Hire Me Book - E-Hire Me Blog

Attitude Is Everything

Hire Me Book - E-Hire Me — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:57:00 +0000

Take a quick look at the video by none other than the Athletic director of The Ohio State University, Gene Smith.

His thoughts are very illuminating when it comes to trying to maximize your earnings.

Working on the Future

Hire Me Book - E-Hire Me — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 21:09:00 +0000

A nice piece appeared in the Peace Arch News about a recent speech that we gave on the topic of Hire Me and earning your rewards.

Take a look at what they had to say here.

Live large.

Define T.E.A.M.

Hire Me Book - E-Hire Me — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 15:10:00 +0000

For those of you that think that a team is just people who play a game on the same side or who work at the same time in the same place...

YOUR WRONG!

A team is actually a group of very different and unique individuals who share a commitment to working together to achieve common goals. Most likely they are not all equal in experience, talent or education, but they are equal in one vitally important way, their commitment to the good of the organization (whether it be family, business, or in sports).

Naturally, all of us want to be part of something bigger than we are...and team relationships fulfill that basic need. They are an immensely powerful force, yet they always need to be nurtured. When they are not, ego's and individualism may develop which can lead to team separation and failure. So, be sure to show each team member exactly how far reaching his or her contribution can be. Be aware that trust, communication, and support are key pillars in the development of any team. And most importantly understand that nothing else will achieve greater results than working as a team.

So then...what makes a team?

Individuals who are not equal in talent, experience or education, but equal in...

COMMITMENT.

It is not realistic to think we can live or work with others without some conflict, but by communicating about the differences, focusing on the common goals and ensuring that all members in an organization are rowing in the same direction...you can dominate any industry, in any market, against any competition, at any time!

The result : greater success.

A Cause

Hire Me Book - E-Hire Me — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 22:05:00 +0000

"Blessed is he who has found his work." --- Thomas Carlyle (nineteenth century English essayist)

"When you were born, the world rejoiced while you cried. Live your life in such a way that, when you die, the world cries while you rejoice." --- The Dalai Lama

The world is begging for you to help out.

Begging and begging and begging some more. Help me. I need more disciples and more people that understand the meaning of this world and this life.

You see it is the lost causes that interrupt the true nature of finding, discovering, and living for the true causes of this world. The habitual, new world, phenomenon of material gain has clouded the vision of most of us and has rendered us useless.

People no longer live to aid a higher cause because they feel that gaining and adding cars, trucks, houses, and fine clothing is their real purpose. Where and when did this divergence get created? Why?

Today the modern person gets up early, misses lunch, works late, doesn’t truly take care of their physical state let alone their mental state of affairs, and then wonders why there is love lost, lack of energy, a loss of drive or desire for getting up in the morning, and major illness plaguing their lives. When described like this it seems easy to discover the reasons for these problems yet most of you in this situation will read this, hear the point, and then carry on with what you were doing; being part of the problem and not part of your solution. Hearing and not understanding the point.

What are you working for? What are you really most proud of?

A little glimpse into the everyday conversations around a bike store can give you a view of what really matters to most.

"I road further today than I have ever ridden before – it felt amazing breaking down that mental barrier of two hours in the saddle."
"I can’t believe I actually finished that Duathlon. I never thought I could do it."
"I rode that log like time was standing still and then Peter ripped it right behind me. It was like we were fifteen years old again. We were so proud of each other. It is going to be a great barbeque tonight."
"I'm training to complete my first triathlon."
"A trip through the Napa Valley on my bike was possibly my best trip ever."

No boats, no money, no housing costs or interest rates. No, these moments are people doing what they want and accomplishing things they never thought they could. People following their hearts and consuming themselves with a cause and a purpose. Physically empowering themselves to finish events, try new things, go further, and discover themselves.

This is where the journey must start for all of us. Discovering ourselves will allow us to gain the next level of understanding and to then help others and our world.

Here is the warning. If you do not discover that you are striving for the wrong things than you will find that you never end up satisfied and that pot of gold you thought so necessary will only become an anchor that is difficult to release. Money is not what you should want it is a by product that you may earn as you pursue your cause.

Just ask the Dali Lama if he thinks he is wealthy.

You Have Permission.

