Showing posts with label effort. Show all posts
Showing posts with label effort. Show all posts

August 16, 2021

I'll Go First

I do wake up at 4am wondering if my life is fulfilled. It may not be the same time on the clock for you, but I'm going to guess I'm not alone. I worked with a guy early in my career who was instrumental in my professional development. He was awesome, in fact. And he passed away earlier this month. He was about 15 years older than me and now I'm thinking about what will I do in the next decade and a half that will matter. 

I get lost. I get scared. Sometimes I don't know what to do next. Occasionally I forget that I do have gifts to give the world and just to keep going. I can say the same for you. There are times when I wonder if it will all work out. Of course, worrying with no action won't get me anywhere, so I give myself a mental kick in the backside and keep going. 

What Have We Learned? 

We are still in a global pandemic and if the conversations I've had over the least 18 months are anything like the ones you've had, people are stressed but wondering what they want to truly do with their lives to be happy. I spoke with a colleague this week I hadn't spoken with in probably a decade. She and her partner are thinking seriously about dumping their careers, selling their house, getting rid of most of their stuff, and moving to Costa Rica to help others. That's so cool and brave. 

I don't suggest we have to go to those lengths to find happiness, but doing the same crap we've been doing for the last couple of decades may not be working either. So yeah, there are early mornings when I wonder what I could be doing to better my life and the lives of others. And that's okay because I will be more worried when I stop thinking about those things. 

Now it's your turn.
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July 13, 2021

Your Next Want

You've said it; you’ve heard it; you’ve been asked it - what do you want? It’s a huge question and most of us have a list. It’s too much to ask. I want to be financially stable. I want a puppy. I want to have millions. I want to retire. I want to live in a lakefront mansion and sip iced tea all day.

We all dream of winning the lottery. We all let our minds wander to places where we perceive our problems will vanish and life will be endless bliss. It's like the old story of the nine year old boy who is once asked; "So Sam, what do you want to be when you grow up?" and Sam quickly replies; "I wanna be rich!" 

Tougher Done Than Said

It took me years to grasp the concept of the fear of success. It sounded counterintuitive. The fear of failure, to me, is easy to understand. You don't want to fall on your face or run out of money or have to give up things you have your life. The embarrassment of failing is terrible. But, what about our fear of what we will do if what we try actually works? How will you handle the responsibility of that dream coming true?

The marketing genius Seth Godin once challenged that it's easier to fail small. Complaining about the fact we never amount to anything or we're not meant to win or no one ever gives us a break, is way easier than the unwavering persistence required to achieve something we want.

It's Way Too Big

In my opinion, it's easy to say you want a Bugatti Veyron because odds are pretty good it will never happen. It's much more difficult to identify the small shifts we need to make every day to get to the bigger dreams we possess. My business partner and I have been working on a project for close to a year. There are days we wonder if we are out of our minds. But each day, you push a bit more, ask a little bit more, and keep at it. Giving up now will only make us forever wonder what if we had kept going. 

You have dreams. You have things you want to accomplish. You have stuff that may feel a little out of reach. But I'm willing to bet if you suspend those for just today and think about what you could do right now to get what you need right now or your next want, over time, those bigger things will come clearer into focus. 

Let's try that and see what happens.
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January 30, 2020

Advice for Leaders

Flexibility will garner better results. You don’t need to make every decision.
Show grace under pressure. If people call you sensitive, thank them.

It's better than being insensitive.

Turn your wounds into wisdom.
Oprah Winfrey

Don't let job titles get in your way. Trust your gut.
Don't play favorites.

Resist the temptation to take all the credit.
Fall seven times, stand up eight. (Proverb)

A short no is often preferred over a long maybe.
Bury the past. Laugh at least once a day.

We acquire the strength we have overcome.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Don’t hesitate this time. Be honest about your efforts.
No is a perfectly acceptable response.

Respect is how to treat everyone, not just those you want to impress.
Richard Branson

Balance confidence with competence.
Self-doubt serves no one. Own your decisions.

The purpose of our lives is to be happy.
Dalai Lama

Imagine. Create. Share. Lead.
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September 15, 2017

18 Random Thoughts

Make time for think time. Help someone without them knowing
Call them back. Make it about them.

Bury the past. Laugh at least once a day
Complaining solves nothing.

