Attitude is one of the most important elements in life. It applies to every sphere of life, including one’s personal and professional life. Everyone has a potential in life, and a positive attitude will go a long way towards achieving that potential. Can an individual be a good manager without a good attitude? Can an individual be a good speaker without a positive attitude? For that matter, can a person be a good parent without a good attitude? The answer to all these questions is a clear, “NO”. The foundation of success in life, regardless of your chosen field, is attitude.
In a survey carried out by Harvard University in 1994, Chief Executive Officers of major corporations in North America were asked the question, “If you had a magic wand and there was one thing you could change in your company to make it more effective, more productive, more efficient, and more competitive, what would it be?” The majority answered, “the attitude of my employees”. This finding is complemented further in the study when they asked companies, what was the main criteria used when staff were recruited. They answered that 85% of the time, the main criteria was attitude, and 15% of the time the criteria was skills, experience and other factors. It is clear from the above, that attitude plays a critical role in the success of individuals as well as organizations. All the above is as relevant in a Malaysian environment as it is in the American context.
Do you agree ? CAST YOUR VOTE IN THE OPINION POLL IN BLOG.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Look for the good !
My Dog Can Walk On Water
There was a hunter who came into the possession of a special bird dog. The dog was the only one of its kind, because it can walk on water. One day he invited a friend to go hunting with him so that he could show off his prized possession. After some time, they shot a few ducks, which fell into the river. The man ordered his dog to run and fetch the birds. The dog ran on water to fetch the birds. The man was expecting a compliment about the amazing dog, but did not receive it. Being curious, he asked his friend if the friend had noticed anything unusual about the dog. The friend replied, “Yes, I did see something unusual about your dog. Your dog can’t swim!”
Success Principles More than 90% of the people that we face everyday are negative. They choose to look at the hole in the middle rather than the doughnut. Do not expect compliments or encouragement from them. These are the people who cannot pull you out of your present situation. They can only push you down. So be aware of them, spend less time with them, and do not let them steal your dreams away from you.
There was a hunter who came into the possession of a special bird dog. The dog was the only one of its kind, because it can walk on water. One day he invited a friend to go hunting with him so that he could show off his prized possession. After some time, they shot a few ducks, which fell into the river. The man ordered his dog to run and fetch the birds. The dog ran on water to fetch the birds. The man was expecting a compliment about the amazing dog, but did not receive it. Being curious, he asked his friend if the friend had noticed anything unusual about the dog. The friend replied, “Yes, I did see something unusual about your dog. Your dog can’t swim!”
Success Principles More than 90% of the people that we face everyday are negative. They choose to look at the hole in the middle rather than the doughnut. Do not expect compliments or encouragement from them. These are the people who cannot pull you out of your present situation. They can only push you down. So be aware of them, spend less time with them, and do not let them steal your dreams away from you.
Eveything happens for the good ??
Everything Happens For The Good
There was once a King who had a wise advisor. The advisor followed the King everywhere, and his favorite advice was, “Everything happens for the good”. One day the King went hunting and had a little accident. He shot an arrow at his own foot and was injured. He asked the advisor what he thought about the accident, to which the advisor replied, “Everything happens for the good”. This time the King was really upset and ordered for his advisor to be put in prison. The King asked his advisor, “Now, what do you think?” The advisor again replied, “Everything happens for the good”. So the advisor remained in prison.
The King later went on a hunting trip, this time without the advisor. The King was then captured by some cannibals. He was taken to the cannibals' camp where he was to be the evening meal for the cannibals. Before putting him into the cooking pot he was thoroughly inspected. The cannibals saw the wound on the King’s foot and decided to throw him back into the jungle. According to the cannibals' tradition, they would not eat anything that was imperfect. As a result the King was spared. The King suddenly realized what his advisor said was true. The advisor also escaped death because had he not been in prison, he would have followed the King on the hunting trip, and would have ended up in the cooking pot.
There was once a King who had a wise advisor. The advisor followed the King everywhere, and his favorite advice was, “Everything happens for the good”. One day the King went hunting and had a little accident. He shot an arrow at his own foot and was injured. He asked the advisor what he thought about the accident, to which the advisor replied, “Everything happens for the good”. This time the King was really upset and ordered for his advisor to be put in prison. The King asked his advisor, “Now, what do you think?” The advisor again replied, “Everything happens for the good”. So the advisor remained in prison.