Hire Me Book - E-Hire Me — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 21:19:00 +0000

last week we received an inventory from one of our co workers. first, let me explain what an 'inventory' is.

when people apply to our company, they are asked to submit a personal inventory describing (for themselves & to themselves) who / what & why they are the way they are. specifically we are looking for patterns of behaviors we will undoubtedly see and have to address. the theory is, if we can encourage people to reflect on their past, significant moments, and their own strengths and weakness origins, we will increase the likelihood of managing their talents through their term. knowing is half the battle.

does it work. 100%. what it does is challenge young people to look at themselves before we look... and comment. people are invited to share their inventories if they want and we begin by sharing ourselves so people understand what they should be looking for.

...back to last week. i received a copy of someones inventory and was blown away by how well it was written and also, how much this young woman had come through to make it to where she is now. what struck me as odd was how thankfully she reacted after sharing her story with us and having our support. it was as if we were giving her permission to be human, vulnerable, and exorcise her demons in a safe haven.

i thought about that long and hard because i have seen it before. giving someone permission. so many times we go through life and learn to fear people who say "no". no is a power word used by powerless people. remember, any idiot can say no, but only a true leader, entrepreneur, mentor, hero etc has the capacity to say "yes".

yes it is ok to be who you are. yes you will still be supported, in fact likely more now that we have a snapshot into areas we otherwise may not have known about. yes it's ok to make a mistake. yes you will be held accountable, but yes we will learn from it and move on. yes, you are still a great human and contributing member. yes life is tough. yes there is a lot of good in the world. yes there are people you can trust, yes yes yes yes yes.

keep saying & thinking yes. i can... i will.... i am and you will reach the promised land of self actualization in short order. you will be successful beyond your wildest imagination.

this isn't "the secret" talk... because the path to this fantastic discovery actually.

ISN'T A SECRET.

The First Step

Hire Me Book - E-Hire Me — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 17:58:00 +0000

Ten years ago I attended a conference in which the key note speaker addressed the crowd in a frustrated tone. He actually stated that he was mad at everyone in the crowd for how little thay had acheived. While we on swim upstream consistently coach removing emotion from leadership in order that the focus remain on the message, his objective was acheived. Everyone thought about what he said and was about to say.

He continued by stating that the most difficult physical act anyone on this planet will ever overcome is learning how to walk. Most of us do this between our first and second year of life, and then, biomechanically speaking, life gets easier ever thereafter.

This is where we leave the message of Paul Chek (for now) and introduce the idium of "crawl, walk, jog, sprint".
To learn anything (physical, technical, intellectual, etc) we must start at the beginning. This (I hope) is not news to anyone. The reason we have to revisit this concept so often is because of those terrible words "yeah, yeah"
How many times have you (or your employees or your children) asked how to do something, only to listen to you draw the blueprint, and then do their own thing? The challenge of parents, teachers, coaches, and all other leaders is that we can never say, show, or teach soemthing just once.
Leadership, after all, is saying the same thing over and over (albeit using different methods and modes of communicating) until our pupil 'gets it'. Our objective is to teach others a skill and have them perform it at their highest ability (to have them sprint).

In order to sprint, we need to crawl, walk, and jog. If we miss a step, we affect the eventual outcome and the entire process. It's kind of like learning to give great public speeches before you learn to listen... people will eventually realize that you only care about your own message and not what the crowd wants to hear from you. They may dub you a 'windbag'.
If we learn to crawl, and master this ability, before we walk, job, or sprint, we will break the 10 second 100m dash (we will move our community, our industry, or our family and even our very existance forward).
Paul Chek (who you will recall gave the keynote address) only attained a grade 8 education, but he researched the science of physical training, and crawled for a long time before he put it into practice (I asked him and he's read over 500 books on the subject). He then walked for years (over 20) before he jogged (started his own business) and then sprinted (started his own certification and his students command $150/ hr for personal training).

Before you demand a sprint race from your pupils... ask yourself if you've taught them how to crawl. Have you taught yourself???

Don't "yeah, yeah" one step, and neither will they.
Stan Peake

remember others are watching!

Hire Me Book - E-Hire Me — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 04:06:00 +0000

If you are in a leadership position at your work, you might be surprised at how much people pick up from your body language, non verbal cues and general demeanor above your spoken word. Assuming the leadership position comes with the reality of heightened visibility and the challenge is to make sure with that visibility, resides a responsibility heightened awareness.

