More Strategies for Effortless Business Success
by Willie Horton
You may have already my article “Strategies for Effortless Business Success” - with the emphasis on the word effortless. In this follow up article, I want to explore what I mean by success - because most “normal” people really haven’t got the first clue what the word actually means in the context of their everyday lives. Bear in mind, of course, that normal people are technically insane - their subconscious mind controls them - not the other way around.
Many people, when they first hear me say this, laugh at the notion - but, I can assure you, that it is no laughing matter, for it is the normal perspective on success that has brought the global banking system to the very brink of self-destruction. It is the normal definitions of success that has brought the auto industry to its knees, left ordinary people with unserviceable debt and made life so incredibly difficult for so many business people. So, before we go any further, let’s understand that normal definitions of success simply won’t do.
A couple of years back, I asked a large gathering at a Chamber of Commerce business breakfast, if they thought that making abnormal financial gains and achieving abnormal business growth would be a good definition of success. Considering many people to have achieved that level of “success”, many of the participants made the point that that kind of “success” often comes at a high price - whether it be family life, personal life or even health, many people “gain the whole world” and “lose their own soul”.
Unfortunately, normal definitions of success are both comparative and competitive. Businesses compare themselves to the competition. There was a time when large accountancy practices measured their success by comparing their employee numbers against those of their competitors - to the point that one such firm employed extra gardeners to put them into first place on what was a completely mis-constructed league table. Life assurance companies construct their version of success based on the amount of new business growth - regardless of whether their new business was profitable or not (or even sensible or not). And banks measure their relative success on the “size of their balance sheet” - like bold boys going around shouting that “mine is bigger than yours”!
We all know where comparative and competitive definitions of success get us. What appears to be common sense has actually turned out to be complete nonsense. For your business, you need to know what success means for you (just as you need to know what your version of personal success is). Can I be so bold as to suggest a framework definition of real business success?
“We excel at what we do - and we do it effortlessly. Each customer is valued as if they were the only one (because we simply never know who will be the most important customer to us in the long run). We get very well rewarded and make the kind of margins that others envy. We don’t regard what we do as work - it’s both fun and it allows us plenty of “work/life” balance. The team is more like family - there are no hidden agendas, everyone’s open - we hold back on nothing. We’re constantly open to change and the next big opportunity.”
Perhaps, you think that’s an ideal and that an ideal world simply does not exist. You would be wrong on both counts.
Over the years - including quite recently - I’ve worked with business teams whose outlook and ambitions closely mirror what I’ve written above. Such businesses are few and far between - which, I suppose, means that they are abnormal! But, if you don’t want to be normal in your personal life (because so-called “normal” people are technically insane!) why settle for normality in business? If psychological research proves that normal business teams are dysfunctional, why settle for a normal business team? The vast majority of businesses range from dysfunctional to mediocre - the more successful are simply a little less dysfunctional and mediocre than everyone else - why settle for that when you can achieve effortless business success?
I refer back to my first article in this series - where I gave you four simple ideas on how to create an effortlessly successful business strategy, where we talked about seeing, feeling, hearing, smelling and tasting the desired outcome. I suggest you adopt that approach. In doing so, the things you will experience as a result of your abnormal definition of success will need to be encapsulated in that desired outcome.
Copyright (c) 2009 Willie Horton
Willie’s work in the area of self-improvement and meditation has been described as “life-changing” and “phenomenal” by clients from every walk of life. His acclaimed two-day personal development workshop is now available online at Gurdy.Net.
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Consequences of Perfection Demanded upon Public Speakers
by Dave Smart
Many years ago, before the advent of word processors and Office programs, when correspondence had to be prepared on a (ahem!) typewriter (remember those?), typists had to struggle mightily if they were to produce a “letter-perfect” page. One mistake, and the whole page had to be done over. Time was money, then as now, and so if you typed for a job or a living, you had to discipline yourself to make each page letter-perfect the first time.
