The Lesson I Learned from Nelson Mandela

December 10, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Lessons from Nelson MandelaWith Nelson Mandela’s passing, at the age of 95, the world lost a great inspiration. You can see how many lives he touched by the outpouring of testimonials and loving tributes. I feel a call to share how he touched mine as well.

I never met Nelson Mandela or saw him speak in person, but I’ve been inspired each time I watched him on TV. He spoke so eloquently about life and living on this planet together in harmony; peacefully. What truly amazes me is his will and determination. It overwhelms me to think he spent 27 years in prison, almost one third of his life on this earth, yet he was not a bitter man. He took full advantage of each day he was given.
While in prison, Mandela and his fellow political prisoners planned for a future South Africa that did away with Apartheid and embraced equality. His time on Robben Island, the prison where he spent 18 of his years in exile, much of it spent in hard labor, would become like a university. Prisoners were eventually allowed books and were able to take classes. Mandela spent time on improving himself; educating himself. He was preparing to eventually lead a nation.
Mandela spent 27 years in prison physically, but he did not succumb to mental imprisonment. He was too strong-willed to let that happen. I can’t help but think of the mental prisons we create for ourselves. We often live in the past. We never get beyond a wrong done to us or a wrong we did to someone else. We get stuck. What we need is the strength to move into a new vision. The kind of strength Mandela possessed.
We can look at Mandela’s inspiring example of how to lead a life that embraces peace and tolerance; not only for others, but for ourselves as well. We can lead the life we were meant to live; if we are determined enough we can create it.
Thank you, Nelson Mandela, for this beautiful lesson.
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5 Ways I Show Gratitude

December 3, 2013 by Leave a Comment

5 Ways I Show GratitudeEarlier this year, my wife and I went to a benefit sale at a local church. As things were winding down, one of the volunteers said she had to leave which prompted the pastor to raise his voice and lay a guilt trip on her. Even after she said she had to study for an exam on Monday, he told her that volunteers were supposed to be there for the entire time, and that included clean up.

There were plenty of people to help out, from what I could see. I thought what ever happened to “we’re glad you could give us the time you were able to. Good luck on your exam.” As she walked out the front door of the church he got in one last parting snide remark. I’m sure that showed her. How’s that for gratitude? That pastor wasn’t demonstrating at all what I’m sure he preached to his congregation on Sundays.

This incident made me think, “do I appreciate people in my life enough?” Here are 5 ways I show gratitude:
1) Be thankful for what life gives you. 
We are not guaranteed anything. I’m better off than a lot of people in this world. My struggles aren’t the same as someone who can’t find clean water to drink, or who has to worry about finding a place to sleep for the night. I’ve been downsized from a job but it didn’t destroy me; it ended up being a blessing because it opened me to other possibilities. I’m thankful for the life I’m living, right now, at this moment. Not the one in some future scenario.
2) Be thankful when people show up. 
No one has to be there for you; this includes your family. If someone wants to be with you, cheer for you, comfort you, or listen to you, accept it as a gift. They have their own life and issues to worry about and they set those aside when they’re with you. I’m lucky to have the people in my life that I do.
3) Appreciate any and all help.
People who go even further, those people that stick their neck out for you, help you, advocate for you, or mentor you are your biggest supporters. Don’t take their time and effort for granted. Never make them feel like they didn’t give enough. I want to be around people like that all the time, but realize that what ever they give me, that’s enough. They don’t need to give anymore than they do.
4) No one owes you anything.
I was taught when I was younger to think of others, to not be selfish, to share. I’m sure a lot of you were brought up that way too. But sometimes people don’t want to share. They don’t have to. I can’t get upset about the things people don’t give me that weren’t mine to begin with. If someone wants to share, that’s great. If they don’t, that’s acceptable. Don’t put your moral upbringing on someone else’s shoulders.
5) Know when it’s time to move on. 
I think often about why certain people appeared in my life at certain times. They appeared when I needed them most and then quietly went on their way. I’d like to think they went on to help other people. We gave each other what the other needed and when there was no longer a need we moved on. And that’s okay. The relationship was what it needed to be at that moment.
I have an amazing group of friends and family who have been there for me. Thank you! I’m grateful that you entered my life.
Who are the people in your life that you’re grateful for?
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4 Business Lessons from the Bee Gees

November 26, 2013 by Leave a Comment
4 Business Lessons from the Bee Gees

Photo courtesy of the Bee Gees Facebook page.

For Christmas in 1979 I received the Bee Gees Greatest Hits, which was the first album I ever owned (thanks Aunt Susie and Uncle Rick!). I spent the rest of my Christmas vacation and much of 1980, sitting on the living room floor crossed legged in front of the stereo with my headphones on. I listened to that album for hours. I’ve always been a fan of the Bee Gees, even when it wasn’t cool to be one.