Last week I walked into a bike shop where I witnessed many great things coming together at once. The excitement was palpable and the energy was apparent as the team rushed to begin their day. Suddenly came a startling holler from the back 40 which instantaneously changed the mood for the worse.

There was shouting, and tension and a very directionless attempt at leadership from someone who didn't even look like they were involved in this ecosystem. Upon futher examination, it could be determined this was the owner / leader of the operations and as I watched the next 15 minutes, customers headed directly to the cash register, heads down trying to pay for their goods and get out ofthe store.

It clearly made everyone uncomfortable and reminded me of a mother yelling at her children in front of all their friends. Their friends really don't know what to do, the child is humiliated and the mother just keeps on walking unaware of the impression she has just left. Is this effective. Surely not. It simply creates a situation where the child doesn't bring his friends over to the house anymore. For starters, they don't want to come and secondly, the child is embarrassed.

The important point I took from watching this interaction, which is sometimes hard to see in your own situation unless removed, was that the leader needed to be aware, not only of her impact on the team, but the osmotic impact that carried over to the customers.

Remember, if you are leading, others will follow that lead!

Luck

Hire Me Book - E-Hire Me — Wed, 30 May 2007 16:39:00 +0000

There is a serious difference between opportunity and luck. For the better part of the world it is lucky that their investment in a house or RRSP’s go up. Why is it lucky?

It is lucky because they have invested blindly, largely without control and in hope of an increase in value. Most people are lucky.

Opportunity is what people are presented in business when they are working hard, smart and happily. Strangely enough these people that get to the top often claim it was a bit lucky.

To actually feel successful one must have worked for their earnings, one must have struggled for success and one must be prepared for the opportunities that begin to open up when they are working for that success. Most great leaders are self-deprecating or in other words, they make fun of themselves and give credit to everyone else for getting them to the top. They claim luck.

Looking at the millions and millions who claim they were smart it again seems obvious who the great leaders are. They talk as if they are lucky and spend more of their work time working. They know how they became successful; they know what it took to get there and what it will take to stay there.

Are you really aware of how you will become successful? What is your secret ingredient? Is it luck?

Reading

Hire Me Book - E-Hire Me — Mon, 28 May 2007 17:02:00 +0000

Statistics suggest that only 10% of people will ever enter a bookstore and purchase after they have graduated. Only 10% of people will continue to read and expand their horizons.

Learning is an imperative part of maximizing your earning potential. Reading, taking courses, newsletters and consistently upgrading your knowledge base will allow you to have greater perspective and take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves.

As the statistics state most people are stuck at graduation level for their knowledge base so to increase your competitive advantage relative to your co-workers reading is one of the simplest and most effective tactics. It hardly takes any time at all to increase your learning relative to the others you work with and by applying many of the things you can take from books and programs you will certainly have a greater chance of maximizing your earnings and gaining the success you seek.

Spend one hour a day reading on a certain subject matter and with three years you will be a leading world expert. Cut out television, listen to audio books while you exercise or just simply find time to relax and read. The benefits are tremendous and the chances of you being the person chosen for promotion or a raise are dramatically increased by what you know and how you apply it.

Continue to learn. Just one more of the secrets of the successful.

Hints

Hire Me Book - E-Hire Me — Wed, 23 May 2007 16:48:00 +0000

Most people have real difficulty staying focused which is why we hear the overuse of terms such as ADD and ADHD being applied to our children and even our co-workers these days.

So what can you do to help yourself remain focused both at work and at home? Here are a few tips to get you started:

Answer your emails only twice a day at pre-scheduled times. For instance, if you start work at 9am and finish at 5pm [don't you wish!] then answer for no longer than 30 minutes at 9:30am and 3:30pm. This will allow you to communicate on things that are necessary for that day while at the same time making sure you aren't interrupting your focus from other important tasks to answer rouge emails.

Schedule focus times at least once a day. Focus time is where you work on one task without being interrupted, getting out of your chair to go to the fridge, answer the phone or do anything but time spent working diligently on your main job. This main job should be the one that makes you and your company the most money. [Note: it should also be your main passion...but that is another blog post.]

