GarthBox

You might have heard the basics a thousand times before, but those around you might not have.

Maybe a teammate was working with another client before your meeting and needs to be regrounded.

Maybe you simply want to emphasize to the client that your thinking is grounded in the agreed upon essentials.

The thing about a foundation is once you let it slip away, you’re working with an entirely new pyramid and the risk of going off-brand, off-target, off-grid increases exponentially.

It’s not worth it for the extra two minutes it takes to reiterate the essentials.

 

Stay Positive & Grounded

Photo credit

If you’re asked a question, your reaction is to answer.

Those who can take a moment to respond with a question like “What makes you ask that?” their answer to the original question can change drastically.

Sometimes it makes sense to try to fill in the story of the asker and give them a quick answer.

Other times, it makes more sense to ask them to tell you the story they are telling themselves. It provides helpful context.

Oh, and it’ll make you look smarter in the long run.

 

Stay Positive & Ask Before You Answer

Photo credit

Save

There’s an ol’ productivity hack of running down your list of to-dos, and if you can do something within a few minutes, then do it.

It provides mental space for tackling the bigger projects and reduces the anxiety of a long to-do list. Turns out that we see a lot of our tasks bigger than what they actually are.

However, when it comes to telling others that you’ll do something, it ought to be treated with the same three-minute rule. If you’re not able to show action toward doing what you said in the first few minutes of saying it, then don’t make the promise.

The gap of time between doing what we say is ever-shrinking. People are watching, assessing and altering the amount of trust they give someone based on how quickly you begin doing what you say you’d do.

 

Stay Positive & Promises Are For The Present

Photo credit

Save

You can have the most remarkable product, but people are programmed to rationalize why what they have right now is the right thing to have, even if they are irrational about it.

That’s why it’s so important to start with the pain point.

What in their story do they dislike? It’s okay to point out that bottled beer is more expensive in trades because of the weight and that they are better off trading canned beer instead.

Once you’re on the same page of what the pain point is, trust develops.

From there, your solution speaks for itself.

 

Stay Positive & One More Reason To Listen, Not Shout

Photo credit

 

Save

Shout… or listen.

Cut costs… or create more value.

Take it personally… or learn from it.

Turn a cold shoulder… or ask why until you understand.

Wait for responsibility to be given… or take it.

Critique to death… or make it better.

Stand still… or move forward.

Shortcut… or long haul.

 

Stay Positive & They Are All Choices, Which Means You Have Control Over Them

Photo credit

Save

It’s tough to find people who will say yes to an opportunity, no matter how awesome of an idea or project you’re proposing.

However, it’s easy to build a résumé full of opportunities by being the one who says yes to others.

It’s been said that the best way to make more friends is to be one.

The same goes for being part of opportunities that are bigger than yourself.

 

Stay Positive & Are You Open To It?

Photo credit

Many play the victim of strategies, systems, processes and organizations.

They think the hierarchy is the hierarchy and they blame it for being unable to move up.

They think the policy is the policy and there’s nothing they can do about it.

Of course, the opposite is true.

The scheme isn’t at fault, people are, and the beauty about people within any organization is that they can change and with them, their policies.

…but it won’t happen if the role of responsibility is traded for the role of victim.

 

Stay Positive & Stop Complaining, Start Convincing

Photo credit

Save

Save