Hello all,
I am writing to inform everyone that my blog will be moving. I will be taking my talents to South Beach (haha...sorry I couldn't resist). Actually, my posts will now be seen at http://www.cbt.edu/cbt-connect/cbt-blogs. I hope to see all of you, the wonderful people who read my ramblings, at the new site. Thanks so much for taking the time to read my posts, and I truly hope you'll make your way over to the CBT Blog.
Danny
www.cbt.edu
www.cbt.edu/facebook
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Thursday, September 30, 2010
12 Principles to Help You Thrive in the Workplace Part 3
Hello friends!
So, as I said yesterday, I'm back with part 3 of the 12 Principles series. I know, 3 parts seems like a lot, but I feel this last one deserves an entry all on its own. This philosophy was assigned to my coworker Jorge. He really ran with it and did an excellent job. Most of the credit for this entry should go to him. Let's dive right into it...
12. Work with Love and Spirit...
In order to really understand what this principles means, let us first break it down. There are three words that truly give this philosophy its meaning; work, love, and spirit.
Work: There is a mathematical equation tied to this concept. Work is the amount of energy transferred by a force acting through a distance. In essence, work is energy. This means that we must put in real effort in order to consider each day a good day of work. When I think of energy, I think of excitement, enthusiasm, and zeal. Be enthusiastic about what you do. Make the most of every task and duty assigned to you. Put your heart into it, which leads me to...
Love: The Greeks broke love down into four different terms (the 4 loves). The first is Eros, which is a passionate and romantic love. This is shared between couples. The second love is Agape, which is called the "ideal love. This love is often a choice made out of principle. It is sacrificial, and unconditional; a love one is willing to die for. A successful marriage relationship consists of both Eros, and agape. The third love is Storge, which is natural affection. We see this with our parents. It cannot be explained, other than to say that our parents love us because we are a part of them. The final love is Philia, which is a virtuous, brotherly love. It is loyalty and affection for friends.
As we all know, to love is to place a great importance on an object or person. It connects you with that object of your affection deeper than anything else possibly could. When you love what you do, the passion and affection is obvious. As is the effort and energy you put into it.
Spirit: In Latin, the word means soul, courage, vigor or breath. When you put your soul into something, it becomes more than a task. It becomes embedded into who you are. It becomes part of your identity. To put your "breath" into something is to put your life into it. Our breaths keep us alive. Essentially, we are breathing life into our work.
If I may, let me give you some personal examples. I sing, create, and produce music. As you may know, this is no easy task. I would spend weeks locked into my little studio creating full songs from scratch. I was also in a rock band, and would spend weeks writing songs with my band. There is no greater example of working with love and spirit than a group of guys getting together through a shared love and passion for music, tirelessly expending energy and pouring their soul into chords, beats, lyrics, melodies, and harmonies. The end result may not appeal to everyone (different people have different musical preferences), but it made me happy because I knew my blood, sweat, tears, heart and soul had been poured into the music.
Another great example would be my wedding day. Over a year of insane planning, sleepless nights, budgeting, tasting, dieting, designing, shopping, premarital counseling, and countless other things...to put together one 5 hour event. No other day in my life has merited this principle more than June 7, 2010. That day redefined who I am as a person, in that it united me with another person until death parts us. My heart, soul, mind, and strength were poured into that year of preparation. I have never worked so hard in my life. Was it worth the effort? Absolutely!!
We must expend energy with great force and effort over distance in a passionate, ideal, and affectionate manner with all our breath, soul, and vigor! If you want to succeed at any task you are endeavoring to accomplish, you must work with love and spirit. True greatness in our work (whether in a piece of art, a business venture, a home cooked meal, or a late inning home run) comes only when we apply this ultimate principle into our work. If you can't see yourself doing this at your current place of employment, then maybe you should be thinking about getting into a new profession....
-Danny
www.cbt.edu
www.cbt.edu/facebook
So, as I said yesterday, I'm back with part 3 of the 12 Principles series. I know, 3 parts seems like a lot, but I feel this last one deserves an entry all on its own. This philosophy was assigned to my coworker Jorge. He really ran with it and did an excellent job. Most of the credit for this entry should go to him. Let's dive right into it...
12. Work with Love and Spirit...
In order to really understand what this principles means, let us first break it down. There are three words that truly give this philosophy its meaning; work, love, and spirit.
