Why Don’t We Stop?

When’s the last time you stopped to help someone who’s car is broken down on the side of the road? Yeah, it’s been a while for me too. Why? 10 years or more ago, we would have been much more likely to stop or at least slow down to make sure they’re alright.

It’s the questions that keep us from stopping, it’s all the things we make up about the story that may or may not be true. I don’t have time, what if they try to hurt me, they’re probably ok, they have a cell phone so they should be able to get help, they probably don’t want me to stop, I’m driving too fast already.

The point here, is not to convince you that you should stop for people on the side of the road more. The point is, how many things in our lives do we not pursue because of the questions? Why do we feel the need to have all the answers before we just take action?

Why You Need To Know About Sales

Sales and selling have earned a pretty bad rap in our collective conscience. The reason is not actually the practice of sales, but we’ve thrown the baby out with the bathwater so to speak. We don’t like that sometimes people will go to any length to make a sale, so we’ve distanced ourselves. The problem with this, is that we all sell things almost daily; And because this is true, it would behoove us to learn a bit about how to do it effectively.

Trying to get a new job? You need to at some level sell yourself (it sounds worse then it is, but it’s true). Trying to get a date? Again, yourself. Trying to implement change in the workplace? You need to sell your ideas. Trying to teach me a principle? You need to sell me on why it’s important.

Even though it feels slimy to say you’re selling something, a little training in marketing and sales can go a long way. It’s not the practice of selling that’s corrupt, it’s the people doing the practice. Just don’t be that guy or gal.

Root Issues

This post is in response to an article at HBR. The article at first read, actually seems very practicle and like good advice. In case you don’t go to the link and read the article (which I suggest), the gist is that in order to focus on top priorities, we need to control our environment to help us make the right choices. The author goes on to say that “discipline, willpower and self-control are unsustainable,” and he uses an example of someone trying to lose weight.

What really struck me though was not the article itself, but a comment in response to the article. here’s a snippet of the comment.

“The healthiest and most permanent form of change always occurs on the inside, not the outside. It is far better to learn how to choose a better response to our environment than it is to learn how to manipulate our environment to avoid having to choose.” Doesn’t that make the most sense?

Manipulating our environment and limiting our options to help us make better choices, can certainly help us move towards achieving our goals and key objectives, but this should be more like training wheels, not the vehicle itself. What happens if we lose control of the environment we’re in (which is inevitable)? If we haven’t dealt with the root cause or weakness that’s causing us to make bad choices, we could revert to those habits the moment our environment lends itself to those decisions.

Do As I Do

As leaders, it’s usually unreasonable to expect those we lead to exhibit behaviors or adhere to rules that we ourselves are not doing/following. It’s also unreasonable to expect folks to do exactly what we do, but that’s another post.

“Do as I say, not as I do,” just doesn’t cut it, it’s hypocritical and eventually this modus opperendi will create resentment and rebellion. As leaders we will be held to higher standards, whether we like it or not. I need to determine what behaviors and rules are really important to the success of my tribe, organization or family unit. Then I should consistently model these behaviors/rules and communicate them.

Creative Thinking

Want to think creatively? Or maybe not just creatively, but what about clearly, with focus or as an innovator? Chances are you’re saying yes to all these questions.

Two of the simple keys to opening the well of creative/innovative thought are silence and time. The most innovative folks of our day would almost all tell you they schedule intentional time, to simply sit and think about things. They might journal, they might think about certain topics or projects, but the main things are having a place where they can concentrate and time to do it.

Silence and time are like stepping out of a smoke filled room and taking a deep, deep breath of fresh air.