Everyone is busy

Everyone is Busy

Written & brought to you by

Ken Crause – Business Transformation Coach.

Computers were supposed to make life easier ... right? Instead we find ourselves busier than ever. The necessity for both parents to go to work, children’s extracurricular activities and other demands make time at a premium. People will trade money for time in almost every case these days.

The “fast food” approach to restaurants and the added time saving device of drive through are hugely successful – because they save time. People eat on the run and do just about everything on the run. We now live with our cell phones, or iphones in order to stay on top of things. It seems like no matter how hard we try, there are just so many things that keep us busy.

But we can either be a part of the weary tired crowd or we can find ways to help the time stressed and weary of society. How can we make things easier for our customers? Can we streamline our processes and procedures? Can we do more for them and save them the time? Some stores have now installed self serve check outs to accomplish this. Some have taken on a new technology of imbedding chips that transmit bar codes so as to instantly scan products for customers. Gas stations have set up pay pass cards to make paying faster and easier.

The fact that people are so busy is an opportunity for you to help them out by making their lives simpler. By saving them time, they will willingly part with their money. Drive in oil change companies charge significantly more than it would cost to do it yourself – but who can find the time these days? Everyone can make coffee at home, yet millions find it easier to pay more by going through a drive through at Starbucks or Tim Hortons. These companies understand that they really don’t sell coffee, they sell time saving. Even bottled water is a time saving product. Trying to find a tap to get a cold drink of water while “on the run” is just too much. Its easier to simply pick up a bottle at the convenience store or dispensing machine.

THE MORE TIME YOU CAN SAVE A CUSTOMER, THE MORE MONEY YOU WILL MAKE

But more than saving time have you considered the fact that at certain times people are busier than others? TD Canada Trust recognized this and to this day they are the only bank that has hours that suit customers rather than themselves. They open earlier and stay open later. Are your hours “customer friendly”? Does it suit your clientele to come to your store within the hours you are now open or should you maybe change your hours? Sure it may be inconvenient, but that’s just the point – those who serve others best, put aside their own comfort in order to help others.

HE THAT CHOOSES TO BE GREATEST AMONG YOU, 

MUST BECOME THE SERVANT OF ALL.

Think about it – then do something about it.

Ken Crause – Business Transformation Coach

Email: ken@crauseco.com

Website: www.crauseco.com

The Dumbo Principle

The Dumbo Principle

Written & brought to you by

Ken Crause – Business Transformation Coach.

I am assuming that those reading this have seen at one time or the other the cartoon produced by Disney called Dumbo.

Dumbo is the story of a little Elephant with a dream and a great mouse for a coach. The mouse kept telling him that the very thing everyone laughed at and the thing that embarrassed him was actually an asset – he had huge ears. By looking at his big ears he could either feel badly that he looked and was different, or else he could look at his ears in a totally different light. The mouse finally convinced him that he could fly by using his ears – something no other elephant could do. He was different alright but that was not a bad thing it was good thing. But Dumbo had a hard time believing he could fly; that is until the mouse gave him a “magic feather”. Dumbo believed in magic and when he held the magic feather he felt enabled to fly and so he tried. It did not work well immediately but his efforts and coaching or encouragement from the mouse soon saw him flying and life for Dumbo forever changed.

Then one day while performing his flying act in the greatest circus, Dumbo dropped his magic feather and suddenly he panicked and lost his ability to fly. Was it really the “magic feather” that caused him to fly? Soon Dumbo came to see that it was not the feather after all, and once again he spread his ears and flew.

This is all cute and all, but does this really happen to real people? The answer is absolutely “Yes”. Many of you have heard of a man named Michael Landon. Michael became famous for his acting in the TV series, Little House on the Prairie. But let me tell you about Michael Landon. Michael was a scrawny less than average little boy. As many like him he was teased and not “part of the in crowd”. Then as it happened, Michael was required, along with all the students to learn track and field events at school. The first event they tried out was throwing a javelin. Michael had never thrown a javelin before. But on his very first attempt, Michael threw the javelin 30 feet further than anyone his age had ever thrown it. He became a star and a sensation overnight. From a nobody to a hero. Michael had found his talent and worked on it passionately. He started going to a gym, working out and strengthening his upper body so that he continually lead his school in winning at javelin throwing events.

