Excellence

Fo those who know me well, know that something I strive for and expect of myself is Excellence. I recently came across this outstanding article and wanted to share it with you:

Quality Is Not a Thing, It's a Way

By Harvey Mackay

I recently had the opportunity to speak to members of the Food Processing Suppliers Association. In doing my preparation, one thing that kept coming up was food safety. One mistake can destroy a company.

How would you like to deal with that kind of pressure? I bet if you asked most businesspeople if they could be 99.9% perfect, they'd take it. In some industries that might cut the mustard, but it certainly won't in others.

If everyone achieved 99.9% quality, according to Insight Syncrude Canada Ltd., this is what could happen:

· Two plane landings daily at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago would be unsafe.

· The IRS would lose two million documents this year.

· 22,000 checks would be deducted from the wrong bank accounts in the next 60 minutes.

· 1,314 phone calls would be misplaced every minute.

· 12 babies would be given to the wrong parents each day.

· 268,500 defective tires would be shipped this year.

· 103,208 income tax returns would be processed incorrectly this year.

· 2,488,200 books with the wrong cover would be shipped in the next 12 months.

· 5,517,200 cases of soft drinks produced in the next 12 months would be flatter than a bad tire.

· 3,056 copies of tomorrow's Wall Street Journal would be missing one of the three sections.

· 18,322 pieces of mail would be mishandled in the next hour.

· 880,000 credit cards in circulation would turn out to have incorrect cardholder information on their magnetic strips.

· 20,000 incorrect drug prescriptions would be written in the next 12 months.

· 114,500 mismatched pairs of shoes would be shipped this year.

· 107 incorrect medical procedures would be performed by the end of the day today.

When I founded Mackay Envelope Company many years ago, every time we landed a new account we checked and double-checked the first order to make certain it was correct. Nothing is more destructive to a company's bottom line and its relations with customers than defective products. We still test throughout the manufacturing process and then test again just before shipping. Then we test the testers to make sure they know what they're doing.

Quality is a mindset. It must be an obsession. It has to be part of a company's culture. You can't just talk about it. You have to practice it every day for years.

As Aristotle said, "Quality is not an act. It is a habit."

Have you ever seen a team run on the field yelling, "We want to be number two?" Everyone wants to be #1. Those who actually achieve it are those who are willing to put the blood, sweat, and tears into their effort.

The American Society for Quality Control published a booklet many years ago called "The Hare and the Tortoise Revisited: The Businessman's Guide to Continuous Quality Improvement." One story tells about a Japanese quality expert who stresses the need for patience and discipline. He likens the quality process to farming bamboo. Once the bamboo seed is planted, the farmer waters it every day. He does that for four years before the tree even breaks ground. But when it finally does, it grows 60 feet in the next 90 days.

It's that kind of commitment to the long view that marks the companies which have been most successful in achieving outstanding quality.

Bottom line: Quality products and quality service begin with quality thinking, and it's the same in any business. Everyone talks about quality, but customers can quickly figure out who is willing to make the required effort. And those businesses have a very good chance of sticking around for a very long time.
Quality comes from pride. Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it. So you need to autograph your work with excellence.

If it's almost right, it's wrong.

Mackay's Moral: The difference between failure and success is the difference between doing a thing nearly right and doing it exactly right.

Food for thought.

Goals

Over the past few weeks I have been thinking about goals and how I use them every day. I was wondering why are they important and what would life be like without goals....then I remembered as I explored my values that it is so much more worthwhile being a goal setter:

I have been a student of success for as long as I can remember.
For decades I have asked the question, "What makes one person
succeed and another person struggle?" Even in my childhood I was
a virtual sponge. I noticed the words, behaviors, and patterns of
the people around me and the results they manifested.

I have committed to a lifelong study of success, to learn what
works and what doesn't work so that I might duplicate positive
thoughts and habits in my own life and share those lessons and
observations with others. It pays to study success. It also pays
to study failure (your own and other's) to avoid unnecessary
mistakes and the pain they bring. Mistakes and missteps are
inevitable, and failure often provide as much benefit as success
as long as you are paying attention.