Answer your phone when you want to not because it rings. Blackberries, phones and other devices only serve others if you are not in control of how you use them. People that cannot control themselves with their phones and other hand-held devices are actually very rude when they are with others. Learn to use your phone for your own good not everybody else's.

Practice these few things and you will see your time management skills improve dramatically while noticing that your 20% of focus time will produce 80% of your revenue.

You will begin to surely maximize your earnings.

Don't forget the reality.

Hire Me Book - E-Hire Me — Tue, 22 May 2007 17:29:00 +0000

There has been a lot written about the workplace mentality / reality shift. Flexible work hours, working from home, tenure reward programs, masters through work etc and although beneficial, we cannot overlook the reality that it's called "work" for a reason.

Stats show our North American workforce operates at about 4% of its productivity max. 4%. At first i thought this to be a convenient hoax, as 4% isn't even pathetic - its apathetic. However, investigating further, one does not have to look too hard to find sayings like - only 20% of your performers yield results while 80% don't. So somewhere in the 4-20% range is still apathetic.

If we have not been paying attention to what this attitude will do to the economy (at large), we should start. Smart people are continually finding ways to eliminate waste. 4-20% of any given workforce population being productive means there is a lot of waste to cut. Now, more than ever its going to be about who you know (as what you know) counts for little more than a certificate that is seldom seen. There are going to be less jobs available which will inflate a bull employment market where the people will be singing zero unemployment what a great job we have done! Sure, that's because there are also fewer jobs than there were 10-15 & 50 years ago.

The safest way to ensure you remain a part of the 4-20 range is to actually work each day you go to work. Carry the same attitude into the workplace you would when you are at home, at rest, on vacation or at play and you will reap the benefits of helping the forward progress of your organization, and hence your earning potential!

Tell Me Who

Hire Me Book - E-Hire Me — Mon, 21 May 2007 19:59:00 +0000

There are endless websites, books, magazines and articles written about how to be ready for an interview and yet so few ever make a great first impression.

The interview is a key part of securing your next job and yet most people are either unsure or totally unaware that the interviewer is trying to establish whether there is a cultural fit with their company based simply on attitude. Technical concepts have been established from the very beginning through a resume but there is little that can be understood about the right attitude from a piece a paper.

It is strange then that rarely do applicants help the interviewer understand that they have the right attitude for the job. There is a tendency to impress people with what they know rather than who they are.

Business owners are looking for who you are because they are confident that they can teach what you need to know for their business.

How you hold yourself, they smile you carry on the day [and hopefully forever], the professionalism you want them to see in you, and what you are willing to do for the company to help everyone succeed are things that Human Resource departments want answers for.

Do yourself a favour when you are next in an interview situation. Show up prepared for the technical needs of the job but impress upon the person asking questions that you are really wanting to learn, grow and do what it takes to help the business take the next step. Use the time at the end of the interview, when most will ask, "Anything else to add", to move the interviewer with your passion and attitude. Open yourself up and show them who you are.

While there is never a guarantee that showing a great attitude during an interview will get you hired it is certainly a platform that will help to keep you moving towards maximizing your income when someone does eventually appreciate the person you are and the person you want to become.

The Top 10!

Hire Me Book - E-Hire Me — Thu, 17 May 2007 22:52:00 +0000

These are the top lessons we have learned over 10 years of business. These are great things to a) try yourselves and then b) coach others in your quests to be great leaders.

1. Planning is the cornerstone of success. If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail and will never reach any ‘destination’.
2. Communication is the medium through which that plan is shared. Face to face is the most effective and it must be transactional.
3. Framing determines the level of success in communicating a point to someone else. Info has to be parlayed in language that is meaningful to the recipient
4. Introspection (people telling themselves) is much more effective than someone else trying to tell them. Only when we are able to tell themselves, will action follow.
5. Challenge is the catalyst to introspection. People will not naturally think to look inside and must be challenged to do so.
6. Adversity will follow that challenge. Few will embrace change, and will instinctively fight or flight it. Know this and using info from #4, support the adversity
7. Victories need to be captured. The rat race allows little time for reflection, which means lessons are not learned the 1st time. We must always seek to connect the dots for others.
8. This entire process needs to start with the self. You cannot advocate the information written unless you are doing & it at a high & consistent level.
9. Teaching and following up, are the final effective coaching continuum practices that enable the consistently of repeating the fundamentals to yourself
10. Fundamentals bring us all the way back to #1. Execute them at a high level and they pave the way for continued success.

