Kaizen - continuous, incremental improvement adds up to substantial change over time.

 

I recently listened to a Podcast that mentioned Kaizen. It piqued my interest, which led me to do some research on how I can use this philosophy in life and in business. Please feel free to write in the comment section how you have used Kaizen in your life, in business, and any tips you may have.

Kaizen - continuous, incremental improvement adds up to substantial change over time.

“The act of making bad points better”. ‘change for better’

Muda – which means waste

-      Get 1 Percent Better each Day

-      Eliminate unnecessary activities/ waste

In order to achieve Kaizen, you need to adopt the practice of self-criticism. You need to hold yourself accountable and find room for improvement even if everything is going according to plan. 

(PLAN > DO >CHECK > ACT)

• PLAN: Plan your improvements, including setting goals.
• DO: Put in place the actions required for improvement.
• CHECK: Measure your success relative to your baseline.
• ACT: Adjust or tweak your changes

5 Elements for Business:

1.     Teamwork

2.     Personal Discipline

3.     Improved Morale

4.     Quality Circles, and

5.     Suggestions for Improvement

Tips:

• Keep a log: Write down things that are inefficient or you would like to improve
• Once a month, spend some time identifying areas where there is "waste" in the way you or your team is working
• Plan out how you are going to make these changes
• If changes are going to affect others, make sure to discuss with them

Reprogram Your Brain - Dr. Maurer:

By breaking intimidating tasks into little steps, you generally will feel little resistance to change.

One of the most powerful ways to reprogram your brain for success is by asking small questions.

“A major component of our brains is the hippocampus and it plays an important role in the consolidation of information.

The hippocampus has one main criterion for storage: Repetition. So, asking an empowering question – like: “What’s great about this problem” – over and over, gives the brain no choice but to pay attention and begin to create answers.

Your brain loves questions and won’t reject them . . . unless the question is so big, it triggers fear.

But by asking small, gentle questions, we keep the fight-or-flight response in the “off” position. Kaizen questions such as: “What’s the smallest step I can take to be more efficient?” allow us to bypass our fears.

If your questions are small, you reduce the chances of waking the amygdala and arousing debilitating fear. If fear is non-existent, the brain can take in your questions and answer them without conflict.” Dr. Maurer

Insights from Dr. Maurer’s, One Small Step Can Change Your Life

·        Small actions satisfy your brain’s need to do something and soothe its distress.”

·        “If you are trying to reach a specific goal, ask yourself every day: What is one small step I could take toward reaching my goal?”

·        “Small actions are at the heart of Kaizen. By taking steps so tiny that they seem trivial or even laughable, you’ll sail calmly past obstacles that have defeated you before. Slowly—but painlessly! —you’ll cultivate an appetite for continued success and lay down a permanent new route to change.”

·        If you hit a wall of resistance, “don’t give up! Instead, try scaling back the size of your steps. Remember that your goal is to bypass fear—and to make the steps so small that you can barely notice an effort.”

·        When we face crises, “the only concrete steps available are small ones. When our lives are in great distress, even while we are feeling out of control or in emotional pain, we can try to locate the smaller problems within the larger disaster … to help move us slowly in the direction of a solution. But if we are blind to the small, manageable problems, we are more likely to slip into despair.”

Kaizen is an overall set of attitudes, behaviors, tools & techniques.

When you work towards continuous improvement, you can achieve enhanced proficiency and effectiveness in all areas of your life.

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” –Confucius.

“The Kaizen Philosophy assumes that our way of life — be it our working life, our social life, or our home life — deserves to be constantly improved.” — Masaaki Imai

Convince Yourself it's Possible, and Keep Moving Forward.

 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanjoffe/

The Practice Of Gratitude

 

As I try and shed my Covid19 weight, I have been listening to Podcasts while I exercise. The most recent had Neuroscientist and Stanford Professor Andrew Huberman Ph.D. being interviewed. During the interview he stated he practices gratitude which piqued my interest. This led me to do some research on the Topic. Below are some of the highlights of my readings.

Gratitude is the act of noticing and appreciating all the good things in your life. Gratitude practice is training yourself to notice and appreciate the good things, then expressing gratitude for them.

You need to train yourself to focus on what you’re grateful for, instead of the negative things which may be going on around you.

People who regularly practice gratitude by taking time to notice and reflect upon the things they're thankful for experience more positive emotions, feel more alive, sleep better, express more compassion and kindness, and even have stronger immune systems.

In a white paper titled, “The Science of Gratitude” (2018), Greater Good Science Center outlined several benefits to gratitude practice.

