worldly possessions had no value?

How important would you feel if there was no such thing as socioeconomic status?

If you want to have a better life, then quit counting birthdays, wrinkles and gray hairs. Remember a smiling face is an appealing one. Hold yourself in a higher opinion and people will start asking your opinion. When the question was asked, "How much money did billionaire Howard Hughes leave behind", one person responded, "All of it."

Start putting your value on friends and family, because your legacy will live on through them. Remember, success at the expense of your family is not true success. Headlines fade from memory, movie stars are replaced by new movie stars, and fame is a fleeting thing.

Your importance lies with your family; everything else is merely commentary.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #28 ņMaking Sense of Nonsense

The English language is a discombobulation of suffixes, prefixes and root words from many different languages. This being the case, we have endless combinations of words with contradictory meanings. Why do we call them apartments, when they are all stuck together? Why do we drive on a parkway, but park on a driveway? Why don't shelled peanuts have shells? If you're clothed, then you are wearing clothes, so if you are shelled, then you should have shells. I would think you would call peanuts that don't have shells, "unshelled" peanuts.

It gets even worse. We call them pitted prunes, which should mean that they have pits, but they don't. We call it "boned chicken" which again should mean it still has bones; but no, there are no bones. Wouldn't it be simpler to call it "de-boned chicken? Some of my other favorite confusions of contradictory grouped words would be; plastic glass, uninvited guest, new tradition, original copy, and authentic reproduction.

The plural of tooth is teeth, but the plural of booth is not beeth. The plural of mouse is mice, but the plural of noose is not nice. Button and unbutton are totally opposite, but ravel and unravel mean the same thing. You can tell somebody they have a slim chance or a fat chance to do something, and there is no difference in what you just said. How can slim and fat mean the same thing? The same way flammable and inflammable do. I guess because "someone" said they mean the same thing.

A painter will paint, a skater will skate, a teacher will teach, but a violinist will not violin. Why, you ask, because "someone" said so. There is always going to be "someone" out there who really knows how to complicate things. So, when you are communicating with people, make sure you aren't confusing them like "someone" else can.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #29 ņ Success Is a Result of Achievement Not Good Intentions

At the beginning of every year many people make a New Year's Resolution List: lose weight, stop smoking, exercise more, learn a second language, lower their cholesterol, spend more time with their family, etc., etc., etc. Making a list is a great idea because "How do you know you got there, if you don't know where you are going?" Unfortunately most people never accomplish anything on their list. Why?

There can be many reasons why people fail at achieving their New Year's Resolutions: lack of commitment and resolve, poor planning, poor organization, lack of time or poor time management, letting trivial things interfere, choosing too many, depending on others to help, family demands. With all the surprises and demands that pop-up in our daily lives, "New Resolutions" start getting pushed further and further back until they just disappear.

This year I have decided to simplify this process in hopes of helping to ensure my success. I have decided to chose only "One" goal in each of "Four" important areas of my life. Areas you may want to consider are family, health, business, leisure, financial and personal. The key here is to limit your areas, because the more you pick, the greater your chance for failure. It is better to pick one and achieve it, than it is to choose five and fail.

When you concentrate your focus on just one goal, many other positive things can occur. A simple example would be to decide you are going to exercise more. Exercise will improve your health and your appearance, give you more energy, slow the aging process, cause you to sleep better, and reduce illness. (One goal - many results)

My suggestion for you this year is to Simplify (1 goal), Decide (4 areas) and Abide (Do).

Success is a result of achievement, not good intentions.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #30 ņGive More Get More

Sometimes you can end up getting more by giving more than is necessary. I think the following old story gives a great example of what I mean.

Years ago a city man bought a farm. After taking ownership of his new farm the city man found out the previous owner had been quarreling for years with his neighbor over the location of a fence.

The neighboring farmer immediately tried to quarrel with the new owner, telling him that the fence was a full foot over on his side of the property. The new owner did not get upset, defensive or confrontational with his neighbor. He simply stated, "Very well, I will set the fence two feet over on my side."

His surprised neighbor said, "Oh, but that is more than I claim." The city man then said, "Never mind about that. I would much rather have peace with my neighbor than two feet of earth."

Completely taken back by what the city man had offered to do and his reasoning for doing it, the neighboring farmer replied, "That's surely fine of you sir, but I couldn't let you do a thing like that."

The fence was never moved.

So many times in life we have the opportunity to diffuse a situation by merely considering the other person's point of view. We should all try to be reasonable and fair in everything we do. But if you throw in a little generosity, you'll find you have fewer problems, leading to less stress and an added bonus; have more friends.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #31 ņAct as if The Whole World is Watching

Thomas Jefferson said,

"Whenever you are to do a thing, though it can never be known but to yourself, ask yourself how you would act were the world looking at you, and act accordingly."

Even though that was said over 200 years ago, it is still great advice for today; especially in this technological world with people carrying mini video-recorders in their cell phones. The next thing you know, your actions are being shown on national TV or on the internet, for all the world to see.

So, behave as if there is a camera on you at all times and act accordingly.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #32 ņJust How Badly Do You Want Success

Socrates was once asked by a young man how he could gain wisdom. Socrates asked the young man to accompany him while he took a stroll around a lake and he would discuss the matter with him. Socrates then asked the lad to follow him into the lake where they were standing in water that was chest deep. This seemed odd to the young man, but who was he to question Socrates. Then all of a sudden, Socrates grabbed the young man and pushed him down until his head was fully submerged under the water and held him there. At first, the young man thought this was just a joke, so he didn't fight back. Socrates held him longer and longer until the lad panicked and started struggling to free himself from Socrates grasp. He was running out of air, his lungs were aching for oxygen, his heart was pounding and his adrenalin was sky-high.

Socrates finally released his grasp so the young man could emerge. Grasping for air, panic- stricken from the ordeal, the young man screamed out in a barely audible voice, "What are you doing?" Socrates calmly replied,

"When you desire wisdom with the same intensity that you desired to breathe, then nothing will stop you from getting it."

I can share with you the wisdom I have learned from the many clients I work with. I can put the information in a format that is simple to understand. But, until you have the burning desire to learn, change, adapt, and internalize the information, so it will help to make you more successful, nothing I share will help. To paraphrase Socrates,

"When you have the desire to become successful with the same intensity that you have to breathe, then nothing will stop you from getting it."

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #33 ņSmile It's Good For You and Those Around You

To be successful in dealing with people you need to create trust, confidence and rapport. It is a proven fact that the simple physical response of a smile will help to create all three. If you want to be more successful, have less stress, more friends and better health, then smile more.

Smiling is good for you and it's good for the people around you.

Make it a habit to smile when you answer the phone, shake someone's hand, or greeting anyone. When you are asking someone for help, smile. It's tough to turn down a smile. If you want to change your negative state of mind, smile. People want to be around people who are in good moods and being in a good mood all starts with a smile. Smiling displays your frame of mind and warmth without having to say a word and it puts you in a positive mood; this is all good. Again, it's your choice.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #34 ņ Capsule Course in Human Relations

The five most important words in the English language: "I am proud of you."

The four most important words: "What is your opinion?"

The three most important words: "If you please."

The two most important words: "Thank you."

The least important word: "I."

Robert W. Woodruff Retired Chairman The Coca-Cola Company

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #35 ņ Your Choices Will Determine Your Success

Choose to not live a life of mediocrity Choose to not argue about trivial things Choose to not worry, fret or cry about small injustices Choose to not let others control your destiny Choose to never give up Choose to guard you integrity Choose to be punctual, orderly and diligent Choose to believe in yourself Choose to live a life of action not words Choose to practice, drill and rehearse Choose to be a positive person Choose to never quit learning

And by making these choices, you have now chosen to be successful.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #36 ņThe Latest and Greatest Sometimes Isn't

I recently made it down to the final cut to speak for a Fortune 500 company. Then I received the call they had chosen another speaker over me because of a word I used in my video demo tape. It wasn't a curse word, a crude remark, a sexist term, an ethnic, racist, or religious slur. In the opinion of this meeting planner, the word I had spoken was an out dated term. I guess by using this out dated word I was showing that I wasn't with it, cool, or on the cutting edge of the latest and greatest "fad" in management.

