by Helena Escalante | Celebration, Goals, Growth, Leadership, Mindset, Opportunity
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 45 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: It’s never the right time
— From What to Do When it’s Your Turn (and it’s Always Your Turn) by Seth Godin
In What To Do When It’s Your Turn, Seth Godin talks about our fear of doing things because it’s “not the right time.” He concludes that, “It’s never the right time. When you are starting a family, it’s not the right time. When your kids are about to go to college, it’s not the right time. When there’s an elderly parent depending on you…” You simply have to take the leap because the right time will never come.
Godin mentions that when Gutenberg launched the printing press it was “a foolish time to bring a book manufacturing system to Europe [because] 96 percent of the population was illiterate.” It was indeed too early to launch considering the following: only one in 25 knew how to use the product and learning to use it (reading) would take years. Can you imagine if Gutenberg had decided not to move forward because it was not the right time?
And “when Karl Benz introduced the car to Germany, it was against he law to drive a car. He had to get a letter from the King granting him permission to use his new device. And, worth mentioning, no one knew how to drive a car. And there were no roads. And no gas stations.” Too early again…
We have a million reasons to give up because it’s too early, too late, or simply not the right time. On the other hand, when we take the leap, we are giving ourselves, our loved ones, and those who surround us, the gift of a project that can benefit us all. Godin says, “This is the chance of a lifetime, our lifetime. Not someone else, us. Not later. Now.”
I’ll leave you with this quote as food for thought:
“Do it or not do it—you will regret both. … To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose one’s self.” – Soren Kierkegaard
ACTION
TODAY: What have you been postponing lately because it’s not the right time? Ask yourself: if not know, when? Set a time to get started. Even if you begin with a tiny step, it will be a step in the right direction.
FUTURE: Think of all the things you have postponed because it’s never been the right time. Which of those are still part of your life/business goals? Pay attention to them and set up a time to start. We need you to share your gifts with the world!
P.S. – I have a favor to ask today, please: for a long time I postponed launching my blog because it was not the right time. I’m so glad I finally took the leap to share these ideas with you daily! Since EntreGurus will be celebrating 100 posts soon (woo-hoo!), I want to learn how the ideas have been helpful to you, what your favorite post has been, what other books/topics you’d like me to feature, and what I can do to improve or enhance EntreGurus. Could you please help me by sharing your comments with me in here? Thank you so, so much!
P.S. 2 — Know someone who is waiting for the right time? Please share this post with them via email, Facebook or Twitter, thanks!
by Helena Escalante | Creativity, Goals, Growth, Leadership, Mindset
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 58 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Peter’s Laws
— From Bold: How to Go Big, Create Wealth and Impact the World by Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler
Peter H. Diamandis was named one of “The World’s 50 Greatest Leaders” in 2014 by Fortune magazine. He is the founder of more than 15 high-tech companies. He recalls how, in the early days of one of his business ventures, his office mate put a copy of Murphy’s Law on the wall as a joke. It read: “If anything can go wrong, it will.” After a few days it started to get under Diamandis’ skin, so he went to his whiteboard and wrote, “If anything can go wrong, fix it! (To hell with Murphy!)” And above that, he wrote, “Peter’s Law.”
As time went by, he started collecting more laws, which now serve as his rules to live by. I want to share all those rules here with you, but before that, here’s some advice from Diamandis: “The maxims presented below are the ones that have worked for me, but that’s no guarantee they’ll work for you. So come up with your own. Borrow from anyone you like. The point isn’t to produce pretty pictures covered with inspirational quotes. The point is to trust your history. Plumb you past to plot your future. Start collecting mind hacks by examining your own life and seeing what strategies consistently worked along the way. Turn those strategies into your laws.”
Peter’s Laws ™*
The Creed of the Persistent and Passionate Mind
- If anything can go wrong, fix it! (To hell with Murphy!)
- When given a choice—take both!
- Multiple projects lead to multiple successes.
- Start at the top then work your way up.
- Do it by the book… but be the author!
- When forced to compromise, ask for more.
- If you can’t win, change the rules.
- If you can’t change the rules, then ignore them.
- Perfection is not optional.
- When faced without a challenge—make one.
- No simply means begin one level higher.
- Don’t walk when you can run.
- When in doubt: THINK!
- Patience is a virtue, but persistence to the point of success is a blessing.
- The squeaky wheel gets replaced.
- The faster you move, the slower time passes, the longer you live.
- The best way to predict the future is to create it yourself!
- The ratio of something to nothing is infinite.
- You get what you incentivize.
- If you think it is impossible, then it is for you.
- An expert is someone who can tell you exactly how something can’t be done.
- The day before something is a breakthrough, it’s a crazy idea.
- If it was easy, it would have been done already.
- Without a target you’ll miss it every time.