For the individual:

• increased happiness and positive mood
• more satisfaction with life
• less materialistic
• less likely to experience burnout
• better physical health
• better sleep
• less fatigue
• lower levels of cellular inflammation
• greater resiliency
• encourages the development of patience, humility, and wisdom

For groups:

• increases prosocial behaviors
• strengthens relationships
• may help employees’ effectiveness
• may increase job satisfaction

Researchers determined that gratitude does four things:

1. Gratitude disconnects us from toxic, negative emotions and the ruminating that often accompanies them. Writing a letter “shifts our attention” so that our focus is on positive emotions.
2. Expressing gratitude helps us even if we don’t explicitly share it with someone. We’re happier and more satisfied with life because we completed the exercise.
3. The positive effects of gratitude writing compound like interest. You might not notice the benefit of a daily or weekly practice, but after several weeks and months, you will.
4. A gratitude practice trains the brain to be more in tune with experiencing gratitude — a positive plus a positive, equal more positives.

Robert Emmons (2010), states that gratitude allows a person to:

• Celebrate the present
• Block toxic emotions (envy, resentment, regret, depression)
• Be more stress-resilient, and
• Strengthen social ties and self-worth.

Ways to make gratitude part of your day.

1. Keep a Gratitude Journal
2. Remember the Bad. To be grateful in your current state, it is helpful to remember the hard times that you once experienced.
3. Ask Yourself Three Questions: Utilize the meditation technique known as Naikan, which involves reflecting on three questions: “What have I received from __?”, “What have I given to __?”, and “What troubles and difficulty have I caused?”
4. Share Your Gratitude with Others. 
5. Use Visual Reminders. 
6. Make a Vow to Practice Gratitude.
7. Watch Your Language. 
8. Go Through the Motions. Grateful motions include smiling, saying thank you, and writing letters of gratitude. By “going through grateful motions,” you’ll trigger the emotion of gratitude more often.
9. Think Outside the Box. 
10. Notice the beauty in nature each day.
11. Nurture the friendships you have; good friends don’t come along every day.
12. Include an act of kindness in your life each day.
13. Avoid negative media and movies with destructive content.
14. Call your mom or dad more often...
15. Don’t gossip or speak badly about anyone.
16. Spend quality time with your kids, and loved ones
17. Remember to compliment your friends and family when they look good.
18. Write a card to someone you haven’t seen in a while and tell them something nice.
19. Add to your gratitude list daily, at least one more thing each day.
20. When you think a negative thought, try to see the positive side in the situation.
21. Commit to one day a week when you won’t complain about anything.
22. Try to take note when people do a good job and give recognition when it’s due at work.
23. Reward effort, if someone does something nice for you, do something nice for them.
24. Thank the people who serve you in the community — the shopkeeper, the bus drivers, etc.
25. Say thank you for the little things your loved ones do for you, things you normally take for granted.
26. Embrace challenges and turn them into opportunities to grow.
27. Be thankful when you learn something new.
28. See the growth opportunity in your mistakes.
29. Help your friends see the positive side to life.
30. When times are bad, focus on your friends who are at your side.
31. When time is good, notice and help others.
32. Make gratitude a part of family life, share it with each other during mealtime.
33. Practice gratitude at the same time every day to make it a habit.
34. Focus on your strengths.
35. Think about what lessons you can take away from stressful situations instead of solely focusing on your stress.
36. Write a positive review for a business that recently gave you a great experience.
37. Challenge yourself to minimize or completely diminish complaining and criticizing for a short period and reflect on how much energy you put towards these feelings.
38. Identify at least one positive thing that you appreciate or can learn when you’re faced with a seemingly bad situation.
39. Write thank you notes whenever possible.
40. Pick up a hobby you’ve been meaning to try. Making yourself happier can help you feel more grateful.
41. Meditate on things you’re grateful to have in your life.
42. Think about something or someone you’re thankful for right when you wake up.
43. Reflect on the people or things you’re thankful for at work while you’re getting ready to go home. Keep a gratitude list at work you can use to reflect
44. Post on social media about something you’re #grateful for.
45. Set a reminder for yourself on your phone to pause and think of something you’re grateful for in that moment.
46. Think of a positive thought whenever a negative thought pops up in your mind.
47. Keep a simple gratitude list and add to it every day.

Tips:

• Be realistic. 
• Start by just thinking about it once a day
• Keep a gratitude journal
• Tell people thank you, verbally or in writing
• Keep at it – over time it gets easier

Wishing everyone Happy Holiday Seasons, and the joy of gratitude.

