Success Is Not An Accident

by Tommy Newberry

Bill of Responsibilities
1. You have the responsibility to ask only for opportunity.
2. You have the responsibility to seek and find your true place in life.
3. You have the responsibility to write down compelling goals for your life.
4. You have the responsibility to invest the minutes and hours of your life wisely.
5. You have the responsibility to visualise the attainment of your goals in rich, vivid details.
6. You have the responsibility to talk yourself into success.
7. You have the responsibility to choose a high-energy lifestyle.
8. You have the responsibility to develop yourself and every area of your life to its maximum.
9. You have the responsibility to provide more values and contribution if you desire more rewards.
10. You have the responsibility to persist until you succeed.

---

Lesson 1 - Choose Success
Goal-Setting

1. Controllable : Make your definition within your control, not based on outside circumstances or other people.
   
2. Measurable : Make your definition quantifiable so that you can hold yourself accountable.
   
3. Perpetual : Formulate your definition so that you can satisfy your definition on a daily basis.
   
4. Personal : Choose your own definition, not a borrowed one.
   
5. Principal-Based : Establish your definition on absolute truths, not on subjective, timely or situational values.
   

Assignment -

• Write out your personal definitions of success and failure.
  
• Write down things in your life you can control. And another list of those you can't.
  
• Write out 20 of your positive characteristics.
  
• Write out 20 of your past accomplishments.
  
• Write out 20 of your greatest blessings.
  
• Write out 20 blessings you expect to be grateful for 9 years from now.
  
• Describe your ideal day in detail.

---

Lesson 2 - Choose Who You Want to Become
The Personal Mission Statement Worksheet

1. What are three qualities you would most like to see associated with your reputation?
   
2. What three activities do you find most enjoyable?
   
3. What three activities are most important to you?
   
4. What three things would you like to change about your life if you had no restrictions or limitations?
   
5. What six things do you want in life more than anything else?
   
6. Who are the three people you admire most, and why?
   
7. Of the people you admire most, which one quality do they all have in common?
   
8. What would you be willing to die for if you had to?
   
9. Why do you go to work?
   
10. What are your four most important roles in life (friend, salesperson, entrepreneur, student, uncle, husband, mother etc.) ?
    
11. What qualities would you like to be known for in each of these roles?
    
12. What evidence would prove you have those qualities?
    
13. What would you like people to remember about you when you die?

The Personal Statement Outline

1. In 25 words or less, you statement of purpose : My mission is to ...
   
2. Role A
   - Qualities / Description in brief
   - Evidence, Actions, Responsibilities in brief
   
3. Role B
   - Qualities / Description in brief
   - Evidence, Actions, Responsibilities in brief
   
4. Role C
   - Qualities / Description in brief
   - Evidence, Actions, Responsibilities in brief
   
5. Role D
   - Qualities / Description in brief
   - Evidence, Actions, Responsibilities in brief
   
6. Summary and Conclusion : Your personal philosophy of life and success

---

Lesson 3 - Choose to Write Down Compelling Goals
Top 10 Reasons to Establish Written Goals for Your Life:

10. Written goals strengthen your character by promoting a long-term perspective.
9. Written goals allow you to lead your life as opposed to simply managing it.
8. Written goals provided internal, permanent, and consistent motivation.
7. Written goals help you stay focused -- to concentrate on what's most important.
6. Written goals enhance your decision-making ability.
5. Written goals simultaneously require and build self-confidence.
4. Written goals help you create the future in advance.
3. Written goals help you control changes -- to adjust your sails, to work with the wind, rather than against it.
2. Written goals heighten your awareness of opportunities that are consistent with your goals.
1. Written goals make YOU the person your want to become as a result.

--> They remind you of why you are doing what you're doing, why you're enduring hardship, why you're pushing yourself outside your comfort zone, and finally what you really want to become.

Why people don't set goals:

1. They have not accepted personal responsibility for their lives yet.
   
2. They fear criticism.
   
3. They don't know how.
   
4. They don't realise the importance of goals.
   
5. The Curse of Early Success.
   
6. They fear failure.
   
7. They fear success.
   

Effective Goals are:

• written
  
• stated in the present tense ( not future )
  
• positive ( eg. not "I will not be lazy" )
  
• consistent with your personal statement
  
• specific and measurable
  
• timebound ( to give yourself motivation and pressure )
  
• reasonable, yet challenging ( high, but attainable )
  
• planned thoroughly
  

The Goal Achievement Formula

Personal Mission Statement ( Who you want to become )

Long-Term Vision and Goals ( The 30-year ideal lifestyle )

3-year Goals ( The 3-year vision)

90-day Milestones

90-day Strategies

Weekly Master List

Daily "to-do's" | Daily Habits

---

Lesson 4 - Choose to Invest Your Time Wisely

---

Lesson 5 - Choose to Get Out of Your Own Way
7 Mental Principles

1. Cause and Effect
--- There is no luck.

2. Belief
--- Your beliefs produce life experiences, not the other way around.

3. Subconscious Activity
--- Your job is to convince the subconscious that the condition you desire already exists.

4. Substitution
--- Exert control over your thinking. Substitute

5. Mental Equivalency
Develop a clear mental picture of any goal you hope to achieve in advance.

6. Concentration
--- Focus on your positive experiences, blessings, goals, and all the people who love you, and you'll attract more.

7. Relaxation
--- Don't try too hard. Don't force things mentally -- your mind will freeze and stop working creatively.



Effective Self-talk using P.E.P.P.

> Positively Phrased

> Emotion Provoking

> Present Tense

> Personal


15 Practical Insights --

1. Always use the word "when" rather than "if" in situations where you are talking about something you want to happen.

2. Take control of your explanatory style, the way you interpret past events to yourself. Put a positive twist on things or "spin it" to your benefit, by looking back and reinterpreting any seemingly negative situation and mentally downplaying or minimizing its significance. This reduces the effect of the past on your future.

3. Watch out for media programming, the constant suggestive influence from radio, television, newspaper, magazine, and billboards. It's estimated that the average American is exposed to more than 1500 advertising messages a day. If you think like the masses think, you'll get what the masses get.

4. Never let anyone say anything to you or about you in your presence that you don't sincerely want to happen. Be alert whenever someone starts a sentence with "you" in daily conversations. Be especially careful about old friends who speak of you as the person you were, but no longer want to be.

5. In dealing with other people, particularly those you live or work with, never refer to someone or characterise someone in their presence as something you don't want them to be, or else you'll just be reinforcing their negative tendency to be that way. Omit things like "You're ALWAYS late!".

6. Whenever you catch yourself thinking something negative or self-defeating, stop in your tracks. Say "cancel", "next", "deflect" or anything which works for you if need be.

7. Be always doing what you say, you strengthen your character and literally program yourself to create the reality dictated by your words. Walk your talk. Talk you walk.

8. Refuse to claim things or stake possession to anything that you don't want in your lifestyle eg. my cold, my headache. Attach it to things like my prosperity, my perfect health etc.

9. No matter how common it may, refuse to get cornered into conversations involving skepticism, cynicism, doubt, worry or gossip. Self-talk is quite contagious. Only talk about yourself and things you want to happen.

10. Most people routinely say things to themselves r about themselves that they would never, ever say to a respected friend. Refuse to acknowledge or give air time to any thoughts that are in opposition to who you really want to be. Be a respecting and nourishing friend to yourself.

11. Leave the past in the past. If it becomes necessary to talk about a habit, tendency or quality that you'll rather not have, always talk about it as if it's long gone, as if it's history rather than an ongoing problem.

12. Choose the words of champions. Replace "I'll try to" to "I will". Replace "I didn't have time" with "I chose not to make time for it"

13. Watch out for others who transplant their past experiences to you, often lowering your expectations and, in effect, causing you to clinch up, preparing for the worst. Learn from others' experience, but always assume it's going to be a lot better for you.

14. Every cell in your body "listens in" to your thinking and interprets each thought as a command. If you want to know what your self-talk was like three years ago, just look at yourself and your life today. What the mind harbours, the body expresses.

15. Putting into practice even just a few suggestions from this lesson will generate a visible and measurable improvement in your life. Don't worry about mistakes, tripping up a little or falling back. Shrug it off and stay focused on doing better tomorrow. Remember, it is at the very moment that you think your self-talk is not working that you NEED to use it the most. Fill up every empty moment with a thought of the person you want to be.

---

Lesson 6 - Choose Positive Visualisation

1. Relaxation - the relaxed state of mind increases concentration and focus.
   
2. Frequency - review, review, review!
   
3. Clarity - the more skilled you become at precisely duplicating in your head what you want to see in your life, the more rapidly your goals will appear.
   
