I have been very transparent about my “comfort zone” when it comes to my work space.  Most of my life, I have had a million things going on, finishing very few of them in a timely manner, but feeling achievement by getting lots done.  Right?  I guess it’s a matter of perspective.  Checking 30 items off your list in one day may appear to be a huge success.  But if you had three hundred items when you started the day, maybe not so much.

Being Busy And Productive Is Not Enough

I have learned a lot about the difference between being busy and being productive over the past few years and it has helped.  In my defense, I have been working diligently on getting the draft done for my new book, Leadership by Invitation, and earlier today, I was pulling quotes from several different sources (as you can tell) but my desk still ends up like this at least once a week.  I guess old habits are hard to break.

For the most part, I have turned being busy into being productive, but with that success (if you can call it that) I have come to realize that there is a new level in achievement. That comes form moving from productivity to effectiveness.  Now you might think that these two words mean relatively the same thing.  Well, not in my world. And here is why.

Success Comes When We Move From Productive To Effective

As I have focused in on living out my purpose – “building what matters – people!” – I have realized that we can be very productive, while at the same time not be effective at all.  Huh?  In my book, I talk about strategies and vision that produce results.  These results are based upon a specific purpose.  Do you see where I’m going with this?

I can be very productive, take out the trash, wood on the fire, shovel the snow off the driveway and so on.  All of these are productive, but really don’t connect back to my purpose.  Based on my experience, many people out there are lost somewhere in this state of confusion.  They get busy with a list, over time that list grows (with many items serving other people’s purpose rather than their own) and they lose sight of what they really want to accomplish.

So what can bring clarity to all of this and help you maintain focus on fulfilling your purpose?  In a few months you will be able to read the long version when the book comes out, but here is a snapshot for you that might help you get headed in the right direction.

How To RSVP Your Way To Success

Be clear on your VISION.  What do you really want?  If you are in a leadership position, and you are, what vision are you casting to those around you?  Are you even casting a vision?

Once you identify that vision, you need to determine your role in achieving it.  That’s right, your purpose.  Identifying and understanding your PURPOSE is what brings additional clarity to the big picture and helps you to stay on task.  (Tweet This / Post to LinkedIn)

Now that you have a vision and understand your purpose in fulfilling that vision, you need a strategy to achieve that vision and fulfill your purpose.  The right STRATEGY is what keeps your work not just productive, but effective.

Now that the strategy is in place and you are casting your vision and fulfilling your purpose, take a look at the RESULTS you are getting.  If they are not what you identified within your strategy, make the necessary course corrections and stay at it.

There is a quick look at what’s coming up in much more detail, but I believe that even taking a little time right now to see how your current condition or circumstance fits into this framework, might just make a difference for you.

The Question:  Are you being productive or effective?

The Challenge:  Take a look at your activities and find something you are doing in which you can move from being not just productive, but effective.

***********************************************************************

Click here to get a copy of my Kindle Book “The Manifesto Of An Influential Leader”

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For me personally, clarity was the difference maker in my transition out of the construction industry.  I mean it’s hard enough as it is to try and stay clear and focused when you only have one job.  Going from one to another, and one that is completely different, produced a lot of fuzz in my vision for a really long time.

I think the most significant thing that was missing early on was guidance.  I was trying to do it all myself and well, you can probably guess how that turned out.  When I became part of the John Maxwell Team, I not only was connected to John himself and an incredible roster of teammates, but a mentorship team that has been invaluable in my successful transition.

One of my teammates, Kary Oberbrunner, who was coaching and mentoring in his own business took me a step further by introducing me to a framework that included an Overarching Vision, Purpose, Unifying Strategies and a Scorecard for Significance. If you want to know more about that framework, let me know, but the end result was gaining the clarity that I had been lacking that brought my world back into focus.

I said clarity was the theme this week, but it came in different forms and I offer these up to see if your world currently resonates with any of them.

I’m not sure where I am so how can I possibly know where I’m going?

You have to start somewhere, right?  Well it only makes sense to start where you’re at.  I have found that if you find yourself in this situation it’s because you’re lacking a benchmark, nothing to define your current condition.  I love the idea of starting with the end in mind.  Do you have a vision for your future?

Look, I will be honest, if you don’t know where you’re going then it doesn’t matter where you are.  Knowing where you want to go allows you to establish what the difference is between the destination and where you currently are.  A destination provides the clarity to map the course to get there.

