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Friday Filosophy v.12.17.2021

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Friday Filosophy v.12.17.2021

John Robert Wooden (October 14, 1910 – June 4, 2010 was an American basketball player and coach. Nicknamed the “Wizard of Westwood”, he won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period—seven in a row. Wooden was named a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player (inducted in 1961) and as a coach (in 1973), the first person ever to be in both categories. He was a Democrat. Our Friday Filosophy v.12.17.2021 brings you words of wisdom from Coach John Wooden.

Wooden was born on October 14, 1910 in Hall, Indiana. He studied at Purdue University. Wooden was married to Nellie Riley from 1932 until her death in 1985. They had two children. Wooden died on June 4, 2010 in Los Angeles, California from natural causes, aged 99.

  • Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming,
  • It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make the big things happen.
  • If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?
  • Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.
  • Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.
  • Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.
  • Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.
  • Be true to yourself, help others, make each day your masterpiece, make friendship a fine art, drink deeply from good books – especially the Bible, build a shelter against a rainy day, give thanks for your blessings and pray for guidance every day.
  • Don’t let making a living prevent you from making a life.
  • You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.
  • You can’t let praise or criticism get to you. It’s a weakness to get caught up in either one.
  • Don’t give up on your dreams, or your dreams will give up on you.

The Time is Now.

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It’s the Little Things

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It’s the Little Things

It's the Little Things

I met Ed Wallace a number of years ago and developed a wonderful relationship with him that continues to this day. Ed wrote a very meaningful book in 2010 titled “Business Relationships that Last.” He has kindly allowed us to use excerpts from this book in our blog. We start the first of a three-part series today with “It’s the Little Things.” You will see the follow-on blogs in the coming weeks. I have found there to be terrific value in this book and feel honored that Ed would allow us share his wisdom with you. I hope you enjoy and it gives you serious food for thought. Ron   

It’s the Little Extras!

Little things make big things happen. —John Wooden

Imagine that today is the last day of your sales cycle and you still have not made your monthly quota. This scenario was all too often a reality for me during my early years in sales. Now imagine that you have built such outstanding business relationships that you could contact any number of your clients and ask for their help with your quota shortfall. Imagine a level of mutual trust and commitment so deep that this request will be as easy for you to make as it will be for your clients to understand. And, finally, imagine they not only understand your need but also offer to fulfill it by signing a contract or placing an order earlier than they had planned. My passionate belief after a twenty-five-year career in sales, executive leadership, and now business ownership is that creating business relationships that last is the secret to success. As I reflect on all of the amazing technological advances that have evolved during my career, I find one remarkable, simple constant: business is still driven by people and relationships. Eventually, human beings need to interact with one another in order to work through all of the details associated with their organizations doing business together. Whether it be the use of a product or service or the acquisition of a new business, humans— with all of our knowledge, skills, goals, emotions, biases, and fears—need to collaborate to get things accomplished. Developing business relationships that last with your clients sometimes seems like a lot of extra work, especially if you cannot ensure a predictable return on the investment from all of your efforts. But even though lasting business relationships can seem as elusive as holding on to sand, learning and applying a process to help you “cup them in your hands” makes it much less challenging than you might think.

We will share with you next time the story about Ed’s friend Max.

The Time is Now.

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Coaching

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Coaching

We are constantly looking to our clients to help us determine what additional learning classes we should create. We get a lot of very good suggestions.

Recently, I was asked to create selling skills classes for service management and supervision, foremen and customer contact personnel. We are creating those classes now.

Another suggestion from our clients was regarding the management courses we offer. We have taught management and supervision now for over twenty years in the classroom, with webinars and most recently our internet-based classes. However, it was tied to the functions within the department. It was never “pure” management functions. That program is now under development.

Another learning area that was requested of us was coaching and mentoring. We were first approached with the need to help a specific individual with their management skills with their team. Communications skills were specifically requested, as well as leadership and trust. That was matched with another request to assist in the development of a new manager in a new job function.

It is always necessary to make changes in our programs based on what is needed in the “learning arena.” As our industry changes, I adapt as well.

Coaching is the subject I would like to explore more with you this week. Personal success is a common and constant pursuit for talented people, for curious people, for self-motivated individuals. Satisfaction comes form being able to tackle and overcome difficulties in our lives. As John Wooden said we he defined SUCCESS. “Success is the Peace of Mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing that you made the effort to become the best you are capable of becoming.”

I have been telling the story in classrooms and in talks for a long time now about the individual who at sixteen years of age, let’s call him James, is told that they have POTENTIAL. That is a wonderful thing. It holds such promise and hope. Now I would like you to imagine that James is now sixty-six years of age and is still told he has a lot of potential. Shouldn’t the next question be “what have you been doing the past fifty years?”

Coaching is vey personal. It is working with individuals and helping them to reach their potential. A good definition of coaching is that the purpose of coaching is “unleashing or unlocking the potential of another human being.” Perhaps that sounds too overpowering to you. But that is what you do if you are coaching another person. You are helping them become better at what they do.

Gallup surveys everything and coaching is one of the subjects on which they have conducted surveys. Their surveys say that 30% of the people want coaching to help them with “life, purpose, vision, creativity and integrity.” That is a real mouthful, isn’t it?

At the end of the blog last week I stated that “I think we all can do much more in our lives and in our careers.” Sometimes that challenge overwhelms us. Don’t let that happen to you. Take up the challenge. Find a coach: someone you trust, someone you respect and someone who will be honest with you. Then get started. As the US Army commercial says “be all that you can be.”

The Time is NOW.

Friday Filosophy #2014-50

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Leadership, like swimming, cannot be learned by reading about it.

Henry Mintzberg

 

Adversity is the first path to truth.

Lord Byron

 

Happiness is not a matter of events, it depends upon the tides of the mind.

Alice Meynell
Last month I highlighted the great teacher as being a person who inspired. I want to suggest that each of you read about John Wooden, UCLA Basketball Coach extraordinaire.

He was one who was clear on expectations – Clarity

The expectations were divorced from outcomes – which you don’t control and all about process – which you do control.

 

Like many people he had some “foundations pillars.” (My words not his)

 

They were in two sets of three

First:

  • Never Lie
  • Never Cheat
  • Never Steal

Pretty simple and straightforward.

Second:

  • Don’t Whine
  • Don’t Complain
  • Don’t Make Excuses

 

Coach Wooden defined SUCCESS as follows:

 

Peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best you are capable of becoming.

 

May YOU each have peace of mind.

The time is now…