The King later went on a hunting trip, this time without the advisor. The King was then captured by some cannibals. He was taken to the cannibals' camp where he was to be the evening meal for the cannibals. Before putting him into the cooking pot he was thoroughly inspected. The cannibals saw the wound on the King’s foot and decided to throw him back into the jungle. According to the cannibals' tradition, they would not eat anything that was imperfect. As a result the King was spared. The King suddenly realized what his advisor said was true. The advisor also escaped death because had he not been in prison, he would have followed the King on the hunting trip, and would have ended up in the cooking pot.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Walk the Talk
WALK THE TALK. LEADERS MUST BE EXAMPLES OF EXCELLENT SERVICE.
At a leading hotel in London, the General Manager spends one day every three months dressed in a bellman's uniform and doing the
bellman's job. Here's what happens:
1. The General Manager meets customers in a completely different way. He asks real questions, and gets honest answers. The bellman
hears a lot of unvarnished feedback that guests may be reluctant to share with the General Manager.
2. The General Manager gets a first hand taste of what it's like to work on the frontline. He wears the uniform, stands by the
door, carries the bags, and eats in the staff cafeteria. This first hand experience means small things that might irritate
staff get noticed quickly, and fixed quickly.
3. Most of all, the hundreds of other staff working in the hotel see their General Manager doing frontline work with dignity and
respect for the customers, and their colleagues. This respect is returned with a shared dedication to providing superior service.
At a leading hotel in London, the General Manager spends one day every three months dressed in a bellman's uniform and doing the
bellman's job. Here's what happens:
1. The General Manager meets customers in a completely different way. He asks real questions, and gets honest answers. The bellman
hears a lot of unvarnished feedback that guests may be reluctant to share with the General Manager.
2. The General Manager gets a first hand taste of what it's like to work on the frontline. He wears the uniform, stands by the
door, carries the bags, and eats in the staff cafeteria. This first hand experience means small things that might irritate
staff get noticed quickly, and fixed quickly.
3. Most of all, the hundreds of other staff working in the hotel see their General Manager doing frontline work with dignity and
respect for the customers, and their colleagues. This respect is returned with a shared dedication to providing superior service.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Effective Listening
Effective Listening
Highly successful people tend to be excellent listeners.
On the other hand, people who struggle in life tend to be so wrapped up in their own 'story' they can't really hear what is available for them.
Effective listeners have developed the ability to temporarily let go of their history, beliefs, assumptions, expectations, wants, needs, and desires in order to be open to new information and ideas. They, of course, don't change their opinions just because some new data shows up, but they are open to receiving it.
Listening is an important attribute of being open.
Their model is listen, receive, evaluate, move forward.
But people who must have their present and future be a certain way take those needs into every conversation. You know what it's like to talk with someone who's 'mind is already made up.' They are not effective listeners. And you have probably found them to be not very happy, satisfied, comfortable with life, nor fun to be around.
Highly successful people tend to be excellent listeners.
On the other hand, people who struggle in life tend to be so wrapped up in their own 'story' they can't really hear what is available for them.
Effective listeners have developed the ability to temporarily let go of their history, beliefs, assumptions, expectations, wants, needs, and desires in order to be open to new information and ideas. They, of course, don't change their opinions just because some new data shows up, but they are open to receiving it.
Listening is an important attribute of being open.
Their model is listen, receive, evaluate, move forward.
But people who must have their present and future be a certain way take those needs into every conversation. You know what it's like to talk with someone who's 'mind is already made up.' They are not effective listeners. And you have probably found them to be not very happy, satisfied, comfortable with life, nor fun to be around.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Real Obstacle to success
"You are the only real obstacle in your path to a fulfilling life." Les Brown
Life is truly a blessing. Each dawning day provides a brand new opportunity to make the most of the talents you have been given. But squeezing all the good you can out of each and every day requires that you get proficient at overcoming the obstacles encountered daily. And that means getting very good at getting over anything and everything that stands in your way.
Yet, in spite of all the difficulties you must hurdle, many of which can be real doozies on occasion, there’s an even bigger barrier that must be conquered. And believe it or not, that barrier is YOU. That’s right, sometimes getting out of your own way presents the biggest stumbling block you’ll ever face.
