This is your opportunity to make 2011 the Year of Choice.
One principle I've learnt over the years is this:
EVERYTHING in life will be managed.
If I don't manage something then there are hundreds & thousands of people/things that will manage it for me.
If I don't cut my lawn , the City of Calgary will eventually cut it for me (at the small fee of $250)
If I don't manage my budget, my bank will offer to "tide me over" with the credit card they sent me. (at 28 percent interest)
If I don't manage the use of my time, the great news is there are a multitude of people out there who will. (I'll meet their goals, not necessarily mine)
The lesson is that many of us are paying a heavy emotional & financial price for not addressing the choices we need to make in life.
The beginning of a New Year represents an awesome opportunity to starting making choices in those areas of our job/life that remain unresolved. It is our chance to manage something positively before it will be managed by someone else at a high cost.
From a leadership perspective I've narrowed it down to 5 choices we all need to make to become effective leaders. Stay tuned for much more information on my book "A Game of Choice: 5 Choices to Effective Leadership" and the workshop that follows.
Happy New Year! I wish all of you every success in 2011.
Some Workshop Reviews from my recent Jasper Workshops:
"Very Informative Course filled with good help suggestions to aid supervisors to improve overall productivity & staff relations. Honest. Passionate. Very Encouraging!"
"I leave with a very positive outlook on the changes I can/will implement at my workplace from this course. Changes in me that will make a huge difference to my team."
If you have any questions about bringing powerful training to your team in 2011, call me at (403) 874-1044 or email me at david@marketbeamer.com.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Who will you Vote for?
Its Election Day in the USA.
A poll yesterday suggested that today 80 percent of those Americans who plan to switch their vote from Democrat to Republican in the US Mid Term Elections don't actually believe the Republicans will do a better job. In essence they just seem intent on making SOMEONE "PAY" for the current economic status of their country.
The poll shocked me at first but points to a sad reality. Most everyday, I see people around me wasting away their chance at life with a capital "L" . They are busy blaming their circumstances on everyone and everything else instead of using that same time to make the positive choices that would turn their circumstances around.
Every once in a while I catch myself trending in that same direction. It is the road more easily travelled.
The truth is that every morning each one of us goes to the polls on the issue of what direction we'll take that day. In Canada, other than required respect for Taxes and our Criminal Code of Canada no one can make your choices for you unless you let them.
So Please. Please. Please. On each and every Election Day:
Cast a ballot for yourself.
A poll yesterday suggested that today 80 percent of those Americans who plan to switch their vote from Democrat to Republican in the US Mid Term Elections don't actually believe the Republicans will do a better job. In essence they just seem intent on making SOMEONE "PAY" for the current economic status of their country.
The poll shocked me at first but points to a sad reality. Most everyday, I see people around me wasting away their chance at life with a capital "L" . They are busy blaming their circumstances on everyone and everything else instead of using that same time to make the positive choices that would turn their circumstances around.
Every once in a while I catch myself trending in that same direction. It is the road more easily travelled.
The truth is that every morning each one of us goes to the polls on the issue of what direction we'll take that day. In Canada, other than required respect for Taxes and our Criminal Code of Canada no one can make your choices for you unless you let them.
So Please. Please. Please. On each and every Election Day:
Cast a ballot for yourself.
Monday, September 6, 2010
What you need to know about the 'Law of Average' and how it applies to Leadership (both personal and corporate)
"Next week is our launch week for a new year. There will be a BBQ, fun and some pretty average preaching. So please invite your friends."
That was the ending appeal to our church service this past Sunday morning. No disrespect to the pastor who delivered it, he's a great guy and I didn't disagree with the true intent in which it was given (making sure people feel comfortable to hear an important message).
None the less I found myself strongly reacting to the word AVERAGE. It hit me like a boxer's blow to the gut.
Personally, I've come to dislike the word AVERAGE. So let me rant..