Work: There is a mathematical equation tied to this concept. Work is the amount of energy transferred by a force acting through a distance. In essence, work is energy. This means that we must put in real effort in order to consider each day a good day of work. When I think of energy, I think of excitement, enthusiasm, and zeal. Be enthusiastic about what you do. Make the most of every task and duty assigned to you. Put your heart into it, which leads me to...
Love: The Greeks broke love down into four different terms (the 4 loves). The first is Eros, which is a passionate and romantic love. This is shared between couples. The second love is Agape, which is called the "ideal love. This love is often a choice made out of principle. It is sacrificial, and unconditional; a love one is willing to die for. A successful marriage relationship consists of both Eros, and agape. The third love is Storge, which is natural affection. We see this with our parents. It cannot be explained, other than to say that our parents love us because we are a part of them. The final love is Philia, which is a virtuous, brotherly love. It is loyalty and affection for friends.
As we all know, to love is to place a great importance on an object or person. It connects you with that object of your affection deeper than anything else possibly could. When you love what you do, the passion and affection is obvious. As is the effort and energy you put into it.
Spirit: In Latin, the word means soul, courage, vigor or breath. When you put your soul into something, it becomes more than a task. It becomes embedded into who you are. It becomes part of your identity. To put your "breath" into something is to put your life into it. Our breaths keep us alive. Essentially, we are breathing life into our work.
If I may, let me give you some personal examples. I sing, create, and produce music. As you may know, this is no easy task. I would spend weeks locked into my little studio creating full songs from scratch. I was also in a rock band, and would spend weeks writing songs with my band. There is no greater example of working with love and spirit than a group of guys getting together through a shared love and passion for music, tirelessly expending energy and pouring their soul into chords, beats, lyrics, melodies, and harmonies. The end result may not appeal to everyone (different people have different musical preferences), but it made me happy because I knew my blood, sweat, tears, heart and soul had been poured into the music.
Another great example would be my wedding day. Over a year of insane planning, sleepless nights, budgeting, tasting, dieting, designing, shopping, premarital counseling, and countless other things...to put together one 5 hour event. No other day in my life has merited this principle more than June 7, 2010. That day redefined who I am as a person, in that it united me with another person until death parts us. My heart, soul, mind, and strength were poured into that year of preparation. I have never worked so hard in my life. Was it worth the effort? Absolutely!!
We must expend energy with great force and effort over distance in a passionate, ideal, and affectionate manner with all our breath, soul, and vigor! If you want to succeed at any task you are endeavoring to accomplish, you must work with love and spirit. True greatness in our work (whether in a piece of art, a business venture, a home cooked meal, or a late inning home run) comes only when we apply this ultimate principle into our work. If you can't see yourself doing this at your current place of employment, then maybe you should be thinking about getting into a new profession....
-Danny
www.cbt.edu
www.cbt.edu/facebook
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
12 Principles to Help You Thrive in the Workplace Part 2
www.cbt.edu
Hello all,
So the other day, I wrote a post called "12 Principles to Help You Thrive in the Workplace". It was inspired by the CBT West Kendall Pow Wow. This is part 2 of that post, listing the rest of the 12 principles. We knocked out 5, so 7 to go! Today, we will cover 6. Tomorrow, I'll be back to cover the final one. It deserves a post all by itself!
6. Be Customer/Client/People Driven
Whatever you do, wherever you work, you should always be people driven. Business succeed because of customers, students, and clients. Businesses thrive when they have the right people in place. As a company, you should be people driven. Your goal should be to not only satisfy the costumer/client, but also to keep your employees, partners, board members and all involved in your company happy and motivated. As employees, you need to do everything you can for your clients/customers. Keep them happy, and you will keep your boss happy. Be polite, attentive, and always ready to help. If a customer needs you, drop what you're doing to help them. If you are discussing an issue with your director, and a student walks in, that is the priority that must be dealt with. Your situation can wait, because the student comes first! It's the same in any business with any kind of client. After all, while your boss signs your checks, the client supplies them with the funds for that check!
7. Always Respect Each Other:
Respect is a difficult thing to come by. It is not easily earned, yet so easily lost. If you lose the respect of another, how hard is it to gain back? I think we all know the answer to that.