The term I used was "paradigm". She was right, the word does have a little age on it. Paradigm first appeared in English in the 15th century, coming from the late Latin word paradƯgma, and from the Greek word paradeigma; meaning "an example or pattern," and it still bears this meaning today. Since the 1960s, paradigm has also been used in science to refer to a theoretical framework, as when Nobel Laureate David Baltimore cited the work of two colleagues stating they had "really established a new paradigm for our understanding of the causation of cancer." Dictionary.com also gives the definition as, "a set of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitutes a way of viewing reality for the community that shares them, especially in an intellectual discipline."

In our quest to stay up with the latest and greatest technology, when just as soon as we pull it out of the box the "techno gadget" is out of date, I feel we are losing sight to some really important concepts, values, and principles in making a company successful. The latest "management fad" isn't going to make your company successful. Old words like service, trust, respect, loyalty, diligence, fairness, and integrity should never be overlooked in our quest for the latest and greatest technological business tool or management book.

This meeting planner would probably have said of Plato, Socrates, Confucius, Franklin, Mandino, and Carnegie - "Yeah they're good, but what have they written lately." In between the business transitions from Total Quality Management to Business Process Reengineering (BPR), to Six Sigma to Lean Sigma, don't lose sight of some good old out dated words. Service, trust, respect, loyalty, diligence, fairness, and integrity have served me well in my career even though I am still trying to break away from old paradigms which could be holding me back. Oops, I said it again.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson

#37 ņThings We Take for Granted

When I am in town, I try to go to a local gym and work out as often as I can. It's a great way to start off the day and I find by going in the morning rather than putting it off until the afternoon, I seem to be able to go more often. I like going at the same time everyday when the gym has as few people in it as possible. That way I can get my workout in without having to make it a social hour.

I share the "same time every day" information with you because of what happens after I leave the gym. As I am driving home, I see the same man taking his dog out for a walk. His dog looks excited to be out, pulling hard on the leash with his tail wagging. We have all seen people countless times taking their dog out for a walk. There is nothing unusual or really special about that, unless you add that the man is in a motorized wheelchair.

We all take so many things for granted until we lose them. A simple walk around the park with your dog becomes an extremely difficult task when you have to do it in a motorized wheel chair. When my son Tyler tore his ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) in his right knee, a simple shower became a major ordeal. Every once in a while we need to step back and reassess our attitude, look at our lives in a different perspective and start appreciating what we have.

When I look at the man in the wheelchair, he becomes my inspiration for having a great day. I am certain he would give anything to be able to simply go to the gym as I had. I never gave it much thought until I saw him. Sometimes life sends us a little signal and we are just too busy to see it. Start appreciating what you have because you will never know when it can be gone in an instant. Life just sent you a little signal; are you paying attention?

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #38 ņSubtraction is the Exercise of Genius

I was in my garage this weekend wondering where all the "stuff" came from. It is amazing how much "stuff" we can collect over the years that we really don't need to keep. The same is true in business. Companies collect “stuff,” add programs, create policies and procedures, layering new things on top of old things. Our government has done the same thing with our tax code; the total number of pages of our tax code, including all tax regulations and IRS rulings, is now over 70,000. The Department of Energy was created during the Carter administration to lessen our dependence on foreign oil.

Thirty-two years later it has a budget of $24.2 billion per year with over 16,000 federal employees, 100,000 contract employees, and we are still dependent on foreign oil.

I think we all need to take a lesson from Wal-Mart when it comes to running a business, our government and our own personal lives. Years ago they introduced a contest, complete with awards and prizes of all sorts, trying to get everyone in the company to identify the "Stupidest Thing" they do at Wal-Mart. The contest was designed to help eliminate all unnecessary, wasteful and/or costly policies, procedures, rules, regulations, products, supplies, (etc.) which were not helping the overall profitability of the company. The idea was to focus on subtraction. Wal-Mart feels that ...

Addition is the exercise of fools ... Subtraction is the exercise of genius.

I agree with Wal-Mart. In this time of economic turmoil and uncertainty, it will be the companies who focus on their core business, eliminating all "unnecessary stuff", who will survive. I am currently doing the same thing in my business. It is good to always be looking ahead, creating new ideas, products, policies and procedures that will help your company prosper. Just don't forget to get rid of the unnecessary stuff along the way. I made several trips to the Goodwill Recycling Drop-off Truck this weekend taking lots of "unnecessary stuff." Goodwill is happy, the garage looks better and now I have room to collect more “stuff.”

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #39 ņBe Careful What You Pass Along

It is amazing how many e-mails I have gotten from people who are passing along some interesting fact, article or story they just read, believing it to be true. Many times I look at the e- mail, saying to myself, "I didn't know that." The problem is, the fact, article or story they were passing along wasn't true. It sure did sound good and make for some interesting reading, but it wasn't true.

When you pass along an e-mail to someone else, a lot of times the person receiving it will give credibility to the supposed fact, article or story because you sent it. They are thinking, Well, (Bill, Mary, Jane or Sue) sent this to me, so it must be true. Unfortunately, Bill, Mary, Jane or Sue didn't do their homework and you could be the one who ends up looking stupid.

I could tell you that ... ocean water flows in the Panama Canal, Galileo invented the telescope, Cleopatra was Egyptian, Henry Ford introduced the assembly line to automobile production, Adolf Hitler created the swastika, the Morse code signal for distress "S.O.S." stands for Save Our Ship, The Great Wall of China is visible from the moon, the world's largest pyramid is in Egypt, and Benjamin Franklin founded the Saturday Evening Post ... and you just might believe me. The problem is, every one of those statements are false.

So, the next time someone sends something your way, check it out before you pass it on to someone else. You might want to go to snopes.com, TruthOrFiction.com, Urbanlegends.com, or purportal.com and see what they have on the interesting fact, article or story. You probably wouldn't want to waste your time on the seemingly obvious stuff. Why waste your time checking out the fact that oranges have more Vitamin C in them than broccoli? Why? Because if you are going to attach your name to something, you want to be right. Broccoli does have more Vitamin C in it than oranges, so do brussels sprouts, papaya, Guava, kiwifruit and strawberries. Now, that's a fact.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #40 ņIt's Time "IZE" Get On With It Realize, Rationalize, Economize, Capitalize, Formulize, Actualize

In our current economic environment it isn't hard to have a "Pity Party" and gather up a whole bunch of people who would love to attend and share their stories of how bad things are going for them, how unfair, and how it wasn't really their fault. For most of us the obvious has set in; we've lost a lot of money in our 401-Ks and stock portfolio, the housing market is terrible, the economy is weak and it's going to take some time to just get back to where we were (hopefully).

We could spend hours and hours talking about who or what caused this terrible economy. For a lot of folks out there, that seems to be their number one choice; to talk about it. Talking about it might make you feel better (misery does love company) but unfortunately, I don't think talking about it is going to make it any better. So, here is what I am doing about it.

First off, I needed to "Realize" exactly where I was. I needed to clearly understand just how much money was gone and how much was left. The second thing I did was "Rationalize" my current situation. I track my finances pretty closely, so I was able to identify at what point in my past my net worth was equal to what my current net worth is. At that point in my life, things were fine, I felt secure and was totally comfortable with my situation. The third thing to do is "Economize"; simply be frugal, reduce expenditures and avoid all waste and extravagance. I then needed to remind myself that it was time to "Capitalize" on all the opportunities that were available in a down market. So many things right now are less expensive (cars, homes, electronics, clothes, etc.) and if your credit is still good, you can even refinance your home at an incredible rate. I then had to "Formalize" a new plan of attack. I knew I was going to have to work smarter if I was going to survive, maintain or succeed in this down marketplace. I took a look at everything I had been doing and decided to utilize some extra time to finish my new book and spend money to upgrade my website, collateral material and all forms of contact I have with my clients.

Now I am approaching the point to "Actualize", to bring forth, to accomplish, to produce results from all the "IZE's". I had a mentor years ago who once said to me, "Robert, don't complain to me about working harder. Show me that you are working smarter. A person digging a ditch is working hard, but they are not making much money. If you will combine your harder with smarter, then will I be satisfied.”

So, Realize, Rationalize, Economize, Capitalize, Formulize, and Actualize.

That is what "IZE" be doing.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #41 ņShow Excitement in Your Greetings

I have never seen a dog, when its master walks in the door, turn its head and say “Yoo. I had a bad day. Not enough water, not enough dog food, you didn’t leave the air conditioner on 72º, and the cat has got to go.” A dog is always happy to see its master. The tail is wagging, it’s jumping around acting like it hasn’t seen its master in months. A dog doesn’t do it some of the time, it does it all the time. What a great feeling the dog gives to its master.

