The “Key to Failure” – what might it be?

Do you think you are capable of pleasing “all of the people all of the time”?

I would suggest it’s unlikely and it’s a function of good business to make tough decisions and be a genuine leader in circumstances where others lack a big picture.

None of us can avoid the opinions of others but consistency is vital to get peoples trust and confidence.

If we don’t know what we stand for – others never will.

Management can be a lonely place to be and it takes time for some to understand the good decisions we make.

Its best to never make a promise we can’t keep, whether it be to staff, to customers and even our friends and family.

I like to “over deliver” so it’s best to be realistic.

Reach agreement on what can be done and relationships will build into strong ones.

We should never underestimate the value of the lead we set.

We become what people are exposed to.

Even in “crisis” our calm approach is reassuring.

For anyone bringing children up you will know how the world can

seem to come to an end when you say “NO” because young ones don’t have the experience to understand the benefits from the decision until later.

It’s the same with business.

It’s good that prevailing “opinion” is not the single factor to Influence us.

Management is a huge responsibility and every interest must be weighed when making workable decisions.

We may even need to have the courage to set our personal Interests aside for the greatest gain.

What we build is what others Inherit – so let’s leave it in better condition than we found it.

We need to try to carry people with us and that may need us to explain our approach but we can’t force someone to get into the lifeboat.

Time makes the final judgement on our skills but never forget that at times, doing the right thing rather than the popular thing has to be our priority.

On occasions where we cannot reach agreement we need to remain agreeable.

Respect still exists between mature people with diverse opinions.

It’s always good to listen and let challenges be made to our thinking because it will give us focus to balance and decide best outcomes.

In the end of course WE need to decide and follow up with an action plan. It reflects our confidence.

Fear of failure can never be allowed to restrain us.

All of us have them but hopefully they were chances to learn and strengthen our Management.

It’s a privilege to have responsibility and when we use it well the satisfaction levels make it all worth it.

Do you "Teach" or just give answers?

Learning is a vital part of life and provides opportunities that would otherwise not arise.

In my Home Town it has always concerned me that poor standards of teaching have let young people down and it appears to be a national problem.

Is it just in education though or does the problem extend to business?

My view is that the methods of teaching have lost its way.

Too many people have come to view giving answers, the Information, as rated as teaching.

This is entirely wrong and a misplaced approach is doing great harm.

“Teaching” is about helping people to think, not just have the answer to a specific question.

Good teachers use “effective” questions to find out what a person thinks or believes before they impart what is needed by the student.

Some time ago I was asked to teach a group of sales people how to sell products “outside their comfort zone”.

The challenge was to prepare them for selling products 7 to 10 times higher than standard products but with hugely higher margins which would also effectively leave competitors behind.

The company Directors were stunned when I began the session.

I knew I could never move people forward to new Ideas unless I could be assured their knowledge of what they already did was sound, like a building block.

To everyone’s surprise, when I probed with “effective” questions to allow them to express their existing awareness and skills – it did not exist!

If staff don’t understand what, why or how to perform in their existing role the challenge of giving them new, specialised skills is remote.

I like to think I get the best from people but without understanding how to explain or think things through, what we had was a group that admitted (in the end) they just sold on price.

Least effort for least return was not a formula or mindset that was required.

I scrapped my session in favour of filling in the gaps of renewing understanding of basic principles before we could go on to “deeper” things.

You would never build a house on a poor foundation.

With patience the outcomes were satisfying and remarkable in equal measure.

Good teachers engage peoples thinking, make their audience work and produce an ability to process answers on a personal level, not just relying on an answer that they cannot explain the basis of.

Sales people more than any are neglected in this regard but when taught skills which allow them to be successful and enjoy what they do, it becomes like a new freedom.

The student will never improve unless they are matched to a good teacher.

It’s important to get this balance right – so give it proper thought and preparation.

How much do we need to achieve to be satisfied?

Successful people are dedicated and committed to their goals and in some cases find “enough is never enough”.

It’s a shame when people don’t stop momentarily to reflect on what they have achieved and learn good and bad lessons before setting off to the next challenge.

What would you say would be the point of satisfaction for you to say you were happy with your achievements?

How we set our sights will have a big influence on the answer.

I know I am never going to win Wimbledon. (Well not this year anyway!)

Our needs and wants also influence our outlook.

If someone gives you £10 million you need are you disappointed it’s not the £15 million you want!

What advice is good for someone starting out in life then?

Of course, all of us want to stretch ourselves but the truth is that if we fully achieve what we are actually capable of, our satisfaction and achievement will be great.

We often hear how poor circumstances limit the opportunities of some and this is sadly true.

Sometimes people expect less of us than we are capable of and this can hinder some.

I can say without hesitation that the most seemingly ordinary people can, and do, achieve extra ordinary things.

They are often those who have the least but create the best.

They produce success from great odds, often following a principle or dream but always reaching out to find the level of their capability.

Beating life’s challenges can make us very level headed, recognising more is possible but never taking anything for granted.

How satisfying it is to succeed where others told us we never could.

Hard work takes us all a long way and what we learn encourages us to keep moving.

Comparing ourselves with others is not only unhelpful it’s counterproductive.

Progress can only be measured accurately by looking at and measuring ourselves.

Just like telling a child they are two inches taller than last month we just need to be sure we are growing tall with our challenges.

If we find ourselves dissatisfied it’s likely we got the yardstick wrong, or perhaps others forced us to corrupt our views.

I can tell you for certain that you are achieving much and can yet achieve more and if you can’t see it – take a closer look.

Your best is yet to come.