If we could just stop for a second...

If we could just stop a second, we could:

Catch our breath

Consider the formerly un-considerable

See the garbage in our path and throw it out

Focus on the few things we do of value

Catch our breath again and repeat

Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com

Everyone has a story--two ways to look at it

I was fortunate to be in a workshop where I heard two people say exactly the same phrase yet express two totally different beliefs. Here's the phrase:

Everyone has a story

Lady #1 uttered the phrase as she complained about her "no-good tenants" (she's a landlord) and said that she never listened to her tenants' sob stories about why the rent was late. "Everyone has a story" she coldly and bitterly stated.

Lady #2 told of a breakthrough she had with her ex-husband's new wife and how she learned of that lady's struggles and faith, which transformed their relationship from contentious to compassionate, "Everyone has a story," she said with a smile.

Same phrase, different meanings and different outcomes for the people who spoke it.

Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com

Nice words

A top executive walks into an elevator and is recognized. People greet him with accolades. Unfazed, he says thank you and gets off on the next floor. He realizes that nice words are just that: nice words. They mean little or nothing most of the time. He still has to perform, he still has do his job and prove himself.

In an office, a young intern is given the chance to be a full-time employee. She's greeted with "way to go" and "I'm proud of you" and "the company is smart to recognize you." Her temptation is to feel she's made it; after all, everyone is so impressed. Hopefully she'll realize those nice words were just nice words. She now has to show that she can do the job.

The same goes for resentful or jealous comments, they're just words--unless they affect our performance adversely.

Nice words or resentful words are many times meant to do the same thing: take your eye off your job, your focus, your performance.

Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com

The Battle of Perspective

If we don't sell more units, we'll shut down
If we don't keep this employee, they'll leave and we'll be hurt
If we don't land this account, it's over
These terms are completely unacceptable
My tests are in and they say my blood pressure and cholesterol are way too high

Most of the time we're caught up in our lives and everything feels like it's the end of the world. A lost project or cholesterol over 250, all seem to point to imminent doom.

That's why bad customers, employees, bosses, drug companies and other entities in our lives trump up those scary scenarios. We feed on them and we feel we need to do something right now. We're living in desperation making desperate decisions.

We need to fight the urge to knee-jerk. I remember over a decade ago, a large client of ours was threatening to go elsewhere and I felt like I was letting everyone down if it happened. A lot of pressure. After weeks of anxiety, I was at my home changing after work and it occurred to me that somehow we survived before we had that client and we would somehow survive after them. A wave of reassurance washed over me and I was able to see things clearly.

We saved the client for a little while, but eventually did lose them as they constantly tried to dumb down and cheapen the project to the point that it was no longer the exciting, dynamic relationship it had been. We moved on to better things and today most of our employees don't even know we worked with that company.

If everything seems like the end of the world, how will we know when we are really facing the end of the world?

Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com

See success or see failure

If things keep trending as they are, our product will become obsolete
What was once our largest customer is no longer in our top ten
Technology is marching forward and it affects everything
The economy has shrunk, companies have closed their doors

We either see success or we see failure in every scenario. We show confidence or fear in every response.

We don't have to be reckless or blind to reality, we just need to be able to see the advantages to what we're dealing with. And then do something.

Success? Failure? Confidence? Fear?
It's your call.

Barry LaBov
LaBov & beyond
www.labov.com

Sometimes it's where you're coming from

Perspective is everything. I heard this one day:
I expect to be paid every day, whether I do anything to earn it. In fact, the company I work at is lucky I come into work.

That person lost his job. Actually he quit his job. Then his perspective changed, he needed money to survive. His goal was to find work.

A couple weeks later, I bumped into him and he was fired up and happy. He was proud of himself. He had worked hard and found a music gig that would keep him busy for a couple of weeks. It didn't pay a lot, but it was something.

The same person who a month earlier walked out on his job was now appreciative of a short-term music gig. He'll be scraping around for another job in a few weeks and he knows it. But now he's coming from a different place and he's happy for every opportunity.

Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com

Perspective

It's so easy to get caught up in the activity and craziness we deal with daily. The cell phone interruptions, text messages, phone calls, meetings, etc. They all crank up the intensity and diminish our ability to see and think clearly. Everything is an emergency if we don't watch out.

To succeed and help others succeed, we must step back, we must wait and think before responding... That's not easy.

When we were children and we were scared, our parents would tell us that everything would be OK. And they were usually right. And it felt good. And we could enjoy our lives and go on being kids.

We need to have that perspective as adults because often we have influence over other people's careers or companies. Step back. Think. It's going to be alright.


Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com
LaBov Sales Channel
PB&J Newsletter

Decision: Fun Stuff or Profitable Stuff?

Large corporations have an interesting dilemma today--do they focus on the profitable products they produce or do they funnel resources toward the more exciting opportunities out there?

With technology speeding ahead faster than ever, some corporations are focusing on new products, new segments and new ways of communicating. These efforts can be exhilarating and they often feel right.

At the same time if we don't watch out, the tried and true product that is allowing the corporation to survive, may be ignored. In tough economies, this can spell disaster.

Consider this : there is a corporation that makes most of its profit from one product. Yet, its energies--its emotions--are focused on a small segment that represents no profit and very little in sales. Another corporation is forsaking its bread and butter services and instead has most of its resources focused on communicating with customers in unique and fun ways.

In each of these cases, there has to be a balance. Today, there isn't enough business to go around to allow a corporation to take its eye off the ball (profitable products) and still thrive.

New ideas and technologies are vital for future growth, but you have to have a future in order to use them.

Barry LaBov
LaBov & Beyond
www.labov.com