I’m too busy to figure out where I want to go.  I can barely take care of today.

I know some of you are in this category.  I won’t pretend to minimize your current workload or responsibilities, but this I know – if you don’t know where your going, it really doesn’t matter where you end up.  If you don’t have a plan, someone else will make one for you and if you didn’t know this already, they don’t have much planned for you.

Clarity doesn’t just happen.  It comes from strategically planning out the steps you need to achieve a desired result.  And it only starts there.  Once you have that plan, you need to work it.  Clarity is the glue that holds a plan together and makes it stick!  (Tweet This / Post to LinkedIn)

I’m not quite ready for clarity, I need to take care of a few things first.

Really?  Doesn’t that, in itself, suggest that clarity is needed?  The time for clarity is now. Remember earlier when I said BEGIN with the end in mind.  Last time I checked, the beginning is usually the first part.  My point is that the next move is your most important because it sets the stage for the rest.

Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you need to take care of a few things before you create and implement a plan.  Those “things” should be part of your plan.  Start now with the plan you want to execute.  Be strategic and specific with every move.

My guess is that you fit into at least one of these three scenarios, maybe more.  This week I mentioned the gap between what we know and what we do.  Clarity can close that gap.

The Question:  Which of these scenarios are you currently in?

The Challenge:  Before going back to whatever it was you were doing, take just 15 minutes and come up with one action item you can take immediately to improve your current condition or circumstance.

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This month we are masterminding through The Men Who Built America, a DVD produced by the History Channel along with Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill to compliment the mini-series built around some of the great early leaders and entrepreneurs that help build the United States into a world power at the end of the 19th Century.

If you don’t know the back story on how these two connect together, Napoleon Hill was commissioned by Andrew Carnegie to study the most successful people and find out what resulted in their success.  The men who built America were among many of the 20,000+ that Hill interviewed over the twenty year period it took him to write the book.

This month we are going take a look at Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Edison, JP Morgan and Henry Ford.  In this, the final of four posts, we will take a look at Henry Ford.

Ford set himself apart from the other men who built America buy focusing his efforts on the people.  He paid twice the average wage and wanted the average working man to be able to afford an automobile.  Amazed at how machines worked, Ford used his vision to transform the auto industry.

So how did a man that began his business career under the challenges of poverty, illiteracy, and ignorance become “one of the men who built America?”

I Think I Can, I Think I Can, I Think I Can

AUTOSUGGESTION

“If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right!” – Henry Ford

Ford Motor Company was actually Ford’s third automobile venture.  The first two failed miserably yet Ford refused to give up.  He continued to believe that he could successfully manufacture automobiles at a profit and at the same time, do what no one else had done, make them affordable.  His vision was strong enough to become reality.  He refused to give in to negative talk and literally convinced himself that it could be done through the power of autosuggestion.

1+1=3 … Sometimes More

POWER OF THE MASTERMIND

“If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person’s point of view and see things from that person’s angle as well as from your own.” – Henry Ford

Ford’s most outstanding achievements began when he formed acquaintances with Harvey Firestone, John Burroughs, and Luther Burbank, well known thought leaders at that time.  Ford realized that not only could he gain knowledge from spending time with big thinkers but the interaction in itself, was increasing his ability to retain information and think better himself.

If Only I Would Have Known Before It Was Too Late!

SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE

“Coming together is the beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” – Henry Ford

Ford had great vision but lacked the knowledge, in multiple areas, to make his vision a reality.  What Ford did know, was that by surrounding himself with the right people – the people that had that knowledge, he could achieve anything he wanted.  He continued to do this throughout his career and when faced with the issue of not knowing, simply found someone who had the specialized knowledge he was looking for and added them to his team.

Napoleon Hill said; “Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.” (Tweet This / Share on Facebook / Post to LinkedIn)

Hill was right, our success will come from continuous effort and struggle.  The difference comes in how we take on the struggle.  Ford found ways to reduce the struggle by bringing those to his team that could provide the “right” kind of effort.

Here is an important question:  Are you trying to do it all on your own or are you enlisting the help of others through collaborative relationships?  The answer might just predict your success or failure in that endeavor.  Who can you add to your team that will take you to the next level?

