We are back from our summer break… Hope you didn’t miss us too much!

This past week I have been running through some different ideas of what to post here, and as work often goes… my work has gotten in the way of work and the blog ideas have been getting pushed further and further back.

Even when I finally do have a moment or two to sit and think, I suddenly find myself sitting in a black hole of creativity. I can’t seem to think of anything, and have nothing but my desk and a blank page staring up at me to keep me company.

Now, I am sure this never happens to you.

Okay maybe I may have some sarcasm there. We all have these moments. So how do we stay focused and creative at work?

Here are some thoughts I found, as well some of my personal favorites to get back on your feet when you have lost focus and are looking for that jump start to get going again.

Write a list: At the beginning of each day write down the tasks that you need to accomplish. There is something about taking the time to write a list and having it on your desk the rest of the day that can motivate focus. I personally write my tasks on a post- it note and place it on the side of my computer monitor. When I finish the task, I can throw away the post- it note. My goal each day is to start the morning with no post- it notes from the day before.

Do The Tough Stuff First: Mark Twain once said “If you eat a frog first thing in the morning that will probably be the worst thing you do all day.” Brian Tracy (TTN Speaker) has taken this quote and transformed it into a way of completing your daily tasks. Once I make my list I look for the thing I want to do least… and do it! That way I don’t have it hanging over my head, and dragging my attention away from other projects.

Close Your Email: I cannot tell you how many times I have been in the middle of a big project, only to be sidetracked by an email I thought might be important…only to find it is Spam. For short periods of time I have started to close my email. It allows for un-interrupted work on projects, and I have found that I am able to actually answer my emails on a timelier schedule.

Invest In A Pair Of Headphones: Very often when working on a project with a deadline I will start playing my favorite tunes, and put on my headphones. Doing so, I have found I can block outside distractions around me, as well as tap into a creative resource.

In Minneapolis, an instructor who led CEU training courses  for insurance agents was found to be providing 15 hours of accredited training (training that is necessary for agents to keep their license)… in a matter of minutes.

“It wasn’t bending the rules, it was blowing them away,” Huge told commerce investigators, according to their report. “How can I do it? Or why did I do it? ‘Cause I didn’t know you were in the room.”

Click here to read the full article

What are your thoughts? Is this story just an anomaly to training culture, or is this one of many? Why would a trainer choose to go and bend or “blow” the rules away? How does this impact the perceptions of employees on the role of training?

I’d love to hear your ideas, and see what questions this article brings up for you.

For example, say there’s a TTN course you really like and really want to not only get those principles down, but want your employees to learn them, as well. Of course, you can just have them watch the course, but why not make a project of it? Print out the accompanying materials and guide your employees through the course. Discuss it. Ask questions. Answer questions. This way, the material will gain a more solid foothold in everyone’s knowledge base.

Have you ever been driving when a small piece of gravel gets flung up by the vehicle in front of you, hitting your windshield and creating a tiny ‘ding’ in the glass? The best thing to do is get that small imperfection fixed immediately; have it filled in with whatever magic polymer the auto-glass companies use. Because what happens if we ignore it and let it sit? It grows. That little ‘ding’ is like a seed in the glass that sprouts roots – cracks slowly spread across your windshield until you realize the entire thing must be replaced.

This is much like letting things lapse at your workplace. Maybe there’s something you keep putting off, thinking it’s not a big deal, or it’s sort of a pain, and you’ll get to it later. It’s just a little ‘ding’, right? But if you keep ignoring it, that little ‘ding’ can grow into a big problem.

Tackling the little things before they grow into big problems is one way to keep your job less stressful and more productive.

So what turns a merely pleasant road trip into a super road trip? Planning!

Sure – it’s nice to come upon the unexpected. But when you take the time to do a little research – looking up restaurants, roadside curiosities and museums on the internet or in books – your experience will be that much more rewarding. Now you won’t miss the must-sees, the best burgers, the most awe-inspiring views. And the anticipation involved in the planning is nearly as much fun as the trip itself!