I recently found myself in a YouTube trap. I started listening to one Bee Gees song, which led to another, and I ended up on a Saturday adventure that lasted a few hours. Has that happened to you? Man, those songs are just so good!
Listening to hit after hit made me think of their lengthy and successful career and how we can incorporate what made them successful into our own lives. Here are 4 business lessons we can learn from the Bee Gees:
1) Start small and learn as much as you can from where you are.
The Bee Gees started singing before the Saturday matinee movie at their local theater. These appearances led to playing at larger events. They learned what worked on stage and what didn’t. An audience is a live focus group; giving immediate feedback. Soon came a record deal and gigs on Australian television, which had them scoring hits on the Australian charts.
We often think success comes over night, but that is rarely the case. The Bee Gees perfected their craft in front of smaller audiences when the stakes weren’t as high and the critics wouldn’t be as loud. We forget that we need to start small. Starting small gets us on the path to where we eventually need to be. Countless hours need to be invested before things can take hold at a point of critical mass.
2) Move on when you need to take the next step. 
Barry, Maurice, and Robin Gibb were born in England, but the family moved to Australia when they were young. They had achieved success in this new land, but wanted a bigger stage, so moving back home would open new doors. England in the 1960’s was a happening scene with The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who, and the Kinks all dominating the charts. They wanted to be among these artists. They could have stayed in Australia and been sensations, but they had bigger dreams.
Once in England, they were quickly spotted by a good manager and got a record deal, which translated into having hits, and those hits quickly traveled to the US. When you move to a bigger playing field, more is at stake, but there is more to win when you gain traction.
3) Do whatever it takes to overcome obstacles.
After their massive success in the late 1970’s, radio turned on the Bee Gees and refused to play their songs. This didn’t stop the Bee Gees though. They wrote and produced songs for other artists. In doing so, they were still able to have massive hits on the radio, only instead of it being a Bee Gees record, it was that of another artist.
The Bees Gees are one of the most successful recording acts of all-time; with over 200 millions records sold worldwide. In the US they scored 43 top 100 hits, 30 top 40 hits, and nine #1’s. But if you look at their success as songwriters, these numbers get even more mind blowing. 87 top 100 hits, 55 top 40 hits and 16 # 1’s. They looked at other ways to continue their success without fighting what was out of their control. What other avenues can you try when one road closes in front of you?
4) Keep your foot on the pedal.
Don’t rest on your past successes and think those will carry you. You have to keep working; all the time. Not only do things get done when you don’t let up, but that’s when your greatest ideas and creations may come to you. When you work,  that’s when inspiration comes. To paraphrase Steven Pressfield,  “you don’t wait for inspiration to strike before starting, you start, so inspiration will strike.” Because you’re actively doing your art (whatever that may be), you’re open to receiving gifts of inspiration.
Productive people are productive because they don’t stop. The Bee Gees wrote “Too Much Heaven” and then wrote “Tragedy” right after that, in the same day. There’s a rumor that they wrote “Shadow Dancing”, which would become a #1 hit for their brother Andy, later that same evening. Three #1’s written in one day! Talk about productive! Achieving great things takes work and effort. Nothing comes from inspiration itself. You need to work, even when you may not want to. You will be rewarded!
These are 4 important lessons for all of us. Whether it’s in life or business, we can work these lessons into our own arsenal to make us unstoppable.
What are you going to work on?
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Doing the Right Thing: Is it Self-Evident?

November 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Doing the Right ThingIs doing the “right thing” self-evident? Is it something we all know instinctively? And if we do know what the “right thing” to do is, why don’t we do it?

I believe that as individuals, we know instinctively what the “right thing” to do is. There are countless stories of people doing amazing and often heroic things, and when asked why they did what they did, they inevitably respond, “It was the right thing to do.” They sure make it sound easy, don’t they? What holds us back, then?
The biggest barrier is time. Too much time to think makes us second guess ourselves or look at our options. We lose that immediacy with the thing we want to do. If we don’t think about something, we instinctively react. That’s why a homeless man can return $42,000 or someone can run into a burning building to save a life. They didn’t agonize over it, they just did it. When time passes doing the “right thing” loses it’s importance. We think that we’ll do it next time, or that we’re too late; someone else has probably done it already.
Another factor applies if you are a part of a larger group (it could be a family, a company, or even a government); it’s bureaucracy. You generally need to win the endorsement from one, or several key decision-makers. If you can’t get your team on the same page or some members have a different agenda, then that can cause problems. Often there are questions to be answered: How will this look to others; both inside and outside the organization? What are the costs and benefits of doing this? What are others doing? Attempts from these large bodies (especially governments) often come up short and feel hollow. The intention far outweighs the actual benefit to anyone and the best anyone can say is, “at least their heart was in the right place.”
Life is about making choices; daily, hourly, even by the minute if you really think about it. Choosing the words I typed here was a choice. Granted, most of the choices we make aren’t major life decisions, but add them up over time and they make a statement about who you are as a person.
We are too worried about making the “wrong” choice and that’s actually the obstacle. It paralyzes us from taking action, so we end up doing nothing, and feeling guilty about our inaction.
What if instead, we focused on the “doing” part. Just by doing something, anything, that’s better than doing nothing. And isn’t doing something the “right thing” to do? It’s up to you and me to do something each and every day to make the world a better place. We are the ones that make lasting impact, not by thinking about it, but by doing it.
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Nuts and Bolts