Life is truly a blessing. Each dawning day provides a brand new opportunity to make the most of the talents you have been given. But squeezing all the good you can out of each and every day requires that you get proficient at overcoming the obstacles encountered daily. And that means getting very good at getting over anything and everything that stands in your way.
Yet, in spite of all the difficulties you must hurdle, many of which can be real doozies on occasion, there’s an even bigger barrier that must be conquered. And believe it or not, that barrier is YOU. That’s right, sometimes getting out of your own way presents the biggest stumbling block you’ll ever face.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Making A Diffference
The Dash: Making a Difference with Your Lifeby Linda Ellis and Mac Anderson
From the Chapter titled: Feelings
I had just experienced a pleasant flight from New York back to Chicago on United Airlines. It was one of those days where almost everything had gone right. That’s until I exited the tram to the airport’s economy parking lot and realized that I had lost my wallet on my homeward journey. Throughout the drive home I mentally started retracing my steps. Once home, I placed calls to the “lost-and-found” at O’Hare, United, NY-LaGuardia and the TSA security in New York.
At that late night hour I got recordings, so I left each a detailed message. I then retired to bed knowing I had done all I could do. I fell asleep thinking of the hassle of replacing everything in the wallet.
The next morning, I had been up for less than an hour when a man called. Bob identified himself with United Airlines, and his question was music to my ears – “Mr. Blumberg, are you missing a wallet?” Relieved and grateful, I responded, YES! I thanked him for returning my call to United’s lost-and-found. But he didn’t know about that call. He wasn’t with the lost-and-found – nor was it his job to personally follow-up with passengers leaving their stuff on the airplane. He was the night mechanic who had simply found the wallet on my assigned seat.
Realizing my phone number was not anywhere in my wallet, I immediately appreciated his extra effort of tracking down my home phone number. But that effort was only the beginning of what I was about to experience.Bob had waited the night to call, assuming I would be sleeping. He told me that he was leaving work at 7:00 a.m. He wanted to know if I would be home so he could deliver my wallet to my house on his way home.
After talking logistics for a minute, I realized that he was going over an hour out of his way. But he insisted. I finally got him to agree that I would immediately leave and meet him in a direction near his home. For the next 45 minutes, we both drove towards a common meeting place. We finally met in the parking lot of a commercial building.
As I got out of my car to meet this stranger-turned-hero, I introduced myself to Bob. He sported his heavy United Airlines uniform coat made necessary by the cold December morning. He greeted me with a big smile and handed me my wallet. I pulled some cash from my pocket to give him a sizable tip for all his efforts. As I reached to hand him the cash, he didn’t miss a beat.
He simply responded, “Absolutely not!”Bob continued, “I have lost my wallet before and I know it is a hassle. I am just glad that I could get it back to you. Feeling the need to somehow respond to his kindness, I offered the tip a couple more times. But he was not budging. Realizing the tip minimized his graciousness, I just smiled and said, “I guess I will just have to pay-it-forward to someone else.” He smiled, “That would be great.
” You see, Bob went the extra mile…and then some. He didn’t do it for gain; he did it simply because it’s who he is.
The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit. ~ Nelson Henderson
From the Chapter titled: Feelings
I had just experienced a pleasant flight from New York back to Chicago on United Airlines. It was one of those days where almost everything had gone right. That’s until I exited the tram to the airport’s economy parking lot and realized that I had lost my wallet on my homeward journey. Throughout the drive home I mentally started retracing my steps. Once home, I placed calls to the “lost-and-found” at O’Hare, United, NY-LaGuardia and the TSA security in New York.
At that late night hour I got recordings, so I left each a detailed message. I then retired to bed knowing I had done all I could do. I fell asleep thinking of the hassle of replacing everything in the wallet.
The next morning, I had been up for less than an hour when a man called. Bob identified himself with United Airlines, and his question was music to my ears – “Mr. Blumberg, are you missing a wallet?” Relieved and grateful, I responded, YES! I thanked him for returning my call to United’s lost-and-found. But he didn’t know about that call. He wasn’t with the lost-and-found – nor was it his job to personally follow-up with passengers leaving their stuff on the airplane. He was the night mechanic who had simply found the wallet on my assigned seat.
Realizing my phone number was not anywhere in my wallet, I immediately appreciated his extra effort of tracking down my home phone number. But that effort was only the beginning of what I was about to experience.Bob had waited the night to call, assuming I would be sleeping. He told me that he was leaving work at 7:00 a.m. He wanted to know if I would be home so he could deliver my wallet to my house on his way home.
