What Makes the Great Great?

What makes the great great?  This question haunted me for years, and I suspect that most of us, at one time or another, contemplate this same question. However, due to fear we often look the other way.  Yet, one day, for me, desire for success won over the fear of the unknown, and I set out on a journey to discover the answer to what makes a great leader.  I wanted to claim it for myself.

What makes Michael Jordan Michael Jordan?  How did Bill Gates achieve so much?   I kept asking myself,  “What do they know that I don’t know?”  We all have the same potential, so what is this catalyst to greatness?

It was this journey of research that led me to identify what I call the Seven Q’s (Qualities) of Greatness.  I will share them with you and some pragmatic strategies too, in hopes that you will claim your greatness, for yourself and for your contribution to others.

Q One:  Self-awareness

All accomplishment comes from self – for it’s your thinking that yields your outcomes.  Billie Jean King, a world-class tennis star, said “Self-awareness is key to being a champion.”  I believe she is right.

Pay attention to your thoughts as thinking is the most powerful force on earth.  One confidence comes from our thoughts, our decisions come from our thoughts, and our behavior is also a result of our thoughts.  So, it’s time to accept the responsibility of managing your thoughts.   Notice when self-sabotaging thoughts come in, acknowledge them and say “STOP” or “NO” in a way that cancels the thought.  You don’t want to allow that self-defeating thought to record in your brain.  I’ll say it again – you can and must manage your thoughts.

Q Two:  Purpose

To know your purpose, you have to quiet your mind to listen to your internal knowing self.  In this quiet state, ask yourself questions like, “What is my most enjoyable achievement? What would I do for a living if making money was not a factor?  What am I doing when hours pass like minutes?”  Looking at the answers to these questions is a great start to discovering your purpose.

Have you seen the movie ‘The Matrix’ or The Matrix Reloaded?”  Although the story in these movies seem to be about an action superhero who is fighting for good in a high-tech world, the movie’s real intention is purpose.  The main character, Neo, is on a journey to learn who he is and to claim his greatness.  My favorite scene is when Neo is surrounded by his opponent and his opponent says these words, “It’s purpose that connect us.  It’s purpose that pulls us, guides us and drives us.  It’s purpose that defines us.”  I encourage you to watch or re-watch these movies for the messages of purpose.

Q Three:  Vision

Norman Vincent Peale said, “Hold the image of the life you want and that will become fact.”  No success is achieved without first believing the achievement is possible and real.  I am sure that….

• Jackie Joyner Kersey, the Olympic gold medalist in track and field, believed she could overcome her disability and be the fastest female runner in the world.
• Thomas Edison believed he could invent the light bulb, even on the 9,999th attempt.
• The founding fathers of the United States of America believed in a new government, one based on freedom.

Q Four:  Discipline

Nature thrives on discipline; routines are a healthy part of life.  Look at the seasons:  the rebirth of spring brings flowers; summer holds the heat and the time for play in the water; fall shows its beauty in the majesty of the color in the changing leaves; and winter is for rest and fun in the snow.  Routine is predictable and comfortable and efficient.

Our habits create us.  As John Maxwell, says “the secret of success is in your daily habits.”  You can create the habits that make you better.  Remember, as you go through this change process, it takes the commitment of repetitive action to develop a new habit.

Q Five:  Relationships

Each day that I live, I grow in the understanding of how much power relationships have to our decision-making.   Those nearest to you have the most influence.  Be intentional about who you spend your time with; select mentors, coaches, trainers, and advisors that have your best interests in mind.   And carefully select your friends.

Q Six:   Plan and Write It Down

After you embrace you purpose and vision, commit yourself to discipline and healthy relationships, then you are ready to craft your action plan.  Your plan needs short-term goals and long-term goals with financial and physical aspects.    In your mind you see the horizon, now you can see the steps.   One of my favorite ways to create a plan is to sequester myself at the beach for a weekend and create the work.

Q Seven:  Action

Break your plan down into items that are doable in small chunks.  Smaller items keep you from feeling overwhelmed and give you opportunity to get them completed more easily.   Know that your completed items combine in your realized dreams.  I guarantee you will be amazed at what you accomplish in a year’s time if you perform one action per day on your goals.