November 12, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Nuts and BoltsPart of my commute to work is on Hwy 45. There’s a new bridge being built and for months there has been a lot of activity on either side of the freeway. Recently though, there was a dramatic change; both sides of the bridge were connected. It happened quickly; over the course of two days. All that activity that doesn’t seem to matter and then, BAM, a noticeable difference.

I spotted one of the workers. He was by himself on the bridge, above the traffic. I’d like to think he was bolting it together. It needs to get done and that responsibility has to fall to someone. If you stop and think about how a bridge (or anything) is made, it starts with an idea, then plans are drawn up, you look at what steps are needed, who needs to be involved, and how it’s going to get funded. Once everyone is in place, they need to start doing things, tearing down the old structure, hauling away stuff, ordering new materials, and putting everything in place.
It’s easy to see what you want the end result to be, but how do you get there, when each day it seems like there’s so little progress? I thought there was little progress on that bridge until one side was connected to the other. When cars can drive across it, that will be the most obvious milestone that progress was made. You can see the end result of everybody’s work.
I thought about that guy bolting the bridge together; bolt by bolt. How many bolts does he have to put in place until his work is done? How many other people are doing similar jobs? It made me realize that in order to make any dream happen, I need to make sure all my nuts and bolts are put in place and tightened before I get to see the finished result. Nothing can be skipped. A book doesn’t get written overnight. It gets written one sentence, one word at a time. You don’t lose weight by willing it to happen. It takes walking around the block or eating one less cookie every day. You need to do something, each day, to move you closer to that finished creation; whether that creation is a project you are working on, or the creation is you (note: you’ll be a new person either way).
What are the nuts and bolts of what it is you’re working on at the moment? When you keep plugging away at something long enough, there will come a point where you’ll discover there’s a noticeable difference from when you started. Eventually, all those nuts and bolts you tighten will get you to the other side and you will be rewarded. You will have something to show for your effort.
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Who Have You Helped Today?

November 5, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Who Have You Helped TodayLearning how to give instead of trying to get, changed how I approached sales, customer service, and life.
At one point, early in my career, I worked in sales for a large telecommunications company. I struggled constantly to meet my monthly sales objective. I came close a few times, but never made 100% of my objective. My job was held over my head every month. The message was – “sell or you could find yourself out of a job.” Talk about stress.
Then one month I finally made it – 100.2%. Time to celebrate. But, the next day I checked, I was only at 99.9%. I went through my orders and found that someone had gone in and put their sales codes on one of my orders. When I told my manager all she told me was, “You need to pay more attention to your orders.” She didn’t even try to help me rectify the problem, and stealing sales was a huge problem where I worked.
This episode left me bitter. Why try to meet the sales goal when it’s going to be stolen from me anyway? The company is going to say I am a bad employee (anything less than a 100% was “does not meet expectations.”) Throw in a daily dose of customers yelling at you and I was at the bottom. I went through months of the absolutely worst days I had working in that call center.
Finally, I made a decision. Since I couldn’t find any satisfaction in the job doing it the company way, I would try things differently. I love helping people. It makes me feel good. I was raised to think of others. I decided if I could help one person each day, then it would be a successful day in my books, regardless of how much I sold. If I was going to get fired, at least I was going to enjoy the process.  I essentially ignored my sales objective. I forgot about it, didn’t care, eliminated it from my radar. I wasn’t going to let my sales, or lack thereof, define whether I had a good day or not.
So, I started each day with two objectives. The first, was to help one person that day. I would literally say to myself before logging in to take my first call, “Who am I going to help today?” I knew somebody out there really needed my help, and if I took their call I would do everything in my power to help them.
The second thing I said to myself each morning was, “What’s going to happen to me today, that’s never happened to me before?” This was freeing. I knew I’d get a nasty call that day, a problem that would otherwise ruin my day, but I wasn’t going to let it affect me. I built it into my day. I anticipated it. I looked at it as a learning experience.
The funny things is, once I started to ignore my sales numbers and focus on helping my customers, my sales took off. I went from making 90% of my monthly sales to an average of 120%. The highest month I had was 153% of my objective! And, after a while I was helping more than one person a day. Go figure!
And, because I didn’t mind receiving the “problem” call, I looked at it as a way to learn and also help, I became the guy that knew how to solve problems. If someone ran into some mess they’d be referred to me since I had probably run into it at some point. I kept records of the problems I encountered and how to fix them. I ended up becoming a team leader; writing and presenting training, handling difficult calls, and helping coach others.
I also sat in on a few sales meetings because of my high sales. You know those meetings where they want to know what you do and then roll it out to the rest of the call center? Yeah, those. When I was asked for my opinion on how to increase sales I said, “Get rid of the sales objective.” The manager looked at me and blurted out, “that will never happen” and ignored me for the rest of the meeting. Their loss, I thought.
There’s been a lot of research lately to back up why looking at helping others is a good plan to have. One fantastic book that explores this is Adam Grant’s “Give and Take.” It shows why giving is the best way to achieve your own success. It’s worked for me. What is your experience?
Filed Under: Customer Service, Motivation Tagged With: , ,

