Common Sense Ideas for Becoming the Career Star You Are Meant to Be

Positive personal impact is one of the keys to success that I discuss in Straight Talk for Success.  If you want to create positive personal impact, you need to do three things: 1) Create, develop and nurture your unique personal brand; 2) Dress for success; and 3) Know and follow the basic rules of etiquette.

Today I’d like to tell you the story of Peggy Williams, a woman with a very unique personal brand.  Peggy just retired after 10 years as President of Ithaca College.  Ithaca is an elite liberal arts institution.  Ithaca is expensive and hard to get into.  You might expect that the Ithaca president would be conservative and a bit of a stuffed shirt.

Not Peggy.  Here’s an excerpt from a story that appeared in the Ithaca Journal.  It illustrates her brand.

“Ithaca College’s first female president was hiding in the lighting booth of Emerson Suites as a large male student aped around on stage making fun of her.  The student wore a black, Peggy-esque wig and was imitating her penchant for yo-yoing in front of hundreds of students as the final act of a comedy show…Mustering her best presidential voice, she belted out into the microphone, “You’re not the real Peggy Williams.  I’m Peggy Williams!” and then leapt on-stage and hurled a pie into the hapless student’s face…Her performance would become legendary.  Prospective students at the event would cite her appearance as one of the reasons they chose to attend the college.”

Peggy has a unique brand for a college president – she is a former yo-yo champion who is goal oriented while being down to earth, fun loving and willing to make fun of herself.  Students at Ithaca call her “P-Willie” or “The Pegster.” 

I don’t know how you referred to your college president, but I’m willing to bet it wasn’t something like “The Pegster.”  Eric Walker was the president of Penn State my first two years.  John Oswald was the president my junior and senior year.  We students referred to them as President Walker and President Oswald – and trust me, they were conservative stuffed shirts.

Peggy is well known for opening up the President’s Mansion to Ithaca students, attending Ithaca’s sporting events whenever she could, creating great relationships with alumni, and playing with her yo-yo in her office.  She is also well known for raising $145 Million for capital improvements at the college – $30 Million more than the original goal; her work on sustainability at Ithaca; making Ithaca a more diverse place; and creating a service oriented culture among Ithaca students.

Peggy Williams’ brand is unique in higher education.  It works because it is authentic. 

I met Peggy in the fall of 1980.  We were both graduate students at Harvard.  There was this woman with wild, curly hair in my Labor Relations class who always had great answers during case discussions, but who also was very funny.  After a few classes, I introduced myself and we became great friends, sharing many meals at a Cambridge Chinese restaurant.

Peggy was funny and irreverent as a student.  She is funny and irreverent as a college president.  That’s authenticity! 

Peggy’s brand was on display until the end.  Guests at her retirement party received a silver plate engraved yo-yo.  Peggy was kind enough to send me one, as I wasn’t able to attend.

The common sense point here is simple.  Successful people create positive personal impact.  People who create positive personal impact develop and nurture their unique personal brand.    The best personal brands are authentic.  Peggy Williams, the recently retired president of Ithaca College, has a unique personal brand.  She doesn’t take herself too seriously.  And, believe me that is a truly unique personal brand in higher education.  She is true to her brand.  She is authentic.  If you follow Peggy’s model, you too, will create positive personal impact and be on your way to a successful life and career.

That’s my take on authenticity in personal branding.  What’s yours?  Please leave a comment sharing your brand with us.  As always, I appreciate you and your comments.  Thanks for reading.

Bud

Self confidence is one of the keys to success that I discuss in Straight Talk for Success.  If you want to become self confident you need to do three things. 1) Become an optimist.  2) Face your fears and act.  3) Surround yourself with positive people.

I love it when things converge.  I was watching a cd by Mike Litman on internet marketing the other day, and Mike showed a slide that had four bullet points, one of which said:

• Surround yourself with action-oriented people.

That same day, I was cleaning up my bookshelves and came across Susan Jeffers’ great book, The Little Book of Confidence. 

