Let's Talk!

Have you heard about the two brothers?  One could make you mad inviting you to dinner.  The other one could tell you to go to hell and have you looking forward to the trip.

Regardless of your role in life, there is a lesson for all of us.

The communication process is roughly 94% nonverbal and 6% verbal.  That is why a simple email exchange can become very emotional, the reader is forced to put in their own non verbal or emotion.

Some suggestions for your next tough conversation.

 Lose the whole I am the boss attitude.  If you have to spend time reminding them
that you are the boss or the manager, you have bigger problems. Instead, talk to them about their responsibilities and make sure that they are clear on your expectations.

2.  Provide specific examples of how they are not achieving those expectations, break it down.  You are not hitting your sales goals is the result of other problems.  A better approach is to go through the sales process and find the real issues.

3.  Allow the employee time to say whatever they want to say.  People need to feel respected, you earn their respect when you truly listen.

Make sure that everyone is clear on the plan.  Notice, I said clear, not that everyone    agreed.  Here is where you might have to remind them of your responsibility of making sure they achieve their expectations. Have them write out the steps they are going to take to correct the problem.

Don’t have a dog house.  Always end a tough conversation with a reminder that this is not personal and it is over when they leave the office.


If you have some tough conversations to have, try these simple steps and decide which brother you want to be like.   Have a great week, I will see you later.

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   then call (417) 339-6568 for availability. The only way I look good is making you look good for booking me.

Take care of what ya got!

Are you taking care of what you have been given? 

A weird question to start our visit this week, but yet one that is worthy of consideration.  It is very easy to fall victim to the “ if I had” or the “when I” that sometimes we don’t concern ourselves with what we have now.

Have you ever said or thought?....

If I had more money, I would...

If I had more time, I would...

When I get married, I will...

When we have kids, we will...

When I retire, I will...

You know that I am a big fan of goals, dreams, and plans.  Just don’t miss out on life because you are always in the goals, dreams and plans mode.  I once worked for a man who prided himself on never being “tactical.”

You know what happened?  Not much.  We had great plans, statements, and visions. We just never really implemented anything.  Again, plans, statements, and visions are an important part of life and a business, but it sure helps to occasionally accomplish some things too.

My challenge to you this week, be in the moment.  Be thankful for what you have, and super serve what you have.

To the sales person, take great care of your smaller accounts and you will be amazed how they will grow.

To mom and dad, enjoy the time you have with your kids, and who knows, they may want to spend time with you when they get older.

To the married couple, make time for each other. Time is precious and so is your relationship.

To the tired, take time to rest. Turn off the cell phone and your mind and rejuvenate.

Live in the moment this week, go do the things that you need to do everyday.  At the end of the week, you may just find that you got a whole lot more accomplished.

Have a great week, see you later!


The next time you need a speaker, make it easy on yourself and call me. I will inspire, motivate, and entertain your group.
Click here to see my speaking demo then call (417) 339-6568 for availability. The only way I look good is making you look good for booking me.

Maybe you need to let go of something?

I can't be the only person who sometimes tries to carry too many things.  Sometimes, it's comical.  I have my cup of coffee in one hand, my computer bag in the other, and I am trying to unlock the building.  Finally, I decide the best thing to do is put down the computer bag and coffee, and all of sudden the building is much easier to unlock.  Common sense rules again.

This simple concept can help you with more than just getting into a building. 

How many items are you trying to "juggle" mentally.  Are there some items that you should put down before you drop them all?
 
Even the best jugglers in the world have their limit.  Can you add by subtracting?  What happens if you step away from a few things and really focus on a few of the major items in your life.

What about your business? Have you gotten so caught up in doing more and being more that you have lost the edge that helped you be where you are today? 

This week, I challenge you to look at all areas of your life and see if you have lost focus. 


Have a great week, I will see you later.

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 then call (417) 339-6568 for availability. The only way I look good is making you look good for booking me.

Want Change? Then Change!

 Some simple recipes.

Bread + Toaster = Toast

Water + Freezer = Ice

Milk + Chocolate = Chocolate Milk

Use any of those formulas and expect a different outcome would be foolish.  The ingredients dictate the results.