There you have it.  In this article, I detailed a decade of study to answer the question, “What makes the great great?”  I challenge you to manage your thoughts, find your purpose, embrace it, plan it, and live it.

Claim your greatness.

Dianne Garrett, 2004

How the Toyota Recall Exemplifies Communication Failure in the Workplace

By Pam Hurley Hurley Write Inc.Wilmington NC, 6/4/2014 10:00:00 AM , Last Modified: 6/12/2014 1:46:37 PM

Situation

In 2002, Toyota began warning dealerships of an electrical issue in Camry models. Between 2007 and 2009, millions of Camrys faced recalls, but the reason given was for problems created by stuck floor mats. The company later admitted that stuck floor mats were only incidental to the problems in the vehicles. Soon the company faced widespread consumer outrage, censure from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), and a congressional hearing. Things had gone dramatically bad.

The Communication Failure

If this was an electrical issue, how was it also a communication failure in the workplace? Easy. In 2002, the marketplace didn’t have to account for the degree of consumer engagement that services such as Twitter and Facebook bring. But over the next decade, the marketplace responded to these new media by becoming a place where transparency, accountability, and clear communication had more social heft than established authority. Toyota failed these new criteria in a couple major ways:

• It changed its story from an electrical issue to stuck floor mats, failing to realize that in an era of leaks, Internet archives, and rapid spread of awareness through media such as Twitter and Facebook, inconsistencies could be widely exposed.
• When it had to admit fault, its spokespeople were evasive rather than upfront, even when the CEO testified before Congress.

In this marketplace, communication is king. Most consumers understand that mistakes happen, and they look for companies that can acknowledge and correct mistakes.

To learn more about how you can communicate well and avoid a catastrophic communication failure in the workplace, contact us today at Hurley Write, Inc.

https://www.hurleywrite.com/Blog/83491/How-the-Toyota-Recall-Exemplifies-Communication-Failure-in-the-Workplace

Resume ‘Objective’ Is NOT Optional.

The ‘Objective’ statement, in my opinion, is the most important part of a persuasive resume.  Yes, I know you many may disagree with me, so let me share my reasons why.  But first some rules.

Rule 1:  Do not make the Objective solely about you receive.  This document is not for you, it’s for your potential employer.  Make it about them…and that means….only say the job title and the company name of the company that you are applying for.  For example, Entry-level Accountant for Smith, Jones and Johnson CPAs.

Rule 2:  Do not write lots of words.  See Rule 1.

Rule 3:  Be audience-centered.  Make it about them.  See Rule 1.

Reason 1:   Influence the reader to see you as having that job title – similar to a job title on the business card.

Reason 2:  All the information below the Objective is to inform/persuasive the reader to your readiness for the listed position.

Reason 3:  You want the reader to feel that you are sincerely  interested in them instead of a document that you send to lots of random companies.

Sincerely

 

 

 

Business Writing Tip: Only Use Action Verbs

Want to power up your writing?   Use an action verb and eliminate the helping verb.  Instead of saying ‘have purchased,’ just say purchased.  By eliminate the helping verbs – have, has, was, were, am, is, are – you POWER UP your writing.

DGarrett

I Just Don’t See My Errors…Why?

“The more adept you are at reading, the more likely you are to send written communications with typos and other errors.  You see words and phrases as a whole, instead of each letter.  Good readers have learned to skim and still comprehend.”  While this skill is great to save you time,  it can harm your credibility.

So,  What can you do?

(1) Let the communication rest, and review it later.  It is far more likely that you’ll see the error when your brain is not tired.

(2) Ask someone else to proofread it.

(3) Read it out loud.  State the punctuation too.

(4) Read it backwards.

Happy writing.

Adapted from Sue Hershkowitz-Coore in her book Power Sales Writing.

State the Obvious

My observation, as higher-education instructor, is the higher the intellect of a person, the more often that they do not communicate the obvious.  To them, it can feel like a waste of time and energy.  But, it’s not.  Think about your audience first.  After all, your goal is to be understood.