The simple expression of I am really happy to see you makes anyone feel good. I am not telling you to jump around and look foolish every time you see someone. But I am suggesting you get up, make eye contact, give them a smile and show a genuine interest in them. You will find that people will love to be around you, look forward to seeing you, and include you in their plans, parties and get-togethers. People love dogs because dogs love people and they show it. The key words are, “they show it” every time.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #42 ņGot Your Back

I ran across this poem the other day by Autumn Parker. I thought it was extremely appropriate for this 4th of July weekend in which we celebrate our freedom. It's entitled Got Your Back ...

I am a small and precious child, my Daddy's been sent to fight. The only place I will see his face, is in my dreams at night. He will be gone too many days, for my young mind to keep track. I may be sad, but I am proud, my Daddy's got your back.

I am a caring mother, my son has gone to war. My mind is filled with worries that I have never known before. Every day I try to keep my thoughts from turning black. I may be sad, but I am proud, my son has got your back.

I am a strong and loving wife, with a husband soon to go. There are times I am terrified, in ways most never know. I bite my lip and force a smile, as I watch my husband pack. My heart may break, but I am proud, my husband's got your back.

I am a soldier, serving proudly, standing tall. I fight for freedom, yours and mine, by answering this call. I do my job knowing, the thanks it sometimes lacks. Say a prayer that I come home, it's me that's got your back.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #43 ņ High Self Esteem Your Success Depends On It

The other day I was doing some research and ran across a piece by L.S. Barksdale on high self- esteem. Below I have listed statements a person with high self-esteem would make. I thought it would be helpful for you to see just how good your self-esteem is. So, be real honest with yourself and see how many you can put a check by, indicating that is what you "really" do.

__ I make decisions promptly and am willing to accept the consequences. __ I do not let others talk me into things against my better judgment. __ I do not deny my own needs, feelings and opinions to please others. __ I motivate myself in line with my chosen objectives. __ I am my own authority, think for myself, and act accordingly. __ I stand up for my own values, opinions and convictions. __ I do not let my "feeling good" be dependent on others. __ I do not allow personal comparisons to affect my sense of worth. __ I do not brag about what I have or what I have done. __ I allow myself the freedom to make mistakes, to be wrong, to fail. __ I do not procrastinate or drift. __ I follow every new undertaking through to a logical conclusion. __ I do not blame others for my mistakes, defeats or problems. __ I defer to no one on account of their wealth, power or prestige. __ I say "NO," even when I know it will displease others. __ I am patient, kind and gentle with myself. __ I walk erect and face everyone with a friendly and open countenance. __ I am frank and open with everyone, free of masks and pretensions. __ I analyze and benefit from my mistakes. __ I approach all problems and new endeavors free from fear of failure.

Okay, how did you do? Did you have to hesitate on any of them? Would your best friends, closest associates or family members agree with how you responded? The only way you can improve is, from time to time, do a little soul searching (grading) of yourself, identify weaknesses and then decide how you are going to fix them. Now, start working on the ones that you don't have a check mark by and then go to the ones you hesitated on.

Leaders understand ... Those who stop being better, stop being good !

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #44 ņN. I. C. E.

The word nice isn’t really a powerful sounding word. On the contrary, it is a simple term used to express a pleasant experience or encounter. I can’t really say a person was over-whelmed by what they experienced if they said, “That was nice.” “The meal was nice.” “I had a nice time on the date.” Then again, I sure do like it when I encounter a nice person.

I think it is imperative that we put “nice” back into our daily lives both on a professional and personal level. When you look up the word nice in the dictionary you see words like courteous, considerate, friendly, gracious, helpful, kind, polite, and thoughtful when defining the simple word nice. Nice doesn’t seem so simple now. How many of us would like to do business with or deal with a courteous, friendly, gracious, helpful, kind, polite, and thoughtful person? No doubt, all of us would.

N.I.C.E. isn’t supposed to stand for a Negative, Irritable, Cranky and Evil person. The problem today is we seldom encounter NICE anymore. We all seem to be too busy, too rushed, or too pre-occupied to extend a nice pleasantry, kind word, helpful hand, gracious compliment, thoughtful smile, considerate moment to listen, or friendly greeting. If you want to help put you and/or your business on the road to success then start incorporating NICE into everything you do. To me, N.I.C.E. is Necessary, it’s Infectious, it’s your Choice, and it’s Endearing.

You will be amazed how much nicer your day will be when you start being nicer to everyone around you. Let me ask you this: Who would you rather do business with or associate with … a nice person or a negative one? I rest my case.

If you are going through life just in it for you, then you really aren’t living, you’re just passing through.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #45 ņ Some Management Ideas for Surviving a Recession   Ź Forget the “good ole days,” they’re gone. Start looking for small victories and recognize them. Ź Keep smiling no matter what. Always know your people are taking their lead from you. Ź Blame nobody. Blame is not an achievement – identifying a problem is. Ź Come to work earlier and stay later. Ź Always be asking your people, “What do you think,” and then listen. Ź The devil is in the details, so go find the devil. Ź Always be positive – if you have to say something negative – Don’t ! Ź Keep saying “This too will pass,” and then help it pass. Ź Prospect, prospect, prospect for new clients. Ź Network, network, network all the time. Out of sight is out of mind. Ź Stay visible in your management. Let them see you out and about – working it. Ź Stay in touch with clients – a lot ! Ź Simplify all procedures and paperwork. Ź Eliminate excess. Ź Raise all levels of customer satisfaction. Ź Stay on top of the mistakes, errors, complaints, miscues and gripes. Ź Ask young people their opinion. They won’t say “That’s the way we’ve always done it.” Ź Develop strong vendor relationships. Ź Get familiar with everyone in your company / department. Camaraderie is powerful. Ź Respect and appreciate your people. Public recognition is extremely motivating. Ź Receive all customer complaints with thanks and send gifts. Ź Address failures as a learning experience and move on. “Fail Forward Fast” Ź Be empathetic. Kindness is free, so share it. Ź Avoid negative people. Ź Keep asking your people What do we do around here that is stupid, ridiculous, a waste of time or non-productive, and then quit doing it/them … now! 

“Excellence can be obtained if you: ... care more than others think is wise; ... risk more than others think is safe; ... dream more than others think is practical; ... expect more than others think is possible.” Anon.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #46 ņWALK the TALK

I told my son the other day to make sure he was driving with his seat belt fastened, ALL THE TIME. I said, “Tyler, there is no excuse for you to get a ticket, because you didn’t fasten your seatbelt. What’s so hard … you get in the car, reach down and fasten the seatbelt and then start the car.” Then I was driving down the road and saw a police car coming my way and noticed my seat belt wasn’t fastened.

The idiom “Do as I say, not as I do,” first appeared in John Selden's Table-Talk (c. 1654): simply meaning, don't imitate my behavior, but obey my instructions. Boy, does this seem to be the norm in the world today; politicians, bosses, teachers, coaches, associates, friends, and family members all telling us what to do, but not following their own suggestions, advice, directions, or instructions.

Aristotle’s followers are said to have discussed philosophy while walking about with him. Some say this is where the expression “walk the talk,” may have originated from. For the rest of us, the saying is “if you’re going to talk the talk, you’ve got to walk the walk”—two modern versions of the old sayings are “actions speak louder than words” and “practice what you preach.” Another early form of the expression was “walk it like you talk it.”

However you say it, it doesn’t matter. What matters is doing it. There is a great country song by Rodney Atkins entitled “Watching You”, I think you ought to listen to. In one of the verses he sings:

“Well, then my 4 year old said a 4 letter word It started with 'S' and I was concerned So I said, son, now where’d you learn to talk like that ? He said, I’ve been watching you Dad ain’t that cool ? ... I’m your buckaroo I want to be like you.”

I feel to be a good manager, effective leader, great teacher, caring parent or a success at whatever you do you need to “Walk the talk.”  Just remember someone is watching you !

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #47 – The Challenge

I can’t say I really liked the year 2009. For many of my friends, for many of my clients, and for myself, things could have been better. I have a suggestion I believe will help to make this year much better for you. I don’t know what you have planned for 2010, or what new year’s resolutions you have made with yourself. I would however, like to add just one more thing to your list; a challenge. By taking on this challenge, I feel you will not only make yourself more successful but also enrich your life. I can’t see anything bad with either one of those.

The Challenge

Once per week take the time to tell at least one person

how much you appreciate, like, or admire them.

