Good. Better. Best. Which self do you want to be?

The 3-Minute Coach

October 25, 2001, Issue #28
Non-Business Strategies for Business Success

Welcome to The 3-Minute Coach

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In joy, peace and gratitude,

Louise

Food for Thought

"The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play." --- Arnold Toynbee

Keep It Simple

Choose Now for the Holidays

The major gift-giving holidays are only a few short months away. As much as I hate bringing it up, I think it's time to choose how we want to spend the holidays. Do we want to have a leisurely relaxed holiday season, surrounded by loved ones in peaceful, serene, beautifully-decorated settings? This usually allows us to really enjoy the people in our lives, which should be even more of a focus for us this year. Well, if that's the choice we make, then we need to take action now. At the very least, start thinking about gifts, menus, decorations, whatever it will take to produce the picture you see in your head. When you're in stores, have the people on your shopping list in mind. Opportunities abound if you pay attention to them.

It's just applying the success formula to every event in your life, this time the Holidays: vision+plan+action = Relaxed, Stress-free life (or Holiday season!)

Feature Article

Top 10 Non-Business Strategies for Business Success

You are separate from your business.
Very often entrepreneurs, professional practitioners and small business owners are so absorbed by their work that they are unable to differentiate between their job and themselves, between their work and their lives. Remember that your business is the means to achieving the goals in your life; it is not your life.
The 'whole' person goes to work every day.
Have you ever tried to leave your right arm at home when you go to work in the morning? It's a ridiculous suggestion.. Yet that is exactly what we expect of ourselves and those who work for us. This is not about allowing personal issues to interfere with productivity. It's about acknowledging that your whole self shows up. We tend to work a lot harder when we feel heard and acknowledged. Instead of interfering with productivity, it will generally boost productivity.
You can demand dignity, but you have to earn respect.
There are basic common courtesies that everyone is entitled to. The rest you have to earn. If you think about the people that you respect, you will soon realize that you respect them because of who they are and what they do, not because of 'what' they are. They may come to your notice because of their role, but it is their actions that command respect.
Your actions speak louder than your words.
Specifically, what you reward speaks louder than words. Many business initiatives have failed because management didn't reward the behavior it espoused. And what gets rewarded gets repeated. What doesn't get 'punished' is also important in this regard.
You can make wise business decisions and treat people with respect at the same time.
Sometimes it is necessary to make some very difficult bottom-line decisions. Most people, when given the opportunity, can stand back and say 'that makes sense' or even 'that makes the most sense'. People are capable of doing this even when their jobs are impacted. What some businesses don't understand is that HOW you implement the decision is often more important than WHAT decision you make. Ultimately, people don't talk about the fact that they lost their job, they talk about how they were treated in the process of losing their job. It's an important distinction that affects the reputation of the company involved.
Lead your associates; Manage your systems.
The businesses that are most successful are those that understand the difference between people and systems. Systems operate at maximum effectiveness when they are managed tightly; people operate at maximum effectiveness when they are led and inspired.
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate.
Letting your associates, customers, vendors, backers, family know 'What, When, Where, How and Why'. Communicating fully - even when it's about why you changed your mind - creates trust
Have a compelling vision.
Everybody, including you, needs a good reason to go to work every day. Get crystal clear about your vision and then share it with everyone. Help them understand and buy into it. This is often overlooked and considered as taking time away from the business. If you are the leader, this is your most important role. In addition to giving your associates a clear sense of purpose, it ends up saving you time as others make better choices (that is, choices in line with your direction and vision) on a daily basis.
Say 'Thank You' Often.
You are not the only one that likes to be acknowledged. The more often you say 'thank you' - to individuals up, down and across the organization - the more you will enhance your relationships and your reputation. The strongest leaders say 'thank you' often.
Learn, Stretch, Grow.
Become committed to life-long learning.. This applies to what you do for a living (technical abilities), how you do it (innovative systems and structures), how you implement it (behavioral competencies), and stuff you just want to know (personal development, arts, whatever). This will keep you current in your present position and prepare you better for any changes down the road.

