Never Assume Anything
Article source: Motivation for Dreamers
Posted by: BALBOA Concepts, Inc.
Never assume anything – introduction
Are you sure that the way you perceive things is the way they really are? Are you willing to challenge the norm in order to succeed?
Making assumptions is something we all do in many areas of our lives. An assumption is “something taken for granted or accepted as true without proof.” In other words, it is belief without proof.
One example that immediately comes to mind is the assumption that you are what you do. Statements such as “I am a doctor” or “I am a lawyer” are examples. Your are not a doctor or a lawyer, you just happen to practise law or medicine.
Never assume anything – common assumptions
As illustrated, society’s language reinforces this false assumption. The truth is that we are more than what we do. In one lifetime one can be a lawyer, a doctor, an engineer and an entrepreneur all at once. I happen to know a few people who have such combinations of qualifications. They are people that have not fallen for this assumption.
Another common assumption is that of thinking having more money will solve your money problems. Ask the guy who inherited a million dollars and lost it all in a year or so whether it sorted out his problems. Knowing how to make money, make it grow and learning how to invest it wisely are part of the answer. Having more money is not the answer, but financial intelligence is the answer.
How about the assumption that having your own business is risky? Many would agree to that no doubt. Having a job is the more secure thing to do. But are you sure? If you really think about it and analyse things deeply you might find that having a secure job is actually more risky than being in business for yourself. Consider such statistics as the ones pointing to the fact that less than ten percent of retirees have enough money to look after themselves once they stop working. Isn’t that risky?
Never assume anything – don’t be a monkey
Michael Michalko in the second edition of the book Thinkertoys, gives a very interesting example of behaviour that is based on assumptions. He asks the reader to imagine a cage containing five monkeys. A banana is then hung on a string inside the cage and a set of stairs placed in the cage leading up to the banana. Whenever a monkey goes up the stairs and grabs the banana, ice-cold water is poured on all the monkeys in the cage. Very soon, as the monkeys begin to associate touching the banana with being sprayed with ice-cold water they will try to prevent one another from trying to get the banana.
The cold water is then turned off and one monkey removed from the cage and replaced with another that doesn’t know anything about the cold water. This new monkey will inevitably try to get the banana, but the other four monkeys will attack him to stop him from doing so.
If another of the old monkeys is removed and replaced with a newcomer, this newcomer will try to grab the banana. The previous newcomer will gladly take part in beating him up together with the other monkeys in order to prevent him from climbing the stairs to the banana.
Slowly, all the original monkey can be replaced with new monkeys in this manner. The cage will now be totally filled with monkeys that know nothing about the ice-cold water, but they will all not try to get the banana and continue to attack any monkey that tries to do so. “No monkey ever again approaches the stairs. Why Not? Because as far as they know, that’s the way it’s always been around here. Don’t be a monkey. Challenge all assumptions.” These are Michalko’s words of advice.
Never assume anything – how do you see things?
Another wise person said “Often, our actions and assumptions continue long after the reasons for them have passed.” That is why picking up things and doing them because others have always done and continue to do them that way is never a good idea.
Any person who desires to be a great success and be a leader both to themselves and to others must not take anything for granted. Stephen Covey said “we simply assume that the way we see things is the way they really are or the way they should be. And our attitudes and behaviours grow out of these assumptions.”
Your assumptions can influence your attitudes and behaviours in a big way and so ultimately influence your future. It is always necessary in any given circumstance to ask the question “why?” before doing or not doing anything.
Why can’t you be wealthy? Why can’t you be great? Why can’t you be the person that brings about great change? If you truly analyse these questions and try to answer them you will find that most of your answers will be only assumptions and, at the very least, excuses.
Never assume anything – free yourself
John Gardner pointed to the importance of being free of assumptions in order to succeed when he said “the creative individual has the capacity to free himself from the web of social pressures in which the rest of us are caught. He is capable of questioning the assumptions that the rest of us accept.”
Never assume anything – avoid the monkey mentality
I have found that, as a general rule, if most people are doing something, then I should question why they are doing it, and most likely I should not do it.
The monkey mentality is widespread in society. Considering the fact that only 3% of any population are truly successful it is probably a better idea to follow the minority rather than the majority.
Is it any wonder that the richest one per cent of the world's population owns 40 per cent of the total household wealth, while the bottom half of the world makes do with barely one per cent? The majority can be wrong. The reason they can be wrong is that they have the wrong assumptions about life, money and success.
Never assume anything – conclusion
Always challenge the norm and seek out the answers for yourself. Follow no one blindly. Do nothing without first seeking to understand why. Always keep an open mind. Most importantly, believe in yourself and the fact that you are different and what you think matters more than what society says.
Alan Alda’s advice makes for a fitting conclusion: “Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won't come in.
BALBOA Concepts, Inc.
Monday, October 27, 2014
Friday, August 29, 2014
BALBOA Concepts, Inc. REVIEW: The Power to Create
Article found: Motivation for Dreamers
Reviewed By: Balboa Concepts, Inc.
"The Power to Create"
Motivation concepts - introduction
Are you living the life you really want to live? Do you know exactly what the kind of life you would want to live is? Do you realize that you have the power to create your life?
More likely than not, your answer to the first question is “no” and to the second question your answer is “yes”. I would challenge you however and say that it is more probable that you are not living the life you want and that, in actual fact, you have only a vague idea what kind of life you really want.
In 97% of cases I would be right because it has been shown time and again that only 3% of any given population will excel in any given circumstances. Part of the reason for this is that only a handful of people actually take the time to plan and create their ideal life.
Motivation concepts - the error of our ways
It often strikes me as strange how many of us are so organized and diligent when it comes to studying at school or performing well at work, yet we are so terrible at excelling at the most important thing of all – our lives!
Let me give you an example. Most of us know the value of planning at our work places. In fact, we are probably very good at it and maybe even take the lead in planning at work. We make plans as to what we want to achieve during a certain period, we analyse our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats; we make strategic plans and implementation plans and budgets and a lot of other things. It’s tedious work at times, but we do it anyway because we know that without these plans our companies or organizations would fail to achieve good results.
Then we knock off and go home and, unfortunately, leave our brains at work. Somehow, what we do at work doesn’t seem to apply any more. We just lay back and hope for a better life to magically appear. No plans. No timeframes. No budgets. No targets. No written goals.
It is no wonder so many are brilliant at their careers and yet miserable failures when it comes to their personal lives. We do not apply our knowledge and expertise to our own lives.
Motivation concepts - pay attention to your life
You must plan your life with much more care and attention than you would plan your business and your work. Stop living by waiting on chance and luck to make you happy, rich or healthy. If most of us put just half the effort we put into our jobs into planning our lives we would be amazed at the difference that would make. You can take that first step of creating the life you want right now:
Motivation concepts - thoughts are things
How? You must create it in your mind. Mohandas K. Ghandi said very truthfully that “a man is but a product of his thoughts; what he thinks, that he becomes.”
Imagine for a moment that you have lost your memory. You have forgotten who you are and everything you have or don’t have. You know nothing about yourself. You now have a great opportunity to recreate yourself!
Money is no object. You have all the resources you need at your disposal. There are no restrictions. You can make your new life whatever you want it to be.
Who are you? What do you do? Where do you live? What car do you drive? What clothes do you wear? Who are your friends? How do you spend your time? What is your purpose in life? In whose life are you making a difference?
Create a detailed picture in your mind of what you want to be. Let your imagination go wild. Don’t hold back anything. Don’t regard anything as impossible. Just fill your mind with all the possibilities. Don’t be vague about it, be specific.
If you did this simple exercise you should be feeling very excited right now. As lunatic as it may sound, the truth is you are free to create the life you want at any time you choose to. The power to create has been yours all along. Here is one little secret though: write it down.
Motivation concepts - write it down
Writing this mental picture of who you want to be is important because writing things down gives power and permanence to your thoughts. You can refer to what you’ve written and modify it until you have perfected the vision.
Writing it down will also help you when it comes to remembering the vision for your life. As you read it everyday it will become imprinted on your mind until you will be able to think and say it without referring to the written version.
Then and only then will it become a part of you. This vision will completely take over your mind. Once that happens, you’ll find ways to achieve what you’ve thought and your environment will be forced to align itself with this new found vision.
Motivation concepts - today is all you have
One thing is for sure. The past is dead and gone. We can’t go back there. The future is the only thing we have control over. Right here and right now is the only time we have that control.
Don’t put it off till tomorrow, start right now to create the life you want in your mind and don’t forget to write it down. Think about it every day and every waking hour until it becomes a part of you.
