Success List

You may not agree with all the points on my Success List below, but it gives you some things to think about. If you feel there is a better answer for any or all of them, then scratch out my opinion and write in yours. You might have more than one thing that you feel should be listed by each point … and that’s okay. (In some cases, I found it extremely hard to identify just one) The objective here is to get us all thinking about what is really involved in being successful: it sure made me think. We all need to understand: before we can be it, do it, and live it … we must recognize it.

The Destructive Attitude of Arrogance

One of the biggest destructive forces today that causes countless large companies to fail is an ATTITUDE of ARROGANCE. Bill Gates said, “Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.” Couple that statement with one from former Intel Chairman Andy Grove, who said, “Only the paranoid survive. Paranoids believe someone or some force is out to get them,” and now you should have a better perspective on how two enormously successful men remained successful in such competitive, turbulent times.

We Can’t Do Anything About It

That is what their customer service representative said to me: “We can’t do anything about it.” Did the person who made that statement understand the full consequences of what they just said? Did they understand an eleven-year relationship was getting ready to be terminated? I’ll give you an even better question than that … Did they really care? What does that statement really mean? What is that person really saying to us? Mr. or Ms. Customer … “Good luck. You’re on your own” … “You are just going to have to deal with it.”

Treat ‘Em All Special

I recently did a program at a beautiful hotel where the customer service at the front desk was poor. I was thinking to myself how important it is to treat ALL customers with respect and efficiency. So, I did some research and came across some old notes of mine from years ago, finding a story that I thought was worth sharing with you on that subject. I must give one caveat about the story … this was before the arrival of the internet, where information is now so easily attainable.

Losing Over One Day Out of Every Work Week

Interruptions are one of the biggest sufferings in the workplace. They cause disruptions and unnecessary delays during working hours. A recent study shows an average of 28% of productivity is lost due to interruptions. That adds up extra 2.25 hours of work out of an eight-hour workday is lost!

The Second Right Answer

I once read that our educational system tends to teach students to solve problems based on a recipe that leads to a single, correct solution. But, the real world of business isn’t like that; there is more than one right answer.