Cedric Crumbley's Blog
June 9, 2019
Happiness Islands
In the driving rain of a November day, the cab from London to Heathrow took forever. It was so dark it looked like late afternoon, and Charlie Waterston could barely see out the windows as familiar landmarks slid past him. It was only ten o'clock in the morning. And as he leaned his head back against the seat and closed his eyes, he felt as bleak as the wealth all around him.
It was hard to believe it had all come to an end. Ten years in London gone, finished, closed, and suddenly behind him. Even now, it was difficult to believe any of it had happened. It had all been so perfect when it began. It had been the start of a life, a career, a decade of excitement and happiness for him in London. And now suddenly, at forty-two, he felt as though all the good times were over. … Going back to the States. After ten years in London. Nine of them with Carole. Gone now. All of it. In a matter of moments.
Friend,
Do you want to be happy? The answer is yes.
Of course you do.
You deserve to be happy. Let’s explore how to achieve more happiness.
Recently I finished reading a wonderful book called The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch. Highly recommend you check it out.
Richard identified what he refers to as your "happiness islands".
Happiness islands - the small amounts of time, or the few years, that have contributed a quite disproportionate amount of your happiness.
Here is his formula for discovering your happiness islands:
1. Take a clean sheet of paper.
2. Write “Happiness Islands” at the top.
3. List all the moments in time when you
experienced the most happiness.
4. Try to figure out what is common between all or some of those moments of happiness.
You should do the same for what Richard refers to as Unhappiness Islands.
To be happy simply repeat more of the activities on the Happiness Islands and do less of the activities on the Unhappiness Islands .
Happiness doesn’t have to be complicated.
Hope this helps.
Have a great week!
Best,
Cedric
It was hard to believe it had all come to an end. Ten years in London gone, finished, closed, and suddenly behind him. Even now, it was difficult to believe any of it had happened. It had all been so perfect when it began. It had been the start of a life, a career, a decade of excitement and happiness for him in London. And now suddenly, at forty-two, he felt as though all the good times were over. … Going back to the States. After ten years in London. Nine of them with Carole. Gone now. All of it. In a matter of moments.
Friend,
Do you want to be happy? The answer is yes.
Of course you do.
You deserve to be happy. Let’s explore how to achieve more happiness.
Recently I finished reading a wonderful book called The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch. Highly recommend you check it out.
Richard identified what he refers to as your "happiness islands".
Happiness islands - the small amounts of time, or the few years, that have contributed a quite disproportionate amount of your happiness.
Here is his formula for discovering your happiness islands:
1. Take a clean sheet of paper.
2. Write “Happiness Islands” at the top.
3. List all the moments in time when you
experienced the most happiness.
4. Try to figure out what is common between all or some of those moments of happiness.
You should do the same for what Richard refers to as Unhappiness Islands.
To be happy simply repeat more of the activities on the Happiness Islands and do less of the activities on the Unhappiness Islands .
Happiness doesn’t have to be complicated.
Hope this helps.
Have a great week!
Best,
Cedric
April 21, 2019
You'll be dead longer than you'll be alive
During the classic time of Greece a terrible thing happened in one of the temples. One night the statue of Zeus was smashed and desecrated.
An uproar arose among the inhabitants. They feared the vengeance of the gods.
The town criers walked city streets commanding the criminal to appear before the Elders to receive his just punishment.
The perpetrator had no desire to give himself up. A week later another statue was destroyed.
Now the people suspected a madman was on the loose. Guards were posted and at last their vigilance was rewarded. The culprit was caught.
They asked him,
“Do you know what fate awaits you?”
“Yes,” he answered, with a smile. “Death.”
“Aren’t you afraid to die?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Then why did you commit a crime which you knew was punishable by death?”
The man swallowed hard and then answered.
“I am a nobody. All my life I’ve been a nobody. I’ve never done anything to distinguish myself and I knew I never would. I wanted to do something to make people notice me … and remember me.”
