If you are still on track with your goals – good on you.  That being said, it takes about 30 days to start a new habit or become consistent in the transformation you are seeking.  It will probably get a little tougher before it get’s easier.

I don’t want to jinx the future, but I believe this post will help you through the tough times as you take on these new challenges.  One of my mentors taught me that failure won’t ruin you, it will reveal you.  What does that mean?  What I believe it means is that as you begin to slip from your commitment to heading to the gym, writing 500 words a day or whatever else it might be, challenge yourself to understand what is being revealed in that failure.

Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Learn!

Remember what John Maxwell says; “Sometimes you win and sometimes you learn.” You see, failure won’t ruin you.  You have attempted many goals in the past and like all of us, have failed almost as many times.  That doesn’t have to be the end.  But here is the deal – you won’t achieve every goal you set out to.  Sorry – simply speaking the truth here.  I am more concerned with why we fail.  More specifically – what is revealed in the process.

It has been said that; “When you have a strong enough WHY, the how will take care of itself.”  (Tweet This / Share on Facebook / Post to LinkedIn)

So put your why to the test.  When you fall short you have two choices.  You can look at it as failure or you can see what is revealed during the process.

Plan Your Work And Work Your Plan!

Maybe your why is strong enough, but you have failed to set yourself up for success and left out a key ingredient to success.  Maybe the environment you are in is not conducive to your success.  Achieving goals is much more than simply the desire to change or start something new.  You need a game plan – and one that will work.

I think the biggest reason people don’t achieve their goals is because they don’t put enough thought into the way to achieve the goal.  They simply write down on a piece of paper what they want to achieve, tape it to the refrigerator and hope that looking at it a few times a day will give them the motivation they need to achieve it.

The Fifteen Minute Miracle

I know many of you are killing it so far.  On track and feeling strong.  Some of you may be struggling or have already given up on one or more of the goals you set for 2014. There is nothing wrong with the idea of “don’t fix it if it’s not broke” but if there is an opportunity to get better, why not consider it?  Don’t give up!  There is still time to get back on track – maybe all you need is a little more clarity and a slight course correction.

15 Minute Miracle

I lead a group of new members to the John Maxwell Team through a 90 Day Success Roadmap and one of the resources we use is called the 15 Minute Miracle.  This very simple and highly powerful tool almost guarantees success – if you use it right – and will make you much more productive immediately.

All you have to do is break down your day into 15 minute increments.  What?  That’s it?  Yes!  I know what you’re thinking … it can’t be that easy.  Well it’s not – it’s not because you have to actually do it and do it consistently. Give it a shot and tell me I’m wrong.

A simple but very important question for you today.  Have you created the right plan to achieve your goals?  Remember – set yourself up for success!  When you face failure, ask yourself what is being revealed – what has contributed to the failure and how can I change it.
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Barry Smith    1/13/14   photo by author   © Building What Matters 2014

The post Failure Won’t Ruin You, It Will Reveal You! appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

I have had my share of challenges just like everyone else, but for the most part, things have worked out for me and I never had to discipline myself to achieve some major goal or overcome a significant challenge.  To be honest, I think this has hurt me more than help me.  I think a lot can be learned from being disciplined to do something consistently and once completed, I think it empowers you to achieve even more.

The last few years I have had high expectations of myself and have set many goals. Many I achieved and some I did not.  Why did I fail in some areas?  I think I can point to one common theme – Discipline.

Now I’m a pretty smart guy (most of the time) and it didn’t take me too long to realize that if I am going to accomplish the goals I set for myself, I need discipline.  So I did the smart thing – I asked for some help.  I now have a few people holding me accountable to be disciplined.  End of story – mission accomplished – right?

Well sort of.  This is where I think I have been messed up in my thinking.  I know other people that are disciplined.  They run so many miles a week.  They go to the gym so many days a week and so on.  We all know these people.  They seem to accomplish whatever they set out to do.  What makes the difference?  How come they get it done consistently?

Well here is what I think.  They get it done consistently because they START consistently.  Starting is the key to finishing.  Here are some helpful ways to get you started.

STORY – If you are attempting to be disciplined, there is a story behind why you are doing it.  What is your story?  Are you clear on the reasons you are attempting to start, stop, do more or do less of something?  A strong story will provide the strength to succeed.