Convince Yourself it's Possible, and Keep Moving Forward.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanjoffe/

resources:

 https://positivepsychology.com/benefits-of-gratitude/

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_gratitude_changes_you_and_your_brain

https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/40-simple-ways-practice-gratitude.html

https://positivepsychology.com/benefits-gratitude-research-questions/

https://www.proflowers.com/blog/practice-gratitude

https://tinybuddha.com/blog/how-to-start-a-gratitude-practice-to-change-your-life/

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/ten_ways_to_become_more_grateful1

https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier

Lessons

 

During this time of uncertainty I set myself multiple goals which included exercising, listening to an educational Podcast during the day, reading more, and spending quality time with my Family

From listening and reading, this year for me has been a chance to self-reflect, learn and continue my life education.

The information I have provided below has come from the Books and Articles I have read, Experience and Podcasts that I have listened too.

Some of the books I recommend:  Never split the difference, 12 Rules of for life (‘heavy’ reading), No, Priceless, The Talent Code, Barking up the Wrong Tree, Pre-suasion and The Culture Code.

Some of the Podcasts interviews I recommend: Chris Voss, Chris Lee, Robin Sharma, David Goggin’s, Alex Honnold, Andrew Huberman and Dr. Edith Eger.

·        Communication https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/you-said-blue-heard-red-ryan-joffe

To make a connection you need to show empathy, and to communicate, “you are safe and connected”

-         Take aggressiveness out of questions: e.g. “You can’t leave”, “What do you hope to achieve by going?”

-         Remain with a question until its answered 3 times, or the statement is repeated 3 times. This provides the other person 3 times to agree or disagree.

-         Paraphrasing + labelling = summary

·        Resolving Difficult Conversation:

-         Keep calm, and slow the conversation down

-         Use active listening – open ended questions

-         Label Emotions

·        Meetings | Negotiations:

What and how questions -

-         What are we trying to accomplish?

-         How is that worthwhile?

-         What’s the core issue here?

-         How does that effect things?

-         What’s the biggest challenge you face?

-         How does this fit into what the objective is?

Come to a solution everyone feels positive about. Leave a good impression.

·        Training: –

The best was to provide feedback: “I am giving you these comments because I have very high expectations and I know that you can reach them.”

Training people (new staff etc.) make is personal. Get them talking about their ambitions, what they can bring to the group. Provide a shirt, sweater, hat etc. with the company’s name and their name embroider on it.

Team Exercise: “We are lost at sea. What special skills might they bring to the situation.”

·        Children: - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/when-you-ready-unselfish-can-think-being-parent-ryan-joffe/

Praise your kids for their efforts not intelligence. If only praise intelligence, they will

be afraid to take risks and make mistakes. This can also be for adults.

Pay attention to what your children are fascinated by, and praise them for their efforts

·        Dealing with Stress and Anxiety:

Could it be worse?

Why am I angry? Is it really important?

What can I learn from it?

Always be future oriented. With time and Distance, it will not feel as important. Don’t be obsessed with the past. Don’t be weighed down by the past. Have hindsight now.

When bad things happen, don’t let it consume you. Don’t let bitterness or hatred bring you down.

·        Optimistic People Tell Themselves Bad Events: -

-         Are temporary (happen occasionally but it’s not a big deal)

-         Have a specific cause and aren’t universal. (when the weather is better that won’t be a problem), and

-         Are not their fault (I’m good at this, but today was not my day)

-         Celebrate small events

·        Gratitude: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/practice-gratitude-ryan-joffe/

You need to train yourself to focus on what you’re grateful for, instead of the negative things which may be going on around you.

Gratitude allows you to: (Robert Emmons)

-         Celebrate the present

-         Block toxic emotions (envy, resentment, regret, depression)

-         Be more stress-resilient, and

-         Strengthen social ties and self-worth.

·        Kaizen - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/kaizen-continuous-incremental-improvement-adds-up-change-ryan-joffe/

Kaizen - continuous, incremental improvement adds up to substantial change over time.

By breaking intimidating tasks into little steps, you generally will feel little resistance to change

Program your brain – ask same question every day

Criteria – so small that there is no push back (does not create anxiety), easy to do, no conscious effort. 

e.g.

-         What activity will make me more joyful each week?

-         What small step today could save me money?

·        Character vs. Reputation –

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/character-vs-reputation-ryan-joffe

-         If money is lost – Nothing is Lost

-         If Health is Lost – Something is Lost

-         If Character is Lost – Everything is Lost

·        General:

-         Repetition is the key for learning

-         Ask, “How can I be useful to you?”

-         People respond more to loss than gain: Loss is greater than gain

-         People will correct you to make themselves seem smarter

-         No deal is better than a bad deal

-         If you are looking for your Team to collaborate and increase communication, make sure their desks are no more than 6 meters apart (Allen Curve)

-         Be Curious, Be Nicer and be Grateful.

