Zig On…

Thinking it Through

 

Never follow a bad shot with a bad decision. As an avid golfer I’m often puzzled by the actions of the typical high-handicap golfer. He steps up to the tee box and with driver in hand takes his stance, thinks the shot through, and hits the ball about two hundred ten yards out and about forty yards to the right, where it lands in the midst of some trees. He walks or rides to the ball, looks at the six-foot opening and determines that all he’s got to do to reach the green is hit the ball a hundred seventy-five yards through that opening, send it over the lake and fade it over the bunker to land on the green.

Let me remind you of the scenario: He just missed a fairway roughly sixty yards wide with the ball teed up and in perfect position. For his second shot he believes he can go through a six-foot opening and make the ball act like it does when one of the top touring pros on the P.G.A. hits it. With the confidence that generally goes with ignorance, he steps up, fires away, and hits the ball in the lake. In anger and disgust, he then hits the ball over the green into a sand bunker. Two strokes later he is on the green where he two-putts for a disastrous quadruple bogey eight. He followed a bad shot with a bad decision and it cost him.

Too often all of us hit a “bad shot” (make a mistake, handle the truth loosely, etc.). Then we compound that “bad shot” by denying it, defending it, lying about it or rationalizing it instead of quietly thinking it through, acknowledging the mistake, and working through it in a logical, forthright manner. Think about it and I’ll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Zig Ziglar is a motivator and teacher. He is the author of 27 books and loved by millions of people world wide for his practical wisdom and his gift of hope.

 

When a company or an individual compromises one time, whether it’s on price or principle, the next compromise is right around the corner.

Zig Ziglar

 

Quit Analyzing and Use Your Intuition

By Lee J. Colan and David Cottrell

 

Tom Peters called intuition our greatest gift. It’s the feeling we get when what we are seeing doesn’t match up with the facts we think we know; it’s the sudden move we make without thinking that saves us from disaster; it’s the voice that tells us the truth rather than what we would like to hear.

Intuition is the ability to make quick and sound decisions based on a minimum of information. For instance, take a look at this paragraph…

Cna yuo raed tihs? I cdn’uolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonemnel pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rsereeachr at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno’t mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteers be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig, huh? Yaeh, and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

Isn’t it astounding how easily we can decipher words with information that is ambiguous, garbled, or less than complete? We are wired to see underlying patterns, fill in the gaps, straighten out the miscues, and discover the hidden meanings. The same is true of our innate ability to make decisions.

Applying the 80/20 Principle to our thinking can help us make smarter, faster, more intuitive decisions. The 80/20 Principle (also known as the Pareto Principle) is pervasive in our world:
• 80% of traffic jams occur on 20% of roads.
• 80% of beer is consumed by 20% of drinkers.
• 80% of classroom participation comes from 20% of students.
• 80% of profits come from 20% of customers.

In most situa¬tions, you can gather 80 percent of the relevant information in the first 20 percent of the time available. Generally, the remaining 20 percent of the data (which would take the remaining 80 percent of your time to obtain) would not substantially improve the quality of your decision. Your intuition is good enough to organize the data and fill in the gaps, just as it did in those nonsense paragraphs a few pages back.
Specifically, here’s how you might apply the 80/20 Principle to your next big decision. First, identify the top five pieces of information you need to make the decision. Then, decide which four of these five are highest in priority. Once you’ve gathered this information, you will have roughly 80 percent of the information you need, and the remaining 20 percent is less important. Now, harness all of your experience and your intuition to fill in the blanks and make a great decision-even faster!

This article is an excerpt from Dr. Colan’s latest book Winners Always Quit. Lee Colan is a high-energy executive advisor, author and leadership expert. He has built a track record of successfully managing the challenges of rapid organizational change.

 

Swine Flu - Is Your Business Ready?

By David Reed, President of Remote Office Consulting, LLC

 

We have all been watching the news as the Swine Flu has swept across the globe, showing no respect for borders or oceans. In the North Texas area, several school districts have closed for the next week or two. The ripple effect of 100,000 students staying home can be felt by many parents who are unable to report to work due to responsibilities at home.

For the past year, Remote Office Consulting, LLC has been preparing for an event such as the one the world is now facing. Due to other priorities, the majority of organizations have not spent the time and resources necessary to be ready to continue doing business during a possible quarantine situation.

Although it may be difficult to create a thorough remote workforce plan at this late date, the purpose of this article is to help all companies do what is needed to deal with this serious threat to not only our health, but the stability of many businesses.