Why is respect important in our every day lives and in our workplace? Simply, because everyone is different. There are no two people that are exactly alike. I may believe something that my coworker doesn't. I may like to have my hair a certain way, while someone else may choose to dress differently than me. That is all perfectly acceptable. Each person is entitled to live their own lives. We should respect that and be understanding and tolerant. Remember, while we may not agree with the things people do, say, believe, or enjoy, it is their right to do them and should be respected(as long as what they do is legal and ethical). Of course, they need to respect you as well.
In the workplace, certain things are considered inappropriate and unfit for a work environment. We are all to honor those written and unwritten rules of etiquette and respect. We should refrain from actions, words, and appearances that are considered offensive and inappropriate. The goal is to create a work environment where everyone is comfortable. No company wants a bunch of uncomfortable, awkward, upset and offended employees walking around. That will lead to unproductive employees, and low morale. Respect your coworkers. Understand that just because they don't like the same music, food, movies, or sports teams as you, that doesn't make them weird. In fact, just respect everyone you encounter. If we don't respect others, how can we expect to be respected?
8.Be Loyal
What does it mean to be loyal? The best definition I found was "loyalty is faithfulness or a devotion to a person, country, group, or cause." A person can be loyal to their favorite sports team, family, school, and country. "Proud to be an American" is a form of loyalty. Serving your country is one of the greatest forms of loyalty a person can demonstrate. Dying for a cause, person, or country is the ultimate form of loyalty. Sometimes, that loyalty is tragically misplaced (such is the case with terrorist organizations, socialist governments, extremists in religions, etc).
Every person should have at least one thing they are loyal to. I, for example, am loyal to my God, wife, family, company, schools (both my high school and college), my country, and my sports teams (Dolphins all day baby). A loyal employee is a respected employee. It is very easy to sift the loyal ones from the disloyal ones. Your boss isn't blind. They can see when someone is upset, rebellious, or disloyal. If you have good reason to not be disloyal to your company, then you either need to address those with a superior, or find a company you can be loyal to.
How can you be loyal to your company? Follow the rules, work hard, represent your company properly and with pride, don't cause discord or discontent in your office. Be the polite, pleasant, diligent worker that all companies desire. Speak to your boss (or bosses) if you have any issues, don't gossip, and respect your coworkers.
9. Strive to exceed your goals
I wrote a post the other day about setting goals, and how vital is it to life. Goals give us purpose and drive. Goals create dedicated people. Goals give us something to reach for. As people, we should always look to improve ourselves. We shouldn't settle for second best. Strive for the best. Work to exceed your goals!
10. Keep a Positive Outlook
Perception is reality. Don't go looking for the negative in everything. Believe me, if you look for it, you will find it. Always examine situations, and see the good that comes from it. When my wife lost her job a few months ago, it was tough for her. She was the best worker that firm had. She poured her blood, sweat, and tears into that office, just to be let go on the whim of a completely unbalanced and heartless lawyer. I saw this as a blessing in disguise from the very beginning. We are perfectly fine with my income alone. Not having to work the 8:30-5:30 schedule allows her to finish up her degree faster than she would have as a full time employee. Now, she is focused 100% on school. She will actually be one of those rare people to graduate with her Bachelor of Arts in 4 years. Had I decided to look on the negative side of it, then things would have seemed bad for a while. No extra income? How are we going to afford to take extravagant vacations and buy bars of gold? The world is falling apart!! As ridiculous as that may sound, some people will reach that far just because they are never content with anything. They are not happy unless they are miserable. They are not satisfied with seeing the reality of situations, instead choosing to wallow and watch their world crumble over the smallest things. Don't let your circumstances shape you. Instead, when something doesn't go your way, re-approach the situation and make it work!
11. Be Accountable to Each Other
Accountability: a concept in ethics and governance with several meanings. It is often used synonymously with such concepts as responsibility, answerability, blameworthiness, liability, and other terms associated with the expectation of account giving.
Being accountable to each other is all about improving who we are as people by holding each other responsible for actions. In regards to a professional atmosphere, it’s all about improving the overall personal and organizational performance of one another by developing and promoting responsibility, honesty, hard work, and creating an environment of personal and professional growth. Accountability is essential for any society to function. We are all held accountable in one way or another. For example, there are laws to obey and if we fail to be obedient, we may have to suffer the consequences set by the officials who hold us accountable. Thus, accountability is simply being responsible for one's actions.
