We are talking practice....

I love sports, always have and probably always will. I am not an NBA fan, the attitude, lack of desire, etc have turned me off from the sport. You don't have to be an NBA fan to know the antics of Allen Iverson. No one wanted him to start for their team, he didn't want to play if he didn't start, so he retired. Then everybody came to his rescue and said that he could not retire, and he was signed by the 76ers.


Iverson is a superstar. His individual talent has led to a number of individual awards, including scoring titles, MVP, etc. I will always remember Iverson for his rant about his coach wanting him to show up for practice, show up on time, and practice hard.


Basically, Iverson called a press conference and said..."I am supposed to be the face of this franchise and we are talking about practice, not a game, practice. (It went on and on and on -- but that was the gist of it) Iverson was too good for practice....that is probably why he never won a title, he didn't worry about the team improving - he knew he could get his points and that is all he cared about.


This post is not about The NBA or Allen Iverson -- it is about your attitude about practice, training, and getting better. I have never managed a NBA star, but I have managed a lot of people who have the same attitude about training and getting better. Some of what I have heard....


"I trained in high school and college, I am not going to do it as an adult."


"That is just silly, I am not going to sound like a robot saying the same thing over and over again."


"I think people can tell when you are so rehearsed, I prefer to just kinda wing it."


I think you can replace any of those statements with, "I'm done. I reached my potential and it's all down hill from here, I would rather whine and complain about things I can't control than work hard on improving and increasing my abilities."


I love to learn, I can learn from every person I come into contact. Whether it's what not to do, or what to do, if you are not learning you are dying. I don't care how good you are and how much you have, when you decide that your learning days are over, the slide begins and everyday that goes by it gets faster and faster.


If you are on that slide, get off. Learn something, go buy an audio CD, ask the young kid at work to teach you something. Once you start, you will realize that you know a lot of things that you are not doing. Two of my favorite quotes about training:


To know and not do is to not know.


Education without action is purely entertainment


Life is too short not to be a life long learner. Start teaching, training, and learning, it will make you feel better about yourself. Stop whining and complaining and start learning. Stay tuned.





The next time you need a speaker, make it easy on yourself and call me. I will inspire, motivate, and entertain your group. Check out my speaking demo at www.bransonbusiness.blogspot.com then call (417) 339-6568 for availability. The only way I look good is making you look good for booking me.

Under Oath

He was always a great athlete. No one was surprised when he began playing football for Notre Dame. His athleticism was nothing compared to his humility. Every time he was asked about one of his great plays, he credited God, his teammates and coaching staff. Frank Symanzski was humble to his core.

During his senior year in college, he was called to testify in civil court. After he was sworn in, the judge was asking him questions. The conversation when something like this....

Judge: What position do you play?
Symanzski: Center, your honor.
Judge: Are you good?
Symanzski: (Deep Breath) Sir, I am the greatest center in the history of Notre Dame Football.

When his coach asked how he could possible say such a bold statement, Symanzski told him, "Coach, I hated to do it, but I was under oath."

How long has it been since you put yourself under oath? How many problems can you eliminate by putting yourself under oath? Let me explain.

If you were honest with yourself, you would admit the things that you need to change to be more successful. How long has it been since you had a conversation with the person in the mirror to discuss what kind of effort your putting into this game called life?

Are you being the spouse and parent you know you need to be? Are you taking care of your body? When you are working, do you work? When you are home, are you truly there 100%? It has never been easier to learn. You can get quite an education by listening to books on Cd's or mp3s when you are driving to and from work. How long has it been since you took advantage of that opportunity?

So my challenge to you this week, put yourself under oath and then take steps to make the changes you need to make. It could be as easy as picking up the phone, calling someone and telling them that you love them. Stay Tuned.

The next time you need a speaker, make it easy on yourself and call me. I will inspire, motivate, and entertain your group. Check out my speaking demo at www.bransonbusiness.blogspot.com then call (417) 339-6568 for availability. The only way I look good is making you look good for booking me.

How do you put on your socks?

Dan O'Day is a radio trainer, consultant, coach, just an all around guru of radio. I enjoy his frankness, biting humor, and dedication to the industry. I have (and will continue to) purchased his cds, books, etc. A very small portion of one of his Cds is the background for this blog.


In one of the best investments I have ever made in my training was a series that contained very personal and moving stories from O'Day's life. In one of those stories he recalled a time in his life that he called the great depression. Dan was deeply depressed. So depressed in fact that he would sit down to put on his socks and he just stayed there -- staring at the floor.


When Dan admitted this to a friend, she simply told him...."don't sit down to put your socks on, put them on standing up." She wasn't trying to be funny, she was trying to be helpful.


Sometimes we need that little adjustment that will change things drastically. I know that some people are facing a lot of problems that can not be simply solved. But a lot of us repeat the common definition of insanity by doing the same things over and over again and expecting a different outcome. A simple fix is all we need. Some examples:


1. How many people are caught in the same traffic ever day over and over again, when leaving the house a half hour or hour earlier would make the drive to work so much more enjoyable?