Thanksgiving is around the corner, and it may be difficult for many to feel thankful, as it has been a year of endless challenges and heartache for many.

A chapter in my work life is about to close, and I am confident that will be writing a new story soon. I have always believed that ‘things’ happen for a reason; we just may not know why initially.  I am thankful that my Family and Friends are healthy, for the people I have thus far met and worked with, for the new career I will embark on, and for the challenges which I have faced and will face.

May your blessings be multiplied this year, and throughout your life. May we all get to enjoy future celebrations with our friends and family and fill our homes with laughter and love.

Convince Yourself it’s Possible, and Keep Moving Forward

Lessons of the Wild

During the ‘lockdown’ I have had the pleasure of watching Live Safari Game Drives out of South Africa (which I highly recommend viewing with your Family), and started thinking what we can learn from the Animals of Africa.

TEAMWORK:

When hunting each Lion has their role to play. If they do not work as a TEAM, the pride will go hungry.


As you ‘climb your ‘ladder of success’, you will meet others who may have climbed to their peak, and could be on their way down. Ladders can be unsteady, especially the higher you climb. It is always safer (wiser) to have someone (or many) hold your ladder steady to prevent yourself from falling. Create a strong foundation. Don’t try and go at it alone, eventually you will fall. This is true in business, and in life. Surround yourself with people you trust, challenge you, have different talents, are honest, have good character and that you can build a meaningful relationship with.


When working together to achieve a common goal, we can help one another become more productive, and effective. Don’t Go Fast, Go Far.

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”. African Proverb.

PERSEVERANCE:

A Cheetah only makes a kill 40-50 % of the time when hunting, and then 10 % of the time will lose the kill to another carnivore (Cheetah’s are built for speed).


If you give up on your Dream and Goals because you failed in achieving it on your first try, second try or even third try you will have difficulty in succeeding in life. The Cheetah is the smallest, and lightest of the Big Cats in Africa, however it is the quickest. The Cheetah uses its god given ‘talents’ to succeed and survive. Keep persevering, and use your talents to succeed.

“Through perseverance many people win success out of what seemed destined to be certain failure.” Benjamin Disraeli

FAMILY

Elephant mothers carry their babies for nearly two years before giving birth. They then make sure that their offspring get the best food, are taught (by them) the most useful skills and show their children how to lead the herd.


“Elephants have one of the most closely knit societies of any living species, organized into birth families, bond groups, clans and independent bulls. Related female elephants remain together all their lives.”


My father continuously emphasized the importance of Family when I was growing up, as I am doing with my kids. I know, if I ever needed my Family they would be there for me without question.


Family is extremely important, and the bond between siblings/ family should never be broken by anyone. I can never comprehend when I hear someone say they have not spoken to their sibling, parent etc. for x amount of years. (We are in 2020 pick up the phone, send a text to that one person you have been too proud of to reach out too –make the first move).

"Family is not an important thing. It's everything." - Michael J. Fox

PATIENCE

The Vulture has too show patience before it gets its chance to eat. They have to wait for an animal to make a kill, and then wait for them to finish eating. If the Vulture decided to move in for quick bite prior to the Lions finishing their meal, they may find themselves on the wrong side of a large paw.


Without patience we jump into situations we do not understand, we answer questions prior to comprehending what is being asked, we go red in the face, we raise our voice, we do not achieve our goals, we lose our friends, we do stupid things…..


Patience is a virtue.


Ø Patient People enjoy better mental health.


Ø Patient People are better friends and neighbors


Ø Patience helps us achieve our goals


Ø Patience is linked to good health

“If I have done the public a service, it is due to my patient thought” Isaac Newton

AERIAL VIEW:

When the Eagle is hunting for its dinner it does not sit on the ground….it takes flight. From above they are able to see a vast area which increases its chances of finding its next meal.


The Eagle has moved from ‘tunnel vision’ to the ‘helicopter view’. As humans we sometimes only look at one view, and don’t take a step back to see the bigger picture or the person viewpoint you are talking with.

“Learn to see the big picture. Often time we get tunnel vision and lose sight of the big picture and what we’re really trying to accomplish,” Robert Cheeke

There are many more lessons that can and have been learnt from the Wild. Please share your observations and what you may have learnt.


Convince Yourself it’s Possible, and Keep Moving Forward.


Source:

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/four_reasons_to_cultivate_patience

Safari Game Drives:

https://www.andbeyond.com/bringing-africahome/wildwatchlive/?utm_campaign=309544_Indirect_Wildwatch%20Launch_30March2020&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Dotdigital&dm_i=5BIT,6MUG,26ZERN,P3BM,1

Memory Skill Tips

"According to a 2010 article in Scientific American, the memory capacity of the human brain was reported to have the equivalent of 2.5 petabytes of memory capacity. As a number, a “petabyte” means 1024 terabytes or a million gigabytes, so the average adult human brain has the ability to store the equivalent of 2.5 million gigabytes digital memory."*

The human Brain however, typically only remembers approximately 20 % of what you have learnt. To build up your memory you need to improve your short term memory to pass it along to your long term memory.