Michael went on to get a scholarship at a major university because of his achievements but then tragedy struck. Some of the “jocks” at university felt threatened by him and did not like Michael. It was 1950, when crew cut hairstyles were the norm. But Michael was hardly the norm. You see, Michael had very long hair. So the jocks caught him one day and cut off all his hair. After this happened, something very strange happened. Michael was no longer able to throw the javelin like he used to be able to. He tried working out harder and tried everything he knew how to get back into form but without avail. Then one day in an exerted effort to overcome his problem, Michael threw out his shoulder and his fame and career as a javelin thrower came to an abrupt end. So what happened? As it was later learned, the reason Michael had long hair was because from an early age Michael loved the story of Samson. He truly believed that long hair was what gave him strength and subconsciously when he lost it, he lost his strength just as Samson did. But was long hair the reason he could throw the javelin? Of course not. It was his deep seated belief that his hair caused him to be that way. Unlike Dumbo however, he never did learn that the “magic feather” had nothing to do with his achievements. Strangely it actually affected his physical body so that he could no longer do what he had done hundreds of times previously.

WE UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF BELIEF

The experience of Michael and Dumbo is not so strange actually, because every one of us has limiting beliefs. By limiting, I mean we have come to false conclusions about our abilities and who we are. We have also failed to see that our inadequacies and our differences from others are the very thing that make us unique and empower us to be exceptional in life. We have limited our experience by the very things we believe deep down inside. If you believe you can – you can and if you believe you can’t – you can’t. Our beliefs cause us either to try or give up before we even begin.

So what do you really believe? What “liability” have you been hiding behind or making excuses for? What makes you “different” than others and how can that make you special instead of a freak or useless? Whatever God has allowed in your life he ordained for strength and not weakness. They tell me that blind people often excel in one or more of their other senses. Instead of focusing on the blindness and being filled with self pity, many have resolved to focus on what they still have for abilities and since their focus became limited (focused), they excelled beyond anything most people could ever imagine.

Dear fellow businessperson, I want to encourage you to be thankful for the way God made you – warts and all. I want to help you see that those very things you have always been ashamed of or embarrassed about may in fact be a gift from your creator to make something great out of your life with – if you will only believe it. You don’t need to change a thing excepting what you believe.

Ken Crause – Business Transformation Coach

Email: ken@crauseco.com

Belief & Feelings

Belief – and feelings

Written & brought to you by

Ken Crause – Business Transformation Coach.

Despite the fact that people are more educated today than ever, the truth is that we still act on our emotional feelings rather than logic. Even the most educated people in the world make decisions by how they feel. A number of years ago I attended a presentation by a band instructor at my children’s high school. He talked about the advancement of education and the disparity of behaviour of students. He pointed to the fact that sex education has never been more thoroughly taught in school and yet despite the education, teenage pregnancies were on the increase not declining. The question he raised was why? Why indeed? The reality is that when we become emotionally involved logic takes a back seat to our decisions. But more than that, why is teenage pregnancy and adolescent sex on the increase? I believe it is due to the fact that whatever we think about or focus on, affects our emotions and for some their emotions are so strong that nothing will stop them.

What we believe in the depths of our heart will come out in what we say and what we do. It is difficult to pretend for too long and put on a mask of how we really are and how we really feel. We have developed global beliefs about many things and these beliefs affect how we act or react. Let me give you some examples of what I mean.

What do you think when someone mentions politics or a politician? For most we “tar everyone” with the same brush. Liars, self interested, control freaks right?

How about used car salesmen? Also liars right?

How about first nations people? Drunks, drug addicts and lazy people right?

Yet none of these assessments are true though in some cases they may be, but these attributes are not unique to any group of people in particular. Depending on our experiences we will either feel strongly about this or mildly. Some may even have a totally different view of these and other groups. But there are other general beliefs that prevent us from prospering also, and these beliefs once again are gained by experience or through something we heard about or read about and believed. Things like, “Business is down because of the economy”. Really? In the depression of the 1930’s more people became millionaires than in any time in history previously – even through the prosperity years preceding the depression. How about other strong feelings we may have, like “I don’t trust anyone”. Remember that we act out what we believe and reap what we sow. When you don’t trust anyone, guess what? People will begin to distrust you too.

I remember one of my children coming home from school claiming “Nobody likes me”. Well as a parent we know that is not true, but the child honestly “felt” that way. Was it true? No. So we had to help our child past this “belief cemented in her feelings”, to see that maybe there were some people who did in fact like her. How did we do that? We found out who had hurt her and what caused her to come to this conclusion. At no time did we suggest our daughter was silly for feeling that way. YOU CANNOT OVERCOME FEELINGS WITH LOGIC. She had to reconsider her conclusion by interpreting what had just happened as an isolated incident and not indicative of her relationship with everyone. We often misinterpret events just like my daughter did and just like her come to wrong conclusions.

