Why Strive to Survive when you can Thrive

                                                           I've coached good leaders, and 'not-so-good'  leaders;
                                                    we're talking about teachable vs. unteachable persons here.

  The 'not -so-good' leader was basically thrown to the wolf (coach) versus personal  all sound  reason. They thought they were doing a well enough job without a coach. Basically I was their inheritance, the gift they didn't want from hierarchy.

   They would through the motions dealt by the coaching staff; and after it was all said and done, they received a lot of information and decided not to use what was given them. Some of those employees were replaced by these companies, and my staff resumed coaching. Some of these companies are still surviving... just SURVIVING! The question contemplated now...


          Why survive when you can thrive?

  Those who chose to be coached, not only grew in the company, but grew in themselves, to the point that some have moved upward in other positions and/or companies.

  Pro ball players hire coaches and personal trainers to help improve their game; politicians hire coaches to prepare speeches and help them learn to speak in front of large audiences and stand out from the crowd.

  It's been almost 5 months while coaching a major league retail store Mgr. He's made life so easy, eager to learn, not afraid to tweak his ego in any area we may enter into. I'm not his drill sergeant, but keep him pushing in the right direction.  He' has also made plans to bring on some staff.

 This isn't the case for everyone. Meaning, they may all want what this client has (the motivation), but it takes others a little longer to achieve.

                                                  How bad do you want it!            

  There's a bond, a mutual awareness and respect for our positions in this client/friend relationship. The reason? Everybody has a closet that needs to be opened, but we don't want to clear it out right away. Some of us hang on to things in our life along the way and don't want to let go. These things are called...  

                                                                    HABITS!

  Some are good and some are not. Non the less certain habits can cause our careers to sour. It takes some coaxing and coaching to get our habits aligned. Your coach (personal trainer) should help you rid of the bad habits and work on strengthening and growing good habits. Keeping your strengths strong and your strengthen your weaker areas.

   If you're not growing, moving forward in your client/coach relationship, you may need another coach; if you are a coach, you may need to drop the client if the relationship isn't moving. An important piece of information is feedback, without it you're building a chasm between you and the client. It's like your personal report card, keeping you on track.  

                                         Bridging the gap with good communication
                                                

                                                          between client and coach.      
                                                          
  Coaches aren't for everyone, they are for anyone who wants to grow in their field. Your coach and you, or you and your client should be a better than good fit. 


  Respect, Honesty, and Equality should be keep words to grow a great bond. Listening and understanding your (plural) plans as you move forward toward your goal is essential. This is how good habits will be formed, molded, and personified.

  Companies today, along with company presidents, CEO's, plant managers, etc. are stepping up their game. They are bringing career coaches (CC) onto their team to dream into existence a more vibrant cohesive team for tomorrow and leave the survival mentality behind. Isn't it time you grow your future?


Our motto: "BUILDING DREAMS, TEAMS, AND FRIENDS FOR LIFE, NOT JUST CLIENTS!" It's our vision and missions statement.

Composing A Self-Confidence No Matter.

   Whether you're a writer, auto mechanic, salesperson, or homemaker, self confidence is something we all need to make the most of our day. Confidence doesn't just happen at the moment or even over night; it will grow and brood in our being over time.

   Hopefully you had the type of up-bringing that had parents to nurture that self-confidence in you from the start. But for those of us who didn't have that luxury ( or maybe some of it due to two working parents or whatever the case), it's not too late.

   It can grow rapidly (many weeks/months) or leisurely (years) depending on how much you want it. So, if you are of the second, you may want to rethink your thoughts on the matter, or just stop right here. But! If you are of the first (rapid), let's keep moving forward as we journey toward growth within ourselves.

   There are a few thoughts that come to mind, over brooding myself over the past several weeks, as to what I wanted to convey in this blog. No matter what career path you have taken, you can be better at it and for it with these few steps.


1. You need to have a strong and unresolved DESIRE.

No one can give it to you, it has to be sprung forth from the inside-out, embedded in your heart and mind. Your passion for it grows with every breath, every thought, and waking moment. Others can see that twinkle in your eye when the subject arises, you start to glow, as if you're ready to burst.

Confidence will not come if you just take a nonchalant attitude. There's no love, no desire, no passion; therefore the dream of being a winner in life will never come to fruition.


2. As said above, it's the PASSION.  Remember...          Your first kiss!

How about your first love, the one your parents told you would break your heart when it ended. That love at first sight, the one nothing was able to steer you away from. That's the passion everyone sees consuming you; it is on your mind day and night.


