Reading Time: < 1 min Depending on the role in your organization, you may have people above and/or below you in the hierarchy of the company. A good use of your emotions is to remember “when you’re up, go down, and when you’re down, go up“. If you’re feeling great, that’s a perfect time to chat those lower than you […]
Business
Watch the seeds more than the harvest
Reading Time: < 1 min It’s good to watch the harvest come in. For your business, that likely means seeing new clients sign up and your revenue head in the right direction. This can be a dangerous time, though, as it can cause companies to ease off on sales efforts while they enjoy the fruit of their labor. In many […]
You probably don’t need that NDA
Reading Time: < 1 min I’ve been asked to sign an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) a few times, and I’m always happy to oblige, as it’s really no extra effort on my part. However, 99% of the time the document is completely unnecessary, because the person asking for the signature is weighing their idea far above the level of effort it […]
Business isn’t a zero-sum game
Reading Time: < 1 min In some areas of life, particular sports, the results are zero-sum; for one team to win, another has to lose. Every year, some team makes it to the Super Bowl and loses, but that’s the only way to make winning possible for the other team. Beyond sports, though, most of life and business isn’t zero-sum. […]
You aren’t rewarded for your effort
Reading Time: < 1 min If you’re five years old and you spend a few hours hand-making a Christmas present for your mom, she’ll appreciate it simply due to the effort that you put into it. The same can be true when it comes to fitness, where your effort directly affects your outcome. When it comes to business, though, effort […]
Familiarity helps you to discern
Reading Time: 2 min I mentioned yesterday that as your expertise grows, the options that you see tend to shrink. Instead of viewing all possible options for a given situation, you’re able to quickly narrow down to the most likely. Related is your ability, primarily in your area of expertise, to notice small changes that others might miss. A […]
What is your service really worth?
Reading Time: < 1 min Last year I shared the idea of “perceived value”, as that’s really what matters in a business transaction. You certainly need to provide actual value, but it’s how your customer perceives it that really matters. In a TEDx talk, Casey Brown shared a similar story about charging what she’s worth. She had the same conclusion […]
What is the real goal?
Reading Time: < 1 min Goal setting is essential to help move forward in a meaningful way, whether we’re talking about health, business, or any other skill you want to develop. A key to it, though, is to understand the true underlying goal. For example, a goal might be for your business to finally reach a million dollars in annual […]
Don’t wait to be told
Reading Time: < 1 min I recently finished reading John Miller’s excellent (and rather short) book QBQ (The Question Behind the Question). The focus of the book is about taking responsibility rather than handing out blame, even when blame feels like it might be more appropriate. One piece of taking responsibility is choosing to push things forward without waiting for […]
Determine the conditions to quit before you start
Reading Time: 2 min Perseverance is a wonderful trait to have. If you can fight through obstacles to reach your goal, that’s an amazing thing to do. At times, though, people will keep pushing at a dead end, and end up wasting time that could be put toward other ventures instead. The difference can be very hard to spot […]