Message of the Day - Take Human Bites!!

Good Morning,

 

My current read is “Spiritual Leadership” by Henry and Richard Blackaby (http://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Leadership-Moving-People-Agenda/dp/0805418458). In reading through a section on successful leader characteristics, the authors mention people who hold out and look for the big accomplishment to put on their resume in order to get the next big position, and how that often fails.

 

Leaders are followed because they have credibility. This is covered very well in the book ‘Credibility’ by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner.

 

Developing credibility is not a one time activity. You don’t just walk into a new leadership role, roll up your sleeves, do something huge and amazing and suddenly get upgraded to ‘Credible Leader’. This seldomly if ever happens.

 

In the same vein, there are no badges, certificates or awards which bestow true credibility on a leader in and of themselves. Credibility is earned through accomplishments. So to be credible do we have to accomplish huge tasks to win over our followers?

 

No.

 

We just need to be successful at the tasks we are given. Think about it. Who does the boss often give the larger task to? They often give them to the people who successfully complete the smaller tasks.

 

We can start small, and get our feet wet, so to speak, and do little things. As we accomplish the little things we build up a track record of accomplishments. Sure, they may not be pretty or sexy accomplishments, but they are accomplishments.

 

So long as we look to increase the size and scope of our accomplishments, using baby steps, we can come from having no experience or success to being highly successful and sought after as a leader.

 

Remember, do not try to eat the entire elephant in one bite, take human bites!

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://www.berenberg.net   

http://learnandgrowdaily.com ß Click here to order: “Learn And Grow Daily!”

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/

502-533-9336

 

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Message of the Day - Give Me Your Best, Your Best!!

Good Morning,

 

These last few weeks have been some of the most tiring in my life. No one task has been overwhelming in and of itself, rather the day after day, week after week of moving, unpacking, cleaning, fixing, working, living, attending functions, etc., has been a constant companion. I look forward to some downtime in a week or so.

 

Sunday morning I again worked as a parking lot greeter and walked around saying hello and wishing all the ladies ‘Happy Mother’s Day’. On Saturday, after spending the day standing and walking around at the Kentucky Scottish Weekend, I cleaned the floors in my old house. By the time I came home, I could barely walk. So walking around the parking lot for 45 minutes Sunday morning was painful just to start.

 

As I walked I looked at my watch and thought of reasons to stop a few minutes earlier, but I was enjoying what I was doing, even though the pain was mounting. Then I remembered the scene from ‘Facing the Giants’ where the coach challenges the team captain, Brock, to give his absolute best in an exercise called the ‘Deathcrawl’. You can see the inspirational scene for yourself here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF9wm-Hbh54).   

 

The words of the coach shot through my mind: “You promised me your best. Your best!” And I kept walking and greeting, with a smile on my face.

 

Then another thought hit me. Remembering back from Patrick Lencioni’s book “Three Signs of a Miserable Job” was another way to make a task or roll more enjoyable. If I were to start measuring my performance, I would improve my morale as I saw the quantifiable value of what I did. So as a greeter, what would I measure? I could measure the number of people I greet. That statistic, though would not ensure quality work. Being in pain, I wanted to make sure I did a good job greeting those who arrived.

 

I decided to count smiles and people who waved back to me after I waved to them. Then I knew that I would be doing a good job as well as measuring my performance.

 

The pain continued, and suddenly I received three smiles and two waves from people coming to Church. Then it was not so bad.

 

A few moments later I looked at my watch and thought about slowing up, and then heard the coach in my mind yelling ‘Your Best! You promised me your best!’

 

So I went on and walked all the way up and all the way down the parking lot some more. Fifteen more minutes passed.

 

My right heel hurt the most, and both of my legs were stiffening up, but I pushed on, two more smiles and another wave, only 13 more minutes to go.

 

One person did not smile, so I could not count that one. Then one lady gave me a hug. That had to be bonus points!

 

Pushing on, I so wanted to go back to my car and just SIT. “Your very best, you promised me your very best” rang in my mind and I turned around and walked away from my car, just 10 more minutes.

 

11 smiles, 8 waves and 1 hug. This was a productive morning, and it set a baseline for my upcoming weeks.