- Fail early, fail often, fail forward!
- If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.
- The world’s most precious resource is the persistent and passionate human mind.
- Bureaucracy is an obstacle to be conquered with persistence, confidence, and a bulldozer when necessary.
* Laws 12 and 15 by Todd B. Hawley. Law 17 adopted from Alan Kay, Law 21 adopted from Robert Heinlein, Law 24 by Byron K. Lichtenberg, Law 25 adopted from John Maxwell.
ACTION
TODAY: Take a look at Peter’s Laws and see which ones apply to your life and business. Keep the ones that suit you and add at least one more of your own.
FUTURE: Take a deeper look into Peter’s Laws in these blog posts (here and here). You’ll learn what’s behind some of these rules; and the thoughts, I’m sure, will spark some ideas to come up with a few rules of your own for your list of Laws. You can download a copy of Peter’s Laws here.
Know someone who could use some law’s in business and/or life? Please share this post with them via email, Facebook or Twitter, thanks!
by Helena Escalante | Accountability, Growth, Habits, Leadership, Mindset
Estimated reading time: 1 minute, 55 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Leading by example
— From Common Sense Leadership: A Handbook for Success as a Leader by Roger Fulton
Actions speak louder than words. Nowhere do we see a clearer case of this as in children who do as parents do, not as parents say (!). This gives way to the do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do phrase that usually comes from an exasperated parent…
🙂 All joking aside, what about in the business world? What should we pay more attention to: the actions or the words of our leaders?
Roger Fulton, in his book Common Sense Leadership, shares the following:
“One Fortune 500 executive told his people, ‘You may do anything you see me doing.’
Subordinates will emulate, consciously or subconsciously, their bosses.
If you are forward-thinking, innovative and progressive, then your department will move consistently forward.
True leaders are also willing to roll up their shirt sleeves and do whatever is necessary to make a project succeed. Their commitment and dedication in such a situation sets the example for all of their people.
True leaders are excellent role models.”
Truth is, no matter our age and no matter the setting, actions indeed speak louder than words. We seem to have a radar to detect the word-action disparity when it exists. And because we know others are watching, we must be congruent in word and deed.
“The example of good men is visible philosophy.” – English proverb.
ACTION
TODAY: Think about what you do and what you say in your business. Are your words congruent with your deeds? If not, why not? Ask yourself why five times (or as many as needed) to get to the bottom of it. Once you find the real reason why, address it and change it so that you can speak and act in a way that sets an example for others to follow.
FUTURE: Take inventory of the things you do and say in the different areas of your life. Where are you being incongruent? Don’t judge yourself harshly, we all do it at some point or another. The important thing is to detect it and find the reason why we do it. Ask why five times or keep asking until you find the real reason behind it. Once you know why there is a disparity, you can change it and lead by example.
Know someone whose words are not congruent with his/her actions? Please share this post via email, Facebook or Twitter, thanks!
by Helena Escalante | Growth, Leadership, Mindset, Opportunity, Planning, Resources, Sales, Tools
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes, 30 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: The listening matrix
— From Dynamic Communication: 27 Strategies to Grow, Lead, and Manage Your Business by Jill Schiefelbein
We’ve talked about listening before (here and here), but always focusing on you: how you listen and how you can listen better. But have you ever stopped to think how others listen to you? This is especially interesting in a business setting, when you need your listener to take action (sign the dotted line, for example).
In Dynamic Communication, Jill Schiefelbein broke down the listening modes into a very handy matrix to understand how people listen. “In order to move people to action, you need to understand how they are listening to you. […] Are they listening for information, or are they listening for knowledge? The answer is the difference between action and inaction—making a sale or missing an opportunity… People who listen for information do not decide. People who listen for knowledge decide.”
The listening matrix is a four-stage continuum: stages one and two comprise the time when people are listening to gather information; stages three and four comprise the time when people are listening to acquire knowledge and make a decision. The goal is to move the listeners from any of the first three stages towards stage four so that they can take action, whatever form this action may take (buy, go, do, donate, vote, enroll, etc.). The examples below are mainly focused on sales, but you can adapt them to whatever situation you need where the goal is for the audience to take action.
This is what the matrix looks like:
INFORMATION [1: The Writer → 2: The Thinker] → KNOWLEDGE [3: The Interpreter → 4: The Decider]
Stage One: The Writer
The writer is simply taking notes and collecting information, but is not there to make a decision. “Transitioning your audience from a writer to a thinker… can be done with a relatively simple line of questioning.”
- What do you think about [insert topic]?
- What is your opinion on [insert topic]?
- What are your feelings on [insert topic]?
- What is your view on [insert topic]?
- What is your perspective on [insert topic]?