This type of planning – while perhaps not quite as much fun – can help make your workday a lot more pleasant and productive. By taking the time to plan out your day – making lists and prioritizing projects – you’ll be much less likely to miss those important tasks or run out of the time to accomplish them.

Brian Tracy offers a number of excellent time management courses on TTN’s LMS, which go into detail about effective ways to plan your day, whether it’s a workday, a weekend day, or a day for hitting the road!

How often do you find the good in your grievances?

We all complain about the poor customer service we experience in our lives, whether it be on the phone, at a restaurant, or in a store. Bad service can happen. I know there have been a couple of times I’ve been on the phone with a company sorting out an error or mailing I’ve received for what seems like hours.

In these bad situations I cannot control much, but I can control my response. Choosing to fight the problem, rather then fighting the person can have a surprising effect on the outcome. 

Last year I had gotten a new computer and was purchasing new software for it. I had just paid and downloaded the product, when I realized that it didn’t work… at all (insert major annoyance here). I fiddled around with the software a bit grumbling under my breath about the stupidity of modern corporate America, and realized… that the idiot in fact was me. I hadn’t paid attention to the fine print which clearly stated their software was not created for my computer.

“Oops” I thought, and called their customer service number to see what help I could find hoping for a 24 hour refund policy. I spoke with a customer service rep who informed me that “…although he was sorry, he could not apply a refund, or exchange for another product.”

Now at this point I was getting a little frustrated. I had just spent a lot of money on a product that didn’t work, and although technically it was my fault (okay fine, it was my entire fault) I wanted some help. Now I had two choices on the phone. I could scream and yell at the rep. stating how uncaring and cold hearted he was and then demand to speak to someone “who know what was going on over there”. Or I could thank him for his help, and the work he was doing, but kindly ask to speak with a manager who could make the decision to refund my purchase. I chose the latter, thanked him  adding he was very good at being patient with me. and was then transferred to a manager who quickly resolved the issue and gave me a full refund.

I was happy. The company was happy. And the customer service rep (who I needed to help get me to the right person) was happy, or at least knew that he was doing a good job.

As customers, good customer service can be just as much in our control as those who are doing the serving. A compliment joined with a complaint can go a long way.

My friend recently posed this question to me. She is a recent graduate from college and is trying master the maze of job applications that need experience… but is facing the conundrum of how- do- you- get- experience- when- all- the- postions- you- apply- for- want- you- to- be- an- expert- already.   

I am sure that she is not the only one who faces this dilemma. We all need to gain experience, and there will never be a point where we are THE expert on a skill, idea, or job position.

No man was ever so completely skilled in the conduct of life, as not to receive new information from age and experience.     -Terence 

But how do we get from the point of inexperienced to expert? I think a common misconception is to believe that an “expert” can be measured by an ultimate accumulation of facts and figures. Not that these are unimportant (to write a book, I must first know how to spell). However I think a true expert is someone who is willing to constantly absorb the new ideas and learning experiences in their “expertise”. 

An expert is not one who knows, but rather one who is able to learn.

You may be an expert in sales, technology, or your profession’s leadership skills. But you didn’t always posses that knowledge you have now and if you only applied what you knew today ten years into the future… you would not still be seen as an expert.

Taking time to train and to learn our skills is crucial to developing ourselves. I will never know everything there is to know about communication. You will never have the perfect amount of leadership expertise. But if we continue to grow and meet the challenges that face us, we will know a little more each day then what we knew before.

As for my friend, she holds a wealth of expertise and experience on her resume today, compared to the little girl that I used to ride bikes with in our driveway. And she will continue to gain experience and become an expert as she continues to train and learn. Experience is the ability to learn and apply that knowledge… not a list of years working or the school you went to on a job application.