 

My heel started burning, at 9:10 AM with 5 minutes left to go. The greeters by the door had already left their posts and went to their morning classes. I promised I would work until 9:15 AM and I was going to keep that promise. “Your best! Your very best!”

 

I kept walking and greeting the handful of people who came in those last few minutes until 9:15 came. Then I walked slowly to my car, collected my things and walked to class. I had fulfilled my promise and started measuring my performance. It was a good start to the day.

 

Sure this was a simple task, but much of what we do in everyday life is small and simple tasks. The combination of these many small and simple tasks form into the large and complex ball of chaos many of us call our day jobs.

 

The hard part is to stick with it, to give our best in performing our tasks. Whatever it takes, be it the coach telling you to give your best, or counting smiles, do whatever it takes to get the job done.

 

Another aspect was the number of ideas and resources which came to mind as I tried to find reasons to keep doing my job. These thoughts included people mentioned in Cythia Kersey’s book ‘Unstoppable’ and people like Earnest Shackleton and Robert E. Lee.

 

Sure I was simply walking around, but the number of resources and tools which came to mind helped me. Another benefit of being a lifelong learner, tools and knowledge when you need them.

 

So now off to a hot Jacuzzi bath and a night of rest.

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://www.berenberg.net   

http://learnandgrowdaily.com ß Click here to order: “Learn And Grow Daily!”

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/

502-533-9336

 

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Message of the Day - Our Peaks and Valleys

Good Morning,

 

My current read is Spencer Johnson’s new book “Peaks and Valleys” (http://www.peaksandvalleysthebook.com/). Spencer Johnson, MD, is also the author of “Who Moved My Cheese” and co-author of the “The One Minute Manager”.

 

Like “Who Moved My Cheese” this new book is a parable with a strong valuable message.

 

I am one third of the way through the book, it is a short read, and I have already picked up some gems of information to help me move from the valleys, or low points in my work and home life to the peaks, the highpoints. So far, I see how the message takes elements from Victor Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning” and Seth Godin’s “The Dip”.

 

Each of us have times in our lives where we feel that we are in a valley, or low point in our lives and we look at the peaks with jealousy wanting to be somewhere else, doing something else and adding fuel to the fire of our internal depression and anger at our current situations.

 

How we look at these situations can alter the way we perceive our lives.

 

For example, I remember a time when I worked for a boss who I felt was sometimes unfair and tough on me. There were times I wanted to get out of the place. Looking back at those times, I realized how I have grown in knowledge, ability and experience from those situations. This boss who I had issues with saw beyond the issue to what I could become, and pushed me there. The size and scope of projects I work increased, the level of stress I can take increased, etc., etc. Looking back, I want to (and did) thank this boss for all they did for me.

 

If I had the Peaks and Valley’s mentality back then, I might have seen the blessings I was actually being given instead of looking elsewhere for something better.

 

When we are in those low points in our lives, we should take a moment to step back and see if those low points are truly low points or just seem low because our eyes are wandering toward something perceived to be better. And even if we are in our low points, these can become excellent character building periods, preparing us for even better experiences to come.

 

In another time of my life, when I was doing something new in my life, I started to get depressed over a period of three or four months. One day, I stopped and thought long and hard about why I was feeling so down as of late. It turned out that nothing really had gotten worse in my life, rather, my new experiences helped me see what was really going on in my life which I was oblivious to before. In other words, the peak that I thought I was on started looking more and more like a valley.

 

When understanding this, I was able to get passed the difficult feelings and start moving toward the next peaks in my life.

 

I look forward to finishing this book shortly and sharing more of what I have learned.

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://www.berenberg.net   

http://learnandgrowdaily.com ß Click here to order: “Learn And Grow Daily!”

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/

502-533-9336

 

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Message of the Day - It may not be broken, Maybe we just don't understand it

Good Morning,

 

One of the tasks in getting our new house up to speed was to replace broken or non-working GFCI Outlets. You know those with a mini-circuit breaker which are found by or near water sources like in bathrooms and kitchens.

 

When our house was inspected, about 5 of them failed the test. We would trip them and could not reset them. So I bought 5 replacement outlets, about $10 a pop and prepared to replace the ones we would ultimately use most often first and then get the rest.

