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2016: One Thing to Remember

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It’s here. The future. What will you do?

When I present to leaders the findings from our recent Future of Work Study, one slide draws the biggest Ahas.

Your Comfort ZoneThe next five years will be among the most disruptive in business, if not human, history. Everything you know, feel, and do will be Uber’d — you will experience massive disruptions that seem to come out of nowhere – disruptions that can uproot your entire businesses or industry before you’ve finished your morning cup of coffee.

To tackle those disruptions, most every major decision you’ll need to make during 2016 will be outside your comfort zone.

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About the Author

Bill JensenBill Jensen is CEO of the Jensen Group, a New Jersey-based change consulting firm, focused on the future of work. As Mr. Simplicity, Bill makes it easier for people to do great work. His eighth book, Future Strong, is on sale now. Follow him on Twitter @simpletonbill.

Be More Productive Now: Mindful Strategies for Increasing Performance

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According to research – including studies by the London Business School1 and the Franklin Covey Institute2 – the majority of business professionals use their time inefficiently.

Sure, they stay busy by answering email, replying to requests, and taking care of other mundane tasks. But as it turns out, being busy doesn’t necessarily equate to being effective.

In fact, if you take a close look at the data, it’s amazing how bad many of us in business are at utilizing our time and staying focused on our goals.

But why?

As it turns out, we’re actually addicted to the action itself.

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About the Authors

Rasmus HougaardRasmus Hougaard is an internationally acknowledged expert in training the mind to be focused and clear at work. He is the founder of The Potential Project – a leading global provider of corporate based mindfulness solutions operating in 20 countries. He is training senior executives, leaders and employees in organizations like Google, Nike, Accenture, GE and many other organizations in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Rasmus is author of the book “One Second Ahead – Enhancing Performance at work with Mindfulness”, published by Palgrave MacMillan, October 2015. Rasmus has a Master’s degree in Organizational Development & Adult Learning and degrees in Philosophy and Human Resources.

Jacqueline CarterJacqueline Carter is passionate about working with leaders to enhance performance, effectiveness and well-being. She is a Partner with The Potential Project and has worked with leaders from around the globe including from Sony, American Express, RBC and KPMG to name a few. She is a co-author of the book “One Second Ahead – Enhancing Performance at Work with Mindfulness” and gives regular talks on how to improve focus, clarity and results in daily work. She has managed teams of more than 100 people and budgets of over $60M. Jacqueline has a Master’s degree in Organizational Behavior and degrees in Labor Management Relations and Mathematics.

Gillian CouttsGillian Coutts has over 20 years of experience as a leader and change agent in the sales and operations functions of large corporations. She has worked across a range of industries including retail, government, transport, oil and gas, and human services. Gillian is a Partner with The Potential Project Australia. Her clients include Yahoo!7, Telstra, BUPA, and large not-for-profit organizations. She also sits on a number of boards and regularly speaks on integrating mindfulness into leadership, work life, and – following her own wake-up call of cancer diagnosis and treatment – programs for post-traumatic growth.

Notes:

  1. Harvard Business Review, “Beware the Busy Manager,” February 2002.
  2. Franklin Covey, “FranklinCovey Global Time Matrix™ Survey,” 2011.
  3. Britta K. Hölzel, James Carmody, Mark Vangel, Christina Congleton, Sita M. Yerramsetti, Tim Gard, Sara W. Lazar. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging 191, 2011, 36–43.

Thought dedication. You decide what to think, and how to react.

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What is the importance of attitude?

Every person, you included, wants to achieve more, earn more, find happiness, be successful, and be fulfilled. At the root of all these elements is attitude. Positive attitude. Your positive attitude.

Every person, you included, instinctively knows that. Yet most people, you included, don’t really possess a positive attitude. Oh, you may think you do, but I promise you, you don’t.

Most people don’t read about attitude.
Most people don’t study attitude.
Most people don’t practice attitude.
Most people don’t live the essence of attitude.
Most people don’t live the principles of attitude.
Most people are not dedicated to attitude.
You included.

In fact, you may have never read a book on the subject of attitude.

I believe I was born with a positive attitude, and I believe you were born with a positive attitude. It took 24 years for me to discover mine. I wonder if you have found yours yet.

Everyone, you included, has heard the expression, “Attitude Is Everything!”

Let me break down the elements of that expression for you – maybe for the first time. Attitude controls, rules, affects, and directs your career, your family life, your personal life, and you. It affects or can impact your relationships, your business success, and your health.

Attitude has power. Personal power. And the best part is: YOU CONTROL IT. You determine the way you think about, develop, and deliver your attitude.

In my Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude I explain the simple difference between “positive” and “YES!” When something great happens to you, you don’t scream “POSITIVE!” When something great happens to you, you scream, “YES!”

It’s subtle, but powerful, language when you come to that mental and verbal understanding.

What language do you speak? No, I don’t mean Spanish, French, or English. I mean positive or negative. Attitude language.

Ever look out the window when it’s pouring rain, and think to yourself, “It’s gonna be a rotten day”? Why don’t you walk away from the window where you can’t see outside and think about the day in terms of you, not the weather.

It’s the small wording of expressions like that, that lead to a “bad day” for anyone. Even you. A rotten day starts with the way you think about it, and the way you talk about it. It’s not about the weather outside. It’s about the weather inside – inside your mind.

How’s the weather where you live?
How’s the weather where you work?
How’s the weather where you play?
How’s the weather where you think?

One of the definitions of a positive attitude is: The way you dedicate yourself to the way you think. And you are in complete control of it.

