Inspiration Lost

Some days it's hard to get inspired.  Hopefully these days are few and far between, and when they do come, hopefully you can point to the root cause of your slump.  When you're having one of these days, what is the best thing to do?  Do something relaxing to pull you out of the slump?  Take a nap?  Fight through it and risk less than quality work?

I don't know the answer, but I tend to try to fight through it.  I do find myself making errors or being sloppy/lazy during this time.  Take this post as a good example, can you tell I don't have much in the tank?  Generally my root cause is lack of sleep, so I think it would be best if I just slept it off............but I don't see that ever happening.

Integrity in a Bottle

INTEGRITY - adherence to moral and ethical principals; soundness of moral character; honesty.

If 7-Eleven sold integrity in a bottle, would people buy it?  My opinion is No, not for themselves anyway.......... and here's my theory why:

We buy Energy in a bottle, Muscle in a bottle, Hair in a bottle, Skinny in a bottle, Complexion in a bottle, Happy in a bottle, etc....  Each of these things represent something in which either: (1) we have little to no control over our ability to achieve these on our own, or (2)  Achieving them is easier with a little supplemental assistance.

Integrity is a personal choice that we get to make every day.  It doesn't take a certain skill, it's not genetic, and there are no real excuses that excuse us from it.  Being tired, stressed, flustered..........doesn't even impact integrity.  We choose whether we want to act upon ethics, moral code, professionalism, and honesty.  Every day we make this choice.  Even someone who has historically not acted with integrity, can change today.

So going back to my question, we would likely buy Integrity in a bottle with the intention of slipping it into someone else's drink.............but never for ourselves.  We already have it, it's up to us to use it.

Disappear and Produce

This an appropriate follow-up to my multi-tasking post from yesterday.  I do better when I'm running.  Of course I get a lot done on days when I'm in front of my computer all day........but my production/time ratio loses efficiency.  I get lost is a lull of going from project to answering incoming emails, back to the project, back to emails, etc...  I find myself staring at my computer looking for something to break the monotony and sparks some creativity.

Days when I can get 1-2 hours of quiet computer time, then attend meetings, back to the computer, back to meetings, and so-on.........are by far my most productive days.  Disappearing for an hour or two to get things done, mixed with colleague/client interaction in between........keeps the business metabolism constantly firing.  By keeping a general list of to-do's, along with an immediate list of to-do's following each meeting............and then crossing them off task by task during the downtime.............you are constantly working toward both short-term and long-term goals.  Prioritize projects, and be quick to adjust priorities.

Disappear, avoid distractions, and get things done.  Otherwise, the to-do list builds up and becomes discouraging to even look at.

Multi-Tasking with Errors

Multi-tasking makes the world go round.  I'm pretty convinced that if I can perform more tasks than you at any given time, I will beat you.  I know this isn't the case if I'm making mistakes along the way while you are doing everything perfectly.  Sometimes, messy and quick still wins..........but I think I bank on that too often.

Yesterday I was hosting a conference call, answering an email, and sending a text all at the same time.  Later in the evening I came across the text I sent and was shocked at what the "auto-correct" function on my phone sent on my behalf.  Luckily, this time, it wasn't sent to a colleague or client.  It was shocking enough to make me realize I need to slow down and proof more often.

It also got me thinking that if I was negligent on the text, I probably was not on my A-game during the conference call or the email communication.  Sure, I got more done.  But, was it counter-productive?

Fundamentals

I am very, very guilty of this.  "Think outside of the box."  This is something I strongly believe in, always encourage, regularly practice, and remind others of.  To stay one step ahead, we must always be foreward thinking and beat our competitors to the punch.  Thinking outside the box is one of the key ways to get there before they do.

Having said this, I catch myself LIVING outside the box.  All of a sudden I realize that the creative approach that I took to get there, was a much longer or exhaustive route to take than the norm.  Next thing I know I either got beat getting there, or I'm beat up when I arrive putting me at a disadvantage when taking the next step.

My life in sports from Kindergarden through College, my coaches always harped on fundamentals.  We get lazy, cute, confident, lethargic........and the first thing to go is our fundamentals.  "This is too easy, anyone can do this, I can do this in my sleep, I need to find my own way..........a better way" are common thoughts at some point.  Fundamentals are the practices that you learned and mastered early on, that got you where you are, and that will continue to take you where you want to go.  When you take the fundamentals for granted, you get beat.

We must keep within our fundamentals of business.  Keep doing what we do well, what got us here, and always continue to try to improve on those things.  Thinking outside the box is crucial to improvement.  But don't go so far, or stay so long, that you lose sight of your fundamentals.

I Want I Can

We all have a million reasons why we can't do something, or more specifically, why we can't sell something.  Every product and every company has limitations.  Those who focus on the limitations will not go anywhere.  You must make the most out of your strengths, focus on your benefits, and be confident in why you can sell.

I believe it's a defense mechanism, a built in excuse.  It's not my fault, it's the fault of the challenges in which I'm up against.  Wrong.  We can't let our limitations and challenges hold us back.  This is an endless spiral that leads to repetitive failure.  I want to hear why you can.  I know I can, and I have a million reasons why.

Company Politics

Any company with 3 employees or more will experience some form of company politics.  These politics can be one of the greatest limitations that prevent your company from achieving the next level............if they're not managed properly.  But when handled in a correct manner, they can actually provide a great platform to prove yourself.  Politics are a drag, and likely my least favorite part of the corporate world.  But they will always be, and must be embraced.

You don't have to be a politician to survive company politics.  You must simply decide what you stand for, what your goals are, what your beliefs are, where your loyalties lie, and what manner you wish to represent yourself................and then stick with it.  Those that waiver or perceive to be following the popular direction may see short-term success, but will have an uphill battle to leadership.

An abbreviated formula to succeed in company politics is:  BE YOURSELF + BELIEVE IN YOUR DIRECTION + LEARN WHO YOU CAN AND CAN'T TRUST

Oh yeah, and try not to get caught up in company politics..........they take time away from selling.