Take the time to put it in written form.

Show that you put some effort in your acknowledgement.

Keep a written list of each person you told.

The choice is yours.

Remember, an untold compliment is no compliment at all.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #48 – Sometimes You Must Lose a Fight to Win a War

Always remember, if you are trying to win an argument, then you are also trying to make the other person lose that same argument. Your victory has also caused a defeat. When you defeat someone, you haven’t endeared yourself to that person. On the contrary, many times you have alienated yourself from that individual.

Everyone is entitled to their point of view. Sometimes by simply allowing a person to feel as if they are right, you can still get what you want. Words like “I can see your point” don’t put the other person on the defensive. On the contrary, it shows you are willing to consider other possibilities, remedies, or solutions.

Your objective should not be to win but to influence, help, inform, and enlighten. If you win, someone else lost, and no one likes losing. Always remember…

A person convinced against their will is a person still not convinced.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #49 – If You Want to Succeed – Then Start Focusing

The great companies today are staying calm, keeping a clear head and then focusing their efforts on profitability, increasing cash flow and making their customers their number one concern. Discipline becomes the rule, and simplifying what they do best, the goal. Many companies lose sight of their core business. They get busy re-organizing or re-restructuring when they should be busy at under-promising and over-delivering in everything they do. Never confuse activity with accomplishment. A gerbil on a running wheel is extremely active, but is going no where.

Align your entire company or organization around a single priority. Please don’t get caught up in those fancy, smart sounding business phrases of identifying your value-chain, brand development, image make-over, contrast methodology, or reorganization criteria, just to name a few. Get down to the simple questions of

What is it that we do best ? What made us successful ?

Everyone in your company needs to know what it is that you are striving to deliver to the end customer. It might be saying, “we will be making the very best sandwich, with the freshest ingredients, in shortest amount of time, following the best sanitary policies in our industry” or “we will deliver your freight on time, every time, with no damage.”

If you don’t know where to focus, then start by identifying all customer complaints and look for the most common cause of those complaints. Years ago I wrote

The day you forget you are in business for the customer, is the day you start going out of business.

Focus, direct, fixate preoccupy your company obsessively on your defined target and make sure EVERYONE knows what it is and how they are to be held accountable. By the way, the same holds true for personal improvement.

Focus your efforts on a single priority and see it through. You will be amazed how many other things you do will also improve.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #50 – The Destructive Effects of Arrogance

I think we would all be hard pressed to find anything good about being arrogant. I do not like dealing with arrogant people or companies who have the pretentions of superior importance. I don’t want an arrogant boss, friend, or associate and I sure don’t want to deal with an arrogant company. You know the type; we’re so big and wonderful … you are lucky we are even talking to you.

Motorola grew from $5 billion to $27 billion in annual revenues in just one decade. In the early 90’s they were seen as one of the most visionary companies in the world. They were known for their willingness to experiment and especially for their methods of self-improvement. They are the folks who pioneered “Six Sigma” quality programs and anticipated future opportunities a decade away.

Somewhere in all this enormous growth and incredible success their culture shifted from that of “humility” their founder had instilled in the organization into “arrogance.” They had the arrogance to dismiss the threat of “Digital Cellular Technology” believing that since they had a 50% market share, they could control the consumer. They had the arrogance to start dictating to their distributors/retailers that 75% of all phones they offered to the public “must” be Motorola. In 2001 Motorola had 147,000 employees, by the end of 2003 they had laid off over 60,000 of them and their stock price had plummeted.

In 1995 Circuit City was touted as one of the best companies in the world having grown more than 20% per year for a decade. In November of 2008 they filed for bankruptcy. The stories go on and on; Rubbermaid, Citigroup, Scott Paper and Zenith all let success and their arrogance get the best of them. There is an ancient saying; “One benefits when being humble with fellows and loses when being superior.”

Don’t assume because you have been in business for 40 years or you have a 60% market share that you will keep it, because just when you start thinking you are good, someone will come along better. Never forget what the great Sam Walton said: "There is only one boss, the customer, and they can fire everybody in the company ... from the Chairman on down ... simply by spending their money somewhere else."

All great companies once started from humble beginnings, and if they are not careful, they can end up there. Arrogance is not a virtue, humility is. Treat everyone special because the “not- so-important-folks of today may someday become important and they will remember how you treated them.

Create a culture of humble respect for your success  and be forever mindful that each day you must prove yourself again.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #51 – How’s That Working for You ?

There is a man who comes to the gym where I workout who is at least 50 pounds overweight. He started coming about a year ago and he looks exactly the same size as he did then. If his goal was to lose some weight, then he better re-evaluate what he is doing, because it isn’t working. In all aspects of life and business I think it is important to ask ourselves, “How is that working for me / us / the company?” Sometimes you may want to even enlist the advice of a friend / associate/ consultant and ask them how they feel about what you are doing, because asking the question is the easy part. Answering honestly is where it gets tough.

Rubbermaid set out to invent a new product everyday, 7 days per week, 365 days per year. Fortune magazine wrote that Rubbermaid was more innovative than 3M, Intel and Apple; now that is impressive. Then Rubbermaid started choking on over a 1,000 new products in less than 36 months. Innovation became more important than filling orders on time or cost control. They ended up closing 9 plants and laid-off over 1,100 employees before Newell Corporation came in to buy (rescue) the company.

I had a mentor who once told me,

“Rob, I don’t care how hard you work I care how smart you work. Results are what counts.”

Rubbermaid was working hard, putting in time, money, and effort while at the same time destroying their own company. How was that working for them? Innovation for the sake of innovation doesn’t insure success. Hard work, effort, and activity don’t insure success. Those are all great things to have as long as they help you / me / us / the company reach our goals.

Insanity has been defined as

Doing the same thing, the same way and expecting a different outcome.

A&P at one point was the largest food retailer in the world (16,000 stores) and just couldn’t accept that what they were doing wasn’t working anymore. They now have 3% of their stores still operating. Ames Department Stores had over 700 stores and Circuit City had 567 stores and both companies are now defunct. Is it time for you to try something else?  If what you are doing right now isn’t working, then “How’s that working for you?”

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #52 – 1% Better Every Day

The alarm rings and it’s another day. Most of the time we go about it with the same routine; from working out to when you have breakfast, coffee, paper reading time, and commute to the office you get the picture ... SOSDD (Same Old Stuff Different Day). I am not one for messing with a good routine, but I am one for trying to figure out ways to get better.

The other day I ran across an idea from the CEO of Zappo’s ( The Internet Shoe Store ) who took his company from $0.00 in sales to $1 billion in less than ten years and then sold it to Amazon for over $1.2 billion in 2009. He said that they try to make at least one improvement in their organization every week, but suggests on a personal basis to shoot for some sort of improvement daily. He went on to say, “wake up every day and say to yourself what is the 1% improvement I can do to make myself better both personally and professionally.”

Now you’re thinking, “Rob, where in the world am I going to find the time to make this 1% improvement goal work ?” well let me help you with that.

Found 5 minutes - Streamline you morning routine time to dress, shave, put on makeup, drink coffee, read the paper, etc., or just get up 5 minutes earlier.

Found 5 minutes - Avoid idle talkers, gossiping or other distractions. If your conversation is not a constructive one, get out of it.  Found 10 minutes - Take a shorter lunch or break.  Found 10 minutes - Eliminate the things you do each morning to stall starting your workday.

(You can probably find 20 minutes per day you waste just surfing around on the internet)

You just found thirty minutes per day you can use to make yourself better. Now that doesn’t sound like much time, so let me put it in a different perspective. By following these 4 simple suggestions 5 days per week, 50 weeks per year, you just gained 3 forty-hour weeks per year. If you watch TV just 30 minutes less per day, you will double it to 6 forty-hour weeks; that is a lot of extra time to work on “you.”

I can think of no better place to put my time than improving myself. Along with helping myself, it will benefit my family, my company and maybe even rub-off on a few of my friends and associates.