 

An odd thing happened when I worked to replace them. Some of them, after being replaced, would not reset after I tripped them. So I started thinking about faulty new outlets. In my thinking I started checking the other outlets and found that some of the outlets were also tripped. So I reset them, and not only did the one I reset start working, but so did the one I just installed. They were actually tied to each other. The one I tripped would then actually trip multiple outlets (some not even in the same room or floor, etc.). For example, a GFCI outlet outside the house is tied to one on the second floor in one of the bathrooms.

 

What an odd way to wire them. It turned out I only needed 3 replacement outlets, not 5, because they were not actually broken, I just did not know how they worked.

 

How many other facets of our life do we confuse and try to ‘fix’ when what is really going on is that we just don’t understand how they are wired or how they work?

 

Some of it comes down to our innate impatience. You know the instant gratification culture we live in.

 

Some of it comes from our ignorance, that if it does not work the way we want it to work, or the way we believe it to work, then it must be wrong.

 

What if we took the time to ask those additional questions, like, if this is not working, what could be causing it, besides, ‘it’s broken’.

 

We may find that not everything is as messed up as we think it is, and we may actually find out something we did not know before, like tying multiple GFCI outlets together helps protect not only the one outlet but multiple outlets simultaneously and decreases the chances that someone is going to get electrocuted.

 

It may not be broken. Maybe we just don’t understand it.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://www.berenberg.net   

http://learnandgrowdaily.com ß Click here to order: “Learn And Grow Daily!”

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/

502-533-9336

 

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Message of the Day - Does What We Do Really Matter?

Good Morning,

 

Some days I get up, tired and sore, from all of the activities in my life. I look at my calendar and try to remember what I have planned for today and sometimes wince at the load of ‘to-do’s that sit before me. When is my next free night….dang!

 

There are days I just want to climb back into bed and forget about life and sleep. Getting an hour of learning in every day, on top of my Bible reading, has been a real chore as of lately and I struggle to get it done each day. Some days I come close, and others I run a little short.

 

There are so many calls for my attention, the kids, the cats, the email, the questions, bringing out the trash, changing the light bulb, cutting the lawn…if it ever stops raining. The workload at the office seems to only get bigger no matter how much I get accomplished. Unpacking boxes at home seems to help as you can see progress, but at times that is not enough.

 

I am sorry to start off with a downer as a message, but this thought caught my attention and I had to think it through.

 

Why do we push ourselves to do what we do if it sometimes does not seem to make a difference?

 

Then you get the message. It may be an email. It may be a letter, it may be a phone call. This last week it was all three.

 

The phone call came from one of you saying that you really enjoy these messages and use them share with your teams at work. The email was from Noah St. John, the author of the book I was sharing with you thanking me for my work. The letter was from a friend who had read my book and wanted to share how powerful it was in their life.

 

I would have been happy with just one, but seeing that what we do in life has a positive effect on others is like pouring nitro into our fuel tanks and charges us up.

 

When life gets us down, and it always seems to have the ability to do this, I remember what people I have touched have told me. It is a driving force which more than compensates for the weight of the world.

 

When life gets you down, stop and look at those around you.

 

While they may not always say it or show it, realize that you make a difference in their lives.

 

We all do not need Clarence, the guardian angel (from It’s a Wonderful Life), to come down and show us what life would be like without us ever being born to appreciate the impact we make on the world. We just need to stop, breath, and reflect on the benefits of our troubles.

 

There is little else in life that gives the same feelings as helping others.

 

And if you cannot think of a time when you helped others, then roll up your sleeves and do something nice for someone. Buy flowers and hand them out to ladies this week and say Happy Mothers Day to people who are not your mother (you will make their week). Pick up trash in the local park and see the faces of people shine when they see a cleaner, safer place to play. Go to a soup kitchen or local charity and say ‘I want to help’. There are so many things we can do, little things, that make the lives of others better.

 

Then, reflect on how you have helped and your inner engine will rev up, with a full tank to get out of bed and do it again. And Again.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://www.berenberg.net   

http://learnandgrowdaily.com ß Click here to order: “Learn And Grow Daily!”