Most high achievers I have studied took 100% responsibility for
their life and made a concerted effort to learn the art of goal
setting. Most goal achievers invest their own time, energy and
financial resources. Many have joined clubs, communities,
organizations and hired a coach or mentor to further instill the
mastery of this crucial life skill.

There are literally hundreds of ways goal setting benefits your
life. I have identified the top ten to serve as a reminder the
many ways you can gain more control over your life and why it is
crucial that you do whatever it takes to learn and master the art
of goal setting.

The 10 Biggest Benefits of Goal Setting

1. Greater Peace of Mind. There is nothing in the world like
going to bed at night knowing you are investing the days of your
life in the areas of your chosen endeavor. Nothing brings you
greater peace of mind than having the certainty that you are
consciously creating your destiny, living a life of your own
design. Goal getters realize that you create your life goal by
goal. If you want a better life, set better goals.

2. Clarity of Purpose. Having carefully chosen goals gives your
life greater meaning. Show me a person who doesn't know their
passion or purpose in life and I will show you a person who
either has no goals or pursues goals with no personal challenge
or meaning. People who actively and systematically pursue
meaningful goals feel a greater sense of purpose and fulfillment
in life. What you are doing right now is either taking you way
from or towards your dreams. Goals help us navigate throughout
our journey. Our goals are a reflection of who we are.

3. Greater Productivity and Focus. People with goals direct
their day, instead of their day directing them. People with goals
know their desired outcome and are less likely to waste time on
unimportant matters. When you know your outcome, you avoid
distraction. You understand the people and pursuits that feed
your desires and those that do not. You know where to invest your
time and energy. You also learn where NOT to spend your time.

4. Greater Personal Growth. Each time you pursue a new goal
outside your comfort zone, you contribute to your own personal
growth and advancement. Pursuing goals causes you to stretch and
learn about yourself and the world around you. What was once
difficult often becomes easier and you long to conquer new
heights. Nothing in the world will give you a zest for life like
consistent growth.

5. Higher Quality of Life. Quite simply, people who have goals
get more out of life. The more life you give to your goals, the
more your goals give life to you. Having goals means you value
your time and make the most of it. When you know what you want
and have a plan to get there, the journey is a lot more fun than
having no goals and no plans. Having goals makes life easier.
People who set goals are happier and more fulfilled. When you are
happy and fulfilled you take loving care of yourself and have
more of yourself to give to the people you love. Happy, fulfilled
people attract other happy and fulfilled people.

6. You Attract a Higher Quality Peer Group. People who have
goals and are moving towards them are energized and full of life.
When you have goals for your life, you attract other people who
have goals of their own. And we are well aware of the power of
association. You become like the people you hang around.

7. Increased Confidence and Self Esteem. Each time you make a
commitment to a goal and invest the very best of yourself towards
it's attainment, you gain more confidence and self esteem,
regardless of whether or not you achieve the goal. Your
subconscious mind knows that you gave your all and that
strengthens your confidence muscle. Progressive action always
leads to growth and greater fulfillment. People that do not set
goals never venture outside of their comfort zone. Deep down they
know they are not realizing their potential and feel bad about
themselves. People with goals are fully alive and dare to take
risks that elevate their place in life. Whether they win or lose,
they learn and grow.

8. Contribution to Others. Whether or not you know it, someone
looks up to you. If you have children of your own, they are like
little sponges, absorbing the words you speak and the actions you
take. Your behaviors serve as model to the people around you.
Maybe it's your sibling, a coworker or even a kid down the
street, someone looks up to you. Every time you set a goal and
act on it, you serve as a shining example of a person who is
moving towards realizing your full potential in life. Whenever
you pursue a goal, you inspire others to do the same.

