Motivation

If you want to change people's behavior, youhave to understand what motivates them.


~ Ken Sperling

The Underdog

The underdog in many products can pick and choose where it wants to hit the giant.  The giant, by contrast, must defend itself everywhere.

~George H. Lesch

Life is Pretty Simple

Life is pretty simple: you do some stuff.  Most fails.  Some works.  You do more of what works. If it works big, others quickly copy it.  Then you do something else.  The trick is in the doing something else.

~ Tom Peters

The Right Questions

Charles de Gaulle did not believe that at a press conference he should let the reporters choose the subject that would be discussed.  So he arrived with five prepared answers, and no matter what the question was, he worked his way through those five answers. 

A day later, a French newspaper ran a cartoon in which de Gaulle was depicted as asking " Would somebody like to ask a question to my answers?"

The lesson here is to take a look at our own lives and see how often we are stuck on our own agenda, and we stay there, despite what is going on in the world around us.  There are times where we are so busy waiting for someone to ask us the "right question" so we can give the answer we've so carefully planned and prepared, that we miss the opportunity to hear questions that will challenge us to live and grow in new directions.

Different Needs for Different People

In 1774 the Virgina Colony invited six Indian nations (The Iroquois Confederacy) to send six of their young braves to be educated at Williamsburg Collge.  This was the reply from The Six Indian Nations:

We thank you heartily. But you, who are wise, must know that different Nations have different Conceptions of things; and you will therefore not take it amiss, if our Ideas of Education happen not to be the same with yours.  We have had some Experience with it.  Several of our Young People were formerly brought up at your Colleges; there were instructed in all your Sciences; but, when they came back to us, they were bad Runners, ignorant of every means of living in the Woods, unable to bear either Cold or Hunger, knew neither how to build a Cabin or take a Deer, or kill an Enemy, spoke our Language imperfectly, were therefore neither fit for Hunters, Warriors, nor Counsellors, they were totally good for nothing.  We are, however, not the less obliged by your kind Offer, tho' we decline accepting it; and, to show our grateful Sense of it, if the Gentlemen of Virginia will send us a Dozen of their Sons, we will take care of their Education; instruct them in all we know, and make Men of them.
~The Six Indian Nations

The lesson here is to ask ourselves where in our lives are we assuming we know best, and that our way is right for everyone.  Have we forgotten to recognize that different people have different needs in different situations?  How does this apply to you?

The Joneses

You no longer have to keep up with the Joneses...they've died of exhaustion.

~The Old Vermonter

Too Much

It is possible to own too much.  A man with a watch knows what time it is.  A man with two watches is never sure.

~Author unknown but greatly appreciated

Challenge

If at first you do succeed, try something harder.

~Author unknown but greatly appreciated

The Razor's Edge

Every good and excellent thing stands moment by moment on  the razor's edge of danger and must be fought for.

~H. Ross Perot

The Top

The person on top of the mountain did not fall there.

~Author unknown but greatly appreciated

Challenging the Rules

In the winter of 333 B.C., the Macedonian general Alexander and his army arrived in the Asian city of Gordium to take up winter quarters.  While there, Alexander heard about the legend surrounding the town's famous knot, the "Gordian's Knot."  A prophesy stated that whoever was able to untie the strangly complicated knot would become king of Asia. 

The story intrigued Alexander and he asked to be taken to the knot so that he could attempt to untie it. He studied it for a while, and made several fruitless attempts to untie the knot.  he was stymied. 

"How can I untie the knot?" he asked himself. He got an idea: "I just have to come up with my own knot untying rules."  He pulled out his sword and slived the knot in half. Alexander was the next king of Asia.

The lesson is to ask yourself where you are stuck because you have not challenged the rules.  Is there another way?  Sometimes, not always, but sometimes, the rules are ok to challenge, change, or break.  Sometimes the rules protect us. It's a delicate balance to know the difference.

Achievement

Achievement is largement the product of steadily raising one's levels of aspiration and expectation.

~Jack Nicklaus

Rules for Business Success

Face reality as it is...not as it was, or as you wish it to be.
Be candid with everyone.
Don't manage, lead.
Change before you have to.
If you don't have a competitive advantage, don't compete.
Control your own destiny or someone else will.

~Jack Welch

Communication

The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being said.

~ Peter Drucker

Feet on The Ground

If you want children to keep their feet on the ground, put some responsibility on their shoulders.

~Abigail Van Buren