Business Moment: A Chick, Chick Here and A Chick, Chick There

There is a little known story told about a grandfather who was trying his best to impress upon his grandkids that things are not always as they appear. He told them about his youth and how the family would grow vegetables and then sell them at small roadside stands. By growing their own vegetables, they always had plenty still available for eating. However, it did limit their ability to address other areas such as raising chickens or working with cows.

The grandfather told his grandkids that his family always bought their chickens from one individual. Willy, as he was called, always provided excellent stock. One day when they were working at the vegetable stand, Willy delivered an order of chickens and left them on the family porch. While sitting on the porch, the hens must have gotten ambitious because when the family arrived back home, the chickens could be seen running all around the yard.

“We began chasing those chickens and doing our best to grab them and put them back into the crate. What an ordeal it was, and dad was upset. So upset that he went over to Willy’s house to give him an ear full of his displeasure.”

The grandfather told the story of how his father told Willy never to leave unattended chickens on the porch again and that they were perhaps fortunate to salvage at least 11 chickens.

The grandfather then smiled and told his grandkids that, as his dad spoke the final words about the 11 chickens, Willy jumped from his chair and with a look of shock and disbelief said, “Eleven chickens huh, that isn’t bad! I only delivered six.”

Isn’t it amazing how much we might accomplish if we had no idea what limits we encountered? The great potential we often possess is most often so very restricted by the uncompromising self-imposed limits we place before us. It was once said that many people live their lives and die without ever having their true power released. That is why it is so very important that we perform our tasks, approach our next problem solving activity or make our plans for the future as if we had no idea how little or how much we can truly accomplish. As Henry Drummond once said, “Unless a man undertakes more than he possibly can do, he will never do all he can do.” 

Many people can do extraordinary things if they can get past the self-imposed limits that confine them and develop the confidence to jump into action. That is why it is so essential to never shortchange your potential. In choosing to drop the restrictions and forge ever so directly toward your goals or other endeavors, you are opening the channels toward being the best you can be. In doing so, you may find eleven chickens when you only needed six.

Feature Article: Dog Gone It…Are You Asking?

Henry Ford was once asked by a friend who was an insurance agent why he never got any of his insurance business. He looked at the friend and simply replied, “You never asked!” How many sales or appointments do we lose because we simply do not ask for the business?

We live in a challenging business world but in many ways no more challenging than it has been for hundreds of years. Every business professional, despite the era, has faced seemingly difficult challenges. However, the real champions of business always seem to be those who strive to find solutions. These leaders have no reservations about asking others whether the prospects are family, friends or strangers to allow them to service their needs.

As you evaluate your results, is your status where it should be? Could it be a lack of asking?

It is important to realize that family, friends and yes strangers are going to purchase or utilize services that you in fact represent. What is holding you back from asking for that business or at least an opportunity to be considered?

And how about current customers? Current customers are poised to invest in other products and services you may have to offer, if you ask. Their needs do not end with a single product from your business. So, why hesitate? If you have a quality product and/or service and believe in yourself and the contribution you can make, why not be aggressively asking everyone who fits your customer profile?

You can have the best built business plan that has every sector and situation covered; but,... Click here to read more.

Energy Leadership Article: Seeing the BIG Picture

This month, we’re going to explore a very interesting distinction between anabolic and catabolic leaders – we’ll look at the way that each type of leader thinks. This is perhaps one of the most complicated, but essential, aspects of understanding the difference between the two types of leaders.

Catabolic leaders use left brain analysis almost exclusively. This type of thinking is linear, and rational. It’s the logical approach, and considers only facts and actual observations. Anabolic leaders use whole brain thinking, which encompasses emotions and intuition, as well as logic. This type of thinking is called holographic thinking, because like multi-dimensional holograms, holographic thinking involves being able to see many perspectives at once.

By using their emotional and intuitive minds in addition to left brain logical analysis, anabolic leaders are able to view a situation as a whole and thus get a complete picture of what is really going on. The ability to see this “meta-view” is key to ensuring the greatest chances for success (in every aspect of life), and especially for making, both on a daily and a long term basis, the very best decisions they can.

So how would this actually play out “in real life”? Say a manager was faced with a decision about whether or not to pull the plug on a project launched several months before, which was not bringing in the income it was expected to. The catabolic manager would look only at the facts and figures, and,....Click Here to Read More 

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