Stop comparing yourself to others
Trust your gut. Pick up the phone.
Connect don’t collect.
Say no. Own your decisions.

Balance confidence with competence
Self doubt won’t help. Don’t hesitate this time

Be kind to yourself.
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August 26, 2016

Someday

I have literally lost count how many times I've heard a phrase that begins with the words; "Some day I'm going to..." Do we mean it or are we stalling? If you want to write some day, start writing today. If you want a new job, start looking today. If you want to leave that relationship, leave it today.

Easier said that done? That's one excuse. But if you look back at your life, how often when you've taken that action have you've said you should have done it earlier? Are we afraid to make the changes, moves, shifts, in our lives or are we more happy to complain about not making them?

Change is hard; doing nothing is harder

In the last two years, I have sold a house, moved twice, shifted my consulting business to a full-time roll at an agency, reconnected with some great friends, and I often think it was easier than I feared it would be while I stayed stuck for far too many years. You know what you want. It may take time, more money, some additional training,

I don't write that from some perfect perch above fear, I have lost count the things I've "meant to" or "wanted to" do; we all have that list. The key question is whether we're going to take those items off the list or actually do them. Because we could keep nestled in the safety of "some day I'm going to..." or take the shot.

It's irrelevant without one critical ingredient – action

Try this. Put your entire focus on that one single thing. Now make only one decision; whether you are prepared to do what it takes to accomplish it, or accept you don't really have the desire.

The late Jim Rohn had a great phrase I remind myself often - especially in those moments when I'm lying to myself about some day I'm going to - and that is; if you want something bad enough, you'll find a way; if not, you'll find an excuse.

Let's find a way.
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May 10, 2016

Pray. Don't Eat. Fail.Try Again.

We've heard it, read it, thought it, shared it, and known it for most of our lives. It takes time to be successful at anything. A lot of time. And work. No one gets to be successful without scars to prove their journey. We all get smacked on the side of the head when we least expect it and life isn't always chocolates and rainbows.

It took you a while to get good at what you do now. But are you doing what you truly love? Are you doing something that you love more than you love yourself? Have you found your purpose? How do you define what success means to you?

Imagine your work becomes world renowned

You could become Barton Fink – the fictional character who suffers debilitating writer’s block trying to recreate your success – or you could be Elizabeth Gilbert.

In 2006, Gilbert wrote Eat Pray Love that spent 199 weeks on the New York Times best seller list, became a movie in 2010, and made her a success beyond the dreams of most writers. Then she had two choices and explains how failure can mean success.


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December 29, 2015

Resolutions Begone

The year is ending, the reflections continuing, and the resolutions compiling. I wonder why we don't pick the middle of April or the second week of September to do this, but this when we seem to build a big list of will stop, start doing, do less, do more, etc.

There are ample data to show we don't really intend to keep most - if any - of our new year's resolutions. We mean well, but we're completely full of crap. If we wanted to cut down on beer, we can do that on May 17th or decide October 19th is a good time to start going to the gym.

Here's a thought...

Take a few minutes and dream; let yourself go. What do you really want to do in 2016 you have always wanted to try but never had the balls do to it? It doesn't have to cost a bunch of money or take a lot of time, but something completely for you.

Forget judgement or anyone's opinion. One thing that you honestly want to do and will commit to doing it. It can have absolutely nothing to do with your work or family or friends or anyone else. Or we could all make a bunch of empty promises we won't keep in a champagne haze at midnight like we do every year.

That seems to work never.
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As a passionate leader, Kneale Mann has extensive experience as a business advisor and project manager in numerous industries and organizations including; human resources, corporate training, financial services, media, real estate, healthcare and more. He is always open to meeting leaders who want to improve their bottom line through strong culture and leadership. knealemann@gmail.com

April 27, 2015

Know. Want. Care.

I don’t know how to change the oil in my car. I’m sure I could figure it out but I don’t actually want to know and don’t much care to learn. So the fact I don’t know how is irrelevant. You may not know how to fly a 747 jet but you may have the aptitude and even the interest to take the years of school and training required to learn. So the fact you don’t know is replaced by the desired to find out.

In my work, a manager may say to me; “I don’t know how to navigate all the different personalities on my team”, but she may add that she wants to learn. What’s important is not that she doesn’t know how, but that she has the desire to figure it out.

Do you know, want, or care?

