by Angela Ware
With the Super Bowl fast approaching I cannot help but to think of what it must be like for the players and coaching staff of both teams. The anticipation of arriving in Tampa Bay, walking into the stadium on game day, running out on to the field, the opening kick-off, the culmination of a year of hard work!
Last year the New England Patriots had a perfect season going into the Super Bowl. By all accounts they were favored to win it all. But there was a team in the opposing locker room who felt that they had just as much right to the title of champion. Therefore, the New York Giants, led by a young Eli Manning, ran out onto the field at game time with determination and the mind of a champion.
For Eli there was the prevailing comparison to his older brother, Peyton, who lead the Colts to a Super Bowl victory the year before. Many critics claimed that Eli was too young and needed a few more years before he would be ready for a stage as big as the Super Bowl. But quarter by quarter, half by half, the mind of a champion led us all to believe in the impossible. When the clock ran out on the game, the scoreboard said it all: Giants 17 - Patriots 14.
If the Giants had listened and believed the rhetoric of the critics, they would have walked out onto the field saying to themselves, “These are the Patriots. They have won every game this year. They can’t help but to win again.” The mindset of defeat. The very idea of thinking your way into failure sounds crazy. Yet many of us do this every day.
We attend meetings, read the newspaper and watch the morning and evening news shows only to hear about how bad things are, how economic defeat and continued layoffs are forthcoming, and we stop thinking of new and alternate plays. We stop creating ways to win. We anticipate defeat and choose to just wait out the clock.
In our current economic times, remember it is not what the commentators and critics say, it is what you allow yourself to think that determines the outcome. A true champion, in business, sports and life, always believes that they can win no matter the adversary or the odds.
Therefore, I challenge you to think like a champion! Prepare for the game, execute your plan and when necessary adjust your plan. But never stop thinking like a champion and playing to win!
PS: Go Steelers!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Relax Your Mind
by Zahra Petri
The 25 mile commute from Middle-of-Nowhere, Texas to our downtown Austin office takes me approximately 52 minutes. Those 52 minutes give me a large window of time twice a day to be alone with my thoughts, which seem to be streaming in at a rate faster than I can process these days.
Sometimes my mind simply wonders, sometimes I worry, and other times I think of specific projects and ideas. These are the times that I wish I had a device which could record all my thoughts so I could refer back to them when I am unable to write them down. Unfortunately, technology of that kind does not exist and instead other ways must be found to organize my thoughts, take note of ideas, and quiet the voice in my head.
The Effective Edge team follows and teaches a process called the Mind Sweep. It offers exactly what is needed when I cannot turn off the little voice in my head. This exercise not only allows me to empty my head so that I may think more clearly, but it puts everything in front of me visually, either on paper or in my task list on MS Outlook. That way I am able to work through those thoughts in a list format and sort, organize, and expand them as needed. I am able to use those thoughts and clarity of mind to help me produce the best output at work and productively finish all my tasks and projects. By taking a moment to clear my head, I can focus my mind and relax the little voice that is constantly running and thinking of the next idea, project or task before the first was even written down. Without this rest and relaxation it is much more difficult to function in every aspect of my life, not just at work, making the importance of clarity that much greater. By following the Mind Sweep exercise I am able to center myself and function at a higher level while producing the best results.
The 25 mile commute from Middle-of-Nowhere, Texas to our downtown Austin office takes me approximately 52 minutes. Those 52 minutes give me a large window of time twice a day to be alone with my thoughts, which seem to be streaming in at a rate faster than I can process these days.
Sometimes my mind simply wonders, sometimes I worry, and other times I think of specific projects and ideas. These are the times that I wish I had a device which could record all my thoughts so I could refer back to them when I am unable to write them down. Unfortunately, technology of that kind does not exist and instead other ways must be found to organize my thoughts, take note of ideas, and quiet the voice in my head.