After a moment of silence he added.
“Only those people die who are forgotten. I feel death is a small price to pay for immortality!”
Friend,
When you look at the grand scheme of things, we’re only here for a short period of time. Let’s make it count.
Recently I was at a networking event. A gentleman mentioned he’d fired 45 people. This caught my attention. He explained the concept of employment from an employers perspective:
He said, “You should stay with a company at least a year, just so they can recoup the cost of hiring you. However, if after 4 years you haven’t seen a 30% increase in pay…leave.”
“You have a better chance of achieving 25 - 30% pay increase at a different company. Loyalty means nothing.”
He went on to explain you should go to your supervisor and ask two questions:
1. What are the things I’m doing right on this job?
2. What are the things I’m doing wrong on this job?
Make sure the things you are doing right outweigh the things you’re doing wrong before asking for a raise.
I just finished reading The New Supply Chain Agenda. Here are some takeaways worth keeping in your toolbox:
1. Focus on acquiring the right talent.
2. Reward personnel for improvements.
3. Remember: what is measured gets rewarded and what is rewarded gets done.
4. Continually benchmark competition and best-in class industries.
Carpe diem,
Cedric
An uproar arose among the inhabitants. They feared the vengeance of the gods.
The town criers walked city streets commanding the criminal to appear before the Elders to receive his just punishment.
The perpetrator had no desire to give himself up. A week later another statue was destroyed.
Now the people suspected a madman was on the loose. Guards were posted and at last their vigilance was rewarded. The culprit was caught.
They asked him,
“Do you know what fate awaits you?”
“Yes,” he answered, with a smile. “Death.”
“Aren’t you afraid to die?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Then why did you commit a crime which you knew was punishable by death?”
The man swallowed hard and then answered.
“I am a nobody. All my life I’ve been a nobody. I’ve never done anything to distinguish myself and I knew I never would. I wanted to do something to make people notice me … and remember me.”
After a moment of silence he added.
“Only those people die who are forgotten. I feel death is a small price to pay for immortality!”
Friend,
When you look at the grand scheme of things, we’re only here for a short period of time. Let’s make it count.
Recently I was at a networking event. A gentleman mentioned he’d fired 45 people. This caught my attention. He explained the concept of employment from an employers perspective:
He said, “You should stay with a company at least a year, just so they can recoup the cost of hiring you. However, if after 4 years you haven’t seen a 30% increase in pay…leave.”
“You have a better chance of achieving 25 - 30% pay increase at a different company. Loyalty means nothing.”
He went on to explain you should go to your supervisor and ask two questions:
1. What are the things I’m doing right on this job?
2. What are the things I’m doing wrong on this job?
Make sure the things you are doing right outweigh the things you’re doing wrong before asking for a raise.
I just finished reading The New Supply Chain Agenda. Here are some takeaways worth keeping in your toolbox:
1. Focus on acquiring the right talent.
2. Reward personnel for improvements.
3. Remember: what is measured gets rewarded and what is rewarded gets done.
4. Continually benchmark competition and best-in class industries.
Carpe diem,
Cedric
April 15, 2019
Enriching your life
Take any hundred people at the start of their working careers and follow them for forty years until they reach retirement age.
Here’s what you’ll find, according to the Social Security Administration: only 1 will be wealthy, 4will be financially secure, 5 will continue working (not because they want to but because they have to),36 will be dead, and 54 will be dead broke (dependent on their meager Social Security checks, relatives, friends, even charity for a minimum standard of living.
That’s 5 percent successful and 95 percent unsuccessful.
What is the secret to joining the 5 percent group?
You can name a number of secrets. But one is simply using the right words.
I read a wonderful book called Magic Words That Bring You Riches. At first the title put me off but I read the book anyway. Turns out there are some real gems found inside.
Tips on how to get the best table in any restaurant by saying 2 Magic Words. The author gives you the words to use.
