Jul15

WORK – and getting to YES!

Posted at 7:13 AM • 2 Comments

We all work. Some are lucky and talented enough to do what they love. Others have learned to love what they do. Some folks – both! But no matter your position, there are marvelous things to learn from the following 3 books. Enjoy!

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us… And it isn’t all about money. Like all things, once our basic shelter, food and safety is taken care of, there are other things that are often equal to or more important than money. They are Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose. I believe that budding entrepreneurs can learn a great deal about themselves by reading this book. Management definitely needs to read this if they want to keep great employees.

Author Daniel H. Pink is not just talking about the creative, highly skilled employees either. He gives perfect examples of the same drives in basic service jobs. A lesson to us all to see with new eyes the people who work all around us.

Right along with this book is Rework which is written by the founders of 37Signals, Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson. On the cover it reads: Ignore this book at your own peril!

Let me quote just one small part:

We’ve all seen job ads that say “Five years of experience required.” That may give you a number, but it tells you nothing.

….it requiring some baseline… It makes sense to go after candidates with six months to a year of experience. It takes that long to internalize the idoms, learn how things work, understand the relevant tools, etc.

But after that, the curve flattens out. There’s surprisingly little difference between a candidate with six months of experience and one with six years. The real difference comes from the individual’s dedication, personality and intelligence.

The bold is mine! WOW! There’s a thought provoker. This is an awesome book and speaks to anyone looking for the best employees today and in the future. The beautiful part is in the end when they talk about Inspiration.

Inspiration is perishable… a magical thing, a productivity multiplier, a motivator. But it won’t wait for you. Inspiration is a now thing. If it grabs you, grab it right back and put it to work.

The third book I just completed is by Robert B. Cialdini:Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive. This is a most interesting book. But more importantly, their continual reminder that ethical persuasion IS possible and is valuable to all involved in the transaction. The book is not anecdotal, but instead gives many examples from small business to corporations, to international situations.

This easy to read little book has something for every business/entrepreneur. Take time to read it. You won’t be disappointed. You may be very surprised at the small things that can make a BIG difference! But here is an intriguing example:

… trimeth labs are more commonly known as coffee shops…. we doubt Howard Schultz (Starbucks Corp.) ever dreamed that the beverages he’d made available on every street corner and in every shopping mall could be a potential tool of influence and persuasion.

…Shortly after drinking the juice (spiked with caffeine) all the participants read a series of messages containing very good arguments advocating a certain position on a controversial issue. Those who had consumed the caffeinated beverages before reading these arguments were 35 percent more favorably disposed toward that position that were those who drank the unadulterated drink.

…the results showed that caffeine has little persuasive power reading messages containing weak arguments!

…Given a choice, then, you should make your presentations when people are most alert – shortly after they’ve had their morning coffee fix, and never right after lunch.

There you are- although it’s been nearly 2 months since I’ve posted, in that time I’ve enjoyed these books. Let me know if any of them inspire you!
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May21

Are you aware that people ARE listening?

Posted at 10:08 AM • One Comment

In our busy world where it seems everyone is talking (and causes me to often wonder if ANYone is listening), the book titled:  Listen proves to be quite thought-provoking.

All of us who peruse the internet can learn from this book. The things we say on FB and Twitter and many other social sites should possibly be considered a tad more carefully. I leave that decision to each of you.

But the compelling novel, Listen by Renee Gutteridge talks of the value of words in all aspects of our lives, not just what we may read on the internet social networks. It reminds me that “Sticks and stones may break your bones, but names will never hurt you,” is far from true. Yes, we can survive. But words do hurt.

Each of us know situations that ring true to the novel. Whether our own experience or someone we love, we know that words can damage and hurt. Words are not without power. Quite often, the burden is carried silently while eroding one’s self-confidence.

Remember “the pen IS mightier than the sword.” There is a reason that reading has often been kept from various classes of peoples throughout history. Words – words are powerful. Within words are knowledge. But also within words are the ability to cripple.

Don’t get me wrong. I firmly believe in speaking up regarding our values, etc. But here we’re talking about the little things – the whispers, the side comments, the politician who thinks his microphone is turned off. These small uses of words quite often can create ever growing ripples of hurt, like throwing a stone into a calm pond and watching the ripple effect.