Related Quotes

"Never fear the want of business. A man who qualifies himself well for his calling, never fails of employment." - Thomas Jefferson

"Drive thy business or it will drive thee." - Benjamin Franklin

"Define your business goals clearly so that others can see them as you do." -- George F. Burns

"Everyone is in business for himself, for he is selling his services, labor or ideas. Until one realizes that this is true he will not take conscious charge of his life and will always be looking outside himself for guidance." -- Sidney Madwed

The Welcome Mat Guest Column:

It's A Mistake
By tom d. walsh

I've made a lot of big mistakes in my life. I've hurt people, I've broken things, I've neglected to fulfill responsibilities, I've said stupid things, I've hurt people by saying stupid things--you name it, I've been there. Fortunately, as I grow older I recognize situations that are just waiting for mistakes a little earlier than I used to, and I'm able to avoid making many of the same mistakes that I've made before. Many, not all. But one of the most liberating aspects of my life these days is the fact that I'm now able to accept my mistakes for what they are--mistakes. Not crimes (in my case, anyway), and not horrible actions that will lead to complete social stigmatization, but just mistakes. I used to beat myself up over them, and my own mental beatings after the mistakes were much worse than the mistake itself, or anything that anyone else could have done to me as a result of the mistake.

It used to be that if I said something hurtful, I'd feel that the person I hurt never would want to talk to me again, that the person would reject me completely for the rest of my life. The reality of the situation, though, was that most of the time, the other person forgot about it pretty quickly, and I was still agonizing over the response of someone who wasn't even thinking of what I did any more.

I'd also be afraid that once someone saw me make a mistake, that person wouldn't trust me any longer. It was pretty awful, because just like in the previous example, most people forgot about my mistake pretty quickly--or at least, they weren't holding it against me.

The time and energy that I wasted agonizing over what were almost always minor mistakes could have been spent much more effectively on pursuits other than making myself miserable.

Nowadays, though, mistakes are an important part of my life, for they have a very positive effect on me now--at least two very positive effects that I can think of.

First off, they help me to learn. Once I make a mistake now, I own it--I admit it and I look at it to figure out what went wrong. As a teacher, it's very important for me to know what goes into a mistake, both for my sake and for the sake of anyone that I'm able to teach about mistakes. I learn a lot from my mistakes--I learn how things shouldn't be done, I learn how I often misjudge situations or people, and I learn that I can't foresee all results of my actions.

Secondly, mistakes keep me humble, for they always provide me with an opportunity to offer a heartfelt apology. Apologies are an invitation for forgiveness, and forgiveness is a positive aspect of anyone's life. Once I apologize for a mistake I've made, my relationship with the other person or people strengthens, as long as the other parties are willing to accept the apology.

I no longer agonize over mistakes, and I recognize now just how harmful my own thoughts were when I used to do that. I kind of wish that I had some of the lost time and energy back, but I know that the agonizing was another mistake, one that took me a little bit longer to learn from.

Take risks and make your mistakes--you're human, and you're bound to make mistakes. When you do make them, learn from them, and accept them as a part of your life, a part of who you are and who you'll be. My guess is that nobody gets through this life without making an extremely high number of mistakes, and you're no exception. Another guess of mine is that the wisest among us are those who have made the most mistakes and who have owned up to and learned from them all. Your road to wisdom isn't in a book--it's in your own mistakes!
____________________
tom walsh is a student of life who does his best constantly to learn, and he devotes quite a lot of time to his two websites at www.livinglifefully.com and www.fulllifeonline.com . Drop by for a visit sometime!

Louise Hay Power Card of the Week

Louise L. Hay is a metaphysical teacher and the best-selling author of 27 books, including "You Can Heal Your Life" and "Empowering Women". She has recently created a set of 64 Power Thought Cards, with beautifully illustrated affirmations. Each newsletter, I will share one of these wonderful thoughts.

Power Card:	I trust my inner wisdom.
Affirmation:	As I go about my daily affairs, I listen to my own guidance. My intuition is always on my side. I trust it to be there at all times. I am safe.

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Louise is a Life Success Coach who partners with individuals who are READY (to live their best life), WILLING (to explore all options) and ABLE (to accept total support). She specializes in helping those who know what they want to do and how to do it but still can't seem to get it done by breaking through the blocks and barriers to their success. For many free resources, including Louise's free newsletter of insightful, practical suggestions for creating your best life, visit her website at

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