How to Make Sure Only Your Good Ideas Are Acted On There are many benefits to being the boss, but one of the major drawbacks is that your subordinates may not always be honest with you. In an effort to seem agreeable, they may say "yes" when they are thinking "no." Or they may naively assume that since you are smart enough to be the boss, your ideas are always going to be good ones. Sure, your ideas were important in starting your business. But it was your tenacity that made it happen. Trust your experience, but acknowledge that some of the ideas you get now may need a little fine-tuning. Don't let anyone tell you how smart you are. Surround yourself with the best people and encourage them to treat your ideas as you treat theirs -- with enough respect to CHALLENGE them. If your key people are not regularly challenging your ideas -- if they tend to defer to you -- take responsibility for having turned them into cheerleaders. Sit them down. Apologize, and ask for their support in the future. Then discuss how the group could best evaluate new ideas. Your business will prosper. And you won't have to worry about wasting time, resources, and possibly big money pursuing bad ideas -- even if they are yours. In today's issue, Brian Tracy reminds us that every encounter has the potential to change our lives forever. And I talk about something you're doing that could be slowly killing your business... and why you should never say ASAP. ---------------------------------------------- Highly Recommended ---------------------------------------------------- ETR Reader Challenges Us to "Put Up or Shut Up" - Longtime reader Peter Genot has taken the home-study courses. He's worked hard at building his Internet business. But it's still just limping along. He's ready for a real online income -- a raging river of cash is more like it. Here's what we told him... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I don't believe in providence and fate; as a technologist I am used to reckoning with the formulae of probability." Max Frisch When I was in my thirties, I was urged to run for political office. I put together a campaign committee of about 12 enthusiastic supporters. And I started to get carried away with the idea of making a difference in my state. Then I called a politician I had worked with. I asked him if he had any advice. I still remember his words: "Are you financially independent?" When I told him that I was a long way from financial independence, he said that if I ran for office in my thirties (successfully), I would never be financially independent. I would have a much lower income than I could earn in the private sector. And I would probably worry about money all my life. That slammed the brakes on my political ambitions. I folded my campaign and went back to work as a business consultant and real estate developer. Eventually, I became a professional speaker. It has been said, "A butterfly flapping its wings in Peru can start a change in the weather that leads to a typhoon in China." The application of this idea is that even a casual meeting with an acquaintance can have major long-term effects. At every stage of your life, there will be someone giving you insights and guidance that can point you in a better direction. At the same time, you can be the person giving insights and guidance that will help others.
How many times has your direction changed because you interacted with another person? Sometimes an observation from someone with more experience can change your destiny. The Secret has been a bestseller for years. According to the book, "If you visualize and think positive thoughts, you will attract all good things into your life." Unfortunately, this idea is misleading. Of course, it is important to think positive thoughts. But that is not enough. You must also take continuous action in the direction of your goals, overcoming resistance, adversity, and temporary failures. Success is not based on the Law of Attraction. It is based on the Law of Probabilities. This law says that there is a probability that everything can happen. And that you can influence those probabilities by doing more of the things that are likely to lead to your success. Interacting with others is one of those things. The salesperson who sees more prospects is going to make more sales than the one who stays in the office and shuffles business cards. The professional who networks with other professionals is going to dramatically increase the probability that he will meet the right person, at the right time, with the right insight or guidance that will lead to a career breakthrough. Networking is one of the surest ways to improve your chances of meeting the right people. How do you network? Go to industry events. Join a local entrepreneurs' group. Attend continuing education workshops in your field. Interview successful people. However you network, you'll meet people who can help you succeed... faster than you could do it on your own. P.S. Jobs, referrals, discounts, and deals will flow to you when you know how to make powerful and lasting connections with every person you meet. Learn how to capitalize on your network. There's no limit to the benefits you'll experience when you master this invaluable skill! Become a Power Networker Today! ----------------------------------------------Highly Recommended --------------------------------------------------- The "Obvious" Marketing Strategy... That Almost Every Start-Up Business Forgets - Your favorite restaurant almost certainly does it. So do McDonald's and the Starbucks down the street. But I'll bet your new online business doesn't. And you're probably losing thousands. Read more to find out what "it" is... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More wealth, health, and wisdom from Masterson... I've often talked about incremental degradation -- how you can wreck your business by gradually decreasing the quality of what you do in an effort to save money. On the flipside, you can improve your business by making small, incremental improvements. So, today, I want you to think of one small but significant way you can improve the quality of your product or service. It shouldn't cost much. (It might not cost anything.) And it doesn't have to be obvious to your customers/clients. But it has to be an improvement that you believe in. Start by imagining your business sometime in the future. Five to seven years from now. Maybe longer. Imagine it not as it is today but as something much bigger and more successful... and with a reputation for providing the best product/service in your industry. Just think about that for a while. Try to enjoy it. Next, figure out one thing you can do to make that happen. Something that can be accomplished in a relatively short time -- weeks or months, depending on the nature of your business. Hint: Use ETR's philosophy of treating each customer as if he were your only one. (If you had only one customer and you depended on him for all your income, what would you do for him that you are not doing now?) Two or three things may come to mind. Then ask yourself, "Which one of these things can I implement immediately?" Get to work on it. Make a phone call. Write a memo. NOW. Always set deadlines every time you agree -- or get someone else to agree -- to accomplish a task. The deadline should be specific, with a date and even a time of day. We are often tempted to ask people to work on an ASAP deadline. That's okay... occasionally. But as ETR's Suzanne Richardson put it: "The truth is, your top priorities are rarely going to be the same as other people's. And if you are depending on them to get something done for you, you need to get them to move it up on their priority list. "Only if the task is truly NOT time-dependent should you say 'as soon as possible.'" Walt Disney once said that deadlines are good for everybody and everything. Even beavers, he pointed out, need deadlines. They sit around doing nothing all summer, and start building their dams only when the weather gets cold and winter approaches. ----------------------------------------------Highly Recommended --------------------------------------------------- When was the last time you slept for 8 hours straight? Dr. Jim LaValle (known as the "doctor's doctor") has just released a report with the secrets to getting you back to sleeping through the night... without drugs... in just 14 days. In it, you'll discover: - How to eliminate the #1 reason why you toss and turn for hours (Your spouse will thank you, too!)
