The most important morning ritual for every great boss. When you're the boss - and especially when you run your own company - you rarely get feedback from the people you most need to hear from: Your employees. So while you can ask for ideas, hold open meetings, be accessible and approachable, and do everything possible to get feedback, sometimes the only person you can count on to tell you the unvarnished truth is you. Make the following a part of your morning ritual. On your way into the building, tell yourself: "I don't have all the answers. " Being the boss doesn't mean all your views and opinions are valid, and it definitely doesn't mean they all should be shared with employees. I worked at a plant and a sinkhole formed in the parking lot. We brought in a geologist to test for sub-surface issues under the building.
"I don't make the difference. " "I'm not the life of the party. " "We're not one big happy family. " "I won't expect my employees to care as much as I do. " BrainHacks. ExecWatch Vol 11 Issue 6. You're Probably a Micromanager - Ron Ashkenas. By Ron Ashkenas | 2:30 PM November 29, 2011 My recent post on why people micromanage triggered over 100 comments, stories, and suggestions — many of them relating experiences on the receiving end of micromanagement. What was striking was that only two readers actually admitted to being micromanagers themselves.
One said: “I have been micromanaged and guess what? When I rose through the ranks I did the same. It’s difficult to admit to yourself. I believe it’s a part of the learning process.” The other reader noted: “I am one of those control freaks you are talking about. This disparity reinforces the curious paradox that I mentioned in the earlier post: While many people complain about being micromanaged, very few think of themselves as micromanagers. The answer is that it’s all of us (or at least many of us). It would be comforting to say that I’ve matured — and indeed I’ve become much better at giving associates more headroom. Unfortunately most of these patterns are invisible to us. Great icebreaker: The tale of the winking applicant. This sales-centric joke may be the perfect way to ease the tension at the beginning of your next sales (or management) meeting.
Once upon a time, a sales manager was interviewing the ideal candidate: He had years of experience, great references, a proven track record for success. The only problem was that the applicant had been consistently winking at the manager throughout the interview. “You seem to be perfect for the job,” the manager said, “But I’ve got to ask: What’s with all the winking? There’s no way I can hire a salesperson who’s going to be winking at prospects throughout each presentation.” “No worries,” the applicant assured him. With that, the applicant began emptying the contents of his pockets out on the manager’s desk, looking for his pills.
“Whoa!” “Absolutely not,” the applicant said, as he swallowed a pair of Bufferin. Join over 929,000: privacy policy Tags: Bufferin, joke, meeting. 8 Things Everybody Ought to Know About Concentrating. “Music helps me concentrate,” Mike said to me glancing briefly over his shoulder. Mike was in his room writing a paper for his U.S. History class. On his desk next to his computer sat crunched Red Bulls, empty Gatorade bottles, some extra pocket change and scattered pieces of paper. In the pocket of his sweat pants rested a blaring iPod with a chord that dangled near the floor, almost touching against his Adidas sandals. On his computer sat even more stray objects than his surrounding environment. There must have been twenty browser tabs open. The tabs included political blog news, random Wikipedia entries, Facebook profiles and a Myspace page blasting more music at him. Mike made a shift about every thirty seconds between all of the above.
Do you know a person like this? The Science Behind Concentration In the above account, Mike’s obviously stuck in a routine that many of us may have found ourselves in, yet in the moment we feel it’s almost an impossible routine to get out of. 1. 2. The Top 20 Most Inspiring Steve Jobs Quotes - TNW Apple. From 1984′s Macintosh computer to the game-changing iPad in 2010, Steve Jobs is perhaps the most visionary and innovative CEO of the past 30 years.
His passion for blending technology with the humanities have illuminated both Apple and Pixar, undoubtedly two of the world’s most successful companies. And despite Steve Jobs’ worrying health and departure from Apple, the future of his companies looks stronger than ever. When Steve Jobs announced his resignation on August 25, 2011, all eyes and ears wanted to know more. Expect a slew of biographies to hit the press this fall. One such book is I, Steve: Steve Jobs in His Own Words, which captures the thoughts of Jobs over his 35-year career, edited by George Beahm. We pulled out our 20 favorite here, listed in chronological order, for your inspirational reading pleasure. We’re gambling on our vision, and we would rather do that than make “me, too” products. That’s why I think death is the most wonderful invention of life. Young Entrepreneur Wearing Success With T-Shirt Startup | Small Business Successes.