4. Duration - Refuse to let fear, worry, distractions, or any other types of resistance cut short the length of each act of visualisation.
   
5. Emotion - Mentally celebrate in advance by pretending your goal has already been accomplished.
   
6. Perspective - 1st person? 2nd person? 3rd person?
   
7. Scripting - writing forces you to crystallize your thinking.
   

---

Lesson 7 - Choose a High-Energy Lifestyle

1. Set a goal for how long you want to live
   
   
   
   • Write down everything you can do to help you live to at least age 80
     
   • Write down all the negative habits that you may be tempted to engage in that would hurt your chances of reaching 80
     
   • Take steps to eliminate those bad habits gradually
     
   • Begin by introducing the positive health habits to your life
     
   
   
2. Maintain a positive attitude
   
   
   
   • You become positive by deciding in advance that you will always choose the most resourceful response to any set of circumstances.
     
   
   
3. Control stress
   
   
   
   • We experience stress when we realise we are living far below our potential. Remember it is the way you think about something that makes it successful. Stress does not exist to the degree to which you allow it to.
     
   
   
4. Exercise intelligently
   
   
   
   • Improves sleep
     
   • Relieves stress
     
   • Burns fat
     
   • Suppresses appetite
     
   • Enhances attitude
     
   • Stabilises chemical balance
     
   • Fortifies immune system
     
   • Heightens self-esteem
     
   
   
5. Eat for energy
   
   
   
   • Plan your meals
     
   • Eat low-fat to very low-fat food
     
   • Eat frequently small meals and light snacks
     
   • Work in five or more servings of fresh fruit and vegetables
     
   • Limit the white poisons : sugar, salt, bleached flour
     
   • Drink lots of water
     
   • Supplement your diet with an all-natural, high-quality vitamin and mineral formula
     
   
   
6. Sleep for success
   
   
   
   • Arise at the same time every day
     
   • Eat for deep sleep
     
   • Reserve the bedroom for sleep (and .. )
     
   • Develop a calming bedtime routine
     
   • Make tomorrow's "to-do" list early
     
   • Hide the clock! (Why stress yourself that "it's late" etc?)
     
   • Set the thermostat
     
   
   
7. Take time for rejuvenation
   
   
   
   • Take frequent 5-minute stress breaks
     
   • Don't work for one day every week
     
   • Take a 4-day vacation every quarter
     
   • Take two weeks of vacation annually
     
   • Declutter your home, car, office - everywhere
     
   • Get a massage
     
   • Recultivate simple pleasures
     
   
   

Thought Stimulantors

Travel

Where would you like to travel?
What famous hotels would you like to stay in?
What famous restaurants would you like to stay in?
Where would you take an ideal 30-day vacation?
What is your favourite climate?
What cultures do you like to experience?
What different foods would you like to taste?


Toys
What luxuries would you want to be surrounded with?
What stores would you like to most to have a $5000 gift voucher?
What "toys" would you want to own?
What would you want to see in your wardrobe?


Finances
What would you like your net worth to be when you're 50? 60? 70? 80?
How much money would you like to donate to charity in your lifetime?
What types of investments would you like to be able to make?
How much money would you like to save for retirement?
How much money would you like to spend on vacations?


Home
Where would you like to have a second or third home?
Describe your ideal master suite.
What style of home do you like? What type of decor?
What other amenities would be part of your dream home?
How many children would you like to have?


Learning
What foreign languages would you like to learn?
What types of lessons would you like to take?
How many books do you plan to read in the next 50 years?
What books would you like to read?
What knowledge would you want to have?
Would you like to be known as wise?
What unique experiences would you like to have?
What skills would you want to master?


Health and Fitness
What changes would you like to see in your physical body?
What food give you the most energy?
What sort of diet would help you achieve more?
What minor discomforts etc would you like to be free from?
What are your favourite types of exercise?


Relationships
How would you like the most important people in your life to respond to you?
Describe your ideal mate.
How would you like your family to describe you?
What would be a dream getaway for you and your spouse?


Social
What important people would you like to meet?
What sort of new relationships would you like to develop?
How would you like to be remembered?
How would you like your reputation to change in the next 5 years?


Career
What impact do you want to make on your profession?
What other types of career opportunities would you like to explore?
would you like to go into business for yourself?
Would you rather be working for someone else?
How could you create an income source from your hobbies or talents?


Adventures
How many weeks of vacation would you like to have each year?
Would you like to have an annual month-long holiday?
Would you like to attend the opening of a Broadway show?
What mountains would you like to climb?
What great sites would you like to photograph?


Community
What impact do you want to have in your community?
What role do you want to play in local, state, national, or world politics?
Would you like to teach a Junior Achievement class?


Personal Comfort
What "good lick" would you like to experience?
What emotions would you like to experience more often? How often?
How often would you like tlo get a massage?
What would your ideal weekend be like?
Would you like to simplify your life?
What could you eliminate from your life that would give you more inner peace?
Would you like a full-time maid? Chef?


Spiritual
How active would you like to be in your church?
Would you like to read the Bible from cover to cover?
hat will have to happen for you to experience peace of mind?
How often would you like to meditate?
Would a daily devotion at a fixed time each day halp you grow spiritually?


Personal Development
What character traits would you like to develop?
Would you like to write a book?
What would you like to be remembered for the most?
What contribution or talent do you have that would serve others, ultimately reaping rewards for yourself?
What do you want to, be, have, or become?

Why Teams Don't Work

by Harvey Robbins & Michael Finley


-part one : broken dreams, broken teams-
1. The Team Idea -- everybody get together
Why Teams Are Good

• Teams increase productivity
  
• Teams improve communication
  
• Teams do work that ordinary groups can't do
  
• Teams make better use of resources (and ideas)
  
• Teams are more creative and more efficient at solving problems
  
• Teams mean higher-quality decisions
  
• Teams mean better quality goods and services
  
• Teams mean improved processes
  
• Teams differentiate while they integrate
  

PROBLEM	SYMPTOM
Mismatched Needs	People with private agendas working at cross-purposes
Confused Goals, Cluttered Objectives	People don't know what they're supposed to do, or it makes no sense
Unresolved Roles	Team members are uncertain what their job is
Bad Decision Making	Teams may be making the right decisions, but in a wrong way
Bad Policies, Stupid Procedures	Team is at the mercy of an employee handbook from hell
Personality Conflicts	Team members do not get along
Bad Leadership	Leadership is tentative, inconsistent, or stupid
Bleary Vision	Leadership has foisted a bill of goods on the team
Anti-Team Culture	The organization is not really committed to the idea of teams
Insufficient Feedback and Information	Performance is not being measured; team members are groping in the dark
Ill-Conceived Reward Systems	People are being rewarded for the wrong things
Lack of Team Trust	The team is not a team because members are unable to commit to it
Unwillingness to Change	The team knows what to do but will not do it
The Wrong Tools	The team has been sent to do battle with a slingshot

2. Human Needs -- desperately seeking teaming
Things people seek from one another:

• Affection
  
• Affiliation
  
• Acknowledgement and recognition
  
• Exchange of ideas
  
• Personal self-worth
  

3. Individual Needs vs Team Needs -- ulterior motives
People are not selfless people. It's generally a "me first" or "please consider my personal needs while we meet the team's" situation. Whatever the personal goals, we need to know what they are, and deal with them, or at least acknowledge them -- perhaps even make it corollary team goals.

4. Teamwork vs Socialwork -- what a team we should make
Socializing. Social work are sort of team goals because they involve the group, but they are not related to the business goals. Basically they are fun stuff, distractions. Sometimes the line between work and fun gets fuzzy. A survey years ago suggested that at least a quarter of the time is occupied by socialwork. The researchers also suggested that this mental break time is a necessary component to staying sane at work (relieving stress).

---

-part two : why teams come apart-

5. Misplaced Goals, Confused Objectives -- what are we doing here?
A good team goal :

• a task -- what are you doing
  
• mini-goals, short- (1 month), mid- (3) and long-term (6) goals
  
• a promised limit of what you're doing -- when to stop
  
• a promised level of performance -- budget?
  
• a deadline -- when to finish
  
• the definition of the customer, who all this effort is for
  

Distractions :

• Interteam warfare -- failure of communication, disagreements, arguments
  
• Team sadism -- impossible goals which hurt
  
• The road to nowhere -- how do we move?
  