In addition, the author shares the exact words to enrich your life, financially and in numerous other ways, too.
As an example of enriching your life, here’s a story (not included in the book.)
A blind man was begging for money. He had a sign with the words:
“I’m Blind Please Help”
These words only brought a few coins to where he was sitting. The man would starve with this approach.
Enter our hero. A female takes the sign and writes a new message that read:
“It’s A Beautiful Day And I Can’t See It”
What happened next? I’ll tell you what happened.
People started showering down coins to where the man was sitting. Why? Because the first sign had words that didn’t convey enough to enrich the situation. The second sign contained the right words which made all the difference in the world.
In case you’re curious, you can see the video here .
The video is called, “The power of words a girl changed a blind man’s day.”
Best,
Cedric
Here’s what you’ll find, according to the Social Security Administration: only 1 will be wealthy, 4will be financially secure, 5 will continue working (not because they want to but because they have to),36 will be dead, and 54 will be dead broke (dependent on their meager Social Security checks, relatives, friends, even charity for a minimum standard of living.
That’s 5 percent successful and 95 percent unsuccessful.
What is the secret to joining the 5 percent group?
You can name a number of secrets. But one is simply using the right words.
I read a wonderful book called Magic Words That Bring You Riches. At first the title put me off but I read the book anyway. Turns out there are some real gems found inside.
Tips on how to get the best table in any restaurant by saying 2 Magic Words. The author gives you the words to use.
In addition, the author shares the exact words to enrich your life, financially and in numerous other ways, too.
As an example of enriching your life, here’s a story (not included in the book.)
A blind man was begging for money. He had a sign with the words:
“I’m Blind Please Help”
These words only brought a few coins to where he was sitting. The man would starve with this approach.
Enter our hero. A female takes the sign and writes a new message that read:
“It’s A Beautiful Day And I Can’t See It”
What happened next? I’ll tell you what happened.
People started showering down coins to where the man was sitting. Why? Because the first sign had words that didn’t convey enough to enrich the situation. The second sign contained the right words which made all the difference in the world.
In case you’re curious, you can see the video here .
The video is called, “The power of words a girl changed a blind man’s day.”
Best,
Cedric
April 8, 2019
Approaching life with a different mindset
Admiral Stockdale was a U.S. Navy officer who was held captive for eight years during the Vietnam War. Stockdale was tortured more than 20 times by his captors, and never had much reason to believe he would survive the prison camp and someday get to see his wife again.
And yet, he never lost faith during his ordeal.
He approached adversity with a different mindset. He accepted the reality of the situation. He knew he was in hell, but rather than bury his head in the sand, he stepped up and did everything he could to lift the morale and prolong the lives of his fellow prisoners.
He created a tapping code so that they could communicate with each other. He developed a milestone system that helped them deal with torture.
And he sent intelligence information to his wife, hidden in the seemingly innocent letters he wrote.
Friend, we should take notice of the way Admiral Stockdale faced adversity and prevailed to not only to lift his morale, but also the morale of those around him.
That’s the purpose of sharing the wisdom gained from books. Lifting morale and approaching life with a different mindset.
I finished reading Supply Chain Management for dummies. It’s a book about systems and connecting the dots from sales and marketing to purchasing and HR. Supply chain affects everything around us. It certainly affects the morale in business.
May the the story of Admiral Stockdale encourage you during the week.
Best,
Cedric
And yet, he never lost faith during his ordeal.
"I never doubted not only that I would get out, but also that I would prevail in the end and turn the experience into a defining event of my life, which, in retrospect, I would not trade." - James Stockdale
He approached adversity with a different mindset. He accepted the reality of the situation. He knew he was in hell, but rather than bury his head in the sand, he stepped up and did everything he could to lift the morale and prolong the lives of his fellow prisoners.
He created a tapping code so that they could communicate with each other. He developed a milestone system that helped them deal with torture.
And he sent intelligence information to his wife, hidden in the seemingly innocent letters he wrote.
