Who is responsible for your success?

September 19, 2011 · Image Source

in Business strategy

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THIS IS an important question because the answer will affect how you feel about yourself, how likely you are to persist in the face of set backs, and how much enjoyment you gain from the things you do.

If you have read any of Seth Godin‘s work then you are probably familiar with the idea of the “linchpin”; the person who makes things happen, gets things done, and is the reason for successful outcomes.

Who are the linchpins in your world?  Think about your work life, family life, or sporting activities.  Who do you want on your team?  Who is the person that will ensure quality work, home cooked meals, or sporting victory?  Chances are you can think of at least one person in each setting who you would describe as a “linchpin” … and chances are they’re not you.

Many people look externally for the source of positive outcomes, success and enjoyment in their lives.  Martin Seligman, in his best-selling book “Learned Optimism“, outlines that this habit of attributing positive outcomes to other people, external factors or luck is a form of pessimism.  And the more non-personal, temporary and specific your explanations for positive outcomes, the more pronounced the pessimism.

Here are three examples of pessimistic explanations for positive outcomes:

  1. Praise from a client: “The client was happy with the finance report [specific] that the team [non-personal] submitted on this project [temporary]. Dave had some great insights.” [non-personal]
  2. Enjoyed family barbeque: “I enjoyed the family barbeque [specific] this year [temporary]. Grandma was so funny.” [non-personal]
  3. Won a swimming race: ”I won the race [specific]. Suzy was off the pace tonight.” [non-personal and temporary]

You need to take personal responsibility for the good things in your life because this is a form of optimism, self-belief, and will give you the positive energy you need to keep moving.  The more personal, permanent, and pervasive your explanations for your success, the better.

Compare the above explanations with the following more optimistic explanations:

  1. Praise from client: ”The client loves us [permanent, pervasive]. We are a good group and I work really well with people.” [personal, permanent]
  2. Enjoyed family barbeque: ”What a fun day with the family, I always enjoy myself.” [personal, permanent and pervasive]
  3. Won a swimming race: “The other swimmers are very competitive [permanent]. I swam a personal best [personal] and I am grateful to my coach for helping me make the most of my abilities.” [personal, permanent and pervasive]

The interesting thing about each of the above statements is that they explain things which have happened, i.e. they explain the past.  It is curious that many people find it difficult to explain the past in an optimistic way because, after all, your life is a story, you are the main character, and you are free to tell your own story and portray the the main character in any way you choose.  If you do not own your past successes then you are placing other people or circumstances at the the centre of your personal story, and thereby shifting positive energy away from yourself.

Wait a minute, you may be thinking, taking all the credit for my success sounds kind of arrogant and being humble is a good thing, right?  Yes, you are right, humility is a good thing.  However, if you think of “humility” as the quality of avoiding excessive arrogance and considering other people as just as important as yourself then you might agree that failing to take responsibility goes much further than this.  The humble man will give credit where credit is due, but the irresponsible man will almost always downplay or ignore his own role in success and attribute that success to other people, fortunate circumstances or dumb luck.

The irresponsible man may be able to avoid any blame for failure. However, he will find it difficult to be satisfied with his success, persist in the face of personal setbacks, or delight in fulfilling his daily goals … because he has none.

Who is responsible for your success?

Free Money Day

September 14, 2011 · 1 comment · Image Source

in Economics

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TOMORROW, SEPTEMBER 15th, at various public locations worldwide, people will hand out their own money to complete strangers, two coins or notes at a time, asking the recipients to pass one of these coins or notes on to someone else.

The aim is to raise awareness and start conversations about the benefits of economies based on sharing, as well as offer a liberating experience that gets us thinking more critically and creatively about our relationship with money and how we could have new types of economic activity. Free Money Day is an initiative of the Post Growth Institute, an international group seeking to inspire and equip people everywhere to explore paths to global prosperity that don’t rely on economic growth.

To learn more, and to participate, click here.

Note: The Post Growth Institute is a catalyst for identifying, inspiring and implementing new approaches to global well-being. Its mission is to build and empower a broad-based global movement dedicated to bringing about futures beyond economic growth.

Thinking

August 27, 2011 · Image Source

in Business strategy

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How great are you?

If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don’t.
If you like to win but think you can’t,
It’s almost a cinch you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost.
For out in the world we find,
Success begins with a fellow’s will.
It’s all in the state of mind.

If you think you are out classed, you are.
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of your-self before
You can ever win the prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go,
To the stronger or faster man.
But sooner or later, the man who wins,
Is the man who thinks he can.

~ Walter D. Wintle

Hail to the bus driver man!

August 24, 2011 · Image Source

in Business strategy

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What do you want to do when you grow up?

THIS is a tribute to those people whose actions make our lives possible.

Think of an ordinary day of your typical city dwelling person.  A school student, university student, office worker or senior citizen. It is very likely that they may need to go somewhere, and that they may decide to catch a bus in order to get there.

Who will drive that bus?

If you are a member of the ambitious middle class, and there is a good chance you are (i.e. you’re not starving poor and you don’t have the time and money to do exactly as you please), then you probably toyed with the idea of driving that bus.  You may have also toyed with the idea of sliding down a fireman’s pole, building houses, delivering milk, or inventing new technology to teleport you onto the Starship Enterprise.

You were young, and you dreamed of doing things …

… and then you turned 11 and your parents suggested kindly and lovingly that you be a little more realistic. Driving a bus is a cute idea! But have you considered being an accountant, lawyer, doctor or dentist.  Respectable jobs with good pay.  You can live in a nice house like daddy and mummy.

That’s all very well.  These are all valid jobs and lawyers are people too (right?), but the important and subtle shift that went unnoticed by us as children was that our innate childish wisdom of wanting to do things was carefully replaced by our parents’ well intentioned but misguided advice to be something.  “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

This is the wrong question to ask a child. More to the point, this is the wrong question to ask anybody. Life is not about your job title, but about your actions to improve the lives of others. Life is made possible only by doing, by providing value to others, by giving and receiving in return.

We are each on a journey of trying, failing, adapting, improving, laughing, and growing into the people that we might become.

A better question to ask might have been: What do you want to do when you grow up?  How would you like to help people by using your unique set of talents?  A wise and thoughtful child might respond: “I would like help people on their journey.”

Hail to the bus driver man!

Slow Dance

August 19, 2011 · Image Source

in Business strategy

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Are you dancing too fast?

Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round,
or listened to the rain slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight,
or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You’d better slow down, don’t dance so fast,
time is short, the music won’t last.

Do you run through each day on the fly,
when you ask “How are you?”, do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed,
with the next hundred chores running through your head?

You’d better slow down, don’t dance so fast,
time is short, the music won’t last.

Ever told your child, we’ll do it tomorrow,
and in your haste, not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch, let a good friendship die,
’cause you never had time, to call and say “Hi”?

You’d better slow down, don’t dance so fast,
time is short, the music won’t last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere,
you miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,
it’s like an unopened gift thrown away.

Life is not a race, do take it slower,
hear the music before your song is over.

~ David L. Weatherford

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