6. Unresolved Roles -- it ain't my job, man
The good and the bad tasks of the job

- bad / troublesome tasks - hot potatoes no one wants
- good / easy tasks - can result turf wars for that coveted task


7. Bad Decision Making -- how not to make up your mind

Type of decision making	Advantage	Disadvantage
Consensus Everybody contributes and comes to a compromise	produces an innovative, creative, high-quality decision; elicits commitment by all the members to implement the decision; uses the resources of all members; useful in making serious, important and complex decisions to which all members will be committed	takes a lot of time and psychological energy and a high level of member skill; time pressure must be minimal; there can be no emergency in progress.
Majority Democracy. Majority wins.	can be used when time is a constrain, or when the decision is not so important that consensus is necessary; close discussion on issues that are not highly important to the team	usually leaves an alienated minority, a time bomb for future effectiveness; important talents of the minority team may be snubbed; commitment for implementing the decision is only partially present; full benefit of team interaction does not happen
Minority Usually takes the form of a subcommittee of a larger team that investigates information and makes recommendations for action.	can be used when not everyone can get together to make a decision; when the team is in a time crunch and must delegate responsibility to a committee; when only a few members have relevant expertise or knowledge; when broader team commitment is not needed to implement the decision; useful for simple, routine decisions	does not utilize the talents of all team members; does not build broad commitment for implementing the decision; unresolved conflict and controversy may damage future team effectiveness; not much benefit from team interaction
Averaging The epitome of compromise. Team members haggle, bargain, cajole, and negotiate an international middle position. Usually no one is happy with the results, except for moderates on the team.	individual errors and extreme opinions tend to cancel each other out, making this a better method than "authority rule without discussion"	opinions of the least knowledgeable members may annul the opinions of the most knowledgeable members; little team involvement in decision making, so commitment to the decision will likely be weak; letting members with the greatest expertise make the decision is almost always better than a group average
Expert Find experts, listen to what they say, and follow their recommendations	useful when the expertise of one person is so far superior to all other team members that little is to gained by discussion; should be used when the need of membership action in implementing the decision is slight	how do you determine who the best expert is? no commitment is built for implementing the decision; advantages of team interaction are lost; resentment and disagreement may result may result in sabotage and deterioration of team effectiveness; knowledge and skills of other team members are not used
Authority Rule Without Discussion No room for discussion; like predetermined decisions handed down higher authority; trust is often killed with this method	applies more to administrative needs, useful for simple, routine decisions; should be used when very little time is available to make the decision; when team members expect the designated leader to make the decision; when team members lack the skills or information to make the decision anyway	one person cannot be a good resource for every decision; advantages of team interaction are lost; zero team commitment is developed for implementing the decision; resentment and disagreement may result in sabotage and deterioration of team effectiveness; resources of other team members are not used
Authority Rule With Discussion Participative Decision Making. Open discussion where opinions are aired, after which they cut off the discussion, make the decision and get back to the team members.	gains commitment from all team members; develops a lively discussion on the issues using the skills and knowledge of all team members; is clear on who is ultimately responsible for the decision of the team	requires good communication on the part of team members; requires a leader willing to make decisions

8. The Wrong Policies and Procedures -- you can't get there from here
Policies and procedures are supposed to serve the team, not the other way round.
Throw away those outdated and irrelevant manuals.

9. The People Problem -- I'm not working for that jerk!
I know that you think you understand
what you thought I said.
But I am not sure that you heard
is what I meant.

Basic Personality Types
-----
Analytical
Key Value:
Work with existing circumstances to promote quality in products and services
Orientation: Thinking
Time: Past
Personality:
perfectionists; mostly right about issues because they gave the matter time, reflection and rational consideration; their strong suit is the facts; patient, which may sometimes paralyze instead.
Generally:
critical, indecisive, stuffy, picky, moralistic, industrious, persistent, serious, expecting, orderly

Driver
Key Value:
Shape the environment by overcoming opposition to get immediate results
Orientation: Action
Time: Present
Personality:
let-me-do-it people; firmly rooted in the present, they are lovers of action; their strength is the results; bitterly self-critical, and resentful of idle chit-chat
Generally:
pushy, severe, tough, dominating, harsh, strong-willed, independent, practical, decisive, efficient

Amiable
Key Value:
Cooperative with others, make sure people are included and feel good about the process
Orientation: Relationships
Time: Depends on who they are with at the time
Personality:
"warm fuzzies", the people people; their greatest strength is their understanding of relationships.
Generally:
conforming, unsure, ingratiating, dependent, awkward, supportive, respectful, willing, dependable, agreeable

Expressive
Key Value:
Shape the environment by bringing others into alliance to generate enthusiasm for the results
Orientation: Intuition
Time: Future
Personality:
big-picture people; intuitive and creative
Generally:
manipulating, excitable, undisciplined, reacting, egoistical, ambitious, stimulating, wacky, enthusiastic, dramatic, friendly


Communicating with :

Analyticals

• prepare your case in advance
  
• take your time, but be persistent
  
• support their principles
  
• cover all bases
  
• draw up a scheduled approach for any action plan
  
• be clear
  
• avoid emotional arguments
  
• follow through your promises
  

Amiables

• break the ice -- it shows your commitment to the task and to them
  
• show respect. don't patronize
  
• listen and be responsive
  
• be non-threatening, casual, informal
  
• ask "how" questions to draw out their opinions
  
• define what you want them to contribute to the task
  
• assure and guarantee that the decision at hand will in no way risk, harm or threaten them. but don't make assurances you cannot back up.
  

Drivers

• be brief and to the point. think "efficiency"
  
• stick to business. skip the chit-chat. close loopholes. dispel ambiguities. Digress at your own peril. Speculate and you're history.
  
• be prepared.. know the requirements and objectives of the task at hand
  
• organise your arguments into a neat "package". present facts cleanly and strongly
  
• be courteous, not chummy. don't be bossy
  
• ask specific questions
  
• if you disagree, disagree with the facts, not the person
  
• if you agree, support both the results and and the person
  
• persuade by citing objectives and results
  
• don't waste his time
  

Expressives

• meet their social needs while talking shop. entertain, stimulate, be lively
  
• talk about their goals as well as the team's
  
• be open -- strong and silent does not cut with expressives
  
• take time. they are most efficient when they are not in a hurry
  
• ask for their opinions and ideas
  
• keep your eye on the big picture, not the technical details
  
• support your points with examples involving people they know and respect
  
• offer special deals, extras, and incentives
  
• show honest respect -- you must not talk down to an expressive
  

---

-part three : what keeps teams from working-


10. Leadership Failure -- who's in charge here, anyway?
Myths of team leadership

1. [X] Teams require a single individual to lead them
   There are various models of team leadership. Leadership can rotate by the clock, or by the task at hand
   
2. [X] Strong leadership ensures success
   A fundamentally bad team with incompetent or uninterested members cannot be led
   
3. [X] How a leader is selected is not important
   Leaders must be selected in a way that is consonant with the task a team is assigned to
   
4. [X] Team success is all that matters
   Well... if the task is wrong, duplicative, wasteful or pointless...
   
5. [X] Team structure is a secondary consideration
   Perfect leadership and followship combined will still come to nothing unless the team is the right type of team for the task
   
6. [X] A good leader and a good team can solve any task
   Not every task is appropriate for teams.
   

Leadership problems

1. Stupid, stubborn leaders
   
2. Ignorant leaders
   
3. overtrained leaders
   
4. overtalented leaders
   
5. leaders who are too kind, overprotective
   
6. leaders who are closed to new ideas
   
7. leaders with inappropriate styles
   
8. leaders who put themselves ahead of the team
   
9. leaders who don't really know the team
   
10. inconsistent leaders
    
11. leaders who can't be followers
    
12. leaders who refuse to acknowledge team members
    
13. leadership that plays favourites
    
14. leaders who do not allow failures
    
15. leaders who protect and blame
    
16. unethical leaders
    
17. leaders who are remote
    
18. leaders who fail to model team behavior
    
19. leaders who are oblivious to team members' career needs
    
20. leaders who are unwilling to fight for the team
    
21. leaders who are unwilling to take risks
    
22. leaders who cannot permit conflict
    
23. leaders who do not value diversity
    
24. leaders who are passive

What team leaders do

1. Project energy
   
2. Are involved, involving, and empowering of others
   
3. Assist evolution and change
   
4. Persuade and persevere
   
5. look beyond the obvious
   
6. Maintain perspective
   
7. Pyramid learning
   
8. Target energy on success opportunities
   
9. foster task linkage with others
   
10. Influence cooperative action
    
11. Support creativity
    
12. Take initiative
    
13. Eschew the negative
    
14. Are never satisfied
    

11. Faulty Vision -- if you don't know where you're going.. you'll probably get there
Pitfalls in communicating the vision to others

• Assigning
  Too often, leaders seek to assign the vision. This s what they say. Here are descriptions. Memorize and replicate.
  
• Dullness
  Members must be able to feel the passion of the leader
  
• Waffling
  Leaders cannot learn the vision as they preach it. If it's the sort of moving, evolving target, everyone will miss it.
  