Success has a great deal to do with discipline, so make it a habit to work on “you” just a little bit every day.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #53 – When in Doubt Spell it Out

I have been receiving some rather interesting text messages from clients, associates and friends that sometimes leave me at a loss for what they are trying to say. So, I went on-line and Goggled Web slang, lingo and acronyms for emails, text and instant messaging. Then I thought it would be fun to fabricate a business story using what I found on-line. I promise there is nothing made up in the following paragraph except my definition for CII. Let’s see how up-to-date you are on all the e-mail / text messaging lingo and acronyms.  TPTBhavecomeoutwithnewsoftwareTPS.NowweallrealizeourcurrentITDPTisSNAFU, butthenewSOTAcustomizedsoftwaredoesn’twork.FYIthereisRMsoftwareofftheshelf thatbeatsit.TheCIOshouldbecalledtheCII.NE1knowsit’smessedup,buttheOMthinks TTTTtogetusetoanditwillwork.YR.IDTS.TelltheOFtocomedowntomyofficeandshow meitworks.MGTwiththeirWEGsexpectsustoMIW.TheyexpectustoBontime,cthings theirway,s,gandbkwiththenewsoftware.Itoldmysupervisoritdoesn’tworkandshesaid, “DEGT.”Iamfedup.It’stimetoSTWforanewjobbecauseIOH.Thisplaceislikerunlikeour GVT which is FUBAR. IMO ADN this place is going to collapse. Everyone around here walks aroundwithFUDontheirface.IGGOHbeforeIscream.OBTWIamnottheonlyoneleaving. So,TAFN,I’llTTYL.BR.HAGDandKIT.-

Which means  TPTB(thepowerstobe)havecomeoutwithnewsoftwareTPS(that’sprettystupid).Nowwe allrealizeourcurrentITDPT(InformationTechnologyDepartment)isSNAFU(situationnormal, allfouledup),butthenewSOTA(stateoftheart)customizedsoftwaredoesn’twork.FYI(for yourinformation)thereisRM(readymade)softwareofftheshelfthatbeatsit.TheCIO(Chief InformationOfficer)shouldbecalledtheCII(ChiefInformationIdiot).NE1(anyone)knowsit’s messedup,buttheOM(oldman)thinksTTTT(thesethingstaketime)togetusetoanditwill work.YR(yeahright).IDTS(Idon’tthinkso).TelltheOF(oldfart)tocomedowntomyoffice andshowmeitworks.MGT(management)withtheirWEGs(wickedevilgrins)expectsusto MIW(makeitwork).TheyexpectustoB(be)ontime,c(see)thingstheirway,S(smile),g(grin) and b (be) K (ok) with the new software. I told my supervisor it doesn’t work and she said, “DEGT”(don’tevengothere).Iamfedup.It’stimetoSTW(searchtheweb)foranewjob becauseIOH(I’moutofhere).ThisplaceislikerunlikeourGVT(government)whichisFUBAR (fouledupbeyondallrepair).IMO(Inmyopinion)ADN(anydaynow)thisplaceisgoingto collapse.EveryonearoundherewalksaroundwithFUD(fear,uncertainty,doubt)ontheirface. IGGOH(gottagetouttahere)beforeIscream.OBTW(Oh,bytheway)Iamnottheonlyone leaving.So,TAFN(that’sallfornow),I’llTTYL(talktoyoulater).BR(bestregards).HAGD(have agoodday)andKIT(keepintouch)-So much for spell check.

My rule of thumb is . “when in doubt, spell it out.”

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #54 ࡳ I Just Need One Person

You may have a big company an incredibly sophisticated website hundreds of locations a huge advertising budget thousands of employees a phenomenal IT department an impressive Board of Directors

But do you have one person I can talk to on the phone, one person who can help me, one person who speaks my language fluently, one person who has some authority, one person who listens well, one person who follows up after my call, one person who can help me ?

Or do you have a system that puts me on hold for an extended length of time, has 2, 3, 4 verbal menus to navigate, never has a human answer the phone, makes it difficult to call your company, takes days or weeks to respond, frustrates, disappoints, exasperates customers ?

I called Prudential Life Insurance yesterday to get some information on a few annuities I have with them. Within minutes I was speaking to a highly competent person, who seemed happy to help me, who spoke excellent English, who listened attentively, never interrupted me, and answered “ALL” my questions. They even made a suggestion that would help me out later and instantly sent the form I needed. Let’s just say I was extremely impressed and they didn’t ask me to take a survey after the call. Just one person made it all happen.

I called my bank yesterday on an issue with one of my accounts. The person I wanted to talk to was out so I was sent to another person who was on the phone. I had to leave a message on their voice mail system. Two hours passed with no response. I called again and still couldn’t get anyone to help. I called a third time hoping I would reach them but they were still busy. I called another location and did reach someone who figured out what had happened to my account, but told me it had to be resolved at the branch where I had my accounts. I called a fourth time and asked for the branch manager, but they were busy too, so I left another message. I even went on- line on their very fancy website and left a very unflattering e-mail. I started this yesterday at 9:30 am and twenty-eight hours later I have heard nothing. All I wanted was to speak to just one person who could help me.

By the way, within 100 yards of their location are three other major banks.

If you want to find out how good your company is, call it with a problem. See how long it takes to get it resolved, how many messages you have to leave, how many menus you have to navigate to get to the one person who can help. Have your senior management team do it every week. Get them living the real experiences your customers are living and let your Customer Service People know that they are being called all the time by people who are checking up on them. In today’s poor economy, with cut-throat competition, you can’t afford to push your customers away because they can’t reach just one person.

Prudential gets it ... does your company GET IT ?

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson

#55 ࡳ Corporate Culture Counts

The dictionary defines “Corporate Culture” as the distinctive ethos (the fundamental character or spirit) of an organization that influences the level of formality, loyalty, and general behavior of its employees. It includes the philosophy, shared values, traditions, customs, and behavior of a corporation, that together constitute the unique style and policies of a company.

Wow! That was a mouthful to swallow all at once. A simple way to determine your company’s corporate culture is to select a random sampling of people within your organization and ask them to explain what they believe to be your corporate culture.

Get ready; you may want to take a seat when you hear what they have to say. In most cases their words will astound you. If by chance you hear similar responses from most everyone that mirror the culture you were hoping to create, then get excited, because you have just hit a home run. Your training is working, your leadership is working, and your communication channels are working. BUT, if your people have a glazed look in their eyes, wondering what answer you are looking for or if their responses are extremely dissimilar, then you have a problem.

A fall 2007 Gallup poll of the American workplace showed that 72 percent of American workers aren’t engaged in their jobs.

The J.M. Smucker Company has everyone who is hired memorize their printed corporate culture creed entitled, “Why We Are – Who We Are.” Smucker’s wants their people engaged. The company started in 1897 making apple butter. They are now a $4.7 billion company who believes their “culture” is the cornerstone to their success and must be proactively protected by instilling the creed in each and every employee.

Now fast forward to Zappo’s, a company started a 1998, who, in just ten years grew to over $1 billion in sales, also requires their new hires to memorize their company’s 10 Core Values. They require everyone they hire, regardless of position, (from customer service reps, accountants, lawyers, to software developers) to go through the same 4-week training program in which they study company history, the importance of customer service, the long-term vision of the company, company philosophy and corporate culture. At the end of each week of training, they offer anyone $2,000 to quit which is a standing offer until the end of the fourth week. They are looking for people who want careers not jobs. Less than 1% of the people take them up on the offer.

Two companies starting 100 years apart are living by the same values. Both companies believe the best way to build a brand is long-term. Both companies believe in fantastic customer service. Both companies believe in having passionate employees. Both companies believe that if you get the culture right, most everything else will fall in place.

How is your “Corporate Culture” doing ?

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #56 ࡳ No Consequence to Me – Oh, Really ?

I recently received a story from a friend of mine that I felt would be extremely helpful to you. I “doctored it up a bit” to help fit the point I wanted to make. I hope you enjoy it.  A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package. "What food might this contain," the mouse wondered. He was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap. Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed this warning : "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is of grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it." The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!" The pig sympathized, but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray … Be assured you are in my prayers." The mouse turned to the cow and said, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!" The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose."

So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap, ALONE. That very night a sound was heard throughout the house -- the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey. The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it. It was a venomous snake whose tail was caught in the trap. The snake bit the farmer's wife.

The farmer rushed her to the hospital. When she returned home she still had a fever. Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup. So the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient: (The chicken who didn’t care – GONE) But his wife's sickness continued. Friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig. (The pig who did nothing but sympathize – GONE) But, alas, the farmer's wife did not get well... she died. So many people came for her funeral that the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all who attended the funeral luncheon. (The “no skin off my nose” cow – GONE)

So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and you ignore it, the next time you see a mistake or problem and you just let it go, the next time someone in another department or division reaches out and you come up with some excuse why you can’t help don’t think it doesn't concern you, remember -

WHEN ONE OF YOU IS THREATENED, NEEDS HELP, MESSES UP YOU ARE ALL AT RISK. The headlines will read “Your Company is GONE” not your individual name. You are all involved in this never ending journey of survival and success. You must keep an eye out for one another, assist anytime you can, while at the same time making an extra effort to encourage your associates. AND PLEASE DON’T WORRY ABOUT GETTING CREDIT FOR HELPING IF IT IS DESERVED - THE CREDIT WILL FIND YOU!