Why should it matter? Because it speaks to our integrity. Damaging, off the cuff comments can totally ruin our business as well as our personal image. We all know that the ugly and bad will whisk around the globe at cyberspeed compared to the good.

So, grab the book. Take a day to read Listen. I’d love to hear your comments, not only in direct reference to the book, but in reference to how connected your personal words are with your business image when it meets in cyberspace. What do you think?

Does your business image support your personal integrity? Should it? Can you have integrity while having two different codes of ethics – business and personal? As the world grows more connected, the line will grow thinner. Where do you stand?

Would love to hear from you.

Warmly,

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May17

Annoying autosound on websites and blogs

Posted at 1:19 PM • 2 Comments

In updating my local site, havre de grace – the meeting place, I was double checking links when I discovered a number of local businesses using sound on their websites and blogs. Now, I don’t really mind that at all. In fact a lot of it I truly enjoy!

But let me ask you this: Do you get annoyed when watching tv and the commercials come on blaring? Do you listen to your computer via headphones so that you’re not bothering anyone else in the family?

Well, then. Maybe all those folks creating sound that starts automatically upon bringing up a website might want to think again. It may seem innocuous. But, believe me, if I have headphones on (or it’s late in the evening), a jarring audio on a website will have me growling phrases that should not be repeated in public!

Plus, if there is lots to read – and I am one of those that loves to read, it is most annoying to hear the music repeat over and over and over ad nauseum. Interestingly, some sites don’t even have a way to quickly turn it off. You can’t even find the little audio skin with controls to turn it on or off.

It’s the same problem as those flash entry pages that say you can “CLICK HERE” if you want to move on to the actual site! Why wouldn’t I want to get to the actual site. That’s most likely what I searched for, maybe even directly typed in the URL. Yep, it’s all cute and flashy, but is it what your visitor wants?

Here are my suggestions if you want your site to be visitor-friendly:

  1. If your site is promoting your business and you want folks to linger and learn more about you, do NOT have your audio automatically play. Place an audio bar and highlight that they can turn it on and listen.
  2. Do NOT have audio on every page, especially if it’s repeating automatically. (I may love your restaurant but hate the site’s Italian Opera, Hungarian, Greek, whatever!)
  3. Have you created an audio-message for your visitor? Again, make it one that they click to listen to it. After all, you want them to return again and again. They’ll get sick of hearing the auto-repeated message if they’re frequent visitors. Note: If you change it regularly, find a way to let them know that by a title frame, date, etc.

Okay, there are always exceptions. But I can’t think of a reason to have sound come blaring on without being polite enough to ask my permission to listen. This means placing a comment, title frame, etc. on the skin that says “Listen here”

Think about the last time you were annoyed by a loud ad, or a change in the volume on the tv. Now ask yourself if you want that same reaction from the visitors to your website. Remember, it’s not cute if I just growled at you. And it often will cause a visitor to decide to not return.

If you place audio (or audio in your slideshow or video) on your site, be user-friendly. Invite them to turn on the audio. That way, if you’re leaving relevant information for your visitors, they’ll be more apt to return to listen to what you have to offer. Your concern for their comfort (and eardrums) will go a long way towards creating a positive relationship via your website and blog.

Success to you… warmly,

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May12

Entrepreneurial Dreaming

Posted at 9:50 AM • No Comments

Just finished reading (for the third time) The Big Idea: How to Make Your Entrepreneurial Dreams Come True, From the Aha Moment to Your First Million by Donny Deutsch. Yes, the same guy who hosted a CNBC show by the same name a few years back.

When I’m watching the news and feeling as though the economy is totally out of control (or at the very least I feel I have no control), I like to read books like The BIG IDEA. The entreprenuerial spirit needs to be re-fueled every now and then. This book definitely adds to that fire.

I find this book encouraging, thought-provoking, and full of resources. Of course, there is no get-rich-quick scheme here. There are no guarantees – merely the freedom to pursue our dream. But like a number of the other books I’ve reviewed on this blog, The BIG IDEA encourages you to run with your idea.

