My friend - Elaine Hand is writing a book called... Just Make Time
I have read a number of books on time and life management, but this one is really resonating with me. The problem with most time management systems is that they are really "how to use a calendar" systems. This particular system seems to be more about ensuring that you make time for what is "right" instead of just seeing how much you can cram onto a calendar.
I have been writing a book myself. In writing the book, I have had a number of days that I have wanted to just say forget it, I have so many other things to do. Her simple little phrase, just make time, haunts me any time that I get distracted and begin focusing on the wrong things. I pull my priorities back into view and start plugging away again at what is important.
Look back at this year and see if you have done what is really important. If you haven't, then what can you learn from what you did? What will you do differently in the future?
In honor of my friend Elaine, the following video illustrates the importance of time, and making time for what is most important.
Enjoy and To Your Success!
Jody Holland
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
3 Keys To Personal Success...
3 Keys To Personal Success (A small excert from my upcoming book My Judo Life.
1. Accept who you are and where you are. Don’t make excuses or pretend that you were not responsible for this current situation. Each of us is where we are because of a series of choices that we have made in our lives. We can make excuses for our situation all day long, but that does not change the situation. It just allows us to blame something external so that we don't have to feel bad for where we are. The key to accepting responsibility for yourself is to ask the following...
--What part did I play in this situation?
--What lesson can I learn from this situation?
--How can I prevent this bad thing from happening, or make a good thing happen, again in the future?
2. Claim your gifts. You were born with talents and abilities. If you hide them, you lose them. Claim what you have and use it. So often we bury our gifts beneath the surface for fear of what others might think. We don't write that story. We don't sing in front of that crowd. We don't start that business, all because we are burying our talents. There are things in life that you are naturally good at. There are things that you gain energy from doing. Take the things that provide that for you, that help the world, and employ them every day. Be the person you were meant to be.
3. Make a choice. It is better to decide yes or no than to hope for someone else to decide for you. Make a choice in every situation. Be decisive and move forward. It’s okay to make mistakes. It’s not okay to give other people control over your future. Make A Choice! Life really boils down to the choices that we make. You can and should decide where you are going with your future and what you are willing to do today to get there. If you sit around and wait, someone will decide for you. You were not meant to be controlled by others. You were meant to choose success!
To Your Success!
Jody Holland
1. Accept who you are and where you are. Don’t make excuses or pretend that you were not responsible for this current situation. Each of us is where we are because of a series of choices that we have made in our lives. We can make excuses for our situation all day long, but that does not change the situation. It just allows us to blame something external so that we don't have to feel bad for where we are. The key to accepting responsibility for yourself is to ask the following...
--What part did I play in this situation?
--What lesson can I learn from this situation?
--How can I prevent this bad thing from happening, or make a good thing happen, again in the future?
2. Claim your gifts. You were born with talents and abilities. If you hide them, you lose them. Claim what you have and use it. So often we bury our gifts beneath the surface for fear of what others might think. We don't write that story. We don't sing in front of that crowd. We don't start that business, all because we are burying our talents. There are things in life that you are naturally good at. There are things that you gain energy from doing. Take the things that provide that for you, that help the world, and employ them every day. Be the person you were meant to be.
3. Make a choice. It is better to decide yes or no than to hope for someone else to decide for you. Make a choice in every situation. Be decisive and move forward. It’s okay to make mistakes. It’s not okay to give other people control over your future. Make A Choice! Life really boils down to the choices that we make. You can and should decide where you are going with your future and what you are willing to do today to get there. If you sit around and wait, someone will decide for you. You were not meant to be controlled by others. You were meant to choose success!
To Your Success!
Jody Holland
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Live, Laugh, and Love
Laughter is the closest distance between two people.
- Victor Borge
So often, this time of year, we forget to slow down and enjoy our time with our staff, clients, even vendors. We are rushed to finish projects and meet year-end deadlines. And if we are not careful, we can all become a bit of a scrooge.
The fastest way to lighten things up is with a simple smile. If you have a culture that stays fairly tense, read some funny stories, or good jokes, to yourself before work for the next week or so. Patrick McManus has some great ones that can keep you smiling all day, maybe even all week. A great culture begins with a great attitude though. Until you have the attitude that looks for the good in the world, it will be difficult for anyone to want to follow you.
Remember, you get whatever you look for. So look for the fun, fellowship, and joy of this season!
To Your Success!
Jody Holland
- Victor Borge
So often, this time of year, we forget to slow down and enjoy our time with our staff, clients, even vendors. We are rushed to finish projects and meet year-end deadlines. And if we are not careful, we can all become a bit of a scrooge.
The fastest way to lighten things up is with a simple smile. If you have a culture that stays fairly tense, read some funny stories, or good jokes, to yourself before work for the next week or so. Patrick McManus has some great ones that can keep you smiling all day, maybe even all week. A great culture begins with a great attitude though. Until you have the attitude that looks for the good in the world, it will be difficult for anyone to want to follow you.
Remember, you get whatever you look for. So look for the fun, fellowship, and joy of this season!
To Your Success!
Jody Holland
Friday, December 17, 2010
Irrationality can be a bad thing...
Irrationally held truths may be more harmful than reasoned errors.
