Walk The Talk Chock full of resources to inspire, motivate, encourage, and challenge you!

Adopting “The Platinum Rule”

Most people are familiar with the timeless “Golden Rule” – Treat others the way you would like to be treated. And while it is truly a wonderful guide to our human interactions, that tenet does have one basic flaw. Since people are unique individuals with varying needs, desires, and perspectives, some folks may not want to be dealt with in the exact same manner as you do.

Certainly, like you, everyone else at work expects to be treated fairly – with dignity and respect. We all want to be listened to, to have our ideas and concerns considered, and to feel that we (and our work) truly matter. But how we’d like those universal expectations to be met is where we tend to differ. For every person who enjoys public praise, there’s someone else who prefers to be recognized privately. For every team member who wants direct and candid feedback, there’s another who likes the medicine with a little sugar. For every person who wants to lead, there is someone else who operates best as a committed follower. For every colleague who…oh well, you get the picture.

Bottom line: There are no clones of you floating around out there. So, rather than treating others the way you want to be treated, consider treating them the way THEY want to be treated. That’s called “The Platinum Rule” – and it’s one of the very best guides for improving intergenerational relationships.

Think of the people you work with and for. What behaviors do they engage in? How do they tend to get their work done? What seems important to them? What generational characteristics do they exhibit? What are their obvious likes and dislikes? By answering these questions, you’ll develop a feel for what makes your colleagues ‘tick.’ Then, use that information to enhance your daily interactions.

 
Now, turn up the heat…212°

212° “YESer”

Being a “YESer” doesn’t mean being a “yes man” or “yes woman.” It doesn’t mean going along to get along, or saying yes and meaning “maybe,” “no,” or “over my dead body.” And it doesn’t mean nodding your head up and down incessantly like the toy dog in the back window of an old sedan.

A YESer is someone who is up to the challenge – any challenge; someone willing to try – to give it their best shot. It’s someone who can quickly overcome doubt and apprehension, then move forward; someone who sees as much value (or more) in the effort as in the results. A YESer is someone who wants to be on the playing field rather than sitting in the spectator section. And it’s someone who wastes no time on negativity and naysaying.

There are plenty of people willing to tell you why something won’t work, why it can’t be done, why now isn’t the right time, or why they aren’t the right person for the job. In fact, most of the working population is uncomfortable being full-time YESers. And that’s the big reason to be one: It differentiates you, and it brands you with a big VE – Valuable and Employable.

Think about it. Who are the most successful people YOU know (or know of)? Are they “It’ll never work…we can’t do that…this is a pain” types? I seriously doubt it. I’m betting that your success role models are “We can do that…let’s find a way to make it happen…you bet” type people. They’re YESers! And you can join them!

 
Now, turn up the heat…212°

Future Tense: 21 Personal Success Strategies for an

Ever-Changing Business World

212° Ethics

No, that’s not a cute answer – it’s an accurate one.

Think about it. When is it okay to be unethical? The answer is NEVER! What are the parts of your job – and your human interactions – to which fairness, honesty, respect, and “doing right” don’t apply? THERE ARE NONE! Ethics is not a sometimes thing. It’s an all the time thing – and it’s reflected in everything you do. There are no time outs, no “king’s x’s,” no “too small to matter” issues, no “too busy to do it” excuses, no “too low on the hierarchy to make a difference” people.

Everyone is responsible…everything counts!

You are now aware. With awareness comes responsibility. Responsibility to act.
 
Now, turn up the heat…212°

212° Resilience

“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.”
~ Vince Lombardi

When facing disappointment or frustration:

• Take a deep breath, slowly count to fifteen, and think about how you want to affect others. Your responsibility is to lead people out of disappointment rather than into it.
• Take a hike – go on a ten minute walk to calm down, reflect, and develop a bounce back strategy.
• Maintain the proper perspective: it’s not the end of the world so don’t act like it is. Find one or two positives and keep thinking about them until you feel better. Then move on to other tasks.

When dealing with worries:

• Try celebrating your worries! Create a Worry Jar…each time you have a worry, write it down and place it in the jar. Take time every week to open the jar and worry about all your worries. When you get tired of worrying about something, remove it from the jar. Over time, you’ll have fewer and fewer worries.

Now, turn up the heat…212°

Just in time for The 2008 Olympic Games: A Message on Teamwork

212° Teamwork
So I was watching my favorite pro sports franchise lose a must-win game on television last night. They’re out…they’re history…the season is over. “How in the world can that happen,” I ask myself, “with all the talent we have?” Then, the coach answers my question in a post-game interview: “We’re loaded with superstars, but today, we just didn’t work together…as a team.” What a loss – what a lesson.

Business, like many of the games in athletics, is a team “sport.” You have a collection of individuals who must work together to accomplish a common goal. While the players contribute in varying degrees, no one person can produce a victory on his or her own. Each member of the team has a role – a position. And each position has a variety of responsibilities: sometimes you shoot, sometimes you assist, sometimes you block…sometimes you’re in the spotlight, sometimes you’re in the trenches. And two things are for sure: 1) Everyone on the team ends up being an equal winner or an equal loser, and 2) Limelight-grabbing ball hogs don’t last very long.