Why should you bother? Because, as Earl Nightingale put it, “everyday we put in place actions and ideas that will determine the shape and substance of our lives.”
Motivation concepts - conclusion
Someone sent me this quote the other day: “We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best into the building. Then with a shock we realize we have to live in the house we have built.” How true. How sad.
Build your life with the care and effort it deserves. Don’t live your life with no direction and no hope. You can create that perfect life. You can dream big, and your dreams can come true.
You are all you can be…go on and be it!
www.motivation-for-dreamers.com
BALBOA Concepts, Inc. REVIEW:
This article makes a very good point. We all do our very bests in our jobs, but then we set cruise control when we go home and expect things to just magically get better. Then we complain that we're stuck in the same job, in the same position, in the same house or neighborhood. We all have a choice in everything we do, and if we choose to just sit back and let life happen without any intervention, you get out what you put in. Galatians 6:7 says "A man reaps what he sows."
In order to get what you want out of life, you MUST go after it. Nothing just falls into our laps (and if it does, it is a miraculous occurrence or just plain lucky). But, the sad truth is, most of us don't experience miracles or just get lucky. We must work hard to accomplish our goals. You must become the driver in this crazy taxi we call life and only then can we become what we've always wanted to be.
Balboa Concepts, Inc.
Reviewed By: Balboa Concepts, Inc.
"The Power to Create"
Motivation concepts - introduction
Are you living the life you really want to live? Do you know exactly what the kind of life you would want to live is? Do you realize that you have the power to create your life?
More likely than not, your answer to the first question is “no” and to the second question your answer is “yes”. I would challenge you however and say that it is more probable that you are not living the life you want and that, in actual fact, you have only a vague idea what kind of life you really want.
In 97% of cases I would be right because it has been shown time and again that only 3% of any given population will excel in any given circumstances. Part of the reason for this is that only a handful of people actually take the time to plan and create their ideal life.
Motivation concepts - the error of our ways
It often strikes me as strange how many of us are so organized and diligent when it comes to studying at school or performing well at work, yet we are so terrible at excelling at the most important thing of all – our lives!
Let me give you an example. Most of us know the value of planning at our work places. In fact, we are probably very good at it and maybe even take the lead in planning at work. We make plans as to what we want to achieve during a certain period, we analyse our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats; we make strategic plans and implementation plans and budgets and a lot of other things. It’s tedious work at times, but we do it anyway because we know that without these plans our companies or organizations would fail to achieve good results.
Then we knock off and go home and, unfortunately, leave our brains at work. Somehow, what we do at work doesn’t seem to apply any more. We just lay back and hope for a better life to magically appear. No plans. No timeframes. No budgets. No targets. No written goals.
It is no wonder so many are brilliant at their careers and yet miserable failures when it comes to their personal lives. We do not apply our knowledge and expertise to our own lives.
Motivation concepts - pay attention to your life
You must plan your life with much more care and attention than you would plan your business and your work. Stop living by waiting on chance and luck to make you happy, rich or healthy. If most of us put just half the effort we put into our jobs into planning our lives we would be amazed at the difference that would make. You can take that first step of creating the life you want right now:
Motivation concepts - thoughts are things
How? You must create it in your mind. Mohandas K. Ghandi said very truthfully that “a man is but a product of his thoughts; what he thinks, that he becomes.”
Imagine for a moment that you have lost your memory. You have forgotten who you are and everything you have or don’t have. You know nothing about yourself. You now have a great opportunity to recreate yourself!
Money is no object. You have all the resources you need at your disposal. There are no restrictions. You can make your new life whatever you want it to be.
Who are you? What do you do? Where do you live? What car do you drive? What clothes do you wear? Who are your friends? How do you spend your time? What is your purpose in life? In whose life are you making a difference?
Create a detailed picture in your mind of what you want to be. Let your imagination go wild. Don’t hold back anything. Don’t regard anything as impossible. Just fill your mind with all the possibilities. Don’t be vague about it, be specific.
If you did this simple exercise you should be feeling very excited right now. As lunatic as it may sound, the truth is you are free to create the life you want at any time you choose to. The power to create has been yours all along. Here is one little secret though: write it down.
Motivation concepts - write it down
Writing this mental picture of who you want to be is important because writing things down gives power and permanence to your thoughts. You can refer to what you’ve written and modify it until you have perfected the vision.
Writing it down will also help you when it comes to remembering the vision for your life. As you read it everyday it will become imprinted on your mind until you will be able to think and say it without referring to the written version.
Then and only then will it become a part of you. This vision will completely take over your mind. Once that happens, you’ll find ways to achieve what you’ve thought and your environment will be forced to align itself with this new found vision.
Motivation concepts - today is all you have
One thing is for sure. The past is dead and gone. We can’t go back there. The future is the only thing we have control over. Right here and right now is the only time we have that control.
Don’t put it off till tomorrow, start right now to create the life you want in your mind and don’t forget to write it down. Think about it every day and every waking hour until it becomes a part of you.
Why should you bother? Because, as Earl Nightingale put it, “everyday we put in place actions and ideas that will determine the shape and substance of our lives.”
Motivation concepts - conclusion
Someone sent me this quote the other day: “We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best into the building. Then with a shock we realize we have to live in the house we have built.” How true. How sad.
Build your life with the care and effort it deserves. Don’t live your life with no direction and no hope. You can create that perfect life. You can dream big, and your dreams can come true.
You are all you can be…go on and be it!
www.motivation-for-dreamers.com
BALBOA Concepts, Inc. REVIEW:
This article makes a very good point. We all do our very bests in our jobs, but then we set cruise control when we go home and expect things to just magically get better. Then we complain that we're stuck in the same job, in the same position, in the same house or neighborhood. We all have a choice in everything we do, and if we choose to just sit back and let life happen without any intervention, you get out what you put in. Galatians 6:7 says "A man reaps what he sows."
In order to get what you want out of life, you MUST go after it. Nothing just falls into our laps (and if it does, it is a miraculous occurrence or just plain lucky). But, the sad truth is, most of us don't experience miracles or just get lucky. We must work hard to accomplish our goals. You must become the driver in this crazy taxi we call life and only then can we become what we've always wanted to be.
Balboa Concepts, Inc.
Friday, July 11, 2014
BALBOA Concepts, Inc. REVIEW: Average Doesn't Mean Secure
Article found: scotthyoung.com
Review by: Balboa Concepts, Inc.
Just because it’s common, that doesn’t mean it’s not risky. Many people fall into the misconception that if a lot of people are doing something, it must be the safest path. If you were born several decades ago, you would have thought smoking was safe because everyone was doing it.
Is Having a Job Safer?
I earn my entire income from running this website. I love working on it and there is incredible potential for growth. But one of the common criticisms I get is that I’m taking on a riskier path than someone getting a job. In their minds, because a job is more common than online entrepreneurship, it must be safer.
Tell that to the factory workers from big auto companies that recently lost their jobs. Was it safer to adapt to an overpaid job in an aging industry? My income in the next few years may suffer because of the recession, but at least I can’t be fired.
The Standard American Diet
I eat an ovo-vegetarian diet (although I also avoid eggs when I can). This certainly isn’t common as only 1-3% of the population is vegetarian. A common criticism is that I don’t receive enough protein. My own diet logs estimate my protein intake at around 65-90 grams per day, well within the estimated 10-15% of daily calories necessary for health (some experts argue even less, 5-7% is still healthy for an adult).
The mistake here is assuming that an “average” diet is the safest diet. However, when you look at the rising levels of obesity in western countries, and the higher incidences of diabetes and heart disease, it’s more likely that “average” is killing you.
Unconventional Wisdom
The common self-help dichotomy is the safe and mediocre path versus the risky and virtuous one. Entrepreneurship is risky, but it’s also more satisfying than being a widget producer.
This dichotomy is false. Often the best option is actually the least risky over a period of time.
Take this online business. I didn’t pay any start-up costs, so if it flopped, I would only lose a bit of my time. My income stream is split through multiple different sources (and I have the option of easily pursuing new ones), so I’m diversified if one stream dries up. Finally the intangible assets I’ve built up in terms of skills and connections mean that, even if the worst case were to happen, I could use those skills to earn revenues elsewhere.
I’m not arguing that you should pursue an online business because it isn’t risky. You should do what you’re passionate about. However, I reject the argument that because I’m taking an unconventional approach to income generation, I’m at a bigger risk.
Don’t Shortcut Your Thinking
Conventional wisdom is a shortcut from actual thinking. When you rely on the majority to give you career, diet and spiritual advice you avoid thinking about these issues for yourself. Often when you peel off the covering, and start to understand the systems behind it, you can come up with more satisfying and less risky solutions to your problems.