TELL SOMEONE – I mentioned it earlier, have someone hold you accountable.  Make sure they know exactly what it is that you are trying to accomplish.  No one can do as much by themselves as they can with the help of others.

ACTION – Actually doing the work is what will accomplish the goal.  Starting is the first step to finishing and starting takes action.  Wanting to do something is great, but that intention, by itself will accomplish nothing.

RISK – Let’s spin it a little bit.  We usually look at doing something new based on what it will add to our lives.  How often do you evaluate the risk of not doing something?  Sometimes the real risk is in deciding to do nothing at all.

TIME MANAGEMENT – What is the best way to start something?  Get it on your calendar.  This has been the best tool I have found to help me reach my goals.  My calendar does half the work for me.

So back to the question posed in the title of this post.  Is discipline the hard part or the easy part?  In my opinion, it is the hard part.  Doing the work is really pretty easy once you start.  When was the last time you gt in your car to go to the gym and turned around half way to go back home?  When was the last time you went for a walk and turned around at the end of your driveway?

A month from now, everyone will be talking about New Year’s Resolutions.  My challenge for you today – START NOW!  Unless of course, you can tell me why January 1st is a better day than today to start doing something you need to do now.

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Barry Smith   12/2/13   photo by author   © Building What Matters 2013

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Although the official release of Scott’s first book, Discover Your Sweet Spot – The 7 Steps to Create a Life of Success and Significance, is not scheduled until the first of the year, I have had the opportunity to be included in a group to receive an early release of the book.

Yes, this is another book that focuses a lot on leadership, but Scott provides 7 steps that will guide you along a path to success and significance in whatever lane you are travelling.

Scott is the Vice President of the John Maxwell Team and one of the team mentors.  A very successful businessman in the Landscaping business, Scott parallels the ideas of DESIGN, BUILD and MAINTAIN into whatever environment we find ourselves.

This will be the first of three posts taking us through the 7 steps that will teach us how to Design, Build and Maintain a life of success and significance.

PHASE 1: DESIGN YOUR LEADERSHIP ENVIRONMENT

STEP 1 – Discover Your Sweet Spot – Design with the End in Mind

For the last 30 years I have spent countless hours reviewing construction drawings.  Without fail, the better the design, the better the project and more importantly, the fewer problems along the way.

It has been right in front of me most of my life and I never got it, not until Scott showed me how just as a good design can produce a great project, it can produce the same in your life or leadership ability as well.

That design, when done correctly, will land in your Sweet Spot.  Scott breaks down your sweet spot like this; “The convergence of three things: Purpose, Passion, and Plan.”

• Purpose is who you are designed to be.
• Passion is what you love to do.
• Plan is the strategic convergence of being and doing.

As Scott puts it; “Living and working from our Sweet Spot results from intentional design, not accidental disorder.”  I love that!  Are you living by design or disorder?

STEP 2 – Sweat the Small Stuff – The Devils are in the Design

This is a great step.  Scott describes the importance of ALL the details, especially the small ones because they really represent the minor adjustments that can make a major difference.

These “Design Devils” come in many different forms and again pulling from his years in the landscape business Scott gives us the infamous five that seem to show up the most often.

POOR DRAINAGE – The people that we bring into our personal or professional life need to be intentional and not accidental.  The people you surround yourself with are going to create the environment in which you wish to grow.  this will determine the flow of your life.  How conducive is your environment to success?

CONTEXT CONFUSION – When you add something to your life, a relationship, a new toy, a bigger house and so on, have you really considered how critical it is to your plan or purpose?  It’s kind of like the shiny squirrel syndrome – we get attracted to something because it looks good, but in reality it may not serve our overall design.

HIGH TRAFFIC – There are clearly areas of our life that receive more traffic than others such as our health.  Face it, everything we do consumes our energy.  If the design does not allow us to refuel, eventually we will run out and … well, you fill in the blank.

AESTHETIC MISFIT – Teamwork makes the dream work, right?  We have got to surround ourselves with those that as Scott puts it; “believe like we believe, but who think different thoughts.”  If you don’t have a shared value system and seek the same desired outcome, it simply won’t work.