• Click here to read Part 1 on Andrew Carnegie
• Click here to read Part 2 on Thomas Edison
• Click here to read Part 3 on JP Morgan

***********************************************************************

Click here to get a copy of my Kindle Book “The Manifesto Of An Influential Leader”

Join me on the STOP CHALLENGE CHOOSE 12 week health transformation

Don’t miss a single post from Building What Matters by subscribing at the top left of this page. 

Help support us by clicking here and Liking our facebook page

Barry Smith  1/29/14   photo courtesy of Amazon   © Building What Matters 2014

The post The Men Who Built America – Henry Ford appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

This month we are masterminding through The Men Who Built America, a DVD produced by the History Channel along with Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill to compliment the mini-series built around some of the great early leaders and entrepreneurs that help build the United States into a world power at the end of the 19th Century.

If you don’t know the back story on how these two connect together, Napoleon Hill was commissioned by Andrew Carnegie to study the most successful people and find out what resulted in their success.  The men who built America were among many of the 20,000+ that Hill interviewed over the twenty year period it took him to write the book.

This month we are going take a look at Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Edison, JP Morgan and Henry Ford.  In this, the second of four posts, we will take a look at JP Morgan.

Morgan, most recognized a revolutionizing the way America deals with finance never settled for “good enough.”  He partnered with Edison and became a major player in the power industry and later became a master of consolidating organizations to create bigger profits and greater impact.

So why did a man who was born into wealth and never knew what it was like to be in need, risk it all and become “one of the men who built America?”

I Don’t Know Why, But It Just Doesn’t Feel Right.

THE SIXTH SENSE

“Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you will be able to see farther.” – JP Morgan

It would be hard to argue that Morgan “had it all” from day one, yet he was never satisfied.  Driven by the success of Carnegie and Rockefeller, Morgan worked off what he believed could be done.

Even through great opposition from his father, he risked the family wealth to pursue the development of electrical power.  Even when successful organizations already existed, Morgan’s sixth sense helped him to realize that by combining forces, an even greater business could be developed as seen in General Electric and US Steel.

You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know.

DECISION

“A man typically has two reasons for doing anything: a good reason and the real reason” – JP Morgan

Time and time again, Morgan was faced with difficult decisions.  His father was against much of what he did and his vision often included the success of others such as Edison.  That being said, he always stood behind his decisions and maintained a forward movement.  Why?  Because he made a decision.  Right or wrong, a decision was made to move forward.  If an adjustment needed to be made, he made it.  The point is, that Morgan never let the details or fear hold him back.  It was not a matter if it was going to be done, simply how.

Plan Your Work And Work Your Plan!

ORGANIZED PLANNING

“No problem can be solved until it is reduced to some simple form.  The changing of a vague difficulty into a specific, concrete form is a very essential element in thinking.” – JP Morgan

No one better exemplified the art of organized planning than Morgan.  Early on, he successfully planned many activities related to the family financial business.  Some actually helped to keep America on it’s feet.  Realizing that he could be more powerful by partnering with other individuals and corporations, Morgan put together the necessary plan to take both successful and struggling businesses to new levels of success.  This was done by creating a plan that worked and then working that plan.

Tony Robbins said; “It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.” (Tweet This / Share on Facebook / Post to LinkedIn)

The men who build America made both good and bad decisions along their way to power and wealth.  The difference – they always made a decision.  They all realized that doing nothing would produce exactly that – nothing.

We are faced with decisions every day.  Fear has a tendency to keep us from making the difficult ones.  My challenge today – choose something you have been struggling with in making a decision and make one.  No progress will be made by standing still. There is no neutral in life – you are either moving forwards or backwards. (Tweet This)

What difficult decision will you make today?

• Click here to read Part 1 on Andrew Carnegie
• Click here to read Part 2 on Thomas Edison

***********************************************************************

Click here to get a copy of my Kindle Book “The Manifesto Of An Influential Leader”

Don’t miss a single post from Building What Matters by subscribing at the top left of this page. 

Help support us by clicking here and Liking our facebook page

Barry Smith  1/22/14   photo courtesy of Amazon   © Building What Matters 2014

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One of my mentors asked once; “Show me someday on the calendar.”  If you didn’t know this already, someday is not on the calendar.  So what is keeping you from finding your someday?