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/

502-533-9336

 

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Message of the Day - The Secret Code

Good Morning,

 

I recently finished Noah St. John’s book, ‘The Secret Code of Success’ (www.successclinic.com) and really enjoyed the book. I found that I already do some of the activities which the book suggests, which is a great affirmation of current my path. Other concepts were new to me and I look forward to trying them.

 

Again, this book is very much in the face of most self-help books, but it stands up to convention.

 

The Code has 7 parts; I will cover the first here.

 

For the rest, I highly suggest getting the book, as it is MUST read. I am very happy one of my Loving Mirrors (second part of the Code) stayed on me to get and read this book.

 

Afformations (not a spelling error), are affirmations said in questions form. Where instead of saying affirmations which we may not believe and just say with mixed results, we change the format around to asking questions which force our mind to find the answer and supercharge the process. For example, instead of saying ‘I am a success’ I would ask myself ‘Why am I successful?’  

 

Some people really benefit from saying daily affirmations, and others, get tired of saying them or say them without believing them. Without the belief behind them, there is no power in them.

 

Asking ‘Why am I successful?’ puts forward the notion that I am successful and forces my mind to try to find out why. As I put together the thoughts to support my question, I am being more positive about my assertion. I am acting as if it

 

When we turn it into a question format, we challenge our mind (both conscious and subconscious) to confront the question. As mentioned in other posts, our mind has a need to understand what is around us, so asking a question can get those mental juices flowing.

 

Try it; ask yourself ‘Why are you so happy every day?” And next thing you know, your mind starts looking for reasons why you are happy. And well, some other parts of you will probably come out and try to rain on that parade, but notice that your mind did initially look for supporting evidence of your question.

 

That’s pretty neat, and on your first try no less.

 

Imagine the power of these Afformations as you get better at them. Keep at it and you may be surprised as to the power they unlock for you.

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://www.berenberg.net   

http://learnandgrowdaily.com ß Click here to order: “Learn And Grow Daily!”

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/

502-533-9336

 

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Message of the Day: The Softer Side of the Hard-Nosed Salesman

Good Morning,

 

Welcome new recipients!

 

In a meeting yesterday I spoke about friend of mine, Bill, who is a great salesman. He came to mind for one of his special traits. He is known for something other than being a high-powered, driven, winner-take-all closing machine. My friend is a warm and caring man, who cares more about the well-being of his customers than he does about making the sales. Don’t get me wrong, he knowledgeable with his product and is good at getting the sales, but it is often because of the efforts he takes to help and care for his clients any way he can that makes the difference.

 

This loving and caring nature is not just an act. I attended college with him several years ago and he impressed upon me his warm nature then. He would step up for the team and do whatever it took to help us out. After a year of working with him, you could see he was for real.

 

Sales is a tough arena to work in, and my friend Bill, has served his time swimming with the sharks, yet, after all of these years, he still maintains his loving nature.

 

This loving nature has also built him an impressive network of people, which I am proud to say, that I am a part of. This network has been there for him just as much as he has been there those others in his network.

 

My goal in introducing you to Bill is to show you that in the tough, dog-eat-dog world of business today, you can be warm-hearted, caring and loving and still survive. You do not have to turn off your true personality to ‘play the game’.

 

When we are able to work in a more loving and caring environment, our jobs are that much better for us, even if the speed of business is a blur and priorities change at the drop of a hat. Within that world, there will be people around us who care about us and that will help us get through the day.

 

I know I am blessed with some really caring and supportive coworkers. They may not say the word love often if at all, but I know there is a lot of love between our team members. It makes the job more enjoyable, and in the worst cases, it makes the rougher times tolerable.

 

You too can be like Bill, and care about and love others in the world today and still be a success.

 

Acts of love and kindness do not have to be overt hugging sessions, but can come in the form of a well timed pat on the back, a smile, an ear to listen to a problem or concern.

 

Wouldn’t you rather work in such an environment?

 

Bill creates his wherever he goes.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://www.berenberg.net   

http://learnandgrowdaily.com ß Click here to order: “Learn And Grow Daily!”

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/

502-533-9336

 

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