Below are some takeaways from a course I recently had the opportunity to attend.
(Please share your techniques in the comment section.)

·      Repetition

·      Spaced Repetition – If learn something today - repeat a day later, a week later, and then a month later your

·      Exaggeration – exaggerate the event into something bigger or smaller (e.g. you generally do not remember your work commute unless something happens such as witnessing an accident)

   Images play big role in memory –associate an image to what you want to remember

·      Focus – Don’t multi-task e.g. How many times have you lost your keys/ phone in your home? Often the reason is you are doing multiple things when you put your keys/ phone down somewhere

Mnemonic: Brain Shortcuts
Associate image with what you would like to remember   
 
Acrostic: Take first letter of each word to make a full sentence
 e.g. Oceans: I Am A Person
India, Arctic, Atlantic, Pacific

Acronym: Take first letter of words, use to make a word
e.g. AWOL - Absent Without Official Leave

Rhymes: Make up a rhyme (The “3 Rs” — rhyme, rhythm, and repetition)
 e.g. How many days in each month
Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November, all the rest have thirty-one.

Remembering Names:
·      Listen: Pay attention, and focus on the name and not on what you are going to say (pay attention).

·      Repetition – repeat it to yourself, and say a few times while talking to the person

·      Associate the name with something - Create a connection e.g. your best friend has the same name

·      Link the name with the face --- what stands out e.g. they have a dimple in their chin

Memorizing Speech, Script or Song:
 
Repeat Repeat Repeat
Say it out loud a few times, do not stop when make a mistake  --Try and remember between longer and longer periods (e.g. 1 day latter, 5 day later etc.

Record it – Play it back repeatedly in the background when doing mundane tasks etc. Try recite after you have listened to it many times.

·      Write it down a few times
·      Try and learn it backwards. It makes you concentrate on each line in isolation.

Remembering Passwords:

·      Password Phrase Method
Have a phrase that has numbers or words that are phonetically similar
Create a sentence you can remember, then use the first letters and punctuation of the sentence.
E.g. Hi my name is John, my daughter loves to dance!
Password: HmniJ,mdl2d!

Phrase could be something you associate the password with.
E.g. you work for a marketing company
I am in charge of the Arizona Tourism campaign, and I love my job!
Password: IaicotATc,aIlmj!

“Memory is the treasury, and guardian of all things.” Marcus Tullius Cicero

Presentation Tips: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/my-wife-says-article-boring-what-your-thoughts-ryan-joffe/

Good luck!

Additional resources:
http://www.mempowered.com/
http://www.learninginfo.org/
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-living/how-to-improve-your-memory.htm
https://www.health.harvard.edu/topics/improving-memory
*https://www.cnsnevada.com/what-is-the-memory-capacity-of-a-human-brain/#:~:text=As%20a%20number%2C%20a%20%E2%80%9Cpetabyte,2.5%20million%20gigabytes%20digital%20memory.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanjoffe/

Character vs. Reputation

“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.” – John Wooden

The above is easier said than done, but still holds true. In today’s world your past indiscretions and mistakes are more difficult to move away from, and are easier to spread.

Individuals have said things, and done things in their past which they may have believed in at the time, but cringe at now. People grow and evolve.

We need to look at the person’s character, and not rely on reputation which may or may not be true.

 The majority of religions include teachings on the nature of forgiveness. Everyone has ‘missteps’ in their life (some more than others). Don’t let those missteps, define your character.
Character is defined by your mental and moral qualities:
Are You Honest, Do You Show Kindness, Are You Generous, Are You Sincere, Are You Forgiving, and Do You Have Good Morals and Values.

I cannot speak for any of the names listed below, as I obviously do not know them personally. However, I can assume they have all shown some of the Character traits above. They all went through adversity, became successful, and did not go back to crime. My belief is that they took accountability for their mistakes by changing their life paths. They showed character.

Daniel Manville - served three + years in jail for manslaughter. While he was in jail he studied the legal profession, earning two college degrees. After he got out he went to law school. He passed the bar, representing both prison guards and inmates in civil court cases.

Uchendi Nwani - served six and a half months of labor at a federal boot camp for drug dealing. After his time, he lived in a halfway house and cut hair at the university salon where he resumed studies. He opened his own barber shop and shares his success by traveling nationwide, motivating others to follow their dreams even in the midst of adversity.