Don’t Throw in the Towel

October 29, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Don't Throw in the TowelOne of my relatives recently posted on Facebook that she felt like throwing in the towel and asked if other people ever felt that way. Heck, yeah, I have for sure. I would get so focused on an end result that any setback seemed like the goal was getting further and further away. But, that’s not true at all. And, more importantly, it takes away from enjoying the process to get there.
 The way I keep going, when I feel like throwing in the towel, is to look at the big picture. I look at where I want to go, the person I want to become, and I look at the next step I need to take to get there. And maybe I have to take a different path than what I thought I needed. What is this bump in the road trying to tell me? I think it through, but I don’t over analyze it. I tend to over-think things and that just prevents me from moving forward. When I need to make a decision I try to go with my gut on what to do as often as I can. It’s generally right. It’s something I’m still working on. The beauty of going with my gut is that it is such an amazing time saver! It knows what to do before my brain does.
And perhaps the biggest thing I do, or don’t do anymore, is compare myself to others and what they have achieved, or what it looks like they have achieved. I’ll never be that other person. I can only be me. I try to be the Greggest me possible. As long as I’m being true to who I am and I can be happy with that, then I know I’m doing the right thing. I’ve made the worst decisions, and been my most unhappy, when I’ve compared myself to other people. It’s a no-win situation and I don’t do that anymore.
I am definitely not throwing in the towel. I figure I’m going to need that towel to wipe the sweat off my brow from the hard work I’m going to put in to get what I want. Ah, nice fluffy towel. How do you keep going when the journey seems long or a you hit a bump in the road? How do you regain your focus?
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Watch This!

October 22, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Watch This

Watch This

A number of summers ago my wife and I went to Minooka Park, in the suburbs of Milwaukee, so we could cool off in the pond. That day we met a boy who made an impression on us that will last a lifetime.

When we made our way into the water a young boy around nine years old latched on to us. Wherever we went in the water, he wasn’t far behind. He would look at us and say, “Watch this.” then he’d dive in and get into a handstand so you could only see his feet. He’d hold it for a few seconds, then pop back up from the water and ask, “Did you see that?” He must have repeated that feat at least two dozen times that day.
“Watch this” became one of our catchphrases. If my wife and I were about to do something, anything, we would tell the other, “Watch this.” At first it was just funny, but as time has gone on it’s made me think deeper about the meaning behind it. It’s grown into a valuable life lesson.
For years I was like that boy, eager to demonstrate my talent, knowledge, or skills. I was proud of what I could do. After college though it seemed like doing that was bragging, so I moved away from it. I also fell into the trap that you couldn’t show anything off unless it was perfect, but that’s another lesson entirely. I don’t know where along the line I went from being confident, to being scared.
I think the phrase sets me up for success. It lets me relax and have the confidence to know that I have nothing to fear. I run the phrase over in my head before I’m about to do something in front of people. It works for me on the golf course too. Before I putt or take a swing off of the tee box I say it to myself, a few times I’ve even said it out loud. The putts went in and the drives went right down the middle of the fairway.
What do you say to yourself that works? I’d love to hear about it.
Starting this blog is one of those things I wanted to do for a while, but never took the time to start. That boy from the park has been on my mind as I put this site together. And as I start this journey all I can say is, “Watch this!”
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