Are you one of those folks who has said, “Golly, I had that idea years ago but didn’t do anything with it.” Or maybe you commented that you didn’t have the money to follow it through, so you did nothing.

Well, that’s a major difference between the successful and the wannabe successful. You can’t be successful, if you don’t act on your ideas. I know, I know. That’s a pretty obvious statement to make.

But so often we forget the old saying, “Luck (success) is when hard work meets opportunity.” Without taking action on an idea, the rest just never happens.

Throughout the book there are stories of moms, dads, teens, grandmas and grandpas who ran with their ideas. In the majority of cases, they were either prodded by their economic situation, a need to care for family, or a desire to not be lost to a sense of boredom.

That’s the reason there are so many rags to riches stories. But what if it was an idea that merely added $1,000 to your monthly budget. No, that won’t get you to the Fortune 100 list. But would it add to your quality of life? Without a doubt!

In reading The Big Idea: How to Make Your Entrepreneurial Dreams Come True, From the Aha Moment to Your First Million I find myself thinking of my ideas and how I might use them to add to my quality of life. Surely I would love to be a millionaire. I admit there are days when I dream about what I would do with a million dollars. How I’d help my family. My friends. Start a foundation.

But I wonder how many great ideas actually made it to the ‘million dollar category’ by first being done to add to an individual’s quality of life?

Grab this book and give it a read. Then rather than “not starting anything,” consider one of your ideas and how it might be developed to add to your quality of life. Then just let it grow!

Keep your eye on the dream – the big idea. But by focusing on adding to your immediate quality of life, you’ll get started. Isn’t that often our biggest fear! Continue working the idea. Who knows… luck (success) may be just around the corner.

If you are successful in any way-  quality of life or millionaire status, please send me an email and share your story.

Here’s to your …. next step!

Warmly,

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May6

The only purpose of starting is to finish…

Posted at 9:57 AM • One Comment

I’m still trying to take in all the wisdoms of the book, Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?

Seth Godin speaks to my entrepreneurial soul. I’m guessing he’ll speak to yours… or at the very least, ruffle some feathers. That, too, is good.

I’m most inspired by his statement from the title of this post: The only purpose of starting is to finish…

The artist, creator, inventor, out-of-the-box thinker tends to want to tweak something one more time. Wait, just let me ‘touch up the painting.’ Oh no, my proposal must be reviewed one more time. Please, let me get all my facts and designs all lined up. Stop, I have to organize my thoughts before I say anything. Wait, that label just isn’t the perfect shade of color. And the tweaking goes on and on and on.

But that’s also how the gifts of the entrepreneur, artist, creative person never make it to light. So an invention that might change humanity, a creative piece that could brighten the world, or the unique idea that could set your business above your competition, they never get shipped.

When your resistance gives you all the reasons for not shipping, the idea begins to die. Soon it becomes a pattern. We suffer silently and become part of the I coulda, shoulda, woulda crowd.

Seth writes:

I think the discipline of shipping is essential in the long-term path to becoming indispensable. … over time-rather quickly, actually-you’ll see that shipping becomes part of the art and shipping makes it work.

I can tell dozens of stories of business people and artists that I know who just haven’t shipped. They have the goods, idea, unique product, paintings, but never finish. They tweak. They talk about soon. They say tomorrow. But it’s never shipped.

All the stories we read of success in any area of life requires shipping! In other words, the Olympic Gold Medalist had to enter the first contest. The artist had to paint lots of paintings and sell them. The writer must send the manuscript to the editor or self-publish. But if it lays on her desk, it’s never shipped!

We wait for perfect. But the road to success is created by shipping the imperfect! Then we can tweak it. Ship again. Soon something quite wonderful can often happen. Something changes in our world. We have the possiblity of getting better at our art and our shipping.

But if it’s never shipped, it can’t be improved upon. It can’t be gifted to the world. Genius and creativity and out-of-the box thinking cannot be released to be savored by our world.

So to all of those folks out their with an idea: start shipping!

You’re right! It may not bring you success. It may not change the world. It may not be the right solution. But the certainty is that if it’s never put out there, nothing will happen.

Here’s to those who start shipping!