Jeff Henderson - served ten years for dealing and manufacturing cocaine as a youth. During his time in prison he discovered he liked to cook. When released, he worked as a chef in LA before moving to Las Vegas. He is currently working at Caesar’s Palace, earning top recognition and rewards.

Tim Allen - Before Tim Allen became a famous celebrity, he served two years + in the Federal Correctional Institution for cocaine possession and drug trafficking. After his time in prison he turned his life around and became a famous Hollywood actor.

50 Cent - Before he became a famous rapper, Curtis Jackson III (aka 50 Cent) served a six-month boot camp sentence (instead of his original three-to-nine years) for drug-related charges. While in prison, he earned his GED and was determined to make it as a rapper. His first album was a hit, and continues to make music.

Danny Trejo - Danny Trejo was in and out of prisons for charges relating to both robbery and drugs. He finally turned his life around and broke free of his addictions. He now plays been in many television shows and action films.

The past should never be forgotten, however if responsibility has been taken should it be forgiven?
We need to learn from the past to become better people with better characters.

Character cannot be taken away from you by any person

Convince Yourself It’s Possible, and Keep Moving Forward.

Be a Mensch!*

 Traits that Show a person’s underlying value of beliefs:

·      Generosity
·      Integrity
·      Loyalty
·      Devotion
·      Loving
·      Kindness
·      Sincerity
·      Self-control
·      Peacefulness
·      Faithfulness
·      Patience
·      Determination
·      Persistence
·      Adventurous
·      Fairness
·      Cooperation
·      Tolerance
·      Optimism
·      Spirituality
“Reputation is like a tree, and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.” Lincoln

* "a person of integrity and honor"

Source:
https://www.arrestrecords.com/15-surprising-ex-convicts-who-made-it-big/
Articles:

Is the Art of Conversation being lost through technology: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/art-conversation-being-lost-through-technology-causing-ryan-joffe/
Common Courtesy: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/july-month-common-courtesy-ryan-joffe

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanjoffe/

Don't Leave it 'Til It's Too Late

My brother in law currently health wise is not doing well, and waiting on a transplant. The past 8 + months has been stressful for the Family, but especially for my sister in law, and obviously my brother in law.  The stress levels have recently gone up, as he is has recently been admitted to Hospital.

My sister in law and brother in law have shown strength, bravery, positivity , love and have continuously put on a brave face for their nephew and nieces, who love them ‘around the world’.

They play a big part in our children’s lives, and followed us from Chicago to Arizona to be close to them (and us).

The love shown to him has been unparalleled by his wife, who will not leave his side while he is in Hospital. We have suggested she go home at night to sleep, which is like blasphemy to her that we could even make such a suggestion.  The bond, and love shown between the two of them in unbreakable.

Family is extremely important, and the bond between siblings/family should never be broken by anyone. I can never comprehend when I hear someone say they have not spoken to their sibling, parent etc.  for x amount of years. (We are in 2020 pick up the phone, send a text to that one person you have been too proud of to reach out too –make the first move).

As my father emphasized the importance of Family when I was growing up, I am doing with my kids. I know in my heart, if I ever needed my Family they would be there (and if they were not my father would smack them!).

My sister in laws sisters have shown this kind of love for their sister and brother in law. We are all worried at the moment, but need to stay strong and brave. We are optimistic and I know in my heart that he will receive the transplant he needs.  Family is important during the ups and downs. The love you get from your parents, siblings, husbands and wives cannot be measured.

As my brother reminds me, “Live for the day, as you do not know what tomorrow is going to bring, but make sure to provide for the future as you never know what is going to happen.”

Keep moving forward, and go phone your Family!

2015-2019 Articles: What does Potty Training have to do with Business, Prospecting, Credit, Customer Service, Team Sport to Parenting