9. Goals Help You Become a Better Person. Don't set goals for
what you can get. Set goals for what they will make of you. Set
goals for who you become along the way. People who set goals and
follow through, develop the skill of overcoming obstacles. People
who follow through on their goals and commitments develop an
inner strength and unshakable character. People who do NOT set
goals never discover how great they can become. They never awaken
their dormant gifts and talents. Whenever you set and commit to a
goal and follow through on your commitment, you strengthen your
character and personal integrity.

And finally what is perhaps the biggest benefit of setting and
pursuing goals...

10. For the benefit each individual goal will bring to your
life. As you begin to master the art of goal setting, every goal
you set brings it's own unique positive result or benefit to your
life. When I work with private coaching clients, before they set
a goal, I ask them to determine 10 deeply compelling, personal
reasons why they must achieve the goal they are considering
setting. When you do this, you give yourself all the clarity and
motivation you need to fuel you beyond obstacles, all the way
through to the goal's completion. If you cannot identify the
benefits in advance, you probably would not bother setting the
goal the first place. You can visualize your outcome by reveling
in the results before they occur.

So if you have not given yourself the gift of learning the art
of goal setting, perhaps it's time.

If not now, when?

Once you master the art of setting and achieving a goal, you can
have anything you want in life... anything.

Communication

Throughout the past few weeks I have had several conversations around the importance of communication. Some have been face to face and then they have also discussed areas such as talking to an audience through to email and text being effective forms of communicate as well.

Today I just wanted to share some ideas around challenging people to communicate with:

We work with, play with, service‚ or are related to difficult people. Difficult people yell, explode, and try to intimidate you. If your life is free from these hostile and manipulative people, read no further. However, the probability of encountering these people is extremely likely. Although the difficult people make up 3-5% of the population, they create over 50% of the everyday problems!

Certainly, we all can be miserable, hostile and basically pretty unpleasant at times. But difficult people are this way all the time. A brief encounter with a difficult person leaves one angry, frustrated, and demoralized. These people go right for the jugular vein. The negative behavioral patterns they learned are used strategically to wear you down. Their only objective is to win regardless of who stands in their way.

Difficult people have learned to be this way because it is effective for them. Their hostile and negative behavior serves them well. Their arsenal of aggressive behavior catches their prey off guard and then renders them helpless. Consequently, after a confrontation with these people, it's not unusual to feel mentally abused and frustrated.

The first step in coping with a difficult person is to understand why they behave this way. Generally, these people are unhappy, insecure, and have low self-esteem. Early in life they learned to get their needs met in maladaptive ways, such as, being the bully. Although there are different types of difficult people - some are overly aggressive, while others may be passive-aggressive - their dynamics are similar. Like all human beings, all they want is to be loved and accepted. Unfortunately, they have learned inappropriate ways to achieve this.

These behavioral patterns are deeply ingrained in the personality of the difficult person. The overly-aggressive difficult person (one who bullies, explodes, screams, etc.) uses their aggressive posture as a defense mechanism. Because of their weak and fragile ego, they need to protect themselves. Their best defense is a strong offense-aggression. Therefore, they feel in control of themselves only in a situation that allows them to feel powerful. But it doesn't stop there. Like all weak people, their insatiable need to feel secure makes it necessary for them to win - and to win at any cost.

The second step in trying to cope with difficult people is to distinguish between a person who is having a bad day and one who is a difficult person. Keep in mind that difficult people make up a small percentage of the population. However, having an encounter with one makes that percentage appear larger.

The first way to help distinguish between the two is to reflect on the history of the person. In other words, "Is the behavioral pattern normal or unusual for this person?" The difficult person is this way all of the time. A non-difficult person who is having a bad day is just reacting to a particular situation.

Another approach in distinguishing between the difficult person and a person having a bad day is found in the way you communicate with them. Although hostile at first, the non-difficult person will eventually respond to your effective communication and rational reasoning. The difficult person will be relentless in their pursuit to beat you and win.

To help you maintain composure when confronted by difficult people, it is important to keep three things in mind. First, you can never change the difficult person. The old saying that a leopard never loses its spots holds true with the difficult person. These people need to be this way and for them to change is to expose their vulnerability.

