Practical Perspectives Blog

“Here is a simple but powerful rule … always give people more than they expect to get.”  -Nelson Boswell

“Intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them”  – Albert Einstein

It was roughly two years ago when a highly intelligent, and successful prospective CEO client of ours slammed his papers on the boardroom table and pronounced “I cannot lose one more client to the competition”.  Imagine our surprise, given the only question we had asked at this early point in a preliminary meeting was very simply this: “What has been critical to your success and growth over the last few years?”  Naturally, questions raced through our heads: Were we having two entirely separate conversations?  Had we lost him to an unrelated train of thought?  It can be a challenging moment for a consultant, when it appears your prospect has left the station, so to speak, without you. 

“Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”  -Michael Jordan

This was written for and first published by JustinBradley in their 10/24/12 Newsletter.

Did you know it’s time to throw out the old notion that having satisfied customers is the path to a successful business?

In the early 1960s, President John F. Kennedy stated that he wanted to send a man to the moon and bring him back safely by the end of the decade; a pretty lofty goal. Senator George Smathers from Florida agreed with the “lofty goal” part. So, before voting to secure funds for the initiative, he wanted to make sure he made the right decision. He visited Cape Canaveral to do a bit of detective work on his own. After much time, observation, questioning and exploration he still had not made a decision. 

Enter any car dealership and chances are that you’re quickly dazzled by the shiny models on display. The chrome glistens. The leather entices with that brand new smell we all love. The vivid reds convey excitement and the metallic neutrals exude elegance and success.

Despite the fact that there are signts that the economy is turning around, not everyone is rejoicing. Though we often think that terminated employees are a recession’s only casualties, middle managers often shoulder the stress of a shaky economy more than any other workplace employee.

The Secret and the Law of Attraction have been circulating the airwaves. A basic summary of the Law of Attraction is that “like attracts like.” The law works by attracting similar forces to each other. If we focus on the positive, we will manifest abundance from the universe and positive things will be attracted to us. If we think negatively, we will attract negative experiences and results. There are mystical elements wrapped up in the Law of Attraction. As if we have a magical power to bring good things in our direction. It is extremely alluring. Is it true?