AVERAGE??? I refuse to settle for AVERAGE. I can't get excited about AVERAGE. I don't eat AVERAGE. I don't dream about AVERAGE. I've never chased AVERAGE. If I all i can look forward to is AVERAGE then I might as well just stop trying, stop dreaming, stop chasing, right now."
In the domain of leadership, both corporate & personal, aiming for average is a death sentence even if the accountant doesn't officially close your books and take down the neon OPEN sign on your business door.
A leader once said the formula to motivation is simply the existence of inspiring goals and having some tools to help us reach them. If our goals are simply average (while that sounds good on some days), how much motivation can there be? What is there to look forward to?
As humans we are motivated by achievement which can only come with challenge and growth. Our growth is fueled and enhanced by the sting of our failures along that way.
Despite the recent recession, the fact remains Canada's economy is heading for a severe labor shortage and "Please invite your friends" is going to become the Human Resource call of many companies. The question is will they come and want to stay? Will your organization or your team be an attractive place to work?!
If your leadership style settles for AVERAGE, don't count on it.
p.s.
If you are tired of average and want something better for your team & your life: Register for one of the upcoming 1st Time Managers Leadership Two Day Boot Camps.
Calgary's Workshop is just around the corner: September 14 & 15 at the Glenmore Inn and Convention Centre.
Click here to download the Fax Registration Form - or -
Register by Phone at (403) 874-1044.
That was the ending appeal to our church service this past Sunday morning. No disrespect to the pastor who delivered it, he's a great guy and I didn't disagree with the true intent in which it was given (making sure people feel comfortable to hear an important message).
None the less I found myself strongly reacting to the word AVERAGE. It hit me like a boxer's blow to the gut.
Personally, I've come to dislike the word AVERAGE. So let me rant..
AVERAGE??? I refuse to settle for AVERAGE. I can't get excited about AVERAGE. I don't eat AVERAGE. I don't dream about AVERAGE. I've never chased AVERAGE. If I all i can look forward to is AVERAGE then I might as well just stop trying, stop dreaming, stop chasing, right now."
In the domain of leadership, both corporate & personal, aiming for average is a death sentence even if the accountant doesn't officially close your books and take down the neon OPEN sign on your business door.
A leader once said the formula to motivation is simply the existence of inspiring goals and having some tools to help us reach them. If our goals are simply average (while that sounds good on some days), how much motivation can there be? What is there to look forward to?
As humans we are motivated by achievement which can only come with challenge and growth. Our growth is fueled and enhanced by the sting of our failures along that way.
Despite the recent recession, the fact remains Canada's economy is heading for a severe labor shortage and "Please invite your friends" is going to become the Human Resource call of many companies. The question is will they come and want to stay? Will your organization or your team be an attractive place to work?!
If your leadership style settles for AVERAGE, don't count on it.
p.s.
If you are tired of average and want something better for your team & your life: Register for one of the upcoming 1st Time Managers Leadership Two Day Boot Camps.
Calgary's Workshop is just around the corner: September 14 & 15 at the Glenmore Inn and Convention Centre.
Click here to download the Fax Registration Form - or -
Register by Phone at (403) 874-1044.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
The Oft Overlooked Ingredient to Great Leadership
There are a thousand great books out there helping us with perspectives on leadership. A lot of them are worth our time reading.
I do believe that knowledge is obviously an important component of setting up newer managers for success or in helping existing managers succeed in creating teams that are hard working, energetic, committed and that win.
I think it is a huge mistake though to think that knowledge is the only ingredient in the "Great Leader" recipe.
I've had a growing number of industry managers tell me lately that they are disappointed in the lack of performance from people they hired whose Knowledge credits were stacked high and wide. (University degrees, Dale Carnegie, Post Education Certificates etc).
While knowledge is important (I'm not knocking any of the above. they are very valuable), in my experience it isn't always enough to get you where you want to go.
