Boy have I learned a thing or two from the wonderful (and sometimes challenging) people I’ve coached over the past 20 years! I thought I’d share my top 25 tips that I gained along the way. Hopefully you’ll find something here that will benefit you or someone you care about.
Here goes:
- Even though companies are cutting back, laying off, downsizing and “re-engineering” doesn’t mean you should make a move. Change creates internal opportunities too.
- Just because you like someone, doesn’t mean they are good for you. Those who push you to stretch beyond your limits may serve you better than those who just nod and agree.
- What ratio of “noise” are you comfortable with in your life? Noise is auditory clutter. You do have the ability to block some of it out – filter phone calls, limit meetings and build in a quiet buffer zone.
- Strengthen interpersonal communication by engaging in face-to-face conversations. While social media is a powerful force for building relationships, it is no substitute for personal interaction and skill-building experience.
- Spend as much time as possible to identify the top 10 percent of what you DO best and what you LIKE best. Sometimes the two will converge.
- Three key areas determine career success and job satisfaction: 1) the tasks you prefer to do, 2) the people you work best with, 3) a comfortable, productive environment that nurtures your soul and stimulates your mind.
- Culture change within an organization – leadership, mission, philosophy – will do more to either motivate or harm employees than anything else
- You get best results when you align your personality style with the “personality” of the organization AND your goals with their goals
- Want to find a way to keep “stuff” from getting you down? Think like a consultant. Do your job and do what you can in the best interest of your “client.” But avoid getting emotionally caught up in whether or not they follow your advice.
- Just because you feel someone may need your advice, doesn’t necessarily mean they will welcome your advice.
- As you market yourself (for a job, in your business or on a date), remember that people are drawn to those they feel most comfortable with and relaxed around. Avoid making it hard for them!
- Do you feel you have a direction in life? Is there a purpose, a mission or cause about which you feel strongly? If not, perhaps it’s time to find one – to put some spring in your step, keep you centered, grounded and motivated.
- I know you sometimes struggle with the yardstick – evaluating, measuring how far to one side or another you should go. It’s fine to adjust the rudder, but be sure to find “range” parameters. These are the boundaries that define who you are, what you want, what you can do for others and just how far you feel you can go.
- Are you doing something that’s meaningful? Is it meaningful for YOU?
- Are you getting more from Facebook than the people in your office, your church, association or at home?
- When was the last time you set a Horror Floor? This is how low you will go. It’s the “floor” of the prices you set, the work you will do, the people you allow into your life.
- When was the last time you did something for the very first time?
- The more you stay down in the “weeds” the narrower your view.
- The more you operate from a position of fear, the more you’ll find yourself closing up, contracting, constricting and limiting yourself.
- Just because someone you respect is skeptical of your ideas, doesn’t mean you have to give them up. Listen – yes. But don’t shortchange yourself or diminish your ideas.
- Are you angry? Is it because you’re not getting something you feel you deserve from someone? Maybe they’re not capable of giving it – maybe not now – maybe not ever. Put your energy to better use.
- You don’t always have to be about selling your business, you know. Get better at communicating and showing who you are as a person. The rest will follow. People flock to sincerity and character like bees to honey!
- Form an opinion. Those who say, “I have no opinion” are either not thinking, don’t care, they’re threatened or frightened.
- If you’re the kind of person who’s learned your enthusiasm can get the best of you, wait 24 hours before you make that phone call, send that email or plunk down money.
- And finally (for now anyway), the one you’ve invested so much time, prayer, money and energy into may not recognize the pain they have caused you. People do what’s important to THEM. So now, based on that, make your decision.
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