When you peel off the outer layer from your career, you see that a job isn’t just working for money, it’s building skills that provide value in exchange for money. That’s why programs designed to give people jobs, but don’t provide value are insane. It’s also why, if you don’t produce value at your job, you are in a far riskier position than any entrepreneur.
Peeling off the layers to your diet and you’ll see that, while people have been omnivorous throughout their evolution, few societies have consumed the same volume of meat as people do today and none ate as much processed foods. Look closely and it makes more sense for meat to be a side-dish than the main course.
The Only Security is Within You
Personal development, far from being a risky choice, is probably one of the safest. You can always lose your job, but only rarely can you lose your skills. Businesses can die, but the lessons learned from failed ventures make future businesses stronger. Your health can falter, but your skill in changing your habits can stay strong.
If any investment of your time doesn’t build internal assets, it isn’t worth doing. Even the most lucrative job isn’t worth the paycheck if you aren’t becoming more skilled or knowledgeable as a result. One of the reasons I believe running a business is safer than working at a job is that I’ve learned far more from entrepreneurship than I have from any job or class. Even if my external assets fail, I’ve still built internal assets that can’t be taken away.
The Illusion of Security
“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men experience it as a whole. Avoiding danger, in the long-run, is no safer than outright exposure.” – Helen Keller
Security doesn’t come from following the masses. With an economic collapse, terrorist attacks, obesity epidemics, and third-world flood-relief efforts in an industrialized country, I don’t think anyone can argue that the world is inherently safe. But in that fear you have two choices: to blindly follow the masses over the edge of a cliff, or to think for yourself.
Personal development and unconventional choices often lead to the most success. But despite their appearance, they often hold the least risk. Businesses can fail and diets can be flawed, but every day people lose their jobs and eat hamburgers. There is no such thing as complete safety, and if there was, it certainly wouldn’t be existing in the millions of mediocre choices made by the majority today.
Balboa Concepts, Inc. REVIEW:
Something I always saw in my elementary school classrooms was a banner that said "What's popular is not always right. What is right is not always popular." I never really understood what it mean back then. Now, I interpret that as you should always do what you think is right, no matter the objections or rejections you might experience. Balboa Concepts, Inc. is all about hard work, but we are also about passionate work. You should always try to find your passion and pursue that! Others might say it is "risky," but if you love it you will find that the risk is minimized because you will probably be so good at it! You should always strive to develop yourself as a person rather than try and gain money. When you love what you do, everything else will fall into place.
Thursday, June 26, 2014
BALBOA Concepts, Inc. REVIEW: The Culture of Quitting
Posted by Dave Konkin
The Culture of Quitting
Reviewed by Balboa Concepts, Inc.
In my 35 years of experience, I have experienced numerous different workplaces, cultures, and management philosophies.
I've also talked with countless other people, at all levels within small and large organizations, nationals, and internationals. People in the back of the warehouse, on the floor, sales people, office staff, administrators, junior and senior managers, vice presidents, presidents, CEO's and owners.
The number of them who have been dissatisfied with their employment and working conditions has truly been quite disheartening. I've quit jobs after talking to senior people about my concerns and having no real resolutions. I've quit to change careers as well, and also to move to another location or for a new challenging opportunity.
There is a "culture of quitting" that is growing rapidly.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey Highlight, March 2014 ...
"Quits in the private sector also declined during the recession, starting at 2.7 million in December 2007 and reaching a low of 1.5 million in September 2009. Since the trough, the number of quits has increased by 52 percent, to 2.3 million in March 2014."
The rise of 52% in the number of people or 2.3 million who have quit their job since 2009 is a staggering statistic.
It is not that the unemployment rate is at an all-time low or high. Indeed according to the website Trading Economics...
"Unemployment Rate in the United States remained unchanged at 6.30 percent in May of 2014 from 6.30 percent in April of 2014. Unemployment Rate in the United States averaged 5.83 Percent from 1948 until 2014, reaching an all time high of 10.80 Percent in November of 1982 and a record low of 2.50 Percent in May of 1953. Unemployment Rate in the United States is reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics."
What is occurring that has these people leaving their jobs? It's not just about money.
Job satisfaction includes a number of values that are to be considered by anyone.
- Purposeful and emotionally involved work
-Wages
- Benefits
- Management style
- Job security
- Company Culture
- Ethics and values
- Corporate social responsibility
- Support and training
- Appreciation by others of work done
- Company loyalty to its employees
- Support with personal issues
- Coworkers
- Location
- Opportunity for promotion and advancement
It is a balance of pros and cons no matter where you go and things do change with time always. Our personal ability to adapt to change is significant as well and plays a large role in whether we will stay or go. Developing patience, understanding, improved communication skills and understanding life has ups and downs is certainly a responsibility for all of us.
If people are coming and going from your company and organization, change needs to be thought, spoken and acted upon sooner than later.
Review your organization on these values and others that you find are important to your current team.
1. Asking potential new hires their thoughts on all of these values during the new hire process.
2. Determine the changes necessary to create a better culture with these values in mind.
3 .Plan out how to incorporate change into the organization and involve people actively throughout the process.
4. Invest in your people. Take the time to develop and train the key people you need as part of the network to create a better work place.
5. Have managers spend real time with their teams to develop sincere relationships with them.
6. Make the fundamentals of real relationships the core of all you do with your people. They are real people and deserve to be treated as such. Offer them real trust, respect and open honest communication as to how you will work with every one of them.
7. Weed out and retrain or remove those individuals who are abusing the situation or a cause of "cultural rot" within the organization. That includes senior and all other managers or employees at any level.
8. Give reasonable time expectations for change. A solid foundation takes time to construct.
9. Continually seek to review and renew the vision and invest back into it again.
Every good plan in life involves time, patience and real costs. The face of doing business and the need for better cultures in the workplace are here to stay. If the cycle of the "culture of quitting" is to change there needs to different thought, speech and action to do so. The need to become real with dealing with people in the workplace is immediate, and is for those companies that are successful, and those that are not but strive to be.
We all need to make a living, and companies need to have profits, but we need to do it in a manner that leaves people feeling and knowing they are valued and part of something worthwhile.
Successful companies already do these things and they harvest the rewards from truly investing into their people and culture.
It isn't about organizations satisfying everyone. Abraham Lincoln already told us you can't please all the people all of the time. It is about improving productivity and creating some real engagement for people and not just managing but truly leading.
Just to let you know as well ...I like my new career and I am not quitting. I enjoy going there everyday, and the values I speak of up above are all checked off on my list under the positive column.
Those are my opinions and thoughts on putting an end to the "culture of quitting". Please feel free to share yours.
References:
Thanks to The U.S Department of Labor and Trading Economics
http://www.bls.gov/jlt/jlt_labstatgraphs_March2014.pdf
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/united-states/unemployment-rate
BALBOA Concepts, Inc. REVIEW:
Money isn't the only thing to be considered when thinking about job satisfaction. There are several other factors such as management style, security, opportunity for promotion and advancement, and several others as listed in the article. When you think about quitting, you think "Can I see myself working here 1,5, maybe 10 years from now?" If the answer is no, then odds are you will move on to bigger and better things. Unemployment rates are high, but a lot of that has to do with people leaving their jobs willingly due to low job satisfaction. Here at Balboa Concepts, Inc. we encourage determination, commitment, and hard work. Although we don't encourage quitting just for the sake of quitting, we do encourage people to go out there and find what it is he/she really wants to do! Once you find your dream job that satisfied all your conditions, you can be happy, more productive, and finally start living the dream you've always wanted!
The Culture of Quitting
Reviewed by Balboa Concepts, Inc.
In my 35 years of experience, I have experienced numerous different workplaces, cultures, and management philosophies.
I've also talked with countless other people, at all levels within small and large organizations, nationals, and internationals. People in the back of the warehouse, on the floor, sales people, office staff, administrators, junior and senior managers, vice presidents, presidents, CEO's and owners.
The number of them who have been dissatisfied with their employment and working conditions has truly been quite disheartening. I've quit jobs after talking to senior people about my concerns and having no real resolutions. I've quit to change careers as well, and also to move to another location or for a new challenging opportunity.
There is a "culture of quitting" that is growing rapidly.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey Highlight, March 2014 ...
"Quits in the private sector also declined during the recession, starting at 2.7 million in December 2007 and reaching a low of 1.5 million in September 2009. Since the trough, the number of quits has increased by 52 percent, to 2.3 million in March 2014."