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #57 ࡳ XVXRY KXY MUST WORK

So many times when I am asked to present a program, my clients request I include something that has to do with TEAMWORK. I think the example below is a fantastic visual of how just one person can really mess things up. In this example, 46 keys are doing their job and one isn’t. You would think 46 out of 47 (98%) would be a pretty awesome percentage of competency until you see the damage just one key can cause. 

Xvxn though my kxyboard is an old modxl it doxs work quitx wxll xxcxpt for onx of thx kxys. I wishxd many timxs that it workxd pxrfxctly.

It is trux that thxrx arx forty-sxvxn kxys that function wxll xnough, but just onx kxy not working makxs thx diffxrxncx.

Somxtimxs it may sxxm that in an organization, thx onx or onxs wx arx concxrnxd with, arx somxwhat likx my kxyboard – not all thx pxoplx arx working propxrly.

You may say to yoursxlf, “Wxll, I am only onx pxrson. I won’t makx a diffxrxncx.” Any program to bx xffxctivx nxxds thx activx participation of xvxry mxmbxr.

So, thx nxxt timx you think you arx only onx pxrson and that your xfforts arx not nxxdxd, rxmxmbxr my kxyboard and say to yoursxlf,

“I am a kxy mxmber of my organization, and I am nxxdxd vxry much. Anon.  Idon’tcarehowyoulookatit, TEAMWORKMATTERS! Youhavetwochoices, eitherfixorreplaceyournonͲfunctioningpeople oryourcustomerswillbereplacingyourcompany.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #58 ࡳ The Power of Appreciation

The pioneering psychologist and philosopher William James once said, “The deepest human need is the need to be appreciated.”

The U.S. Department of Labor stated that 46% of the employees who voluntarily quit their jobs do so because they didn’t feel appreciated.

We all want to feel appreciated not for just a job well done, but for showing up every day, for being on time, for being proactive, for lending a helping hand, for having a smile on our face. It seems most managers today get so caught up in the day-to-day pressures of meeting quotas, goals and objectives, that they forget to compliment, thank, and appreciate all the folks around them who make it possible for them to meet all those quotas, goals and objectives.

It doesn’t cost a dime to appreciate an employee - but it costs a great deal of money not to. If a qualified employee leaves, you now have separation processing costs, hiring costs, training costs, lost productivity and possibly lost revenue. Keep Employees, Inc. (a leading employee retention consultancy) puts a dollar amount on the costs of losing a productive employee:  For hourly employees 0.25 to 0.50 times their annual wages plus benefits For middle managers 1.00 to 1.50 times their annual salary plus benefits For top management 3.00 to 5.00 times their annual salary plus benefits

A recent Gallup poll of more than 1 million employed U.S. workers concluded that the number one reason people quit their jobs is a “bad boss” or immediate supervisor. Common “bad boss” behaviors (in case you need a reminder) are bullying, harassment, discrimination, and lack of respect. I would assert that a boss who made an effort to appreciate and compliment their employees would seldom, if ever, be ascribed with any of those oppressive behaviors. To me it is just plain bad business to lose an employee who is qualified, doing their job, and contributing to the company’s success, because you neglected to go out of your way to tell them they are doing a good job.  If you want to increase productivity, morale, efficiency, effectiveness, resourcefulness, competency, and teamwork then start making the effort of appreciating all those around you. If corporate and personal success interests you, then start showing some interest and appreciation to your employees and associates.  When you start showing people you care about them and appreciate their efforts, you will be amazed at the benefits it will bring. But understand one important point. This is no one time affair. Done properly... it is a way of life!

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #59 ࡳ Powerful Thoughts To Live By   A dear friend of mine sent me the information below in a much different format. I did some tweaking and came up with what I believe to be some pretty powerful thoughts. The original author is unknown. I added my own commentary under each thought.  The most useless thing to do ࡳ ....Worry So, don’t worry about things you have no control over. The greatest joy ࡳ ....Giving So, give not to get … but to make someone else happy.

The greatest loss ࡳ .. .Loss of self-respect So, understand you are what you believe yourself to be and you’re a star. The most satisfying work ࡳ .. Helping others So, give of your heart, your wealth or your time … but give.  The ugliest personality trait ࡳ ..Selfishness So, care about others and they in turn will care about you. The most endangered species ࡳ ..Dedicated leaders So, inspire excellence, create opportunities, encourage, and be a role model.

The greatest "shot-in-the-arm" ࡳ .Encouragement So, praise in public and look for ways to praise often. The greatest problem to overcome ࡳ ..Fear So, realize fear stands for False Evidence Appearing Real … and move on.

The most effective sleeping pill ࡳ ..Peace of mind So, always do your best, be truthful, love and laugh … the rest is commentary. The most crippling failure disease ࡳ .. .Excuses So, free your mind of self-made limitations.

The most powerful force in life ࡳ .. .Love So, tell them you “love them” and then “show them.” The most dangerous pariah ࡳ ..A gossiper So, if what you will say will tarnish someone’s reputation, keep it to yourself.

The world's most incredible computer ࡳ The brain ! So, never stop downloading knowledge- learn something new every day. The worst thing to be without ࡳ .. Hope So, understand that all adversity carries seeds of equivalent opportunities.

The deadliest weapon ࡳ ..The tongue So, select your words wisely, positively, and according to fact. The two most power-filled words ࡳ ..."I Can" So, live by this creed – If it is to be, it’s up to me and then Do It!

The greatest asset ࡳ .. Faith So, believe in your prosperity and success and stay focused on your goal. The most worthless emotion ࡳ ....Self-pity

So, understand it will paralyze your talents and put off future achievements. The most prized possession ࡳ .. Integrity So, guard it dearly, because once given up, it is almost impossible to regain. The most beautiful attire ࡳ ..A SMILE! So, if you want to be more successful and enjoy life more, then smile more.

The most contagious spirit ࡳ ...Enthusiasm So, understand you cannot have success without enthusiasm- they go hand in hand.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson

#60 ņYour Future is Created in the Present

Who you are tomorrow is a direct result of what you do today. There isn’t a magic pill or potion you can take to make your future brighter, better, or more successful. To me, success is predicated on three simple words: Get It Done! You can read books and articles and listen to CDs on how to be successful and they still won’t help, until you decide to Get It Done!

At the beginning of every new year many well intentioned people start writing down their New Year’s Resolutions. I think it is great that people sit down and take the time to write down what they need to do in the coming year to try and better themselves or identify exactly what they want to accomplish; I have been doing it for years. That is an effective way to get things started, BUT that won’t make you Get It Done!

In my book 52 Essential Habits For Success, I write about how procrastination kills dreams. I go on to say in my book, “You need to deal with whatever is holding you back. Many people create excuses or blame others for their inability to do what is necessary to become successful. The only thing really holding you back from reaching your desired goals is you. Remove the clutter in your life and focus on where it is you want to go, and then do it. Seek out slivers of time everywhere you can to use towards accomplishing your goals. Keep saying it every day … If it is to be, it’s up to ME.”

The rules to follow on your journey towards being successful don’t have to that complicated.

1) Decide what it is you want to accomplish this year. 2) Write it/them down. 3) Decide how you are going to do achieve your goals. 4) Review your list every week to make sure you are staying on track. 5) Make sure what you are doing every day is moving you towards those goals, because

WHO YOU ARE TOMORROW IS A DIRECT RESULT OF WHAT YOU DO TODAY, so GET IT DONE!

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #61 ņ J.M. Smucker’s Rules for Success

In one of my past articles, Corporate Culture Counts, I briefly wrote about the J.M. Smucker Company. I believe this company is an excellent role model to follow for teaching anyone how to successfully run a business today. Founded in 1897, this company now employs over 4,800 employees and is doing over $4.7 billion in sales. Tim and Richard Smucker are the Co-CEOs for the J.M. Smucker Company and they believe they serve 6 constituents:

“the consumer, the retailer, our employees, our suppliers, our communities, and our shareholders. We believe if we take care of the first five, the sixth will be automatically be taken care of.”

