A Single Planning System

It doesn't matter if you use an electronic planning system or a paper based one, as long as you have it properly integrated. Use a single daily planning system. Your calendar, to-dos, contacts and communication records should always be in one accessible place, not scattered on post-it notes and bits of paper everywhere. I use Outlook to synchronize it to my mobile phone. Find a system that works for you and use it.

Just For Today

At Alcoholics Anonymous they use the expression "just for today" to suggest that we can not promise full control over our entire future but we can control what we decide to do today. Just for today you can choose to do your best, call those customers, complete that project, or whatever it is you need to accomplish. Just for today, you can be happy and agreeable. You will be unafraid. Just for today!

Self Belief And Greatness

There is a correlation between our self belief and our ability to accomplish greatness. You can not produce a $250k result with a $100k belief. It is merely a wish at that point. To achieve greater results you have to exercise and strengthen your self belief muscles. Motivational speaker Les Brown says: "People don't fail because they aim too high and miss, but because they aim too low and hit!" So aim high and decide to grow your confidence to match your aim.

The Buck Stops Here

President Truman had a plaque on his desk in the oval office saying; "The buck stops here" referring to the expression "passing the buck" when someone is handling the responsibility over to someone else. A mature person refrains from blaming others and take full responsibility for his/her decisions and actions. Try this simple experiment, for the next twenty four hours, try not to excuse yourself nor blame anyone else. Now, can you do it?

Disagree Agreeably

Don't take the opposing view and never start a sentence with the word "no"! Never write or say things colleagues or customers can easily oppose. If you need to disagree, disagree in an agreeable way. Say "I see it differently" instead of saying "you are wrong". This positive approach is also an excellent way to approach objections. "I understand how you feel, many others felt the same way at first, then they found that..."

Allow For Travel Time

Do you allow for travel time between appointments in your calendar or are you just rushing through your days? I am a bit of time optimist myself and I have found there are two secrets to being on time. Firstly, is to get started when you know you need to leave. Allow no other things to come in the way during the last fifteen minutes before you must go. Secondly, allow for a fudge factor in traffic, finding a parking lot etc. of at least 30 minutes or 10% of the length of the journey. This works for me. Figure out which rules work best for you.

Don't Blame Circumstances

You can not blame circumstances or changing market conditions outside of your control for lack of results or inability to reach your goals. As a leader it is your responsibility to be flexible and adjust to the changes around you. Your business and your organization need to adapt to new market conditions. At first, when things change it can take you by surprise, but when conditions persist you have to quickly respond to them and act!