The missing ingredient to turn people into Effective Managers & Leaders is a few cups of Courage.
That is where the upcoming 1st Time Manager's 2 Day Boot Camps in Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver set themselves apart.
Over the years, my leadership classes have been filled with great people who come to realize that they know what they need to do about the situations they are in. Knowledge in reality is not the problem.
What they really need is the courage to walk through the fear of addressing issues with people, communicating both up and down the company ladder, risking conflict: All things they'll need to do to deal with the situations they have.
I understand that. Its a huge issue in today's workforce and its holding a lot of Canadians back from what life would have for them.
I don't want fear to ever stop you from achieving your best.
So, on top of laying down 2 days packed with the knowledge you'll need to be a great leader, motivate teams, manage performance, communicate for clarity, handle change etc...
We'll also deliberate on the fact that Courage is essential and comes with A.G.E., which is not what it seems. (If it was, my wife tells me I should have more than enough)
Mark these dates on your calendar and register to reserve your spots today! Click on the city most convenient for you to access a fax registration form.
Calgary: September 14-15, Glenmore Inn & Convention Centre
Edmonton: November 3-4, Holiday Inn Express Downtown
Vancouver: November 29-30, Burnaby Hilton
Click here for a more detailed Workshop Info Sheet
Special Offer (for registrations before September 10): Register 2 people and bring a 3rd for free!
If you want a new lease on life and practical tools to launch your success, sign up and we'll see you in one of those great cities.
Do you have more than 10 employees that you'd like to take this training? I can cost effectively bring this training direct to your organization. Contact me for more info. david@marketbeamer.com or (403) 874-1044.
Here's to your success!
David
I do believe that knowledge is obviously an important component of setting up newer managers for success or in helping existing managers succeed in creating teams that are hard working, energetic, committed and that win.
I think it is a huge mistake though to think that knowledge is the only ingredient in the "Great Leader" recipe.
I've had a growing number of industry managers tell me lately that they are disappointed in the lack of performance from people they hired whose Knowledge credits were stacked high and wide. (University degrees, Dale Carnegie, Post Education Certificates etc).
While knowledge is important (I'm not knocking any of the above. they are very valuable), in my experience it isn't always enough to get you where you want to go.
The missing ingredient to turn people into Effective Managers & Leaders is a few cups of Courage.
That is where the upcoming 1st Time Manager's 2 Day Boot Camps in Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver set themselves apart.
Over the years, my leadership classes have been filled with great people who come to realize that they know what they need to do about the situations they are in. Knowledge in reality is not the problem.
What they really need is the courage to walk through the fear of addressing issues with people, communicating both up and down the company ladder, risking conflict: All things they'll need to do to deal with the situations they have.
I understand that. Its a huge issue in today's workforce and its holding a lot of Canadians back from what life would have for them.
I don't want fear to ever stop you from achieving your best.
So, on top of laying down 2 days packed with the knowledge you'll need to be a great leader, motivate teams, manage performance, communicate for clarity, handle change etc...
We'll also deliberate on the fact that Courage is essential and comes with A.G.E., which is not what it seems. (If it was, my wife tells me I should have more than enough)
Mark these dates on your calendar and register to reserve your spots today! Click on the city most convenient for you to access a fax registration form.
Calgary: September 14-15, Glenmore Inn & Convention Centre
Edmonton: November 3-4, Holiday Inn Express Downtown
Vancouver: November 29-30, Burnaby Hilton
Click here for a more detailed Workshop Info Sheet
Special Offer (for registrations before September 10): Register 2 people and bring a 3rd for free!
If you want a new lease on life and practical tools to launch your success, sign up and we'll see you in one of those great cities.
Do you have more than 10 employees that you'd like to take this training? I can cost effectively bring this training direct to your organization. Contact me for more info. david@marketbeamer.com or (403) 874-1044.
Here's to your success!
David
Thursday, August 12, 2010
FEAR: Use it!