Learning and Education

Hire Me Book - E-Hire Me — Mon, 07 May 2007 20:23:00 +0000

Is there a difference between someone who decides not to read and someone who can't read?

We are a society that is relentlessly marketed to and we inadvertently let ideas into our brain without first deciding whether we believe in them or not. We listen and learn yet when it comes to actually taking the time to educate ourselves we procrastinate or just plainly don't bother.

Our learning has taken a major step back. We are doing little or nothing once we graduate to further our knowledge base and en masse we regurgitate what we hear through the media. We relive media messages as if it were actually something we learned or studied.

All the while our libraries, bookshops and educational institutions are full of information we could be learning from. It is a fact that after high school graduation only 10% of the North American population will walk into a bookstore and buy a book. Only 10%!

One sure way you can leap past your competition with a sure fire advantage is to continue to read and educate yourself. If you are one of the 10% then you are on the correct path.

I once heard a mentor of mine say that if I was to read just 1 hour a day on the same subject that in less than three years I would be a full-blown expert on that topic. Just three years and you could be a world-renowned expert in your chosen field.

If you want to succeed in this world and you want to maximize your earning potential then get out a library card and start to devour educational material, autobiographies and anything that will make you smarter.

Take control of what you are learning. Read, learn and move forward.

Start

Hire Me Book - E-Hire Me — Sat, 05 May 2007 03:19:00 +0000

"You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do."
-- Henry Ford

When all else fails just start.

Do something.

Take action.

Move.

Now.

Attitude Is Everything

Hire Me Book - E-Hire Me — Thu, 03 May 2007 00:04:00 +0000

In today's ever demanding work force where technical skills are being trumpeted by our higher learning institutions it is worthwhile noting that these so all powerful skills are beginning to be matched or in some cases overshadowed by a subject that nobody teaches or even takes courses for. That subject is attitude.

To get into medical school ten years ago your grades needed to be at minimum a 4.0 and then you needed to do very well, some would say almost perfectly, on your entrance exams. While the standards haven't dropped that much there is now a further requirement that needs to be passed with flying colours. Applicants need to pass a very arduous interview process riddled with questions on their volunteer efforts, their team involvement and history, and numerous other attitude qualifiers.

The point of this interview is to try and isolate potential doctors that will have not only the aptitude to deal with a patients problems but will also properly care for the patient psychologically because they have displayed, understood, learned and natural showcase the appropriate attitude for each necessary situation.

Our leading headhunters proclaim, "Most employers hire on aptitude and then need to fire because of attitude." We then take form this that in order to have staying power and in order to maximize our earnings we must come to work and bring to our lives the proper attitude.

At the end of the day, one can be taught the appropriate technical points for virtually any job, but we need to bring a great attitude to make that knowledge count for something.

In today's market place, the well-paid employee understands that attitude is everything.

100% of Something

Hire Me Book - E-Hire Me — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 15:24:00 +0000

As humans we learn really only one way. We learn the hard way.

Wanting to be a part of everything is in our nature no matter how introverted or extroverted we are. The introvert just wants to watch and be at the party, while the extrovert wants to be the life of the party. Nonetheless both are still at the party.

Like your personal life, work has the same pulls. There are boards to sit on, jobs that lead to raises and special projects that are maybe more enjoyable to think about than the monotony you feel your job offers.

The problem arises when you want to do everything but can't deliver on anything. You only have so much time and ability. You can't buy time at the grocery store. It is your most precious commodity.

The best employees realize this and find the things they can do really well and commit to them at a 100% level, only adding more to their plate, as they feel more comfortable and systematized within the jobs they originally took on.

They operate on the principal that 100% of something is much better than 0% of everything.

Are you trying to do too much, act like you can have the titles but maybe not really delivering anything to any position? Find the areas you should be concentrating on and then make them your focus.

Add as you grow don't grow by adding and hopefully you'll not have to learn the hard way and start all over again, in a new job.

No Excuses

Hire Me Book - E-Hire Me — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 01:09:00 +0000

Literally. No excuses.

