The Resilient Employee

Do you want an employee who over-reacts to provocation from a customer? How much business could you lose because of one overstressed reaction? No one really wants to find out.

Resilient people do good work on bad days. They don’t take it out on customers, nor on their co-workers. You can tell they are tired, you can tell they don’t feel well, but they still do good work with a minimum of drama. Tomorrow they are back at it, feeling better, listening, collaborating and doing good work.

Resilience comes from having survived tough times, coming back from events out of our control, and preserving through failures and bad experiences. It is a faith that we can make it through crazy customers, clueless bosses and co-worker visiting from outer space. Just another day folks, nothing to see here. (or is there more?)

Emotional strength and intelligence comes from knowing life is about more than you. Common Goals and values drive better behavior. It is taking care of others. Serving the public. Loving people. Especially when they don’t deserve it.

What do you do when your world changes? Where do you find your resiliency? Is it in your history? in your family’s stories? Your uncle who served in the war? Your neighbor who is always calming and interested? Or is peace something deeper. After all God is Love.

Misconceptions About President Trump

It has been a few months and both the press and opposition have not figured out President Donald Trump. Let alone why Trump won the election. Lets clear some misconceptions:

1) Rural / Country Votes Defeated Hilary

Not enough rural votes to matter. The Democrats struggled with the Suburbs. People on government support voted for Hilary, the people who pay the taxes did not.

Hilary won California by 4 million votes. She lost the other 49 states by 2 million votes.

2) Expecting President Donald Trump Will Act Like a Politician

Donald Trump won the election despite the Republican Party, despite the Press, and despite the Democrats being incumbents. He ran as an Anti-politician. He has said outrageous and provocative statements to shake up the election. Look at his selected Alpha business CEO advisors who get things done to lead his government. They will act very different than politicians.

3) Donald Trump Will Stop Responding to Criticism

Donald does not operate under  ‘attack each other to a draw’ politics of the last 20 years. He will respond like a Media star.

Obama tried to ignore the unfair ‘Birther’ attacks during his presidency. Donald Trump responded forcefully to the unfair ‘Illegitimate President’ personal attack no matter how respected the speaker is.

He will respond forcefully no matter how important the Country criticizing him.

4) The Republican Party is in Charge

Donald Trump is not stuck on an ideology. He is a Moderate. While rare in DC these days, still very common among non-politicians. He will take allies where he can get them on each issue. While the Republican Party is weak, per Chuck Todd “The Democratic Party is in Disarray, and is Irrelevant.”

5) Donald Trump is a Negotiator

Master negotiators have an agenda, do not reveal everything up front, and read the opposition before reacting. He is use to people playing hardball with him. Has progressed through life he has accumulated power, and negotiated at different levels of power. Not much will throw him.

Expect outrageous opening positions in public. But people & governments who want to work with the US will find a reliable partner. Government who try to overpower the USA will be rebuffed. Deals are made where both sides can Save Face.

Government negotiations will change from the weak tactics used by the last administration. President Trump has the advantage President Bush 43 had has ‘The Cowboy’. No one is certain what he would do.

6) President Donald Trump Does Not Owe the Establishment

The people who elected the President are the Unprotected. Average working people who pay taxes who use to be The Silent Majority. These citizen are his clients.

Not even sure he will want a second term, unless his supporters request him.

President Trump’s first term is not about being reelected. It will be Getting Changes Done. Expect things will be different in DC.

Developing Soft Skills

Businesses love to talk about the best leaders have soft skills. In short they work well with people to get the most out of their teams. They are often very respected and productive workers as well.

Starting out, how do you get soft skills? Where does this reputation come from? What soft skills would you like to have?

First, most people’s reactions are not about you. They think about what affects them. So do you, but you don’t think about that. When someone is losing their cool in front of you, wait until they calm down enough to talk with. Then ask questions.

The person who listens more attentively learns the most. Don’t think about what to say next when someone else is talking. What are they saying, and what is behind it? Often the most important part of the message is not said. It comes through their attitude and phasing. Ask questions about what they are saying to keep them talking.

Was very shy as a young man. Talking with young women threw me. I literally had to practice talking with people. To be less nervous, would talk with people who I did not know and could probably not help me. Often would talk with any woman of any age about any topic. When I met attractive women of datable ages, was no longer tongue-tied.

If you really want to excel with soft skills, CARE about people around you. Get your own ego out of the way. You can learn something from everyone, and you can help more people than you think. Praise people every time you see something you like. “They won’t remember what you said. They won’t forget how you made them feel.”

Study Servant Leadership. John Maxwell is my favorite author on this subject. Leaders aren’t there to make every decision. They enable their teammates to do more tasks better, and even excel at them.

I care about your success. Otherwise would I spend the time to write this? Start trying to listen to and praise people now. Does not matter how awkward it feels at first. You will start making their day and your day.

“If you could kick the person responsible for most of your troubles, you would not be able to sit down for six months.” - Unknown

Make a Good 2017

You make any resolutions? Most people don't, but wish for a better situation. Resolutions are good for focus, but not necessary for your good year.

Do the little things for 2017. It is not having a grand vision. Success comes with consistent actions.

• Can you get to bed a few minutes earlier, and get enough sleep?
• Are you walking or going to gym more often?
• Have you cut down on portions?
• Avoiding unnecessary carbs or snacks?
• Eating more veggies?
• Brush and floss your teeth?

No crash diet, but each action above will contribute to better health and less weight.

Don’t make a resolution. Take action over & over. 

• Remember what you were grateful for yesterday first thing in morning. 
• Start projects & chores before the last minute. 
• Leave 10 minutes earlier. 
• Write down tasks for later.

Being less stressed leads to a happy 2017.

Happy 2017

Don’t know about you, but 2016 was a bear. Challenging at work, with my wife, with her Mom’s condition getting worse, and Dad passing away. Very happy to see 2017.

Going to work to make 2017 better. Most of us make resolutions that we fail at. Don’t intend to fail. Discipline is my biggest weakness. So have to work around my foibles. Did get under my goal weight of 175 lbs. in 2016, but gained 4-5 lbs. back. And that was before going on vacation in Florida.

First am going to focus on just a few things: Improving my health and conditioning. Improving my listening and slow down with people. Learning whether or not serious about developing a copywriting business. One thing have learned is the less resolutions you make, the better the odds you will complete them.

Notice I put my first resolution as a positive outcome. Your mind believes you, so “Remember catsup at the store” instead of ‘Don’t forget catsup at the store.

Working on a unifying theme for my resolutions. That way the individual tasks to accomplish are not the resolution, nor the measure of success. ‘A better 2017 than 2016’ will be enough regardless of what challenges come to derail one resolution. 

What is your one goal for 2017 you would enjoy? What theme would carry us through the year ahead? Themes could be Health, Happiness, Peace, Education, Work, Joy, Gratitude or more.

Happy New Years to you, your family and friends.