Ryan Vesler hasn’t forgotten the good old days. In fact, he created a business out of remembering them. "I have always been interested in anything nostalgic, from vintage sports stories to really cool bits and pieces of pop culture history," said Vesler, the owner of Homage, a retro-inspired T-shirt company he founded in 2007. "I thought of the idea to re-create these great moments with the Homage brand.
What drives me is that I get to tell a story with each Homage product we release. " These stories are not told with pen and paper, but with a screened image printed on cotton-, rayon- and polyester-blended T-shirts. They are wearable tributes to famous people, places, and events of America's past. Products are sold on the Homage website as well as in the store. Humble beginnings Vesler's business career started when he was a student at Ohio University. "I did that for a couple years through college for extra money," said Vesler. Believe in yourself. How to Conquer Your Sales Fears.
The expression, "He could sell ice to an Eskimo," acknowledges that certain people are born salespeople. For most small-business owners, however, the selling process is anything but easy. In fact, when it comes to pitching their product or service, many entrepreneurs struggle with any number of issues, including lack of confidence in themselves or their product, fear of failure and fear of closing the deal. The good news: Experts say these fears can be overcome with the proper attitude, training and practice. Related: How to Adopt a Sales Mindset Here are five of the most common fears about selling and how they can be conquered. Fear No. 1: You will make a negative first impression. How to overcome it: Show credibility through your appearance and nonverbal behavior, says Larina Kase, author of Clients, Clients and More Clients: Create an Endless Stream of New Business with the Power of Psychology (McGraw-Hill, 2011).
Related: How to Enter a Room Fear No. 2: You will be rejected. Nine Things Successful People Do Differently - Heidi Grant Halvorson - The Conversation. Learn more about the science of success with Heidi Grant Halvorson’s HBR Single, based on this blog post. Why have you been so successful in reaching some of your goals, but not others? If you aren’t sure, you are far from alone in your confusion.
It turns out that even brilliant, highly accomplished people are pretty lousy when it comes to understanding why they succeed or fail. The intuitive answer — that you are born predisposed to certain talents and lacking in others — is really just one small piece of the puzzle. 1. To seize the moment, decide when and where you will take each action you want to take, in advance. 3. Fortunately, decades of research suggest that the belief in fixed ability is completely wrong — abilities of all kinds are profoundly malleable. The good news is, if you aren’t particularly gritty now, there is something you can do about it. 7. To build willpower, take on a challenge that requires you to do something you’d honestly rather not do. 8. 9. Steve Jobs and the Seven Rules of Success.
Innovators push the boundaries of the known world. They're change agents who are relentless in making things happen and bringing ideas to execution. Steve Jobs' impact on your life cannot be overestimated. His innovations have likely touched nearly every aspect -- computers, movies, music and mobile. As a communications coach, I learned from Jobs that a presentation can, indeed, inspire. For entrepreneurs, Jobs' greatest legacy is the set of principles that drove his success.
Over the years, I've become a student of sorts of Jobs' career and life. 1. 2. Related: Steve Jobs' Surprising First Business Venture 3. 4. 5. Related: 10 Things to Thank Steve Jobs For 6. 7. There's one story that I think sums up Jobs' career at Apple. Related: Remembering Apple's Steve Jobs Carmine Gallo is the author of TALK LIKE TED: The 9 Public Speaking Secrets of The World's Top Minds. Business Analysis: Become A Numbers Person | Brian Tracy's Blog.
Most entrepreneurs are motivated by ideas, concepts, hopes, desires, and optimism. They like to interact with people, to market and sell. They enjoy negotiating, communicating, and persuading. They are action-oriented and like to be in continuous motion. They start early, work hard, and stay later. But most entrepreneurs are not “numbers” people. But nonetheless, for you to move solidly along the way to wealth, to become a successful entrepreneur, and eventually, a self-made millionaire, you must master the numbers in your business. Get the Facts It is absolutely essential for your success that you know the financial facts of every aspect of your business, especially your costs to produce and offer your product or service and the prices you charge for what you sell.
Determining Your Costs Often the person who makes the fewest mistakes in business is the one who succeeds the most. You have heard the old saying “You can’t get there from here.” There are several costs that you must consider: