Success Common Sense

Out of the Mouths of Babes...

Today is Friday, so this post is on interpersonal competence.

On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal ran a very interesting article on the front page – “Detroit Politician Gets lesson in Civility From a 13-Year-Old.”  It began…

“When Monica Conyers, president pro tem of Detroit’s City Council, called the council president ‘Shrek’ during an angry exchange at a hearing in April, one city resident found the remark immature.  ‘That’s something a second-grader would do,’ says 13-year-old Keiara Bell.   ‘You’re an adult.  We have to look up to you.  We’re looking on TV and we’re like this is an adult calling another adult a Shrek’?”

In case you’re not up on your popular culture, Shrek is an animated movie character who is an ogre.

A few weeks after the incident at the council meeting, Miss Bell was part of a student panel convened by The Detroit News to ask questions of Ms. Conyers.

During the discussion, Ms. Conyers told Miss Bell that she felt that council president Kenneth Cockrel’s behavior was disrespectful.  Ms. Bell said, “But you didn’t have to call him a name.”

Ms. Conyers responded, “But now you’re telling me what I should have should not have done.”  To which Miss Bell said, “You’re an adult.  You have that choice.”

“I’m what?” said Ms. Conyers.  Miss Bell replied, “You’re an adult.  You had that choice.  Sometimes people need to think before they act.”

If Miss Bell isn’t on her school’s debate team, she should be.  She demolished Ms. Conyers in this brief one.  Of course, she was just pointing out simple common sense about interpersonal competence.  We can all choose how we react to provocation.  Interpersonally competent people don’t react by calling names.

But then it gets worse for Ms. Conyers.  She declined to comment for the WSJ story.  However, her chief of staff, Linda Bernard said that Ms. Conyers feels she is being targeted by the press because her husband, US Representative John Conyers, “Was recently in New York City and is considering having hearings about police brutality.”

Miss Bell makes for a compelling story.  Not too many 13-year-olds can hold their own, let alone triumph in a debate with an adult, let alone a seasoned adult politician.  Had Ms. Conyers been using her common sense, she would have used the WSJ article as an opportunity to salvage some dignity, not to lash out – through an aide -- at “the press” in general.

Had she asked me, I would have advised Ms. Conyers to admit that it was not appropriate to call her colleague a name, and to apologize to Miss Bell, the children and citizens of Detroit for setting a poor example.  The story would have died there.

Now, you have people like me blogging about it.

The common sense point here is simple.  Interpersonally competent people take responsibility for their actions.  They don’t call their colleagues derogatory names.  If they slip up and do so, they apologize immediately.  Leaders need to be aware that they are always in the public eye.  As a remarkable 13-year-old by the name of Keiara Bell has shown us, they need to set a positive example for the people they lead.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for reading.  Log on to my website www.BudBilanich.com for more common sense and to subscribe to my weekly newsletter “Common Sense.” 

I’ll see you around the web and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

Bud   

PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand, my fundraising page is still open.  Please go to www.FirstGiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.

Six Key Listening Behaviors

Today is Thursday, so this post is on dynamic communication.

All dynamic communicators are excellent conversationalists.  All excellent conversationalists are great listeners.  The other day, I read a very interesting book, “Same Words, Different Language” by Barbara Annis.  Ms. Annis bills herself as “the world’s leading gender specialist.”  After reading “Same Words, Different Language,” I’m inclined to agree.  If you are interested in understanding gender differences and how to deal with them, I suggest you read it too.

For purposes of this post, I want to concentrate on what Ms. Annis has to say about listening.  She says, “Active listening is what gives you those ‘Ah-hah’ moments.  How do you do that?  Follow these guidelines:

1. Take ownership of the situation.  It’s the only way to avoid becoming the victim of your own blind spots.  Try to recognize your own blind spots before you judge and evaluate others.  Ask yourself, “Is there something in what this person is saying that I’m not understanding?”  There probably is.
2. Ask questions.  Ask the person you’re listening to what they mean.  What’s their opinion on the issue?  How does this appear to them?
3. Use checking and framing strategies.  First check whether your assumption is true.  Maybe it is, but there could be more to it than you think.  Then frame your question in a way that avoids putting your boss or employee or colleague – or spouse – on the defensive.
4. Don’t rationalize or screen their responses.  Ask yourself whether you are having a dialogue, if you’re really listening actively, it means you’re learning something about the other person’s perspective that you never thought of before.
5. Don’t get on the defensive yourself.  “What you said hurt me,” is not a good way to get honest feedback.  Take ownership of your assumptions with a phrase like “I made an assumption about what you said to me.  I just want to check and see if that’s what you really mean.”
6. If you need to remind yourself about why it’s so important to check your assumptions, ask yourself some simple questions: What is my long term commitment here?  Do I want to make this relationship work?

Each of these six points is great common sense advice for becoming a better listener.  However, I would like to focus on Ms. Annis’ first point, especially the part, “Try to recognize your own blind spots before you judge and evaluate others.

I often make the following point with my executive coaching clients.  “When someone begins to speak, and you think, ‘That’s the craziest -- or weirdest -- or dumbest -- thing I’ve ever heard,’ pay close attention and listen real hard, because you’re probably about to learn something.”  I think this is what Ms. Annis means when she advises us to recognize our own blind spots.

When you immediately disagree with what someone is saying, chances are they’re hitting your blind spot.  They are advancing a point that breaks a paradigm for you.  In these cases, it’s natural to react defensively and dismissively.  However, an accomplished listener will put aside his or her immediate reactions, and spend the time listening to understand the other person’s point of view. 

Understanding is key.  Once you understand, you can disagree – but it will be an informed disagreement.  When you disagree without understanding, you are not engaged in a dialogue with another person, but in an internal monologue with yourself where you are justifying you point of view.
And as an added bonus, I find that when I take the time to listen to what other people have to say, I often end up agreeing with their point of view, or at a minimum, I’ve learned a new way of thinking about an issue or idea.

The common sense point here is simple.  Listening is critical to becoming an excellent conversationalist.  Excellent conversation skills are critical to becoming a dynamic communicator.  Dynamic communication is critical to career and life success.  Pay attention to all six of Ms. Annis’ points on listening, but pay special attention to her first point – recognize your blind spots before you judge and evaluate others.  You can do this by paying close attention to people who are advancing points with which you don’t agree at first.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for reading.  Log on to my website www.BudBilanich.com for more common sense and to subscribe to my weekly newsletter “Common Sense.” 

I’ll see you around the web and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

Bud   

PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand, my fundraising page is still open.  Please go to www.FirstGiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.

Outstanding Performers Focus on Important but Not Urgent Tasks

Today is Wednesday, so this post is on outstanding performance.

Outstanding performers are well organized.  They manage their time, life, space and stress well.  In 7 habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey shared is famous importance and urgency matrix for time management.

Urgent tasks are deadline based.  They are usually imposed by someone other than you.  The sooner the task needs to be completed, the more urgent it is.  Importance is independent of urgency.   Important tasks are those that you need to complete to achieve your goals. 

Dr. Covey’s matrix is conceptually simple.  There are tasks that are:

• Not Important and Not Urgent
• Not Important and Urgent
• Important and Urgent
• Important and Not Urgent

For me, writing this blog is an important and urgent task.  I have committed to posting every day, Monday through Friday.  That makes is urgent.  Also, this blog is my primary marketing vehicle.  That makes it important.  Life would be great if every task with which we are faced were this simple.

Not important and not urgent tasks are easy to forgo.  If they are neither important, nor urgent, I simply ignore them.

On the other hand, most of us are bombarded with tasks that are not important, but urgent.  Often these tasks come from our boss.  Just read “Dilbert” for a week to see what I mean.  It is difficult to refuse many of these tasks.  However, people who manage their time well have the ability to do so. 

When I am faced with such a task, I always say, “I was planning on doing this today.  I am happy to drop what I was doing and work on your request, but I want you to know that I will have to push back the completing of the other project.”  Sometimes, my bosses have said, “That’s fine.”  On other occasions, they have instructed me to focus on the urgent task that seems unimportant to me.

Here’s an example.  Many years ago, I was working for a large company.  I was in the Training and Development Department.  I was working on designing the curriculum for a sales manager workshop.  My boss’ boss came to me and said, “We have some important visitors from Japan here today.  I would like you to join them for lunch.”  I was zoned in on the training design.  I didn’t want to spend two and a half hours at lunch with guests.  So I told him that I was working on the sales manager curriculum design and asked to be excused from the lunch.  He told me that it was important for us to be good hosts and that I should make time for the lunch – so I did.  Urgent but not important won out that day.  And the reality of everyday life in most companies is that it often will.

However, rather than bemoan this fact, I’d like to focus on where you get the most bang for your time buck – important, but not urgent tasks.

Here’s an example.  Recently, I released my seventh book “Straight Talk for Success.”  Writing books is very important to me.  My books help me establish credibility with my current and prospective clients.  However, writing a book is a time consuming activity.  If I’m not careful and budget my time well, it is easy to let my book writing slip – because writing a book is an important but not urgent task.  I need to keep getting my thoughts out there – but I also have a business to run. 

If you’ve never done it, when you run a small business, you are faced with a series of important and urgent tasks.  You have to make the time for the important, but not urgent tasks.  Because if you don’t important but not urgent tasks have a way of becoming urgent – and still important.

Even though “Straight Talk for Success” has just been released and I am still marketing it very aggressively, I am beginning work on a follow up book tentatively called “The Official Guide to Success.”  You heard it here first. 

Cathy and several of my friends have said, “Give it a break, you just finished one, enjoy it.  Don’t get started on another book so soon.”  My response is that I want to keep the momentum I’ve gained – and I know that writing a book is an important but not urgent task that is all too easy to put off.

The common sense point here is simple.  Sometimes we’re forced into doing not important but urgent tasks.  Dispense with them as expeditiously as possible.  Make sure you keep up with your important and urgent tasks.  Most important, make time for the important, but not urgent tasks.  That’s where you’ll get the most out of your most precious and non renewable resource – your time.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for reading.  Log on to my website www.BudBilanich.com for more common sense and to subscribe to my weekly newsletter “Common Sense.” 

I’ll see you around the web and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

Bud   

PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand, my fundraising page is still open.  Please go to www.FirstGiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.

Three Keys to Building A Strong Personal Brand

Today is Tuesday so this post is on creating positive personal impact.

A strong personal brand is one of the three keys to creating outstanding personal impact.  Impeccable presentation of self and being polite are the other two.

The other day I was having a conversation with one of the people I mentor.  We were working on his personal brand.  I had given him an assignment of coming up with three or four words or phrases that by which he wanted to be known.

He came up with words like “loyal, dependable, true blue.”  He was dissatisfied with these words.  He said that they described him accurately, but he felt that they didn’t have enough pizzazz to be a memorable personal brand.  He felt as if he were stuck with an unmemorable personal brand.

I apologized, as I probably had been unclear in my instructions to him.  I should have asked him to come up with a three or four words or phrases by which he wants to be known.  This would have expanded his thinking from “what is?” to “what do I want to create?”  This is an important point – at the beginning, it’s OK if your personal brand is aspirational. 

I’m not saying that your personal brand can have no resemblance to the real you.  But I am saying that your personal brand can be something to which you aspire.  Your brand cannot stay aspirational for a long period of time.  Then it would be inauthentic.  However, if you take steps every day to move yourself closer to being the real you, you’ll be fine.

A good brand has three main features: clarity, consistency and constancy.  Clarity is a function of how well you state your brand.  It should be clear and concise.  I think “The Common Sense Guy” is pretty clear.  Consistency and constancy are functions of how hard you work at creating your brand.

If you act in a consistent manner and constantly keep your brand in the front of your mind, you should be able to turn your aspirations into concrete reality.  For example, I sometimes get messages from people telling me that they already have the knowledge and wisdom I post in these blog posts.  That’s OK with me, as common sense is called common sense because most people are aware of it – it’s the application that counts.  And if you notice, I always end every blog post with a paragraph that begins, “The common sense point here is…”  This is one way I strive to create constancy for my brand.

I find that consistency is the most difficult of the three brand C’s.  While I don’t like to admit it, I do not always follow my own advice, and sometimes act in a non common sense manner.  When I do, I do my best to immediately correct the situation. 

The common sense point here is simple.  Branding is hard work.  You have to stay on your toes in order to build and maintain your brand once you identify it.  There are three tests for a good personal brand.  Your brand must be 1) clear, 2) consistent and 3) a constant reminder of who you are and what you stand for.  It’s fine to begin with a brand that is an aspiration, but you have to do the work – especially around consistency and constancy -- to make it a reality.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for reading.  Log on to my website www.BudBilanich.com for more common sense and to subscribe to my weekly newsletter “Common Sense.” 

I’ll see you around the web and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

Bud   

PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand, my fundraising page is still open.  Please go to www.FirstGiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.

Self Confident People Ask For, and Often Get, What They Want

Today is Monday, Memorial Day in the USA, so this post is on self confidence.

I got a great lesson in self confidence yesterday from Cathy, my wife.  We are members of the Denver Art Museum.  We had been meaning to see a traveling exhibit, Inspiring Impressionism there ever since it opened.  It closed yesterday. 

We piled into our car and drove to the DAM.  As we were entering the parking lot, there was a sign saying that the Inspiring Impressionism show was sold out.  That was a drag, but all was not lost as there was another exhibit featuring the quilts of Gee’s Bend that we wanted to see.

Admission to the Museum is free for us because we are members.  When we entered the museum, a volunteer told us that the Inspiring Impressionism show was sold out.  I headed for the line that would let us in to see the permanent exhibits and the Gee’s Bend quilts. 

Cathy went to the will call for tickets for the Inspiring Impressionism.  She told the woman there that we were members, and asked if any tickets had been returned for yesterday.  Sure enough, two tickets were available, and we had an opportunity to see some great art. 

This reminded me of a story that I read in Randy Pausch’s book, “The Last Lecture.”

“On my dad’s last trip to Disney World, he and I were waiting for the monorail with Dylan, who was then four years old.  Dylan had this urge to sit in the vehicle’s cool looking nose cone, with the driver.  My theme park loving father thought that would be a huge kick too.

“‘Too bad they don’t let regular people site up there,’ he said. 

“‘Hmmmm,’ I said.  ‘Actually, Dad, having been an Imaginer, I’ve learned there’s a trick to getting to sit up front.  Do you want to see it?’”

“He said, ‘sure’.”

“So I walked over to the smiling Disney monorail attendant and said: ‘Excuse me could the three of us please sit in the front car?’

“‘Certainly, sir,’ the attendant said.  He opened the gate and we took our seats beside the driver.  It was one of the only times in my life I ever saw my dad completely flabbergasted.  ‘I said there was a trick,’ I told him as we sped toward the Magic Kingdom.  ‘I didn’t say it was a hard trick.’

“Sometimes all you have to do is ask.”

I relearned that lesson yesterday.  I had seen at least three signs and had one person tell me that there were no tickets available for the Inspiring Impressionism show.  I believed them, and was willing to give up.  Cathy was not so easily deterred.  She got us two tickets for the show.

The common sense point here is simple.  Self confident people ask for what they want.  They may not always get it, but often they do.  Randy Pausch and his father and son got to ride in the nose cone of the Disney World Monorail – because he asked.  Cathy and I got to see the sold out Inspiring Impressionism exhibit at the Denver Art Museum – because she asked.  Ask for what you want.  If you get it, great.  If you don’t, don’t take it personally.  I bet you'll be surprised by how often you get the things for which you ask.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for reading.  Happy Memorial Day to those of you in the USA.

Log on to my website www.BudBilanich.com for more common sense and to subscribe to my weekly newsletter “Common Sense.” 

I’ll see you around the web and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

Bud   

PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand, my fundraising page is still open.  Please go to www.FirstGiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.

Paul Dillahunt MD A Gifted Cardiologist and Interpersonally Competent Person

Today is Friday, so this post is on interpersonal competence.

In a previous post, I mentioned that my Mother had a heart attack.  She had to be air lifted from her local hospital to Baptist Medical Center in Jacksonville Fl.  She was met there by a cardiologist, Dr. Paul Dillahunt who placed a stent in her heart to open a blockage.  This all happened at 2:00 in the morning.
Dr. Dillahunt is a gifted surgeon.  He showed me the before and after x rays of my Mom’s heart.  The difference was dramatic.  This post is about Dr. Dillahunt, but not his expertise as a Cardiologist.  It is about his level of interpersonal competence.

If you read this blog with some regularity, you know that interpersonally competent people have three things in common.  1) They understand themselves, and use this knowledge to better understand others.  2) They build strong, mutually beneficial relationships with the people in their lives.  3) They resolve conflict in a positive manner.

During this difficult period for my family, Dr. Dillahunt distinguished himself as an interpersonally competent person.  The morning after my Mother’s emergency surgery, he called me in Denver to discuss her condition.  When I expressed some surprise that he took the time to call me, Dr. Dillahunt said that he knew I would want to hear first hand about my Mother’s condition.  He explained that his Mother is elderly and he would like to be kept informed of her condition had she been admitted to a hospital.  By so doing, he demonstrated a high level of self awareness that translated into his willingness to put himself in my shoes.  He called because he wanted me to be aware of the situation.  I really appreciated this.

He also told me that he would call if my Mother’s condition changed.  Sure enough, I received a phone call from him the next day, telling me about a minor change in her condition.  Dr. Dillahunt kept his word.  Even though the change was minor, he called.  He told me he did so because that’s what he promised to do.  By this call, he demonstrated his willingness to keep his commitments – something that is important to building strong, trusting relationships with others.

In these calls, Dr. Dillahunt explained that my Mother was in no immediate danger and that I didn’t need to rush to Jacksonville, but it would be a good idea for me to visit her in about a week.  When I got there several days later, he met me in the cardiac care unit and explained my Mother’s condition in great detail.  We spent about 20 minutes in conversation – which is quite a long time for a busy doc making his rounds in a hospital.  Dr. Dillahunt answered all of my questions, and gave me his card, telling me to feel free to call him if I had further questions.  Every time I saw him while I was visiting the hospital, he made time to talk to me and answer my questions.

Dr. Dillahunt displayed a great deal of empathy for me and my family.  In my book, he is not only a first rate physician, but a first rate person.  He is truly interpersonally competent.

The common sense point of this story is simple.  Interpersonally competent people are good relationship builders.  They are empathic.  This empathy comes from a high level of self awareness that allows them to understand how others are feeling in any given situation.  They build strong relationships by keeping their word.  And, when conflict arises, they resolve it in a positive manner by focusing on where they agree with the other person, not where they disagree.  Dr. Paul Dillahunt, of Jacksonville Fl, is a poster boy for interpersonal competence.  I feel fortunate that he was there to treat my Mother.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for reading.  Log on to my website www.BudBilanich.com for more common sense and to subscribe to my weekly newsletter “Common Sense.” 

I’ll see you around the web and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

Bud   

PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand, my fundraising page is still open.  Please go to www.FirstGiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.

Dude -- Chill on the Slang, It Is So Not Cool in the Workplace

Today is Thursday, so this post is on dynamic communication.

I’ve sung the praises of Women’s Edge Magazine in this blog on several occasions, the most recent being Monday of this week.  If you missed it, you might want to check out the post I did on Muhammad Ali’s greatest lesson.

The current issue of Women’s Edge has a great article on communication written by Kim Mills and called “Bounce the Slang, Dude.”  Ms. Mills has a great sense of humor.  She begins by saying, “Have you ever heard a conversation but did not understand what was being said?...I’m talking about hearing English that is clearly enunciated yet uses a combination of words that form a sentence that doesn’t make sense”.

She provides the following example…

“That was a hella’ big sale you got dawg!  I bet Shawn’s a hater since h got flossed on the deal.  He should give you big props though ‘cause you’re a player.  That’s OK; you’ll get some mad cheddar for this win and show him who’s da’bomb!”

This translates to something like…

“Congratulations on your big sale.  I bet Shawn is pretty jealous because you got the deal instead of him.  Shawn should show you some respect for what you accomplished, and because you’re good at what you do.  Besides that, you’ll be getting a big commission from this sale, and you’ll probably end up being the top salesperson.”

Granted, the example is a little over the top – but not by much.  Slang is becoming more and more accepted – even though it can create confusion and hamper effective communication.  In yesterday’s post, I used the word “ginormous” – mostly as a joke, and partly because I like the sound of it.  If you don’t have the most recent version of the Merriam-Webster dictionary ginormous is an adjective that means “Bigger than gigantic and bigger than enormous; a colossal combination of the two.”

Ms. Mills says, “Once used primarily in private with close friends and family, slang seeped through these boundaries surfacing in music, films and television.  And with the advent of the internet, wireless phones and instant messaging, a separate language, based almost entirely on slang has emerged.  This ‘slang creep’ continues to flood our environment and now sows up in the workplace impacting our face-to-face communications, letters, e mails and voice messages.”

She argues that using too much slang at work can get you labeled as a person of low intellect, too trendy and unsophisticated.  “Use ‘like,’ ‘dude’ and ‘cool’ a few times during an interview and you’re likely to be deselected for a position.”

I think this is great common sense advice.  Slang can hamper communication – especially between generations.  And, unfortunately, the older generation – baby boomers like me – are still in charge at most workplaces.  So why take a chance?  Save the slang for night’s out with your friends.  Use conventional English at work.

The common sense point here is simple.  Slang is so not cool in the workplace.  I mean, slang is inappropriate for the workplace.  If you use proper English, you will communicate better.  And effective communicators are the people who usually get the promotions and find themselves rising to the top. 

That’s it for today.  Thanks for reading.  Log on to my website www.BudBilanich.com for more common sense and to subscribe to my weekly newsletter “Common Sense.” 

I’ll see you around the web and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

Bud   

PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand, my fundraising page is still open.  Please go to www.FirstGiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.

Four Steps to Becoming an Outstanding Performer

Today is Wednesday, so this post is on outstanding performance.

If you read this blog with some regularity, you already know that I am a huge, no make that ginormous, fan of the new SUCCESS Magazine.  I love SUCCESS for many reasons.  In this post, I will discuss one of them.

The last page of the current issue is called “Action Plan: Turning Knowledge Into Power, 10 Actions You Can Take Right Now to Achieve More.”  Each of the actions on this page links to a story in the magazine.  I love this concept.  The Editors of SUCCESS not only provide great information in an easily readable format, on the last page of the magazine, they show readers how to apply the lessons contained in the issue.  As I’ve said before, if you’re not already a subscriber, you need to be.

Here are the first five suggestion in the Actions Plan…

• “Cut the ribbon.  Write down five things you are passionate about.  Write two to three businesses that relate to each of those passions.  Pick two and research them to either test your dream job (page 34) or open your own business (page 50).
• “Write your own check.  Do as Jim Carey did (page 11) and write yourself a check with a number you want to earn in a year.
• “Get round.  Learn from Leland (page 28) and get well-rounded by developing contingency skills and knowledge.  Write down one skill you will start focusing on developing or improving.
• "Failure training.  Write down one failure you had in your life and three things you learned from it (pages 25 and 32).
• “Raise the bar.  Step toward your Olympic gold by ratcheting up your goals (page 40).  Take your most import goal and raise it by 10%.”

These are five pieces of great, common sense advice.  Notice that they all ask you to set a goal,  and then make a commitment in writing to achieving it. 

Goals are a key step toward outstanding performance.  Successful people set high goals.  Then they do whatever it takes to achieve them.  I find that the easiest way to keep my goals on track is to set milestones. 

I set goals annually.  Once I develop my goals for the year, I create quarterly milestones for myself.  In other words, I break my goals into four manageable chunks.  I determine what I will have accomplished by the end of the first quarter, second quarter, third quarter and year end. 

Milestones keep me focused.  They also give me reason to celebrate the small accomplishments along the way that will result in my achieving the goals I’ve set for myself. 

In previous posts, I’ve mentioned that one of my 2008 goals is to earn at least 33% of my income from web related activities.  One of my milestones was to get “Straight Talk for Success” on the market in the first quarter of 2008.  I made that one.

However, I’ve decided to put the fifth piece of advice from SUCCESS Magazine to work.  I am increasing this goal by 20%.  My new 2008 goal is to earn 40% of my 2008 income from web related activities.  I’ll keep you posted on how I’m doing.

There are a few common sense points here.  First, turn your knowledge into power.  Do this, by taking what you learn and applying it.  The back page of SUCCESS Magazine gives you a great template for doing this.  Second, write your goals – they are more real that way.  Third, set milestones.  They will keep you on track and moving towards achieving your goals and they will motivate you by giving you reasons to celebrate every time you accomplish one.  Fourth, go for it.  Challenge yourself by raising your goals.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for reading.  Log on to my website www.BudBilanich.com for more common sense and to subscribe to my weekly newsletter “Common Sense.” 

I’ll see you around the web and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

Bud   

PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand, my fundraising page is still open.  Please go to www.FirstGiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.

Stay Calm, Be Prepared

Today is Tuesday, so this post is on creating positive personal impact.

I got an important lesson in creating positive personal impact yesterday.  That lesson was “remain calm, be prepared and problems will take care of themselves.” 

This lesson came as I was getting ready to conduct a complimentary teleseminar for people who purchased my new book “Straight Talk for Success.”  I had agreed with Peggy Murrah, Virtual Assistant Extraordinaire, to call in at three minutes before the hour.  Peggy was handling the administrative details and recording of the call.