SHORT-SIGHTED PLAN – We have to design with the end in mind.  Being short-sighted will result in one of two things:

1. We assume something will stay the same when, really, it’s designed to change.  Or
2. We assume something will change when, really, it’s designed to stay the same.

I have reviewed numerous books and many have had a specific topic or targeted audience.  Discover Your Sweet Spot is for everyone.  We all have a Sweet Spot, but very few are living in it.  If you want to get there, do yourself a favor and pre-order this book.

In the mean time, I leave you with these three questions from John Maxwell referenced by Scott in the book:

• What is required of me?
• What yields the highest return?
• What creates the greatest reward?

When you discover the same answer to all three of these questions, you have Discovered Your Sweet Spot!

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Barry Smith    9/11/13   photo courtesy of Scott M Fay   © Building What Matters 2013

The post Discover Your Sweet Spot – Part 1: Creating The Design appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

Have you ever wondered how many people actually base their decisions at election time on the platform of the candidate they vote for or simply to change who will be in office?  I have.  No political statement here, I think this way of thinking impacts both parties.

Here is the problem.  These vote are not voting for something, they are actually voting against something.  That something is the way things have been.  Doing this is no more productive than rolling the dice.  50/50 chance right?  So is a fifty percent chance good enough for you?  I am sure most would answer am emphatic “NO!”

Let’s take a look at this from the personal perspective.  How intentional are you about making changes in your life?  I was working with a client recently who has a difficult challenge ahead of him.  We sat down and went through the entire situation and game planned it out step by step, IN WRITING.

By the end of the session, the client had the clarity and self-confidence to tackle the challenge head on.  This is what happens when there is intentionality added to the equation.

So let’s revisit something that I have talked about before when it come to change.  When you plan to change something, it usually helps to have goals to do so.  These goals should be SMART goals.  Some of you already know about SMART goals so for you this is simply a reminder to make them SMART.  If you don’t know about them, your are about to receive the golden ticket to success.

SPECIFIC

Make your goals specific.  When you are very clear on what it is you are trying to change, you will have a much better chance to succeed.  Be as specific as you can eve if it adds sub-goals to reach the desired outcome.

MEASURABLE

Make your goals measurable.  If you can clearly identify whether or not you are accomplishing what you set out to do, you won’t get results you are looking for.

ATTAINABLE

Make sure that your desired change is realistic.  If you plan it out step by step, you should be able to identify whether or not you can actually achieve it.  The more you break it down, the easier it becomes to see if each step is doable or not.

RELEVANT

So often we simply desire change for the sake of change.  Your goals should be relevant to achieving your purpose of following your passion.  If the goal is not, you may want to questions why you are seeking it.

TIME BOUND

Set a specific date or time period to the change you are looking for.  This not only creates accountability to the process but also allows you to measure progress along the way.

I think everyone is looking for some type of change in their life.  So a simple question for you today friends:

“Are you tired of the results you’ve been getting?  If you are, maybe it’s time to change what you’ve been doing.  And if you are going to change, be SMART about it!”

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Barry Smith    7/5/13   photo by amazon   © Building What Matters 2013

The post If You Really Want To Change, Be SMART About It! appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

The 5 Pillars is a project that I have been working on for almost two years and had a great time with the official launch of “The 5 Pillars of Influential Leadership” Coaching program on May 23th.

Why the 5 Pillars?  I have spent more than 30 years in the business world and although it has been primarily in the Construction world, the 5 Pillars philosophy works across all industries.  In fact, while developing this program I realized that it can have a significant impact on your personal life as well.

I will break down each Pillar into three sections, personal, business and community. Any growth or improvement needs to start within, with the end goal of influencing the community you live in.  In this post we will take a look at BUSINESS COMMUNICATION.

Whoever said “Communication is the key to everything” was right.  John Maxwell dedicated an entire book, Everyone Communicates, Few Connect, to connecting with others when we communicate.  Never forget that it takes two to communicate.

ACCOUNTABILITY

My two words that are required to achieve almost anything … intentionality and accountability.  Being held accountable is the one thing that will get you over the hump.  The simple fact is that very few of us can successfully hold ourselves accountable.  Make your goals known and have someone hold you to them.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Some people are good at it.  Some people are bad at it.  Most people simply run from it.  The longer you put off resolving conflict, the more difficult it will become.  Communicate early and often and although conflict is inevitable, it can also be a great way to come up with new ideas and concepts.  The key is to remain calm, rational and respectful.  Right or wrong, everyone’s opinion matters.  Approach conflict with any other mindset than that and you will struggle.