- Thomas H. Huxley
How often have we seen people that absolutely believe something that isn't true? Whether it be a prejudice, of value stance, or a long-held attitude about others, irrationally held truths can be a very bad thing. I do realize that not everyone will think logically. Many people make their decisions based on emotion and often do not check into any facts. What scares me is that so many of the decisions that are made about leaders, managers, even employees are made based on almost pure emotion.
The National Society of Human Resource Management indicated that hiring decisions are often made in the first 4.3 minutes of an interview. If two thirds of all decisions are made this quickly, what amount of truths can be discovered in that time frame? Most decisions are made based on whether or not the other person seems like us. I feel very lucky to have realized early on that I don't need more people like me in this company. I need people who are talented in other areas. Just because I shake hands a certain way, does not mean that anyone who shakes hands differently is that. Watch as you interview other people in the future. You will find that if they do not shake hands like you, dress like you, make eye contact like you, and overall seem like you, it becomes very difficult to want to employ them. But the rational side that I would like to ponder is… what exactly are you hiring? Are you hiring someone to do your job? Or, are you hiring someone to do their job?
The reason that our organization got into pre-hire testing is so that we could create objectivity in the hiring process. Our management profiler looks at the management competencies and leadership characteristics of an individual, then allows you to match those characteristics against what your successful people already look like. The pro-screen measures reliability, work ethic, teamwork, and integrity. The basic things that employers are looking for in a new hire are:
-- Will this employee show up?
-- Will this employee work hard once they show up?
-- Will this simply get along with others?
-- Will this employee tell me the truth, and will they still from me?
Once you know those for basic things, you have a pretty good idea as to whether or not the employee will work out. The problem is, most of us never get to those four things until the employee has been there for several months. From a rational perspective, we realize that paying an employee for three months to produce virtually nothing is significantly more expensive than assessing the individual and ensuring that we get the right person the first time.
The irrationality that seems to prevail is that we don't have time to do it right. We must have the employee now! Even if you must have the next person that walks to the door, it's a good idea to know what you're getting.
Even though we have been interviewing people for years, Harvard business indicates that the average interviewer is right less than one out of five times. Using pre-hire testing, the average interviewer can now be right eight out of ten times.
The rational response is to go with your best bet. The irrational response would be to continue doing what you've always done even though you're not getting the results you want. I wish you the best of luck, hopefully in a rational world.
To your success!
Jody Holland
- Thomas H. Huxley
How often have we seen people that absolutely believe something that isn't true? Whether it be a prejudice, of value stance, or a long-held attitude about others, irrationally held truths can be a very bad thing. I do realize that not everyone will think logically. Many people make their decisions based on emotion and often do not check into any facts. What scares me is that so many of the decisions that are made about leaders, managers, even employees are made based on almost pure emotion.
The National Society of Human Resource Management indicated that hiring decisions are often made in the first 4.3 minutes of an interview. If two thirds of all decisions are made this quickly, what amount of truths can be discovered in that time frame? Most decisions are made based on whether or not the other person seems like us. I feel very lucky to have realized early on that I don't need more people like me in this company. I need people who are talented in other areas. Just because I shake hands a certain way, does not mean that anyone who shakes hands differently is that. Watch as you interview other people in the future. You will find that if they do not shake hands like you, dress like you, make eye contact like you, and overall seem like you, it becomes very difficult to want to employ them. But the rational side that I would like to ponder is… what exactly are you hiring? Are you hiring someone to do your job? Or, are you hiring someone to do their job?
The reason that our organization got into pre-hire testing is so that we could create objectivity in the hiring process. Our management profiler looks at the management competencies and leadership characteristics of an individual, then allows you to match those characteristics against what your successful people already look like. The pro-screen measures reliability, work ethic, teamwork, and integrity. The basic things that employers are looking for in a new hire are:
-- Will this employee show up?
-- Will this employee work hard once they show up?
-- Will this simply get along with others?
-- Will this employee tell me the truth, and will they still from me?
Once you know those for basic things, you have a pretty good idea as to whether or not the employee will work out. The problem is, most of us never get to those four things until the employee has been there for several months. From a rational perspective, we realize that paying an employee for three months to produce virtually nothing is significantly more expensive than assessing the individual and ensuring that we get the right person the first time.
The irrationality that seems to prevail is that we don't have time to do it right. We must have the employee now! Even if you must have the next person that walks to the door, it's a good idea to know what you're getting.
Even though we have been interviewing people for years, Harvard business indicates that the average interviewer is right less than one out of five times. Using pre-hire testing, the average interviewer can now be right eight out of ten times.
The rational response is to go with your best bet. The irrational response would be to continue doing what you've always done even though you're not getting the results you want. I wish you the best of luck, hopefully in a rational world.
To your success!
Jody Holland
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Nothing succeeds like success!
Nothing succeeds like the appearance of success.
- Christopher Lasch
Have you ever purchased something from someone you felt sorry for? If you have, you probably ended up regretting the purchase like most people do. Most of us would prefer to buy things from people who give off the air of success. There is just something about people who are confident in who they are and what they are providing that is enticing.