1.  Best friend(s)
2.  Kids that were pretty good athletes
3.  Kids that your best friend would tell you to pick
4.  Divide the last couple of kids that didn’t really want to play the game anyway

Then the game began.  The balls started to fly.  If you were able to avoid injury or knocking someone’s glasses off, you were golden.  Before you knew it the game was over.  If your team lost, the kids that were in category #4 usually let this roll off of them.  The other kids usually did one of two things.  Either they would blame the kids in category #4 for losing the game or they would blame someone on the other team for doing something to someone in category #4 that caused their team’s loss.  The one thing that they didn’t do is look at how their own performance contributed to the game.

The business world can be a giant game of dodge ball.  We are all part of diverse teams with expectations to win every time.  There may be a lot of pressure and pushback from your teammates.  You will have the team captains who organize the project, you may have peers on your team, teammates that have certain skills needed to get the project done, and there will be the ones that don’t care and don’t contribute.  How do you all work together and deliver? 

Define clear goals and objectives.
Clear communication is essential in order for team members to know what is expected of them.

Discuss and agree on individual responsibilities.
This step will help keep individuals on task and it promotes personal accountability. 

The leader must lead by example.
A strong leader must create a high trust environment so the team will participate in discussions, ask questions, and address conflict. The leader must also have an action plan for conflict that may arise.  With all of this in place, the team will make the most of the time that they have together.

Regularly evaluate and discuss the team’s performance and progress.
A reminder of what is expected and reviewing the goals and objectives throughout the project will keep the project defined.

By implementing these simple steps, you will understand your role in helping your team win every time and you will not get caught up in the grade school blame game.

This morning among the highlights of the top plays, and top commercials, I noticed an article in the Washington Post that was written about the Saints Super Bowl win and the important impact it’s having on the New Orleans community.

“There was something about this Saints team, which stormed through the National Football League season that seemed to inspire a city worn down by the rebuilding…. The way the Saints kept fighting toward the Super Bowl gave people hope.

“It’s a gateway for everyone to believe,” said Herbert Williams, who lives near Sidney‘s Saloon in Treme. “It’s showing everyone that we’re coming back from Hurricane Katrina and showing that this can be a great place to be.”

The article makes a good point. Winning makes a difference for our morale and can very often provide encouragement and confidence that brings a helping hand to pick us up in our outlook on life.

However, I think it’s the tendency with many of us to leave this winning excitement behind with our team’s jersey, and forget to put it on with our suit Monday morning.

Having an organization that can pull together and celebrate success has a profound impact on how we see ourselves, our team, and our future. But it is sadly something that is often overlooked in the hustle and bustle of the work week.

So my thoughts for the week are:

How are you winning Super Bowls for your company?

And on the flip side…

How are you taking time to celebrate your organization’s victories?

Compare these sentences:

I didn’t steal that car.

I didn’t steal that car.

I didn’t steal that car.

I didn’t steal that car.

I didn’t steal that car.

If you read them carefully, they all have different meaning by putting emphasis on different words within the exact same sentence.

We all sat through 8^th grade English right?  Who thought then what we were learning was going to be so important now?  One of the biggest struggles in business is proper etiquette through email.  How do we know what the sender meant if we can’t hear their voice or read their body language?  We rely so much on technology that our face to face communication is less and less.  Sales, customer service, IT….most departments within your company rely heavily on email to communicate with internal and external customers.  How are you as an individual preparing yourself and/or your employees to communicate this way?  I can tell you that if you are “assuming” or “expecting” that someone already knows “the rules”, you may be sadly mistaken.  Right now a lot of companies are experiencing 4 generations in the workplace and this means that they are dealing with 4 different types of communication styles.  This is going to continue on as the baby boomers retire and generation Z enters the workforce.  Emails may start to look more like this:

LOL!  Sry I missed ur call.  I wuz OTL.  I gthrd some 411 4 u.  Pls CMB when u have a min.

Ok, maybe that’s a bit extreme.  My point is that one word, or lack of, can make or break a sales transaction, a customer relationship, or giving instructions to your team.  TTN offers e-learning courses covering this topic and there are many helpful websites available that you can reference or direct people to.  By providing the right tools, you are setting others up for success.  Email is your voice, what are you really trying to say?