About ten minutes before the call, my headset stopped working properly.  This freaked me out a bit because I would have to do the call the old fashioned way, holding the phone in my hand.  But that was nothing…

When I attempted to call into at 57 minutes past the hour, I got a message that said, “Due to local telephone company trouble in the area you are calling, your call cannot be completed.”  That shook me up a little bit. 

But Peggy is not the VA Extraordinaire for nothing, she had a back up service ready to go.  She sent the number to the subscribers -- and the teleseminar went off about seven minutes late.

Peggy was very cool and calm – and prepared.  Her back up service was the equivalent of carrying a spare bulb for the projectors I used to use in the old days. 

I was a mess.  Punctuality is one of my curses.  I am always on time.  I hate to keep people waiting, especially people who have purchased my book and are kind enough to join a teleseminar to listen to what I have to say.

As Peggy was letting everyone know the new number to call, I sat and took a few deep breaths.  I focused on what I was going to say – not the fact that we were late.  Once the teleseminar started, I was cool and calm and ready to go.

Thank you to those of you who tuned in.  Sorry we were late.  If you missed it, we will have a replay of the call up on the web very soon. 

The common sense point here is simple.  People with positive personal impact are able to remain cool and calm even when things are exploding all around them.  I have two suggestions for how to do this.  First, be prepared.  If you know your stuff and have a backup plan, you’ll be able to deal with unexpected setbacks easily.  Second, center yourself when unexpected problems happen.  Take a few deep breaths, concentrate on what you are doing, not the distraction caused by the problem.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for reading.  Log on to my website www.BudBilanich.com for more common sense and to subscribe to my weekly newsletter “Common Sense.” 

I’ll see you around the web and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

Bud   

PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand, my fundraising page is still open.  Please go to www.FirstGiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.

A Lesson From "The Greatest" on the Importance of Surrounding Yourself With Positive People

Today is Monday, so this post is on self confidence.

Self confident people have three things in common.  They are optimistic.  They face their fears and act.  They surround themselves with positive people.  In several previous points, I’ve made the point that mentors, by definition, are positive people because they are willing to help others grow and achieve.

The other day, Gary Tomlinson, of Women’s Edge Magazine, told me a great story.  In essence, it was Muhammad Ali’s response to the question, “what is the greatest lesson you’ve ever learned?”

Here is it is Ali’s own words…

“It was February 25, 1964, in Miami.  I was Cassius Clay fighting Sonny Liston for the heavyweight title.  He was the strongest man I’d ever fought.  Every time I hit him, it hurt me worse than it did him.  I gave him everything I had.”

“When the sixth round ended, I was completely spent.  I couldn’t raise my arms.  I couldn’t stand up to go back into the ring.  ‘I’m going home!’ I told Angelo Dundee (Ali’s longtime Manager and Trainer).  ‘I’m not going back in there!’”

“Angelo Dundee pushed himself into the ring and screamed at me to get ready for the seventh round. ‘I can’t do it.  I’m going home,’ I said.  Then the bell rang.  Dundee pushed at me and screamed, ‘Get in there and don’t come out until you are the Heavyweight Champion of the World!’

“I struggled to my feet and the rest is history.  Sonny Liston didn’t answer the bell, and I became the champion.

“Most people might think that my greatest lesson was, “Keep on keeping on.  Make one last effort.  Get up every time you’re knocked down.’  Those are all true, but they aren’t the greatest lesson I’ve ever learned.  The greatest lesson I’ve ever learned is to have someone pushing you and making you do things you don’t think you can do.”

Gary found this story in “The People Principle” by Ron Willingham .  I want to thank him for sharing this story with me.  I also want to encourage you to check out Women’s Edge magazine.  Go to www.womensedgemagazine.com.  The information and ideas that Gary and his partner, Slee Arnold, pack into every issue apply not just to women but to anyone interested in creating a successful life and career.  Check it out.  It’s a dynamite print magazine.

The common sense point to Ali’s story is simple.  Your mentors, if they’re good, will believe in you.  They will push you to accomplish things that you don’t think you can.  If you take their pushing as encouragement, you’ll find that you will be able to accomplish many things that you never thought possible.  That’s why I believe it is really important to find mentors who are willing to help you on your way.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for reading.  Log on to my website www.BudBilanich.com for more common sense and to subscribe to my weekly newsletter “Common Sense.” 

I’ll see you around the web and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

Bud 

PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand, my fundraising page is still open.  Please go to
www.FirstGiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.