The rise of 52% in the number of people or 2.3 million who have quit their job since 2009 is a staggering statistic.
It is not that the unemployment rate is at an all-time low or high. Indeed according to the website Trading Economics...
"Unemployment Rate in the United States remained unchanged at 6.30 percent in May of 2014 from 6.30 percent in April of 2014. Unemployment Rate in the United States averaged 5.83 Percent from 1948 until 2014, reaching an all time high of 10.80 Percent in November of 1982 and a record low of 2.50 Percent in May of 1953. Unemployment Rate in the United States is reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics."
What is occurring that has these people leaving their jobs? It's not just about money.
Job satisfaction includes a number of values that are to be considered by anyone.
- Purposeful and emotionally involved work
-Wages
- Benefits
- Management style
- Job security
- Company Culture
- Ethics and values
- Corporate social responsibility
- Support and training
- Appreciation by others of work done
- Company loyalty to its employees
- Support with personal issues
- Coworkers
- Location
- Opportunity for promotion and advancement
It is a balance of pros and cons no matter where you go and things do change with time always. Our personal ability to adapt to change is significant as well and plays a large role in whether we will stay or go. Developing patience, understanding, improved communication skills and understanding life has ups and downs is certainly a responsibility for all of us.
If people are coming and going from your company and organization, change needs to be thought, spoken and acted upon sooner than later.
Review your organization on these values and others that you find are important to your current team.
1. Asking potential new hires their thoughts on all of these values during the new hire process.
2. Determine the changes necessary to create a better culture with these values in mind.
3 .Plan out how to incorporate change into the organization and involve people actively throughout the process.
4. Invest in your people. Take the time to develop and train the key people you need as part of the network to create a better work place.
5. Have managers spend real time with their teams to develop sincere relationships with them.
6. Make the fundamentals of real relationships the core of all you do with your people. They are real people and deserve to be treated as such. Offer them real trust, respect and open honest communication as to how you will work with every one of them.
7. Weed out and retrain or remove those individuals who are abusing the situation or a cause of "cultural rot" within the organization. That includes senior and all other managers or employees at any level.
8. Give reasonable time expectations for change. A solid foundation takes time to construct.
9. Continually seek to review and renew the vision and invest back into it again.
Every good plan in life involves time, patience and real costs. The face of doing business and the need for better cultures in the workplace are here to stay. If the cycle of the "culture of quitting" is to change there needs to different thought, speech and action to do so. The need to become real with dealing with people in the workplace is immediate, and is for those companies that are successful, and those that are not but strive to be.
We all need to make a living, and companies need to have profits, but we need to do it in a manner that leaves people feeling and knowing they are valued and part of something worthwhile.
Successful companies already do these things and they harvest the rewards from truly investing into their people and culture.
It isn't about organizations satisfying everyone. Abraham Lincoln already told us you can't please all the people all of the time. It is about improving productivity and creating some real engagement for people and not just managing but truly leading.
Just to let you know as well ...I like my new career and I am not quitting. I enjoy going there everyday, and the values I speak of up above are all checked off on my list under the positive column.
Those are my opinions and thoughts on putting an end to the "culture of quitting". Please feel free to share yours.
References:
Thanks to The U.S Department of Labor and Trading Economics
http://www.bls.gov/jlt/jlt_labstatgraphs_March2014.pdf
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/united-states/unemployment-rate
BALBOA Concepts, Inc. REVIEW:
Money isn't the only thing to be considered when thinking about job satisfaction. There are several other factors such as management style, security, opportunity for promotion and advancement, and several others as listed in the article. When you think about quitting, you think "Can I see myself working here 1,5, maybe 10 years from now?" If the answer is no, then odds are you will move on to bigger and better things. Unemployment rates are high, but a lot of that has to do with people leaving their jobs willingly due to low job satisfaction. Here at Balboa Concepts, Inc. we encourage determination, commitment, and hard work. Although we don't encourage quitting just for the sake of quitting, we do encourage people to go out there and find what it is he/she really wants to do! Once you find your dream job that satisfied all your conditions, you can be happy, more productive, and finally start living the dream you've always wanted!
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Balboa Concepts, Inc.: The Prison Within -- Overcoming Fear
Article found on: Motivation-For-Dreamers
Shared by: Balboa Concepts, Inc.
Overcoming fear – introduction
There is a prison that has an inmate population in the billions. It’s a prison without walls, without barbed wire, without guards and without any physical barrier. But it is the most effective prison in the whole world. Few escape it, but those who do find real and lasting freedom.
That prison is in our minds. It is a prison that holds back our initiative, our talent, our ability to express ourselves and, most of all, it holds back the fulfillment of our full potential as human beings.
That prison is fear. Our lives today are controlled by fear more than we know. Fear controls the choices we make, our actions, our habits and even our destinies. Fear has become one of the greatest threats to humanity in this day in its many forms. Terrorism has become the pinnacle of fear worldwide. Recent events in the world have shown how fear can drive even those that are powerful to behave desperately and inhumanely. But the effect of fear on our personal lives is more damaging that any terrorist can ever hope to achieve. Fear of life prevents most of us from living.
Fear of life? Yes. “Too many people are thinking of security instead of opportunity. They seem to be more afraid of life than death.” This observation was made by James F. Bymes.
Overcoming fear – the many faces of fear
In its extremes, fear in our personal lives causes anxiety and phobias. For people with such illnesses the prison of fear can seem like a death sentence. Their lives may be totally controlled by fear, making life totally unenjoyable and everyday tasks a real struggle. Fortunately, this is not the most common manifestation of fear. The far more destructive form of fear is one that we have come to accept because it is so common.
For example, I remember very clearly how when I was in my first year at university I met a lot of fellow students that were spreading fear everywhere they went. They would say how difficult the first year of natural science studies was and how badly people were failing the course. They had all the statistics of how many people failed last year and the year before that. They’d say things like “50 people failed that course last year.” What they didn’t tell you was that 400 people passed the same course last year.
All the seven years I was at university, were the same. Every year there were people speaking doom and failure. Often, it showed in the results they got. They were the same people struggling to pass. I, and many others like me, got through it farely unscathed. We chose to see the 90 percent that passed and not the 10 percent that failed.
Overcoming fear – fear can stop you from progressing
There are those of you out there with brilliant business ideas. What holds you back is fear. You think about all the statistics of how many businesses fail every year, or what your friends and family will think of you if you quit your job to pursue your dreams. The fear of not being able to pay your bills, fear of getting fired, fear of starting over and the fear of not having a job title all hold you back. It is fear that keeps most of us in jobs we do not enjoy and, sometimes, that don’t even meet our financial needs.
The fear of taking risks is one that few people are able to overcome. Risk is the potential harm that may arise from some present process or from some future event. In every area of life risk-taking is a necessary thing. If you propose marriage to someone you have to take the risk that they may say no. If you are in a race you have to take the risk that you may lose miserably. If you want to live life to its fullest you have to take the risk of failure. As Dorothy Thompson said: “Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live.”
Fear will paralyse you if you do not deal with it. It will absolutely stop you from living a life that you desire. Recognise it. Conquer it. Eleanor Roosevelt’s advice is that “you gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.”
Overcoming fear – there’s nothing to fear but fear itself
I’m sure you have had an experience in the past when you really feared something. After doing it how did you feel. Silly? Stupid? The feeling is often one of “that wasn’t so hard after all. I don’t know what I was afraid of.” Trying to fight fear is like trying to fight the dark. You can’t do it. The way to get rid of darkness is to bring in the light. The way to get rid of your fears is to conquer them. “Do the thing you fear to do and keep on doing it... that is the quickest and surest way ever yet discovered to conquer fear” ( Dale Carnegie).
Overcoming fear – you can do it today
Go ahead and start that business you want to start. Go ahead and study what you really want to study. Go ahead and become a musician, poet, artist, fashion designer or whatever else you want to do. Sure you might fail, but you might succeed too. Take the risk today and conquer your fears. Do you want to look back years from now and think I could have, I might have, and I should have. That is a sad way to live your life.
Overcoming fear – the futility of playing it safe
Remember that no matter how “safe” you play it one fate awaits us all. That is death. Whether you take a risk or not you will die. So of what benefit is it to you to be under the yoke of fear and live a life that is way below your potential? Use your life wisely. Free your mind from fear and worry and go for it.
Overcoming fear – the conclusion
There is only thing you should fear and that is God. That should not be a fear of terror, but of reverence. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” Feed your faith and your fears will starve to death.
You are all you can be. Go on and be it.