The Effective Edge team follows and teaches a process called the Mind Sweep. It offers exactly what is needed when I cannot turn off the little voice in my head. This exercise not only allows me to empty my head so that I may think more clearly, but it puts everything in front of me visually, either on paper or in my task list on MS Outlook. That way I am able to work through those thoughts in a list format and sort, organize, and expand them as needed. I am able to use those thoughts and clarity of mind to help me produce the best output at work and productively finish all my tasks and projects. By taking a moment to clear my head, I can focus my mind and relax the little voice that is constantly running and thinking of the next idea, project or task before the first was even written down. Without this rest and relaxation it is much more difficult to function in every aspect of my life, not just at work, making the importance of clarity that much greater. By following the Mind Sweep exercise I am able to center myself and function at a higher level while producing the best results.
Friday, January 23, 2009
One, Two, Three….WHOOSH!
by Diane Holz
Last year our company had quarterly sales meeting that all the staff got to attend. What? Yes, I said ALL the staff GOT to attend the sales meetings. For some people attending a sales meeting would probably be the last thing they want to do. I think they are invigorating…I get to see where the company wants to go, what clients they are courting, what is said to court the clients…making me want to work for this company even more.
At one of the sales meetings I was introduced to a concept new to me. The staff aligned themselves in a circle and then alternately a staff member got into the middle of the circle. While the one staff member was in the middle, the rest of the staff were instructed to clap three times throwing both arms forward while saying WHOOSH! When I was the person standing in the middle of that circle, I felt invigorated…like I could conquer anything.
I have fiddled around with energy flow, but most of the time I don’t have the foggiest idea what I am doing. However, this concept was so easy and changed the whole energy flow. A big WHOOSH! really turned on the vibrations to an elevated feeling: excitement, delight, deep appreciation, power, etc. This is something so easy to do to create a feel good vibration...a power vibration that gives you a rush or buzz.
Why don’t you try it out for 2009, it is still the first month of the New Year. Select one of your 2009 goals and create an intention statement. Put that intention statement into a recurring appointment in your calendar. Read the intention statement daily then clap three times and say WHOOSH! (pulling your outstretched arms over your head like you are pulling in and receiving all the positive energy).
I have to admit I am experimenting. I am calling it my feel good bodily buzz.
Last year our company had quarterly sales meeting that all the staff got to attend. What? Yes, I said ALL the staff GOT to attend the sales meetings. For some people attending a sales meeting would probably be the last thing they want to do. I think they are invigorating…I get to see where the company wants to go, what clients they are courting, what is said to court the clients…making me want to work for this company even more.
At one of the sales meetings I was introduced to a concept new to me. The staff aligned themselves in a circle and then alternately a staff member got into the middle of the circle. While the one staff member was in the middle, the rest of the staff were instructed to clap three times throwing both arms forward while saying WHOOSH! When I was the person standing in the middle of that circle, I felt invigorated…like I could conquer anything.
I have fiddled around with energy flow, but most of the time I don’t have the foggiest idea what I am doing. However, this concept was so easy and changed the whole energy flow. A big WHOOSH! really turned on the vibrations to an elevated feeling: excitement, delight, deep appreciation, power, etc. This is something so easy to do to create a feel good vibration...a power vibration that gives you a rush or buzz.
Why don’t you try it out for 2009, it is still the first month of the New Year. Select one of your 2009 goals and create an intention statement. Put that intention statement into a recurring appointment in your calendar. Read the intention statement daily then clap three times and say WHOOSH! (pulling your outstretched arms over your head like you are pulling in and receiving all the positive energy).
I have to admit I am experimenting. I am calling it my feel good bodily buzz.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
How can we do more with less?
by Angela Ware
I was having lunch with a friend of mine last week when I asked her how things were going at her job. I knew that they had just announced a series of cutbacks and wanted to know how she was handling the change.
She shared with me that she was overwhelmed. She went on to say that everyone in her office was “trying to do more with less.” I am sure that many of you have heard, if not said, this phrase once or twice over the past year. But what does it mean and is it even possible? How can we do more with less?