One section in Susan’s book is entitled “Create a Circle of Fear-Less Friends.”  She offers some great advice in this section…

• Cultivate the sort of friends who make you feel good about yourself and who encourage you to “Go for it!”  It is amazingly empowering to have a circle of supportive and loving friends.
• Think of six of your friends and ask yourself if they are “Be careful” friends, or “Go for it” friends.  Now you know who to talk to when you want to move forward in your life.
• Be a “Go for it” friend who encourages others to move forward with their lives, not a “Be careful” friend constantly warning others of the possibility of failure.
• Be your own best friend.  Break the habit of putting yourself down.  Quiet you negative chatterbox with reassuring messages of power and love.  Follow the path with your heart and watch yourself grow into a confident human being.

In different words, Mike and Susan are reinforcing my third point: surround yourself with positive people.  Susan’s last point is subtle, but important.  In order to surround yourself with positive people, you must first become a positive person yourself.

The common sense point here is simple.  Successful people are self confident.  Self confident people surround themselves with positive people.  If you want to become self confident, you need to surround yourself with “Go for it” friends – people who encourage you to have the courage to live your dreams and become the person you can be.  To find and attract “Go for it” friends, you need to become a “Go for it” friend to the people around you.

That’s my take on self confidence and surrounding yourself with positive people.  What’s yours?  Who are your “Go for it” friends?  Leave a comment, giving them a shout out.  As always, thanks for reading – and writing.

Bud

Interpersonal competence is one of the keys to success that I discuss in Straight Talk for Success.  If you want to become interpersonally competent, you need to do three things: 1) Get to know yourself, so you can better know others; 2) Build strong, lasting, mutually beneficial relationships with the important people in your life; and 3) Learn how to resolve conflict in a positive manner.

Recently, I was honored to be asked to serve on the editorial board of PM 360: The Full Spectrum of Product Management, a new print magazine devoted to product management in the pharmaceutical industry.  I’m also writing a monthly column called -- what else -- Common Sense.

The September 2008 issue arrived in my mailbox the other day.  As I paged through it, I found some great common sense advice on interpersonal competence at work in an article written by Camille Macchio entitled Four Myths and Truths of Success.

Myth 2 – “Skill and Knowledge Are the Keys to Success” resonated with me.  Camille writes…

“There is far more to a job than just showing up and completing your work.  Employers expect you to show up every day on time looking good, enthused and focused on the job at hand.  As basic as these expectations sound, it isn’t easy for many people to show up consistently in this manner.  I’ve never heard of anyone criticized for being too positive or too professional, but I’ve heard a lot of criticism about people who are negative unreliable and difficult to get along with.  You will have an advantage in life if you are dependable, professional, flexible and likeable.”

She makes a great point.  If you are “negative, unreliable and difficult to get along with,” you will have a difficult time building strong relationships and resolving the inevitable conflicts that come up at work.  On this other hand, if you are positive, reliable and easy to get along with, you’ll be able to build strong relationships and resolve conflict positively.

Like most things worth doing, you have to work at being positive, reliable and easy to get along with.  Stuff happens, some of it not so good.  However, interpersonally competent people find ways to get over the negative stuff and move on.  The first point of The Optimist Creed captures the essence of this quite well. 

“Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.” 

Easily said, harder to do, but very important if you want to become interpersonally competent.  If you let nothing disturb your peace of mind, you’ll be better able to be positive, reliable and easy to get along with.

By the way, if you want a copy of The Optimist Creed that you can frame and hang in your office or workspace, send me an email at Bud@BudBilanich.com with the words “Optimist Creed” in the subject line.  I’ll send you a .pdf.

The common sense point here is clear and simple.  Successful people are interpersonally competent.  Interpersonally competent people build and maintain strong, lasting mutually beneficial relationships with their colleagues and customers.  If you want to be able to build strong relationships, you need to be positive, reliable and easy to get along with.

That’s my take on interpersonal competence and the myth of skill and knowledge being the keys to success.  What’s yours?  Please take a few minutes to comment, sharing your thoughts with us.  As always, thanks for reading.

Bud

Dynamic communication is one of the keys to success that I discuss in Straight Talk for Success.  If you want to become a dynamic communicator, you need to develop three skills: conversation, writing and presenting. 

