Glimmerick

At first, I didn’t really understand what this book was trying to get at. I read, “There is nothing so unequal as the equal treatment of unequals.” After taking some time out to reflect on this particular quote, I began to digest its true meaning. For example, in a specific office, there are most likely people at different “levels.” What I mean by this is there are many factors and situations which may or may not “separate” people:

• Level of enthusiasm
• Experience
• Self-starter or not
• Potential skills
• Self-Esteem

This list could go on and on, but I think I have made my point. Everyone knows that guy who can be given a project, and the next time you hear from him it will be done. Then there are those people that will only work if provoked by a cattle prod. Others are enthusiastic, but have little experience so they will ask a lot of questions. Additionally, there are many types of different situations as well. Meetings, group projects, individual reports, etc.  Trying to throw a “leadership” blanket over all of these people and situations is not going to be very effective. Being able to identify which people in which situations will respond best to a certain leadership style distinguishes a ordinary manager from a great manager.

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A person’s name is to him or her the sweetest and most important sound in any language. ~Dale Carnegie

When people remember my name, it makes me feel special. It should make most everyone feel special. This person has taken the time to remember my name.  Just recall a time where you have met a person maybe once or twice, you don’t remember their name, but they come right out and say, “Hey Tage, how are you doing?!” This one act is so very important and thoughtful, yet most people don’t think twice about it. “I’m bad with names,” is a common excuse, one that I am very fond of. Re-thinking that mindset, I have realized that it is just an excuse for me to be lazy. I decided to delve into the information super highway to uncover top tips to remember names. Here are a few of them that I found to be especially helpful:

1. Just Pay Attention!- What seems more important at the end of a conversation, the person you are addressing remembers your name or remembers every single detail of the conversation. Seems very logical to me– THE NAME!!!. Focus on their name and make it a priority over what they are talking about at first. They will be more forgiving if you have their name committed to memory. Sure it would be great to remember their name and catch every detail of the conversation, but let’s face it, a lot of us aren’t that good. Sure you may remember their name for those 45-60 seconds, but when you run into that person again in the workplace and are grasping at straws, you may have wanted to make a better effort. Those first moments when you meet someone are key! Focus, focus, focus.
2. Repeat 2-3 times- First say, “Hey nice to meet you Larry!” Then you might throw in a, “So where you work Larry?” This may seem a bit overkill, but many experts swear by it.  Then at the end of the conversation, of course part with their name, “Well it’s been nice talking to you Larry.”

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A really important Sam Walton quote that I thought I’d share is about choosing to view events in life as if you were always in it for the long haul. This idea is important in many aspects of life, including relationships, jobs careers, etc.  This mindset allows an individual to make decisions that are better for most parties involved.  For example, if you are working, and encountered an angry, defiant customer, you have a few choices with which how to react.  One option is just being flippant about it, and arguing back. Another option, is being really understanding, trying to help the customer.  If you are expecting to be at this job for a few years at least, and want to advance, then you may choose the latter option, which helps the customer, the company, and possibly you.  If you are just planning on being at the job for a couple months, then what would it matter if you treated a customer without respect?  If you get demoted or fired, you were planning on leaving soon anyways. If the customer never comes back, who cares, you won’t be here soon either.

Anybody who has ever known anything about me knows I was never in anything for the short haul. ~Sam Walton

No matter what your situation may be, it is important to always choose to be in it for the long haul.  Not adhereing to this is a large reason that almost 50 couples out of a hundered break their vows made on their wedding day.  Being in something for the long haul may mean going through some rough patches, some bumps in the road.  But it is through these times that our relationships can grow stronger and business can become become more cohesive. This isn’t easy, and that is why many choose not to live by this, but with some hard work, the results are more than desireable. Nothing in life is ever free!

The Bottom Line: Hard work and determination are keys of “being in it for the long haul.”

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Being new to blogging, I am always poking my nose around, seeing what the “best” bloggers are doing/saying.  I find this very beneficial in many ways. I get tips from reading their blogs, tips on good plugins that I like (CommentLUV, Google Analytics –Must have!–, WP Database backup), tips about content, comments, etc.  One of the larger issues in blogging is: Should a blog have full or partial RSS Feeds?  There are pros and cons for each side. Some people don’t like clicking to view more of a story from a feed. But bloggers like them sometimes, because it forces people to click to their site if they want to read more, thus possibly increasing ad revenue, page impressions, which can also help search/page rank.

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