- Tested psychological "tricks" that are guaranteed to knock you out cold
- How to "burn off" the hormones that are keeping you wide awake at night (and half asleep during the day)
If you're ready to sleep like a baby all night... and wake up bursting with energy... click here for your report. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Does ETR stand for Enjoy the Ride?" "I love the article by John Forde titled 'How to Turn Your Pile of Research Into a Seamless Promotional Package.' "It is a great take-home lesson. "Does ETR stand for Enjoy the Ride?... because it makes life's adventure blissful and enjoyable. "Great daily tips and nuggets of wisdom. You guys at ETR are simply amazing!" R.B.
Manila, Philippines ---------------------------------------------- Highly Recommended --------------------------------------------------- Did You Cash In that Savings Bond Granny Got You? - Roughly $36 billion in "ready cash" is being held by federal and state governments. Forgotten bank accounts. (Yes, it happens.) Unclaimed utility deposits. Old money orders. Uncashed stock dividends. It's all there. Finding it is much easier than you may think. It could be your money. Why not claim it? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Language Perfectionist: Whose Rules?
By Don Hauptman
In matters of grammar and usage, it's not always easy to know what's correct. In France, a government-run Academy serves as the official authority. Here in America, no single authority has been appointed to give us definitive answers. We must consider various sources, sometimes conflicting, and make our own decisions. Language authorities generally fall into one of two schools. The prescriptivists offer explicit guidance. The descriptivists simply record how language is used, without passing judgment. The second group might be called permissivists. At least some of its members apparently believe that no rules should exist. If enough people use a word incorrectly, it somehow comes to be "right." Thus, for example, it's okay for disinterested to mean uninterested, instead of -- or in addition to -- its primary meaning of impartial. Many dictionaries have capitulated on this point. But by this reasoning, ain't is acceptable. After all, so many people use it! If following a rule creates an awkward result, you might need to break it. But another choice often exists. For example, a venerable rule forbids beginning a sentence with however. The alternative: It's usually possible to respect the rule by substituting but or another word or phrase. Or by relocating however within the sentence. In general, I advise observing traditional standards, unless a compelling reason exists to disregard them. Here's why: 1. Customs and conventions aren't irrelevant. They're part of civilized society. I call this "The Necktie Principle." No good reasons exist to wear ties, and one could cite several arguments against them. But a man in the corporate world who abandoned ties would likely come to regret that decision. So it is with language. Even the permissivists don't spell physician with an F, even though it would be more "logical." 2. We're judged by how we use language. In your career and social life, you're viewed as educated or uneducated, literate or illiterate, on the basis of how well you speak and write. Like it or not, such first impressions help determine your status, advancement, and romantic success. 3. It doesn't pay to be perceived as wrong, even if you can prove that you're "right." If you flout a rule, you may have a case. But it's impractical to justify your position in conversation or in most written work. For instance, if you use enormity to mean large and your listener advocates its traditional meaning of "a great evil," it would be a bit awkward to haul out a dictionary containing the permissive definition. As you might guess, I incline toward the prescriptivist camp. But I recognize that language changes, and that the rules may be bent when necessary. As with many things in life, common sense should prevail. [Ed Note: For more than three decades, Don Hauptman was an award-winning independent direct-response copywriter and creative consultant. He is author of The Versatile Freelancer, an e-book published by AWAI that shows writers and other creative professionals how to diversify their careers into speaking, consulting, training, and critiquing.] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We want your feedback! Let us know your thoughts on today's issue. Email us at: AskETR@ETRFeedback.com | 
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