Stage Two: The Thinker
At this point “your audience is still listening for information, but they may ask questions to clarify facts, figures, details, etc.” Once they take a breather from their notes, you can further engage them with these questions:
- What do you know about [insert subject]?
- Would you share with me what you know about [insert subject]?
- What does your company know about [insert subject]?
- How do you see that process working for your business? (This question is not designed for a yes/no answer; it’s used to generate further discussion.)
Stage Three: The Interpreter
Your audience is past the Information half of the matrix and is on to the Knowledge half. At this stage is when your audience “starts to interpret how something will apply—its consequences, its benefits—in their business.” By asking the following questions you will gain intel that will enable you to understand how your audience will adapt your information to their context. Schiefelbein says, “Remember, knowledge is information applied.”
- How would your business change if…?
- What would it look like if your organization used…?
- How would your job be easier if…?
- What would be the best outcome for you if…?
- How would you react if…?
- What would it take for this to work in your…?
Stage Four: The Decider
“Your success at this stage will be determined on how well you’ve connected with your audience and how well you articulate your request… Your job in this stage is to get the action.” Here are the questions that will help you get there:
- Can you see this working for your business?
- Do you see this meeting your needs?
- Are you comfortable recommending this to your board?
- Is this solution within your budget?
- Do you want to get started today?
- Is this something you feel your sales team could benefit from?
- Shall we talk about some solutions that we can work on together?
“No matter what, at this stage you need to get a “yes” or “no” and move to the next step of the relationship.”
ACTION
TODAY: Pay attention to the stages that your listeners are in, especially if you are having any conversations that require action. Adapt the questions above to move your audience to the next stage until they agree to take the desired action.
FUTURE: Adapt the questions above for your desired outcome whenever you are going to have a conversation where you need to move your audience from The Writer to The Decider. Document what works best for you and keep it as handy reference to use in a future. Don’t be afraid to test out new questions according to your project or situation. Once your audience takes the desired action, celebrate your success! And send me an email to let me know, I’ll be cheering for you. 🙂
Know someone who could benefit from this info? Please share this post with them via email, Facebook or Twitter, thanks!
P.S. – If you are in New York City next Monday, April 23 and want to meet Jill Schiefelbein (she is lovely and brilliant), she will be speaking at the same event as I: Unlearnings Live. This is a two-hour event to help you expand your world, your thinking, and the actions that make your work urgently important. Unlearnings Live is going to provide you with ideas to clear out any negativity surrounding you and create amazing environments that inspire your important work to scale. This will be an opportunity for your story to be told and for your ideas to be put into action. Please join us, we’d love to see you there!
by Helena Escalante | Collaboration, Goals, Growth, Habits, Leadership, Mindset, Tools
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 52 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Four-letter words
— From REWORK: Change the way you work forever by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
“There are four-letter words you should never use in business,” say Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson in their book Rework. No, they are not referring to those four-letter words.* They are talking about need, must, can’t, easy, just, only and fast.
At plain sight there’s nothing wrong with the words, I’m sure we’ve all used them. What we may not have noticed was the impact they had on the person on the receiving end. Yet we can probably remember one time or another when we were on the receiving end of those words ourselves, and how we didn’t like the way they made us feel…
The words by themselves are not inherently wrong. But sometimes, in the course of collaborating with others, “these words get in the way of healthy communication,” say the authors. “They are red flags that introduce animosity, torpedo good discussions, and cause projects to be late… When you use these four-letter words you create a black-and-white situation. But the truth is rarely black and white. So people get upset and problems ensue. Tension and conflict are injected unnecessarily.”
So, what’s wrong with these words?
Need and Must: “Very few things actually need to get done.” Instead of saying that something needs to get done or something must be done/added/changed/etc., the authors suggest saying “‘What do you think about this?’ or ‘How does this sound?’ or ‘Do you think we could get away with that?’” Need and must place an undue amount of pressure because the person on the receiving end naturally perceives or else after those words are used. Engage in a meaningful, inclusive dialogue with the other person, and you’ll both find a solution for whatever you are trying to accomplish.
Can’t: “When you say ‘can’t’ you probably can. Sometimes there are even opposing can’ts: ‘We can’t launch it like that, because it’s not quite right’ versus ‘We can’t spend any more time on this because we have to launch.’ Both of those statements can’t be true. Or wait a minute, can they?”
Easy, Just, Only and Fast: These words become a problem when they’re used to describe other people’s jobs without knowing what it entails: ‘that should be easy for you to do, right?’” Yet rarely the people on the receiving end describe their tasks as easy. And even if the actual task were technically easy, it may not be all that simple or fast to implement, or the person may not have the time to devote to it right when you want it. Easy, just, only, and fast, when applied in this context (oh, but it’s only a minor change, just to this part of the presentation, it’s nothing major, should be super easy and fast for you since you are the expert at this…) disempower and diminish the importance of the work of others; and do not give them room to provide the best solution according to their experience and expertise.