2. How many people are NOT taking advantage of their companies training programs and plans, because they would rather wing it? How much money are they losing?


3. How many people are allowing themselves to be robbed of years, because they won't discipline themselves to exercise and proper diet?


4. How many marriages would be better if you remembered how you treated each other when you were dating? If you would call your spouse to see how their day is going or just to hear their voice?


All of these situations could be fixed by something as simple as ....putting your socks on standing up. A small little change would again pay huge dividends. Life is fast, time becomes more precious as the years add up....don't let the little things stop you from living to the max. By the way, if you know anyone in the radio industry and they don't know about Dan O'Day, have them go to http://www.danoday.com/ Stay Tuned.


The next time you need a speaker, make it easy on yourself and call me. I will inspire, motivate, and entertain your group. Check out my speaking demo at www.bransonbusiness.blogspot.com then call (417) 339-6568 for availability. The only way I look good is making you look good for booking me.

Playing for a Championship

January and early February are the months that college and professional football crown their champions. Is your business giving a championship effort?

Champions share these values:

Hard Work: There are a number of things that keep us busy that does not focus on the customer. We forget that we actually have to role up our sleeves and get to work. In business, you have to sell something. Are you asking enough people to buy?

Training: A good team understands the fundamentals. Practice does NOT make perfect, PERFECT practice makes perfect. On a championship team, you will never hear a coach say...that was good enough -- they keep working until it is perfect.

What about your training? Do you have a clear training guide? Is good enough good enough? Or do you insist on perfection? Does your team practice in front of the customer?

Accountability: Frankly, the players know that if they can't get it done, the coaches will find someone who can.

What about your staff? I am not talking about being crazy and having your team freaked out whether they have a job or not. I am talking about a program that shows the employee how they stand. Above average, average, below average, etc.

Mental Attitude: I know people like to make fun of this one. Show me a champion, I will show you someone who has a strong mental image of what can be achieved.

What is the attitude in your business? Do you have an ain't it awful club? How much money is that costing you every year? Remember, attitude reflects leadership.

Enjoy the games. But spend some time thinking about the team you are on or lead. Are you a contender for the championship? Stay Tuned.

If you are reading this blog on email, be sure and click on the link below to visit my blog page and see interesting facts such as: Daily Bible Verses, Fitness Tips, Financial Tips and Amazing Fact of The Day. Remember, this is the best day God is going to give you today, you might as well make it a great one!

Small = Big

Happy New Year!

Let's talk about change.

Change comes in all kinds of forms. I am writing this post with reading glasses on, because my eyes have "changed". I think of our friends, there have been major changes -- two of our best friends, lost their mothers in 2008, one couple had a son get married, another one had a son become engaged, we had a son join the navy, two of us had sons graduate high school, when you think about it we had a lot of major changes in our lives and our friends lives.

You and your friends would be able to create a similar list of changes that stirs various emotions.

Your success in 2009 will be determined by much smaller, consistent changes. Here is a list of small changes that could lead to BIG results.

1. Drink two more 8 oz glasses of water per day. I am not a dietitian or doctor -- but everyone knows drinking more water is better for you. Instead of saying 100 ounces a day -- just make small consistent changes.

2. Make a list of three reasons why you enjoy your job, keep it in your vehicle, then look at it just before you go into work. If you truly can't create a list of three, then do yourself and your boss a favor and find another job.

3. Take the stairs, park 20 feet away from the store than you normally do, take the shopping cart to the corral, instead of just leaving it where you parked.

4. Try to make at least two people feel better about themselves each day. Use the sales clerks name, tell the person behind that the counter that they are doing a good job. If they are doing a bad job, nicely tell their manager.

5. Get up fifteen minutes earlier and read something motivational, or write an email or letter to friends or family, or exercise. You will be amazed what doing something early will help the rest of your day.

6. Hold your spouses hand every day, never miss an opportunity to kiss them.

This list may not include the change that you need to make. That is not the point, what you need to understand is small, consistent changes leads to results.

A sales associate told another manager and me their daily goals for the new year. On one hand, it was impressive. On the other, it would be like having a goal to start running six miles a day six days a week on your first week of training. I told the sales person to cut it by two thirds and if they were consistent with those tactics, they would change their lives.

There is something energetic about a new week, new month, new quarter, and especially a new year. However, without CHANGE, the new quickly wears off, the excitement goes away, and you start telling yourself things like I am not supposed to be in shape, no one in our family ever made big money -- why should I, what was I thinking? You continue to get the same OLD results and the old results lead to more of your old ways.

On the reverse, you make small changes in January -- and you realize that you make more small changes in February -- results lead to more changes which lead to more results -- there is nothing more motivational then success.

Happy New Year and good luck finding the change you need to make for a positive 2009. Stay Tuned.

If you are reading this blog on email, be sure and click on the link below to visit my blog page and see interesting facts such as: Daily Bible Verses, Fitness Tips, Financial Tips and Amazing Fact of The Day. Remember, this is the best day God is going to give you today, you might as well make it a great one!