Reactive Language
“A serious problem with reactive language is that it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
Proactive Language
“Coaches who can outline plays on a black board are a dime a dozen. The ones who win get inside their player and motivate.”
~ Vince Lombardi
How are we getting inside the hearts and minds of those we serve and those we serve with? Learn more about what motivates those around you.
“A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.”
~ Joseph Campbell
Working with seniors we have the opportunity to be a hero for someone, or to praise those that have already become heroes. Relish in the service you provide to the greatest generation and strive to be the hero for those you serve.
So – how is your follow up? Is it follow-up or gave up?
“Perfection is not attainable. But if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.”
~ Vince Lombardi
How much time do you spend chasing perfection? Or do you settle for good enough? When was the last time someone found fault with you for wanting something to be “perfect”? (not often- I bet) Look back to times of criticism of your performance and ask yourself if you truly contributed your best effort. You may be surprised that the criticism was just.
“It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.”
~ Lena Horne
In the past year, it seems as though many of us are being asked to do more with less. Provide more patient care, with less funding. Complete more work in less hours. Sometimes it may feel as though we reach the snapping point. This quote helped me to focus less on the load, but evaluate how I carry it. I plan to focus more on the good and positive.
Are you truly committed or are you going through the motions?
“Once a man has made a commitment to a way of life, he puts the greatest strength in the world behind him. It’s something we call heart power. Once a man has made this commitment, nothing will stop him short of success.”
“The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”
“I would say that the quality of each man’s life is the full measure of that man’s commitment of excellence and victory – whether it be football, whether it be business, whether it be politics or government or what have you.”
~ Vince Lombardi
“It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.”
~ Lena Horne
In the past year, it seems as though many of us are being asked to do more with less. Provide more patient care, with less funding. Complete more work in less hours. Sometimes it may feel as though we reach the snapping point. This quote helped me to focus less on the load, but evaluate how I carry it. I plan to focus more on the good and positive.
As I worked on my 2011 resolutions, I found the following:
“He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often and loved much; who has gained the respect of intelligent men and the love of little children; who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who has left the world better than he found it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; who has never lacked appreciation of earth’s beauty or failed to express it; who has always looked for the best in others and given them the best he had; whose life was an inspiration; whose memory a benediction.”
~ Bessie Anderson Stanley
It is important to build relationships with the right people and companies regardless of their buying time. If a potential client doesn’t buy today we unfortunately drop them like a hot potato rather than continue to nurture that relationship into fruition.
5 Tips to Nurture Relationships
1. Companies don’t buy the people do. Give a human touch. Make a phone call, send a card or take just a few moments to send an email to see how they are.
2. Be an advisor not a salesperson. A trusted advisor will always be more welcome than a hard-core salesperson.
3. Is your customer here today and gone tomorrow? A new way of thinking: A customer is for life. Are you willing to invest what it takes to get their business?
4. It isn’t just the first impression that counts. It’s every impression that you make. Be consistent always.
5. Be personable. Your clients should want to talk to you – if they don’t you might be trying to hard to get the sale rather than develop the relationship.
6. Nurturing relationships reminds me of dating. If we take our “dates” for granted eventually they will replace us with someone who doesn’t. Evaluate your courting relationship with your clients. If you were getting the treatment you are giving would you continue? If so, keep doing what you are doing – if not it’s time to make changes today.
1. Appreciate the value of failure.
Very few unacquainted with failure will ever know the true joy of success. Don’t be afraid of defeat. Remind yourself that you’re one step closer to your potential and your dream. You are learning to fail forward.
2. Don’t take failure personally.
Accept your limitations as well as your strengths. So you messed up. Try again. Making mistakes is like breathing; it’s something you’ll keep doing as long as you’re alive. Even more so if you are up to something big. It’s not personal. Learn to live with it and move on.
3. Let failure redirect you.
Mistakes need to direct you. You may need to change your direction. You may need to take a detour or a rest. Look at the lesson in this.
4. Keep a sense of humor.
When all else fails, laugh. It’s easier to laugh when everything is going great; but it’s important to laugh when everything is going wrong.
5. Ask why, not who.
Don’t look for someone to blame. Look for ways to improve yourself, your process, your service, and your product.
6. Make failure a learning experience.
If you’re not continually learning, you’re going to make the same mistakes over and over again. if you fall down as long as you learn something as you get up.
7. Don’t let failure keep you down.
Henry Ford said, “Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.”
8. Use failure as a gauge for growth.
Most successes failed an average of seven times before they succeeded. Success is coming in fourth, exhausted, but excited because you came in fifth the last time. It’s making progress. That’s what it means to fail forward and avoid an unnecessary detour.
9. See the big picture.
Perspective is necessary. Failure is not final – unless you quit. We all make mistakes. We can all come back.
10. Don’t give up!
Failure is a sign that you should explore other opportunities. Success comes as the result of good, old fashioned tenacity.
By Ellen Silverman If you enjoyed this nugget, you will enjoy the book, Your Road Map for Success, by John C. Maxwell, Thomas Nelson, 2002. It is full of stories, quotes, and reminders that success is a journey.