Then came word processors and all the modern stuff. Now if you made a mistake, you could with just a few keystrokes correct it and have letter-perfect results. Typists could now type at many more words per minute, confident that any mistakes could be corrected in a matter of seconds. It seemed like a whole new age of efficiency had dawned.
Maybe. But it has appeared that while efficiency maybe has waxed, quality has waned. The result of relaxing that discipline to make pages letter-perfect the first time has been a preponderance of sloppy work throughout the correspondence industry. Letters arrive these days with missing dates, addresses, phone numbers, sometime whole missing paragraphs, misspelled words, and typos out the wazoo. It’s not a perfect world anymore.
Unless, you communicate through public speaking. If you are famous, and make just one little mistake, the consequences hit home real fast - as all who have been on the campaign trail, or listening and looking at those who were, have been finding out. There is no ‘delete’ key on the lectern! If you are aspiring to become famous and make a mistake, it is remembered in the context of: ‘not another Kerry!’ or ‘not another Sarah!’; or whatever politician or public speaker has made the latest gaffe. Examples of perfectionists in today’s world are found in public speakers; and there has come about a need for a discipline at the lectern not unlike the discipline that the typist once needed at the typewriter.
How has this affected the flow of archetypal energy in today’s world? In other words, the way people cope with situations, and the way people go about attaining their goals in terms of developing archetypes - and their opposites. The Perfectionist is an archetype; like all archetypes it is a part of ourselves found, to a greater or lesser extent, in everyone. It is narrowly focused and puts great energies into an extremely fine state of balance. Looking over the Perfectionist’s shoulder is the Judge - another archetype. The Perfectionist’s Judge is unforgiving and relentless. These are the archetypal energies that yesteryear’s typist drew upon. Today, speakers drawing upon these archetypes are the news anchor, the talk show host - and the politician.
To see how that changes the world, we must consider the opposite of these archetypes, for whenever anyone repeatedly draws on the energy of a specific archetype, the psyche, always seeking balance, draws on the energy of its opposite: whatever is the opposite for that particular person. He may be conscious of this opposite archetype as it develops, or not. But if not, the archetype will still develop subconsciously: it will be part of the person’s SHADOW. The opposite of the Perfectionist’s energy is likely to be complacency, an attitude of ’so this is the way it is? all right, I will go with the flow, be it good or bad’. And where there is a vacuum of standards, the attitude becomes sloppiness, anarchy. And the opposite of the Judge is an attitude that there is no absolute right or wrong, there is only moral relativism.
These opposites, once the shadows of typists, are now the shadows of those who live by public speaking: news anchors, talk show hosts, and most importantly, politicians. Their need to be ‘letter-perfect’ in what they say WILL lead to developing parts of themselves that are complacent, sloppy, anarchic, and hypocritical. Even as a jeweler who disciplines himself to do precision, close work will find recreation in expansive, adventurous and muscular activities where he expresses the opposite that has developed in his psyche, so the politician will have a need to do similarly with his opposites. You look and hope for a person to own his opposites, and find a place in his life to honor them. You know that if he does not honor them, if he is in denial of them, they won’t just go away, they will buzz around his head like invisible mosquitoes, influencing his life, visible to others regardless of how much in denial of them he may be. The politician who is in denial of his opposites will be complacent, sloppy, anarchic and hypocritical, regardless of what he may be saying.
Living with the opposites within ourselves
We develop opposites as a result of the continued and prevailing energies we bring in coping with ongoing situations in our lives. Also, when in our striving toward our goals we bring particular energies on a prevailing or repeated basis, we develop opposites.
What do these opposites look like? If we are not too badly disconnected from them, we can first consider the efforts that they are bringing to our situation, or their impact upon our efforts to our goals. Then, just imagine what that opposite would look like personally.