Accountability in the workplace is defined as doing the right thing consistently, day in and day out, in tasks and relationship interactions in order to fulfill or further the mission of the organization
Hello all,
So the other day, I wrote a post called "12 Principles to Help You Thrive in the Workplace". It was inspired by the CBT West Kendall Pow Wow. This is part 2 of that post, listing the rest of the 12 principles. We knocked out 5, so 7 to go! Today, we will cover 6. Tomorrow, I'll be back to cover the final one. It deserves a post all by itself!
6. Be Customer/Client/People Driven
Whatever you do, wherever you work, you should always be people driven. Business succeed because of customers, students, and clients. Businesses thrive when they have the right people in place. As a company, you should be people driven. Your goal should be to not only satisfy the costumer/client, but also to keep your employees, partners, board members and all involved in your company happy and motivated. As employees, you need to do everything you can for your clients/customers. Keep them happy, and you will keep your boss happy. Be polite, attentive, and always ready to help. If a customer needs you, drop what you're doing to help them. If you are discussing an issue with your director, and a student walks in, that is the priority that must be dealt with. Your situation can wait, because the student comes first! It's the same in any business with any kind of client. After all, while your boss signs your checks, the client supplies them with the funds for that check!
7. Always Respect Each Other:
Respect is a difficult thing to come by. It is not easily earned, yet so easily lost. If you lose the respect of another, how hard is it to gain back? I think we all know the answer to that.
Why is respect important in our every day lives and in our workplace? Simply, because everyone is different. There are no two people that are exactly alike. I may believe something that my coworker doesn't. I may like to have my hair a certain way, while someone else may choose to dress differently than me. That is all perfectly acceptable. Each person is entitled to live their own lives. We should respect that and be understanding and tolerant. Remember, while we may not agree with the things people do, say, believe, or enjoy, it is their right to do them and should be respected(as long as what they do is legal and ethical). Of course, they need to respect you as well.
In the workplace, certain things are considered inappropriate and unfit for a work environment. We are all to honor those written and unwritten rules of etiquette and respect. We should refrain from actions, words, and appearances that are considered offensive and inappropriate. The goal is to create a work environment where everyone is comfortable. No company wants a bunch of uncomfortable, awkward, upset and offended employees walking around. That will lead to unproductive employees, and low morale. Respect your coworkers. Understand that just because they don't like the same music, food, movies, or sports teams as you, that doesn't make them weird. In fact, just respect everyone you encounter. If we don't respect others, how can we expect to be respected?
8.Be Loyal
What does it mean to be loyal? The best definition I found was "loyalty is faithfulness or a devotion to a person, country, group, or cause." A person can be loyal to their favorite sports team, family, school, and country. "Proud to be an American" is a form of loyalty. Serving your country is one of the greatest forms of loyalty a person can demonstrate. Dying for a cause, person, or country is the ultimate form of loyalty. Sometimes, that loyalty is tragically misplaced (such is the case with terrorist organizations, socialist governments, extremists in religions, etc).
Every person should have at least one thing they are loyal to. I, for example, am loyal to my God, wife, family, company, schools (both my high school and college), my country, and my sports teams (Dolphins all day baby). A loyal employee is a respected employee. It is very easy to sift the loyal ones from the disloyal ones. Your boss isn't blind. They can see when someone is upset, rebellious, or disloyal. If you have good reason to not be disloyal to your company, then you either need to address those with a superior, or find a company you can be loyal to.
How can you be loyal to your company? Follow the rules, work hard, represent your company properly and with pride, don't cause discord or discontent in your office. Be the polite, pleasant, diligent worker that all companies desire. Speak to your boss (or bosses) if you have any issues, don't gossip, and respect your coworkers.
9. Strive to exceed your goals
I wrote a post the other day about setting goals, and how vital is it to life. Goals give us purpose and drive. Goals create dedicated people. Goals give us something to reach for. As people, we should always look to improve ourselves. We shouldn't settle for second best. Strive for the best. Work to exceed your goals!