They live and work by the creed, You Will Reap What You Sow. Here are their rules for achieving success in business:  ɶ Let the Golden Rule guide every decision.

ɶ Don’t have secret strategies – make sure everyone knows the strategy and knows their role.

ɶ Have a culture that promises people a better tomorrow based on their good work.

ɶ Don’t be content; you’re responsible for making things better.

ɶ Doubt your own infallibility.

ɶ Have faith. Believe in a higher force.

ɶ Don’t do what you know only for material rewards – be called to your life’s work and have a purpose.

ɶ Laugh and have a sense of humor.  In a world where corrupt deception abounds, it is refreshing to have such a prominent company set a great example of just the opposite. But their written words are only a guide to follow; it is your leadership, your example, your culture that will determine your success.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #62 ņ What Twitter and Thomas Jefferson Have In Common

Thomas Jefferson was one of the most influential of our Founding Fathers. He achieved distinction as, among other things, a horticulturist, political leader, architect, archaeologist, paleontologist, musician, inventor, and founder of the University of Virginia. When President John F. Kennedy welcomed 49 Nobel Prize winners to the White House in 1962 he said, "I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent and of human knowledge that has ever been gathered together at the White House – with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone."

Even though Mr. Jefferson was a man of enlightenment, I think it is safe to say that he did not envision the use of “Twitter” as a powerful communication tool. He did, however, say something that should probably be the #1 Rule for all Tweeters “The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.”

Twitter is now one of the tools I use to help spread “tips for success” to as many people as I can. In doing so, it has forced me to be a diligent follower of Mr. Jefferson’s advice, because with Twitter, you have 140 characters to get your point across. The next time you write a policy, procedure, rule or compose a lengthy explanation of something you feel your company / associate / employee should do try culling it down to 140 characters. You might not achieve the 140 character limit, but it is a great exercise in helping you get to the key point you need to make. I hope you will follow me on Twitter. My address is @Seek_Excellence. Here are a few of my latest Tweets.

There is POWER in being NICE. To me N.I.C.E. is Necessary, it's Infectious, it's your Choice, and it's Endearing. Be known for being NICE.

Integrity is a quality a person gives to themselves, so guard it, protect it, value it, respect it and associate with those who have it.

When your ego engages your mind, your intellect disengages and problems start to occur. A mind that is full of itself will never learn.

Be known as the one they can count on to be early, prepared and excited to be there, and you will have everyone wanting you on their team.

You'll never become exceptional by doing the bare minimum. If you want to position yourself for success, then always do more than expected.

If you want to be more successful, have less stress, more friends and better health, then smile more. It's good for you & those around you.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #63 – The Contrarian

A contrarian is a person who takes an opposing view, especially one who rejects the majority opinion. A contrarian can also serve as a very useful tool when it comes to making decisions. At every management meeting, I would suggest you assign at least one person to be The Contrarian; even if they agree with your idea, make them try to shoot holes in it, find fault, or consider alternatives. Challenges keep companies healthy. At the next meeting, pick someone else to serve in that post because people have a tendency to start disliking a person if they are always the one trying to shoot down ideas.

Some managers / bosses / CEOs have instilled such an environment of fear that they seldom, if ever, have anyone question their ideas, policies, procedures, or methods. If no one is disagreeing, adding their two cents, or giving any “real” input at your meetings, you don’t need to have a meeting. You probably won’t be in business long either, if that’s the way you run a company.  Here are two examples of things that should have been challenged:  (Source:GreatGovernmentGoofsbyLelandGregory)  ¾ Oneyear,efficiencyexpertssavedtheDepartmentofDefense$27million. TheefficiencyexpertschargedtheDOD$150millionfortheirwork.

¾ TheElPaso,Texas,CityCouncilapproved$112,000toretainaprivatesecurity firm–toguardthecity’spolicestation.

Someone should have stood up in those meetings and said – “Wait a minute”

“ We have better things to do with our money.” “This makes no sense.” “This is ridiculous.” “You’ve got to be kidding.” “Why?”

But, always remember, when it’s not their own money, attitudes are more accepting of stupid ideas.

Personally, I will take one Contrarian over a room full of “Yes” people; at least the Contrarian will force me to think. Never take offense from someone who is challenging your idea. Simple words like Why, What if can save a company if asked at the right time. Great leaders see challenges as an invitation for the group to test, justify, explain, and prove the idea. They welcome vigorous dialogue and debate. They see argument and disagreement as catalysts to better solutions. Once a decision is made, do everything you can to make it work, because only through a unified commitment can success be obtained.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #64 – Humble Beginnings

In the early 1960’s, Phillip Knight and his college track coach, William Bowerman, sold imported Japanese sneakers from the backend of a station wagon. They invested $1,000 in start- up costs to get their company off and running.

In 1907, two teenagers from Seattle began a message-and-parcel delivery service for local merchants. The total investment to get their company started was $100.

With $900, Tom Monaghan and his brother bought a small pizzeria in 1960 and expanded their company using a simple strategy: locate their stores near college campuses or military bases and deliver their pizza within 30 minutes of receiving an order. Tom Monaghan didn’t finish college, but as he would note, he stayed long enough to learn that college kids eat a lot.

In 1933, with $923 of their own money and $5,000 that they borrowed, two brothers with no business experience, rented a warehouse in Modesto, California and launched their business. Not only were they lacking business experience, they learned their new chosen profession, wine- making, by studying pamphlets at the local library.

An old, white-haired man drove around the country, giving out samples to people, of what he had cooked in the back of his station wagon. He wanted to show people just how good his fried specialty tasted.

Michael started his company in his college dorm room and ended up dropping out of college. Harvard college drop-out Bill and his high school friend Allen, moved into an Albuquerque hotel room, started a little computer software company and went bankrupt. Restarted it again, with a slightly different name, and the rest is history.

Today might not be going so well for you and you or your company might be facing challenges or competition that seem to be overwhelming. I think it is safe to say Nike, United Parcel Service, Domino’s Pizza, E & J Gallo Winery, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Dell Computer, and Microsoft all felt the same way numerous times. Success comes to those who will persist, fight, challenge, and change when times get tough. Nothing worthwhile ever comes easy. If those great companies can come from such humble beginnings and make it work so can you.

The key word in all of this is “WORK.”

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #65 – What is Unconventional Today Could be Conventional Tomorrow

From the way we conduct business to the way we conduct our daily lives, most everything is changing. What was the standard operating procedure for yesterday is the outdated method for tomorrow. The best thing you can do is adapt and take advantage of opportunities that may be overlooked. According to Cisco Connected World Report and Microsoft 2010 US Remote Working Research

Ź 62 percent of employees believe they could fulfill their job duties at a remote location.

Ź 66 percent would take a lower-paying job if they had more work flexibility

Ź 60 percent of employees believe they don’t need to be in the office to be productive and efficient

Do you see any opportunities in those statistics? Don’t get so caught up in the conventional way of doing things that you fail to see other, more profitable ways, to operate your business. Could you lower fixed overhead and expenses by having some of your people operating from home? You could still collaborate face to face by utilizing Skype. Some people out there will immediately say, “That won’t work. You can’t have control of your people. They won’t get things done.” If that is your argument, my statement to you is, “You have hired the wrong people.”

Jet Blue has hundreds of reservation agents operating from their own home. Their home based agents save, on average, up to $4,000 on their commuting expenses, not counting the cost savings of eating out for lunch, daycare, and wardrobe. The agent could be sitting there in their robe and house slippers and the customer would never know. Jet Blue found they had a 25% increase in productivity once employees were allowed to work from home; they figured out a different, more productive, less expensive, more profitable way to operate. Change, adapt, modify, challenge, innovate, transform, revise, and improve are all survival words for businesses today.

No advancement was ever made by saying, “That’s the way we’ve always done it.”

If you quit looking for ways to improve you have already started the process of being replaced.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #66 – Some Success Tweets  In the world of Twitter, I know I’ve written something good when others ReTweet” to their followers what I sent out. So, I decided to share some of my latest “ReTweets” with you.

If you want MORE FRIENDS, do everything you can to NEVER SHARE what went wrong in your day. Ask about their day and then be a good listener.

Negative people bring negative results. Hire happy, cheerful, spirited, positive people. You can teach skills – YOU CAN’T TEACH ATTITUDE.

Spelling errors should never diminish the power of an idea. Brilliant ideas sometimz com disguized – Lok past miner erors for answors.