Don’t delay! The following steps should be followed as you create your plan that will allow some of your employees to work from home and sustain core business operations.

1. Classify your job descriptions. Review each of your job descriptions and place them in one of the following categories:

a. 100% Remote compatible - Almost every aspect of this person’s job can be performed away from a central office.

b. 50% Remote compatible - Some of the tasks completed by this person can be performed at home and some can not.

c. Not remote compatible - There are very few aspects of the job that can be performed from home. Manufacturing positions would be an example of jobs that can’t be performed away from the plant or central office.

2. Identify mission critical tasks. Review the work being done in broad categories and divide into the following groups:

a. Mission Critical. These tasks are either required by law or so important that the main business would stop functioning if this was not completed. Some tasks fall into this category because they play a role in the safety of your employees or customers.

b. Important. May not shut the business down, but failure to complete these tasks will have ripple effects throughout the company. For tasks in this category, you should also document how long they could be skipped before creating a major impact on the business.

c. Non-Essential. There are many tasks that under normal circumstances are required to run a business and make wise decisions, but during an emergency can be delayed or skipped entirely. These tasks may include some of the reporting that is done, or tasks like replenishing inventory. For these items, as in the “Important” category, document how long you could go without performing this task before it would switch into one of the other categories. It is important to temporarily suspend these activities to reduce the workload and overall stress in your company. One common leadership error is to expect all tasks to be completed as normal, but by a sub-set of the employees.

3. Inventory of your Remote Office Readiness. For those employees who perform jobs that you consider mission critical or important and are at least partially compatible with remote offices, perform a quick inventory to include items such as:

a. High speed internet access

b. Access to an acceptable home computer or a laptop

c. Suitable home office for at least temporary use

d. Access to critical computer systems, including remote access to the company network through a Virtual Private Network (VPN) or other access method. (This should be tested from the home location.)

e. Up to date emergency contact sheet containing home phone numbers, cell phone numbers, and alternate email addresses.
f. Ability to back up data if the work is not performed on a central server.

4. Task Prioritization and Assignment. For those tasks that fall into the Mission Critical or Important categories, consider those employees who are able to work remotely, and assign these tasks to the workers.

5. Supervisory Plan. Especially if having remote employees is foreign to your company, create a plan to provide supervision for the employees who are no longer working at the central office. This should include setting expectations for responding to emails and phone calls. You should also have a plan for submitting completed work if the data is not stored on a central server.

6. Collaboration Tools. There are several products, such as GoToMeeting, that can be purchased and quickly configured. These tools provide a way to share documents and view the screen of your fellow team members.

The key to a good Remote Workforce Plan is communication. Setting clear expectations for all employees and remaining calm during an emergency are both important.

If your organization is interested in creating a more thorough plan, please contact me.  I hope that the Swine Flu comes and goes with minimal impact to each of you, but taking steps today can save your business tomorrow.

 

This day in history

May 5, 1961 From Cape Canaveral, Florida, Navy Commander Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. is launched into space aboard the Freedom 7 space capsule, becoming the first American astronaut to travel into space.

 

Ziglar Recommends

Successful people generally analyze, manage their time, get comfortable, strive for success, and show interest. They all sound pretty good, right? But what you are doing today may keep you from winning tomorrow.

This rapid-read book reveals seven pretty good habits you can swap for really great results. Learn how to quit today and you will never quit winning!

Click here to learn more!

 

 

What’s new at Ziglar?

Six tips to fight the Swine Flu

By Paul Sullivan

 

1. Avoid close contact with people at work and school who are sick OR with those same people if you are sick.
2. Wash your hands often. Flu virus can stay alive and virulent on many surfaces such as doorknobs, countertops, computer keyboard, telephones, etc for many hours.
3. Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing
4. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth as germs are often spread in this manner.
5. Get plenty of rest and drink plenty of fluids, preferably water.
6. Boost your immune system with quality nutrients and nutritional supplements year round. There are concerns with the Swine Flu that the virus will go dormant in the summer and people will let their guard down. The 1918 flu did the same thing then became very virulent in the fall and people were not prepared with disastrous results.
The tips above are for year round - life long practice for better immune protection and optimal health.

Tom Ziglar says: “Paul Sullivan is a Pharmacist and a nutritional expert as well as a long time friend of the Ziglar family. I purchased Immune Shield Chrono Pak, which Paul developed, for our entire traveling team at Ziglar which includes Zig, Jean, Julie, Krish Dhanam and Bryan Flanagan. Here is a link if you are interested in this great product.

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