We want to be like them, and maybe absorb some of that exuding confidence. Whatever it is, we need more of it in our lives. We will always have things that set us back in life, but we get to choose how we handle those setbacks. It is us, just us, who get to determine our worth and our confidence.
It is not our circumstances or situations that get to define us. So, who do you say that you are? What do you appear to be to those around you? Do you whine about how the world is out to get you? Or, do you take life by the reigns and determine your own value, course, and destination? My challenge to you would be to look one year into the future and write out who you are, not will be, are at that time. Write it in the present tense. For example, "it is December 15th 2011 and just closed my 52nd deal for the year. I am now the top producer in my organization. As I head to our annual conference I will be awarded the highest grossing salesperson's spot. I have taken 4 weeks of vacation this year with my family."
You give it power by putting it in present tense and claiming it as your own. Be confident because you get from life whatever you demand. Don't get to the end of your life ans wish you had demanded more.
To your success!
Jody Holland
- Christopher Lasch
Have you ever purchased something from someone you felt sorry for? If you have, you probably ended up regretting the purchase like most people do. Most of us would prefer to buy things from people who give off the air of success. There is just something about people who are confident in who they are and what they are providing that is enticing.
We want to be like them, and maybe absorb some of that exuding confidence. Whatever it is, we need more of it in our lives. We will always have things that set us back in life, but we get to choose how we handle those setbacks. It is us, just us, who get to determine our worth and our confidence.
It is not our circumstances or situations that get to define us. So, who do you say that you are? What do you appear to be to those around you? Do you whine about how the world is out to get you? Or, do you take life by the reigns and determine your own value, course, and destination? My challenge to you would be to look one year into the future and write out who you are, not will be, are at that time. Write it in the present tense. For example, "it is December 15th 2011 and just closed my 52nd deal for the year. I am now the top producer in my organization. As I head to our annual conference I will be awarded the highest grossing salesperson's spot. I have taken 4 weeks of vacation this year with my family."
You give it power by putting it in present tense and claiming it as your own. Be confident because you get from life whatever you demand. Don't get to the end of your life ans wish you had demanded more.
To your success!
Jody Holland
Monday, December 13, 2010
What we are capable of...
If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves.
Thomas Edison
In our Employee Motivation course, one of the questions that we ask is... What are you capable of achieving? We get varied responses to the question. Some people believe that they are capable of exactly what they are doing, while others believe the "could" be a future President of The United States. The truth is, we are almost always capable of more than we are producing. We could be more successful in sales if we stayed focused and made the appropriate number of calls and presentations. We could be more successful in leadership if we invested more in learning how to be a great leader. We could be more efficient with our time if we prioritized better. The list could go on and on. If we know that we "could" do more, then why don't we?
It really comes down to a matter of motivation. The formula that I would present to you is this...
Skills multiplied by motivation = Output. Very seldom does someone get fired for being unskilled. They may get fired for not demonstrating their skills, but rarely is it that they don't possess the skills. Most people are fired because they do not "want" to work as hard they are being asked to work. If you multiply anything by zero, you get zero. That means that without motivation, there is not output.
Abraham Maslow said "If you intentionally become less than you are capable of being, then I warn you, you will be unhappy for the rest of your life." If you know what you can do, and yet you do not take action, it is as if there is a piece of you that is missing. I have found that the happiest people in this world are those who in the right positions and working harder than most.
As an entrepreneur, I am very happy with what I do. I am capable of so many things, and I am pushing hard to achieve them all.
What are you capable of achieving?
To your success!
Jody Holland
Thomas Edison
In our Employee Motivation course, one of the questions that we ask is... What are you capable of achieving? We get varied responses to the question. Some people believe that they are capable of exactly what they are doing, while others believe the "could" be a future President of The United States. The truth is, we are almost always capable of more than we are producing. We could be more successful in sales if we stayed focused and made the appropriate number of calls and presentations. We could be more successful in leadership if we invested more in learning how to be a great leader. We could be more efficient with our time if we prioritized better. The list could go on and on. If we know that we "could" do more, then why don't we?
It really comes down to a matter of motivation. The formula that I would present to you is this...
Skills multiplied by motivation = Output. Very seldom does someone get fired for being unskilled. They may get fired for not demonstrating their skills, but rarely is it that they don't possess the skills. Most people are fired because they do not "want" to work as hard they are being asked to work. If you multiply anything by zero, you get zero. That means that without motivation, there is not output.
Abraham Maslow said "If you intentionally become less than you are capable of being, then I warn you, you will be unhappy for the rest of your life." If you know what you can do, and yet you do not take action, it is as if there is a piece of you that is missing. I have found that the happiest people in this world are those who in the right positions and working harder than most.
As an entrepreneur, I am very happy with what I do. I am capable of so many things, and I am pushing hard to achieve them all.
What are you capable of achieving?
To your success!
Jody Holland
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Don't miss your opportunity
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
- Thomas A. Edison
My company, MuRF Systems, has spent the last 9+ years studying the generations and their interaction at work. Each generation definitely has its own dominant set of values. As an outside observer, you see mostly distinctions in the work ethic value of the generations. I am all for balance, but I am for balance in both directions. Balance would indicate that an appropriate amount of work is performed, along with an appropriate amount of down time.