We can read books and articles about the brave who have made bold moves in their lives. We are impressed by their fortitude but when relating it to something in our own lives, it may not seem so simple.

The three motivating factors for most of what we do in our lives is whether we know how to, want to, or care to. Simple to say, not always easy to do, but not knowing how to do something may not be the end result.

Mean what you want

A friend of mine recently shared a situation in his life where a relationship isn’t going so well. He is frustrated and says he doesn’t know how to change it. I asked him one simple question – do you want to find out how to change it? He said is isn’t sure. That may sound odd but it makes sense.

We get caught in situations and they become our comfort zone and we play out all the scenarios of what could happen if we made changes and we get stuck. So his desire to change it, is still unclear. The fact he doesn't know how, almost becomes irrelevant.

Discovering whether we want or care is critical.
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Kneale Mann | People + Priority = Profit

April 7, 2015

How to Kill Your Dreams

It's what most of us seek. It's the reason we travel the journey.
But what is it really? How do we know when we achieve it?

Success is defined by what you want in your life, not what others may think. Bel Pesce outlines five ways for us to not follow our dreams and give up trying to find success.


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Kneale Mann | People + Priority = Profit

October 30, 2014

Learning Trust

We see the claims everywhere. On billboards, websites, annual reports, company material, political campaigns, and marketing collateral. Other words for it include; reliance, faith, belief, hope, confidence, or evidence that you are trustworthy.

Onora Sylvia O'Neill – Baroness O'Neill of Bengarve – is a philosopher and a crossbench member of the British House of Lords who outlines our three most common ideas about trust and how they may be misdirected.


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Kneale Mann | People + Priority = Profit

TED | Onora O’Neill

October 12, 2014

What is Authentic?

The simple definition is something that is genuine; of undisputed origin. But we human types aren't simple. Or perhaps we make it complicated.

At an early age, we are told to set goals and focus on results as if life is simply a recurrent process of projects and tasks. It makes sense in the business world, I suppose, because we want a return on investment to show those who watch the outcome. And without revenue, business grinds to a halt.

In our fast-paced never satisfied reach for the next thing even if we haven't defined it world, is there room for authenticity? 

There are two sides to every connection; dad to son, co-worker to manager, supplier to customer. It takes both to create that authentic relationship. It's a heavy load to expect we can always find that in the interactions we have with each other.

Maybe there's far too much work to do, deadlines to meet, things to build, and products to ship, to find true authenticity. Perhaps we have to discover if we have the desire to find out if it’s possible.

I think it’s always worth the effort.
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Kneale Mann | People + Priority = Profit

shutterstock

October 4, 2014

Changes

It may win an election. It looks good on a coffee mug. It gives us hope for better results. But what does change really mean to you and me? Some say we don’t mind change but we don’t want to be changed. It’s perhaps easier to point to large events in our lives as change but we are constantly changing.

Change is inevitable, the only constant is change, we’ve heard it our whole lives. But how often do we let external forces create the change rather than knowing we have more control than we allow?

Despite the effort of our conscious minds – thinking, hoping, fretting, and trying – our subconscious only measures our actions and pulls us back into our (often not so comfortable) comfort zone.

Some other thoughts on the topic.

It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.
W. Edwards Deming

You can do anything you choose to do.
Maya Angelou

When we are no longer able to change a situation,
we are challenged to change ourselves.
Victor Frankl

When in doubt, choose change.
Lily Leung

You must welcome change as the rule but not as your ruler.
Denis Waitley

You must do the thing you think you cannot do.
Eleanor Roosevelt

We all have big changes in our lives that are more or less a second chance.
Harrison Ford

How can you know what you're capable of if you don't embrace the unknown?
Esmeralda Santiago

When you are through changing, you are through.
Bruce Barton

The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists.
Japanese Proverb

You have to speak your dream out loud.
Kelly Corrigan

Our only security is our ability to change.
John Lilly

The only way to make sense of change is to plunge into it,
move with it, and join the dance.
Alan Watts

No heart has suffered when it goes in search of its dream.
Paulo Coelho

Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.
Jim Rohn

If you are taking a risk, what you are really saying is,
I believe in tomorrow and I will be a part of it.
Linda Ellerbee

If you live the questions, life will move you into the answers.
Deepak Chopra

People underestimate their capacity for change.
There is never a right time to do a difficult thing.
John Porter

To exist is to change, to change is to mature,
To mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly.
Henri Bergson

When you're trying to motivate yourself, appreciate the fact you're even thinking about making a change. And as you move forward, allow yourself to be good enough.
Alice Domar

I still don't know what I was waiting for and my time was running wild.
David Bowie

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Kneale Mann | People + Priority = Profit

david bowie | istock

December 5, 2013

Do You Cause Trouble?