Friend, we should take notice of the way Admiral Stockdale faced adversity and prevailed to not only to lift his morale, but also the morale of those around him.
That’s the purpose of sharing the wisdom gained from books. Lifting morale and approaching life with a different mindset.
I finished reading Supply Chain Management for dummies. It’s a book about systems and connecting the dots from sales and marketing to purchasing and HR. Supply chain affects everything around us. It certainly affects the morale in business.
May the the story of Admiral Stockdale encourage you during the week.
Best,
Cedric
March 15, 2019
The War of Military Transition
Mary was in her mid 20s and her mother was in her late 60s. One day her mom called her at work. Mary was the business manager of a nonprofit, deep in a month-end reconciliation.
“I need to see you,” she said. “It’s urgent.”
Mary grabbed her purse and ran for the door, pausing only to poke her head in the boss’s office to tell him she had to go. She had a family emergency. The boss nodded gravely and asked Mary to keep him posted, and to let him know if there was anything he could do.
Arriving on the scene, Mary saw her mother sitting in frozen silence. Tears streaming down her cheeks, a ripped and crumpled envelope resting on her lap.
Mary walked slowly toward her. “What’s happened?”
Mary took the letter and read it, then read it through a second time. She raised her eyes to her mother’s face.
“Oh, Ma,” Mary said.
Evidently, her 60 year old mother wanted to become a psychotherapist. Mary’s mom, without telling her beforehand, had applied to a master’s program that offered a specialized degree - and she got in.
“You didn’t tell me you applied,” Mary said.
“I didn’t tell anyone. I didn’t want to jinx myself.”
Mary grinned. “You’re some hot mama.”
She brushed the wetness from her cheeks.
“Can you believe I got in?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry I called you away from work, but I just had to tell you in person.”
Mary knelt before her mom, placed the letter on the carpet and smoothed it out, then grasped her hands. “I think we should make a rule. Every time you get into grad school, you should call me away from work.”
They hugged, and all Mary could think was she hoped every family emergency she’d ever face ended like this.
Just like Mary’s mother, we all go through a transition some point in life.
I was reading The War of Military Transition, written by yours truly. Some friends indicated they want the book in print form. We were be able to make the book available in print after several requests. You can grab a copy on Amazon.
“I need to see you,” she said. “It’s urgent.”
Mary grabbed her purse and ran for the door, pausing only to poke her head in the boss’s office to tell him she had to go. She had a family emergency. The boss nodded gravely and asked Mary to keep him posted, and to let him know if there was anything he could do.
Arriving on the scene, Mary saw her mother sitting in frozen silence. Tears streaming down her cheeks, a ripped and crumpled envelope resting on her lap.
Mary walked slowly toward her. “What’s happened?”
Mary took the letter and read it, then read it through a second time. She raised her eyes to her mother’s face.
“Oh, Ma,” Mary said.
Evidently, her 60 year old mother wanted to become a psychotherapist. Mary’s mom, without telling her beforehand, had applied to a master’s program that offered a specialized degree - and she got in.
“You didn’t tell me you applied,” Mary said.
“I didn’t tell anyone. I didn’t want to jinx myself.”
Mary grinned. “You’re some hot mama.”
She brushed the wetness from her cheeks.
“Can you believe I got in?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry I called you away from work, but I just had to tell you in person.”
Mary knelt before her mom, placed the letter on the carpet and smoothed it out, then grasped her hands. “I think we should make a rule. Every time you get into grad school, you should call me away from work.”
They hugged, and all Mary could think was she hoped every family emergency she’d ever face ended like this.
Just like Mary’s mother, we all go through a transition some point in life.
I was reading The War of Military Transition, written by yours truly. Some friends indicated they want the book in print form. We were be able to make the book available in print after several requests. You can grab a copy on Amazon.
March 11, 2019
Who's packing your parachute?