The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines the word “dynamic” as, “Marked by continuous and productive activity.”  In many ways, this is a good definition for an effective conversation.  In a conversation, two types of activities occur simultaneously: speaking and listening.  In good conversations, both of these are continuous and productive.  In plain English, when you’re in a conversation, if you’re not speaking and providing information, you need to be listening and receiving it.

In previous posts I’ve pointed out that asking good questions is an important way to become known as a great conversationalist.  But to take full advantage of the questions you ask, you need to really listen to the answers and respond appropriately. 

Here are my top seven tips for becoming a good listener – and conversationalist.

1. Look the other person in the eye when he or she is speaking.  This demonstrates that you are engaged with him or her.
2. Listen to understand what the other person is saying – not to plan your rebuttal.
3. Listen really hard when the other person begins by saying something with which you don’t agree.
4. Know the words that trigger your emotions.  Don’t get distracted by them.
5. Be patient.  Some people take longer than others to make their point. Don’t interrupt.
6. Ask clarification questions when you don’t understand.
7. Repeat what you have heard the other person say – to make sure you got it right, and to show him or her that you were listening.

If you use these seven tips in conversation, you will become known as a great conversationalist and a dynamic communicator.

The common sense point here is simple.  Dynamic communication is an important key to success.  If you want to become a dynamic communicator, you have to learn to listen well.  Listening, like a lot of success advice, is just common sense.  Show the other person you are engaged.  Focus on understanding, not on rebutting points with which you don’t agree.  Don’t get distracted by words that trigger your emotions.  Ask clarification questions to ensure you understand what is being said.  Repeat what you’ve heard.

That’s my take on listening.  What’s yours?  Please leave a comment sharing your best listening advice.  As always, thanks for reading – and writing.

Bud

Outstanding performance is one of the keys to success that I discuss in Straight Talk for Success.  If you want to become an outstanding performer, you need to do three things: 1) Become a lifelong learner; 2) Set and achieve high goals; and 3) Get organized.

In addition, you need to be healthy so you can perform at your best.

If you read this blog, you know I am a big fan of SUCCESS Magazine.  I’ve done a few posts about articles in the October 2008 issue.  I want to feature another article in today’s post.  The “Habits for a Healthier Life” article by Erin Casey highlights the ideas of Dr. Mehmet Oz, called “America’s Doctor” by Oprah Winfrey.

Dr. Oz says that stress is one of the biggest contributors to health problems in today’s fast paced world.  He says that while you cannot avoid stress, you can control your reaction to it.  He suggests that you need to develop a “game plan for life” to mitigate that negative effectives of stress.

Here are four tips he offers for proactively and positively dealing with stress:

• Exercise regularly.
• Eat healthy.
• Build a support network.
• Maintain a positive outlook.

I can hear you screaming, “EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT.  TELL ME SOMETHING NEW.”

Dr. Oz’s advice is common sense.  And, like most common sense, you already know it.  Unfortunately however, if you’re like many people, you ignore a lot of the common sense advice you get.

“It’s too hard to find the time to exercise.”  “I travel a lot.  It’s hard to eat healthy when I’m always eating in restaurants.”  “I’m so busy at work that I don’t have enough time for my family, let alone time for relationships.”  “Yeah, a positive outlook is great, but I need to be a realist.  Just look at what’s happened to the stock market this week.”

These are the kinds of excuses that I often hear when I encourage people to use common sense advice like Dr. Oz’s ideas above.  It’s sad, but true.  We often ignore our own common sense and the common sense advice we get from others.  There is a reason why Dr. Oz’s stress tips are common sense.  They work!

That’s why common sense is the cornerstone of my work – this blog, my books, my talks and my executive coaching.  I am on a crusade to get people to use their common sense – and not make excuses for not using it.  Because common sense works.

Put Dr. Oz’s common sense advice to work.  Start today.  I’m going for a bike ride as soon as I finish this post.

The common sense point here is clear.  Outstanding performance is a key to success.  Good health is a key to outstanding performance.  Stress can damage your health.  You have to deal with it proactively by exercising regularly, eating well, building a support network and maintaining a positive attitude; and using your common sense.

That’s my take on Dr. Oz’s ideas for dealing with the stress in your life.  What’s yours?  Please leave a comment sharing your thoughts with us.  I really appreciate all of the comments I get.  As always, thanks for reading – and writing.