I don't know about you, but fear has and can stop me in my tracks. I retreat back into myself like a deer in headlights.
It is interesting to note that Fear as an acronym stands for:
False
Emotions
Appearing
Real
Consider the following scenarios:
1) Your Boss hasn't said anything about the project you just completed
Fear: They hate your work.
Truth: They are as run off their feet as you are. They love the fact they can count on you to do what needs to be done. They just haven't had the time to say it.
2) A Co-Worker keeps messing up and is impacting your ability to do your job
Fear: They are an idiot and perhaps doing it on purpose to make your life miserable.
Truth: They ARE an idi...(I knew you'd be saying that!)
Real Truth: They likely never truly understood what your expectations were (there are 1240 reasons why this may happen). Magically, once you take the time to actually clarify expectations they will very likely start meeting them.
So it points us to how we can use FEAR powerfully in our lives. FEAR is simply a call for ACTION. It is a trigger that should motivate you to clarify, communicate, act through something.
After a "How to Deal with Difficult People" seminar, a woman came up to me , thanked me for the class, and asked me if there was an advanced session because she had a really difficult person to go back and deal with.
I encouraged her that there was and that it was free! The advanced class is called experience. I challenged her to go back with the tools she did get from the workshop, walk through her fear and just talk to that person.
Experience will show her that rarely is it as bad as she feared.
Experience will show her that when things are finally said they get dealt with.
Experience will show her that when things are dealt with, people breathe easier and teams succeed.
Experience will make her better each time she encounter similar scenarios.
Experience will continually build her courage in the face of her fears.
It can do the same for you. What lies are you still telling yourself today? What fears are stopping you in your tracks? You now know what to do.
WARNING!: You'll be adding Experience to your resume... but that's always a good thing.
Looking for help with what to say and how to say it ? Don't miss the
1rst Time Managers Two Day Boot Camp in either Calgary or Edmonton. You'll learn 4 ways to successfully give feedback, even in the most stressful of situations. You'll also get an opportunity to practice it. See below or to the left for more details and links to registration.
Contact: (403) 874-1044 or david@marketbeamer.com
It is interesting to note that Fear as an acronym stands for:
False
Emotions
Appearing
Real
Consider the following scenarios:
1) Your Boss hasn't said anything about the project you just completed
Fear: They hate your work.
Truth: They are as run off their feet as you are. They love the fact they can count on you to do what needs to be done. They just haven't had the time to say it.
2) A Co-Worker keeps messing up and is impacting your ability to do your job
Fear: They are an idiot and perhaps doing it on purpose to make your life miserable.
Truth: They ARE an idi...(I knew you'd be saying that!)
Real Truth: They likely never truly understood what your expectations were (there are 1240 reasons why this may happen). Magically, once you take the time to actually clarify expectations they will very likely start meeting them.
So it points us to how we can use FEAR powerfully in our lives. FEAR is simply a call for ACTION. It is a trigger that should motivate you to clarify, communicate, act through something.
After a "How to Deal with Difficult People" seminar, a woman came up to me , thanked me for the class, and asked me if there was an advanced session because she had a really difficult person to go back and deal with.
I encouraged her that there was and that it was free! The advanced class is called experience. I challenged her to go back with the tools she did get from the workshop, walk through her fear and just talk to that person.
Experience will show her that rarely is it as bad as she feared.
Experience will show her that when things are finally said they get dealt with.
Experience will show her that when things are dealt with, people breathe easier and teams succeed.
Experience will make her better each time she encounter similar scenarios.
Experience will continually build her courage in the face of her fears.
It can do the same for you. What lies are you still telling yourself today? What fears are stopping you in your tracks? You now know what to do.
WARNING!: You'll be adding Experience to your resume... but that's always a good thing.