Charles Plumb was a US Navy jet pilot in Vietnam.
After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent 6 years in a communist Vietnamese prison.
He survived the ordeal and now lectures on lessons learned from that experience.
One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, “You’re Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!”
How in the world did you know that? asked Plumb.
I packed your parachute, the man replied.
Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude.
The man shook his hand and said, “I guess it worked!”
Plumb assured him, “It sure did. If your chute hadn’t worked, I wouldn’t be here today.”
Plumb couldn’t sleep that night, thinking about that man. Plumb says, ‘I kept wondering what he had looked like in a Navy uniform: a white hat; a bib in the back; and bell-bottom trousers. I wonder how many times I might have seen him and not even said 'Good morning, how are you?’ or anything because, you see, I was a fighter pilot and he was just a sailor.‘
Plumb thought of the many hours the sailor had spent at a long wooden table in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he didn’t know.
Now, Plumb asks his audience, ’Who’s packing your parachute?’ Everyone has someone who provides what they need to make it through the day. He also points out that he needed many kinds of parachutes when his plane was shot down over enemy territory - he needed his physical parachute, his mental parachute, his emotional parachute, and his spiritual parachute. He called on all these supports before reaching safety.
The person responsible for packing your parachute is integral to your survival.
I spoke to a friend who is climbing the corporate ladder. He’s in a powerful role. He mentioned there are a lot of people who contributed to his success.
He remains humble knowing there were a number of people packing his parachute to make sure he arrives safety to his destination in life.
Who are some people packing your parachute? Let them know how much you appreciate them.
Best,
Cedric
P.S. Today I start my job at Crane Solutions. It’s a third party logistics company. Falls right in line with my supply chain studies. I just finished reading Supply Chain Transformation as a way to continue my education outside the classroom.
After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent 6 years in a communist Vietnamese prison.
He survived the ordeal and now lectures on lessons learned from that experience.
One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, “You’re Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!”
How in the world did you know that? asked Plumb.
I packed your parachute, the man replied.
Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude.
The man shook his hand and said, “I guess it worked!”
Plumb assured him, “It sure did. If your chute hadn’t worked, I wouldn’t be here today.”
Plumb couldn’t sleep that night, thinking about that man. Plumb says, ‘I kept wondering what he had looked like in a Navy uniform: a white hat; a bib in the back; and bell-bottom trousers. I wonder how many times I might have seen him and not even said 'Good morning, how are you?’ or anything because, you see, I was a fighter pilot and he was just a sailor.‘
Plumb thought of the many hours the sailor had spent at a long wooden table in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he didn’t know.
Now, Plumb asks his audience, ’Who’s packing your parachute?’ Everyone has someone who provides what they need to make it through the day. He also points out that he needed many kinds of parachutes when his plane was shot down over enemy territory - he needed his physical parachute, his mental parachute, his emotional parachute, and his spiritual parachute. He called on all these supports before reaching safety.
The person responsible for packing your parachute is integral to your survival.
I spoke to a friend who is climbing the corporate ladder. He’s in a powerful role. He mentioned there are a lot of people who contributed to his success.
He remains humble knowing there were a number of people packing his parachute to make sure he arrives safety to his destination in life.
Who are some people packing your parachute? Let them know how much you appreciate them.
Best,
Cedric
P.S. Today I start my job at Crane Solutions. It’s a third party logistics company. Falls right in line with my supply chain studies. I just finished reading Supply Chain Transformation as a way to continue my education outside the classroom.
March 10, 2019
Turning Pro
Warren Buffett’s partner, Charlie Munger, made an interesting discovery as a young attorney.
Charlie, as a very young lawyer, was probably getting $20 an hour. He thought to himself, “Who’s my most valuable client?” And he decided it was himself. So he decided to sell himself an hour each day. He did it early in the morning, working on these construction projects and real estate deals.
Everybody should do this, be the client, and then work for other people, too, and sell yourself an hour a day.
