I am an exceptionally lucky man! Apart from a wonderful family and home life I have the privilege and honour of working with the most talented, hard working and diligent group of people I have ever known.
Many people have asked me recently, “When will this financial crisis end”, I feel obligated to say from the heart, When you stop living in it! Much of what occurs to us is created by the mind and as I work amongst positive, active and caring people that “crisis” never arose, we just never let it happen.
Companies are like living creatures, you can actually feel from the moment you first encounter them whether it is growing or dying. The cumulative effect of the people within a company and the energy they exude is either positive or negative. They are like the organs of a healthy body, if all are well and working the person or creature looks great.
All of this leads me to the simple conclusion that the best way to grow, succeed and avoid pressure is to be positive, the easiest and quickest way to fail is to be negative. Guess what, most people avoid the negative and seek out the positive, no matter what business you are in, so be positive and they will come.
Can I please also be a little presumptuous here, even recommend a few things you may wish to do to ensure you have a better shot at the title? These things don’t guarantee you success, but they will never have anything but a positive effect on you, your company and even your family.
- Always be first into work and last out! Eventually your working day, by simply being longer, means you increase your production and effectiveness.
- Never work after 6.30 pm, go home and relax, if you have something vital to conclude then do it when everyone has gone to bed! Oh, and never believe those people that say they work 18 hour days, they did it once honestly!
- Write down ideas and thoughts as you have them. Leave a pad and pen in the bathroom and loo. Inspiration strikes in the shower and bath, by the time you are towel dry you’ve forgotten that gem!
- At the end of the day simply ask yourself was it a good or bad day. If it was bad, do one or two more things that are positive or phone a positive work colleague, avoid a negative finish if at all possible.
- Avoid calls and emails from people you don’t know or like on a Friday afternoon, wrap things up and don’t let the negative off loaders dump on you before the weekend.
- Look as good as you can at work, take pride in yourself and others will be proud of you and act likewise.
- Keep a running list of all you have to do and tick them off when done, try to finish as much as you can by 3pm Friday, then tick the list off entirely, putting anything undone onto a new list, ready for Monday.
- Understand that “Out of all Adversity comes Opportunity,†now you must go and grab that opportunity.
These points may seem obvious to many of you, but we all forget them from time to time. Keep it simple, stay positive and ensure you have one entire day free at the weekend. If we all create this positive energy there will be no green shoots left, they will have become trees, ready for the good years to come!
Finally and this is a hot tip, find the very best receptionists in the business or as they should be called, Front of House and First Impression Stars. I found four and as a result and we will never look back!