From Chapter 13 “Efficiency” in Ingredients of Outliers. Put It in Writing One of the best ways to become more efficient in every area of your life is to set goals for yourself. I’m not talking about pipe dreams or bucket lists or wish lists. I’m talking about what are known as S.M.A.R.T. goals, goals which are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound. And they must be written goals. As well-known speaker, consultant, and author Tom Hopkins advises: “An unwritten want is a wish, a dream, a never-happen. The day you put your goal in writing is the day it becomes a … [Read more...]
Knocking Down Barriers
From Chapter 12 “Indefatigable” in Ingredients of Outliers. The Reasons Why For many, going the distance or emptying the tank is simply for personal reasons, to overcome internal barriers, and to challenge themselves, or to get out of their comfort zones and test the limits of their ability, strength, endurance and courage. They want to discover how far they can go. Gordon Ritter, a venture capitalist and entrepreneur, is another of those profiled in the SUCCESS magazine article mentioned above. In college, he’d been a member of the rowing team and later took up mountain climbing. … [Read more...]
Hello Extra Mile, Goodbye Comfort Zone!
From Chapter 12 “Indefatigable” in Ingredients of Outliers. What do I mean by “empty the tank?” Well, it’s described in lots of ways: going the extra mile, and beyond; giving it all you’ve got; going for broke; and, to borrow a term from the popular poker game Texas Hold ‘Em, going “all in,” or betting your entire resources on winning. It’s going above and beyond, to the absolute limits of your talents and strengths, over whatever barriers have kept you from becoming the best you can possibly be. Most barriers are imaginary. Most people have greater capacity than they ever give … [Read more...]
Keeping Customers Happy
Pages 124- 126, from Chapter 11 "Perspective" in Ingredients of Outliers The Almighty Customer Ask anyone in business, from the proprietor of the corner convenience store to the CEO of a multi-national corporation, what the key to the success of that business is and the answer to your question is likely to be “customer satisfaction.” Entrepreneurs and corporate executives brag about their customer service in such terms as “knock their socks off,” “outrageous,” “unexpected,” “above and beyond,” etc. The headline of a feature article in a recent issue of SUCCESS magazine (August 2012) … [Read more...]
The Power of Optimism
From Chapter 10 “Optimism/Enthusiasm” in Ingredients of Outliers. Brother Act It’s one thing to use the power of optimism to dramatically improve one’s health, as Norman Cousins did. It’s quite another to use it as the foundation on which to build a $100 million company. Meet Bert and John Jacobs, CEO and CCO, respectively, of New England-based Life is good, Inc. But don’t let those initials fool you; they’re not what you’d expect. Bert, the older by four years, is the company’s Chief Executive Optimist and John is the Chief Creative Optimist. The story begins in … [Read more...]
5 Steps to Great Teamwork
History is replete with the amazing accomplishments of teams: Apollo 13, the survival and rescue of Captain Edwards, sequencing the human genome, and building the atomic bomb, all required near superhuman effort by remarkably focused teams. The ability to work in a team environment is crucial for success in any important endeavor. But, competition is human nature. There is a thrill that comes from working harder, excelling faster, surpassing your peers and becoming the best. Because of this competitive nature, it can be difficult for some people to become a true team … [Read more...]