If whatever it is that filled in your blank is worth doing, it should be worth doing now.  If there is preparation that needs to be done in order to do it, when will you start?  More importantly, when will you decide that you are done “getting ready” and it’s time to start?  I think this is where many of us get stuck.  At some point in time, you need to quit getting ready and just start.

I think this is one of the biggest responsibilities there is when it comes to leadership.  In my book, Leadership by Invitation, that will be out later this spring, I look at four areas of leadership that we will find ourselves in most of the time.  Leading your self, leading at home, leading at work and leading in your community.  We will all find ourselves in these situations multiple times every day.  Every day we will have to make decisions and the timing of those decisions will make the difference between success and failure.

John Maxwell talks about The Law of Timing in The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and gives these factors to use when we prepare for the timing of our actions:

Understanding – Are you clear on what the decision actually is and what will be involved in making that decision?  Is there more that you need to learn?  What is it?

Maturity – Do you have the correct motives in making this decision?  Maturity is typically the result of applying experience based knowledge into a strategic action that will produce an expected outcome.

Confidence – Do you believe that what you are about to do is the right decision? Are you willing to stand behind it even if someone else doesn’t or things don’t go quite as planned?

Decisiveness – Are you going to move forward regardless of the challenges that may come up.  Hesitation can kill any momentum that you might be building. Course corrections are alright, but direction needs to remain forward.

Experience – Everything that happens to us in life, good and bad, has the potential to teach us.  The key is to actually learn from these experiences.  Don’t waste opportunities to learn from your experiences.

Intuition – Make sure you have considered the things that you have not considered.  Awareness is huge when it comes to timing.  You don’t know what you don’t know.  If something doesn’t feel right, find out why.

Preparation – Have you done what is needed to set yourself up for success?  A solid plan before you start will produce great results.  When you have prepared for the decision – act on it!

Life is busy.  You have a full plate.  Your “someday” list grows daily.  I get it.  This is why this is so important to leadership.  The next time you use the word someday, challenge yourself to choose a day.  It might be tomorrow or two months from now but once you choose a day, you can start to follow the framework above and develop a plan to make someday today.

So if you have been on an extended stay on Someday Isle, it’s time to come back to reality.  There is nothing wrong with dreaming but if you want that dream to come true, you need a plan.

Martin Luther King Jr. said “The time is always right to do what is right.”  (Tweet This / Share on Facebook / Post to LinkedIn)

So my question for you today “Is the time right?”  and my challenge – Act on it!

***********************************************************************

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“The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step, keep with the problem, or determined to carry out their dream.”  

So how about it?  If the bell rang for you tomorrow, what would you take with you? Seriously – does this hit home for you at all? Back in February of 2012, I was at a John Maxwell event and John introduced his father Melvin to the stage and said this; “I want to introduce you to the most important man to me here on earth, some time ago my father decided he was going to live until he died.”

I’m Gonna Live Until I Die

Well at 80+ years of age, Melvin Maxwell showed us what it meant to live as he ignited the crowd of over 500 with the energy and enthusiasm rarely displayed by men half his age.  That experience challenged me to take a hard look at what I was doing in my own life.

I can honestly say that at the time, I was not living, I was merely existing.  Can anyone relate to that?  I changed a lot of things in my life after that day.  I was determined that I would live until I died.  I was no longer going to let life happen to me, I was going to start to happen to life.

I made the decision to start chasing after my dreams.  To believe that I could accomplish things that I had never done before – many that I had not even thought about trying.  A new identity built around who I was instead of what I did.  A new job that got me up in the morning instead of keeping me up at night.  I was achieving my dreams!

Defining Moment In A Foreign Country

Last June, I was part of a team that impacted the Country of Guatemala.  I found out what it’s like to feel like you’ve never felt before, doing something you’ve never done before, in a place you’ve never been before, with people you’ve never met before. The three greatest defining moments in my life were the day I said “I do” and the two times I heard “It’s a boy.”  The fourth came in Guatemala City on June 15th, 2013, when I discovered my purpose and clarified my mission to leave nothing behind.

I have an author page on Amazon and later this spring I will publish my first book.  I collaborate everyday with like-minded leaders all over the world.  I am making a difference in the lives of others that want to achieve the same thing.  This is the 250th blog post by someone who barely made it out of English class.

