‘Business without the Bullshit’ (V)
This week, we’ll continue with ‘Business without the Bullshit’ by Geoffrey James.
6. How to Make Failure Impossible
a) Set achievable yet inspirational goals. Big goals are more inspirational than small ones, provided they’re not so big that you don’t believe you can achieve them.
b) Goals aren’t real unless they’re written down. And by ‘written down’, means written by you using your hand to move a pen around on a piece of paper.
c) When you approach a task that leads toward your goal, never start out by saying, ‘I’ll try…’, phrase your action in terms of ‘I will…’ or ‘I must…’ No wiggle room allowed.
d) Treat setbacks as signals that you might need to change your approach to achieve the goal. If an action consistently results in a setback, consider taking a different action. Repeat as necessary.
7. How to become More Optimistic
a) When you rise from bed, make your first thought be ‘Something wonderful is going to happen today.’
Your attitude is the result of how you’re viewing the world, rather than what’s happening in it.
If you keep looking for something positive to happen, your mind will find something that fulfills that expectation.
b) The big enemy of happiness is worry, which comes from focusing on events that are outside your control. Once you’ve taken action, there’s usually nothing more you can do. Focus on the job at hand rather than some fantasy of what might happen.
c) Go through your home and office and throw out everything that isn’t useful or beautiful. Why would you want to pollute your life and your environment with objects that are useless and ugly?
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d) Give a verbal gift to everyone you meet — — a smile, a word of encouragement, a gesture of politeness, or even a friendly nod. Always say, ‘Thank you’ even for the smallest of services.
e) While you can and should learn from the past, keep your thoughts on the future. It’s when you let your thoughts wander that you’re more likely to have the insights that create your future.
Part V: How to Communicate
1. Before you initiate any communication at work, ask yourself the following three questions and answer them:
1) What decision am I seeking?
2) Whom do I want to make this decision?
3) Is this the right time to ask that person?
The clearer your answers to these questions, the clearer your communication will be.
When experts communicate with other experts, jargon is useful.
However, jargon prevents non-experts from understanding what you’re talking about. If you want non-experts on board, replace jargon with commonly understood terms.
This takes longer than expressing the same thought using technical jargon. It also takes a lot more thought and effort. However, it’s worth the extra effort if you truly want non-experts to understand you.
2. How to have a Real Conversation
When the other person has finished speaking, do not just leap into what you want to say next. Make some acknowledgment — — even if just a nod of the head or a short ‘Ah!’
If the other person has said something complex or emotional, or has introduced significant new information, briefly recount and characterize what he or she said.
Recapping what you’ve heard gives the other person an opportunity to correct any misperception or to elaborate as necessary to ensure you get it. It also prevents the conversation from going awry based on a correctible misunderstanding.
尋得桃源好避秦, 桃紅又是一年春。
花飛莫遣隨流水, 怕有漁郎來問津, from <<第二屆花甲顯才華作品集>> published by 百樂施教育基金會
江上往來人, 但愛鱸魚美。
君看一葉舟, 出沒風波裡, from <<第二屆花甲顯才華作品集>> published by 百樂施教育基金會