Article found on: Motivation-For-Dreamers
Balboa Concepts, Inc.
Shared by: Balboa Concepts, Inc.
Overcoming fear – introduction
There is a prison that has an inmate population in the billions. It’s a prison without walls, without barbed wire, without guards and without any physical barrier. But it is the most effective prison in the whole world. Few escape it, but those who do find real and lasting freedom.
That prison is in our minds. It is a prison that holds back our initiative, our talent, our ability to express ourselves and, most of all, it holds back the fulfillment of our full potential as human beings.
That prison is fear. Our lives today are controlled by fear more than we know. Fear controls the choices we make, our actions, our habits and even our destinies. Fear has become one of the greatest threats to humanity in this day in its many forms. Terrorism has become the pinnacle of fear worldwide. Recent events in the world have shown how fear can drive even those that are powerful to behave desperately and inhumanely. But the effect of fear on our personal lives is more damaging that any terrorist can ever hope to achieve. Fear of life prevents most of us from living.
Fear of life? Yes. “Too many people are thinking of security instead of opportunity. They seem to be more afraid of life than death.” This observation was made by James F. Bymes.
Overcoming fear – the many faces of fear
In its extremes, fear in our personal lives causes anxiety and phobias. For people with such illnesses the prison of fear can seem like a death sentence. Their lives may be totally controlled by fear, making life totally unenjoyable and everyday tasks a real struggle. Fortunately, this is not the most common manifestation of fear. The far more destructive form of fear is one that we have come to accept because it is so common.
For example, I remember very clearly how when I was in my first year at university I met a lot of fellow students that were spreading fear everywhere they went. They would say how difficult the first year of natural science studies was and how badly people were failing the course. They had all the statistics of how many people failed last year and the year before that. They’d say things like “50 people failed that course last year.” What they didn’t tell you was that 400 people passed the same course last year.
All the seven years I was at university, were the same. Every year there were people speaking doom and failure. Often, it showed in the results they got. They were the same people struggling to pass. I, and many others like me, got through it farely unscathed. We chose to see the 90 percent that passed and not the 10 percent that failed.
Overcoming fear – fear can stop you from progressing
There are those of you out there with brilliant business ideas. What holds you back is fear. You think about all the statistics of how many businesses fail every year, or what your friends and family will think of you if you quit your job to pursue your dreams. The fear of not being able to pay your bills, fear of getting fired, fear of starting over and the fear of not having a job title all hold you back. It is fear that keeps most of us in jobs we do not enjoy and, sometimes, that don’t even meet our financial needs.
The fear of taking risks is one that few people are able to overcome. Risk is the potential harm that may arise from some present process or from some future event. In every area of life risk-taking is a necessary thing. If you propose marriage to someone you have to take the risk that they may say no. If you are in a race you have to take the risk that you may lose miserably. If you want to live life to its fullest you have to take the risk of failure. As Dorothy Thompson said: “Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live.”
Fear will paralyse you if you do not deal with it. It will absolutely stop you from living a life that you desire. Recognise it. Conquer it. Eleanor Roosevelt’s advice is that “you gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.”
Overcoming fear – there’s nothing to fear but fear itself
I’m sure you have had an experience in the past when you really feared something. After doing it how did you feel. Silly? Stupid? The feeling is often one of “that wasn’t so hard after all. I don’t know what I was afraid of.” Trying to fight fear is like trying to fight the dark. You can’t do it. The way to get rid of darkness is to bring in the light. The way to get rid of your fears is to conquer them. “Do the thing you fear to do and keep on doing it... that is the quickest and surest way ever yet discovered to conquer fear” ( Dale Carnegie).
Overcoming fear – you can do it today
Go ahead and start that business you want to start. Go ahead and study what you really want to study. Go ahead and become a musician, poet, artist, fashion designer or whatever else you want to do. Sure you might fail, but you might succeed too. Take the risk today and conquer your fears. Do you want to look back years from now and think I could have, I might have, and I should have. That is a sad way to live your life.
Overcoming fear – the futility of playing it safe
Remember that no matter how “safe” you play it one fate awaits us all. That is death. Whether you take a risk or not you will die. So of what benefit is it to you to be under the yoke of fear and live a life that is way below your potential? Use your life wisely. Free your mind from fear and worry and go for it.
Overcoming fear – the conclusion
There is only thing you should fear and that is God. That should not be a fear of terror, but of reverence. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” Feed your faith and your fears will starve to death.
You are all you can be. Go on and be it.
Article found on: Motivation-For-Dreamers
Balboa Concepts, Inc.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
BALBOA Concepts, Inc.: Walk Your Talk
One Step at a Time
by Scott H. Young
http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2008/02/19/walk-your-talk-one-step-at-a-time/
[BALBOA Concepts, Inc.]
Do you claim health is important to you–then skip the gym for 6 weeks? Do you believe being productive is important, but work only on the night before a deadline? Do you believe relationships are important, but let your social life stagnate? How do you close that gap between what you value and how you behave?
Blogging has helped me close that gap by forcing me to walk my talk. I’m far from perfect. Like everyone, I make mistakes and often fail to live up to the things I consider important. But writing has made it easier to stay consistent with those values instead of falling into excuses.
Progress, Not Perfection
Imperfections are part of life. I think it’s sad that some people feel that because being perfectly consistent with your values is impossible, that there is no point trying to debug the inconsistencies. Some self-improvement cynicism is the result of demanding the impossible, expecting perfection instead of progress.
My goal has been to notice gaps between my philosophy of life and my behaviors. I’m certainly nowhere near perfection, but even in just a few years of deliberately pursuing this strategy, I’ve made improvements. Here are a few of the inconsistencies I’ve debugged over the past few years:
1. From Slob to Productive. Productivity and organization were important to me, but I was a messy, undisciplined procrastinator. Focusing on building the right habits and training myself has almost completely closed this gap.
2. Unhealthy to Fit. My health and energy levels were important to me, but until a few years ago, I rarely exercised and didn’t have great eating habits. Fast forward to today and I eat a vegetarian diet while exercising regularly.
3. Non-reader to Literary Glutton. I would have read less than a dozen books in 2002 or 2003. Over the last few years I’ve averaged about 50-70 books each year.
4. Night Owl to Early Riser. After reading about the potential benefits of waking up early for productivity, I made the switch from waking up at 7:30-8:00 back to 5:30.
5. Unconscious Spender to Budget Maker. After seeing how my finances weren’t being guided, I put in place a more thorough system for recording and budgeting my expenses.
6. Occasional Downloader to Abstainer. I’m against downloading music (illegally). But laziness in this belief meant that music would sometimes wind up on my hard drive from less than reputable sources. I stopped adding new music to my library that wasn’t paid in full several months ago. Recently I took the final step of cleaning my harddrive and MP3 player of any remaining music.
7. Shy to Extroverted. A few years ago my social life was nearly a zero. I had only a few close friends and wasn’t as outgoing as I’d like to be. Now I have many friends and enjoy being spontaneous in meeting new people.
I point out these changes because none were instantaneous. Even after I had decided my beliefs on an issue, it took work to change my behaviors. The moment I declared productivity important to myself, I was still a slob. It took a few years of effort to reach the point I’m at today.
From an outside perspective, however, nobody sees that effort. I still get comments from readers that assume I was somehow born productive, early-rising or health-conscious. They don’t see the failed attempts I had in implementing GTD, the days I slept right through my alarm or the four failed thirty day trials I went through before exercising stuck.
I need to take some of the blame for this, because I generally only write about my self-improvement efforts after the fact. Since self-improvement involves so many missteps and dead-ends, I don’t usually find it useful to write about something until I’ve made significant progress in it myself. You only have to look at the current ups and downs of my dating life to see why I don’t share too much advice on that yet. ;)
How to Gradually Debug Your Inconsistencies
Unlike a computer program, your software can never have zero-defects. Instead, try to think of self-improvement as trying to reach 98% bug-free. You will inevitably fail to meet your values some of the time, but those errors won’t matter too much in the long run.
In order to effectively debug your inconsistencies, you need the right tools. There are many different strategies to debug, but I’d like to share a few tools that were “Aha!” moments for myself. These tools were the difference between using a scalpel and a blunt club for my own debugging:
30 Day Trials. Commit to an idea for thirty days, every day. If you mess up on Day 29, you go back to the start. This tool has been invaluable for me in changing many different habits. I’ve probably done over two dozen of these since I first heard of them from Steve Pavlina.
Writing out Goals. A goal doesn’t matter unless it is on paper. This applies to simple goals like “Exercise tomorrow” as much as it applies to big goals like “Become a millionaire.” Before I started writing out my goals, it was only my emotional compass that would decide whether something would get done that day.