Getting Outside My Comfort Zone

I don’t say any of these things to impress you.  Trust me, I had many people pushing and pulling me along the way.  I do say them to impress upon you that there is no reason you can’t do the same.  I would not been able to achieve any of these things if I was not willing to stretch outside my comfort zone and do what I never thought possible, heck, I didn’t even think about them period!

So that is my challenge for you today.  Start removing the limits you have put on yourself.  Start believing that the impossible is possible and that the only thing holding you back is the fear of taking that first step – just like Les said.

Whoever said “You can’t take it with you” was wrong. (Tweet This / Share on Facebook / Post to LinkedIn)

There are all kinds of things you can take with you – the question is WILL YOU?

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If that’s not enough, check out this thought provoking video ==>

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Click here to get a copy of my Kindle Book “The Manifesto Of An Influential Leader”

Don’t miss a single post from Building What Matters by subscribing at the top left of this page. 

Help support us by clicking here and Liking our facebook page

Barry Smith    1/17/14   photo by author   © Building What Matters 2014

The post The Wealthiest Place on Earth – The Graveyard appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

This month we are masterminding through The Men Who Built America, a DVD produced by the History Channel along with Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill to compliment the mini-series built around some of the great early leaders and entrepreneurs that help build the United States into a world power at the end of the 19th Century.

If you don’t know the back story on how these two connect together, Napoleon Hill was commissioned by Andrew Carnegie to study the most successful people and find out what resulted in their success.  The men who built America were among many of the 20,000+ that Hill interviewed over the twenty year period it took him to write the book.

This month we are going take a look at Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Edison, JP Morgan and Henry Ford.  In this, the second of four posts, we will take a look at Thomas Edison.

Edison, the holder of 1,093 U.S. patents, is most recognized as the inventor of the light bulb.  Also credited for the phonograph and motion-picture camera, Edison was much more than an inventor.  His inventions set the world on the pathway to modern electricity and global communications.

So how did a man with only three months of formal education and whose hearing was impaired at an early age become “one of the men who built America?”

You Don’t Need Ears To Hear!

THOUGHTS ARE THINGS

“The value of an idea lies in the using of it.” – Thomas Edison

What if Edison never imagined his thoughts and ideas as things.  Ideas are great, but as Hill shows in the story of how Edwin C. Barnes partnered with Edison, you have to treat them as such.  An idea will not become reality until it is brought to life by the hand of the one who conceived it.  How many ideas do you have that never come to life?  Have you considered the power you hold within you to manifest your thoughts into reality?  Here lies the great opportunity to ask; How can I?”

So what if nobody ever did it before!

FAITH

“Be courageous.  I have seen many depressions in business.  Always America has emerged from these stronger and more prosperous.  Be brave as your fathers before you.  Have faith!  Go forward!” – Thomas Edison

Hill provides a very interesting definition of faith.  “A state of mind which may be induced, or created, by affirmation or repeated instructions to the subconscious mind, through the principle of autosuggestion.”  Edison simply refused to believe that something could not be done.  He had the faith that with enough perseverance and effort, anything could be accomplished – even when “common sense” might suggest otherwise.

Mach 3 with your hair on fire!

THE BRAIN

“It is astonishing what an effort it seems to be for many people to put their brains definitely and systematically to work.” – Thomas Edison

The brain continues to be one of the most studied and least understood parts of the human body.  But even in Hill’s time, it was accepted that the brain was a powerful machine that could actually create it’s own energy.  Edison was continually pushing his thinking to new levels.  He constantly tapped his own awareness of what he knew and filled in the blanks with what he pulled from others.  Viewed as a curse by many, part of Edison’s genius is that his mind never quit working.  Turning though into action, over and over, produced more inventions than anyone else in history.

Most equate the success of these men to industry and the technological advances of their time.  I think the simple truth is that these men just thought better than everyone else.  Edison makes a simple but powerful statement when he said; “Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits.”  (Tweet This / Share on Facebook / Post to LinkedIn)  The men who build America were always hustling – at least mentally.

This will be a great mastermind study.  None of these men were angels, but one thing about them – they never let anyone else limit what they could do.

Your brain is constantly producing new thoughts.  So I have a few question for you to ponder today.  What are you doing with your ideas?  How many times do you thing the words “that’s never been done before” described something that had just been done?

• Click here to read the first post on Andrew Carnegie

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Click here to get a copy of my Kindle Book “The Manifesto Of An Influential Leader”

Don’t miss a single post from Building What Matters by subscribing at the top left of this page. 