10. Keep a Positive Outlook
Perception is reality. Don't go looking for the negative in everything. Believe me, if you look for it, you will find it. Always examine situations, and see the good that comes from it. When my wife lost her job a few months ago, it was tough for her. She was the best worker that firm had. She poured her blood, sweat, and tears into that office, just to be let go on the whim of a completely unbalanced and heartless lawyer. I saw this as a blessing in disguise from the very beginning. We are perfectly fine with my income alone. Not having to work the 8:30-5:30 schedule allows her to finish up her degree faster than she would have as a full time employee. Now, she is focused 100% on school. She will actually be one of those rare people to graduate with her Bachelor of Arts in 4 years. Had I decided to look on the negative side of it, then things would have seemed bad for a while. No extra income? How are we going to afford to take extravagant vacations and buy bars of gold? The world is falling apart!! As ridiculous as that may sound, some people will reach that far just because they are never content with anything. They are not happy unless they are miserable. They are not satisfied with seeing the reality of situations, instead choosing to wallow and watch their world crumble over the smallest things. Don't let your circumstances shape you. Instead, when something doesn't go your way, re-approach the situation and make it work!
11. Be Accountable to Each Other
Accountability: a concept in ethics and governance with several meanings. It is often used synonymously with such concepts as responsibility, answerability, blameworthiness, liability, and other terms associated with the expectation of account giving.
Being accountable to each other is all about improving who we are as people by holding each other responsible for actions. In regards to a professional atmosphere, it’s all about improving the overall personal and organizational performance of one another by developing and promoting responsibility, honesty, hard work, and creating an environment of personal and professional growth. Accountability is essential for any society to function. We are all held accountable in one way or another. For example, there are laws to obey and if we fail to be obedient, we may have to suffer the consequences set by the officials who hold us accountable. Thus, accountability is simply being responsible for one's actions.
Accountability in the workplace is defined as doing the right thing consistently, day in and day out, in tasks and relationship interactions in order to fulfill or further the mission of the organization
Monday, September 27, 2010
12 Principles to Help You Thrive in the Workplace Part 1
www.cbt.edu
www.cbt.edu/facebook
It's a grind most days, isn't it? For most people, Monday through Friday harbors the dreaded work, eat, sleep routine. Just about everyone I know is "working for the weekend". No one wants to be sitting in the office, living the Dwight Schrute life, but that's exactly where most American professionals find themselves. As I said, it's a grind. Sadly, most of us make our work experience even worse than it should be by the attitude we adopt. This attitude doesn't start when we arrive at work. It doesn't even begin when we wake up in the morning. For most, the negativity and dread begins while laying in bed thinking, "aggghhhh, I don't want to go to work tomorrow!!" It all starts with the mind. Perception is reality. If I get it in my mind that I cannot comprehend this little math problem I'm working on, my mind will just shut down and make it a reality. We underestimate just how powerful our mind is.
How can we as professionals in the modern business setting find enjoyment, and thrive in our workplace? How can we achieve personal and professional growth, while demonstrating excellence and commitment? Recently, we had a "Pow Wow" here at CBT West Kendall, and came up with twelve principles, that if followed, would lead to success in the workplace. At first, I thought this activity was pointless, and a huge waste of time. I felt like I was living an episode of The Office, and Michael Scott had called us all into the conference room for an absolutely ridiculous time waster. I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that it turned out to be productive, , and created an identity for us as individuals and as a team. We saw coworkers in a different light, a light that for some, had been left in the dark until then. It actually helped us gel.
I decided that I would share five of the principles we outlined. Why five? Because twelve would take me too long, and I have other things to do today. I really believe these "philosophies" can make a difference in your daily life, and help you thrive at your workplace.....
1. Attitude is a Choice:
As was stated earlier, it's all about your attitude. Wake up thinking positively! Tell yourself it will be a good day. Get in a good morning workout, take a shower, and actually have a real breakfast (coffee doesn't count). It will truly go a long way to shaping your day. The flip side is you getting up with a bad attitude, driving angrily and hastily because you are running late, and maintaining those bad vibes all day. Any little hiccup in your workday will just push you off the cliff. Not only will you be highly unproductive, but chances are your bad attitude will rub off on others. Don't be "that" person. Don't be Buzzkillington. Don't drag the rest of your coworkers down into you misery. Change your attitude, change your outlook, and create a positive atmosphere for yourself and those around you. Attitude is a choice.
2. Be consistent:
I realize this leaves room for consistently mediocre, but in speaking with several executives and company higher ups, consistently mediocre is better than maddeningly inconsistent. There is nothing worse than a person who only "shows up" when they want to. Why is this so bad? Your employer, friends, family, and significant other never know who they are going to get: the pleasant, hard working, and caring version, or the moody, lazy, lethargic, and irritable version. If you are consistently mediocre, at least everyone knows what to expect from you, right? The goal is not to be consistently mediocre, though. Your goal should always be consistent excellence, and consistent max effort. As humans, we should always be striving for the very best in everything we do. Consistency is key to that excellence. The guy who gets up early every morning to do his P90x workout, have a great, healthy breakfast, get to work ten minutes early, and put in a full day of hard work will achieve much more than the guy who is a superstar one day, and a superdud the next. Be consistent. Be consistently excellent, which leads to our next to point.....
