by Paul Abra | Dec 2, 2016 | Journal
What habits work for you? What habits work against you? What habits are seen to be part of a successful person’s day? Are there some common threads that seem to be contributing factors to their success? One important habit that many successful people have is focus. “Putting First Things First” as Steven Covey wrote in his book, Seven Habits of Highly Successful People, is about having a focus. What is that over-arching goal you have for yourself, your career and your company? Keeping your focus is one of the key elements in achieving the success you desire. Following focus, another key habit is to minimize distractions. Distractions and interruptions often derail you from what is important. What are you doing that keeps distractions or interruptions to a minimum? Sometimes it involves carving out some time for yourself by closing your door, turning off the phone, and letting people know that you do not want to be disturbed at certain times. What are your intentions for the day or week? What do you wish to accomplish and why is it important? Planning your day and even your week ahead of time is another key habit worth pursuing. Taking the time to write down what you want to work on ahead of time allows you to focus on the important/urgent and important/not urgent things on your to do list. By writing down your intentions and following them, you are another step towards achieving your goals for success. Often, having a morning routine is helpful in creating a successful life. What does your morning look like? What happens when things don’t go...
by Paul Abra | Dec 2, 2016 | Journal
“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.” – Epictetus, Greek Philosopher As a business owner or as a leader in an organization, it is important to take the time to think about the mark you wish to leave. How do you want to be remembered when you leave an organization, retire from your position, or even pass away? What is your legacy? It’s not about living up to others’ expectations or wishes, it is about living up to your own expectations and dreams. It’s about understanding how and what others think of you and whether this is consistent with the person you want to be, the legacy you want to leave, and how you want to be seen by the world. Your actions speak louder than your words. As a human being, whether you are a leader, a parent, a teacher, or whatever your position in life, you are a role model to those who know and surround you. The question is; what role model do you want to portray? Susan Scott in her book Fierce Conversations speaks about taking responsibility for your emotional wake. She describes it as “…what you remember after I’m gone. What you feel. The aftermath, aftertaste, or afterglow.” As Scott states using the analogy of a boat’s wake, we need to know how our words and actions affect others and therefore be conscious of “…the wake I was [you are] leaving during my [your] conversations with others.” In Dicken’s Christmas Carol, Scrooge had the opportunity to see himself through other people’s eyes. It was a...
by Paul Abra | Dec 2, 2016 | Journal
“The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.” Ernest Hemingway In his book, The Speed of Trust, Steven M.R. Covey writes that there are five waves of trust-Self, Relationship, Organizational, Market, and Societal Trust. Using the analogy of a wave formed from a pebble hitting the surface of a pond, the primary source is Self Trust from which emanates the other four waves. Although all five waves are important, this month’s column will focus on the second wave, relationship trust, and give some ideas on ways to encourage this trust in your various interactions and interpersonal connections. With a strong foundation in this second wave of trust, the stronger trust bonds will strengthen your organization. As a leader or business owner, it is important to understand that the strength of your organization and your relationships are based upon trust. It should also be noted that trust is a two-way street, for there to be a truly trustworthy relationship, whether with your colleagues, subordinates, customers, trust needs to be reciprocal. You need people to trust you as much as you need to trust them. So, how might you go about engendering trust amongst your employees, colleagues and others? One very powerful way, as Hemingway says, is for you to put your faith or trust in people if you are to know them as trustworthy. A way to extend this trust is to show them they are truly part of the team, and the business, by involving them in conversations that demonstrate you appreciate their role in the success of the organization. Here are...
by Paul Abra | Dec 2, 2016 | Journal
Do you feel you are not getting anywhere fast? Do you feel that you are in a rut and can’t seem to find your way out? We might use the analogies of being “In a rut,” “Stuck in the muck,” or “Not getting off the treadmill.” Whatever the analogy, it’s difficult and frustrating when you feel you aren’t getting anywhere, proceeding as planned, or reaching your goal. First, you need to ask yourself why are you in a rut? It is important to honestly figure out the reasons for why you are in this predicament and stuck on that never-ending treadmill. To answer this question, you may need to ask yourself another; how important is this to me? If it’s not a priority to you, then, perhaps, it is not where you need to be focusing your time or energy. Author Maria Popova suggests that if you are attempting to do things out of guilt or prestige then you probably should not be doing them at all. In other words, if you are not doing it for yourself nor have the passion for it, then it’s probably not a priority for you. Your values and desires need to be truly aligned with your actions to move forward and succeed. Now, assuming that that the project is important to you, it’s time to use some questions to kick-start or restart the process. What’s holding you back? Sometimes the overall scope of a project is daunting and causing you to feel over-whelmed. Other times it’s the fear of failure or the unknown. The “rut” is known and may feel comfortable. The...
by Paul Abra | Dec 2, 2016 | Journal
“Practice makes perfect,” is an old saying, that we all have heard many times over the years. In looking at these three words, two questions come to mind. What does practice look like? What does perfect mean? You see, you may habitually practice, whether it is the piano, a gymnastic routine, or preparing a business report or a sales presentation. Practicing does not always mean that you are practicing the correct way and therefore improving. Sometimes it feels like you are going through the motions and not progressing at all. It is when there is mindful, deliberate practice that improvement is realized. In her book, GRIT The Power of Passion and Perseverance, Angela Duckworth speaks of four basics to the idea of deliberate practice. A clearly defined stretch goal with full concentration and effort, followed by immediate and informative feedback, and all are repeated with reflection and refinement. Let’s look at what Duckworth means and how you can apply it to the daily practice of your business profession, craft, sport, or whatever is important to you. The idea of a stretch goal is not necessarily the ultimate goal. It is what you strive for and are challenged by. It can be a short term goal within your longer term dream. What does the route to that stretch goal look like? What are the steps you need to take to attain that goal? The practice needs to be deliberate with the utmost of concentration and energy applied. It needs to be designed in a way that the goal has been broken down into smaller steps and each step leading to...
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