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Barry Smith  1/15/14   photo courtesy of Amazon   © Building What Matters 2014

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One of my favorite is “The Santa Clause” starring Tim Allen.  There is a scene in the movie where Allen is at the North Pole and tells one of the elves; “I see it, but I don’t believe it.”  She replies; “You’re missing the point, seeing isn’t believing, believing is seeing.”

I have seen so many blogs written about goal setting and New Year’s resolutions.  Hey, nothing wrong with that and most of them if applied and followed will no doubt, net positive results.  I want to put a little different spin on it.

I think that most people fail at reaching their goals because they need to see them to believe them.  What is we believed they would come true before even beginning that “Day 1” activity.  I don’t know if this is true or not but I have heard one of my mentors refer to January 10th as National Quit Day.  The average day that most people quit their New Year’s Resolutions.

For the sake of this post, I will assume this is true.  Why do most people quit less than two weeks into what they saw as their goal for the new year?  Simple, if you buy what I am selling – they have not seen any change and therefore don’t believe it will come true.  End of story!

I am taking a little different approach this year.  I have my goals and a plan to achieve them, but I have simply accepted the fact that they will happen.  This may sound a little far fetched and that’s OK.  My mentor John Maxwell, once told me that; “What other people are saying about you is none of your business.”  Good advice as far as I am concerned.

So I am sure you would like to know how this works.  Well, here is my take.  I have been working hard on building my business for over two years and I am seeing the results of doing the things that required believing before seeing.  I am not going to pretend that my own self-limiting beliefs have not taken me to some lows along the way, but I do believe.

I know that there will always be bad with the good, but accepting that allows me to move past the challenges knowing that they will always exist.  Believing that good will happen and then watching it happen reinforces my belief that this will be my best year ever.

If you think about it, there are many things in life that really require believing before seeing.  Things like love, joy, peace and happiness.  Really, put this to the test – if you get up in the morning believing that you are going to have a great day, you will.  If you wait to see something good happen before you put a smile on your face … well, good luck with that!

“If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.” – Henry Ford (Tweet This / Share on Facebook)

My hope for you today, and really the rest of this year, is that you can find some truth in the idea that believing is seeing.  So a simple question for you to ponder today; “What do you believe will happen this year?”  

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Click here to get a copy of my Kindle Book “The Manifesto Of An Influential Leader”

Don’t miss a single post from Building What Matters by subscribing at the top left of this page. 

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Barry Smith  1/2/14   photo by author   © Building What Matters 2014

The post Believing Is Seeing – What Do You Believe 2014 Holds For You? appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

That is exactly the point.  If you don’t know what I mean, then you have missed the entire point.  Look at the successful people that you know.  How bad did they want it?  If you don’t know, ask them.  When I say success, I don’t necessarily mean financial success.  It could be anything – but that anything is going to be the thing that they really wanted, that they wanted bad enough.

I have been able to talk with a lot of people over the last few years.  Many very successful and many still looking.  I believe the difference is in being clear on what they want, not how hard they are willing to work.  I know numerous people that work very hard and are not even close to having what they want.  So what is the difference?

When I was younger and our boys were growing up, I knew exactly what I wanted.  I wanted to provide for my family and provide for all their needs and even mix in a few “wants” to provide some added stability and security.  Then something happened.

Our oldest headed off to college and my wife, a career stay at home mom to that point, started a career as a real estate broker.  Over the next few years, with the added income and the empty nest  soon to be upon us, I started to lose the why behind what I was doing.  I started losing focus on what I really wanted.

Most of you know this part of this story.  I started a new career as a coach, speaker and trainer.  As I created this new identity and crafted the trade, I began to once again, find the driving force, the reason to persevere to make it in this new world.  Now that I am fully engaged in this new profession and have added the label author to the mix as well, I once again can honestly say that I have the drive to do whatever it takes to reach my goals.

It has not been easy and it has taken time to complete the transformation, but now I see how the ability to persevere through the difficult times is really the one thing that will empower you to get there.

So what does all this mean?  Simple, now that I have learned from the heartache and the struggle.  Being clear on your why, will provide a way.  It is crystal clear to me when I examine those individuals I would consider “successful.”  If you don’t believe me, take a look around.