Breaking Down Fears. If something terrifies you, chop it into pieces you can swallow. Public speaking was an area I took one speech at a time, taking on larger audiences and more difficult presentations. Training your courage like a muscle was a better strategy for me than relying on willpower.
I’m still finding new tools, but the fact that this list is small shows that self-improvement doesn’t need to be overly complicated. One good tool, if practiced, can debug a large range of problems.
Nobody can be perfect. But there is still immense value you can get from debugging those inconsistencies. Making the gap between your walk and your talk a little bit smaller.
BALBOA Concepts, Inc. REVIEW:
BALBOA Concepts Inc. prides itself in its hard working nature. BALBOA Concepts, Inc. knows that only hard work will reach goals and that there is no immediate gratification.
We, as normal people, always expect immediate results once we begin trying to reach a particular goal. This article makes a great point in that you will fail multiple times before hitting a success point. We cannot be impatient and we must always realize that we aren't perfect. Instead of trying to set a HUGE goal, try to set goal for your progress. So, instead of thinking "I will become the President" try to think more "I will finish law school." Take life step by step and everything will fall into place. There is no rush to reach greatness. If we just try to succeed in the little things along the way, we'll realize that all that hard work along the way will pay off when you've reached that end goal.
BALBOA Concepts, Inc.
by Scott H. Young
http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2008/02/19/walk-your-talk-one-step-at-a-time/
[BALBOA Concepts, Inc.]
Do you claim health is important to you–then skip the gym for 6 weeks? Do you believe being productive is important, but work only on the night before a deadline? Do you believe relationships are important, but let your social life stagnate? How do you close that gap between what you value and how you behave?
Blogging has helped me close that gap by forcing me to walk my talk. I’m far from perfect. Like everyone, I make mistakes and often fail to live up to the things I consider important. But writing has made it easier to stay consistent with those values instead of falling into excuses.
Progress, Not Perfection
Imperfections are part of life. I think it’s sad that some people feel that because being perfectly consistent with your values is impossible, that there is no point trying to debug the inconsistencies. Some self-improvement cynicism is the result of demanding the impossible, expecting perfection instead of progress.
My goal has been to notice gaps between my philosophy of life and my behaviors. I’m certainly nowhere near perfection, but even in just a few years of deliberately pursuing this strategy, I’ve made improvements. Here are a few of the inconsistencies I’ve debugged over the past few years:
1. From Slob to Productive. Productivity and organization were important to me, but I was a messy, undisciplined procrastinator. Focusing on building the right habits and training myself has almost completely closed this gap.
2. Unhealthy to Fit. My health and energy levels were important to me, but until a few years ago, I rarely exercised and didn’t have great eating habits. Fast forward to today and I eat a vegetarian diet while exercising regularly.
3. Non-reader to Literary Glutton. I would have read less than a dozen books in 2002 or 2003. Over the last few years I’ve averaged about 50-70 books each year.
4. Night Owl to Early Riser. After reading about the potential benefits of waking up early for productivity, I made the switch from waking up at 7:30-8:00 back to 5:30.
5. Unconscious Spender to Budget Maker. After seeing how my finances weren’t being guided, I put in place a more thorough system for recording and budgeting my expenses.
6. Occasional Downloader to Abstainer. I’m against downloading music (illegally). But laziness in this belief meant that music would sometimes wind up on my hard drive from less than reputable sources. I stopped adding new music to my library that wasn’t paid in full several months ago. Recently I took the final step of cleaning my harddrive and MP3 player of any remaining music.
7. Shy to Extroverted. A few years ago my social life was nearly a zero. I had only a few close friends and wasn’t as outgoing as I’d like to be. Now I have many friends and enjoy being spontaneous in meeting new people.
I point out these changes because none were instantaneous. Even after I had decided my beliefs on an issue, it took work to change my behaviors. The moment I declared productivity important to myself, I was still a slob. It took a few years of effort to reach the point I’m at today.
From an outside perspective, however, nobody sees that effort. I still get comments from readers that assume I was somehow born productive, early-rising or health-conscious. They don’t see the failed attempts I had in implementing GTD, the days I slept right through my alarm or the four failed thirty day trials I went through before exercising stuck.
I need to take some of the blame for this, because I generally only write about my self-improvement efforts after the fact. Since self-improvement involves so many missteps and dead-ends, I don’t usually find it useful to write about something until I’ve made significant progress in it myself. You only have to look at the current ups and downs of my dating life to see why I don’t share too much advice on that yet. ;)
How to Gradually Debug Your Inconsistencies
Unlike a computer program, your software can never have zero-defects. Instead, try to think of self-improvement as trying to reach 98% bug-free. You will inevitably fail to meet your values some of the time, but those errors won’t matter too much in the long run.
In order to effectively debug your inconsistencies, you need the right tools. There are many different strategies to debug, but I’d like to share a few tools that were “Aha!” moments for myself. These tools were the difference between using a scalpel and a blunt club for my own debugging:
30 Day Trials. Commit to an idea for thirty days, every day. If you mess up on Day 29, you go back to the start. This tool has been invaluable for me in changing many different habits. I’ve probably done over two dozen of these since I first heard of them from Steve Pavlina.
Writing out Goals. A goal doesn’t matter unless it is on paper. This applies to simple goals like “Exercise tomorrow” as much as it applies to big goals like “Become a millionaire.” Before I started writing out my goals, it was only my emotional compass that would decide whether something would get done that day.
Breaking Down Fears. If something terrifies you, chop it into pieces you can swallow. Public speaking was an area I took one speech at a time, taking on larger audiences and more difficult presentations. Training your courage like a muscle was a better strategy for me than relying on willpower.
I’m still finding new tools, but the fact that this list is small shows that self-improvement doesn’t need to be overly complicated. One good tool, if practiced, can debug a large range of problems.
Nobody can be perfect. But there is still immense value you can get from debugging those inconsistencies. Making the gap between your walk and your talk a little bit smaller.
BALBOA Concepts, Inc. REVIEW:
BALBOA Concepts Inc. prides itself in its hard working nature. BALBOA Concepts, Inc. knows that only hard work will reach goals and that there is no immediate gratification.
We, as normal people, always expect immediate results once we begin trying to reach a particular goal. This article makes a great point in that you will fail multiple times before hitting a success point. We cannot be impatient and we must always realize that we aren't perfect. Instead of trying to set a HUGE goal, try to set goal for your progress. So, instead of thinking "I will become the President" try to think more "I will finish law school." Take life step by step and everything will fall into place. There is no rush to reach greatness. If we just try to succeed in the little things along the way, we'll realize that all that hard work along the way will pay off when you've reached that end goal.
BALBOA Concepts, Inc.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
BALBOA Concepts, Inc.: What Really Motivates Employees?
By Kathleen Davis
http://www.entrepreneur.com/blog/225560
http://www.entrepreneur.com/blog/225560
BALBOA Concepts, Inc.
It's no secret that happy, satisfied employees are a key ingredient to a successful company. But what really motivates people? Traditional thinking follows that the more you pay someone the more loyal and satisfied they are in their job.
But, the truth behind employee motivation is a more complicated mix including praise, autonomy, and leadership opportunities. Take a look at the infographic below for more on the many factors involved in motivating employees.
Read more: http://www.entrepreneur.com/blog/225560#ixzz2hvZNzsfK
BALBOA Concepts, Inc.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Balboa Concepts, Inc: The Most Successful Leaders Do 15 Things Automatically
The Most Successful Leaders Do 15 Things Automatically, Every Day
by Forbes
Leadership is learned behavior that becomes unconscious and automatic over time. For example, leaders can make several important decisions about an issue in the time it takes others to understand the question. Many people wonder how leaders know how to make the best decisions, often under immense pressure. The process of making these decisions comes from an accumulation of experiences and encounters with a multitude of difference circumstances, personality types and unforeseen failures. More so, the decision making process is an acute understanding of being familiar with the cause and effect of behavioral and circumstantial patterns; knowing the intelligence and interconnection points of the variables involved in these patterns allows a leader to confidently make decisions and project the probability of their desired outcomes. The most successful leaders are instinctual decision makers. Having done it so many times throughout their careers, they become immune to the pressure associated with decision making and extremely intuitive about the process of making the most strategic and best decisions. This is why most senior executives will tell you they depend strongly upon their “gut-feel” when making difficult decisions at a moment’s notice.