Over the last five years, in particular, we have seen hosts of people who "want" to be successful. However, when it comes time to put in the effort to achieve the results, they often go away. Being in business for yourself, moving up the ladder, making an impression, or just plain succeeding requires sacrifice. Nothing great was ever accomplished without giving something up. You will give up your time with your family, your hobbies, even your sleep at times in order to achieve something great.
I remember watching my grandfather work full-time in town (10 miles away) and then work full time on the farm and ranch. As I watched him, I remember wondering if I would be like him when I grew up. In one conversation with him, I asked him why he worked all the time. Paraphrasing from 30+ years ago, he said "I may not be smarter, but I work harder." It is that strong work ethic that made him into the success he was.
One of my goals in life has been to demonstrate to my kids that hard work pays off. You can seize your opportunity, but don't be afraid of the effort it will require of you. If you shy away from the effort, you turn away from what you "could" be in life. You settle for less because you give less. I do not want... HE SETTLED on my tombstone.
Hard work does pay off in your soul and in your opportunities. I find that the harder I work, the luckier I get.
My challenge to you would be to outline what opportunity you intend to seize and then outline what effort (hard work) you are willing to give in order to achieve something great.
To your success,
Jody Holland
MuRF Systems
- Thomas A. Edison
My company, MuRF Systems, has spent the last 9+ years studying the generations and their interaction at work. Each generation definitely has its own dominant set of values. As an outside observer, you see mostly distinctions in the work ethic value of the generations. I am all for balance, but I am for balance in both directions. Balance would indicate that an appropriate amount of work is performed, along with an appropriate amount of down time.
Over the last five years, in particular, we have seen hosts of people who "want" to be successful. However, when it comes time to put in the effort to achieve the results, they often go away. Being in business for yourself, moving up the ladder, making an impression, or just plain succeeding requires sacrifice. Nothing great was ever accomplished without giving something up. You will give up your time with your family, your hobbies, even your sleep at times in order to achieve something great.
I remember watching my grandfather work full-time in town (10 miles away) and then work full time on the farm and ranch. As I watched him, I remember wondering if I would be like him when I grew up. In one conversation with him, I asked him why he worked all the time. Paraphrasing from 30+ years ago, he said "I may not be smarter, but I work harder." It is that strong work ethic that made him into the success he was.
One of my goals in life has been to demonstrate to my kids that hard work pays off. You can seize your opportunity, but don't be afraid of the effort it will require of you. If you shy away from the effort, you turn away from what you "could" be in life. You settle for less because you give less. I do not want... HE SETTLED on my tombstone.
Hard work does pay off in your soul and in your opportunities. I find that the harder I work, the luckier I get.
My challenge to you would be to outline what opportunity you intend to seize and then outline what effort (hard work) you are willing to give in order to achieve something great.
To your success,
Jody Holland
MuRF Systems
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
You gotta have attitude!
It is your attitude, not your aptitude, that determines your success altitude. If you want to go farther in life, you have to have a positive attitude. A positive attitude does not mean that you never get upset or irritated. It means that when life throws tough situations at you, you don't quit. When you get knocked down by life, you get up one more time. Your attitude will not autmatically make things work in your life. It will however, make you more likely to work on things in life.
There are three (3) key ingredients to a great attitude. They are...
1. Take responsibility for your world. Don't blame others or look for ways to say that things are never your fault. Follow "right" thinking when you get into a tough situation. If you are lacking resources, ask... "What can I do with what I have?" If you want a good education, don't say that anyone is holding you back... Instead, lay out what it would take to get the education you want. Then lay out what you will be willing to give up in order to achieve that. Yes, I said give up. Everything in life has a price. In order to achieve something of great value, you give up something of great value... time, money, effort, etc.
2. Own your choices! Fill your head with positives. Our world provides plenty of opportunity to dwell on the negative. If we choose to expose ourselves to negatives, then we tend to think that being negative is the way to go. The traditional news is almost entirely negative. Find ways to build yourself up through listening to motivational speeches, reading positive books and watching positive videos. Short clips are good for a pick-me-up throughout the day.
3. Take action! Nothing happens without someone making a move. You cannot sit around and wait on someone else to do for you, what you can do for yourself. It is better to take wrong action than to take no action. Ask yourself what you have already done to establish the right direciton or to implement the right developemnt for yourself. If the answer is that you have done nothing or very little, then today is the day that you move forward and set a new standard for your life. Without action, nothing changes. So...change something!
What if you asked yourself different questions today? What if you always asked empowering questions that lead to you taking action. When something rough happens, ask what you can do now with what you have. When you are treated poorly, ask what you can learn from the experience. When you miss the mark with a goal, ask what you can do better on the next try. Look for the good and you find it. Look for the bad and you find it. You simply have to choose which one you are looking for.
To Your Success!
Jody Holland
MuRF
www.murfsystems.com
There are three (3) key ingredients to a great attitude. They are...
1. Take responsibility for your world. Don't blame others or look for ways to say that things are never your fault. Follow "right" thinking when you get into a tough situation. If you are lacking resources, ask... "What can I do with what I have?" If you want a good education, don't say that anyone is holding you back... Instead, lay out what it would take to get the education you want. Then lay out what you will be willing to give up in order to achieve that. Yes, I said give up. Everything in life has a price. In order to achieve something of great value, you give up something of great value... time, money, effort, etc.