If every day you look in the mirror as you brush your teeth and accept that on that day you will neither give nor receive any excuse for anything then you will have success. You will have achieved happiness.

For most of us we expend energy needlessly trying to cover our tracks, ignore jobs we need done or create drama where action could have replaced it.

If we all just make sure that we give our all and never deliver an excuse for things that are our responsibility then we will have a better place to work in, live in and be happy about.

Try it. Give yourself the thirty day no excuse test and watch your production soar, your stress decrease and your life become just a bit more positive.

Take the "no excuse" challenge.

the reluctant leader

Hire Me Book - E-Hire Me — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 16:01:00 +0000

We have all seen them. The one or two people who are leaders by example yet perhaps not by title. When they speak, people listen. When they act, the job gets done, yet they are reluctant to step up and take full responsibility for their prowess. Why?

CONFIDENCE.

If the reluctant leader was to commit to being a full time example, they would make themselves vulnerable and succeptible to failure, and we all know, people fear failure. Being the reluctant leader enables people to make mistakes and fail without being scrutinized or consequence. It's the main reason we have reluctant leaders.

The advantage of such a style is the reluctant leader usually leads because they are a) capable and b) willing rather than because they are a) paid to or b) forced to. The disadvantage of this style is the reluctant leader is also usually the reluctant follower hence potentially undermining or diluting the message from the appointed leader.

Reluctant leaders are important and they need to know that. They also need to learn they need not be reluctant, because when they come out from behind the shadows and into the foreground, they can maximize their contributions to everyone's benefit.

Believe in your abilities. There is no need to be reluctant!

Work Hard

Hire Me Book - E-Hire Me — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 21:13:00 +0000

We look for it everywhere. Under the stacks of paper, in the corners of the office and everybody thinks that the answer to success is on the other side of the fence, where that grass is supposedly greener. We change jobs, look for promotions, believe we are entitled to more rewards and ultimately wonder why we are not successful.

The all elusive, magic formula for success has been in front of us and will always be there. Work hard and you are 90% of the way there.

That is all there is to it. Work harder than the next guy to you if you are in competition and work hard to support the person next to you if you work in a team. Simple, ancient and true. Making sure this one element is first complete will then only allow you to add working smart with your graft and energy.

There truly isn't any substitute for working hard. Cutting corners in anything means you don't get the full advantage back. You receive out what you put in and if you put only a small amount of effort in you are destined to receive only that back.

Work hard first then look for the magic. It is there but only for those that master the effort needed to see it.

Your attitude in anything.

Hire Me Book - E-Hire Me — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 22:55:00 +0000

Is your attitude in everything.

People make the mistake of thinking of work vs. home as a light switch. "when I'm at work, I'm in work mode and when I'm at home, i go into home mode". The question for these people is what's different?

Sure there are times when you focus more time and attention on a particular subject matter than others, but these statements are usually in reference to attitude and energies invested into each domain. As if work mode requires a little less effort and energy than home mode.

The reality is all facets of your life require a great deal of effort, attention and energy and if your goal is to become a success (by your definition), you must invest equal amounts in all circumstances if you are to get the most out.

Don't let others fool you into believing they are something else behind closed doors or in different circumstances. Unless they have split personalities or bi-polar disorders, they likely are not. The quiet people / reserved / shy people at work are likely the same at home. The unfocused / loud / interrupting types are probably also similar in their personal space.

If you ever feel yourself questioning "Am I getting what I want out of this experience, transaction, job, relationship", ask yourself the more important question of "am i putting everything in".

Once

Hire Me Book - E-Hire Me — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 21:19:00 +0000

To help with your time management we want you to implement one rule.

Start it and then finish it.

Often the biggest problems that new employees or promoted members have are that they continue to load their plates with more duties and jobs without clearing off past duties. They continue to fill up their proverbial cup of water without drinking or emptying anything out. In the end the water flows chaotically over the edge and makes a mess. A mess just like you will find your work place.

So here are a few things to consider that will dramatically simplify your life and build you into a more efficient person.

1. Never touch paper more than once. File it, toss it or take action on it.
2. Email is like paper. Read it then file it, delete it or take action on it.
3. If you can't handle multi-tasking with email all day then build a time that you answer emails and return phone messages.