If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.
Jim Rohn

When we look at history, how often do we praise those who stayed between the lines? When did we last commend those who played by the rules and did what they were told? And where is the museum dedicated to those fearful of pushing boundaries?

No idea has ever been universally embraced from day one but that’s around the time most give up. We’ve all done it. We get an idea, someone says it’s dumb, and it dies. In order for a new idea to grow and survive; minds needs changing, focus needs realignment, and bias challenged. Courageous moves, valiant ideas, and brave action create that type of result. But that’s for other people to worry about, not us, right?

If you obey all the rules you miss all the fun.
Katharine Hepburn

We admire those who have guts to take chances. We like people who make a splash and blaze a path. But we subscribe to the “I really really really hope things will get better” strategy. Sure, the troublemakers do all the heavy lifting and change the world, but we’re not them. We prefer to tuck ourselves comfortably into what is expected of us and keep our desires for the wish list. It’s much easier to cite myriad reasons it didn’t go our way than take a chance and face ridicule. Who wants that?

Visualizing the solution before it arrives has been necessary for every idea that has ever seen the light of day. And then it has required help from others to see it through. But we couldn't possibly share our ideas and change the world. That will never work. We have rules to follow and protocol to respect.

Society honors its living conformists and its dead troublemakers. Mignon McLaughlin

There are people working on ideas right now that will change the world. But only those who share those ideas will actually accomplish them. We all have a warehouse full of cool ideas we didn't have the guts to step up and share and what good have those done for any of us?

Leadership is not about covering your corporate backside so you get that bonus and the VP stripes next quarter. It is about providing an atmosphere where ideas can be shared and true growth can happen because finding the no’s is easy. Putting in the time to find another yes requires work. So let’s get to work and share our ideas.

Unless you don’t want to cause any trouble.
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Kneale Mann | Leadership Strategist, consultant, writer, speaker, executive coach facilitating performance growth with leaders, management, and teams.

turbosquid

December 3, 2013

Learning and Other Bright Ideas

A couple of years ago, I began posting quotes, ideas, and thoughts on Twitter each morning that could be silly, life changing, or anything in between.

Some from December 2013

Flexibility will garner better results. You don’t need to make every decision.

Show grace under pressure.

If people call you sensitive, thank them.
It's better than being insensitive.

Turn your wounds into wisdom.
Oprah Winfrey

Don't let job titles get in your way.
Trust your gut.

Resist the temptation to take all the credit.
Fall seven times, stand up eight. (Proverb)

A short no is often preferred over a long maybe.
Bury the past. Laugh at least once a day.

We acquire the strength we have overcome.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Don’t hesitate this time. Be honest about your efforts.
No is a perfectly acceptable response.

Respect is how to treat everyone, not just those you want to impress.
Richard Branson

Balance confidence with competence.
Self-doubt serves no one.

Lower the bar and your best people will leave.
The culture begins with you. Own your decisions.

The purpose of our lives is to be happy.
Dalai Lama

Imagine. Create. Share. Lead.
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Kneale Mann | Leadership Strategist, consultant, writer, speaker, executive coach facilitating performance growth with leaders, management, and teams.

November 2, 2013

Helpful Hints and Other Wisdom

In the last couple of years, I've gotten into the habit of finding quotes or sharing quick ideas every morning on Twitter. Use ‘em, toss ‘em, share ‘em, your call.

Here are some highlights from November 2013

Stay hungry. Stay foolish. Steve Jobs

Collaboration only thrives when all involved care about all involved.
Help someone without them knowing. Your experience and time are not free.

Understand what you need and then ask what they need.

Our best work is ahead of us. Connect don’t collect.
Why would you hire you?

Example is leadership. Albert Schweitzer

Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow will never arrive. Let's focus on today.
You’re only as good as your team. Be kind to yourself. Never stop learning.