But let’s get to the heart of what we need to learn.

1.      We all have some messed up beliefs that are adversely affecting us.

2.      We need to deliberately change our belief’s in order to grow and become better people.

So how does one go about this? It is far simpler than one would expect actually. It all starts with what we say – both in our heads and with our mouths. For example, if you started saying this “I love people”. At first it would seem a lie since you probably don’t.

Now please pay attention. If you deliberately daily make this statement, your mind is going to look for reasons to love people because it cannot deal with an outright lie – and you will find many reasons. The result is your feelings will change and you will in due course actually feel what you say.

For those of you who have conflicts with a spouse or friend or work associate. Try saying how much you like or love that person – with as much emphasis as you can muster up against your current feelings about that person.

Is it time for some changes in your life? Are you tired of the “same old, same old?” You can literally turn the page in your life starting today simply by changing what you say, which will change how you feel, which in turn will change your experience for the better.

Out of the mouth proceed all the issues of life. The tongue is the only member of our body we have a hard time controlling. It can either make your life better or worse. The choice is yours. Psychologists have proven time and again that what we say to ourselves is an indicator of our belief system and it is that belief that will either yield good things or evil in our lives. So what do you tell yourself?

Ken Crause – Business Transformation Coach

Email: ken@btfellowship.org

Debriefing -the secret of champions

Debriefing – the secret of champions

Written & brought to you by

Ken Crause – Business Transformation Coach.

Years ago, I decided to take training to become a commercial helicopter pilot. The school I chose to attend happened to be run by two Jewish brothers. One was a certified mechanic and the other a flight instructor. When I started the practical part of flying, I was told that after each flight I had to sit down with the instructor to “debrief”. I was not sure exactly what that was, but he was an ex-Israeli military pilot, so that is how he was taught. I soon found out that “debriefing” meant, we would go over the flight, talk about what we did, good and bad, and then decide on what needed improvement. It was both a session to face reality and at the same time find encouragement from small achievements.

Many years before that, I worked as a financial consultant. One day a young school teacher came to me for help with budgeting. Apparently her family were all wealthy and although she earned a good wage, spent it all and had not a dime saved. Her father in particular was disappointed in her. What I had her do, is to write down EVERY SINGLE PENNY she spent each day. She had to keep receipts to remind her and each day she was to enter the amount she spent into a category on a budget sheet I made up for her. I had items such as transportation, accommodation, recreation, food, entertainment etc; and also a miscellaneous category. She was to do this for 3 months and meet with me the end of each month to go over WHAT SHE HAD DONE. After the first session, I gave her an idea of what a good budget looked like – percentage wise of her income. For example, 25% for accommodation, 15% for transportation, 10% for savings etc. I never had to tell her another thing. She saw for herself what she was doing wrong by keeping records and soon made her own corrections. At the end of 3 months she had a savings account and was saving 20% easily. Her father was so impressed he bought her a brand new car and gave it to her.

I have known people who years ago went on a diet program with Weight Watchers. The program sets out what you should be eating in each food category a day. But the genius of their program was that you had to write down each day what you actually ate. The people I knew that faithfully followed the daily record keeping and assessment once a week, lost weight easily and soon reached their goal weight.

So what’s the point I am trying to convey here?

SUCCESS IN ANYTHING COMES WHEN WE SET A STANDARD OR GOAL, THEN KEEP DAILY RECORDS OF WHAT WE DID, THEN MEASURE IT AGAINST OUR OBJECTIVES OR GOALS.

The more details we record the better. This is “being accountable” at its best. I do not need someone else to be accountable to. I have myself to be accountable to. That way my success is not dependent on the other person being there all the time. I am not saying that it’s wrong to be accountable to someone else, but it is the weakest of choices that’s all.

Most people do not like accounting, but quite honestly it is the very thing that will guide you and show you where you are at relative to where you are going. Time management is keeping an account of what you spend your time on. Money management is about keeping an accounting of what you spent your money on. Fitness management is about keeping an accounting of what exercise you did. Weight management is about keeping an accounting of what you put into your mouth. Learning is about being accountable for what you read. Spiritual growth is about being accountable for the time spent reading the scriptures and time spent reading or watching something of spiritual value. It is also time spent in prayer.