Bud

Your ability to create positive personal impact is one of the keys to success that I discuss in Straight Talk for Success.  If you want to create positive personal impact, you have do three things: 1) Create, build and nurture your own unique and powerful personal brand; 2) dress for success; and 3) know and follow the basic rules of etiquette.

Recently however, I have come to realize an important characteristic that underlies all three of these success tactics – enthusiasm.

Who is the most enthusiastic person you know?  Please leave a comment, giving a shout out to them and sharing their story with the rest of us.

I subscribe the “Napoleon Hill, Yesterday and Today” newsletter.  I’m sure you know that Napoleon Hill wrote the book Think and Grow Rich, and is considered by many to be the father of the personal growth movement. 

Judy Williamson, Director of the Napoleon Hill World Learning Center, at Purdue University Calumet, wrote an interesting piece on enthusiasm in the Friday, September 12 newsletter.

“Enthusiasm is a powerful motivator when it is sincere and heartfelt. It is a spirit that inspires us to move forward positively in a direction of our own choosing…Only the results of enthusiasm can be seen, not enthusiasm itself because it is an abstract concept. Love, faith, honor, loyalty, and beauty are also abstract concepts. They cannot be perceived directly with the naked eye, but can be seen indirectly in the results that they cause to happen…

“A certain charisma develops within the enthusiastic person. Crowds respond to the ‘electricity’ that this person generates when they walk into a room, address a crowd, deliver a speech, or just work for their cause. Enthusiasm becomes a catalyst for change when it is sincere. People jump on the bandwagon of an enthusiastic person because they want to feel the energy for themselves. Greatness demands enthusiasm. 

“To be enthusiastic, act enthusiastically. Allow yourself to feel the energy and lightness of being that develops when you embrace the higher vibrations of your spirit.”

The “charisma” that Judy describes is what I mean when I discuss positive personal impact.  When you develop charisma, or as I say, create positive personal impact, you are able to accomplish great success because others will want to associate with you, help you and follow you. 

The common sense point here is simple.  Enthusiasm will help you create positive personal impact.  People respond to enthusiastic people.  When you’re enthusiastic about what you’re doing, you and other people feel that you can overcome great obstacles.  It will seem as if the entire universe in lining up to help you achieve whatever you have your heart set on achieving.  A solid personal brand, a polished appearance and good manners will help you create positive personal impact.  However, enthusiasm is the glue that hold it all together.

That’s my take on enthusiasm and positive personal impact.  What’s yours?  Please share your thoughts on this post in a comment.  As always, thanks for reading.

Bud

Self confidence is one of the keys to success that I discuss in Straight Talk for Success.  If you want to become self confident, you need things: 1) Become an optimist; 2) Face your fears and act; and 3) Surround yourself with positive people.

If you read this blog frequently, you know that I believe mentors are the most positive people in the world.  Mentors, by definition, are positive people because they are willing to invest their time and energy to help others realize their dreams.  What could be more positive?

Do you have a mentor?  How has he or she helped you in your journey toward career and life success?  Please leave a comment, giving a shout out to your mentor and how he or she has helped or is helping you.

I was reading an article in the October 2008 issue of SUCCESS Magazine by Paul Zane Pilzer.  In a side bar on mentoring he had this to say…

“I realized that, when you’re 18, your world is wide open.  But as each year passes, one more nail goes into the coffin, killing you dreams and aspirations.  And by the time you reach 25, you’ve been beaten down and become a realist.  And my advice is you can’t let these things get you down.”

Now that’s pretty depressing.  When I read the words, “One more nail in the coffin, killing your dreams and aspirations,” I said, “No, it doesn’t have to be that way!”

That’s why I was happy to see Paul’s last bit of advice – “You can’t let these things get you down.”

Sure life is tough; bad stuff happens dreams fall by the wayside.  But successful, self confident people get through these ups and downs.  One way they do it is by finding a mentor – someone who believes in them and their dreams. 