Beyond decision making, successful leadership across all areas becomes learned and instinctual over a period of time. Successful leaders have learned the mastery of anticipating business patterns, finding opportunities in pressure situations, serving the people they lead and overcoming hardships. No wonder the best CEOs are paid so much money. In 2011, salaries for the 200 top-paid CEOs rose 5 percent to a median $14.5 million per year, according to a study by compensation-data company Equilar for The New York Times.
If you are looking to advance your career into a leadership capacity and / or already assume leadership responsibilities – here are 15 things you must do automatically, every day, to be a successful leader in the workplace:
1. Make Others Feel Safe to Speak-Up
Many times leaders intimidate their colleagues with their title and power when they walk into a room. Successful leaders deflect attention away from themselves and encourage others to voice their opinions. They are experts at making others feel safe to speak-up and confidently share their perspectives and points of view. They use theirexecutive presence to create an approachable environment.
2. Make Decisions
Successful leaders are expert decision makers. They either facilitate the dialogue to empower their colleagues to reach a strategic conclusion or they do it themselves. They focus on “making things happen” at all times – decision making activities that sustain progress. Successful leaders have mastered the art of politicking and thus don’t waste their time on issues that disrupt momentum. They know how to make 30 decisions in 30 minutes.
3. Communicate Expectations
Successful leaders are great communicators, and this is especially true when it comes to “performance expectations.” In doing so, they remind their colleagues of the organization’s core values and mission statement – ensuring that their vision is properly translated and actionable objectives are properly executed.
I had a boss that managed the team by reminding us of the expectations that she had of the group. She made it easy for the team to stay focused and on track. The protocol she implemented – by clearly communicating expectations – increased performance and helped to identify those on the team that could not keep up with the standards she expected from us.
4. Challenge People to Think
The most successful leaders understand their colleagues’ mindsets, capabilities and areas for improvement. They use this knowledge/insight to challenge their teams to think and stretch them to reach for more. These types of leaders excel in keeping their people on their toes, never allowing them to get comfortable and enabling them with the tools to grow.
If you are not thinking, you’re not learning new things. If you’re not learning, you’re not growing – and over time becoming irrelevant in your work.
5. Be Accountable to Others
Successful leaders allow their colleagues to manage them. This doesn’t mean they are allowing others to control them – but rather becoming accountable to assure they are being proactive to their colleagues needs.
Beyond just mentoring and sponsoring selected employees, being accountable to others is a sign that your leader is focused more on your success than just their own.
6. Lead by Example
Leading by example sounds easy, but few leaders are consistent with this one. Successful leaders practice what they preach and are mindful of their actions. They know everyone is watching them and therefore are incredibly intuitive about detecting those who are observing their every move, waiting to detect a performance shortfall.
7. Measure & Reward Performance
Great leaders always have a strong “pulse” on business performance and those people who are the performance champions. Not only do they review the numbers and measure performance ROI, they are active in acknowledging hard work and efforts (no matter the result). Successful leaders never take consistent performers for granted and are mindful of rewarding them.
8. Provide Continuous Feedback
Employees want their leaders to know that they are paying attention to them and they appreciate any insights along the way. Successful leaders always provide feedback and they welcome reciprocal feedback by creatingtrustworthy relationships with their colleagues.. They understand the power of perspective and have learned the importance of feedback early on in their career as it has served them to enable workplace advancement.
9. Properly Allocate and Deploy Talent
Successful leaders know their talent pool and how to use it. They are experts at activating the capabilities of their colleagues and knowing when to deploy their unique skill sets given the circumstances at hand.
10. Ask Questions, Seek Counsel
Successful leaders ask questions and seek counsel all the time. From the outside, they appear to know-it-all – yet on the inside, they have a deep thirst for knowledge and constantly are on the look-out to learn new things because of their commitment to making themselves better through the wisdom of others.
11. Problem Solve; Avoid Procrastination
Successful leaders tackle issues head-on and know how to discover the heart of the matter at hand. They don’t procrastinate and thus become incredibly proficient at problem solving; they learn from and don’t avoid uncomfortable circumstances (they welcome them).
Getting ahead in life is about doing the things that most people don’t like doing.
12. Positive Energy & Attitude
Successful leaders create a positive and inspiring workplace culture. They know how to set the tone and bring an attitude that motivates their colleagues to take action. As such, they are likeable, respected and strong willed. They don’t allow failures to disrupt momentum.
13. Be a Great Teacher
Many employees in the workplace will tell you that their leaders have stopped being teachers. Successful leaders never stop teaching because they are so self-motivated to learn themselves. They use teaching to keep their colleagues well-informed and knowledgeable through statistics, trends, and other newsworthy items.
Successful leaders take the time to mentor their colleagues and make the investment to sponsor those who have proven they are able and eager to advance.
14. Invest in Relationships
Successful leaders don’t focus on protecting their domain – instead they expand it by investing in mutually beneficial relationships. Successful leaders associate themselves with “lifters and other leaders” – the types of people that can broaden their sphere of influence. Not only for their own advancement, but that of others.
Leaders share the harvest of their success to help build momentum for those around them.
15. Genuinely Enjoy Responsibilities
Successful leaders love being leaders – not for the sake of power but for the meaningful and purposeful impact they can create. When you have reached a senior level of leadership – it’s about your ability to serve others and this can’t be accomplished unless you genuinely enjoy what you do.
In the end, successful leaders are able to sustain their success because these 15 things ultimately allow them to increase the value of their organization’s brand – while at the same time minimize the operating risk profile. They serve as the enablers of talent, culture and results.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
BALBOA Concepts Inc.: The Stanford Marshmallow Study
The
Stanford Marshmallow Study
Delayed Gratification (Self-Discipline) the Key to Long Term Success
Delayed Gratification (Self-Discipline) the Key to Long Term Success
Stanford University psychology researcher Michael Mischel
demonstrated how important self-discipline (the ability to delay immediate
gratification in exchange for long term goal achievement) is to lifelong
success. In a longitudinal study which began in the 1960s, he offered hungry
4-year-olds a marshmallow, but told them that if they could wait for the
experimenter to return after running an errand, they could have two
marshmallows.
Those who could wait fifteen or twenty minutes for the experimenter
to return would be demonstrating the ability to delay gratification and control
impulse.
About one-third of the children grabbed the single
marshmallow right away while some waited a little longer, and about one-third
were able to wait 15 or 20 minutes for the researcher to return.
Years later when the children graduated from high school,
the differences between the two groups were dramatic: the resisters were more
positive, self-motivating, persistent in the face of difficulties, and able to
delay gratification in pursuit of their goals. They had the habits of
successful people which resulted in more successful marriages, higher incomes,
greater career satisfaction, better health, and more fulfilling lives than most
of the population.
Those having grabbed the marshmallow were more troubled,
stubborn and indecisive, mistrustful, less self-confident, and still could not
put off gratification. They had trouble subordinating immediate impulses to
achieve long-range goals. When it was time to study for the big test, they
tended to get distracted into doing activities that brought instant
gratification. This impulse followed them throughout their lives and resulted
in unsuccessful marriages, low job satisfaction and income, bad health, and
frustrating lives.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
BALBOA Concepts, Inc: 5 Year Personal Development Plan
5 Year Personal Development Plan
Where will you be in 5 years? What will your life be
like? What will you do for a living? These are questions that many of us think
about this time of year. When I look back at previous choices that I have made
in my life I realize what profound differences a simple decision can make.
I am currently reading a simple but profound little book
entitled “Don’t Eat the Marshmallow Yet!” Author Joachim de Posada, a
world-renowned motivational speaker, writes about a landmark Standford
University study of children who were able to delay gratification in the form
of a marshmallow they’d been given to each with the promise that they’d be
rewarded with an additional marshmallow if they resisted eating the first one
for fifteen minutes. Revisited ten years later, the children who held out had
grown up to be significantly more successful than those who had eaten their
marshmallow immediately.
When most people think about “success” the subject of
“delayed gratification” rarely comes up yet as Joachim points out in the book
it may be the single most important decision you can make on your life journey.
The decision to say “I pass” so we can say “I won” is significant.
A simple decision to put away $50 a week instead of
spending it now on frivolous things can lead to a significant savings account
over the period of a few years. A decision to save for a down payment on a
house instead of moving to a larger apartment has created many prosperous
property owners. The decision to finish school instead of taking that entry
level job may pay big dividends.
As Joachim puts is so succinctly in his book; Successful
people are willing to do things that unsuccessful people are unwilling to do.
Why not take a few minutes today and create a 5 year
personal development plan for yourself. Visualize yourself as successful and
write down your passions and visions of your life 5 years from now. Write down
what you see in your mind. Only a small percentage of the population ever set
goals for their lives, yet the ones that do have much greater success than
those that don’t. Develop a marshmallow mindset and develop some long term
habits that will take you to your destination.