• Selling
  Don't just play the role of a consultant and try to sell them the vision
  
• Nonaligning
  The proper way to spread a vision is to work with people as individuals to bring their wants and needs into alignment with the team vision. Treat everyone equally. You cannot own it own; they must come to own the idea.. on their own
  

12. Toxic Teaming Atmosphere -- organizational karma


Teams VS Mobs

Teams	Mobs
Members recognize their independence and understand both personal and team goals are best accomplished with mutual support. Time is not wasted struggling over turf or attempting personal gain at the expense of others.	Members think they are grouped together for administrative purposes only. Individuals work independently; sometimes at cross purposes with others.
Members feel a sense of ownership for their jobs and unit because they are committed to goals they helped establish	Members tend to focus on themselves because they are not sufficiently involved in planning the unit's objectives. They approach their job simply as a hired hand.
Members contribute to the organization's success by applying their unique talent and knowledge to team objectives	Members are told what to do rather than being asked what the best approach would be. Suggestions are not encouraged.
Members work in a climate of trust and are encouraged to openly express ideas, opinions, disagreements and feelings. Questions are welcomed.	Members distrust the motives of colleagues because they do not understand the role of other members. Expressions of opinion or disagreement are considered divisive or non-supportive.
Members practice open and honest communication. They make an effort to understand each other's point of view.	Members are so cautious about what they say that real understanding is not possible. Game-playing may occur and communications traps may be set to catch the unwary.
Members are encouraged to develop skills and apply what they learn on the job. They receive the support of the team.	Members may receive good training but are limited in applying it to the job by the supervisor or other group members.
Members recognize conflict as a normal aspect of human interaction but they view such situations as an opportunity for new ideas and creativity. They work to confront and resolve conflict quickly and constructively.	Members find themselves in conflict situations which they do not know how to resolve. They do not differentiate confrontation and conflict. Their supervisor or "team leader" may put off intervention until serious damage is done.
Members participate in decisions affecting the team, but understand their leader must take a final ruling whenever the team cannot decide, or an emergency exists. Positive results, not conformity, is the goal.	Members may or may not participate in decisions affecting the team. Conformity often appears more important than results.

13. Communication Shortfalls -- how'm I doing?
Listen.

There are many sources of contamination in ordinary speech where we are unconsciously working to express:

• our importance
  
• our superior knowledge
  
• our political convictions
  
• our prejudices, which we hope others share
  
• our disdain for the thoughts to a perceived adversary
  
• our insecurity about what others think of us
  
• our lack of stature in the group
  
• our unfamiliarity with the topic at hand
  
• our worry that someone is waiting to shoot us down
  

-- With so much running through our minds, can we really listen to what people are saying? Or are you just taking turns to speak, having a dual-monologue?

14. Rewards and Recognition -- saying one thing and doing another
The importance of security

It means that a company professing to be serious about quality must not punish team members who undertake initiatives on behalf of quality. Team members exhorted to use their mind must feel free, even encouraged, to disagree with one another and with the management as a whole.

- who decides who is rewarded?

Who should decide on who gets rewarded? People on the team have the best knowledge of the value of one another's work. But members must not be put in the position of politicking one another for promotions and raises. Best to have evaluation occur from outside the team, with some evaluative information supplied from within.


- what behaviors are rewarded?

Bonuses are established to motivate people. But bonuses do not motivate when they are automatic or guaranteed. Are the rewards for individual performance? Or organizational performance? Rewards must be for achievements that matter, not noncontributing, non-value-adding activities.


- what rewards do the team and team members value?

[ Cash Considerations ]	Problems
Gainsharinga system where money or resources that are saved by the team are returned, in some degree, to the team	It's hard to measure the success of most kinds of individual teams in dollars. Easiest gainsharing plan to set up is a companywide or locationwide system.
Profit sharing Every year or quarter, a dividend is paid to employees based on cooperate or divisionwide performance.	Profit sharing is individual-orientated and organizationwide. It does not address team performance. Also, deferred rewards like retirement money never quite feels like rewards.
Employee Ownership Stock options, stock purchase plans, employee stock ownership plans etc	Ownership is great, but some companies are not worth owning, even with terrific workforces. Again, this approach does not do much for teams.

[ Reengineered Rewards ]

Companies getting rid of unnecessary management levels will probably not want to promote their workers. This can however be compensated by raises.


[ Team-defined Rewards ]

• Establish a prize
  Quarterly awards that team members vote on, like "best team spirit", "most valuable team member", "biggest improvement" etc.
  
• Get them involved
  People having impact on reaching goals appreciate being part of forming those goals. Bring your best people into the planning process and they'll walk through fire for you.
  
• Power to the people
  Give proven achievers authority to spend a few bucks to increase sales, please customers, or improve critical processes.
  
• Not rich, but famous
  Establish a "Hall of Fame" in your unit or department -- a gallery of pictures, trophies, and plaques, with an emphasis on winning teams as well as individuals.
  
• Praise in print
  Internal newsletters and publications are wonderful grounds for such public praise.
  
• If they had a hammer
  Everyone's dying for a faster computer, car-phone, or fax-line. See that your top producers have access to your best tools.
  
• Meet the boss
  Meeting the Group VP or even the CEO is a big deal, and shows that you care about your people's career tracks.
  
• Share the spotlight
  A pat on the back means more when it's up in front of co-workers. But be careful your reward ceremonies don't divide workers into winners and losers, or overstress individual achievement.
  
• Privy privies
  Everyone likes occasional "perks"
  
• Free lunch
  Many companies purchase annual tickets to sport events, concerts, and other events. Why not share them with the people who make your unit a success?
  
• Stock options
  As above (cash compensation). A stake in the company binds members closer to the company.
  
• Lavish them with attention
  Show that you care. The little things...
  
• Show them you care
  Let performers know that their contributions are appreciated by you, personally.
  

15. Depleted Trust -- why should i trust you?
Nine strategies for creating trust

~i. Have clear, consistent goals
When team members do not know what they are supposed to do, or where the team is heading, their tendency is to be guarded and defensive for their own self-interest and survival. They will find it difficult to buy in to the team's purpose and commit to other team members when they feel left adrift and uncertain.

~ii. Be open, fair, and willing to listen
It is important to include the word "fair" in discussions

~iii. Be decisive -- and how
When it comes to building trust, even a bad decision is better than no decision

~iv. Support all other team members
Loyalty is a linchpin of building team trust. A team is a family. You protect your team members from being victims of non-team abuse. You do not broadcast your dirty laundry to others.

~v. Take responsibility for team actions
Take personal responsibility for the team as a whole. This is true whether you are the team leader or not. Blaming convolutes the team process. Who will speak freely, offer ideas freely, and provide honest critiques knowing someone on the team is going to come down on them with a sledgehammer?

~vi. Give credit to team members
"Nothing is ever yours until you give it away" - Albert Einstein

~vii. Be sensitive to the needs of team members
The best way to build up a strong trust bank account is by showing awareness of and sensitivity to the needs of other team members.

~viii. Respect the opinion of others
People are different fundamentally. They can conceive of ideas you have never thought possible, or things which may seem crazy to you.

~ix. Empower team members to act
Trust gives results i trust, support, and loyalty in return.

16. Change Issues -- who's rocking the boat?

1. People feel awkward, ill-at-ease, and self-conscious.
   
2. People will think first about what they must give up.
   
3. People will feel alone.
   
4. People can handle only so much change
   
5. People have different readiness levels for change
   
6. People will fret that they do not have enough resources
   
7. If you take the pressure off, people will revert to their old behaviors
   

Rules for change

1. Plan for change
   
2. Involve others in the change process / get stakeholder agreement and commitment
   
3. Communicate!!
   
4. Generate expectations of outcomes
   
5. Create influence / support networks
   
6. Obtain adequate resources
   
7. Generate critical mass to create and maintain impetus / momentum
   
8. Follow through and follow up
   
9. Persist and stand ready to pay the price for change -- mistakes
   
10. Reinforce early and often
    
11. Keep processes and techniques simple
    
12. Lead the way
    

---

-part four : team myths-


17. The Myth of Adventure Learning -- belay that!
Adventure Learning like mountaineering or web-climbing are not really about teaming. They are not designed to improve teamwork, but rather to explore various dimensions of personal development.

18. The Myth of Personality Type -- it's what's outside that counts!
Differences in personality simply make the team more diversified. But what the team members really care about is what you do, in real terms, as seen by other teammates.


19. The Myth That Helping Like Working Together -- heigh ho!
People do need personal space. People must be able to access one another simultaneously, but they are mostly reluctant to lose their personal identity and privacy.