You can become your own best client. Just carve out an hour and go to work on yourself.
It’s life changing.
I read a book called Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield. It’s a real kick in the pants. It takes away all excuses and gets to the rub.
Live the life you’re meant to live.
It’s not an easy book to finish without feeling like you’re coming up short. You have to face your demons and grab life by the horns.
Things worth while rarely come easy.
Easy is not an option.
Decide now to turn pro.
Charlie, as a very young lawyer, was probably getting $20 an hour. He thought to himself, “Who’s my most valuable client?” And he decided it was himself. So he decided to sell himself an hour each day. He did it early in the morning, working on these construction projects and real estate deals.
Everybody should do this, be the client, and then work for other people, too, and sell yourself an hour a day.
You can become your own best client. Just carve out an hour and go to work on yourself.
It’s life changing.
I read a book called Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield. It’s a real kick in the pants. It takes away all excuses and gets to the rub.
Live the life you’re meant to live.
It’s not an easy book to finish without feeling like you’re coming up short. You have to face your demons and grab life by the horns.
Things worth while rarely come easy.
Easy is not an option.
Decide now to turn pro.
March 2, 2019
Skill with people
It happened to a friend who’s a teller in a bank on Houston’s upper North Side.
A woman wearing a modest outfit approached his window, her smile radiating gold teeth, and presented a withdrawal slip only slightly worn than her face. She wanted to withdraw twenty dollars.
Our friend counted out four fives, but the woman pushed the bills back.
“Is not my money,” she said. “My money is ten dollar size.”
Experienced at meeting all kinds, our friend grasped the situation immediately. He replaced the four fives with two tens, and the woman went happily on her way. To her, a bank is a place where they put your money in a drawer. When you want it, they give it back. Since she had always deposited tens, those fives belonged to somebody else…
… and the point of our story is this. You never really know what’s going on inside people’s heads until you take the time to understand them.
A favorite saying that helps frame this concept is:
Seek first to understand, then to be understood.
Recently I finished reading a book called Skill With People which helps you understand people and what influences them.
Here are some key insights from the book:
Human Insight #1
How We Learn (and Buy)
83% Through SIGHT
11% Through HEARING
3.5% Through SMELL
1.5% Through TOUCH
1% Through TASTE
Human Insight #2
How We Retain Information
10% of what we READ
20% of what we HEAR
30% of what we SEE
50% of what we SEE and HEAR
70% of what we SAY as we TALK
90% of what we SAY as we DO something with what we learn
Human Insight #3
It’s better to SHOW and TELL than to just talk.
A woman wearing a modest outfit approached his window, her smile radiating gold teeth, and presented a withdrawal slip only slightly worn than her face. She wanted to withdraw twenty dollars.
Our friend counted out four fives, but the woman pushed the bills back.
“Is not my money,” she said. “My money is ten dollar size.”
Experienced at meeting all kinds, our friend grasped the situation immediately. He replaced the four fives with two tens, and the woman went happily on her way. To her, a bank is a place where they put your money in a drawer. When you want it, they give it back. Since she had always deposited tens, those fives belonged to somebody else…
… and the point of our story is this. You never really know what’s going on inside people’s heads until you take the time to understand them.
A favorite saying that helps frame this concept is:
Seek first to understand, then to be understood.
Recently I finished reading a book called Skill With People which helps you understand people and what influences them.
Here are some key insights from the book:
Human Insight #1
How We Learn (and Buy)
83% Through SIGHT
11% Through HEARING
3.5% Through SMELL
1.5% Through TOUCH
1% Through TASTE
Human Insight #2
How We Retain Information
10% of what we READ
20% of what we HEAR
30% of what we SEE
50% of what we SEE and HEAR
70% of what we SAY as we TALK
90% of what we SAY as we DO something with what we learn
Human Insight #3
It’s better to SHOW and TELL than to just talk.
February 4, 2019
A Technique for Producing Ideas
Want to get better ideas? Then think like a detective.