My daughter and son-in-law gave me this book for
Christmas. I want to say “Thank You” for the timely wisdom that this little
book estols. This is life changing stuff!
http://successbeginstoday.org/wordpress/2006/01/5-year-personal-development-plan/
Friday, August 30, 2013
Positive Thinkning
Positive Thinking
by Stephen on June 13, 2011
in Inspirational Stories
Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate.
He was always in a good mood and always
had something positive to say. When
someone would ask him how he was doing,
he would reply, "If I were any better, I would
be twins!"
He was a unique manager because he had
several waiters who had followed him
around from restaurant to restaurant. The
reason the waiters followed Jerry was
because of his attitude. He was a natural
motivator. If an employee was having a bad
day, Jerry was there telling the employee
how to look on the positive side of the situation.
Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.' I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life."
"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.
"Yes it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or a bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life."
I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gunpoint by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body. I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?"
I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live, or I could choose to die. I chose to live."
"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Jerry continued, "The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the emergency room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read, 'He's a dead man.' I knew I needed to take action."
"What did you do?" I asked.
"Well, there was a big, burly nurse shouting questions at me, "said Jerry. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes,' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply... I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Bullets!' Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."
Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.
by Stephen on June 13, 2011
in Inspirational Stories
Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate.
He was always in a good mood and always
had something positive to say. When
someone would ask him how he was doing,
he would reply, "If I were any better, I would
be twins!"
He was a unique manager because he had
several waiters who had followed him
around from restaurant to restaurant. The
reason the waiters followed Jerry was
because of his attitude. He was a natural
motivator. If an employee was having a bad
day, Jerry was there telling the employee
how to look on the positive side of the situation.
Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.' I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life."
"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.
"Yes it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or a bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life."
I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gunpoint by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body. I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?"
I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live, or I could choose to die. I chose to live."
"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Jerry continued, "The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the emergency room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read, 'He's a dead man.' I knew I needed to take action."
"What did you do?" I asked.
"Well, there was a big, burly nurse shouting questions at me, "said Jerry. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes,' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply... I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Bullets!' Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."
Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.
By Francie Baltazar-Schwartz
academictips.org/blogs/positive-thinking/
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
BALBOA Concepts, Inc discussion-12 Pillars of Success
BALBOA Concepts, Inc is reading 12 Pillars of Success
Pillar 1 is "Personal Development." This pillar highlights that you can achieve only to the level where you are. Key points on this pillar are success comes when you develop yourself beyond where you currently are; read books, attend seminars/speaker engagements, study the best people; and implement and integrate what you've learned. These points remind me of the definition of insanity, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. To get different results, you've got to change what you're doing. "The only way things are going to change for you is when you change."
Pillar 2 is "Total Well-Being," which is "three dimensional health." The three dimensions are the body (physical), soul (our intellect, emotions, and will), and spirit (part of us that transcends this world). The Spirit is your core, the soul is the next layer, and the body is the outside layer. You need to work on all three, don't just work on one to the detriment of the others. The relationship between the three dimensions highlights the need to be transparent, sincere, and genuine. Let people see you as you really are. "You should make sure the outside of you is a good reflection of the inside of you."
The third Pillar is "The Gift of Relationships." Relationships represent the "most beautiful highs" and the "most tormented lows" of life. Relationships are the backbone of our existence. Twelve Pillars explains that relationships are like a garden, you have to cultivate them. Once you get them up and running, the maintenance to keep them growing is much easier. "Time, effort, and imagination must be summoned constantly to keep any relationship flourishing and growing." People say that money that makes the world go around, but I believe relationships are what make the world go around because things get done through people.
Pillar 4 is "Achieve Your Goals." I've heard and read many times that you should write your goals down. Writing them bring them into reality. A side benefit of achieving your goals is that you become a better person. "The major reason for setting a goal is for what it makes of you to accomplish it." Something I learned from someone elsewhere is that plans will change, but your goals will stay the same. A good approach for checking your progress is "Plan, Do, Check, Adjust."
Pillar 5 is "The proper use of Time". There are two types of pain, the pain of discipline, which weighs only ounces, and the pain of regret, which weighs tons. Don't procrastinate, the end of your life will come sooner than you expect; don't wait until it's too late. Remember that when you spend a day, you have one less day to spend, so spend each day wisely. "Every day has many opportunities, but only one best opportunity." The best opportunities are those that align with your overall goals. Know the difference between the urgent and the important.
Pillar 6. "Surround Yourself With the Best People" "Don't join an easy crowd; you won't grow. Go where the expectations and the demands to perform are high." People have an amazing power to influence your destiny. Every relationship you have is an association, be it positive, neutral, or negative. Ask yourself the following questions about your relationships. Who am I around? What effect are they having on me? What have they got me reading? What have they got me saying? Where do they have me going? What do they have me thinking? What do they have me becoming? Then ask yourself if you're good with the answers. Categorize every person you meet. Is he or she someone you should disassociate with, have limited association with, or should you expand your association? Surround yourself with winners, successful people who exhibit and live consistent to values and skills you want to acquire and develop. You become like those you hang out with, so be picky.
Pillar 7 is "Be a Life-Long Learner." Most of your life is lived after formal education. "Formal education will make you a living. Self education will make you a fortune." Self education is about what you teach yourself and what you learn along the way so you are constantly improving and growing. Learning is the beginning of wealth, health, and spirituality. Read books, observe successful people, reflect on your own experiences; learn what went right and what went wrong. Help others by sharing what you've learned.
Pillar 8 is "All of Life is Sales". Sales means influence and influence is the key to a successful life; learn the art and skill of influence. "One key to having influence with others is to have others perceive you as a person of talent and virtues." Your talent and virtues represent your character and skill. Be a person of strong character and increasing skill and you will always be growing your influence.
Pillar 9 is "Income Seldom Exceeds Personal Development." Money doesn't solve the problems of life; you can lose it, be sued for it, or it can be stolen. What's important is what you become because, "What you become directly influences what you get." Become a million dollar person. Remember, even if you lose money, you have the skills to earn it again.
Pillar 10. "All Communication Brings the Common Ground of Understanding" "Communication is two or more people working together to find the common ground understanding. And when they find that common ground, they are positioned to have tremendous power together." Communication is hard, yet important in all relationships. It's about what you say, how you say it, when you say it, and the receptiveness of who you say it to. Make sure you really listen. The character behind listening is caring enough and valuing the other person enough to want to listen. People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.
Pillar 11 is "The World Can Always Use One More Great Leader." Anyone can be a great leader, all is takes is mastering the art of influence. Leaders make a difference through servant hood. "To lead others is to help them change their thoughts, beliefs and actions for the better." Be interested in people, not just in what you can get from them. Help people with more than just their jobs, help them with their lives. A critical component is the leader-follower relationship, which must be built on trust and integrity. Great leaders are real, they know where they are. Great leaders have an optimistic vision, they know how to get to a better destination and work towards that vision. Another quote I like that captures the essence of leadership is, "The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not a bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly."
Finally, Pillar 12 is "Leave a Legacy." Life is short. You can't choose how long you will live, but you can choose how well you will live. "Live a life that will help others spiritually, intellectually, physically, financially and relationally. Live a life that serves as an example of what an exceptional life can look like." The path we walk has been prepared for us by others who have gone before us. So live your life in such a way that it will serve those who come after you. Blaze a trail that will allow others to move forward in their lives faster than if they had to blaze the trail themselves.
As you can see, the twelve pillars are interdependent; you can't just focus on one and neglect the others. The bottom line is that you have a choice about your life, "Make a Living or Design a Life." I hope you find value in these pillars and will be inspired to pick up Twelve Pillars and apply the pillars to your life and business.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Yolanda_Allen
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1882525
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Balboa Concepts: An Introduction
This is a fairly new blog for us and as we are a young and growing company, we wanted to introduce ourselves. BALBOA Concepts, Inc. was inspired by the character Rocky Balboa, a man who always rises to the competition and only knows how to win. The story inspires people to push themselves to the limit, give 100%, and to determine their own destiny. At BALBOA Concepts we pride ourselves on our competitive nature and dedication to being the best. We provide: the best representation of our client's brands, the best corporate environment for our staff, and we promise the best return on investment to our current and future client partnerships. We are dedicated to our employees by ensuring our development plan aligns with theirs to optimize success, opportunity, personal and professional growth. We are looking for individuals that are equally committed to their success as we are.
Please look at our current job openings!
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