 3. You need IMAGINATION.

Innovators, dreamers, artists have great imaginations. Now, not everyone is an artist per-se or an inventor, but everyone likes to dream. Picture yourself at the top of your game, not grudging thru. Try seeing yourself at the top of your class, not just passing.


 4. You must take ACTION to bring your confidence to life.

Taking a step or leap of faith to see yourself as you want to be seen, not the way others see you. David looked at Goliath and didn't see a giant, he saw another man in front of him because of his confidence. David saw a defeated foe.

     Desire comes from within, Passion is what's seen by others, Imagination is seeing      yourself the victor, not the victim; and Action is what you do to make it all happen. You need these ingredients in order to bring home the trophy. They are the building blocks on which one wins the prize.

The thoughts can go on and on about this subject. What counts is that you build your dreams by turning them into action on a daily basis. Confidence is something that is NOT given to you, you have to grow it, nurture it it has to become a part of you. Look in the mirror every morning and see the person you want to be. Say with confidence, "I'm a winner, I can do this!"

written by William (Bill) Gibbs,MC and Jack Arnold, CC @ Arnold Group

Over-coming the Fears of Chaos

          Some say, “Plan for the unexpected, and hope for the best”…

                                                        CHAOS!

  Yes, there are several types of chaos. Usually we only see chaos as a totally negative word, and that’s usually because that’s the way we see it. The meaning alone tells us what to expect: disorder, disarray, void of content...need I say more?

  There are three main types of chaos, expected chaos, orchestrated chaos, and that which is totally out of your hands.

  Expected chaos isn’t so bad (for the most part). You know its coming, you don’t know how, but you plan several ways to deal with it when it hits. Call it your escape plan, Plan-B, etc.

  Orchestrated chaos when its deliberate in its doing. When you have to undo something in order to correct the situation.

  An easy look at this is when you ask your teen to clean their room, and they tell you its clean enough.

  So you take initiative to mess it up more than it already is. You laugh, they get angry (of coarse). They start clearing out the room by reordering the mess and making it better than the original. This is also known as intentional chaos.

  Last, and the most dangerous is totally out of your hands. It’s not expected, orchestrated in any way. Like the lay-off instead of that promotion, the Griswold's’ cousin Eddie coming for the holidays unexpected (Christmas Vacation). Leaving  devastation out of the equation. You can see where I’m going.

  I wasn’t sure what to call this article at first, just Chaos, Coping with Chaos, or even Conquering Chaos. Chaos, well that was just not enough to say the least. Coping with Chaos is like saying coping with an elephant on your chest. And Conquering Chaos, well, that won’t happen in this life. So I decided on…

                Over-coming the Fears of Chaos

  Let’s face it, you can never in this life get rid of chaos, but you can deal with the fear it brings. How do we deal with it? Wow, glad you asked!

   First of all, realize it’s not just you! It happens to everyone that lives and

breaths on this planet. Some just happen to handle it better than others.

   Second, never try and do it alone. Always get opinions from every source available, I’m not saying go to one person and end there. Get a variety of options, trusted friends, family, Google a search, trusted colleagues on Linked-In and such.

   Third is to never rush an antidote. Unless it’s life and death, there’s no reason what-so-ever to give an un-thought out answer.

   Fourthly, without chaos there would be no creativity, innovation, inspiration, no will to succeed. Chaos will at times give that nudge, that push, sometimes a shove to drive us forward to our victory.

  If there is chaos (of some sort) in your life take the stand to change it. If you have no chaos at all check your pulse.

Reflextions and Promises

                                                                                                                                                                                                                     As we reflect on the past year and anticipate the coming New Year, we make promises  to fix what we didn't

do, to try and make amends in the up and coming.


  For some, we'll make new resolutions, only to break them a month into it. Some will last longer, and only a very few will endure to victory.


  Can we save ourselves from ourselves? AH! The question at hand. The answer is a definite YES.

  Don't let diffidence hold you back, grow your confidence, believe in yourself. Say, "I can do this!" boldly.


  I don't want to sound too lectury about this, after all, almost everybody and their Mother is writing a piece just like this. (Sorry Mom) Here we go again!


           Too many try and bite more than they can chew!


 The idea is to put what you can do in front of you do it, then add on one thing that's a bit harder for you to control and stick to it. Which is easier to do, put a fry in your mouth, or a big potato? 
When it comes to doing a makeover or a big lifestyle change, it would suffice to start with smaller bites.