Having imagined that, we need now to see where we are using that energy in our lives - or where we could be using them. And if we can acknowledge only that we should be using them, we may see that changes in routine will be in order. A hobby or sports activity may provide an application for these opposite energies.
Copyright (c) 2009 Dave Smart
Dave Smart, the lead coach for Transcendence Coaching and Mentoring, has had extensive education and experience in coaching and in Jungian psychology. The latter explores archetypes, and opposite parts of ourselves, and Dave has worked with clients extensively with these. If you find strange impulses within you that seem to stand in the way of coping with situations, coaching is for you. Check out TCM’s website: http://www.transcendencecoach.com
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Tarot For Beginners - Where To Start
by Lisa Ray
Welcome to the world of Tarot!
The world of tarot can be an exciting personal journey, but it can also be very daunting to the newcomer. There are so many cards in each tarot deck and so many different decks to choose from, that it’s easy for the novice to become easily overwhelmed. Add to that the hundreds of tarot spreads that are available and it’s no wonder why so many newcomers feel confused.
I always like to remind those who are just starting to study tarot, that it is indeed a journey — not a race. With time, patience, and practice any beginner can learn to excel.
I also like remind novices of the KISS principle…Keep It Simple Silly. There is no way anyone can pick up a deck of tarot cards and learn everything there is to know in one evening. There is simply too much information contained within the cards. So instead of trying to become an expert reader overnight, I encourage beginners to set smaller goals with the idea that each small goal achieved will lead them further down the path toward self-enlightenment.
Here are my recommendations for beginners, based on the KISS principle:
Step 1: Choosing A Tarot Deck
At first glance, this step may seem a lot easier than it actually is. Do a simple serach on Google for “tarot cards” and you’ll literally find hundreds of decks from which to choose. Don’t become overwhelmed by all the choices. Just find a deck that you like. The imagery on the cards will guide you in your readings so it is key that you choose a deck that you find aesthetically pleasing. There is no use in choosing a deck that doesn’t speak to you or that offends you in some way.
A popular deck for those new to tarot is the Rider-Smith deck, or the Rider-Waite-Smith deck. This deck is especially suitable for beginners because so much has been written about it. There are several companion guides for this deck that list the common keywords and meanings associated with each card. These guides serve as a handy reference until the reader feels comfortable enough interpreting the cards on their own.
Another tarot deck that is good for beginners is the Morgan-Greer deck. This deck is based on the Rider-Waite deck but features updated artwork.
Despite which deck you choose, just know that you are not locked in to using only that deck. Many readers try several decks before they find one they like. Other readers just simply like to use more than one deck. Either way is fine.
Step 2: Getting To Know The Cards
Once you have chosen a deck to work with, you need to become familiar with your cards.
For beginners, I recommend starting off by using only the cards of the Major Arcana. This is a much simpler task than trying to learn all 78 cards at the same time. Become familiar with the cards of the Major Arcana and then add cards from the Minor Arcana, one suit at a time. This way you won’t get overwhelmed.
Begin by looking at each card and trying to get a sense of the card. Ask yourself, “What images immediately jump out at me? What feelings do I associate with the card? What emotions or actions are the figures on the card displaying?”
After getting an initial impression of each card, learn some of the keywords that are associated with the cards. Try to see how the keywords are reflected within the imagery of each card. Don’t be alarmed if not every keyword speaks to you. You’ll find that some make far more sense than others. That’s okay. Everyone’s experience with tarot cards is different. Just let the cards speak to you.
After you feel comfortable giving a general meaning of each card from the Major Arcana, try giving yourself a simple reading.
Step 3: Your First Reading
For your first reading, use only the cards of the Major Arcana. Shuffle the cards until you feel like they have been shuffled enough (use your intuition here). While you are shuffling the cards think of a question. Keep thinking of that question the entire time you shuffle the cards.
When finished shuffling, draw one card from the deck. Now study the card’s imagery and try to interpret the meaning of the card within the context of your question. Let the illustration on the card and your intuition guide you.