Imagine you’re driving to a crime scene looking for clues. You arrive and spot one clue. Then after digging around you spot another. Before you know it, you have a solid lead to solve the case.
Well, that’s how Sherlock Holmes built a creative process we can all emulate for coming up with big ideas.
I just finished a wonderful book called A Technique for Producing Ideas by James Webb Young. I highly recommend the book.
Some Helpful Insights
Idea - - > Idea - - > Idea
Producing ideas is as definite a process as the production of cars on an assembly line.
A new idea is the result of combining knowledge ranging from specific to general.
Essential Steps to Idea Production and Problem Solving
1. Gather as much information as possible to develop a solution.
2. Work over the information you have gathered.
3. Take time to think.
4. Do something to get your mind off the problem.
5. Give birth to the idea.
6. Return to the problem.
7. Shape the idea to practical use.
Imagine you’re driving to a crime scene looking for clues. You arrive and spot one clue. Then after digging around you spot another. Before you know it, you have a solid lead to solve the case.
Well, that’s how Sherlock Holmes built a creative process we can all emulate for coming up with big ideas.
I just finished a wonderful book called A Technique for Producing Ideas by James Webb Young. I highly recommend the book.
Some Helpful Insights
Idea - - > Idea - - > Idea
Producing ideas is as definite a process as the production of cars on an assembly line.
A new idea is the result of combining knowledge ranging from specific to general.
Essential Steps to Idea Production and Problem Solving
1. Gather as much information as possible to develop a solution.
2. Work over the information you have gathered.
3. Take time to think.
4. Do something to get your mind off the problem.
5. Give birth to the idea.
6. Return to the problem.
7. Shape the idea to practical use.
June 17, 2018
Are all workers created equal?
Let’s say you get two new hires that show up to work for you on the same day. Do you look at each as if they are the same and should be treated the same?
If you do you will be making the same mistake most leaders make.
The truth is all workers are not created equal.
Just about every job I’ve work involved having a boss that initially thought I was just another drone in their office. Each time I sighed and thought to myself, “Here we go again. Guess I gotta train another leader”
Sounds weird, doesn’t it? You go to work for someone and you end up training them. The main thing I trained most of my leaders on is the fact some workers work harder than others and need little supervision.
Case in point. I once had a leader who decided he was going to show me how to conduct a sales call. Now at this point in my career, I was one of the top producers. I found it strange a new leader would want to “Show me how it’s done.”
Would you like to know how his sales call went? Well, let’s just say I was embarrassed for my boss. He totally fumbled on the sales call. He lost credibility.
I endured this twice until finally, he got the hint that I was better on sales calls than he was.
Look, if you’re a leader you don’t have to be the best. And especially if you are not good in a certain area such as sales calls…for goodness sake don’t embarrass yourself. Just let your workers do their job.
Not all workers are created equal and neither are all leaders created equal.
If you do you will be making the same mistake most leaders make.
The truth is all workers are not created equal.
Just about every job I’ve work involved having a boss that initially thought I was just another drone in their office. Each time I sighed and thought to myself, “Here we go again. Guess I gotta train another leader”
Sounds weird, doesn’t it? You go to work for someone and you end up training them. The main thing I trained most of my leaders on is the fact some workers work harder than others and need little supervision.
Case in point. I once had a leader who decided he was going to show me how to conduct a sales call. Now at this point in my career, I was one of the top producers. I found it strange a new leader would want to “Show me how it’s done.”
Would you like to know how his sales call went? Well, let’s just say I was embarrassed for my boss. He totally fumbled on the sales call. He lost credibility.
I endured this twice until finally, he got the hint that I was better on sales calls than he was.
Look, if you’re a leader you don’t have to be the best. And especially if you are not good in a certain area such as sales calls…for goodness sake don’t embarrass yourself. Just let your workers do their job.
Not all workers are created equal and neither are all leaders created equal.
