Be Upstanding to be Outstanding

It would be reassuring if we could always assume every person we dealt with in business was an upstanding citizen who could be trusted to be open, fair and honest. How successful might we all become if we strived to be the best we could be in our own businesses and everyone else was striving likewise in their own endeavors. There would be no more scams, rip-offs, cheating or deceit.

You may have heard of the expression “be the change you want to see occur in the world”. Yes, it can be a challenge in a world where a percentage of people do not understand the concepts of being considerate, honest or helpful, being in it only for themselves. One of the problems is that some people simply do not see themselves as others see them. They are not aware of their own shortcomings because in their minds, they don’t have any shortcomings.

How do you know if you fall into this category? No offence, but none of us can progress if we are not aware of our shortcomings, because without this knowledge, there is nothing to work with. So let’s quiz Joe Bloggs and if you find yourself identifying with the responses, you may have a little work to do on your self-development… : (more…)

Lessons You can Learn from Humpty

How many times have you heard someone say, “Losing my job was the best thing that ever happened to me!” Does hearing this sentiment make you scratch your head in puzzlement? How could something so negative be so positive? What’s the person’s secret?

Few of us begin our careers with the intent of doing something else. After all, we’ve invested quite a bit in getting to where we are. Much like Humpty Dumpty, we proudly sit atop our wall of achievements and accomplishments giving little thought to doing anything else. However, with today’s winds of change, it’s pretty likely that sometime in our working lives we will find ourselves tumbling from our safe perch. For most of us the great fall occurs when:

 Our job is eliminated through downsizing.
 Our company is acquired or merges with another company and the new situation no longer appeals to us.
 Our job stays the same but we just can’t get excited about it anymore.

So, after the great fall what are the secrets to putting yourself back together again – better than ever? (more…)