TIME MANAGEMENT

Funny that I include this, when I actually don’t believe it is possible.  I believe that we really can’t manage time.  We can only manage ourselves.  The best way to manage time is to schedule out your time (in writing) and follow the plan.  If you want to call it time management, fine, but you better be clear on what it is that you are managing.

RECOGNITION

Recognizing the accomplishments of others will not only provide the accolades they deserve but will help fulfill the human desire to feel wanted.  Recognition for a job well done actually rates higher on the list of what keeps employees loyal and engaged than monetary compensation.  Interesting … how much does it cost to say Thanks?

PROBLEM SOLVING

Solving problems can be done much easier when there are many hands involved in the process.  When faced with a problem, make sure everyone knows exactly what it is and more importantly, the expected outcome upon solving the problem.  You would be amazed at how many times two people are working on the same project, headed in completely different directions.

DECISION MAKING

Making a decision requires saying “NO” to something.  You have to say no in order to say yes.  “Keeping your options open” only makes the decision that much more difficult when you finally make it.  Most of the time we know the answer, we are just afraid to say no.

ENCOURAGEMENT

Everyone needs a little encouragement now and then, right?  Wrong!  Most people need a lot of encouragement a lot of the time.  Never assume that all is good.  Be positive and encouraging even in the best of times.  We can always do just a little better and sometimes all it takes is a little nudge.

PLANNING

Do you have a plan?  Is it a good plan?  Life doesn’t happen by accident and if you want to be in control of your life, you better have a plan. Plan your work and work your plan and you will have all the time you need to succeed.

AFFIRMATION

I believe that what most people want is to be valued.  That happens through affirmation. Even though many people could not answer the question “What is your purpose” they want to feel like they are serving one.  Use every chance you get to make someone feel like they matter.

The 5 Pillars coaching program will take each topic to a much deeper level.  We will explore open ended questions and how they are directly impacting your life and more specifically in this segment, will allow you to evaluate and understand your role in growing your business.

In the mean time, start asking the type of questions that will result in better answers. When you ask “How can I”  you get an answer that will move the needle.  “What can I do today to improve the way we communicate together?”  Answer that question, act on it, and you will succeed.

RELATED:

• Click here to see Part 1
• Click here to see Part 2
• Click here to see Part 3
• Click here to see Part 4
• Click here to see Part 5
• Click here to see Part 6
• Click here to see Part 7
• Click here to see Part 8
• Click here to see Part 9
• Click here to see Part 10
• Click here to see Part 11
• For more on The 5 Pillars of Influential Leadership and to view my video click here
• To view my guest post in the 2013 International Leadership Blogathon click here

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Barry Smith    6/27/13   photo by author   © Building What Matters 2013

The post The 5 Pillars Of Influential Leadership – Part 12: Our Communication appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

Loyalty is a pretty powerful word when you think about it.  When I think of being loyal, it is more than simply being committed.  Loyalty represents total buy-in.  It doesn’t matter if it’s a cause, a person, or an organization, loyalty is a product of trust.

I remember back when I opened my first IRA and had the ability to choose where I could put my money.  My father had been a stock broker for a short while and I will never forget the advice that he gave me regarding investing.  You need to know the numbers but invest in the people leading the organization.

Good leader – good investment.  I think this is true most of the time.  I don’t follow the market much anymore but as someone in the leadership field, I often read about what business leaders are doing and how they impact their tribe.

What I find interesting are the articles I read about employee retention and turnover as related to the success of the company and the leadership in place.

What I have observed is that people are more loyal to the people they are working for than the dollar amount on their paycheck.  A down year with strong leadership does not necessarily create a mass exodus.  On the other hand, when a strong and trusted leader departs the organization, even though times may be good, there is a tendency for the main players to depart as well.

We know that a dog is man’s best friend.  Why is that?  I think it is because the dog could care less about the bottom line, where we live, what kind of car we drive or where the decimal point is on our paycheck.  The dog is not attached to any of that.  He simply trusts his master and knows that he cares about him.