20. The Myth that Teamwork Is More Productive than Individual Work -- the team! the team!
The truth is that teams are inherently inferior to individuals, in terms of efficiency. If a single person has sufficient information to complete a task, he will run rings around a team assigned to the same task. No hand offs. No personality conflicts.


21. The Myth of "The More, The Merrier" on Teams -- let's do "the wave"
Teams may seem larger than they are because of adjuncts and resource personnel. These include:

• core members - the actual team
  
• resource team member - like the darting seagull, it drops its load and departs
  
• support people - people who help the core team get stuff done
  
• team sponsor - a manager the team can run to when it need protection or direction
  
• team champion - the person who created the team
  
• facilitators - outside people who help keep the team on track
  

---

-part five : turning teams around-

22. Moving Teams Through Stages Toward Success -- the teaming goes round and round
All teams have to pass through 4 stages in order to be successful.

- Forming : when a group is just learning to deal with one another; time in which minimal work gets accomplished.

• Why was I asked to participate on this team?
  
• Whose idea was the formation of this team?
  
• Why were we formed?
  
• Who are the other members, and what are their strengths?
  
• How am I going to find out what they are good at, and also let them know my capabilities and characteristics?
  
• How large should the team be in order to accomplish the team goals quickly?
  
• Should team membership be voluntary or mandatory?
  
• How and when are we going to bring needed resources onto the team and get rid of them when they are no longer needed?
  

- Storming : A time of stressful negotiation of the team under which the team will work together; a trial by fire.

• What are we supposed to accomplish as a team?
  
• What are each of our roles and responsibilities as they relate to accomplishing the goal?
  
• Who do each of us need to get information from, and to whom does our information have to go in order to complete our goal? Where are our linkages to the outside world?
  
• If we get into trouble, who can we get to rescue us? Who will accept the responsibility of sponsoring this group and its activities?
  
• Who's in charge? Will that change day to day, from one phase of the project to the next? How do we adapt to changing leadership?
  
• How will we arrive at decisions? When will we know we have done that?
  
• What happens when we fight? How do we resolve disagreements over goals or procedures?
  
• How do we increase our ability to take risks till we get to the most direct, most creative level?
  
• What strengths do each of us bring to bear on accomplishing our goal? How can we focus out strengths to influence activities outside our own team?
  
• When will we meet, and how (large groups, small groups, one-to-one)?
  
• How are we going to make ourselves more accessible to one another in order to complete our goals in a timely manner?
  
• Where (or who) are the team's supports? Where (or who) are our detractors and stumbling blocks?
  

- Norming : A time in which roles are accepted, team feeling develops, and information is freely shared.

- Performing : When optimal levels are finally realized -- in productivity, quality, decision-making, allocation of resources, and interpersonal interdependence.

23. Teams and Technology -- the 24-hour transworld team
Does technology work?

• Does your team run the computer system, or does the computer system run your team?
  
• Is the team really more productive, or do they just look busy?
  
• Are security concerns undoing the benefits of your network?
  
• Are teams properly trained, or are they put out there to sink or swim?
  
• Are team suggestions welcome, invited and rewarded?
  
• Is improved communications messing people up?
  
• Has freedom led to chaos?
  
• Is your PC system a substitute for real change?
  

24. Long-Term Team Health -- the well-tuned first-string team

Problem	Where We Were a Year Ago (Scale 1-7)	Where We Are Right Now (Scale 1-7)	Where We Want to be a Year from Now (Scale 1-7)	Action Plan Notes : What We will Do to Get There
Mismatched Needs
Confused Goals, Cluttered Objectives
Unresolved Roles
Bad Policies, Stupid Procedures
Bad Decision Making
Personality Conflicts
Bad Leadership
Bleary Vision
Anti-Team Culture
Communication Shortfalls
Ill-Conceived Reward System
Lack of Team Trust
Unwillingness to Change
The Wrong Tools

Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

by Stephen Covey

Personal Bank Account

1. Make and keep promises to yourself
   • Decide to do something, and do it!
2. Do random acts of service
   • Do a kind anonymous deed
3. Tap into your talents
   • Develop a talent
   • plan specific steps
   • list other talents you admire in others
4. Be gentle with yourself
   • Recognise areas of your life you feel inferior in, and tell yourself, " It's not the end of the world".
5. Renew yourself
   • Do a fun activity
   • exercise
6. Be honest
   

Habit 1 - Be Proactive
1. Recognise your circle of control and circle of no control.
- Focus on what we can control: Ourselves! And our attitudes!

2. Stop and think! In this situation, are you

• Proactive or reactive?
  
• In control of yourself?
  

- Don't get angry
- Check how many times you use reactive language
- Do something out of your comfort zone
- Remind yourself not to let others affect your mood
- Find excitement instead of waiting for it
- Ignore things you have no control over
- What is your most unhealthy habit?


Habit 2 - Begin with the End in Mind
1. Mission Statement
2. Goals

1. Count the cost
   
2. Write it down, and be specific
   
3. Just do it
   
4. Use momentum and power
   
5. Rope up - find people with similar goals
   

- Determine 3 skills you'll definitely need to succeed
- Review your Mission Statement every 30 days.
- Be the someone you'll like to be.
- Identify the crossroads in your life


Habit 3 - Put First Things First
Time Management

Activities...	URGENT	NOT URGENT
IMPORTANT	Quadrant 1	Quadrant 2
NOT IMPORTANT	Quadrant 3	Quadrant 4

Most people spend the bulk of their time at Quadrant 1 activities, and suffer from stress and burnout. And then move to Quadrant 4 for relaxation. Quadrant 2 activities are the activities we should be focusing at, as these will decrease the number of Quadrant 1 emergencies.

"Our doubts are traitors,
And make us lose the good,
We often might win,
By fearing to attempt!"- Shakespeare, Measure By Measure


- Use the planner
- Identify your greatest time-wasters
- Are you a pleaser? Have the courage to say 'no'
- Do not procrastinate - do it a little at a time
- Identify a fear that is holding you back.. Fear of failure? Success? Criticism? The unknown?
- Ask yourself "Who are the people who influence me the most?"


Habit 4 - Think Win-win
Habit 5 - Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood
Habit 6 - Synergise
Habit 7 - Sharpen the Saw

How to Persuade People Who Don't Want to be Persuaded

by Joel Bauder & Mark Levy

Draw in the Listener
You will not have to sing, dance, act, recite, get up in front of crowds, or wrestle in mud, unless you want to. When I talk about entertainment as a persuader, I mean that you will use compelling, often whimsical strategies designed to put people in a receptive mood for what you have to offer.

And keep in mind, entertainment isn't necessarily light-hearted. A drama is entertaining, So is a horror film. In the work we'll be doing together, you'll be using the full range of human emotion to make your point forcefully...


Change in the Moment
What you do can have a remarkable effect on people. Don't believe me? Try this: Ask a friend to think about the best summer day she's ever experienced, then watch her closely. You'll witness a striking change in her physiogamy and demeanor.

She may look about dreamily, as if she's trying to orient her mental image in physical space. Her eyes may widen while her jaw slackens. She'll speak slowly, and then, as she catches hold of a visceral memory, she'll ramp up and tell you about a childhood trip to the carnival or a long kiss on a park bench.

By the time she's finished, she'll be grinning and feeling as though she's found something she'd lost. She may even be teary eyed. And all you did was ask a question. You changed her thoughts, her posture and her outlook with a question. One question! That's power.

You didn't wrestle her into a happy state. You set the proper conditions and let her mind do the rest. You changed her moment.

Most people walk around in their problems. They view life through their perceived limitations. They measure today by what happened yesterday.

When you change the moment, you shift people's perspective, taking them from where they are to where they'll like to be. From that vantage point, people will be more attentive and receptive to your propositions...

"Overall, the factors most highly associated with getting [the executives'] attention, in rank order were:

1. The message was personalised
2. It evoked an emotional response
3. It came from a trustworthy or respected sender
4. It was concise

The messages that both evoked emotion and were personalised were more than twice as likely to be attended to as the messages without those attributes.

- Harvard Business Review (Sep - Oct 2000)


The Transformation Mechanism
Change abstract ideas into mental images that people can see. Or things you can show them. Eg. Comparing your shoe to a project you're heading - the stitching, the laces, the heels etc.. Show them.

Create an entertainment inventory

• What tasks do you do during a workday?
  
• What are your hobbies?
  
• What skills do you have?
  
• What tricks and puzzles do you know?
  
• What is the quirkiest thing you know how to do?
  
• If you were in a talent show, what would your act be?
  

The Body Metaphor

The Paper Metaphor

The Quick Pitch Opening
Build your own opening.