When you think of a sporting event, teams are often forced to “do more with less”? Over the course of the game players get hurt and or foul out, leaving the team with fewer resources on the bench. Also players exhaust themselves during play, leaving them with less energy and mental agility to play at peak performance as the game goes on. Yet, some of the best sports highlights come from last minute plays. Why? Because when you have a will to win, you have a desire to find a way.
Yes, it is possible to do more with less. In the business world this translates into identifying ways to maximize our efforts and our energy using fewer resources. Team members have to place an emphasis on organizing their work to allow them to spend their time and energy on the right things at the right time.
Over lunch I shared the following tips with my friend: (1) remove clutter from your desk so that you are better able to focus; (2) use your Outlook tools to organize your workload so that you will be able to see everything that you are working on in one place; (3) identify the mental resources and skills sets of the people around you so that you can get answers to your questions and delegate work efficiently and effectively; (4) revisit your goals on a regular basis to confirm that your goals are taking you in the direction needed and (5) celebrate small advances as well as large victories.
In the end it is not a matter of doing more, it is a process for doing better.
I was having lunch with a friend of mine last week when I asked her how things were going at her job. I knew that they had just announced a series of cutbacks and wanted to know how she was handling the change.
She shared with me that she was overwhelmed. She went on to say that everyone in her office was “trying to do more with less.” I am sure that many of you have heard, if not said, this phrase once or twice over the past year. But what does it mean and is it even possible? How can we do more with less?
When you think of a sporting event, teams are often forced to “do more with less”? Over the course of the game players get hurt and or foul out, leaving the team with fewer resources on the bench. Also players exhaust themselves during play, leaving them with less energy and mental agility to play at peak performance as the game goes on. Yet, some of the best sports highlights come from last minute plays. Why? Because when you have a will to win, you have a desire to find a way.
Yes, it is possible to do more with less. In the business world this translates into identifying ways to maximize our efforts and our energy using fewer resources. Team members have to place an emphasis on organizing their work to allow them to spend their time and energy on the right things at the right time.
Over lunch I shared the following tips with my friend: (1) remove clutter from your desk so that you are better able to focus; (2) use your Outlook tools to organize your workload so that you will be able to see everything that you are working on in one place; (3) identify the mental resources and skills sets of the people around you so that you can get answers to your questions and delegate work efficiently and effectively; (4) revisit your goals on a regular basis to confirm that your goals are taking you in the direction needed and (5) celebrate small advances as well as large victories.
In the end it is not a matter of doing more, it is a process for doing better.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Learning Life Lessons from Kids
by Alison Chapman
Sometimes we let simple things in life stress us out. I have a lot on my plate at the present so this happens to me frequently. I babysit for two families here in Austin. Their kids range from 4-12 years old. When I go to their homes to babysit the kids, I immediately lose all negative thoughts and feelings because the kids make me smile with the things they do and say.
It’s amazing that as children we perpetually look forward to the time when we will grow up and can do anything we want. Then, once we grow up and become overwhelmed with responsibilities, we look back to those carefree childhood days. When I am around the kids I babysit, I think how wonderful childhood is. By looking at how children see the world, we can learn some things to introduce in our own lives.
As we grow older, we focus on either the past or the future instead of the present; we pick up the habit of nursing our grievances and worrying about small things. But for a child, everything is unfolding right before their eyes and they have not learned to let themselves be consumed by past or future.
A couple of weeks ago, I was babysitting two boys named Zach and Nick. We were outside playing basketball and Nick pushed Zach over. Zach started crying and I ran over to comfort him. He had a little scrape on his knee; nothing too bad. He saw another toy he wanted to play with so he stopped crying and ran over to it. I was amazed at how quickly his focus went from crying to playing with another toy. If something like that happened to an adult, they would remain upset for days.
We can learn simple lessons from children. They are resilient and carefree with little worry in their lives. As we go through our day, when things get us down, we should stop and think back to the simplicity of our childhood. Hopefully that will lift our spirits and help us to let the little things roll off our backs.