Thinking positive is a self-discipline. A daily self-discipline. You control it. You make it happen. Or not. Taking positive actions is dependent on positive thought. If you don’t THINK positive, you will not BE positive, and you will not DO positive.

There are many definitions of attitude, and there are many ways to look at attitude. Books have been written on attitude that you have not exposed yourself to. All of them are helpful, all of them are good, and all of them must be studied if you want to achieve your positive attitude.

Books like Think and Grow Rich contain the philosophies, strategies, and the connected stories of men and women who have achieved their positive attitude – and can help you achieve yours. You should own them and read a few pages every day. (That’s one of the secrets of attitude: read and study attitude for 15 minutes a day). Positive attitude is yours for the taking, all you have to do is read, study, and apply – every day.

The challenge of positive attitude is for you to decide that you’re willing to dedicate the time, and that you have the desire to make it happen for yourself.

If you want some ideas for the achievement of attitude, go to www.gitomer.com and enter the words ATTITUDE STARTERS in the GitBit box.

Reprinted with permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer.

About the Author

Jeffrey GitomerJeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, Customer Satisfaction is Worthless Customer Loyalty is Priceless, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, The Little Black Book of Connections, The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way, The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching, The Little Teal Book of Trust, The Little Book of Leadership, and Social BOOM! His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead you to more information about training and seminars, or email him personally at [email protected].

It’s been a long time coming – A new way to change change!

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Change is coming.

Got fear or joy? Got worry or positive anticipation?

Putting your head in the sand, or headed to the beach to relax and plan?

When you feel or fear that some form of change is coming, you have to define it in your mind as opportunity. Clear your head for “what will be” tomorrow, and not worry about “what is” today.

The way this is done is through a combination of faith and belief. These are very similar emotional attributes. And many of you reading this, have already misinterpreted them. I’m not talking about praying, I’m talking about planning.

Faith and belief in yourself.

Belief that you have the capability to withstand any circumstance and emerge both better and victorious.  And faith that whatever happens or is happening, happens for some reason and that reason is to benefit you, not harm you.

The prime questions to face are:

Do you believe in yourself?
Do you have faith in yourself?
Do you believe that you can create ideas that will make you better based on present circumstance?

One key action that will help you more than any other is to collaborate rather than commiserate.  Commiseration takes you backwards.  You may have heard it defined as a pity party. I define it as group whining that usually results in group blaming.

  • Collaboration is about tomorrow, and what can be done, and what needs to be done in order to create an amazing new outcome.
  • Collaboration requires a gathering of smart people with positive attitudes and positive outlooks.

Here’s what to do:

  • Make a list of your ten best attributes
  • Make a list of your ten best assets.
  • See how many of the same assets and attributes are on that list.
  • Make a list of your ten most positive connections, acquaintances, or friends.
  • Make a list of your ten most intelligent connections, acquaintances, or friends.
  • See how many of the same people are on that list.

Assemble a small group of people in a very short space of time and create an agenda for discussion that you pre-send so that people have some time to think about it. It can be both about you and about it (whatever the changing circumstance is).

Have the meeting in a positive place, and have all kinds of food on the table when people get there so that the atmosphere is both bright and festive.

Have a recording device and a flip chart in the meeting so that all thoughts and ideas are captured. Before everyone leaves, list the top ten action items or ideas to be implemented, and who owns them. And then thank everyone by giving them a book on creativity (see my recommended books here), a firm handshake, a smile, a hug, and a genuine, heartfelt thank you.

The results of this meeting will not only move you forward (see my article on change forward), but will also create a mindset that will move you away from the fear, doubt, worry, and uncertainty that pending change often creates.

REALITY: There are millions of words written on change. Very few of them only look for the positive. Very few of them mention the word “opportunity,” much less “positive collaboration.”

REALITY: When a significant event is about to occur that can alter both career path and income, the more time you spend moving forward by creating ideas and taking action, the less time you will have to dwell on the circumstance and fall into the pit of self-pity.

REALITY: Rather than go to the bookstore and buy a three hundred page book on change, take these seven hundred and fifty words, put them into action, change your outlook, keep your attitude positive, create ideas, take new actions, and generate results for yourself based on future.

NOTE WELL: This is a time to inspire yourself on a daily, even hourly basis. This might include a visit to an art museum, re-reading positive passages from books in your attitude library, listening to messages that inspire your thinking and give you new resolve and even new purpose, and surrounding yourself with the love of family and the love of friends that will encourage you to move on and move up.

THE SECRET: The secret key is to take responsibility to make this happen for yourself. You cannot dwell on ‘why.’ You are responsible for yourself FIRST.

You must focus on ‘now’ and ‘next.’
You cannot dwell on ‘woe.’
You must focus on ‘win.’

Change that.

Reprinted with permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer.

About the Author

Jeffrey GitomerJeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, Customer Satisfaction is Worthless Customer Loyalty is Priceless, The Little Red Book of Selling, The Little Red Book of Sales Answers, The Little Black Book of Connections, The Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude, The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way, The Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching, The Little Teal Book of Trust, The Little Book of Leadership, and Social BOOM! His website, www.gitomer.com, will lead you to more information about training and seminars, or email him personally at [email protected].

Professional Development Best Practice 2 – Ongoing, Critical Self-Assessment

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The StrategyDriven Professional never takes anything for granted. He or she seeks to represent excellence in all areas of performance. To achieve this lofty goal requires ongoing, critical introspection; a constant identification of performance improvement opportunities and the actions to be taken to close those gaps once identified.

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