2. Own your choices! Fill your head with positives. Our world provides plenty of opportunity to dwell on the negative. If we choose to expose ourselves to negatives, then we tend to think that being negative is the way to go. The traditional news is almost entirely negative. Find ways to build yourself up through listening to motivational speeches, reading positive books and watching positive videos. Short clips are good for a pick-me-up throughout the day.
3. Take action! Nothing happens without someone making a move. You cannot sit around and wait on someone else to do for you, what you can do for yourself. It is better to take wrong action than to take no action. Ask yourself what you have already done to establish the right direciton or to implement the right developemnt for yourself. If the answer is that you have done nothing or very little, then today is the day that you move forward and set a new standard for your life. Without action, nothing changes. So...change something!
What if you asked yourself different questions today? What if you always asked empowering questions that lead to you taking action. When something rough happens, ask what you can do now with what you have. When you are treated poorly, ask what you can learn from the experience. When you miss the mark with a goal, ask what you can do better on the next try. Look for the good and you find it. Look for the bad and you find it. You simply have to choose which one you are looking for.
To Your Success!
Jody Holland
MuRF
www.murfsystems.com
Monday, December 6, 2010
Without vision, the people will perish...
Helen Keller once said "It is a terrible thing to see and yet have no vision." As someone who had no physical sight, I can only imaging how challenging the world must have been. Yet, she realized that it is not our physical sight, but the vision for our lives that truly counts. She had a vision to be, do, and have more than the world would normally allow for someone with her challenges.
Within companies, it is equally sad to see leaders who have no real vision. An example of a bad vision is... It is our vision to be the best in our field by the end of the year. No, that is a hope, not a vision. While some people can be excited about the organization being the best, it takes something that can truly inspire people to get them to want to follow the vision. An inspiring vision might be to witness a world that is cancer free, or to see a world where every child is born with the opportunity to learn, or build families where domestic violence does not exist. You have to keep in mind that not everyone will buy into your vision. People need to know how they will benefit from the vision, not just how the managers will get bonuses if the vision is fulfilled.
The following are 3 keys to an effective vision for your organization or for your life...
1. It must be believable. It starts with you as the leader. If you don't believe 100% in the vision, then you will not pass it on to your people. If they don't believe 100% in the vision, then they will not pass it on. In order for something to be believable all the way down the line, it cannot be about your profit, bottom line, sales increase, etc. It has to be something that stimulates the intrinsic (internal) side of motivation.
2. It must be challenging. If it were easy, everyone would do it. You need to make it tough enough for people to see that it cannot be done alone. It also needs to create enough of a challenge that you can sit around drinking coffee and playing the Mission Impossible theme song after you do attain it because you just did what nobody outside of your team thought was possible. Curing cancer is not easy! It is a challenge! You must turn a profit in business to stay in business, but that cannot and will not inspire others to perform. Make it something that people can see mentally. A concrete company might be "laying the foundation for a better future." A flower company might be "opening hearts to love." Their vision might be to help relationships to bloom through the love shown in flowers. Their overarching objective with that vision might be to reduce divorce rates by 10% per year until there is not more divorce in their area. Your catch phrase, vision statement, and purpose statement must all flow together and be tough enough that it requires your whole team and then some to accomplish it.
3. It must gel people together. Many companies create a rallying cry during tough times. They remember the Alamo, or the crash of '88, or great management turnover of 2001. Whatever it is that they lived through, they remember how tough it was. Tough times are actually the easiest way to gel people together. They unite to overthrow a common enemy. You don't actually have to wait for that down time to gel though. The truth is that a rallying cry can be created in good times just as effectively as in bad times. What is it about your organization that can be a common theme (not money) that can pull everyone from the Janitor to the CEO together. Ford - Quality is Job 1. That is what Dr. Edwards Deming used with Ford Motor Company to turn them around and make them into the powerhouse that they are now. It worked! Ford - our CEO needs a bonus just didn't have the same ring to it. (snicker snicker).
If you will remember those principles, you can have a great vision. It is often helpful to use an outside facilitator to help create the RIGHT vision for your organization. Someone who can view your organization from 30,000 with only one objective - cast a vision that the people will follow.
If you would like to learn more about vision at work or have specific questions, feel free to post. You can also email me at: jody@murfsystems.com
To your success!
Jody Holland
Within companies, it is equally sad to see leaders who have no real vision. An example of a bad vision is... It is our vision to be the best in our field by the end of the year. No, that is a hope, not a vision. While some people can be excited about the organization being the best, it takes something that can truly inspire people to get them to want to follow the vision. An inspiring vision might be to witness a world that is cancer free, or to see a world where every child is born with the opportunity to learn, or build families where domestic violence does not exist. You have to keep in mind that not everyone will buy into your vision. People need to know how they will benefit from the vision, not just how the managers will get bonuses if the vision is fulfilled.
The following are 3 keys to an effective vision for your organization or for your life...
1. It must be believable. It starts with you as the leader. If you don't believe 100% in the vision, then you will not pass it on to your people. If they don't believe 100% in the vision, then they will not pass it on. In order for something to be believable all the way down the line, it cannot be about your profit, bottom line, sales increase, etc. It has to be something that stimulates the intrinsic (internal) side of motivation.