Communication Skills:
“It’s our ethos/ culture. This is the way we been doing it for 20+ years. If you do not like it, why did you leave xyz?” When you hear this statement, there has generally been a miscommunication. You may even be labelled a complainer or non-team player which may be difficult to come back from.”
https://bit.ly/33IDGkf
Creating a List for Success:
As a manager you are only as successful as the people you are managing, thus as you will see I had everyone set goals for themselves.
https://bit.ly/2QcnROI
Sales: Generating Leads:
https://bit.ly/2XaSgP6
Never Give Up:
“This lesson is often forgotten, as we all feel the need for instant satisfaction. My daughter of five has learnt early in life that to succeed you need to put in the hard work. This early lesson will only benefit her as she gets older.”
https://bit.ly/32DOSgI
Creating a Winning Team:
As in Sports, it is not always the team with the best players that wins, but the one that is well organized and has strong leadership.
https://bit.ly/33IETYP
Customer Service/ Being a Solution Provider
Many large institutions miss this mark on customer service. As the economy deteriorates, or your company looks to cut costs the first employees to lose their jobs are the non-revenue generators. This generally is your customer service team and marketing team. As these teams get smaller and smaller, more and more emphasis is being placed on the sales generators to provide the additional customer service.              
https://bit.ly/2q8QxgP
Being Customer Centric:
With competition in all Industries being highly competitive what are you, your business and employees doing to differentiate yourself from your competition? Are you speaking with your employees to find out what is working and not working to be able to provide the stellar and WOW Customer Service Experience?
https://bit.ly/2CE0K7H
Credit Score Dictating what job can get.
Approximately after 1 1/2 weeks he was informed that they were rescinding their offer due to his credit score “dings” and “dents”. Unfortunately Brad had been one of the thousands of citizens who had been caught in the Housing Bubble. In 2009 one of his properties he owned had gone into foreclosure. Due to delayed credit reporting it only started showing on his report in 2013.
https://bit.ly/2NZCHoU
Team Sport helps creating winning Business Teams:
If the players do not work together the team will ultimately lose the game. Even with a  ‘Star Player’ if they do not work with the rest of their teammates the team will ultimately lose more than they win.
https://bit.ly/2NI06fZ
Employee Happiness:
As the economy starts to shift into the positive, and the job market opens up companies need to start placing more emphasis on their employees 'happiness'. CEO's need to look at shifting gears before they lose their best employees to companies that realize this before them, and move quicker than them.
https://bit.ly/2QeDWDw
Patience: Everyone Learns at their own pace
“There is no royal, flower-strewn path to success. And if there is, I have not found it. For if I have accomplished anything in life, it is because I have been willing to work hard.” – C.J. Walker
https://bit.ly/32MW0Yg
Make sure you Present yourself well.
In life and in work we are continuously on a ‘stage’ giving ‘presentations’. Some people are better in presenting themselves or their message than others.
https://bit.ly/2O7vfYV
Crash course in Business Lessons
Sometimes you have to take a backseat (“siblings may get recognized for their achievements before you”) - In business work with your specialists, and have faith in them to take the lead. Recognize their achievements.
https://bit.ly/33Hzm4H
Business Loan Lessons for when applying for a Loan:
Please note the ‘M’s and the ‘C’s’ do overlap.
https://bit.ly/2Ocv4Mi
Remember to Relax and Take a Step Back and see the full picture
“Do you want to live in a crying house or fine house?” “If you want to live in a fine house then stop yelling.” After being taken back a little by this question, it reminded us that as a human being you control the situation and environment that you would like to live and work in.
https://bit.ly/2NHh1z5
Choosing the right Partner
As Elon Musk stated, he is able to make change within his vehicles quicker idea (get an approval) than his larger competitors as Tesla is more nimble and has less layers of management (less bureaucracy) to answer too.
https://bit.ly/2X5YRu0
Prospecting:
Sorry I am not interested. Sorry, I am not looking to change. Sorry, I am happy where I am. Sorry, it is too much effort.…..anyone in sales has probably heard these phrases
https://bit.ly/373lvIa
I understand that they cannot, and do not want to respond to every call, email and drop-in they receive. However, I do believe if a Salesperson/ Solution Provider shows initiative, does their research, and thinks outside of the box a courtesy call or email would be justified. This courtesy in the long or short term could be rewarding.
https://bit.ly/2CBl5KL
Sometimes you need to make your own luck when looking to a new career/ job
There are hundred different reasons’ you may be looking for a new position. Your reason for looking/ leaving your current position will be one of the first questions you will be asked
https://bit.ly/2NFwFuW
Common Courtesy:
Today, when you email someone internally or externally from your company it’s a 50/50 chance they will respond in a timely manner or at all. The same seems to be the case when leaving a voice message, and the odds drop I would say to less than 30 % response rate when sending someone an Evite. Has technology been slowly eating away at our common courtesy.
https://bit.ly/32GP0Mn
Technology Destroying Communication Skills
 We are losing the capabilities of being able to read body language and tone of voice as there are fewer conversations happening on a daily basis. This in turn is leading to an extremely politically correct society, as we cannot distinguish what is a joke or not.
https://bit.ly/2Q8OaFA
Emigrating:
The first piece of advice I was given after arriving was too talk slower and enunciate. South Africans tend to swallow their words and run their sentences together. After fourteen years I still sometimes need to remind myself too talk slower. If you were looking to give yourself advice in life and business today what would it be?
https://bit.ly/32AsEMw
Networking Groups:
When you were climbing the ladder of success, would it not have been great to meet your future self to give yourself advice on what you should have done or not have done.
https://bit.ly/2ph9X2Q
Starting a Networking Group:
Creating a networking group can be a lot of work, throw up many roadblocks, yet can also be very rewarding.
https://bit.ly/2NGoDSi
Leadership:
How important is leadership within an organization?
https://bit.ly/34T3ytM
So what can we learn from this transformation of a side languishing in 8th position in the Premier league?
https://bit.ly/2Kje71w
Believe in yourself:
To put it another way the odds of Simon Cowell to become the next Prime Minister was 500/1, for Hugh Hefner to admit he's a virgin 1000/1, Andy Murray to name his first born Novak 500/1.
https://bit.ly/2CFqAIE
How’s your Driving?
If I was a hiring manager and saw the candidate drive in the manner outlined above prior to coming into the interview I may have some preconceived ideas about the candidate. Rightly or wrongly they may have an additional hurdle to overcome during the interview.
https://bit.ly/371SUTe
Overcoming Obstacles. Keeping yourself happy
During the process of overcoming the roadblocks and set-backs what did you do to keep yourself happy, and moving forward?! It is easy to digress into depression when things do not go the way you had planned or envisioned.
https://bit.ly/34NUZjY
Working on your Vacation:
So what do you do, when you are on vacation and have Cell Phone Reception and you continuously hear the beep of a new email coming in? Are you able to switch off?
https://bit.ly/2NGEwrV
Organizing a Golf Day.
 Our enthusiasm, belief in our group, people we knew and what we were looking to achieve drove us forward. We were excited to assist our community in making new connections and raising funds for a Non-for-Profit of our choosing.
https://bit.ly/2NKHc8d
Parenting:
If you followed all the 'rules' of today you would drive yourself and everyone around you crazy. Your child may grow up expecting everything to be done for them, not understand that everything is not put on a silver plate, that there are winners and losers (in sport and in life).........Yet........they Will all be in touch with their feelings and have lots of trophies
https://bit.ly/2CC0xSx