Eg. "I'm a cyber-defender. I enable families, friends, and businesses to communicate on the Internet in a way that makes criminal third parties incapable of overhearing their sensitive information." (Security Programmer)

1. Who are your clients?
   
2. Why do your clients hire you or purchase your product?
   
3. What processes do you use to generate results for your clients?
   
4. How might your clients' clients be affected by your job?
   
5. Who are your competitors, and how are you better?
   
6. Have you won any awards, been cited in the media, or garnered praise from a recognised source?
   
7. How do you guarantee your work?
   
8. What are your business success stories?
   
9. Can you create metaphor or simile around you, our business, or your process?
   

The Quick Pitch Body
Conversational Keys

• Listen deeply.
  
• When you start a conversation, assume that you have something to give the other person and that person has something to give you.
  
• Listen actively - rephrase what he says, with analysis.
  
• Rephrase your questions - tie your questions to her past experiences.
  

The Slogan Pitch
A slogan can be:

1. a feature
   
2. a benefit
   
3. a question
   
4. a challenge
   
5. a structure
   

And it can be:

• exciting - "if you love what you've seen, that's only 5% of what it can do!"
  
• boastful - "You won't have competition because you will have annihilated them."
  
• self-referential - "We're an American institution with international penetration."
  
• tongue-in-cheek - "I hate to destroy thousands of jobs, but we're just that good."
  
• inspiring - "One vision! One solution!"
  
• painful - "You walk away, and tomorrow will be no different from today."
  

Convince with Samples
Samples serve 2 functions:

1. They show prospects that the business's products do what the business claims to do.
2. They let prospects test the products to make sure the products fit what the prospect wanted.

Things to think about when it comes to creating a sample of your offering.

1. Ask yourself, "What process do I want to demonstrate to the people I'm trying to influence?" and "What results do I want to show them?"
2. Make a piece of your process or result into a sample.
3. Customise your sample.


The Power of Free

• Who am I trying to influence?
  
• What am I trying to influence them about?
  
• Do I have any relevant information that I can give them freely, that they'll find valuable?
  
• Do I have any relevant physical items I can give them freely, that they'll find valuable?
  
• What can I say or do that would get them to fully appreciate the value of the information or item?
  
• When's the best time to give them the information or items to help my case?
  

Eg. Some Ring-in-a-Spring trick toy.

In one approach, you can call it "a gift" and say nothing more.

In another, you cam say, "I am giving you a gift you can use for the rest of your life. It's a gift that will make you the star of every family get-together, that will make you the center of attention at your next boardroom meeting. It's a device that is as easy to operate as it is potent, and will put a smile on people's faces, as it gets their minds racing. Ladies and gentlemen, don't you dare leave! Not until I teach you the secret of "The Ring on Spring"!"

Not only do people want freebies, they want it now. Try to give the people their gifts immediately. Our society demands instant gratification. Criticise that fact, or use it to your advantage.

The Power of Gifts
Important thing is you should not expect anything in return. You're giving as a way of celebrating friendship and life. If people want to give you something in return, let them. But don't make them feel obliged. If you do, it's not a gift anymore - it's a transaction.

Solid Proof

• Client Lists
  
• Client Testimonials
  
• Celebrity Endorsements
  
• Association and Organisation Memberships
  
• Expert Opinion
  
• Survey Results
  
• The Real Reason Why
  
• Specificity
  
• Case Studies
  
• Photographs
  
• Guarantees
  
• Props
  

While you should collect abundant proof substantiating your claims, be selective.

Give the prospect what he's concerned about.

---

Dynamic Clarity
"I can teach anybody how to get what they want out of life. The problem is that I can't find anybody who can tell me what they want." - Mark Twain

How do you get clear of what you want?

In the book "Dreams into Action", author and acting teacher Milton Katselas says:

It's hard to face specifics, but you must. Define everything, no matter how small it seems. Write down every detail... If you're an actor and want a TV series, what type?... Don't get into this vague idea about wanting to be a successful actor, a successful businessperson, a successful architect. That doesn't cut in... Know what you want. Make it real.

• What projects do you want to take on?
  
• Who do you want to work with?
  
• Where do you want to work?
  

Remember though, the "why" you want is not important. When it comes to things you're passionate for, knowing why isn't going to do you any good.

---

Be Distinct
Pick a position. Having a focused position gives us better chance of being noticed and remembered.

Some slants to position yourself by:

• by feature
  
• by benefit

1. Get clear about who you're trying to persuade and about what you're trying to persuade them.
   
2. Find out what you audience most values when it comes to your offering.
   
3. Take an attribute from your offering, one that your audience would closely associate with what they value.
   
4. Make sure that no one else in your field is definitively associated with that attribute. It they are, find a way to alter that attribute so it's unique to you.
   
5. Push that attribute- that position - for all it's worth. Build your presentations, mechanisms, and marketing materials around it. Be single-minded.
   

---

Overcome Resistance
Straightforward Approach.

Get a list of common objections about the product you're selling.

They fall into two categories:

- One is about the product or service itself ("not enought functions", "too expensive", etc)

- Two is about the person's ability to deal with the product or service ("broke", "no room for that", etc)

Research the facts - give a rationale for each of the objections.

Eg. The product is 10% more expensive than other similar products because it has a 20% greater energy efficiency than others.

Side Approaches

• Pretend you don't understand the objection - and ask the client to explain
  
• Ask the client what he really wants to know
  
• Refer to one of your clients who had the same objection
  
• Make her objection into a joint objective
  
• Make her objection the very reason to go ahead with the deal
  
• Agree with the objection and reaffirm your main benefits
  
• Get the client to see the consequences of not using your product or service
  

Additional tips:

• When getting a lot of resistance, instead of overcoming them, it's sometimes better to focus on strengthening your presentations. Ask them what they like best about your product. And clarify with them some benefits they have missed out on.
  
• Attitude is very important. When you walk in to make a deal, you should be thinking that you're a gift to them. That you'll improve their businesses. That they'll be thankful that you came at the end of the day. You are not an expense, intrusion or liability. Sell yourslf on yourself. Convince yourself that what you're offering is worth far more than what you're asking for.
  

The Look

The Platform Pitch
The Build, Hold and Move steps.


The Mechanism Emergency Kit

Success For Dummies

by Zig Ziglar

Qualities for success
Attitude

• Acceptance, forgiveness, love, kindness, respect and consideration towards others
• Accepting, open-minded attitude towards personal growth and education
  
• The world changes constantly. Unless you change with it, you're destined for mediocrity at best, experiencing a fraction of the progress you are capable of experiencing
  
• Be positive, yet cautiously realistic towards your own abilities and yourself
  

Right Skills

Character

• Be happy
• Be healthy
  
• Be reasonably prosperous
  
• Be secure
  
• have friends
  
• Have peace of mind
  
• Have good relationships
  
• Have hope
  

Leadership

• Provide an environment in which people succeed
• Have defined and reachable goals
  
• Understand what your people's talents are
  
• Make sure that everyone understands you, and the task you have set out for them. Leave no 'grey' areas
  
• Commit time and effort for every project
  
• Be a cheerleader
  
• Understand that success is internal, not external
  
• Believe in what is right, and stay true to your plans
  
• Have goals for the individuals who work for you. Let them know your expectations.
  
• Set the attitude for the entire building
  
• Talk up positives. Recognise and correct the negatives, but don't dwell on them
  

Self

• Gratitude - be thankful and appreciate people
  
• Attitude - be optimistic, with facts to support
  
• Magnitude - be able to recognise the importance of matters
  
• Latitude - range
  
• Multitude - focus on the opportunities instead of the challenges
  

Characteristics of successful people

• Conviction : determination to work through obstacles
• Commitment : readiness to spend time and effort
  
• Hard work : willingness to sacrifice
  
• Love for what you do : source of burning passion
  
• Integrity : lead by example
  
• Character : where trust is built upon
  
• Discipline : will to follow plans
  
• Consistency
  
• Persistence
  
• Heredity
  
• Humour
  
• Luck
  
• Faith
  
• Passion
  
• Connections
  

Passion

• Analyse what you want in life and come up with a plan for reaching those goals
  
• Take steps towards your goals
  
• Use your head to direct your heart
  

Interpersonal Relations

• Have unshakable integrity, good attitude and a thorough knowledge of the skills
  
• Smile and speak to people
  
• Call people by name
  
• Be friendly, helpful and encouraging
  
• Speak and act as if everything you do is a pleasure
  
• Be genuinely interested in others
  
• Praise and hold back criticism
  
• Be considerate
  
• Be of service
  
• Be humourous
  

Business Success

• Be a superstar
  
• Manage frustration
  
• Treat everyone you meet as a VIP
  
• Get along / make friends with your boss
  ->It is the impossible boss that made it possible for them to develop tolerance and growth, overcome obstacles, and attain their positions of success
  

Different types of personalities

1. Directive, dominant
   
2. Interactive, influencing
   
3. Supportive, stable
   
4. Competitive, cautious, competent
   

Self-evaluation

Q1: What have helped me to be successful so far?