2. It must be challenging. If it were easy, everyone would do it. You need to make it tough enough for people to see that it cannot be done alone. It also needs to create enough of a challenge that you can sit around drinking coffee and playing the Mission Impossible theme song after you do attain it because you just did what nobody outside of your team thought was possible. Curing cancer is not easy! It is a challenge! You must turn a profit in business to stay in business, but that cannot and will not inspire others to perform. Make it something that people can see mentally. A concrete company might be "laying the foundation for a better future." A flower company might be "opening hearts to love." Their vision might be to help relationships to bloom through the love shown in flowers. Their overarching objective with that vision might be to reduce divorce rates by 10% per year until there is not more divorce in their area. Your catch phrase, vision statement, and purpose statement must all flow together and be tough enough that it requires your whole team and then some to accomplish it.
3. It must gel people together. Many companies create a rallying cry during tough times. They remember the Alamo, or the crash of '88, or great management turnover of 2001. Whatever it is that they lived through, they remember how tough it was. Tough times are actually the easiest way to gel people together. They unite to overthrow a common enemy. You don't actually have to wait for that down time to gel though. The truth is that a rallying cry can be created in good times just as effectively as in bad times. What is it about your organization that can be a common theme (not money) that can pull everyone from the Janitor to the CEO together. Ford - Quality is Job 1. That is what Dr. Edwards Deming used with Ford Motor Company to turn them around and make them into the powerhouse that they are now. It worked! Ford - our CEO needs a bonus just didn't have the same ring to it. (snicker snicker).
If you will remember those principles, you can have a great vision. It is often helpful to use an outside facilitator to help create the RIGHT vision for your organization. Someone who can view your organization from 30,000 with only one objective - cast a vision that the people will follow.
If you would like to learn more about vision at work or have specific questions, feel free to post. You can also email me at: jody@murfsystems.com
To your success!
Jody Holland
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Life In The Fishbowl
A friend of mine asked me to write about what life was like growing up as a PK (preacher's kid). Well Doug L., here you go...
There are some very unique advantages as well as some pretty tough disadvantages to growing up as a PK. The research shows that better than 80% of preacher's kids will be treated for clinical depression in their life. The majority of PK's feel that they are and always will be inadequate, or unable to measure up. One of the largest growing segments for divorce is people in ministry. Having said that, most PK's end up either mentally tough or emotionally bankrupt. But if you love a challenge, you can beat the odds. I will present my opinion of the top 3 advantages and the top three disadvantages of being a PK. I have no idea what it is like to grow up with your mother or father being a doctor, or a mayor, or a governor, or a mechanic. I can only speak to what I experienced and what I felt. Let's start with the advantages that I saw...
1. I was given a tremendous example... My dad is a man of the utmost integrity, character, and work ethic. He is a gifted writer and a tremendous speaker. I remember spending some of my Saturday afternoons, when I had finished mowing, up at the church listening to him practice his sermons for the next day. He was practice his non-verbal gestures, his facial expressions, tone of voice, and even the way he was going to hold the Bible at that particular moment. I was 10, and I was captivated with his storytelling ability. I owe a debt of gratitude to my dad for teaching me how to connect with an audience, and how to get my message across. Had it not been for the thousands of times that I watched him speak and persuade a congregation, I would not know what I know now. People would and still do, walk out of church mumbling about him talking directly to them, convicting them to change. It was truly awesome!
2. I learned how to handle difficult people... I am continuously amazed at the number of angry people who are allowed to be in charge of stuff at church. I watched my father listen to criticism, gripes, complaints and ridiculous accusations and jabs from people who I would have punched in the nose. He would listen, then ask them some questions, then listen some more, and they would go away calm. I learned that most people really are looking for someone to care about them and listen to whatever rant they have at the moment. The skill of dealing with emotional situations have proven to be tremendously helpful. If my father was a lawyer, I don't think I would have been afforded the opportunity to listen to him calm people down from my bedroom which was next to the formal living room / pastor's gotta talk room.
3. I developed great friends... Methodist pastors are given the "opportunity" to move regularly. My dad did not move as much as the regular pastors, but we did live in four places during my 18 years at home. I have great friends from those places and have roots in all of them. When the pastor comes to town, you don't have to find a way to meet people. They come and meet you. They help you unpack. They show you around. They take turns taking you out to lunch on Sundays. All in all, your don't have to struggle at all to make friends. As a result, I have always thought making friends was one of the easiest things in the world. And, my best friend since 2nd grade, is so because of being a PK.
Now for the downside of being a PK...
1. Your stuff is not your own... In the Methodist Church, where they church provides a parsonage (house) for the pastor's family, they also maintain the "right" to come into your house whenever they want and inspect your life. Most of the visits were scheduled, but there was always one or two old people that just "had" to walk in to see what we were breaking from their $5 weekly offering. I truly hated the home inspections. I think that these inspections are one of the reasons and have never and would never consider the military as a career. I want my stuff to be MINE!