            Small beginnings lead to large victories. 


Know what you can handle and start there. Having a victory or two under your belt builds momentum and gives you that inner drive to move forward.


  Never ever threaten or swear to yourself when you fail or break under pressure. 

Hey! Life happens, just make and keep your promise to get it right and do better tomorrow; that only leads to dismay and quitting all together.

  So, with this in mind, let's look for a bright New Year.

   

Where Did These Ideas Come From?

Where Did These Ideas Come From?

Integrity, Truth, Skills, Loyalty, Integration, Team-work; these are the scope of the business world which are actually taken from Biblical principles, and the list goes on.

Proverbs 26:10 says, “Like an archer who wounds everyone, so is he who hires a fool (rebel) or who hires those who pass by.” If you’re in the position of hiring, that sentence is saying, don’t just hire anyone.

 Skills: They should have the skills for the job, not that they’re a friend or you need to fill a vacancy. Also the prospective applicant should do his/her schooling to do the task at hand. Esau, Jacob’s brother was a ‘skilled’ hunter. Moses picked skilled laborers such as brick-layers, goldsmiths, craftsmen of different sorts to do a particular job. The Apostle Paul was a skilled tent maker, Luke was a doctor, and a few were fishermen. Training employees and giving them the tools needed not only make them better skilled employees, but make your company easier to run.

Loyalty: Good workers (associates) work when the boss is present real well, and maybe just OK when he’s/she’s not. Great (loyal) workers do the job whether or not the boss is in the house. They watch the bosses back and so on. King David had very loyal people all around him even to the point that they would die for his safety. I don’t think you’ll have to go that far on the job. Hmmm! Seriously, the loyalty you want you must first give, it’s a two way street.

Integration: Bringing thoughts and ideas from all aspects of each employee, no matter what department or rank in the company. Sometimes the janitor sees way more than you would ever expect (even what shouldn’t). Jesus picked his disciples from various walks of like to get the job done. In this case He made such a profound impact on their lives, they changed to His way of thinking. They turned the world up-side-down. How would you like for that to happen in your company?

Team-work: Each person has an integral part in the process. No one is a total loner. Surely you may work alone from time to time on certain projects, BUT, it still gets passed on to there and from there. A fella named Ezra was rebuilding the temple wall; he had internal problems and external. He called his team together and chased out the internal problems (negativity, slothfulness, nay-sayers) so he only had to fight the battle on one front. He put teams together to get the job done.

Managers and employees alike should say every day, “WE ARE TEAM!”

PUSH comes to SHOVE!

   I love to do acronyms, and haven't done them in a while. So, I have a double dose for your appetite today. It came to me a couple weeks ago while in on a meeting. The President of the company was using an acronym for his speech that day. He kept using the phrase, "You have to push yourself!" along with it.

  Along with the rest of the weeks' meetings a formation was taking place for those who want to succeed. Succeed in their home, career, life in general. The acronym PUSH was birthed into my thoughts as I contemplated the weeks' thoughts.

P- Pursue. You don't get anything unless you hunt it like a lion for his meal. Thinking will not get you where you want to be; you need to pursue and chase down your dream.

U- Utilize your time, friends, colleagues, your accessibility to your PC (phone, email, etc.). Don't waste anything to get to where you want to be. Do not ever abuse, and expect to repay.

S- Sustain your ground! Always move forward, never backward. Wait patiently where you are if needed to gain your perspective and composure. Under no circumstance back down from your vision, your dream.

                                      H- Stay Humble at all costs. When you start getting haughty, that's when you'll lose ground, friends, jobs, and even family. Remember where you came from and where you're going. Remember pride goes before the fall.

Then after more pondering on these, another word came into play. Sometimes you have to PUSH your way to success. BUT that's not the end of it. there are time when PUSH comes to SHOVE!

S- You want to Salient, flourish, achieve what you thought was unattainable! It links you back to Sustaining.

H- Keep Humility in front of you at all times as you climb your ladder. No matter how high you climb, there's always those above you as well as those behind.

O- Obsessive! Eat, drink dream your dream into existence. We're talking about a healthy obsession. While  you're bringing your vision into being, help someone else bring theirs into fruition too. Remember the law of reciprocity, give then receive. Believe me it works! In today's lingo, 'what goes around, comes around'.