When confronted by difficult people, remain focused and be firm. Like spiders spinning their webs, they are trying to trap you. By bombarding your ego with insults and intimidation, they want you to lose control and fight with them. When this happens, they "got-ya." Listen to them, maintain direct eye contact and when appropriate speak in a clear firm voice. It is easy to become wrapped up in the heated situation, so remain detached and distant from these people. Doing so helps keep you from becoming entangled in their web of misery and hostility.

The final step that will help you cope with the difficult person is to not personalize the problem. Certainly, this is easier said than done. Between wishing they would be different, thinking you can really help them, and trying to survive their emotional assault, it's difficult not to internalize the problem. Yet, in order to cope effectively with these people, it is crucial to maintain your self-esteem.

Some of the following thoughts might be helpful in your attempt to depersonalize the situation:

"This is their problem, I will not make it mine."

"I'm not going to allow anyone to dictate my behavior."

"They want me to fight with them, I won't allow it."

"Their need to be difficult is a cover-up for their own inadequacies."

"I have the choice to play or not this game."

The bottom line is that trying to cope with difficult people is never easy and is quite frustrating. Trust the fact that all people have trouble dealing with difficult people. Although it may not seem possible to deal with difficult people effectively, remain confident in your abilities and coping skills. And keep in mind that engaging in an argument with these people is a no-win proposition. In fact, the only way for you to win is to elect not to play.

Then lastly this week

Here is a great clip by Les Brown on communication

http://www.lesbrown.com/english/skype/skype_les_communications_2.html

loved ones

Recently, the news of Lucas the young boy who unfortunately drowned while in his grandparents care

has been a topic of discussion throughout the country. As I have been reflecting on what his family is

experiencing, I have been thinking of how I treat my loved ones. Am I truly making the most of the time

I have with them? or, am I too busy filling my day and weeks with ‘must do’s’, or am I making time to

enjoy those people who are special to me?

We never know how long we have with these significant people in our lives. Therefore, this month take

some time to think about the important people in your lives and what you can do to show you care, no

matter how big or small.

To realise the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade.

To realise the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby.

To realise the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realise the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.

To realise the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who missed the bus.

To realise the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who just avoided an accident.

To realise the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask the person who won a silver medal in the Olympics.

Treasure every moment that you have! And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special

in your life.

Remember, time waits for no-one.

Yesterday is history.

Tomorrow is a mystery.

Today is a gift. That's why it is called ‘the present’.

Fraser Stirling (fraser.stirling@gmail.com Life Coach)

Same old same old

Just like I commneted yesterday about the AB's going on to win the game. The same is true if thye had arrived with the same game plan that they used last time. If we keep doing the same thing we will get the same results. It isn't always about huge changes. If we simply modify one thing in our order, who knows what may happen. Its about doing one thing different.
Why always walk to work on the same side of the road? Why always drive the same way?
Why always go to the same coffee shop?
Its about planning to be different.

Start doing different things with the same set of circumstances—the ones we've always had and cannot change—and see what miracles occur. If we start the miracle process and change ourselves, then everything changes. And here's what is interesting: the difference between success and failure is so subtle. Let me explain by giving you my definitions of failure and success. Here it is: Failure is a few errors in judgment repeated every day. The man says, "Well I didn't walk around the block today and it didn't kill me, so it must be okay." No, no, it is that kind of error in judgment that after six years has him out of breath and panting as he walks from his car to his office. You can't make those kinds of mistakes; it will end up costing you.

Now, here is my definition of success: A few simple disciplines practiced every day. Do you see the distinction? A few disciplines. Here's a little phrase we've all heard: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." And my question to you is, "What if that's true?" How simple and easy is that plan?

The fact is, when you look at successful people, you will almost always discover a plan behind their success. They know what they want, they work out a plan that will get them where they want to go, and they work their plan. It is the foundation for success. We as humans have the unique ability to effect change in our lives; it is through our own conscious choice when we engage in the miracle process of personal development that we are able to transform our nature and our lives.