2. Your time is not your own... It did not matter if it was the middle of the night, middle of vacation, or the middle of a war, my dad was expected to come running when there were problems. I know that I would want someone to be there for me too, but I am overly cautious about calling a pastor, because I don't want their kids to resent me. I lost track by the age of 12 of how many vacations we had to abandon, and never retake, because someone either died, got sick, or got depressed. I hated the feeling that our family was less important than all the other families int he church. I understand more now about dad's obligations as a pastor, but I hated it then.
3. Your success is not your own... There is this unbelievable expectation of pastor's kids. We are expected to be complete screw-ups and expected to be perfect saints all at the same time. All of this is also expected to lead to us following in the footsteps of our father / pastor. I have been asked well over a thousand times if and when I was going to be a pastor. After watching the badgering that dad took, and he is truly an amazing pastor, my answer has been pretty simple. "I am not going to be a pastor." I know that one can never say never, but I don't feel called into ministry. If I was to go into ministry, I would experience what most other PK's turned pastors experienced. I would live in my father's shadow, continuously being compared to him and being expected to never measure up. A man, or woman, has to make their own way in this world, regardless of the amazing footprint that their father, or mother, left. When I am recognized for my speaking ability by people who know my family, I got it from my dad. And you know what, I'm cool with that.
Overall, to be a "successful PK," you have to be good with living your life in a fishbowl. You will be in the middle of the room, on display for everyone that wishes to look on. They will be able to evaluate, judge, and even sentence you for whatever reasons they come up with. You will have the opportunity to shut up and take it. You will be praised at times because your pastor parent is amazing and has changed someone's life, even though you were just riding your bike that day. You will be inspected, and will get used to people tapping on the glass of your life, eyeballing you regularly. A PK will most likely take some form of anti-depressant, or anti-anxiety medicine as they get older and have no idea who they are because they played a role for so long that it is tough to tell what is real about yourself and what you made up to protect the family image. And if you come out on the other side, you will be grateful for the chance to have learned, laughed, loved, and lived your life in a fishbowl.
There are some very unique advantages as well as some pretty tough disadvantages to growing up as a PK. The research shows that better than 80% of preacher's kids will be treated for clinical depression in their life. The majority of PK's feel that they are and always will be inadequate, or unable to measure up. One of the largest growing segments for divorce is people in ministry. Having said that, most PK's end up either mentally tough or emotionally bankrupt. But if you love a challenge, you can beat the odds. I will present my opinion of the top 3 advantages and the top three disadvantages of being a PK. I have no idea what it is like to grow up with your mother or father being a doctor, or a mayor, or a governor, or a mechanic. I can only speak to what I experienced and what I felt. Let's start with the advantages that I saw...
1. I was given a tremendous example... My dad is a man of the utmost integrity, character, and work ethic. He is a gifted writer and a tremendous speaker. I remember spending some of my Saturday afternoons, when I had finished mowing, up at the church listening to him practice his sermons for the next day. He was practice his non-verbal gestures, his facial expressions, tone of voice, and even the way he was going to hold the Bible at that particular moment. I was 10, and I was captivated with his storytelling ability. I owe a debt of gratitude to my dad for teaching me how to connect with an audience, and how to get my message across. Had it not been for the thousands of times that I watched him speak and persuade a congregation, I would not know what I know now. People would and still do, walk out of church mumbling about him talking directly to them, convicting them to change. It was truly awesome!
2. I learned how to handle difficult people... I am continuously amazed at the number of angry people who are allowed to be in charge of stuff at church. I watched my father listen to criticism, gripes, complaints and ridiculous accusations and jabs from people who I would have punched in the nose. He would listen, then ask them some questions, then listen some more, and they would go away calm. I learned that most people really are looking for someone to care about them and listen to whatever rant they have at the moment. The skill of dealing with emotional situations have proven to be tremendously helpful. If my father was a lawyer, I don't think I would have been afforded the opportunity to listen to him calm people down from my bedroom which was next to the formal living room / pastor's gotta talk room.
3. I developed great friends... Methodist pastors are given the "opportunity" to move regularly. My dad did not move as much as the regular pastors, but we did live in four places during my 18 years at home. I have great friends from those places and have roots in all of them. When the pastor comes to town, you don't have to find a way to meet people. They come and meet you. They help you unpack. They show you around. They take turns taking you out to lunch on Sundays. All in all, your don't have to struggle at all to make friends. As a result, I have always thought making friends was one of the easiest things in the world. And, my best friend since 2nd grade, is so because of being a PK.
Now for the downside of being a PK...
1. Your stuff is not your own... In the Methodist Church, where they church provides a parsonage (house) for the pastor's family, they also maintain the "right" to come into your house whenever they want and inspect your life. Most of the visits were scheduled, but there was always one or two old people that just "had" to walk in to see what we were breaking from their $5 weekly offering. I truly hated the home inspections. I think that these inspections are one of the reasons and have never and would never consider the military as a career. I want my stuff to be MINE!
2. Your time is not your own... It did not matter if it was the middle of the night, middle of vacation, or the middle of a war, my dad was expected to come running when there were problems. I know that I would want someone to be there for me too, but I am overly cautious about calling a pastor, because I don't want their kids to resent me. I lost track by the age of 12 of how many vacations we had to abandon, and never retake, because someone either died, got sick, or got depressed. I hated the feeling that our family was less important than all the other families int he church. I understand more now about dad's obligations as a pastor, but I hated it then.