V- Never lose the Vision. It keeps clarity, perception. It will bring you to your Victory. Let no one take it, talk you out of it, or pull you down. Stick to your guns, your dream. It wasn't theirs to begin with.

E- Always, always give it the best you've got. Heart, body, and soul! Be nothing short of Excellence. There will always be the opportunity looking for you, and not you looking for opportunity. It makes you stand out in the crowd. It makes you Exquisite, first-class among your peers.

Hope this little acronym was not only fun, but helps you with your way to succeed on your journey. For more inquiries about us go to:
www.agrpllc.com or email: info@agrpllc.com 

Everyone Is Replaceable! Really??

Anyone ever hear that, either directed at you or someone you work/worked with? That's a nasty thing to say, and very NOT true. Surely anyone who loses his/her job can be replaced with another person, but it still AIN'T you. The talents that only you possess, the temperament, attitude, your nuance is yours and yours alone.

  I left a company after a two week notice some years ago, they told me I'll be easy to replace. I ran a dept. several different machines, and even stepped in as manager for weeks on end while the manager was being hospital treated for cancer.

  Several years later they did sell due to financial difficulties (due to their negligence), none on my account. I bumped into one of my colleagues and asked how things were going. He told me they had went into bankruptcy, then finally sold the business. He told me after I left, they had to hire 3 other people. I asked why. No one wanted to do everything you did without compensation. It was either supervise or run a machine.

  I may be the exception, because I never liked standing still. I had to do something, make things run better, smoother, in sync. If there's a better way of doing a process, I'll find it, write the SOP's, and bring it to fruition. I would work it out myself first. Then have the dept. run the gamete.

  On the other side of things, you have bosses that are self-absorbed, everything revolves around them, or as an elderly friend says, "dissolves around them".  Humorous and yet true. In time it catches up.

  Bad leaders say that because of one or more of these issues:

#1. They're infatuated with themselves.

                                                             "It's my way or the highway!"                          

     No matter what you do it's just not done right. No one does it better! You'll hear the boss exclaim, "Do I have to do it all myself?" or , "If you want it done right, you just have to do it yourself!" We know fully well he/she can't (in some cases), and he/she won't. The project is never the way it should be, he/she would have done it differently. Yeah, right!


#2. They can't handle that or any situation too big for them too handle.

                                             It's always someone elses fault, never their own.

    I walked into a company, and when questioning the reasons why particular things were done in such and such a way, I got all the pain of heart his people give him. They don't listen, or pay attention to what they're told.

#3. They can't handle the truth when confronted.

                                               "Truth? You can't handle the truth!"

     When I asked what steps did he take to undergo transformation of his dilemma, he gasped, "What? I do everything I can to make this a tight ship!"  I just replied lowly only for him to hear, "Your ship's sinking."
You're, he didn't like that at all! Let's face the facts, you're paying me to fix the problems you've created.


#4. Their boss told them that when they get that promotion that this is the way you act towards everyone beneath you.

                                                "You're above that now!, they're just..."

  It goes something like this: "Look Sam, starting Monday when you walk out of your office onto the floor, just remember you're not one of them anymore." Some think that once you graduate to a higher level of success you 'must be above' all your peers.


#5. They just don't know any better.

                                  "No one explained to me what I'm to do, I'll just go with the flow." 

 They come to work and assume little to no responsibility; not caring about what does and doesn't get finished. Trying to look busy, just to get through the day, hoping to make it through to the  weekend. As long as they're not called to the carpet things will go as is.


#6. They didn't ask for it, they didn't want it.

                                    "They just dumped it on me, I don't care what happens!"
   
  It will cost them the job somewhere down the line. Again, they come to work and assume no responsibility; not caring about what does and doesn't get finished. The boss before was discarded, and now it's their turn, as if to feel   "NEXT!" So they turn that fear and anguish around and do what I call "Dumping Down". Passing it down the line to the next.

  You are unique, a one of a kind person. The boss may put someone else in your position, but they can't take your place. Put yourself in a position of being non-replaceable.  Go the extra, do what others turn down. Don't be arrogant but in humility be joyful, even in adversity. You will rise to the top and make it hard to replace.


   You can come up with some more points not mentioned here, list them in the comment section. Sphere-Logic Business Thinking is getting rid of the box mentality; and giving business real life thought. Working with the home and career sides of living simultaneously. Giving organizational leaders a step up to a fulfilling life. You can reach us at: info@agrpllc.com.

  "Building dreams, teams, and friends for life, not just clients!"