The Eight-Word Mission Statement

Venture capitalist Kevin Starr insists that companies he funds can express their mission statement in under eight words. They also must follow this format: "Verb, target, outcome." Some examples: "Save endangered species from extinction" and "Improve African children's health."

The mission statement is a key part of  Star's approach, but it's not the only part. Once the mission statement is establish, Starr insists that companies that get investment "measure the right thing" and "measure it well.

It takes that kind of clarity and brevity to attract investors and to keep your own team's eyes on the prize, he explains. read more at Harvard Business Review online.

Everyone Sells...Unlock the Salesperson In YOU!!!

Everyone sells. EVERYONE.

The dad telling everyone how cute the new baby is...he's selling.

The applicant in an interview....she's selling.

The daughter begging dad to drive his car...selling.

Did you tell someone about a movie and say "you've got to go see..".....selling.

How good of a sales person are you?

The young man walking his date up to her door for a goodbye kiss....selling. The lady shopping and asking for a discount, for whatever reason...she's selling.

How many times did you ask for something today? You were selling everytime. Did you talk about a candidate and why you like one over another? You were selling.

Call it what you want, you were trying to get someone to do what you wanted. I t  i s  c a l l e d  S.E.L.L.I.N.G....period-the-end...selling.

Do you work with others in an office, or talk to customers about ANYTHING? selling.

Stop lying.

To another place

Someone posted recently about how quick they can “go to another place” when reading a book.

Me too. Or listening to certain music, a video on Facebook about running the slalom course (water)…there a real triggers that take me to other places.

John Maxwell talked about it in his “Law of Environment.” In a sense, Zig referred to it when he said “we’d be the same 5 years from today as we are today except for what we read, listen to and who we associate with.”

I just finished the book “Living with a Seal” by Jesse Itzler and I’m running more and doing push-ups. I also realize how much of a wimp I am! Good grief. Even before hiring Seal to live with him for 30 days, Itzler was close to insane.

Another place…….to reach my goals, I know I can’t get to these things I’ve never done before without changing. I need to get to another place.

It starts with what I think about that other place, first getting there.

#OnwardToUpward

John Maxwell's "Characteristics of a Positive Growth Environment"

1. Others Are ahead of You

2. You Are Continually Challenged

3. Your Focus Is Forward

4. The Atmosphere Is Affirming

5. You Are out of Your Comfort Zone

6. You Wake Up Excited

7. Failure Is Not Your Enemy

8. Others Are Growing

9. People Desire Change

10. Growth Is Modeled and Expected

Procrastination. Just that.

We all do it. We put off starting a project, dealing with an unresolved conflict, fulfilling an obligation,
improving our health, or taking a class to improve our job skills. Fundamentally,
procrastination is a decision one makes, consciously or unconsciously, to delay
getting into action due to some underlying fear or concern.

Some people are naturally starters while others are finishers. In either case,
procrastination can cause problems. Can. It can not also, but that's a different subject.

Persistent procrastination can drain one’s energy and result in nagging feelings of
guilt, diminished self-confidence, missed opportunities and anxiety.

Procrastination is common reason for performance problems in the workplace,
and persistent procrastination can restrict one’s career progression or even pay
raises. Moreover, the cumulative effect of procrastination on an organization can
negatively impact the bottom line, considering today’s fast paced business
climate and the need to continually improve the organization’s products and
services.

So, why Do People Procrastinate?

There are a number of reasons people procrastinate, and a person who
procrastinate may do so for more than one reason. A few of the most common
reasons are:

- Task Complexity – the task seems daunting, and one doesn’t know where to begin.

- Under-Developed Organizational Skills – the skills required to plan and
orchestrate the sequence of activities’ needed are absent.

- Resentment about complying with the wishes of others – if it’s not one’s own
idea or if the task is not a result of willing participation.

- Perfectionism – hold unreasonably high standards, and being fearful they might not
be met.

- Time Crunch - the task will require the commitment of large blocks of time, and these
are not easy to arrange.

- Fear of Failure, or Fear of Success – either way, fear gets in the way of getting
started, and often.

- Task Saturation - there are simply too many things on the agenda to do, so it’s hard
to get started on any one of them.

- Diversions and Distractions – focus and attention are difficult to sustain because
the environment is not controlled.

To that end....