It's Never Too Late to Make a Difference!

I’m amazed at how our culture communicates two messages that negatively impact individual achievement and the contributions of those individuals to society. The truth is that we will determine our accomplishments although their full impact may not be made known during our lifetime. Let’s examine the two messages and several examples of individuals who succeeded because they didn’t succumb to them.

First, young people are targeted by relentless marketers with a message that if they haven’t achieved what their parents have in early adulthood that they have failed. The pressure to buy large homes, new cars and all of the material items necessary to achieve that lifestyle in a short period can cause a variety of challenges.

Second, past failures are used as a hammer to keep people from attempting further achievements. An example we often see is in political campaigns where a candidate’s past is scrutinized looking back twenty to thirty years where one incident is given as a reason that someone shouldn’t be elected. Often overlooked is that same individual’s exemplary behavior and consistent achievement in the many years after the one blemish.

The results are discarded dreams, lost opportunities and a future without the positive contributions of the person dissuaded from persevering. Who can calculate the negative impact of one person’s decision to give up prematurely?

Colonel Harlan Sanders, who founded Kentucky Fried Chicken, was modestly successful in business and experienced more than his share of failures as he reached his 65^th birthday. While others his age slowed down and looked to pursuing relaxation and personal satisfaction, he pursued his dream of providing the finest fried chicken available. His vision and perseverance resulted in success beyond his wildest dreams and KFC still impacts countless people long after his lifetime.

Moses was around 80 years old and minding his own business in the desert when he was called to lead his people out of Egypt. Despite his reservations, he obeyed the commands given him. In spite of many obstacles from within and without, he led his people for 40 years and delivered them to the doorstep of their promised land.

Ronald Reagan was a long time Hollywood actor whose decision to turn his passion for America’s future into a career of public service late in life, changed the world. He became governor of California at 55 and was later inaugurated as the oldest person to become president at 69 years old. He surprised many by not only serving two full terms, but also continued to influence the world well into his 80’s. Regardless of one’s view of his politics, he was example of optimism and contributing his talents to others long past the time many of his peers retired.

We all face life one day at a time, and often it is challenging enough to do that. However, it would be premature to think that our opportunity to do something that will impact others has passed. While we may not start a successful business, become an acclaimed religious leader, or two-term President of the United States, we may have an unseen mission over the horizon if we’re prepared when it comes. In the meantime, it is imperative for us to live and learn to build the lifetime of experiences that will enable us to accomplish whatever lies in our future.

© 2006 Richard V. Battle

PS - Thank you your readership, kinds words and sharing this column with others this year. I would like to wish you and your a Merry Christmas, happiest of holiday seasons and a wonderful New Year!

See you in January!

Avoiding Self Inflicted Wounds

We go, and go, and go. We rush, and rush, and rush trying to get everything done that we want to get done.

While we aim and work toward our goals, we face obstacles and distractions that threaten our success. It is easy to overlook the possibility that we can shoot ourselves in the foot and harm our own efforts with self-inflicted wounds as much as any outside threat.

How can this be so you ask? The answer is simple and seems so benign that it makes it a more vicious threat to our well being than if the enemy were more apparent.

It begins innocently, and if not cut off, can grow into a habit and then into our character. It takes a strong effort to eliminate it from our core behavior. Once others see us exhibiting this characteristic, it then takes an even a stronger effort to convince them that we have purged it in order to repair our reputation.

We all can find ourselves putting things off until a more convenient time. If exercised occasionally, little harm will occur. If we regularly delay completing our responsibilities, others will know us as a procrastinator.

My daughter began testing the pleasure of putting off responsibilities one day when I asked her to pick up her toys. “I will” she said, and began to pull out additional toys to play. It was only when she repeated her response to my next request to pick up her toys that I discovered what she was really doing.

Deciding to eliminate procrastination as a possible character trait in her, I was prepared the next time we had a task for her to do. “Please clean up your room, I asked.” “I will” she replied.