So, does loyalty last forever?  It depends.  I would suggest that loyalty to a school, business or cause will only last as long as loyalty to those in charge exists.

I know my loyalty to men such as Joe Paterno (Penn State), Jim Tressel (Ohio State) and Sean Payton (New Orleans Saints) dropped after their integrity was called into question.  I would have considered myself a loyal fan and follower of these men prior to their poor choices becoming public.  Their books still sit on my bookshelf but I honestly don’t know how soon I will feel inclined to open them up again.

My point is this – The only way loyalty lasts forever is if the integrity behind the cause, person or organization remains intact.  As I said before, loyalty is the product of trust.  So I guess as long as there is trust, there can be loyalty.  Broken trust eliminates that loyalty.

So the next time you make the statement that you are loyal to something or someone, think about what it is about that thing or person that makes you loyal.

Loyalty is a bond that can provide both motivation and satisfaction.  But remember, it will only be as strong as the people behind it.  Be careful who you invest in and how much you depend on them, and more importantly, start with yourself.

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Barry Smith    6/21/13   photo by author   © Building What Matters 2013

The post Does Loyalty Last Forever? appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

As my translator Anai and I entered our transport vehicle this morning, the driver told us we would be headed to a record store and sure enough, after about 30 minutes, we arrived at Casa Instrumental.

We walked into the office area above the showroom to await our coordinator and I honestly was unsure who we were to be training today.  Our coordinator greeted us and directed us out a back door.

What came next was the last thing I expected.  We entered the instrument academy.  The most amazing school for music I have ever seen.  We saw individual rooms for every kind of instrument.  Sound rooms with more electronics that I had ever seen in one place and décor so full of color and life that it made you feel like you were on a movie set.

We soon found out that we would be training teachers, managers and human resource staff at the most prestigious instrumental music academy in Guatemala.

The theme followed much like yesterday.  High engagement and high emotion.  The response was similar as well.  An incredible need for mentoring and leadership with everyone we worked with.

Some of the participants were hesitant to partake in the interactive part of our training.  With a little encouragement, they finally made it to the front of the class.  I asked them when we were done if they had been scared?  Yes.  Did they learn something about themselves?  Yes.  Were they glad they did it?  Absolutely!

Again, with an absolutely incredible job of translation by Anai, we witnessed transformation right before our eyes.  Several participants approached us afterwards to thank us and shared a unified new attitude of achievement.  “We will do this.  We will change our Country.  We will not let you down.”

I explained to them that their focus needed to be not to let themselves down.  Not to let their families, friends and co-workers down.  They understood what I was saying.

After the training session, we were able to tour some more of the facility and found out that the Guatemalan version of American Idol was filmed at this location in their auditorium.  We were actually able to see some of the contestants practicing for the taping next week that will be aired on local television.

It has added so much to this experience to see the environment that the locals live in every day.  Part of me will remain with the people of this Country forever.  The images etched in my mind will not be forgotten, nor will the lives we have seen changed.

Our team dinner tonight, was again filled with great stories of change and a soccer ball signed by the entire team that was presented to John.  “I will put this in my office where I can see it every day to remind me of the greatest leadership week in my life,” John stated as he held the ball in his hands.  He added that this week has been an “outward experience resulting in an inward journey.”  I couldn’t agree more.

Tomorrow, we train in the morning, followed by a stadium event with attendance predicted in the thousands celebrating transformation.  That will be followed by an event outside of the City which we are told is one of the most beautiful places in Guatemala.

We do it one more time tomorrow.  It will be difficult to sleep tonight knowing that the world will change again for so many once again tomorrow and that I will be blessed to be part of it.

“La Transformación está en mí.”

• Click here to read Day 1
• Click here to read Day 2
• Click here to read Day 3
• Click here to read Day 4
• Click here to read Day 5

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Barry Smith    6/14/13   photo by author  © Building What Matters 2013

The post Guatemala – An Outward Experience For An Inward Journey appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

One of my favorite quotes by John Maxwell is “People don’t care about how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
I believe that the best way to let people know how much you care is to communicate in a way that tells them you do.

One of the biggest challenges I have had to overcome in an ongoing effort to improve my communication skills is active listening.  In the past, I have had a tendency to respond with my opinion before the other person had even finished their thought.  My guess is that if you are willing to be honest with yourself, you have been guilty of the same act.