I believe you have to be willing to be misunderstood if you're going to innovate.
Jeff Bezos

Complaining solves nothing. Few argue with their own data.

Success is not a random act. Malcolm Gladwell
Power is the ability to get things done. Rosabeth Kanter
The secret of success is getting started. Mark Twain

Stop comparing yourself to others.
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Kneale Mann | Leadership Strategist, consultant, writer, speaker, executive coach facilitating performance growth with leaders, management, and teams.

istock

October 1, 2013

Simple Can be Complicated

A couple of years ago, I started something on Twitter. It began with a thought or quote, an idea or something funny, and now it's something I post every morning.

Here are the highlights from September 2013

Don't let tomorrow wreck today. Randy Pausch
Sometimes you need to cut the line and find a new lake.
What will get your focus today? Take time for think time.

The secret of success is getting started. Mark Twain

Asking for help is a sign of strength not weakness.
Never underestimate the power of helping someone.

Someday is today. Focus is a choice. Lend a hand today.

Leadership is to create an alignment of strengths,
making our weaknesses irrelevant. Peter Drucker

There is a distinction between meaningful work and busy work.
Trust yourself, you've earned it.

If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.
Albert Einstein

No is easy. How requires effort. Be persistent.
Say thank-you to those you appreciate today.

Anything is possible when everybody buys in. Ray Lewis

Be who you are. Say what you feel.
Those who mind don't matter.
Those who matter don't mind.
Theodor Seuss Geisel (03-04-1904 - 09-24-1991)

Obstacles, hurdles, and challenges are where we grow.
The occasional digital day off can do wonders.
Surround yourself with people who will help refine your strengths.

Innovation is saying no to a thousand things.
Steve Jobs (02.24.55 - 10.05.11)

You are capable of so much more.
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Kneale Mann | Leadership Strategist, consultant, writer, speaker, executive coach facilitating performance growth with leaders, management, and teams.

asianscientist

March 13, 2013

13 Lucky Thoughts

Step on a crack, break your momma’s back. Walk under a ladder and let the black cat cross your path. It’s just a number yet today being the 13th; millions will do whatever they can to avoid its apparent unluckiness.

I believe leadership is 10% about the work and 90% about the people and those times when we appear to have been lucky quite often are the culmination of a lot of help from others. Some don’t believe in luck at all.

In keeping with the spirit of today, here are 13 inspirational ideas.

If you want more luck, take more chances, be more active, show up more often.
Brian Tracy

The deepest thing in any one is the conviction of the bad luck that follows boasting.
Gertrude Stein

The meeting of preparation with opportunity generates the offspring we call luck.
Tony Robbins

Good luck is a residue of preparation.
Jack Youngblood

If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform one million realities.
Maya Angelou

I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.
Stephen Leacock

The amount of good luck coming your way depends on your willingness to act.
Barbara Sher

Luck is believing you 're lucky.
Tennessee Williams

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
Eleanor Roosevelt

When it comes to luck, you make your own.
Bruce Springsteen

Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you are successful, it is because somewhere, sometime, someone gave you a life or an idea that started you in the right direction.
Melinda Gates

Diligence is the mother of good luck.
Benjamin Franklin

Good luck!

Kneale Mann

photodictionary

July 3, 2012

Are You Inspired?

Malcolm Gladwell calls them Outliers, others call them lucky breaks, and some refer to them as fateful events but to break the tie, let’s simply call them accelerators. These are the events, people, opportunities, mentors, and moments that create more horsepower. It's what we do with these opportunities that matters most.

Leadership comes from within as well as from external sources. He inspires us because others have helped him move faster, live more, work harder, and conquer adversity. She surrounds herself with inspiring people who push her so she can be strong to do the same for others.

INSPIRED: The Movie

Meet Arthur Boorman through the lens of Steve Yu and Ken Young. If you haven’t seen this, take a few moments and do so. If it inspires you to move, you can also help them finish the film. And then do something you've always wanted to try.

But be careful, you might actually succeed.


Kneale Mann

Inspired: The Movie

November 21, 2011

The Tricky Art of Scaling Your Business

"Anything you build on a large scale or with intense passion invites chaos.Francis Ford Coppola

I seem to have several conversations daily surrounding the same topic – scaling. There are millions of bright talented experienced business owners who want to grow their companies save a couple of crucial issues – time and money. There is no concrete way to control the speed of scaling but often it feels like it's not happening fast enough. Some days it moves at a snail's pace.