The authors also warn against these words’ cousins, the absolutes: everyone, no one, always and never. “Once uttered, they make it hard to find a solution. They box you into a corner by pitting two absolutes against each other. That’s when head-butting occurs. You squeeze out any middle ground.”
Lastly, we should also watch out for all these words when someone strings them all together because they come with many assumptions that may not have been fully pondered: “We need to add this feature now. We can’t launch without this feature. Everyone wants it. It’s only one little thing so it will be easy. You should be able to get it in there fast!”
ACTION
TODAY: When collaborating with others, think about the words you use and how you are coming across. Is there a better, gentler way to include the other person in the solution? Or, if you are the one on the receiving end, be empathetic, as the other person may not know the impact of these words (how about sharing this blog post with them?). Yet, once you are aware of what is happening, include yourself in the solution by sharing your knowledge.
FUTURE: Make it a habit of being aware of the way you think and the things you say. Sometimes, for the sake of efficiency, we tend to eagerly push through with best intentions, and don’t notice that that there may be damage left in our wake. Avoid using these four-letter words in the contexts described above and involve others in the solution: collaboration and willingness to reach the goal are key.
Know someone who uses these words without knowing the impact they have on others? Please share this post with them via email, Facebook or Twitter, thank you!
* For our international gurupies** whose native language may not be English, or for those of you who are reading this through translation technology: “The phrase four-letter word refers to a set of English-language words written with four letters which are considered profane… The ‘four-letter’ claim refers to the fact that a large number of (but not all) English ‘swear words’ are incidentally four-character monosyllables.” (Source: Wikipedia)
** Gurupie = blend of guru and groupie = how I fondly refer to the EntreGurus’ community, because we all follow the ideas of the gurus.
by Helena Escalante | Creativity, Goals, Growth, Leadership, Mindset, Tools
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 50 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Purpose is a force and passion is fuel
— From Creative On Purpose: An Innovative Approach to Professional Artistry by Scott Perry
If you’ve ever wondered what is the meaning of life and what you are supposed to do with it, very likely you’ve come across the myriad articles, books, and videos offering advice and help.
“Most of it is pretty bad,” says Scott Perry, author of Creative on Purpose. “Here’s the worst advice of all: ‘Follow your passion’.”
Stop right there. Whaaaaaaat?! This is exactly what most of us have been told all our lives.
“Passion is poorly equipped to act as an inner guide or a compass for directing your work. That is because that’s not what passion is for. That job belongs to Purpose.”
Perry states that just as gravity is a force that keeps us grounded and electricity is a force that powers mechanical things, purpose is a force too. If “scientists define ‘force’ as a push or pull upon one object resulting from that object’s interaction with another object;” then purpose “is the push or pull of one object (you), resulting from your interactions with other objects (others, events, surroundings, etc.).”
To figure out your purpose is something that takes a bit of time and that is not set in stone: it will grow and change with you “as your beliefs evolve, your skills develop, and your audience grows.” You’ll want to revisit and tweak your purpose many times throughout your life. Perry provides an illustrative diagram to help understand that our purpose is the intersection of three things:
- Who you are (your core values)
- What you do (your core talents and soft skills)
- Those you serve (people who share your values and are in need of your talents).
(Click on image to enlarge) Source: BeCreativeOnPurpose.com on April 12, 2018.
And where does that leave passion?
Passion, as well as profits, recognition and influence are the results of purposeful work and living. However, by themselves, Perry says, they are “improper motivators” because they lead to compromised decisions and may take you away from your core values and beliefs. Yet none of those results are inherently bad. On the contrary, they are valuable resources “that can be used to fuel and sustain purposeful living and work. They are not the ends, they are the means!”
If your work is driven by a strong and clear purpose, passion will result; and it will become a renewable resource to fuel your life and work.
ACTION
TODAY: When faced with a decision, ask, “what’s it for?” That simple question will start you on your way to making sure that all you do is aligned with your purpose.
2nd ACTION FOR TODAY: Please join Scott Perry and I as we chat about purpose, passion, and professional and personal growth during the Creative on Purpose Live streaming via Facebook. Simply click this link (https://www.facebook.com/CreativeOnPurpose/) at 1 pm EST and join the conversation, we welcome all your questions and comments. I look forward to seeing you there!
FUTURE: When faced with an action that may have important consequences, Perry suggests taking a second to pause and ask yourself: “What’s it for? What’s the real reason? Is it unselfish? Does it align with your values? Is it generous towards others?” Once you have pondered the answers you can determine if the results will be aligned with your personal or professional purpose, and then you can decide what’s next.
Know someone who could benefit from living and working with purpose? Please share this post with them via email, Facebook or Twitter, thank you!