It takes effort to be a great communicator and we all know the importance of communication.  The problem lies in the fact that we are typically more concerned about adding value with our “opinion” then we are will simply listening to someone else’s.  OK guys, I know we are “fixers” and have some strange desire to save the world by solving every problem that comes along.  Guess what?  Most of the conversations we are involved in, don’t require any fixing.

Have you ever wondered why women speak more words per day then men do?  It’s because they are more concerned about the relationship and less concerned about “fixing things.”  Intentional or not, women are better communicators.  Their genetic makeup allows them to care more about what is being said.

Alright, this post is not about a battle of the sexes, it is about being a better communicator and how that can improve our lives and raise our level of success in whatever we are doing.

The thing that people want more than anything is to feel valued.  The best way we can do this is to validate their feelings.  I know … guys don’t talk about feelings, right? Well, that is right to a certain extent.  Remember when I said that women are better communicators?  This is why – their focus is on the relationship.

Again, this has statistically been shown to be true so it’s not just me saying it.  The fact is, women are better at validating the feelings of the person they are communicating with.  So let’s all take note here, not of the gender issue, but of the simple fact that validating a person for how they feel, regardless of how you may really feel, opens the door to interject what you believe and creates an environment that is conducive to better “two-way” communication.

Are you being HONEST and AUTHENTIC when communicating?  Do you practice PATIENCE when LISTENING?  Are you ENTHUSIASTIC and CHARISMATIC about the things that matter to you?

Do you use words that AFFIRM and ENCOURAGE?  Does your DECISION MAKING help in PROBLEM SOLVING and CONFLICT RESOLUTION?  Are you being held ACCOUNTABLE for your PLANNING and TIME MANAGEMENT practices?

Are you clear on your MISSION and your VALUES?  Is MANAGEMENT being RESPONSIBLE in protecting your REPUTATION and in providing CUSTOMER SERVICE?

We need to let our conversations focus on the person that we are communicating with and allow them to write us into the conversation.  Until that happens, they are not going to care what we know anyway.

So today’s encouragement is this:  The next time you want someone to care about what you know, you better let them know how much you care!

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On May 23rd, at 8:00 pm ET, I will be hosting a free call introducing “The 5 Pillars Of Influential Leadership” Coaching Program.

This will be a content filled call that will not only teach you about influential leadership but also about leading an intentional and successful life.  The words in capitals above are topics within Pillar #4 – COMMUNICATION.

This is the fourth of five posts related to the 5 Pillars that will go out prior to the call on the 23rd.

For more information and to register for the free call CLICK HERE.

To see the first video on Pillar #1 – AWARENESS click here

To see the second video on Pillar #2 – ENVIRONMENT click here

To see the third video on Pillar #3 – GROWTH click here

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Barry Smith    5/20/13   photo by author   © Building What Matters 2013

The post Do Your COMMUNICATION Skills Tell People You Care? appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

I think most of the people I spend time with are fairly honest but hey, we’re all human and sometimes truth just seems to get lost in the shuffle.  I think what happens more than lying, is just not telling the entire story or not providing all the facts.

I suppose there are times when leaving out certain parts, that have nothing to do with the outcome or moving forward, is acceptable, but in doing so, we take the chance that we won’t be able to recreate the story just like we told it the first time.

Here is the problem with just telling part of the story – when we tell it again and it’s different, we lose credibility and trust.  Those are pretty important pieces of any business or personal relationship.

Anyone who doesn’t take truth seriously in small matters cannot be trusted in large ones either. – Albert Einstein

Remember those two words I just mentioned – credibility and trust?  What do you think will happen when there is doubt cast on your story?  How will your boss or your employees feel if they don’t think they got the straight scoop?  Any time your truthfulness is questioned, it is a step back and not one easily regained.

My guess is that all parents, at some point in time during your children’s lives, tell them that “telling the truth is always better than telling a lie” and don’t forget “you will never get in as much trouble telling the truth as you will telling a lie.”

I wonder why we as adults don’t always follow the same advice.  We all have enough going on already.  It doesn’t even make sense to use your mental energy to “try and keep your story straight.”