So, what are some good ideas on developing a plan that will work well and take you to the finish line powerfully and in style? Here are some major points to keep in mind:

Remember its ok to be different...till next time.

I've done all I can....

What a lesson to be learnt from the All Blacks last night. They looked all gone and dusted. However when it seemed like they had given it all they dug deeper and gave a bit more. This reminded me of the Japanese word Kazian. It means continious improvement.

I want to introduce you to something I call "The Principle of 1 Percent." Simply stated, any endeavor to which you apply yourself, you can improve your abilities in that area 100% in 100 days by simply becoming 1% better every day.

Now, the principle of 1 percent is best applied to one area of your life at a time. It is also very important to write down your actions for the next 100 days, otherwise you will find yourself trying to get 7% better in a single day at the end of the week, and that simply does not work. We are targeting very small improvements on a daily basis here, so keep that in mind as you create your action plan.

Let's say you are a sales person, and thus have chosen to improve your sales skill 100% in 100 days. You would start by defining your "Why." It is important that you know exactly why you want this improvement, not why others want it. This why will drive you to follow through on a daily 1% improvement.

After you have determined your why, you must prepare your action plan. First you would visit the book store and get books and CDs on the subject of selling. You need to get enough to last at least the first 30 days of the program. You can go restock after that, but 30 days is enough to firmly establish a good habit. These books and CDs will replace TV when you are at home, and the radio when you are driving. Over the 100 days, your time will be used effectively, and it is important to remove these other distractions.

Now that you have your books and CDs, choose a successful person in your organization. Write that person an email and ask if it is ok to call for some tips and tricks. If they say no (which almost never happens) find another one. On the phone call, also establish a relationship that will allow you to be in contact with this person on a regular basis, either face to face or over the phone. Maintain this relationship throughout the 100 days and beyond.

Additional activities you may schedule yourself could include some visits to Toastmasters, a chamber of commerce event, a local professionals event, or a seminar or workshop, just to name a few.

This is just a preliminary outline, but think of how much can be accomplished in 100 days! One of the easiest ways to stay on track the whole time is to start the day, right when you wake up reading something positive. You don't need to read much, just 2-4 pages, but it will start you off great (you can find suggested reading in several of my blog entries). Follow that up with reading something in your field, then review your schedule for the day.

By writing out your plan, and having a great "Why" to drive it, you are well on your way to having and incredible experience in only 100 days. Whatever you choose to improve, you will be thankful you did. If anyone tries this out, and has great success, please email me your story.

Its not just the All Blacks that have pressed on when they thought it was all done....so too do you.

Be one percent better every day and watch your life be transformed day by day.

THINK AND GROW RICH-NAPOLEON HILL

Every 3 months I read the Classic Book-Think and Grow Rich.
What amazes me is that no matter how many times I read and reread the book I glean ideas and tips that help me move further ahead. Each time I read it is like I have opened it for the first time. The book has writings in the margin and dates as I glean ideas and thoughts of where I am when I read it at that time.
It shows you that no matter how well we know something that we always have things to learn.
Its exciting to learn and glean new insights as I reread. This lastest read has highlighted the importance of action. Nothing happens unless we act on the hunches and insights we get. We can cultivate the imagination and build our desire till we are burning hot with desire:

The method by which the desire for riches can be transmuted into actual riches consists of six steps:

1.Fix in your mind the exact amount of money you desire. It is insufficient merely to say, “I want plenty of money”.

2.Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money you desire. “Something for nothing” is a misconception.

3.Establish a definite date when you intend to possess the money.

4.Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire, and begin at once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action.

5.Write out a clear, concise statement of the amount of money you intend to acquire, name the time limit for its acquisition, state what you intend to give in return for the money, and describe clearly the plan through which you intend to accumulate it.

6.Read your written statement aloud, twice daily, once just before retiring at night and once after arising in the morning. You must believe that you are already in possession of that money.

If you have got an idea and or a hunch to do something....act on it and you will find that you can think and grow rich....