Personal Excellence Advertisers April 2015

Do Words Really Matter?: Six questions to improve the power of your message

Recently my son decided that he wanted to change a class in his junior high schedule. My wife and son went to pay a visit to the school counselor. During the meeting, the counselor asked him why he wanted to change to a different science teacher. He said, “Well, most of the time I have a difficult time focusing, which makes the teacher really hard to understand.” To this the counselor replied, “What you really mean is that your teacher is boring and you can’t stay awake. Is that right?” He responded, “Well I didn’t say exactly that.” Unfortunately for him, she did not allow him to change teachers

Making Important Decisions: Seek solitude, not just meditation

“What? You’re not meditating?” demanded a recent article. It went on to explore today’s “mindfulness meditation” mania, so popular that it has already sparked the backlash that we fickle beings accord anything that captivates us for longer than a news cycle.

Believe in Yourself: Go where you've never gone before

If you've already passed a particular age and start thinking, "I have this big dream, but I'm too old," take heart. Even if you're in your forties, or fifties – big goals can still be in store for you – even if you're past 60, 70, or 80! Chances are good that you're going to live longer than you think you will.

SPINE: Where inspiration comes from

Inspiration is one of the cornerstones of making progress. We all get inspired by different things at different times, but how many of us take the time to actually consider where our inspiration comes from? One thing is sure: Inspiration does not allow itself to be forced, not onto ourselves, and definitely not onto others. When I was asked to present a talk on where I have found inspiration in my life, I came up with five sources, which, as I learned afterwards, are fairly identifiable for most people. These sources are:

Goal Setting*: Achieving extraordinary performance

A great deal of research confirms that having goals motivates individuals and organizations to achieve higher performance than if they have no goals2. If we want high performance, we almost always establish goals as a way to attain it. It is important to recognize, however, that the kinds of goals established are important in predicting success. For example, the figure below illustrates some of the effects of different types of goals on performance3.

Avoid Massaging the Ego of Your Boss: Build compatibility with your boss

"People ask the difference between a leader and a boss.... The leader works in the open, and the boss in covert. The leader leads and the boss drives." - Theodore Roosevelt The caption probably puts you in a fix whether you have to massage your boss’s ego. Before we arrive at a conclusion there are various aspects to know such as the difference between a boss and a leader, and four models from organizational behavior (OB).

Ideation Space: Spend time in this space to become more productive

Ideation space. The optimal environment where you form ideas or thoughts, where dreams crystalize, desires are birthed, problems are solved, and creativity blossoms. A place where your senses are heightened as you connect deeply with your inner motivations and interests, and block out external distractions. Purposefully spending time in this space requires disconnecting from the daily demands of the urgent and immediate, to connect with the important and meaningful. It involves moving from the emotions of the moment, to reflecting on the underlying values and beliefs that govern your life. Time spent in your ideation space can rejuvenate you to become more productive, focused, and innovative.

Changing Culture: By working with structures

When I worked as a blue-collar worker on the lines of the factory floor, workplace drama would erupt sometimes because we didn’t have enough chairs for everyone to be comfortable. Someone would steal a chair. Another would go to the supervisor to tattle about the chair-steeling and the supervisor would tell the tattler, “I didn’t ask you to work here,” or some sage advice about how life is not supposed to be fair. Needless to say, the culture was not as much about creating or teamwork as it was about fending for yourself, tattling and other forms of unproductive behaviors that I refer to as workplace drama.

Molding and Maintaining Your Personal Brand: The big 4 questions

Truth to be told, you already have a brand as brand is something that people say about you when you leave the room. Personal brand follows the idea of taking strategic steps to getting yourself out there professionally as people like Tiger Woods, Oprah, Tony Robbins and Stephen Hawking, - people who are experts in a field and combine their skills, talents, mission and clear marketing -do to create something meaningful.