I think there is overlooked aspect of telling the truth.  Not the obvious choices like morals and ethics, but awareness.  I think awareness plays a big role in our ability to tell the truth.  I think when we have a clear idea of the big picture, not telling the truth does not fit into the equation.

Think about this … when you create your goals or cast a vision for your team, are there any steps along the way that require lying?  In fact, have you ever written a plan out, or even seen one written by someone else for that matter, that included lying as one of the steps to achieve the goal.

So here is my logic on this.  If lying is not part of the plan to succeed, why would we incorporate it into the game plan?  The answer I came up with is obvious, we forget about the big picture.  Rather than deal with the inevitable roadblock that get’s in the way, we come up with some story or way out to avoid the issue.

Inevitably this will come back to bite us (you know it always does) and will slow us down or worse yet, destroy the plan completely.  Like I said earlier, most of the people I spend time with a fairly honest and I would include those reading this in that group. But we all are well practiced in getting in our own way and have no trouble completing the occasional slip up.

Mark Twain said, “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.” Sounds like pretty good advice to me.  I have a hard enough time remembering as it is.  

Telling the truth is always better that telling a lie, but when you do (and you will), come correct, own it and make it right.  

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Barry Smith www.buildingwhatmatters.com 4/27/13  photo by author

The post Telling The Truth Is Like An Elephant – Neither Of Them Forget! appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.

The 5 Pillars is a project that I have been working on for almost two years and am looking forward to officially launching “The 5 Pillars of Influential Leadership” Coaching program on May 23th.

Why the 5 Pillars?  I have spent more than 30 years in the business world and although it has been primarily in the Construction world, the 5 Pillars philosophy works across all industries.  In fact, while developing this program I realized that it can have a significant impact on your personal life as well.

I will break down each Pillar into three sections, personal, business and community. Any growth or improvement needs to start within, with the end goal of influencing the community you live in.  In this post we will take a look at COMMUNITY AWARENESS.

We need to know where we are at, what we have done that brought us here and most importantly, where we want to be.

PERSPECTIVE

You have all heard the expression “a narrow perspective” that describes someone who only views something in a limited way.  When we broaden our perspective to include all that is going on around us, we increase the potential for many of the opportunities that pass us by every day.

PROCESS

Some people are always looking for shortcuts.  Anything to save time or money.  Now there is nothing wrong with doing things more efficiently, but leaving parts of the process completely out will lead to disaster.  Identifying, understanding and following the process needed for any desired outcome is the ONLY way to succeed.

STORY

You have a story.  Your business has a story.  Your community has a story.  All those stories have been instrumental in where you currently are, both in body and mind.  Do you spend enough time thinking about the next chapter?  No matter what happened yesterday and no matter what happens today, tomorrow always brings a clean sheet of paper.

TRUTH

What is the truth?  Got you thinking, don’t I?  You can always do what you think is right but have you considered what the perceived truth is by those around you?  The truth is that you better be aware of how fast lack of truth will result in lack of trust.  Grandma always said you will never forget your story when you tell the truth.  Neither will your clients and customers!

BRAND

Personal brand and business brand – how much do they matter?  If you think of it like a label on a can to tell you who made it, it might not be that significant.  If you think of it like a representation of who you really are or what your business really represents, the meaning gets a lot more meaningful.

The 5 Pillars coaching program will take each topic to a much deeper level.  We will explore open ended questions and how they are directly impacting your life and more specifically in this segment, will allow you to increase your level of awareness as it relates to your community.  Community awareness and the awareness you have of your community will be instrumental in a successful life or business.

In the mean time, start asking the type of questions that will result in better answers. When you ask “How can I”  you get an answer that will move the needle.  “How can I be part of the solution in raising the level of awareness in my community”  Answer that question, act on it, and you will succeed.

RELATED:

• Click here to see Part 1 of The 5 Pillars Of Influential Leadership
• Click here to see Part 2 of The 5 Pillars Of Influential Leadership
• Click here to see Part 3 of The 5 Pillars Of Influential Leadership
• For more on The 5 Pillars of Influential Leadership and to view my video click here
• To view my guest post in the 2013 International Leadership Blogathon click here

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Barry Smith   www.buildingwhatmatters.com      4/25/13            photo by author

The post The 5 Pillars Of Influential Leadership – Part 4: Where Are They? appeared first on BUILDING WHAT MATTERS.COM.