Sometimes we let simple things in life stress us out. I have a lot on my plate at the present so this happens to me frequently. I babysit for two families here in Austin. Their kids range from 4-12 years old. When I go to their homes to babysit the kids, I immediately lose all negative thoughts and feelings because the kids make me smile with the things they do and say.
It’s amazing that as children we perpetually look forward to the time when we will grow up and can do anything we want. Then, once we grow up and become overwhelmed with responsibilities, we look back to those carefree childhood days. When I am around the kids I babysit, I think how wonderful childhood is. By looking at how children see the world, we can learn some things to introduce in our own lives.
As we grow older, we focus on either the past or the future instead of the present; we pick up the habit of nursing our grievances and worrying about small things. But for a child, everything is unfolding right before their eyes and they have not learned to let themselves be consumed by past or future.
A couple of weeks ago, I was babysitting two boys named Zach and Nick. We were outside playing basketball and Nick pushed Zach over. Zach started crying and I ran over to comfort him. He had a little scrape on his knee; nothing too bad. He saw another toy he wanted to play with so he stopped crying and ran over to it. I was amazed at how quickly his focus went from crying to playing with another toy. If something like that happened to an adult, they would remain upset for days.
We can learn simple lessons from children. They are resilient and carefree with little worry in their lives. As we go through our day, when things get us down, we should stop and think back to the simplicity of our childhood. Hopefully that will lift our spirits and help us to let the little things roll off our backs.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Focus On The Desired Outcome
by Russell Tibbits
Anybody who has read our blog in the past has seen me write about being active. Staying healthy and active encompasses so much of my life outside of work. Today’s experience is no different.
Our season of flag football ended today, with disappointment. We ended last season fighting our way into the playoffs and losing to the eventual champions by 1 point. As a result, I signed up for this new season having high expectations, knowing we could at least do as well as we did last season. After weeks of struggling in the unusually high fall temperatures, a 3-3 record is all our team had to show for it. We won’t make the playoffs this year.
Okay, I’m done with the pity party; however, as a competitive person, it sometimes makes me wonder what it is we’re playing for. This loss ends our fourth season of football as a team and we have yet to win a playoff game. I’m not typically the type of person that always enjoys playing despite a loss, but I find it hard to see the good times or let go of mistakes when we can’t muster enough points for a victory.
When frustration shows its face after a loss in business or in sports, I’ve used the idea of creating a desired outcome statement at the beginning of large projects. By creating a desired outcome statement, we have a visual reminder of what our end result will be. This gives us motivation to complete the task at hand. Just like going through the down times with any other project, I have to quickly remind myself of the real reason I undertake these challenges and what my real objectives are. I suddenly realize that winning championships for flag football were never in the picture to begin with. Having fun, getting exercise and creating new friendships were the real objectives above all.
It’s always been the objective to help grow customers and ourselves; and with tips from the class, I feel like we can do just that.
Anybody who has read our blog in the past has seen me write about being active. Staying healthy and active encompasses so much of my life outside of work. Today’s experience is no different.
Our season of flag football ended today, with disappointment. We ended last season fighting our way into the playoffs and losing to the eventual champions by 1 point. As a result, I signed up for this new season having high expectations, knowing we could at least do as well as we did last season. After weeks of struggling in the unusually high fall temperatures, a 3-3 record is all our team had to show for it. We won’t make the playoffs this year.
Okay, I’m done with the pity party; however, as a competitive person, it sometimes makes me wonder what it is we’re playing for. This loss ends our fourth season of football as a team and we have yet to win a playoff game. I’m not typically the type of person that always enjoys playing despite a loss, but I find it hard to see the good times or let go of mistakes when we can’t muster enough points for a victory.
When frustration shows its face after a loss in business or in sports, I’ve used the idea of creating a desired outcome statement at the beginning of large projects. By creating a desired outcome statement, we have a visual reminder of what our end result will be. This gives us motivation to complete the task at hand. Just like going through the down times with any other project, I have to quickly remind myself of the real reason I undertake these challenges and what my real objectives are. I suddenly realize that winning championships for flag football were never in the picture to begin with. Having fun, getting exercise and creating new friendships were the real objectives above all.