When you become comfortable with doing one-card readings try a two-card or three-card spread. Eventually, you can add the cards of the Minor Arcana as you become more familiar with them.
Remember that no tarot reader is 100% accurate so don’t get discouraged if something doesn’t make sense to you during your reading or if you have trouble interpreting the cards. Just relax and try to enjoy the experience.
Lisa Ray is the creator of the Ultimate Tarot Trainer, an easy-to-use software program that helps beginners learn to read tarot cards. ***Be sure to test your psychic powers for free at http://UltimateTarotTrainer.com.***
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Transformation - what is it?
by Dave Smart
The other day my friend’s dog died. She came to me distraught with grief. I sat with her, letting the conversation drift as she would have it do so, sometimes talking about the dog, sometimes about other things. I knew that, painful as it was for her, it was a process for her to go through, and hopefully she would get to the other side of it eventually.
We hear a lot about transformation and about things “transformative” these days. Just what is transformation? In the way we at TCM and SPT look at it, it is a PROCESS that causes change in a part of ourselves. To get a haircut or hair restyling is a transformation for that part of self. To engage in physical labor or an exercise regime that over time builds up muscles is a transformation of that part. So is the long term effort of a professional such as a jeweler to become expert and exacting in things of very small size and great precision. Any and all things practiced over a period of time as a process, to cope with a situation, or to achieve goals, that strengthens and grows certain archetypal parts of the self over others, is transformative.
Transformation can be a process of death and rebirth. Indeed, in the Jungian view, ALL transformative processes are of death and rebirth of some part of the self.
Ultimately, physical death; and rebirth, whether by resurrection, by reincarnation, or whatever, is a kind of transformation. As such it is celebrated, symbolized, preached in some way by all major religions. It was symbolized by tribal societies in puberty rites, which saw death and rebirth as a process, and in ritual believed than in them the boy died, and was reborn as a man; the girl died, and was reborn a woman. In such rites they declared their belief in the process of death and rebirth; wherever and however in nature it took place. The rites served a deep and universal human need.
Modern day states and mores have propagandized about the backwardness, if not the evils, of such tribal societies and rites. The need however is served at one level by literature. Beginning with the Bible, the story of Abraham and Issac is, in a way, that of male initiation; for in it the boy Issac dies and is reborn as the man Issac, dedicated to serve God. THE WIZARD OF OZ is actually the story of female initiation in allegory. Death as a transformative process abounds in literature; in Steinbeck’s THE GRAPES OF WRATH the poignant scene where Tom Joad’s mother says goodbye to her son is a situation where both son and mother know that Tom’s physical death is all but inevitable, and necessary to the survival of the rest of the family; but Tom talks of how “I will be there” as his family’s community works, plays, and struggles for their lives and their rights.
In Hegelian philosophy all reality is process, or change; and combined with Jungian philosophy all change that is transformative, changes or reforms an archetypal part of self, is death and rebirth at some level.
Living with the loss of a loved one
Many experts have described the grief process in its various stages, but what is significant here is that it is a process. All we know of another person, or a pet, is our PERCEPTION of him or her, which is a part of ourselves. And so the grief we feel at and after that loved one’s death is really the death of that part of ourselves. This is not to belittle our loved ones; that part which is perception is not merely a part in the sense of being limited to part of our ego, but rather of our Greater Self, shared with our loved one and with everyone else. Even as Tom Joad began explaining to his mother that what was significant was not merely his soul or anyone else’s soul, but rather a “big soul” of all; so it is that your perception of the loved one is one with all other perceptions of the loved one and the perception by the loved one of himself. But the process will include, and is completed by, rebirth. We won’t know in advance what that rebirth will look like, but we can be assured that it will come: rebirth of that part of ourselves, even as he or she who has died will be born again in some way.