At the end of each day, it is critical you make the time to “debrief” yourself. Go over what you did and ask yourself if that was acceptable for your goals. I guarantee that the pain of failing to measure up will soon give you the strength to change and do better. Most people fail to do this, but I have yet to meet a highly successful person in any field that does not do just this. Is it time you were more accountable? What areas of your life are in bad shape and need some work? I want to encourage you today to commit to be a good accountant in those areas, by keeping detailed records of what you are doing, then at the end of each day taking 15 minutes or so to debrief yourself.

On a final note, I would like to suggest you create a debriefing system for your staff. Can you imagine how great they will all become if they are required to debrief the end of each day? How can you help them do better if you have no idea what they are doing? Most employees feel that they need help and guidance but most never get it. This alone creates stress and fear in employees – fear they may do the wrong thing, make the wrong decision and ultimately lose their job.

If you are serious about success, then debriefing should become a way of life for you personally as well as your staff.

Ken Crause – Business Transformation Coach

Email: ken@crauseco.com

Determination

The Power of determination

Written & brought to you by

Ken Crause – Business Transformation Coach.

A true story was told about some climbers who on a certain day were going to attempt climbing the south face of the Matterhorn Mountain. As the climbers prepared for the climb, a T.V. reporter walked around interviewing the climbers. To each one she asked, “So, do you think you will make it climbing this mountain today?” Most said things like, “I am sure going to give it my best shot”, or “I sure plan to”, or I hope so”. But one climber said emphatically, “yes I certainly will”. The reporter was taken aback by this seemingly brash statement and asked him, “how can you be so sure?”. To this he simply smiled and replied,

“Because I have decided to, no matter what it takes”.

As it turned out the weather turned bad and many had to give up their ascent of the mountain that day. Only one climber actually made it … you know who that was right?

Resolve is one of the powerful forces residing in every human being to do anything.

People have broken out of the most secure prisons by resolve. Others have stolen priceless treasures from highly secured vaults by resolve. I am not suggesting you use resolve for corrupt things, but I do want you to understand that by resolve, you will overcome every obstacle, every adversity and everything that stands in your way.

RESOLVE IS CERTAIN OF THE OUTCOME BEFORE YOU EVEN BEGIN

(by the way this is what the Bible calls FAITH)

Knowing that you can is great, but it’s not enough. Once you have concluded the possibility, you must then resolve yourself to do it NO MATTER WHAT. It is this thing we call resolve or determination that carries champions to the finish when others drop off because the adversity is too great for them and they run out of strength

In February 2010, the Winter Olympics were held in Vancouver Canada. Someone had the bright idea to start an advertising campaign – “do you believe?” Athletes were told to believe that they would win, to see themselves winning, to resolve that they were going to win. Did it help? For the first time in history Canada won more gold medals and eclipsed every other country in just about every event.

Do you think for a moment that it was mere chance or that fate had it that Canada would do so well? It had nothing to do with fate, luck or good fortune. I like what a once famous golfer named Gary Player said to a reporter after he shot a hole in one. The reporter said, “Wow that was a lucky shot”. Mr. Player smiled and said, yes it was and you know what I have found?, “the more I practice, the luckier I get”.

Belief can turn a mediocre performance into spectacular.

A famous story in the Bible is of a young teenager named David, who took on a giant named Goliath. David believed that he would kill the giant and took what he was most skilled at – using his sling to do the job. He thought of a way that did not require a sword and armour – the tools everyone else were dependent on. David thought outside of the box, he lived by the principle “There is no such thing as can’t” and then the next step – “I will kill this giant today”. And so he did. He did not consider the fact that he was not a trained soldier. The fact that he had no idea how to use a sword – he had not been to “war university”, yet he did what nobody else dared to do. He killed a giant with a single stone.

WHETHER YOU HAVE A UNIVERSITY DEGREE OR NOT IS IRRELEVANT. WHAT MATTERS IS YOUR RESOLVE AND ATTITUDE.

IT MATTERS NOT HOW OLD OR HOW YOUNG YOU ARE, WHETHER YOU ARE A MAN OR A WOMAN – IT IS “TO ALL WHO WILL BELIEVE”.

1.      If you want to succeed, then you MUST adopt a new belief system. You must get over your past, you must see yourself for who you want to be.

2.      Then you must look for possibilities and then you must resolve to do it, holding nothing back and determined to overcome every obstacle that gets in your way.

You can do it if you want to badly enough. Failure is your choice as much as success is.

Become a man or woman of courage and character instead of one who complains, feels sorry for themselves and blames others or other things for their failure.

This is the Essence of Success. Dare to believe. Dare to let go of your “safe harbour” and go and make a difference.

Ken Crause – Business Transformation Coach

Email: ken@crauseco.com