How many areas of your life are you expecting a foolish outcome?  Some examples:

Never spending any quiet time with God and expecting a close relationship.

Never taking time to make your spouse a priority and expecting your marriage to be strong.

A poor diet and no exercise and expecting to be in shape.

Complaining about your boss and constantly telling yourself you can't and expecting success at work.

Expecting your staff to change while you do the same thing and expecting growth.

I challenge you to look at one area of your life and focus on the changes that YOU need to make, and make them.

Here is to a great 2011!  I will see you later.

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 then call (417) 339-6568 for availability. The only way I look good is making you look good for booking me.

Merry Christmas, Remember the real reason of the season

My hope for you, and me, is that the spirit of the Christ Child, Jesus, makes the Holiday season special. We can spend every week talking about being better.  Better performance, better marketing, better managers, however without the foundation of Jesus in our heart, we can never be the best.

Some will say that I should not say that in my blog.  Some will say that it is too personal.  Yes, it is personal.  For me, I believe that a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. 

We will take a break until Monday, January 3rd.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

PS, relax a little this year.  This will be the first Christmas without my dad, if I had known that last year was going to be my last with him, there would have been a lot more visiting and a lot less rushing.  Merry Christmas!

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 then call (417) 339-6568 for availability. The only way I look good is making you look good for booking me.

Do you know the answer?

 Lack of reality is dangerous.  The lack of reality is responsible for a number of problems, ranging from poor sales performance to the sale of too many stretch pants.  How in touch with reality are you?

As the year comes to a close, lets take a look at reality.  Why is reality so important?  Without reality, real change can never occur.  Until you are honest with yourself, the ability to lose weight, become a better employee, spouse, parent, or leader will remain the responsibility of others.  Make reality your friend and you will be able to answer the question, what do I need to do to improve my performance?

I know it is an overused, cliche of sorts statement, at the same time it is very important to remember that the most important conversation you will have is the one with the person in the mirror.  For example, do you know the answer to these questions:


What is my goal?  I am not talking about making a lot of money....being famous, etc.  Exactly, what is your goal?

What is stopping you from your goal?  Here is a hint.  It is not another person or the fact that you do not have the money, etc.  If your goal is based on reality, then the ball is in your court to make that happen.  Hard work, determination, and sacrifice will help you get that goal.

How can I improve my performance?  You might need some help with this one.  Find someone you can trust, tell them your goals, and ask for their input.  Your response and reaction to that find will determine whether they will want to help you next time.

Reality keeps the focus on you and not others.  If you are in sales, be real with yourself, how much of your time do you spend in front of your clients with customer focused presentations that will help their business? How much time are you just safely "building relationships."  If you are a manager, do you lead your people and create systems that will allow them to grow or do you micromanage them?

Spend some time in reality thinking this week.  Take the blinders off, throw away the magic mirror, and have a reality based conversation with yourself.  Have a great week, I will see you later.

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 then call (417) 339-6568 for availability. The only way I look good is making you look good for booking me.

Right is Right

We live in a technological age.  Communication is instantaneous, a small companies website can put them on the same stage as a major company.  YouTube can create a "celebrity" in a matter of minutes.  Even in a technological age, right is still right.

As a Christian, I want to be clear that my source is Jesus  Christ.  The Biblical phrase would be "Do unto others"  I like the phrase What goes around, comes around.  I have some examples -- some small, some big.

Take care of the earth:  On three separate occasions this week, I have watched people litter.  From cans, to sacks, to cigarette packs.  There is no bigger example of laziness and lack of self discipline than littering.

Be polite:  Technology will never replace the need to say Please and Thank you.  The inability to be polite is a sign of weakness and fear.

Take responsibility for yourself and your job.  The most important earthly conversation you will have is with yourself.  You have to be in charge of yourself.  You have to understand that you need to make things happen.

Honor your mother and father.  Parents make mistakes, parents are not perfect.  If, like me,  you are blessed with loving parents who have sacrificed for you, loved you and given you opportunity, and you can't honor them, you can not be trusted.

We can read the books, take the classes, work out, and do all the things that we need to do for success.  Bottom line, right is still right.  Have a great week, I will you later.

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 then call (417) 339-6568 for availability. The only way I look good is making you look good for booking me.