Paul Pilzer is a great mentor.  Listen to this story…

“I had the opportunity to counsel six to eight kids a year through high school to get into college.  And after meeting these kids, the first thing I would have to do is get rid of some of the stuff other teachers taught them – that they can’t do math well, or write well, or that it’s not realistic to think they can become president, or cure cancer…I want them to rebel against rejection…I want to teach them they can do anything they want.”

That’s the kind of mentor you want.  Someone who believes in you so strongly, that he or she helps you “rebel against rejection.” 

The common sense point here is clear.  Successful people are self confident.  Self confident people rebel against rejection.  Don’t let rejection get you down.  Embrace your personal power.  Be an optimist.  Feel your fears and act.  Find positive people who can help you grow and succeed.

That’s my take on Paul Zane Pilzer’s thoughts on self confidence, optimism and mentoring.  What’s yours?  Please leave a comment sharing your thoughts on this post with us.  I really appreciate and value all of your comments.  As always, thanks for reading – and writing.

Bud

Interpersonal competence is one of the keys to success that I discuss in Straight talk for Success.  If you want to become interpersonally competent, you need to do three things: 1) get to know yourself; 2) build strong, lasting, mutually beneficial relationships with the important people in your life; and 3) resolve conflict constructively.

If you read this blog regularly, you know that I am a big fan of SUCCESS Magazine.  I read each issue from cover to cover – with a pen in hand to make notes to myself.  If you’re not already a subscriber, I suggest that you go to www.success.com and do so.  The October 2008 issue has some great articles.  I really enjoyed one call “Relationship Intelligence” by Jim Cathcart.

Jim defines relationship intelligence as, “The ability to employ relationships effectively to achieve your desired outcomes.”

A sidebar to the article listed Jim’s “Five Tips to Help You Build Better Business Relationships.”

1. Approach each contact as the beginning of a long-term High-Value Relationship.  Expect great things over the long run, and do your part to help both of you achieve your desired outcomes.
2. Plan to be loyal to your customers whether they are loyal to you or not.  Be trustworthy, so they will be loyal in return.
3. Continually ask yourself, “What else can I do for them without asking for something else?”
4. Give others the option to occasionally have a bad day without becoming upset or judgmental toward them.  Nobody is always at their best.
5. Don’t always ask for something, occasionally just give something or just listen to another person without trying to fix them or sell them.

I agree with this advice.  I often tell my executive coaching clients that giving with no expectation of return is one of the best ways to build strong relationships.  The theme of giving with no expectation of return runs though all five pieces of Jim’s advice.

In the article itself, he goes on to say…

(When another person) “realizes that you are genuinely interested in helping them achieve their desired outcomes, then they will value your relationship more.  This causes them to commit to keeping you in their world.  They become glad to know you.  Treat every person with dignity and respect, regardless of how little power they possess.  Who knows? The clerk who serves you today may be the son or daughter of the business executive who gives you the sale of a lifetime tomorrow.”

The common sense point here is simple.  Successful people are interpersonally competent.  Interpersonally competent people are good at building relationships.  Giving with no expectation of return is a great way to build strong relationships.  Other people will appreciate you for it – and most of them will reciprocate in due time.  And as always, interpersonally competent people treat everyone they meet with dignity and respect.  Do this not because you think that they might be able to help you, now or in the future; but because they are fellow human beings, and as such, are due your respect.

That’s my take on Jim Cathcart’s ideas on relationship intelligence.  What’s yours?  Please leave a comment sharing your thoughts on this post.  As always, thanks for reading – and writing.

Bud

Dynamic communication is one of the keys to success that I discuss in Straight Talk for Success.  If you want to become a dynamic communicator, you need to develop three basic communication skills.  You must become a great conversationalist.  You must write clearly and succinctly.  You must present well to groups of two or 200.

Roland Barth was on the faculty when I was a doctoral student at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.  I once heard him tell a funny story about the farmer and the preacher.  Norm Kamikow, Editor in Chief of Chief Learning Officer Magazine repeated it in the September 2008 issue of CLO. It goes something like this…

“One bitter cold Sunday, an old farmer trudged for miles through a blizzard to reach the small mountain church he attended.  No one else showed up, except the preacher.