Prospecting - Knock Knock Anyone There?

When reaching out to prospects I believe you should look to position yourself as a Solution Provider, and not come across as a ‘Salesman’. Your goal should not be to sell or push products, but to provide insight in how you and your Team offer customer service (which I believe is lacking currently), solutions and ideas on how you can assist now or in the future.

Prospecting is hard work, yet can be rewarding. Business Owners, CEO’s and CFO’s are constantly bombarded with emails, phone calls and drop-ins which can get overwhelming and ‘irritating’. Getting a response can be difficult.

I understand that they cannot, and do not want to respond to every call, email and drop-in they receive. However, I do believe if a Salesperson/ Solution Provider shows initiative, does their research, and thinks outside of the box a courtesy call or email would be justified. This courtesy in the long or short term could be rewarding.

Business Owners, CEO’s and CFO’s should remember that the people calling on them have their own connections, and businesses they work with which may be useful to their business (or themselves personally), and how you interact with them will dictate whether they will make those connections/ referrals.

One of my colleagues laughs at me, when I get ‘upset’ that a prospect has not responded when I have gone the ‘extra’ step in my prospecting process ( e.g. written a personal handwritten card, dropped off a book in a subject matter I know they enjoy etc.). All someone is generally looking for is an acknowledgement, and a polite thank you I would love to meet, or thank you for reaching out but not interested at this time.

When saying no thank you, be polite. When you are polite, and still saying no, the person calling on you they may still look to refer your company Business, or connect you with people who may be beneficial/helpful to you or your company.
I recently had a prospect thank me for my efforts, let me know that their banker is their good friend, and had been with them for many years. The best present they could give me was my time back, as they were not a good prospect for me. I respected their response, and appreciated their candor. If I ever have a business that requires their type of service, I would be happy to provide their contact details.

On the flip side, a prospect (who is in marketing, which made their reply even more surprising to me) replied thank you for reaching out, please do not contact me further. (FYI: They had not been bombarded with phone calls, drop in’s, or emails….which can be annoying). Their abrupt response left a ‘sour taste’. This particular Marketing Company concentrates within a specific Industry that I have connections in. If I had received a polite no thank you, or even better a meeting with them, I would have been happy to make introductions. Being Polite does not cost anything, even to people you do not know.

Both emails had the same message that they were not interested, yet the one company will get referrals and respect, while the other will not. Life is short, so better not to burn bridges.
Be polite when replying, respond when you notice the person reaching out is doing their research, and is not the ‘same’ as everyone else calling on you. You never know how they can assist you, or who they may know that they can introduce you too.

“E-mail has some magical ability to turn off the politeness gene in a human being.” – Jeff Bezos
"Don't watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going." -Sam Levenson
Keep moving forward.