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Written by George W. Schnarre
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Tuesday, 26 February 2008 17:00 |
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Below are 5 lessons learned that have enhanced my professional and personal life. The foundation of these ideas is perception. Perception matters! Unfortunately facts take a backseat to perception more often than not. - Believe you are the best!
There is power in this belief! The more power and influence that people perceive you have, whether real or not, the more likely it is that people will want to work with you. For example, if you appear to be a success, people will be much more likely to work with you than they would be if you were perceived to be unsuccessful. The way you carry yourself should be in concert with your most successful competitors. Focus on how the top three professionals in your marketplace handle themselves then set about to surpass them! If the top three professionals have the reputation of knowing "everyone" then set out to know "everyone". If those top three are industry leaders because they buy their business then set about to create a strategy to compensate. If the top three professionals are known for their knowledge, then set about to learn more than they know!
- I work for the best!
Every company has its flaws. Every company has its advantages. The only difference in many of these companies is the attitude of those working for them. Don't ever give in when it comes to attacks on your company! Be relentless in defending your co-workers, managers and support personnel. If people sense you believe in your company then there is 100% guarantee they'll side with you when the "blame game" arises and one of your competitors wavers. People prefer confidence! People don't trust professionals who bad mouth the "hand that feeds them". Sure, every manager, co-worker and support professional that works with us will fail at some point in time, but it is those who focus on their success's that win the hearts and minds of our clients. I focus on the 96 transactions we did right rather than the 3 that were screwed up.
Of course there is always going to be that one transaction that is horrible! Get over it! Know it's coming and get clients in line to replace the one that you're going to lose! That is what winners do! When professionals perceive that you work for the best then they'll want to work with you!
- Be excellent!
Your level of competence and expertise in your area should be stunning to the non-professional. Know the history, development, trends, leaders, and who to call if you don't know the answer! A person who is highly respected for his or her ability to get results is far more persuasive and influential than a person who only does an average job. Many people have the attitude that they're doing the company a favor by just showing up for work. Progressive professionals are grateful to be employed and happy to do whatever it takes to help make everyone do better. Being excellent is not just settling for doing one aspect of your job with excellence. It is the desire, effort and persistence in always wanting to do better!
The perception that friends, family and co-workers have of your performance capabilities exerts an inordinate influence on how they think and feel about you. Sometimes, a reputation for being excellent can be so powerful that it alone can make you an extremely persuasive individual in all of your interactions with people. The benefits of your hard work in this area will be seen in the ease in which people accept your advice and are open to your influence in all matters.
- Be humble and polite
The day you give in to thinking you know everything is the day you start the downside of your career. The day you think that you have no reason to be polite to the lowest paid person is the day your career path heads toward being over. These two truths are repeated time and again. People do things for two reasons, because they want to and because they have to. When you treat people with kindness, courtesy and respect, you make them want to help in whatever you're doing. Most will go out of their way to help you solve a problem or accomplish a goal. Never underestimate though the fact that many people will view humbleness and politeness as weakness. So it is incumbent on you to be sure of your responsibilities and know your job.
Some people are just sick and there is no amount of humbleness or politeness that is going to have a positive effect on them, so don't try! Never be a doormat for anyone! If you are dealing with a rude, negative person the best thing to do is get away from them. Remember, insanity is defined as doing the same thing and expecting different results. To continue to be polite to someone who continues to show themselves to be rude, manipulative and sick is to chip away at your own
self respect.
The lower your self respect is the less people will work with you! Being nice to people satisfies one of the deepest of all subconscious needs, the need to feel important and be respected. Whenever you convey this to another person in conversation, attitude or treatment, he or she will be wide open to helping
you succeed.
- Always remember: perception is reality and facts more often than not take a backseat to perception!
The perception of you by your family, friends and co-workers is their reality. People act and respond on the basis of their perceptions of you. If you work on these perceptions, you change the way people think and feel about you, and you change their willingness to help you. It is difficult to change perception without action and consistency. Here are two things you can do immediately to put this into action:
- First, think about the impression you want to make on others and then make sure that everything you do or say is consistent with that perception.
- Second, be nice to people. Practice the Golden Rule in your interactions with others. Always be polite and make others feel important.
These are some things that have enhanced my personal and professional life. I think it is a fundamental principal of success to pass on insights that have proved successful. By writing this to you I feel helpful and productive! That is why I want to thank-you for taking the time to read this and I hope it is useful.
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