Are you a team player at work? Do you give your best effort regardless of the role you play? Are you willing to do the things that are needed to help the group succeed? Do you work at being cooperative and communicating well with your coworkers? Are you considerate of others? Do you accept and value others’ ideas – especially when those ideas are different from yours? Can you be counted on to carry your share of the load?

If your answers to the above questions are all “yes,” success is definitely in your future. More interested in only being the star? Just remember that even they get traded when teams lose!

Now, turn up the heat…212

212° Choices

OUR CHARACTER IS SHOWN BY…

The jokes we CHOOSE to share…and not to share.
The derogatory terms we CHOOSE to use…and refuse to use.
The promises we CHOOSE to break…and the ones we keep.
The rumors we CHOOSE to spread…and those we ignore.
The resources we CHOOSE to waste…and those we use wisely.
The lies we CHOOSE to tell…and not to tell.
The responsibilities we CHOOSE to accept…and those we shirk.
The courtesies we CHOOSE to extend…and fail to extend.
The efforts we CHOOSE to put forth…and not put forth.
The quality we CHOOSE to provide…and the corners we cut.
The information we CHOOSE to share…and that which we hoard.
The listening we CHOOSE to do and not do.
The respect we CHOOSE to give…and fail to give.
The helpful hands we CHOOSE to extend…and those we keep in our pockets.

Now, turn up the heat…212°

212° Diversity

Ever find yourself thinking that people who are different from you (different skin color, religion, ethnicity, way of speaking, way of thinking, etc.) are strange, wrong, or perhaps something worse (i.e. derogatory)? If so, it’s time to unscrew the top of your head, throw out some of the garbage in there, and catch up with the human race – not to mention the laws of our land.

Here’s the reality: Each of us is unique…no two people are exactly the same. So, if being different equated to being wrong, everyone would be wrong – including YOU! That would definitely be bad. But you know what would be worse? If everyone were exactly alike! In that case, we’d all look, sound, and act the same. We’d only need one type of food, one way of thinking, one sport, one channel on our televisions, one kind of music, one make of car, one style of clothes, one political party – simply one of everything.

So, work on maximizing your respect for diversity. Appreciate individuals who are “different” – especially those of other races, cultures, creeds, and national origins. It’s the legal thing to do…it’s the moral thing to do…it’s the smart thing to do.

Now, turn up the heat…212°

212° Conviction

Be valuable. Encourage the principle. You sit talking with someone – listening to the rationalizations, the excuses, the reasons why it’s “okay” to do something or not do something you know to be against what is right or what is sound.

“After all, we’re only human.”
“We have to choose our battles.”
“We can’t fix everything.”
“We don’t want to upset anyone.”
We let the rationalizing pass, the excuse for the lesser action taken with a supportive “that’s true,” “the most important thing is you tried,” or some other affirmation of what we know to be false.

212° approach

You challenge the rationalization. You awaken someone to their excuse. You call them on the contradiction.

“Yes Men,” “Yes Women” provide no value.

Be valuable to your family, friends, and associates. Once more each week, avoid the simple path for its ease and create 52 more possibilities of “the right thing” being done each year.

212° commitment

Encourage the principle. Encourage the virtue. Encourage character. Once more each week. Be valuable.

Now, turn up the heat…212°

212° Language

When you are trying to get your message across to a broad audience, you need to use language that includes and demonstrates respect for everyone. The words you choose send messages about who is included, and who is not. An obvious example is gender language. Gender-inclusive language seeks to eliminate stereotyping, to promote equitable treatment for men and women, and to include, rather than exclude, listeners based on gender. Consider the following statement:

“A good leader understands his strengths and weaknesses. This applies to all professions – whether you are a policeman, a fireman, a teacher, a salesman, or even the CEO or Chairman of the Board.”

What do you think? Does this statement include men? Women? Both? How do you know? There is confusion and disagreement about whether women are included or not. This is unneeded static in the communication. When you want to send a message that includes everyone, you have a choice to use language that is inclusive of all people.

Now, turn up the heat…212°

212° Leadership

On March 18, 2003, I turned on Good Morning America while eating breakfast. Charles Gibson was interviewing General Earl Hailston, the commanding general of Marine Forces Central Command. The general was waiting with his troops just a few miles off the border of Iraq…waiting to go to war. General Hailston is the only general in the armed forces who had enlisted and came up through the ranks, and as he spoke, I was impressed by his humble and caring attitude.

Toward the end of the interview, his answer to a question touched me deeply. When Charles asked him if he had any hobbies outside his work, the general said, “Yes, I love photography, especially taking photos of my men.” He shared that while he had been waiting for the past few days he would take photos of his men, and at night he would e-mail the photos with a brief note to their mothers back in the USA. Charles asked if he could see a sample of a letter, and the general walked into his tent, turned on his computer:

Dear Mrs. Johnson,

I thought you might enjoy seeing this picture of your son. He is doing great. I also wanted you to know that you did a wonderful job of raising him. You must be very proud. I can certainly tell you that I’m honored to serve with him in the U.S. Marines.

General Earl Hailston

Wow! I had goose bumps as I watched. I then watched Charles randomly interview a few of General Hailston’s men. You could feel the genuine love and respect that they all had for their leader. You may have heard the quote…“They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Well, here’s a man who truly understood what 212° leadership is all about.

Now, turn up the heat…212°