It’s always been the objective to help grow customers and ourselves; and with tips from the class, I feel like we can do just that.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Information Overload
by Kirk Miller
Have you heard about the epidemic that’s sweeping the nation? It’s called information overload. It’s really nothing new. But it has crept up on us during the information age and is spreading out of control, like wildfire in a Texas field. Everywhere you turn these days we are being bombarded with information.
We wake up in the morning and immediately rush to get all of the necessary information together before we leave the house for the day. In our cars (if you have not yet decided to give up the radio all together), there’s a continuous influx of more information. All of this while talking on our cell phones and PDA’s. Then we get to work and information really comes at us from all sides, from our peers to our boss to our inbox, voicemail and let’s not forget…our EMAIL !! It is estimated that the average information worker receives over 150 emails per day. On average, each day brings us 200+ decisions to make about all of this information. That’s just during the workday. When we get home, there is mail and other information waiting for us as well. No wonder we have a hard time simply deciding what to make for dinner after a typical day at work. I am exhausted just writing about it.
Last year I attended the first meeting of the Information Overload Research Group (IORG). It was the inaugural meeting of a number of C-level executives from companies like Intel, Morgan Stanley, Xerox and others, along with academic researchers in the area of information overload. This group has, as its focus, begun seriously addressing the issue of information overload in large corporations. Large companies like these are beginning to take a real look at this issue and its effects on the bottom line. It is estimated that it’s costing U.S. companies approximately $65 billion per year. And if you look around, there doesn’t seem to be any indication that information is going down anytime soon.
So the question is, how are you going to deal with it? Do you have a system in place to handle this ever-increasing amount of information coming at you every day? With the EDGE system, you do. The EDGE system allows you to narrow down all these collection points of information to just a few. It empowers you to then clearly make decisions about this information and immediately move it to where it needs to go. Finally, it gives you a best practice methodology to execute and get stuff off your plate, creating a relaxed flow to your workday and a return to sanity. So the only question left is…..do you have the EDGE?
Have you heard about the epidemic that’s sweeping the nation? It’s called information overload. It’s really nothing new. But it has crept up on us during the information age and is spreading out of control, like wildfire in a Texas field. Everywhere you turn these days we are being bombarded with information.
We wake up in the morning and immediately rush to get all of the necessary information together before we leave the house for the day. In our cars (if you have not yet decided to give up the radio all together), there’s a continuous influx of more information. All of this while talking on our cell phones and PDA’s. Then we get to work and information really comes at us from all sides, from our peers to our boss to our inbox, voicemail and let’s not forget…our EMAIL !! It is estimated that the average information worker receives over 150 emails per day. On average, each day brings us 200+ decisions to make about all of this information. That’s just during the workday. When we get home, there is mail and other information waiting for us as well. No wonder we have a hard time simply deciding what to make for dinner after a typical day at work. I am exhausted just writing about it.
Last year I attended the first meeting of the Information Overload Research Group (IORG). It was the inaugural meeting of a number of C-level executives from companies like Intel, Morgan Stanley, Xerox and others, along with academic researchers in the area of information overload. This group has, as its focus, begun seriously addressing the issue of information overload in large corporations. Large companies like these are beginning to take a real look at this issue and its effects on the bottom line. It is estimated that it’s costing U.S. companies approximately $65 billion per year. And if you look around, there doesn’t seem to be any indication that information is going down anytime soon.
So the question is, how are you going to deal with it? Do you have a system in place to handle this ever-increasing amount of information coming at you every day? With the EDGE system, you do. The EDGE system allows you to narrow down all these collection points of information to just a few. It empowers you to then clearly make decisions about this information and immediately move it to where it needs to go. Finally, it gives you a best practice methodology to execute and get stuff off your plate, creating a relaxed flow to your workday and a return to sanity. So the only question left is…..do you have the EDGE?
