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April 16, 2007
Shortcuts and Pied Pipers Contrary to what some think, there are shortcuts to success. Other people who are successful, (like Ben Gay III, last month’s guest), reading books and magazines, attending seminars, watching DVD’s or tapes, coaching...all are ways of learning from accumulated knowledge. If someone shows you a better way of doing something, or thinking about something, that works for you, you have jumped forward a notch. For this reason I hesitate to pan any self-improvement offer. But, I do have trouble with self-help promotions which grossly exaggerate and/or mislead, which suggests to me that it is your dollar they are after, not your success. For example, one firebrand out there now who promises 80% improvement in your sales after just 90 days using his methods. Makes me think about the infomercials we see or hear promising to grow a crop of hair on one’s bald scalp in 30 days! A huge marketing blitz is now underway to promote a program which offers “The Secret” of success. I am sure there is some good information on their DVD and follow-up material, but folks, you can be sure it won’t be NEW nor will they be “secrets.” Generally sold to those who believe that there is a silver bullet somewhere to help make them successful, the downside to such extravagant promotions is disappointment and disillusionment. There may are shortcuts on the journey to success, but one shortcut does not fit all, and many require certain talents, behavioral changes, values, work-ethics, discipline, etc. that everyone does not possess or is unable to summon. Furthermore, we each define success differently. How can I promise to bring you success if I do not know what that means to you? Success must come from the inside-out, not the other way, and the knowing how to do a thing does not mean one can do it. While it is helpful for someone who is successful to show you how he does it, it does not follow that you can or that you will. (Sales trainers and sales managers will attest to this!) Surprisingly, one reason some people fail to achieve success is their fear of it. Denis Waitley said, “Procrastination is the fear of success. People procrastinate because the are afraid of the success that they know will result if they move ahead now. Because success is heavy, carries a responsibility with it, it’s much easier to procrastinate and live on the “someday I’ll” philosophy.” Others simply are not motivated enough to get off their butts and go get the job done. They often go to seminars or read books to get themselves motivated. They get a rush. Others simply are not motivated enough to get off their butts and go get the job done. They often go to seminars or read books to get themselves motivated. They get a rush. And out they charge into the “real world” only to find they are still confronting the same old problem: themselves. There was one high school football team had developed a reputation for losing. It went on so long that no one - coach, team, opponents, and the community - ever expected the team to win. Of course, all of this affected everything about the team's preparation and planning for their games. Why bother when you’re going to lose anyway? Why take responsibility for hard workouts and a carefully worked out game plan, when failure was the expected result? Frustrated, a wealthy businessman in the community decided to take action, and came to the locker room to address the team before the big game with their cross-town rivals. He told them, “beat these fellows and I’ll buy a new car for every coach and player on the team.” Well, it was an excited team that left the locker room, as fired up and motivated as they had ever been. They could each see themselves driving around in their new cars. By gum, they were going to do it this time. The result was a devastating loss, 34-0. A week of enthusiasm and zeal could not make up for years of unmotivated and unfocused training. Their failure to take responsibility for the hard work that goes into building a winning program could not be overcome by even the most generous of incentives. No one believes more than I about the importance of positive thinking. But all the positive thinking in the world will not bring one success if it is not build on the rock of preparation. Success, however each of it define it, is the result of the bringing together many factors. We can and should constantly learn from others through all the ways available to us. But we must understand that the biggest challenge we all face is ourselves. Learning to understand who we are, what we really want and how to deal with the obstacles we put in our own paths is the primary challenge for all of us. ***************************************************************************** “In the affairs of life or business, it is not intellect that tells so much as character...not brains so much as heart...not genius so much as self-control, patience, and discipline regulated by judgment.” Samuel Smiles ***************************************************************************** Excellence You will remember Scott, our “guest success story” of a month or so again, said that on the bulletin board in the lunch room of his company appeared a “Thought for the Week,” but one message remained and became a way of life for his company. That message follows:
To read the previous issue's articles
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