3. Your success is not your own... There is this unbelievable expectation of pastor's kids. We are expected to be complete screw-ups and expected to be perfect saints all at the same time. All of this is also expected to lead to us following in the footsteps of our father / pastor. I have been asked well over a thousand times if and when I was going to be a pastor. After watching the badgering that dad took, and he is truly an amazing pastor, my answer has been pretty simple. "I am not going to be a pastor." I know that one can never say never, but I don't feel called into ministry. If I was to go into ministry, I would experience what most other PK's turned pastors experienced. I would live in my father's shadow, continuously being compared to him and being expected to never measure up. A man, or woman, has to make their own way in this world, regardless of the amazing footprint that their father, or mother, left. When I am recognized for my speaking ability by people who know my family, I got it from my dad. And you know what, I'm cool with that.
Overall, to be a "successful PK," you have to be good with living your life in a fishbowl. You will be in the middle of the room, on display for everyone that wishes to look on. They will be able to evaluate, judge, and even sentence you for whatever reasons they come up with. You will have the opportunity to shut up and take it. You will be praised at times because your pastor parent is amazing and has changed someone's life, even though you were just riding your bike that day. You will be inspected, and will get used to people tapping on the glass of your life, eyeballing you regularly. A PK will most likely take some form of anti-depressant, or anti-anxiety medicine as they get older and have no idea who they are because they played a role for so long that it is tough to tell what is real about yourself and what you made up to protect the family image. And if you come out on the other side, you will be grateful for the chance to have learned, laughed, loved, and lived your life in a fishbowl.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Only the mediocre are always at their best.
This is a quote from: Jean Giraudoux
Only the mediocre are always at their best.
- Jean Giraudoux
Another way to look at that is when someone's chosen maximum is the required minimum. I think it is sad when people have so much potential but choose not to use it. There are a number of unhappy people in this world. There repressed poets, unpublished writers, and a whole host of other people with raw talent just waiting to get out of them in order to enrich the world; but many of these people sadly will never share their gifts. Maybe it is because the work is too hard, or because they have fear of failure, or even a fear of success. I couldn't say for anyone in particular except for myself.
I simply know that each of us is at our very best when we are doing what we were made to do. I love to train. I love to work with people and find ways to bring out their uncultivated, or possibly even hidden talent. I want people to be their very best. I want them to shine. But in reality, I would be miserable if I did anything else. I would make a lousy CPA. I am way too social. I wouldn't get enough done. I would not be good as a farmer. I just don't do well mechanically. But there are people that were designed to do just those things.
Over 80% of college graduates go to work in a field unrelated to their major. After five years, more than 60% of college graduates still work in a field unrelated to their major. It is no wonder that people don't want to give their all. That is not where their passion is!
There are three key components to finding the right career for you, the one that you won't be able stay away from once you start. You must have a fit with your personality, your cognitive or thinking style, and your work-type interests. If you fit in each of these three areas, you will love what you do.
So, what is it that you were meant to do? What do you get fired up about?
I have a few more tips and tricks on one of my other sites: http://www.workforceready.net.
Take a look through it or visit my main site at: http://www.murfsystems.com.
Remember the words of Abraham Maslow... "If you intentionally become less than you are capable of being, then I warn you, you will be unhappy for the rest of your life."
To your success,
Jody Holland
MuRF Systems
www.murfsystems.com
Only the mediocre are always at their best.
- Jean Giraudoux
Another way to look at that is when someone's chosen maximum is the required minimum. I think it is sad when people have so much potential but choose not to use it. There are a number of unhappy people in this world. There repressed poets, unpublished writers, and a whole host of other people with raw talent just waiting to get out of them in order to enrich the world; but many of these people sadly will never share their gifts. Maybe it is because the work is too hard, or because they have fear of failure, or even a fear of success. I couldn't say for anyone in particular except for myself.
I simply know that each of us is at our very best when we are doing what we were made to do. I love to train. I love to work with people and find ways to bring out their uncultivated, or possibly even hidden talent. I want people to be their very best. I want them to shine. But in reality, I would be miserable if I did anything else. I would make a lousy CPA. I am way too social. I wouldn't get enough done. I would not be good as a farmer. I just don't do well mechanically. But there are people that were designed to do just those things.
Over 80% of college graduates go to work in a field unrelated to their major. After five years, more than 60% of college graduates still work in a field unrelated to their major. It is no wonder that people don't want to give their all. That is not where their passion is!
There are three key components to finding the right career for you, the one that you won't be able stay away from once you start. You must have a fit with your personality, your cognitive or thinking style, and your work-type interests. If you fit in each of these three areas, you will love what you do.
So, what is it that you were meant to do? What do you get fired up about?
I have a few more tips and tricks on one of my other sites: http://www.workforceready.net.
Take a look through it or visit my main site at: http://www.murfsystems.com.
Remember the words of Abraham Maslow... "If you intentionally become less than you are capable of being, then I warn you, you will be unhappy for the rest of your life."
To your success,
Jody Holland
MuRF Systems
www.murfsystems.com
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