Q2: What do I do that doesn't make me tired?

Q3: What works for me?

Q4: What do others say that I'm good at?

Q5: When am I operating at my optimum levels?


Self-motivation

• Gain momentum through personal growth
  
• Let activities motivate you -- not doing them just when you feel like doing
  
• use humour
  
• give and withdraw rewards
  
• winning and losing are both motivators
  
• motivation from completing tasks
  

Motivations

1. Desire for gain. e.g. wealth, power, honour, wisdom etc
   
2. Fear of loss of
   
   
   
   • respect
     
   • reputation
     
   • status
     
   • appreciation
     
   • power and influence
     
   • happiness
     
   • joy
     
   • peace
     
   • love
     
   
   

Decisions

• understand the process
  
• know that where you stand influences where you sit
  
• should be based on:
  
  
  
  • principle and integrity
    
  • others' advice, but not simply under influence
    
  • facts
    
  
  
• Prioritize your decisions
  
• Form a plan of action
  
• Review the plan truthfully
  
• Perform your best with your decision
  

Good decisions

• Fits your long term objective
  
• May cause temporary "pain" and sacrifice
  
• Must have their benefits and risks weighed
  
• Must be consistent with your integrity
  
• May sometimes be simply listening to your feelings
  
• Are not made under stressed conditions
  
• Should be discussed where needed
  
• May not be welcomed ones
  
• May not be the best ones, but should be the best at the point of making the decision
  

Remember that bad decisions can lead to good ones, and bad decisions are inevitable. Do not try to cover up bad decisions, thus prolonging the mistake. Admit the mistake bravely, and take steps to remedy the problem.

---

Questionnaire - 7 Types of Health

Physical Health

1. Appearance
   
2. Regular checkups
   
3. Energy level
   
4. Muscle tone
   
5. Weight control
   
6. Diet and nutrition
   
7. Stress control
   
8. Endurance and strength
   
9. Fitness program
   

Financial Health

1. Proper priorities
   
2. Personal budget
   
3. Impulse purchase
   
4. Earnings
   
5. Living within income
   
6. Charge accounts
   
7. Insurance
   
8. Investments
   
9. Financial statements
   

Career Health

1. Challenges
   
2. Happiness
   
3. Chance to grow
   
4. Career knowledge
   
5. Education
   
6. Goals program
   
7. Passion
   

Family Health

1. With
   
   • Parents
     
   • Siblings
     
   • Spouse
     
   • Children
     
   • Extended family
     
   
   
2. Time with family
   
3. Enjoy time
   
4. Priority
   

Personal Health

1. Recreation
   
2. Friendship
   
3. Community Involvement
   
4. Hobbies
   
5. Quiet time
   
6. Growth time
   
7. Consistent lifestyle
   

Mental Health

1. Motivation of material
   
2. Uplifting company
   
3. Positive outlook
   
4. Happiness
   
5. Stable mood
   
6. Contentment
   
7. Interest
   
8. Passion
   

Spiritual Health

1. Religion
   
2. Worship
   
3. Sharing faith
   
4. Prayer
   
5. Religious family
   
6. Inner peace
   

---

Goals and Goal-setting
"If I were absolutely certain that I wouldn't fail, and if I had all the resources necessary to get there, what would I really want to be, have or do?"

• Identify everything you want to be / do / have
  
• After 1 day, ask yourself why each item should be there:
  
  
  
  • What is the purpose of each goal?
    
  • What are the pros and cons?
    
  • What are the risks involved, both in reaching your goal, and not reaching it?
    
  
  
• Ensure they are balanced
  
• Ensure that it is your own goal, one which you must be able to start and reach
  
• And ultimately, will they make you happier?
  

Goals must be SMART :

• Specific - not general or vague
  • e.g. I want to meet at least 2 new friends every day.
  • NOT. I want to have more friends
  
  
• Measurable - can be split up into smaller, simpler tasks
  
• Attainable - big, ones which will push yourself to reach
  
• Realistic - in accordance to current situation. Basically... can be done
  
• Timely - with deadlines and milestones you set for yourself
  

In short, goals must be

1. BIG - where you aim is at most what you'll get
   
2. LONG-RANGED - you must know where you're going
   
3. BROKEN DOWN - this makes the seeming impossible look much easier
   

Words make a difference

• Use positive, optimistic words such as "if I" instead of "if I don't"
  
• "Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless"
  -> self-deception? More like, the mind can achieve what it believes. (see "Being Happy - Andrew Matthews")
  
• Communicate your goals to others
  

"How we use our time under different situations depends on us. There is always something we can do -- make the most out of every situation."

Goal Achieving VS Repair Service
positive motivation	negative motivation	Reaching goals you plan are exciting and joyful
general	specific	Reaching your goals bring you one step closer to your long term goals
clear	unclear	You know what you are doing
simple	multiple	Just a task at a time

Goal setting - Step by Step

Step 1 : Set a goal

Step 2 : Identify what's in it for you

Step 3 : List possible obstacles

Step 4 : Seek counsel and guidance

Step 5 : Consider who can help and guide you

Step 6 : List the skills and knowledge required

Step 7 : Develop a plan of action

Step 8 : Set deadlines for each achievement


"Mountain tops inspire leaders, but the valleys mature them"
- F. Philip Everson


When things don't turn out the way we want them to be,

• understand that failure is inevitable
  
• examine your attitude and expectations
  
• never compromise on integrity
  
• check with your goals : have you missed out on any important steps?
  
• look out for more opportunities
  
• forgive
  
• take advice
  
• remember that mistakes are springboards for accomplishments : don't despair, but get back to battle with greater drive, courage and strength
  
• admit mistakes (and correct them)
  -> take all the valuable experience you should rightfully gain
  

"Your integrity, commitment and acceptance of responsibility, and willingness to take the necessary steps to fulfil your dreams reveal the kind of person you are at the very core of your being. Many people dream, but are unwilling to take steps to realise them."

---

Relationships

Love, Loyalty and Friendship

• love them
  
• praise them and hold criticism; be a good-finder (instead of a fault-finder)
  
• buy them over
  
  • in terms of pleasantness, sincerity, warmth of heart and personality
    
  • by banking into your "trust account"
    
  
  

Friend or Foe; Foe to Friend ??

• Friends serve your best interest, helping you to develop
  
• Foes are not interested in your well-being
  
• Learn from both your friends and enemies
  

Fighting and quarreling often ends with compromise on both sides. The wise thing to do is to compromise before the fight, without all the pain, anger and frustration.
Always seek to understand people, though not necessarily persuading or agreeing with them.

Non-verbal communication is important

• Appeal and attractiveness show people you care and respect
  
• This applies even more significantly in marriage
  
  • through daily activities, show your love and respect for them
    
  • treat them as VIPs
    
  
  

---

Marriage and Family

Leave some things unsaid if they will hurt others' feelings, and does not help the situation. Some things you do or say have little significance to you, but may mean the world to others.


Marriage

• cooperate, not compete!
  
• remember how you got started
  
  • why you were attracted to each other
    
  
  
• start over and date her again
  
  • do something for her every day
    
  • do lots of hugging
    
  • play games together
    
  • plan excitement, keep boredom at bay
    
  • laugh with (not to / at) each other
    
  • surprise her with gifts
    
  • make her fee wanted and cared for
    
  • create a happy, lively and relaxing environment at home. Do not let frustration at work or stress into this sanctuary
    
  
  
• problems
  
  • recognise, not ignore
    
  • find a solution
    
    • by proper communication
      
    • tell them how you feel about the problem
      
    
    
• when you feel frustrated, remember that you love her
  
• appreciate efforts
  

Relationship skills in a marriage

• start with commitment to make the marriage work
  
• understand you have deceived each other in the courtship process and practice the skill of forgiving
  
• verbalise your feelings; do not take punitive actions against your mate
  
• build the skill of courteousness
  
• eliminate words like "always" and "never" -- they are really not true (in criticisms)
  
• find good points, instead of faults
  
• communicate -- your mate is no mind-reader
  
• listen, not just taking turns to speak
  
• choose the time to speak wisely
  
• do not punish, or cause negative feelings
  
• do not store hurts or remember wrongs
  
• give, and forgive
  

Parenting

• Show unconditional love under any circumstances
  
• Accept that you area a role model, and be one
  
• Kids are not a responsibility you can handle at your convenience
  
• Spend quality time with them
  
• Give them 100% of your attention when you are with them
  
• Teach them about personality
  
  • how to communicate effectively
    
  • friendship
    
  • trust
    
  
  