After talking logistics for a minute, I realized that he was going over an hour out of his way. But he insisted. I finally got him to agree that I would immediately leave and meet him in a direction near his home. For the next 45 minutes, we both drove towards a common meeting place. We finally met in the parking lot of a commercial building.
As I got out of my car to meet this stranger-turned-hero, I introduced myself to Bob. He sported his heavy United Airlines uniform coat made necessary by the cold December morning. He greeted me with a big smile and handed me my wallet. I pulled some cash from my pocket to give him a sizable tip for all his efforts. As I reached to hand him the cash, he didn’t miss a beat.
He simply responded, “Absolutely not!”Bob continued, “I have lost my wallet before and I know it is a hassle. I am just glad that I could get it back to you. Feeling the need to somehow respond to his kindness, I offered the tip a couple more times. But he was not budging. Realizing the tip minimized his graciousness, I just smiled and said, “I guess I will just have to pay-it-forward to someone else.” He smiled, “That would be great.
” You see, Bob went the extra mile…and then some. He didn’t do it for gain; he did it simply because it’s who he is.
The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit. ~ Nelson Henderson
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Lessons in Leadership
// Lessons in Life and Leadership from Machiavelli by Richard Vetere
Italian political strategist Niccolo Machiavelli was born in 1469 and died in 1527, but his ideas remain remarkably relevant. Sayings derived from his writings, such as "The end justifies the means" and "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer," are still in use, and his political treatise, The Prince, is still in print.
For many people, the term "Machiavellian" suggests manipulative behavior, and they mistakenly believe that Machiavelli advocated immorality. He was a realist who believed that a leader should put the welfare of his people ahead of moral concerns, but he warned against immorality.
Here, lessons we all can learn from him...-Anticipating the worst and taking action can overcome bad luck.-Machiavelli acknowledged that our success and failure can be determined by things beyond our control, but he also believed that the role of chance could be minimized. It's bad luck to be wiped out by a flooding river, but if we had constructed dams and dikes before there was a flood, the damage might have been minimized. Risk can never be eliminated, but it can be contained by those who plan ahead and take action.
Example: A businessman shouldn't blame fate when a deal falls apart. If he had been more proactive in laying the groundwork for other deals, the one failure wouldn't matter as much. -The only reliable allies are those who benefit from our success.-Machiavelli warned princes against leading mercenary troops into battle. Mercenaries might not give their full effort or might turn on their employers. Instead, we should team up only with those who truly benefit from our victory or our opponent's defeat.
People are fickle about all things except one -- they will always look out for their own interests. As long as our success is in their interests, they will be on our side.Before we place our trust in anyone, we must first ask, Are the interests of this person truly in line with our own? If not, is there a way to make it so?
Machiavelli would be in favor of profit-sharing programs that give employees a stake in their employer's success. -Our activities during free time often shape our success.-Machiavelli warned leaders that they must concentrate on the study of war even in peacetime. He recommended as appropriate hobbies hunting and reading books about great military leaders. Free time and work time really are all part of the limited amount of time we have at our disposal to succeed at our goals. That doesn't mean we can't enjoy ourselves on our days off, but it does mean that we should search for productive uses for these hours.Examples: Dinner at a nice restaurant could be turned into a networking opportunity if a potential business contact were invited along.
A well-written business biography could replace the novel on your nightstand. -Forgiving those who do us wrong is a mistake.-When we forgive those who try to harm us, we undercut the efforts of those who are loyal. It is better to punish those who deserve to be punished and show love to those who truly deserve our love. -Passion is the best motivator.-
Machiavelli believed that you can't lead people into battle by explaining the logic of a situation -- you must do so by enflaming their passions. Even in our everyday lives, it pays to seek out people who believe passionately in what they do. Speak with tradespeople and professionals about their businesses before hiring them. Try to gauge their passion for their work.Example: The gardener who is passionate about plants will do a better job with your flowers than someone who is doing it just to pay the bills. The accountant who is passionate about tax law will do a better job than someone who considers his/her vocation dull. -
Trust enemies above friends for frankness.-When Machiavelli advocated keeping friends close but enemies closer, he meant that we can trust our enemies to criticize us when we deserve to be criticized. Friends are often less honest with us. Some become jealous of our success and secretly root against us. Others agree with everything we say in a misguided attempt to protect our feelings, even when they know we're wrong. When we surround ourselves with flatterers, we're on the road to failure.