These are just a few helpful tips but they are the catalysts to being able to put more items on your to do list, complete more, be counted on more and ultimately still feel peaceful in your work place or home.

Practice makes perfect and starting to use the tips is the most important thing you can do.

Being Heard

Hire Me Book - E-Hire Me — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 15:37:00 +0000

Bringing a great attitude into everything you do is certainly the number one asset you can have but when you work in big corporations or busy businesses how do you get noticed.

The simple answer is to communicate.

The difficult part is trying to understand what communication actually is. For most discussing the ball game or last night dinner party in the coffee room is communication but for the leaders in charge of running a bustling team of workers this is nothing more than wasted breathe. We aren't saying that socializing doesn't have its place and isn't good for moral but we are saying that this form of communication is shallow and often leads to nowhere.

The way to be heard and the way to stand out even further is to consistently communicate at a high level with all of your work peers and direct leaders.

True communication can be described as follows:

1. An environment where an outcome is sought and fostered.
2. Language between two or more parties where all parties feel they have been heard. Listen with interest.
3. Show body language that makes others feel comfortable and interested in reaching a point.
4. Listen more.
5. Show enthusiasm for the subject and the person communicating with you. They will feed off your energy and open up further.
6. Listen again.
7. Seek a result, whether it is what was desired or not. Have resolution to every conversation.

If you can begin implementing these communication concepts you will begin to be heard over the white noise of others who are just talking.

Say something, want to be heard, strive to listen more and keep bringing a great attitude to your life.

a great example of above and beyond

Hire Me Book - E-Hire Me — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 18:09:00 +0000

Our train of thought is if we continually highlight the negatives, they are subliminally reinforced.
Hopefully the same holds true for the positives!

We were having a good day which culminated in plans for an enjoyable evening out on the town. As conversation ran longer than we expected, we had inadvertently socialized our way past the kitchen closure time. Chef's were on their cleanup duties and the venue was on its way to being converted to a lounge atmosphere.

Unknowingly we requested to order our food now and immediately the response was taken. We ordered our entree's as well as our main courses, ordered our beverages and even capped off the expereince with deserts, all with the usual, normal expected timelines. At the end of the evening the bill came and we were treated respectfully right through the door. As we were leaving we saw the huge sign that stated "kitchen closed at 8". Turning to our waitress, we mentioned the fact we didn't even order until well past 9:00.

"yes i know, but you looked like you were having such a great experience, we didn't want to interrupt it", "i let the chefs know there was a group of 5 left and they would probably be ordering a little later. i gambled at the dishes you would order and within 2 plates, it turned out spot on, so they were able to clean up while still being prepared'. 'they were more than willing in this insteance".

We thought to ourselves, 'wow, thats above and beyond' and as we drove home we talked about the fact that one instance of GREAT work would set the backdrop for repeat business and referrals. Really! In a era where the customer is almost perceived as an inconvenience, this exception to the rule stood out louder, brighter and higher than any negative experience we had encountered to date.

we thought it only appropriate to share that example and ask : what did you do to go above and beyond today. write us back and let us know.

Consistency

Hire Me Book - E-Hire Me — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 14:19:00 +0000

While striving to be great, to earn the most, to accomplish what you have set out to do are all fantastic propositions because they show that you are working with a purpose. There still remains one item that tends to hold people back.

That item is consistency.

It is not really good enough to be great one week and then tire out and fizzle the next thus providing inadequate energy to be useful for anyone, including yourself. In reality, it is better to be merely good, but consistently be good every day, week and month.

At the Hire Me Company we want you to differentiate yourself by being great and not merely average. Average is a disease that has infected many in today's work force. To do this it is imperative that you practise being consistent. So what does consistency mean?

Consistency is delivering your service or work load every day at the same, desired level. Consistency is being prepared to start your work day early and finish late if it means getting the same high work load done as the week before. Consistency is delivering the same sales dollars even if problems arise. Consistency is fighting through the challenges that come your way to deliver the best week of work every single week.

If you ever want to maximize your earnings then becoming a consistent perfromer is the ultiate back breaker for any raise discussion. If you continue to deliver then it is nearly impossible for your company to not deliver back to you.

Consitently deliver your job at a high level and you will succeed beyond most others.