I spent too many years “in-between” and quite honestly, I never even knew it. Hindsight is 20/20 but I don’t want you to have to learn the hard way like I did.  So a few questions and a challenge and these ones really count.

What do you really want in life?  And why do you want it?  Be careful how you answer that second question – remember what I said earlier – a strong enough why will produce a way [tweet this].  Another way to look at it courtesy of John Maxwell; “If you have lost your why, you will lose your way.”  So here is the challenge; take some time and figure out the answer to those questions and put it to the test.  If you are not finding the success you are looking for, you may not have a strong enough why to persevere through the difficult times.

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Click here to get a copy of my Kindle Book “The Manifesto Of An Influential Leader”

Click here to listen to the encore presentation as John Maxwell shares how to “Influence through Connecting”

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Barry Smith   11/16/13   photo by author   © Building What Matters 2013

The post Perseverance Pays Off – When You Know What You Want! appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

Kaye and Giulioni are the first authors that I have seen write completely from the “coaching” perspective.  The coaching philosophy I believe in suggests that results are brought about by answering the curious question.  This book is full of questions, and excellent questions at that.

Kaye and Giulioni do an outstanding job of mixing quotes, questions and action items to provide a must read for any leader or manager.  Below is a quick summary of the nine chapters that paint a beautiful picture of what your employees are really thinking.

1.  Develop Me or I’m History

Whether they have the awareness or not, employees want to know what is next, more specifically, what is next for them.  The simple fact is that without a way to grow, they will be unable to grow.  Remaining in the same place, doing the same thing, with the same skills is not sustainable.

2.  Can We Talk?

How often do you check in with your employees?  No, I am not talking about saying hello and goodbye at either end of each day, I am talking about really checking in.  How are they doing?  What is going well?  What needs improvement?  Taking the time to sit down with the people that are generating your income tells them they are important and they are valued and that you care about their future.

3.  Let Hindsight Light the Way

Looking back and evaluating what worked and what didn’t allows your employees to gain the clarity and focus needed to move forward in a positive way.  This type of analysis allows them to use the past to build their future and remember, help them grow or watch them go!

4.  Feed Me

I love this one.  Employees want feedback.  Why? Because it tells them if they are meeting up to expectations.  I don’t know how many times I have heard “If only someone would have told me where I was falling short, then I could have done something about it.”

5.  What’s Happening?

There is nothing more frustrating than feeling left in the dark.  As an owner or employer, you don’t have to tell them everything, but how about enough to keep them engaged.  Enough to keep them interested.  Do they even know what they are working towards.  Give them some ownership and watch them take a little more pride in what they produce.

6.  If Not Up … Then What?

It used to be that everyone thought the road to success was a vertical climb.  Not so much anymore.  Employees are more willing, in fact I believe more wanting, of a balanced career. One that gives them time for their family and personal interests.  If more pay comes with more time commitment and stress, you might rethink the job description.

7.  Same Seat, New View

If someone has mastered their role, you don’t have to send them up the ladder.  They may already be in their sweet spot.  But don’t assume this will last forever.  Allow them to be creative in their role.  Give them more responsibility to use their gifts and talents.  This will keep their job fresh and interesting.

8.  Advancing Action

This is a big one.  As the “boss,” your responsibility is to give the employee a way to grow.  It will be their responsibility to do something about it, but you need to create the opportunity. Set a clear course for them moving forward and watch them navigate it successfully.

9.  Grow with the Flow

Keep growth in the forefront.  Providing a plan and then following up six months later is simply rolling the dice.  Keep in constant contact, even if for only a few minutes.  This is a way to keep everything in check and provide an opportunity to change course if needed.

As the authors put it; “Grow for it!”  Simply put, career development in important. Continual communication and opportunities will result in continual growth and continual success.

A couple of questions for you today.  “Have you achieved everything you want for yourself and those working for you?  Maybe the more important question is; “What are you doing about it?”

***********************************************************************

Click here to get a copy of my Kindle Book “The Manifesto Of An Influential Leader”

Click here to listen to the encore presentation as John Maxwell shares how to “Influence through Connecting”

Don’t miss a single post from Building What Matters by subscribing at the top left of this page. 

Help support us by clicking here and Liking our facebook page

Barry Smith   11/14/13   photo courtesy of Amazon   © Building What Matters 2013

The post Help Them Grow, Or Watch Them Go – What People Really Want appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.