-The hard route to the top is often the best.-Some people are born into money and power, while others have to earn them. Don't waste time being jealous of those to whom fortune has given a head start -- such people often lose in the end. Machiavelli saw that leaders who inherit their success are more likely to fail than self-made people who are forced to learn important life lessons during their own climbs.
Bottom Line/Personal interviewed Richard Vetere, author of more than 40 plays. To write his latest play, Machiavelli, a comedy, Vetere did extensive research on Machiavelli.
Italian political strategist Niccolo Machiavelli was born in 1469 and died in 1527, but his ideas remain remarkably relevant. Sayings derived from his writings, such as "The end justifies the means" and "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer," are still in use, and his political treatise, The Prince, is still in print.
For many people, the term "Machiavellian" suggests manipulative behavior, and they mistakenly believe that Machiavelli advocated immorality. He was a realist who believed that a leader should put the welfare of his people ahead of moral concerns, but he warned against immorality.
Here, lessons we all can learn from him...-Anticipating the worst and taking action can overcome bad luck.-Machiavelli acknowledged that our success and failure can be determined by things beyond our control, but he also believed that the role of chance could be minimized. It's bad luck to be wiped out by a flooding river, but if we had constructed dams and dikes before there was a flood, the damage might have been minimized. Risk can never be eliminated, but it can be contained by those who plan ahead and take action.
Example: A businessman shouldn't blame fate when a deal falls apart. If he had been more proactive in laying the groundwork for other deals, the one failure wouldn't matter as much. -The only reliable allies are those who benefit from our success.-Machiavelli warned princes against leading mercenary troops into battle. Mercenaries might not give their full effort or might turn on their employers. Instead, we should team up only with those who truly benefit from our victory or our opponent's defeat.
People are fickle about all things except one -- they will always look out for their own interests. As long as our success is in their interests, they will be on our side.Before we place our trust in anyone, we must first ask, Are the interests of this person truly in line with our own? If not, is there a way to make it so?
Machiavelli would be in favor of profit-sharing programs that give employees a stake in their employer's success. -Our activities during free time often shape our success.-Machiavelli warned leaders that they must concentrate on the study of war even in peacetime. He recommended as appropriate hobbies hunting and reading books about great military leaders. Free time and work time really are all part of the limited amount of time we have at our disposal to succeed at our goals. That doesn't mean we can't enjoy ourselves on our days off, but it does mean that we should search for productive uses for these hours.Examples: Dinner at a nice restaurant could be turned into a networking opportunity if a potential business contact were invited along.
A well-written business biography could replace the novel on your nightstand. -Forgiving those who do us wrong is a mistake.-When we forgive those who try to harm us, we undercut the efforts of those who are loyal. It is better to punish those who deserve to be punished and show love to those who truly deserve our love. -Passion is the best motivator.-
Machiavelli believed that you can't lead people into battle by explaining the logic of a situation -- you must do so by enflaming their passions. Even in our everyday lives, it pays to seek out people who believe passionately in what they do. Speak with tradespeople and professionals about their businesses before hiring them. Try to gauge their passion for their work.Example: The gardener who is passionate about plants will do a better job with your flowers than someone who is doing it just to pay the bills. The accountant who is passionate about tax law will do a better job than someone who considers his/her vocation dull. -
Trust enemies above friends for frankness.-When Machiavelli advocated keeping friends close but enemies closer, he meant that we can trust our enemies to criticize us when we deserve to be criticized. Friends are often less honest with us. Some become jealous of our success and secretly root against us. Others agree with everything we say in a misguided attempt to protect our feelings, even when they know we're wrong. When we surround ourselves with flatterers, we're on the road to failure.
-The hard route to the top is often the best.-Some people are born into money and power, while others have to earn them. Don't waste time being jealous of those to whom fortune has given a head start -- such people often lose in the end. Machiavelli saw that leaders who inherit their success are more likely to fail than self-made people who are forced to learn important life lessons during their own climbs.
Bottom Line/Personal interviewed Richard Vetere, author of more than 40 plays. To write his latest play, Machiavelli, a comedy, Vetere did extensive research on Machiavelli.
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