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
It’s All in the Prep
by Kim Brewster
Are you a fan of cooking shows? How about home remodeling shows? Cable tv offers us a plethora of opportunities to show our creative side, enhance our hobbies or make us better at our jobs.
Take Emeril, since anyone who has watched a cooking show or seen his cookware at the store may be familiar with him. His countertop has bowls of different sizes, knives, spoons, cutting boards, hot pads; his cooktop has the pans. In essence, he has laid out the tools he will use to prepare the meal. His tools allow him to ready the ingredients – seasonings in their separate containers, cutting the meats/vegetables and heating the oil/butter/broth. The actual cooking process itself is rather seamless and, BAM, it’s done.
The home remodeling shows make painting walls look so easy. If you dissect what is done before the paint is applied to the wall, you will see a drip cloth, paint tray, brushes (angled or straight edge), a can of paint, stir stick, roller and roller cover, paint can opener, and a vacuum cleaner or lint-free cloth. These are the basic tools. After dust and dirt are removed from the walls, the drip cloth is spread, the paint is opened and stirred and poured into the paint tray, the roller cover is on the roller, you are ready to apply the paint. Now ultimately how the actual painting application goes is dependent on having a steady hand with an eye for neatness.
What is your prep process to begin your day at your desk (after you have pre-prepped by exercising and eating a nutritious breakfast)? (1) Do you dive right into you email inbox? (2) Do you spread papers and files all over your work surface? (3) Are your desk tools (pens, portable note taking device, PDA) readily available and easy to reach? (4) Is your Outlook Today tool set up so that you can quickly scan your Calendar Today and Tasks? (5) Do you take a few deep breaths?
Only three of the above options are necessary and the remaining two are not useful. Just like a cook or a painter, your day will be more effective because you took the time to physically prepare for your day, ultimately saving time. At the end of the day you will feel confident your tasks, emails and projects were handled thoughtfully and expeditiously.
Did you remember to savor the aroma of garlic in warm olive oil or bask in the glow of your freshly painted walls?
Are you a fan of cooking shows? How about home remodeling shows? Cable tv offers us a plethora of opportunities to show our creative side, enhance our hobbies or make us better at our jobs.
Take Emeril, since anyone who has watched a cooking show or seen his cookware at the store may be familiar with him. His countertop has bowls of different sizes, knives, spoons, cutting boards, hot pads; his cooktop has the pans. In essence, he has laid out the tools he will use to prepare the meal. His tools allow him to ready the ingredients – seasonings in their separate containers, cutting the meats/vegetables and heating the oil/butter/broth. The actual cooking process itself is rather seamless and, BAM, it’s done.
The home remodeling shows make painting walls look so easy. If you dissect what is done before the paint is applied to the wall, you will see a drip cloth, paint tray, brushes (angled or straight edge), a can of paint, stir stick, roller and roller cover, paint can opener, and a vacuum cleaner or lint-free cloth. These are the basic tools. After dust and dirt are removed from the walls, the drip cloth is spread, the paint is opened and stirred and poured into the paint tray, the roller cover is on the roller, you are ready to apply the paint. Now ultimately how the actual painting application goes is dependent on having a steady hand with an eye for neatness.
What is your prep process to begin your day at your desk (after you have pre-prepped by exercising and eating a nutritious breakfast)? (1) Do you dive right into you email inbox? (2) Do you spread papers and files all over your work surface? (3) Are your desk tools (pens, portable note taking device, PDA) readily available and easy to reach? (4) Is your Outlook Today tool set up so that you can quickly scan your Calendar Today and Tasks? (5) Do you take a few deep breaths?
Only three of the above options are necessary and the remaining two are not useful. Just like a cook or a painter, your day will be more effective because you took the time to physically prepare for your day, ultimately saving time. At the end of the day you will feel confident your tasks, emails and projects were handled thoughtfully and expeditiously.
Did you remember to savor the aroma of garlic in warm olive oil or bask in the glow of your freshly painted walls?
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