Looking for help with what to say and how to say it ? Don't miss the
1rst Time Managers Two Day Boot Camp in either Calgary or Edmonton. You'll learn 4 ways to successfully give feedback, even in the most stressful of situations. You'll also get an opportunity to practice it. See below or to the left for more details and links to registration.
Contact: (403) 874-1044 or david@marketbeamer.com
Monday, August 2, 2010
Drop the Pretense
A few words for the wise:
To achieve success driven by great communication patterns simply:
1) Drop the pretense.
2) Put it in the past tense.
3) Just be in the present tense.
4) Your future will be far less tense.
Stephen Covey author of 7 Habits for Highly Effective People suggests that most managers spend 80 percent of their day fighting "Fires" or things that are urgent and important. Most of these are a result of miscommunication/ lack of understanding.
If you are going to spend the time (listening to someone) don't commit the crime (not really listening to them.)
There are a ton of pretenses that can get in the way of us being in the moment with someone and truly listening:
1) Being super busy ourselves and thinking ahead
2) Their attitude
3) Their appearance
4) Past experiences with them
5) The environment we're in
just to name a few.
Drop them and experience the time saving, relationship building benefits of being 'in the moment' when speaking with someone.
If you can't drop them, tell them upfront and schedule a time when you can.
They'll thank you for it.
To achieve success driven by great communication patterns simply:
1) Drop the pretense.
2) Put it in the past tense.
3) Just be in the present tense.
4) Your future will be far less tense.
Stephen Covey author of 7 Habits for Highly Effective People suggests that most managers spend 80 percent of their day fighting "Fires" or things that are urgent and important. Most of these are a result of miscommunication/ lack of understanding.
If you are going to spend the time (listening to someone) don't commit the crime (not really listening to them.)
There are a ton of pretenses that can get in the way of us being in the moment with someone and truly listening:
1) Being super busy ourselves and thinking ahead
2) Their attitude
3) Their appearance
4) Past experiences with them
5) The environment we're in
just to name a few.
Drop them and experience the time saving, relationship building benefits of being 'in the moment' when speaking with someone.
If you can't drop them, tell them upfront and schedule a time when you can.
They'll thank you for it.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Life is hard. Get over it.
Life is hard. Get over it.
My father is 85 years old and last week while attending a family wedding in Toronto suffered a mini-stroke or T.I.A. It is another blow in a storied life, that on the surface, hasn't been kind to him.
My father, born in Eastern Europe lost his mom when he was a very young boy. He wasn't treated very well by his step mother and at age 16, he got dragged into the horrors of WW2 avoiding the mass graves that claimed the bodies of so many of his friends in the Russian work camp that took 4 years of his life.. He came to Canada with nothing but his clothes and an insatiable work ethic.
Don't feel to sorry for him. He doesn't feel sorry for himself. A lot of people, given his history, would allow him that, but he's never gone there.
My father knows two things:
1) Life is Hard
and
2) Life is so Incredibly Good
His focus has always been on #2 and he's lived a fulfulling life because of it.
It challenges all of us to ask the same question: Do we fundamentally believe life is good or do we believe life is hard?
A human truth is that we tend to get what we focus on.
If we fundamentally believe life is hard, don't be surprised if it turns out to be. It will be hard every moment of every day.
If we fundamentally believe life is incredibly good, it doesn't eliminate/solve some of the hardships we'll face. They just won't matter nearly as much. They won't bog us down. We'll learn from them and move on to receive the good things life has for us.
As a leader in your organization and your family, your focus will determine your destiny.
So my question is: What does YOUR future look like?
Today is a great day to start focusing on something good.
David Benjatschek is a professional speaker/workshop facilitator and rock star change agent. Visit his website at www.marketbeamer.com
Two high energy workshops with the power to transform and change performance are ready to rock Ontario & Alberta this summer and fall. Check out the details below for workshops in Mississauga, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton & Red Deer.
Register today for
First Time Managers Boot Camp
and
Prioritize & Organize for Success!
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