Think before you act. But, if you only think and never act, you’ve accomplished nothing. Success comes to those willing to take action.

I find people who have to BACK-TRACK on what they said, really meant what they said the first time,they just didn’t like the consequences.

You can be a WATCHER or a DOER. Watchers work for doers. There is nothing wrong with being a WATCHER – But, it is YOUR choice.

If I have two people of equal talent I will ALWAYS promote the one who is happier, smiles more, and is positive.

Humor is a fantastic way to cut tension, create unity, reduce burn-out and turn-over. Great bosses find a way to put laughter in their day!

Average people just get by. If you want to be successful always do more than expected. Astonish, amaze, wow them and success is yours.

People will always remember how you treated them. You don’t think so? Think back on your best & worst teachers or bosses. See, you remember!

True learning starts when your mouth is shut, mind is open, prejudice is in check, receptiveness engaged and only when you desire it most.

Plans are useless unless implemented. Ideas are worthless unless tried. Success is a result of doing, not good intentions.

If a person will lie, cheat, deceive, or belittle others for their own personal gain, the question is not will they do it to you …it’s when.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #67 - Laughter is a POSITIVE STIMULANT to Profits

I recently did a speaking engagement for a company and in my research interviewing process several people shared with me some very disturbing comments about their working environment. I simply asked the question, “What do you do for fun at your company?” I received comments like “We don’t have time for fun.” “I can’t remember the last time we did anything fun.” “Fun – we don’t do anything fun.” “I think we had a picnic last year.”

Due to the pressures to produce more in less hours and the ever increasing pressure of competition, in too many companies today, humor and laughter have virtually disappeared. If you want to boost productivity, then figure out ways to create a fun, happy work environment and most importantly, make people laugh. One study conducted by Canadian financial institutions discovered that managers who used humor often, also had the highest level of employee performance. If you are still not convinced that laughter is something that you should strive to create in your workplace, then here are a few more facts that might help.

Ź Laughter can defuse anger and anxiety as well as keep you focused and alert Ź Laughter is contagious and irresistible and therefore, spreads within your organization Ź Laughter boosts your energy, diminishes pain Ź Laughter protects you from the damaging effects of stress Ź Laughter adds joy and zest to life, eases fear, and improves your mood Ź Laughter enhances resilience, strengthens relationships, and enhances teamwork Ź Laughter helps you keep a positive, optimistic outlook through difficult situations

It is important to make time for fun activities at work: e.g. bowling night, miniature golfing, karaoke, watch clips from a funny movie or TV show, share a good joke or a funny story, check out your bookstore’s humor section and bring some books to a meeting to share, host a game show night or lunch break with associates, ask people, “What’s the funniest thing that ever happened to you”, include humorous quotes or pictures in communications, use improv games as icebreakers and stress busters, organize group activities outside of work that are fun, have impromptu theme days as well as caption contests, and/or have a dress-up day or different theme costume dress-up days and give out awards for best costumes. Have a meeting strictly devoted to figuring out ways to have FUN at your company and then do them. Never forget that laughter is a POSITIVE STIMULANT to profits.

Laughtercanhelppeoplethriveduringchange,remaincreativeunderpressure, workmoreeffectivelyandstayhealthierintheprocess.Makesurelaughteris partofyoureverydayworkenvironmentandwatchyourproductivitySOAR!

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #68 - REALISTIC OPTIMIST

I am the eternal optimist; just ask my wife Ann. She will tell you I can watch a movie that is really bad and the whole time I am thinking it will get better, the plot will improve, the actors will become better actors, and the ending will be great. As a motivational business speaker it would be a very bad thing if I didn’t look at things that way. But, I am also a businessperson who has owned several companies, worked with over 2,500 other companies and interviewed over 10,000 employees, managers and senior executives, so I understand where optimism needs to stop and realties must be addressed.

Former President John Kennedy would assign a person at each cabinet meeting to take the opposite view of what was being proposed, even if they agreed with it. Their job was to try and shoot holes in the plan, find the weak points or destroy it altogether, if they could. He felt if a plan, idea, or suggestion couldn’t stand up to their tough questions, the plan sure wouldn’t stand up to the real world when they tried to implement it. He knew because he was the President that many times people would publicly agree with him, even when they really didn’t agree. He understood that the only way to get real answers was to take the fear of reprisal out of the picture.

If you are having meetings and everyone is agreeing with you, then you don’t need to have any more meetings. Disagreements are healthy; President Kennedy insisted on them. Zappo’s, the internet shoe selling company who went from zero to $1 billion in sales in 10 years, changed its business plan four times. A&P, who had over 16,000 stores, didn’t pay attention to their customers’ ever-changing demands, didn’t adjust their business plan, and now they have about 300 stores.

It is great to be optimistic. I want to be surrounded by people who know we can get it done. But, I also want to be around people who will face reality and change when necessary; then get it done. That’s the way we’ve always done it, works for delivering great service, having great attitudes, being timely and efficient. Those are all critical to your success. But, when your market changes, when customer demands change you have got to be realistic. Take a look at all the different menu offerings at McDonald’s today compared to what they offered 10 years ago oh, how things have changed.

I have said it before, but it is worth repeating; if you don’t like change, you are going to hate extinction. If you are going to stay ahead of your competition then address the real issues and ask the tough questions. To survive in this ever changing marketplace, I suggest you become a REALISTIC OPTIMIST.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #69 - Chipping Away At Success

Michelangelo made incredible statues by chipping away at giant blocks of marble. He envisioned the finished piece before ever raising his mallet and kept chipping away until his masterpiece was completed. Every day you need to chip away at becoming better. If you intend to be successful, creating your own masterpiece, you don’t do it overnight.

For over 20 years, I have been a professional speaker and have addressed the top companies in the world on numerous issues that would help their people perform at a higher level. In preparing for over 2,500 programs, not once have I had anyone tell me their people were lacking in the hard skills, technical knowledge or the book sense they needed to succeed in their industry. Instead, I have always been asked to address subjects that have to deal with what is referred to as soft skills.

Unlike hard skills, which are about someone’s skill and ability to perform a task, soft skills are more broadly applicable to successfully running an enterprise. Soft skills are the behavioral competencies people possess. Also known as people skills or interpersonal skills, they include talents such as strategic thinking, communication skills, team building, leadership and management skills, negotiation skills, conflict resolution, personal effectiveness, productive and inventive problem solving, along with selling skills, to name just a few. Top executives understand that a person's soft skills are an important part of their individual contribution to the success of the organization.

The mistake I see people and companies making is that they get consumed with dealing with everything else and not taking a few minutes each day to develop soft skills. You don’t create these soft skills overnight. Keep in mind Michelangelo’s method of creation; small chips carved away to uncover the beauty that was always there in his mind. Every day on a personal or corporate basis, make sure some sort of “Chipping Away” is taking place.

Don’t let a day go by that you or your people have not gained “A Small Chip” of knowledge, skill or talent.

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson #70 - Life Is a Line It Just Depends on How You Want To Draw It

This weekend I was the recipient of some rather profound commentary on life. It didn’t come to me via some world renowned scholar or teacher; it was casually presented to me on the way home from playing golf with my 21 year-old son, Tyler. We were talking about his first few years away at college and he interjected into the conversation the following: (let me paraphrase to the best of my memory)

“Dad, to me, life is like a line. It can be a straight horizontal line from birth to death, where you don’t do anything but basically exist, so there is nothing to cause the line to go up (representing you did something good) …or … causing it to go down (representing you did something bad).

I understand there will be times that my line is flat, which is okay, because you need to take some breaks, vacations, and just relax. I decided my important decisions in life should be based on what makes my line go up. If I study hard and get an ‘A’ on tests, the line goes up. When I played basketball, I didn’t worry about the entire game, only what I could do to make the line go up: scoring, rebounds, and steals would all add up to helping the team.

I see kids doing some really stupid things in college which does nothing to help their line go up … so I don’t do them. I am all about making my line as high as I can. So, when I have to make a decision about doing something or not doing something, I think about my line. It helps making a decision so much easier.”

Yes, I would say that was some rather profound commentary on life. Complicated just got simple. Confusing just got clear. Indecisiveness just turned into action. It’s all about a higher line mentality. The same is true in business. When choosing what course to chart, what actions to take, what decisions to make, always do what is necessary so your results are depicted with a higher line. What are you doing to make your line go up today?

Consider This Collection By Robert Stevenson