• Do not re-emphasize a present problem
  
  
  
  • children may believe what you say and continue behaving that way -- they accept it as their personality, permanently fixed and unchangeable
    
  
  
• Responsibility
  
• Recognise the little things you do count
  

The "little" things -- show that you care

• starting and ending the day
  
• hugging
  
• conversational meals
  
• language
  
• praise them truthfully ad properly
  
  • give them credit for their efforts, and the end-results
    
  
  

---

Employee effectiveness

1. Ensure that they understand your expectations
   
2. Never leave new employees to fend for themselves on Day One. Don't leave them insecure and uncertain
   
3. Inspect -- not only to check, but to praise
   
4. Set a standard for employees to follow
   
5. Failure is an event, not a person
   
6. Praise the performer, criticize the performance
   
7. Praise only outstanding work, not mediocre ones.
   

---

Summary

Benchmarks of success

1. Understand failure is an event, not a person
   
2. Know that a success doesn't make you, and a failure doesn't break you
   
3. Make friends with your past, see brighter things in the future
   
4. Fill yourself with faith, hope and love
   
5. Think of your responsibilities, instead of rights
   
6. Stand for what's morally right
   
7. Be secure in who you are
   
8. Gain love and respect from friends and foes
   
9. Understand that happiness comes from doing things for others
   
10. Give hope, love and encouragement
    
11. Forgive those who have wronged you
    
12. Be a "servant" friend
    
13. Recognise your talents
    
14. Serve God well
    

Things to incorporate into success strategy

1. Hustle, don't waste time
   
2. Character
   
3. Risk-taking (calculated)
   
4. Time-management
   
5. Non-verbal communication
   
6. Thick-skinned
   
7. Obedience
   
8. Courage
   
9. Intolerance
   
10. Humour
    
11. Winning habits
    

Motivational gains

1. Giving is receiving
   
2. kind words can give direction
   
3. Be "at risk" at succeeding
   
4. Change your opinion of yourself
   
5. Conflict resolution
   
6. Praise gets the desired results
   
7. Be slow to judge
   
8. Small kindness may seem huge when received by the grateful (and needy)
   
9. Success is what you make it
   
10. Encourage yourself
    
11. People need a purpose to live
    
    

30 Minutes to Prepare the Perfect CV

By Lynns William

The aim of your CV
The aim of your CV is simply to get you to an interview. To achieve this your CV needs to:

• display your relevant skills and qualities clearly
  
• attract interest
  
• make a good impression

Planning your CV
The purpose of your CV is to motivate a prospective employer to want to interview you. A good CV will show that you:

• understand the requirements of the job
  
• have the specific skills needed
  
• have the right sort of experience
  
• have the necessary personal qualities

Three key points:

• Keep it short - no more than two A4-sized pages, made up of short succinct sections illustrating your skills and experience
  
• Keep it clear - make it easy to read with clear section headings and a well-organised layout that presents the information in a logical, easy to follow style
  
• Keep it relevant - state your achievements, highlight your skills and experience, and cut out unnecessary details which will only obscure stronger points eg negative or out-of-date information

Include:

• wide margins
  
• clear and logical spacing
  
• discrete capital letters, underlining, bold print and italics to emphasize key points

Avoid:

• obscure, hard to read typefaces or fonts
  
• fancy borders and other decorations
  
• alterations and amendments on the page ( if anything needs to be changed, correct the original and print off a new copy )
  
• photographs, personal citations, or anything gimmicky and unprofessional

When sending out your CV

• send it well before the closing date
  
• send it to a named person. If you don't have a name, ring the company switchboard and ask
  
• include a cover-letter written specifically for that job
  
• like your CV, the letter must be printed in a clear, unfussy typeface on good quality plain white paper or cream A4 paper
  
• you can also use the cover-letter for points specifically asked for in the job advertisement that you wouldn't normally put in your CV eg current salary
  
• send letter and CV unfolded in a white A4-size envelope

Compiling your CV

-- Page One --
- Name, address, telephone number, e-mail address

• put all these information in a block paragraph, similar to how a name card would look like

- Personal statement : include this where it will help show your relevant skills and aptitudes more prominently

• personal profile - a short statement of around 30 words outlining your key personal characteristics
  
• Career profile - a concise outline of your career highlights and work experience
  
• Career objective - a statement about the specific career or employment position you're aiming for

- Key points : highlight your most important skills, achievements or qualifications by putting them in a separate, easy-to-read , hard-to-ignore section. Depending in what is most relevant to your position, you can entitle this section:

• Key Skills - outlining your main skills relevant to the job you're applying for
  
• Key qualifications - stating your academic, technical or professional training relevant to the position
  
• Key achievements - showing your chief career accomplishments and suggesting your ability to achieve similar results in the post you're applying for

- Your current job - the rest of your career history can follow overleaf. Include:

• dates of employment
  
• name of employer
  
• job title
  
• a short description of your responsibilities
  
• your key achievements in that position ( if not stated in previous sections ). Point out advantages such as:
  
  • increased productivity
    
  • increased sales or profits
    
  • improved customer relations
    
  • reduced staff turnover
    
  • improved design
    
  • increased efficiency
    
  • winning an award
    
  • improved public profile
    
  • improved employee relations

-- Page Two --
- Career history

• continue on the details of your employment history. The further back in your career, the less the details required

- Education and relevant training

• work-related training gained in your job
  
• academic qualifications
  
• professional qualifications
  
• vocational training
  
• technical writing

- Misc skills that may be relevant

• language skills - define as conversational, business, bilingual or fluent
  
• computer skills - name packages used eg Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop etc
  
• first-aid training
  
• driving license

- Personal details

• your date of birth
  
• interests and hobbies - give brief details especially if they add to or support your stated skills and qualities
  
• special details ( depends on the job requirements )
  
  • nationality if a foreign national or dual nationality
    
  • registered disability
    
  • marital status or gender
    
  • if you're prepared to relocate
    
  • if you're a non-smoker
    
  • clean driving license ... etc

Targeting your CV
To make your CV really relevant, take a close look at the ad. Look out for:

• what they want
• what you've got
• how to match your CV to their needs

From your own skills, qualities and experience

• emphasize those specifically requested
  
• use words and phrases that appear in the ad

Job-specific CV
Different jobs require different emphasis on strengths

The Clerical CV

• specific, practical clerical, administrative and organizational skills
  
• experience
  
• proficiency
  
• abilities to follow procedures and work efficiently with others
  
• dependability

The Sales and Marketing CV

• ability to sell
  
• successful track record
  
• drive and enthusiasm
  
• confidence in your skills
  
• integrity
  

The Technical CV

• qualifications and training
  
• specific technical skills
  
• experience, competence and expertise
  
• dependability and accuracy
  
• methodical, organized approach
  
• ability to work with others as part of the team

The Management CV

• personal qualities that make you a good manager
  
• skill at managing and motivating others
  
• ability to get results
  
• problems-solving skills
  
• interpersonal skills
  
• experience, capability and dependability
  
• drive and determination, and your enthusiasm, energy and commitment

The Creative CV

• track record of effective, creative solutions
  
• understanding of your specific field or discipline
  
• background and experience
  
• ability to work both independently and as a part of a bigger team
  
• flexibility and reliability

The Practical CV

• practical skills and capabilities
  
• hands-on experience
  
• reliability
  
• competence
  
• ability to follow instructions and procedures
  
• ability, also, to think for yourself and use your intelligence
  
• vocational or job-related training

Special Considerations
Scanning : increasingly more companies are using software to carry out a preliminary scan of CVs. If you're aware that your CV is likely to be scanned:

• use plain white paper and print on one side only
  
• use a clear, standard 11- or 12-point font (such as Arial or Optima)
  
• put your name at the top of each page, not just the first one
  
• don't staple or clip pages together
  
• send it unfolded in an A4 envelope -- the scanner may try to read any fold lines
  
• avoid columns (the OCR reads the text from left to right)
  
• add a space in between slashes so that the slash doesn't touch the letters (e.g., IT / IS)
  
• bullet points, italics, bold, underlining and horizontal/vertical lines are okay, as long as the lines do not touch any of the letters.

-- the key words the scanner will be looking for are:

• occupations - teaching, engineering, public relations, retailing, financial management, quality control, customer care etc
  
• positions - manager, programmer, editor, engineer, director
  
• specific skills and qualifications - Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, BSc, ISO90000, etc
  
• workplace skills - designed, evaluated, represented, organized, formulated, developed, etc