Copyright (c) 2009 Dave Smart
Dave Smart, the lead coach for Transcendence Coaching and Mentoring, has had extensive education and experience in co-active life coaching and in Jungian psychology. The latter explores archetypes, and opposites parts of ourselves, and Dave has had many opposites in himself and in his clients to come to grips with. If you find strange impulses within you, or strange circumstances that tend to defeat your plans or your efforts to cope with a situation, coaching is for you. Check out TCM’s website: http://www.transcendencecoach.com .
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5 Tips for Sales Development
by Ted Gulas
The 5 tips for sales development follows:
Tip 1: You will have less likelihood of sales success until you isolate and address those Hidden Weaknesses that will put the brakes on a sale person’s ability to improve. In order for sales development to be effective you must evaluate a sales person for those weaknesses, which are the opposite of selling strengths. The difference between can sell and will sell will lie in the number and the intensity of these hidden weaknesses. For example the sales development of Jim will always be below expectations because he has a hidden weakness called responsibility. This weakness will manifest itself as excuse making. This manifestation makes it literally impossible to develop this person due to his resistance to anything new being worthy of existence in his world. In his mind sales development will not work and he will tell you a million reasons why it will not work.
Tip 2: Successful Sales Development means knowing the difference between selling strengths and selling skills and being able to develop the sales person successfully from this information. Selling Strengths the opposite of hidden weaknesses are the most heavily weighted criteria for sales success. Strengths are usually internalized and will surface under pressure. Selling Skills are more in alignment with aptitude and under pressure may or may not surface. The value of skills lie in the ability to predict which mixture will make a sales person a Hunter, Closer, Qualifier, Farmer, Account Manager or the opposite Timid, Intellectual or Ambassador. For those interested in sales development be careful not to use an instrument based primarily on aptitude, personality, psychological or behavior results because you only will get a can sell result as opposed to a will sell result.
Tip 3: Know how much time, energy, effort and resources to invest in your Sales Development initiative in order to justify your return on investment. Until you know the growth potential of each individual in your team and in addition the growth potential of your entire sales team then any time spent in sales development for that team is a gamble. Growth potential tells you what kind of return you can expect on the time money and energy invested. It is calculated by adding ones selling strengths plus selling skills minus their hidden selling weaknesses You will also want to know how to customize growth potential by various exceptions derived from how you go to market, plus how you manage and compensate. In addition with the right evaluation instrument you can measure this growth potential number at various stages of your sales development initiative to justify its continued existence as opposed to guessing is this working?
Tip 4: Do not enter into any Sales Development initiative until you consider the role sales leadership will play. One constant is certain; the success of any sales development initiative is like a three-legged stool. The three legs are first the sales people second the sales leader and third the business advisor one employs. Unfortunately most sales development failures occur at the sales leadership level. The reason for that failure is one the inability to consistently execute the five necessary ingredients for success at that level. These five elements are, growing the sales team, inspiring the sales team, holding each individual in the team accountable for activities and behavior, recruiting for super stars and coaching. The second challenge from the leadership role comes from the Executive/Owner level. Either the support for the process is lacking, not understood or very little patience is available so it is constantly being tinkered with or changed before it has an opportunity for success. One thing to remember sales development is a slow, steady methodical process because you are dealing with every element of change at all levels.
Tip 5: No Sales Development initiative will be successful until it is customized and continually reinforced with a sales fitness component. The most effective way to customize a sales development initiative is by using sales evaluations based on executables that will isolate problems that occur such as these: making unqualified presentations, wasting time due to ineffective selling system, not being able to control the selling process such as the games and lies from prospects, calling on purchasing agents before end user or decision-maker, not getting prospects to agree to make a decision, not developing bonding and rapport early enough, taking too many put offs, not handling people correctly, inappropriate follow up, wasting time with unqualified prospects and too many unqualified quotes or proposals.
Ted Gulas has been holding development classes for over 20 years. Click here to view his website http://www.gulasgroup.com
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