I was traveling and had a wedding to be at yesterday. As a result, I was unable to post this week's Foto Finish Friday. So all of you get a Foto Finish Saturday. Have a great weekend everyone!
*Each Friday an interesting photo is selected to end the week on.
Parkour Newcastle - Alex
Originally uploaded by vee8
The temptation today is to shift into survival mode. The economy is more uncertain than it has been in decades. Consumers are clamming up, businesses are closing, and people are losing their jobs. It would be easy to throw up your hands and say nothing is worth the risk anymore, but you'd be wrong.
I don't mean get out there and do something stupid. There's a fine line between taking smart risks and simply gambling. Just start looking for the opportunities. These economic changes are opening doors that may have never been open before or may never be open again. Instead of standing still, move through them.
The take away:
When you run from risk, reward disappears. When reward goes, incentive disappears. When incentive goes, innovation follows suit. Then what do you have?
Originally uploaded by from a second story.
Unplug.
Look around you. Talk to someone in person. Go to dinner. Get outside while it's still warm. Slow down. Refuse to worry. People watch. Jump. Enjoy life for a moment. Smile. Talk to a stranger. Get to know a friend better. Escape. Lighten up. Read. Count your blessings and be thankful. Relax. Watch a storm pass. Walk. Run. Laugh. Listen to someone. Pay attention. Write. Be calm.
Breathe.
If you're not doing some of these things throughout your day, you're moving too fast or you're plugged in way too much. Slow down and breathe. You have a life to live.
All Smiles
Originally uploaded by drewmaniac
Are you promoting mediocrity?
If you have 50 cashiers and 40 have won cashier of the month, does it really matter? Is there any value in handing out an award to a different person every time because “they’ve never got it before”? Did your first 15 cashiers of the month stop doing a good job?
What about those promotions based on seniority? Are you moving your team members into new positions simply because "it's their time"? If someone's time mattered in the grand scheme of things, John McCain would have just been given the presidency.
There comes a point where you can devalue achievement. Giving an award to everyone doesn't typically promote excellence. Promoting those who've simply put in their time doesn't encourage your team to grow. In fact, it usually accomplishes the opposite. Mediocrity becomes the rule of thumb and not the exception. People begin to show up to collect their paycheck and put in their time. After all, there's no hope for a promotion for another 10 years.
Quite frankly, it's not worth the climb. Your best employees will recognize this. The best talent that you could have cultivated into an excellent team won't be around for their time to come. They'll become disgruntled. They'll be unhappy at the slow pace of things. They'll feel slighted or overlooked. As a result, they'll move on.
Then what? Hopefully, you'll enjoy your team of mediocre under achievers.
viva la vida
Originally uploaded by from a second story.
“Can you imagine Steve Jobs showing up for the paycheck? It’s nice to get paid. It’s essential to believe.” ~ Seth Godin in his book, Tribes.
Creating a workforce that believes in your vision is half the battle. If you can get your team, your employees, or whoever you are leading to believe in your vision the journey won't seem so difficult. Each day will be a day you look forward to. When a bump comes along in the journey, your team of believers will band together to work through it and overcome.
The flip side of that is simply showing up for the paycheck. If your team of non-believers are showing up for the paycheck, you've lost.
London Bridge station
Originally uploaded by buckaroo kid
I've been thinking about the value of simplicity a lot lately. Whether it is personal improvement, business, or other areas of our lives we're often better off keeping things simple. We humans like to muck it up. We like to make things harder than they really are. When really all we need is to keep it simple, stupid.
So as I dilly dally around and think about writing a post on the subject, Danny Brown (as he so often does) comes out says all of this much better than I in his post, The New Storytellers. I'm going to do something a little different here and post to point you to a post.
It's all based off the fan video below of a Dashboard Confessional song. So enjoy the music, but go and see what Danny has to say.
il m'avait pourtant dit
Originally uploaded by A.Denomay
What happens when you approach an issue with, “It is what it is”? Ultimately, everyone shrugs their shoulders and everything stays the same. You’re indicating there is no room or desire for change. After all, it is what it is.
Instead of creating a culture where people are tempted to shrug off issues or problems, create a culture that sees no impossibilities. Encourage your employees to be problem solvers and then give them the tools and information to solve problems. Cultivate your employee service and watch those positive vibes be passed on to your customer service.
Do all that you can to avoid creating a culture where everyone is just shrugging their shoulders and coming to work for their paycheck. If you're already in a culture where this is taking place, it's time for you to try and steer the ship the other way.
I know. It's simplistic. It's idealistic. It also works.
Were all dressed like stockbrokers
Originally uploaded by from a second story.
Brett Westcott and Cameron Brown are touring the United States, but you may have never heard of them. If you have or you've been fortunate to run into them, you'll know who they are. You'll remember them. Maybe even for the rest of your life. That's because Brett and Cameron are doing something memorable. They're passing out compliments to any and everyone they come across. Sure, it's more funny than flattering, but it's memorable. It can make your day. It will undoubtedly put a smile on your face. In many ways, it's remarkable.
Whether you're simply serving oatmeal with a smile, passing bubble gum to little kids as you shake their hands, or doing some other small thing, understand that someone is taking notice. Someone sees it and probably appreciates the genuine attitude with which you perform your small act of kindness.
It doesn't matter what aspect of life you apply this to. It works in business just as well as any other area of your life.
I still remember the first boss I worked for with fondness. I don't remember him so much for his shrewd business tactics (he was a very good businessman), I remember him because he was kind and took care of his employees. I remember that when he walked up to me and asked how I was doing, often his hand was on my shoulder. It was a simple gesture that he probably didn't give much thought to, but it signaled to me he cared about how I was doing and what my answer was. Even though he passed away years ago, I won't forget it.
The small things matter. It's the small things that make a real difference in the long run. We all want people to remember the big things we've accomplished, but it's the little things in between that most people notice.
So what small things are you doing in your life or business? People are noticing.