You want to grow your revenue line and you know in order to do that you need extra help but you can’t afford the extra help because you are too busy working on the current revenue stream. And you can't seem to grow the revenue because of all the prospecting and meeting and selling and trying to get your current client work done.

Sound Familiar?

This is an issue that has faced business forever. Others with much less money or experience have solved what each of us faces which perhaps makes our concerns even more annoying. We love to hear stories of people born of meagre means to fight and claw their way to a successful career.

We know we can do it but its a mix of our impatience and some pedestrian items we need to corral. Scaling is a challenge for everyone from sole proprietors to c-level executives of corporations with a global footprint.

Here is a list of things to think about (I know I do) when you look at how to scale your business...

Find the Quiet
Anyone who knows me, knows I have a busy brain. That does not always mean I’m getting it all done, sometimes quite the opposite. Busy doesn’t mean progress. Find those moments where you can shut it all off, listen to some music, put your feet up and clear your mind.

Be Honest About Your Effort
We can usually find external fault in the slower pace of our business growth. The truth is, we need to look inside to ensure we are doing all we can. That’s usually where the slowdown is occurring.

Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
We all do it and it is a complete and utter waste of time. We can claim that numbers and stature and position don’t matter (they don’t) but we make them far more important that they are, stop shaking your head, you do so.

Ask Often and Always
This is where most businesses fall apart. I know I see my work slow down when I stop asking for business. We get timid, we don’t want to appear to be selling, but without sales there is no business. Find your way. No ask, no business.

Get Help
Small business, large corporation, c-level executive, sole proprietor, no one makes it on their own. No one. Ever. Surround yourself with a mastermind group of people from all walks of life with two purposes – to tell you the truth and to offer advice.

It’s Not Their Fault
When played properly, life is a team sport but we need to own our part.

Find the Decision Maker
How often have you had discussions with someone who can’t make the sale for you? Why would you try and sell to someone who isn’t in the position of buying? We've all done it far too often.

Be Clear About Your Offer
Elevator speech, website, social profile, in-person meeting, if you don’t believe what you are then no one will. Often companies get stuck or worse go backward when they begin to get unclear on their offer. Qualifying the sale is essential too. There's no sense talking to anyone - decision maker or not - if they're simply not interested.

Decimate the Naysayers
They are everywhere. Stay away from them. Delete them from your life. They will do absolutely nothing but derail you. Advice is fine, negativity is destructive.

Walk a Mile
This is not about comparing yourself to others but rather learning from others. Find people who have gone through what you’re going through. This is why some of the best hockey coaches are former hockey players. This is precisely why the most successful people have mentors.

Take it Offline
The online social networks are wonderful for finding like minded people along thought silos void of geographical limitations. Get on the phone, book a coffee or lunch, get out of the office and meet people in person or hear their voice. No social networking tool is more powerful than human interaction.

Be Sure You Want This
Follow your gut. Find the quiet. Get help. Listen to yourself and learn what you want.

Let's get back to work!

Kneale Mann

image credit: newmoon | original: mar 2011

March 13, 2011

Community: What's In It For Them?

When speaking with people about their business, I’m often struck by how often the existence of an omnipresent group is brought up. The marketing is this, the suppliers are that, they don’t follow, they don’t buy. We do good work and we want others to notice and appreciate it. We want return on our investment.

Will You Change?

But we are looking at the situation strictly from our perspective. We want others to change and shift to fit our model. I have prospects, clients, event participants often ask “will it work?” They don’t like the answer “it all depends” because they want a guarantee or a quick win. It’s not what you can do, it’s what you will do. I can’t do that part for you.

We have been on this earth for hundreds of thousands of years and despite some claims, there are no guarantees. There are too many moving parts and the most important part is us. My treadmill will not get me into shape by collecting dust in my basement. New clients will not find me by osmosis without my effort. And Twitter will not create a community on its own. It takes hard work, a concentrated effort and focus.

Lead the Followers

Derek Sivers is a fascinating guy who is a musician by heart who has developed a growing independent music community called CD Baby by accident.

We often think that we need to stand out in front when we lead, Derek offers another angle to consider. After you watch this three minute video, you may get a whole new perspective about how you nurture relationships. [video]


Kneale Mann

visual credit: TED
 
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