3. Autograph Your Work with Excellence:
Everyone likes to hear the words, "good job!" I have never met a single person who prefers being ripped into for poor performance. We should always try to stamp our work with excellence. Whether it's school work, a blog, our job duties, our home life, a piece of art we are working on, a party we are planning, or a poem we are writing for our significant other, always strive to make it the best. Don't cut corners, don't cheat, don't do things half heatedly. Be ethical and considerate of others. How can you make sure your work is excellent? Be consistent with it, and try your very best. Also, keep a positive attitude throughout. Yup, I'm tying things together.
4. Go the Extra Mile:
"If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles." Hard work, compassion, and kindness are essential to a good workplace. Picking up your teammate/coworker is a big part of that. If you see someone in need of help, don't hesitate to lend a hand. Be the one to step up for your team. Be the one who is willing to make a difference. It means putting the needs of others before your own. Going the extra mile is often an inconvenience for us. Believe me though, people (including the ones who sign your checks) will take notice.
5. Manage your Time Effectively:
One of the biggest issues we as people face is poor time management skills. We spend our time taking a nap rather than finish our English homework, or browse through Facebook for five hours instead of finishing those expense reports, or Call of Duty as opposed to helping our wives with housework, or even watch New Moon for the nineteenth time when we should go visit our parents. Worst of all, it's not that we don't to do those things, it's just that we lose track of time. We don't prioritize our time. We don't set schedules for ourselves. We don't place the more important things ahead of the self gratification stuff. We place ourselves and our petty and unnecessary wants above what we really need to accomplish. Is it possible to play Call of Duty after helping with housework? Of course! Can we fit a nap into our schedule, once the homework is completed? I'm sure we could. The point is that we don't manage our time properly. I guarantee you, if you set a daily tasks schedule at work, with allotted time for each task, we will be more efficient and effective that day. Do that on a vacation, and you will get to do all the things you wanted to. Plan, schedule, and follow through. If you set your schedule to wake up at 6:30 for a morning workout, shower, and healthy breakfast before work...do it! Don't hit snooze. If you plan on doing homework for three hours when you get home, make it happen, and make sure you use that time as effectively as possible. Don't allow yourself to be distracted!
I will be back later in the week with the rest!
www.cbt.edu/facebook
It's a grind most days, isn't it? For most people, Monday through Friday harbors the dreaded work, eat, sleep routine. Just about everyone I know is "working for the weekend". No one wants to be sitting in the office, living the Dwight Schrute life, but that's exactly where most American professionals find themselves. As I said, it's a grind. Sadly, most of us make our work experience even worse than it should be by the attitude we adopt. This attitude doesn't start when we arrive at work. It doesn't even begin when we wake up in the morning. For most, the negativity and dread begins while laying in bed thinking, "aggghhhh, I don't want to go to work tomorrow!!" It all starts with the mind. Perception is reality. If I get it in my mind that I cannot comprehend this little math problem I'm working on, my mind will just shut down and make it a reality. We underestimate just how powerful our mind is.
How can we as professionals in the modern business setting find enjoyment, and thrive in our workplace? How can we achieve personal and professional growth, while demonstrating excellence and commitment? Recently, we had a "Pow Wow" here at CBT West Kendall, and came up with twelve principles, that if followed, would lead to success in the workplace. At first, I thought this activity was pointless, and a huge waste of time. I felt like I was living an episode of The Office, and Michael Scott had called us all into the conference room for an absolutely ridiculous time waster. I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that it turned out to be productive, , and created an identity for us as individuals and as a team. We saw coworkers in a different light, a light that for some, had been left in the dark until then. It actually helped us gel.
I decided that I would share five of the principles we outlined. Why five? Because twelve would take me too long, and I have other things to do today. I really believe these "philosophies" can make a difference in your daily life, and help you thrive at your workplace.....