“Looking around the empty pews, the clergyman leaned over the pulpit and suggested to his lone congregant that it hardly seemed worth proceeding with the service with such a low turnout.  ‘Perhaps we’d do better is we returned to our nice, warm homes and had a hot drink,’ he said in a tone that blatantly encouraged the old farmer to agree.

“The old farmer looked at the preacher and said, ‘I’m just a simple farmer, but when I go to feed my herd, if only one cow shows up, I sure don’t let her go hungry.’

“The preacher felt embarrassed and a bit guilty, so he conducted the entire service – hymns, readings announcements and a sermon.  The whole thing lasted over an hour.

“After the service, he said to the farmer, ‘I hope that met your needs.’

“The farmer said, ‘I’m just a simple farmer, but when I go to feed my herd, if only one cow turns up, I sure don’t force her to eat everything I brought for the lot of them.’"

I love this story.  Both Professor Barth and Norm Kamikow use it to make an important point about communication – in conversation, writing or presenting.  It’s important to adjust what information you deliver and how you deliver it based on who’s on the receiving end.

My good friend Steve Roesler calls this audience analysis.  Steve says that effective communication begins with understanding who your audience is, why he or she is engaging you, what information he or she may want, and how he or she prefers receiving it.

That’s some common sense!  I’ve seen many people become so enthusiastic about the information they have to share that they miss the fact that they are providing too much or too little to the other person, or that they have pitched it at the wrong level.

The common sense point here is simple.  Successful people are dynamic communicators.  Dynamic communicators communicate well in conversation, writing and presentations.  Understanding your audience is key to communicating successfully with them.  The next time you find yourself in conversation, or are writing something, or are planning a presentation, put yourself in the other person’s shoes.  Ask yourself, “What does he or she want and need from me?”  Answer that question, and then give him or her what he or she needs and you’ll be on your way to becoming a dynamic communicator.

That’s my take on the farmer and preacher story.  What’s yours?  Please leave a comment sharing your thoughts on these ideas.  As always, thanks for reading – and writing.

Bud

Outstanding performance is one of the keys to success that I discuss in Straight Talk for Success.  If you want to become an outstanding performer, you need to do three things: 1) Become a lifelong learner; 2) Set and achieve high goals; and 3) Get organized.

Before I get into the meat of today’s post, I want to congratulate Roger Federer, Serena Williams and the Bryan Brothers for their outstanding performances in the recently concluded US Tennis Open.  They all have won multiple Grand Slams, and they all performed as the champions they are.

I came across a quote from Thomas Carlyle the other day that goes directly to the heart of lifelong learning.  “What we become depends on what we read after all of the professors have finished with us. The greatest university of all is a collection of books.”

I agree.   I often tell young people that the best thing about graduating from college is that you finally get a chance to begin learning.  I have a huge collection of books on a variety of subjects.  These books are the first place I turn when I am looking for information to post on this blog, when I am working with my executive coaching clients, when I am preparing a speech and when I am designing a training program.

Are you a reader?  Which books have had the biggest impact on your life and career?  Please leave a comment, sharing your favorite books with us.

Thomas Carlyle lived in the 19th century.  If he were alive today, he might have amended his statement to say, “The internet is the greatest university of all.”  It’s true.  So many of the great books, as well as other career and life success information, are available on line.  The important thing is to keep learning -- how you do it and where you get your information is  secondary.                                                                                                                                

The half life of knowledge is decreasing every day.  Successful people know that they need to keep learning throughout their lives and careers.  If you want to succeed, you need to become like a sponge, soaking up all the knowledge and information you can.  I have a Doctorate from Harvard, yet I learn at least one thing – usually two or three things new every day.  This knowledge helps me stay current and to provide the best value to my customers and clients.

The common sense point here is clear.  Successful people are outstanding performers.  Outstanding performers are lifelong learners.  Lifelong learners stay informed on what’s going on in their industry, with their competitors, in business and politics and in popular culture.  They read books and blogs, find information on the net, listen to podcasts or books on cd, read periodicals and newspapers.  Lifelong learners know what’s happening in their world, and they understand how to use this knowledge to create a great life and career.

That’s my take on lifelong learning and success.  What’s yours?  Please leave a comment tell us about how you stay current in this fast paced world.  Thanks for reading – and writing.

Bud