“I will is no substitute for I did” I replied. “Please, do it now.” She complied, and I reinforced how nice it was to have completed a dreaded task and to be free from doing it later.

I have managed many people over the years, and the procrastinators are the most difficult to lead and help achieve their peak performance. They always have an excuse for being late on every task to the point that I could write a book listing excuses. If they only realized that the only person that they were fooling with their excuses was themselves.

In addition, they are often perplexed when they aren’t given additional responsibilities. They are blinded to the fact that their tendency to procrastinate makes them less desirable for promotion. Finding a way to get the job done on a timely basis is a much more attractive characteristic to earn a promotion than always being late and having to be pushed to accomplish required job functions.

A friend who runs a business in Hollywood that caters to the entertainment industry tells me that it is difficult to get his employees to understand the importance of showing up on time for work. An individual’s delay can negatively impact an entire team, and if the team fails in delivering a quality experience to the customer the entire business can be threatened.

“Never put off until tomorrow, that which can be done today”, is just as applicable today as when it was first stated. It is amazing how much more productive we can be if we will complete something at the first opportunity instead of deferring it until a later time. A simple example of how we can improve effectiveness is in handling mail or e-mail correspondence. How simple it is to look at something once and process it instead of putting it off until later.

In leading a team, I used a phrase to inspire confidence and motivate action that stated, “I can, I will, I did.” As I explained, we must first develop the confidence that we can complete a job. Second, we must commit that we will complete the job without fail. Finally, if we follow through on the first two steps, we will realize the success of accomplishing our goals. Success breeds confidence that further success will be achieved.

If we can minimize the number of self-inflicted wounds that reduce or delay achieving our goals, we will realize substantially greater success. If we eliminate or reduce procrastinating in doing the things necessary for our success, we will reduce the number of self-inflicted wounds.

© 2006 Richard V. Battle

Run Through the Tape

With the end of the year in sight, those who have been successful have a tendency to relax and enjoy the fruits of their labor. They feel that they can start up again at the start of the New Year, and want to be well rested.

That kind of thinking is dangerous for the individual and business. For once the exertion of effort necessary to be successful is withdrawn, it is never as easy to resume the activity or realize the same level of success. I have seen individuals; organizations and businesses suffer the consequences from this in spite of applying every known technique.

The primary analogy I want to use in order to explain this phenomenon is a track race. Regardless of distance, every race begins with a burst of energy and then the racers implement their individual strategies for winning. Often the person who takes the lead and sets the pace doesn’t end up winning the race.

At the finish line of every race a ribbon like tape is stretched across the track, approximately chest high. Every runner knows that whoever reaches the tape first is the victor.

What happens if the leading runner slows down to hit the tape first, but doesn’t plan on going past it? This results in another racer passing the leader because he doesn’t slow down his efforts until after he has run through the tape. The similarity in business is to the worker who slows down at the end of the year with the plan of renewing his effort at the beginning of the next year or race.

In track, every runner is coached to focus, concentrate and race all out until they have run through the tape. Only then, is it acceptable to slow down to determine if they were victorious. In the business world, the person who runs through the tape will not only succeed more in the current year, but position themselves better to begin the New Year on a path to success and reveal to management that they are an exceptional employee.

For those in sales, it is always more difficult to begin creating a new pipeline of prospective customers than it is to work an existing pipeline. Running through the tape provides that existing pipeline of prospects for the sales rep to successfully begin their New Year.

Even if you’re not in sales or in a business that directly reward production, the principle applies. As previously stated, but worthy of additional emphasis, the employee who maintains their successful habits, is a team player, and helps the business by running through the tape with their efforts all year long will be highly valued in any organization.

Whatever your endeavor, I encourage you to always give your best effort. Don’t let the habits of others deter you from focusing your energy on accomplishing your goal or dream. And, regardless of the adversity or setbacks you experience, NEVER QUIT until the tape has been broken and the race is won.

© 2006 Richard V. Battle