1. Attitude is a Choice:
As was stated earlier, it's all about your attitude. Wake up thinking positively! Tell yourself it will be a good day. Get in a good morning workout, take a shower, and actually have a real breakfast (coffee doesn't count). It will truly go a long way to shaping your day. The flip side is you getting up with a bad attitude, driving angrily and hastily because you are running late, and maintaining those bad vibes all day. Any little hiccup in your workday will just push you off the cliff. Not only will you be highly unproductive, but chances are your bad attitude will rub off on others. Don't be "that" person. Don't be Buzzkillington. Don't drag the rest of your coworkers down into you misery. Change your attitude, change your outlook, and create a positive atmosphere for yourself and those around you. Attitude is a choice.
2. Be consistent:
I realize this leaves room for consistently mediocre, but in speaking with several executives and company higher ups, consistently mediocre is better than maddeningly inconsistent. There is nothing worse than a person who only "shows up" when they want to. Why is this so bad? Your employer, friends, family, and significant other never know who they are going to get: the pleasant, hard working, and caring version, or the moody, lazy, lethargic, and irritable version. If you are consistently mediocre, at least everyone knows what to expect from you, right? The goal is not to be consistently mediocre, though. Your goal should always be consistent excellence, and consistent max effort. As humans, we should always be striving for the very best in everything we do. Consistency is key to that excellence. The guy who gets up early every morning to do his P90x workout, have a great, healthy breakfast, get to work ten minutes early, and put in a full day of hard work will achieve much more than the guy who is a superstar one day, and a superdud the next. Be consistent. Be consistently excellent, which leads to our next to point.....
3. Autograph Your Work with Excellence:
Everyone likes to hear the words, "good job!" I have never met a single person who prefers being ripped into for poor performance. We should always try to stamp our work with excellence. Whether it's school work, a blog, our job duties, our home life, a piece of art we are working on, a party we are planning, or a poem we are writing for our significant other, always strive to make it the best. Don't cut corners, don't cheat, don't do things half heatedly. Be ethical and considerate of others. How can you make sure your work is excellent? Be consistent with it, and try your very best. Also, keep a positive attitude throughout. Yup, I'm tying things together.
4. Go the Extra Mile:
"If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles." Hard work, compassion, and kindness are essential to a good workplace. Picking up your teammate/coworker is a big part of that. If you see someone in need of help, don't hesitate to lend a hand. Be the one to step up for your team. Be the one who is willing to make a difference. It means putting the needs of others before your own. Going the extra mile is often an inconvenience for us. Believe me though, people (including the ones who sign your checks) will take notice.
5. Manage your Time Effectively:
One of the biggest issues we as people face is poor time management skills. We spend our time taking a nap rather than finish our English homework, or browse through Facebook for five hours instead of finishing those expense reports, or Call of Duty as opposed to helping our wives with housework, or even watch New Moon for the nineteenth time when we should go visit our parents. Worst of all, it's not that we don't to do those things, it's just that we lose track of time. We don't prioritize our time. We don't set schedules for ourselves. We don't place the more important things ahead of the self gratification stuff. We place ourselves and our petty and unnecessary wants above what we really need to accomplish. Is it possible to play Call of Duty after helping with housework? Of course! Can we fit a nap into our schedule, once the homework is completed? I'm sure we could. The point is that we don't manage our time properly. I guarantee you, if you set a daily tasks schedule at work, with allotted time for each task, we will be more efficient and effective that day. Do that on a vacation, and you will get to do all the things you wanted to. Plan, schedule, and follow through. If you set your schedule to wake up at 6:30 for a morning workout, shower, and healthy breakfast before work...do it! Don't hit snooze. If you plan on doing homework for three hours when you get home, make it happen, and make sure you use that time as effectively as possible. Don't allow yourself to be distracted!
I will be back later in the week with the rest!
Friday, September 24, 2010
Power Drive Network Expo tomorrow!
The Bert Oliva Wealth Academy is hosting the First Annual Power Drive Network Expo tomorrow, Saturday September 25th, 2010. The event will run from 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM. Come join CBT College as Bert Oliva will be showing you how to network and work your business by meeting and greeting people in an expo or networking environment. If you are a business owner, there are booths available, in addition to main sponsor spots. There will be tons of prizes, food, activities, and entertainment! Join us there friends. The event will be taking place at the Hilton Airport Hotel Griffin Road in Dania, FL. For more info, call (888) 711-2044.
-Danny
www.cbt.edu
www.cbt.edu/facebook
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)