To examine your message for gaps, ask yourself, “Does my message have any assumptions or missing pieces of information?  Can I add or change a sentence or two that helps with clarity?”

Think  of your audience.  Fill in the gaps.  State the obvious.

DGarrett

Yikes, a Question Mark Email From the Boss.

“When Amazon employees get CEO Jeff Bezos question mark e-mail, they react as though they’ve discovered a ticking bomb. They’ve typically got a few hours to solve whatever issue the CEO has flagged and prepare a thorough explanation for how it occurred, a response that will be reviewed by a succession of managers before the answer is presented to Bezos himself. Such escalations, as these e-mails are known, are Bezos’s way of ensuring that the customer’s voice is constantly heard inside the company.”

http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/10/10/what-email-from-the-boss-can-drive-amazon-employees-crazy/?icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl5|sec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D389667

Five Actions Employers Can Do to Generate Better Employee Emails

1. Constantly communicate company values so that the appropriate culture is a part of the employees mind-set.  Writing is a reflection of thinking.

2.  Offer the best physical environment.  Good writing  is difficult in a distracting environment.  Honor your company’s reputation by helping cause the best written messages to your customers.

3.  Ensure employees KNOW the products and/or services of their organization.  The more they know, the more accurately and in-depth they can write.

4.  Offer personal development opportunities, even in tough financial times.  Life is learning; help others learn.  In this situation, everyone wins.

5.  Ask/pay your best writers to serve as writing coaches to others. Everyone needs a editor!

Inspired by: http://experts.allbusiness.com/12-tips-hiring-training-writers/9469/#.UkW1rX-58QM

Writing Is Re-Writing

A great article.  Enjoy

Ken Makovsky ContributorLeadership 5/15/2014 @ 12:13PM 241 views

“A great piece of writing is like a great piece of art.  It grabs your attention almost instantly.  The words fit together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. The flow is as smooth as a canoe crossing a still pond on a lazy summer afternoon.  The rhythm is right.  You are caught by the combination of small and large words, words that blend because of cadence, sound or meaning.

In a piece of really good writing, not only are the word choices on point, so are the grammar and punctuation … not that I consider myself overly rigid about these things.  I’m perfectly okay using an extra comma to protect the rhythm.

Someone once said of an artist that the actual time he spends painting fell far short of the amount of time spent working on his art.  In essence, every time he looked at it, he saw a way to improve it. But this sensibility doesn’t apply only to artists and poets.  Beautiful writing has a place in business and personal correspondence, as well.

The question is, what makes good writing?  Usually it takes painstaking thought and multiple drafts. Re-reading what you have done and fixing the words and phrases that don’t work.  Each re-reading reveals new opportunities to create more clarity.  It may take two, three or more drafts, even five, before you get the sense that the “painting” is now in great shape.

There is no doubt that there is a wide variety of different applications when it comes to superior writing.  General business writing, for example, is all about clarity.  Personal correspondence is usually valued more for the sentiment and activities experienced than anything else; it is enhanced by lovely writing.  Creative writing for promotional purposes requires tender loving care and many drafts to achieve perfection.  Clients are willing to pay for that.  The same is true for business articles written to deliver messages to target buyers.  Such articles have long lives via websites and reprint mailers. Thus, the strength of the piece – conveyed through the words used – speaks to the quality of the skillset offered.

My assistant used to say, “With Ken, a piece of writing is never done. He will always find a way to change it.”  She meant that as a criticism.  I took it as a compliment, because great writing is preferred at all times and helps build your reputation and the regard others have for you.”

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenmakovsky/2014/05/15/writing-is-re-writing/

 

De-clutter by de-phrasing.

Search your writing for your prepositional phrases.  Can you use one word instead?

• due to the fact that   ->  because
• during the time that  ->  while
• in order to -> to
• over and above -> beyond
• with the purpose of -> to
• in the event that -> if

Another good action is to change a phrase into one word and use it as an adjective.

De-clutter, and you audience will like you.

DGarrett