Thank Goodness It's Monday #380

MAKE MAGIC

– NOT MISCHIEF–

 ON HALLOWEEN 

When you were growing up, what did you call the night before Halloween?

 

In our New Jersey neighborhoods October 30th goes by several names, depending on where you grew up.

 

·         Mischief Night seems to be most common.

·         But in some rural areas it’s called Cabbage Night.

·         Around Paterson it’s called Goosey Night (and it’s listed that way on the Public School calendar).

·         It’s Hell Night around Camden.

·         Gate Night just a little north of me in Rockland County, NY;

·         Doorbell Night in Connecticut;

·         Hacker Night elsewhere.

·         Other names include Trick Night, Mizzie (or Mizzy) Night and Mat (or Mad) Night.

·         Around Albany NY they call it Beggar’s Night;

·         In Detroit it’s famously known as Devil’s Night and, since there’s a history in that town of setting fires all over the city, a more pacific Angel’s Night effort is now promoted.

·         Fair and balanced 2012 World Series reporting: San Francisco seems to favor the Mischief Night designation. 

No matter what you call it, the countdown to Halloween 2012 is dashing toward the finish line. Although, for a great many kids, as well as some adults, and certainly for all those retail establishments that sell candy by the bag, the “observance” has been going on for quite a while, the day (or maybe days) so many kids (and a good number of adults) have been waiting for is soon at hand. 

So how about a little Halloween history on the way to some TGIM treats?

Halloween comes down to us from the pre-Christian era Celtic festival of Samhaim, held October 31, the last autumn night before the cold and  bleakness of winter.

On this night, considered the Celtic New Year, the Druids believed that the supernatural world drew closer to the physical world. That meant human beings were more susceptible to the influence and power of the unseen. Magic spells could be cast more easily. Divination was more revealing. Dreams held special significance.

This capsule history is spelled out in Sarah Ban Breathnach’s book, Simple Abundance. She continues:

“I believe Halloween is the perfect reminder that Magic flows through us. Mystery infuses every encounter of every day. We conjure up the shoe that cannot be found anywhere in the house, transform leftovers into a feast, coax a bounty from the barren earth, banish fear, heal hurts, make money stretch till the end of the month. We do all this and much more. But most (people) aren’t aware of their tremendous power for good.”

Do you believe in Magic? You don’t have to be some sort of Druid or Celtic celebrant.  It’s not about some particular occult faith or any mystical hocus-pocus.

Belief is an informed mental exercise.

►   It’s about putting trust or confidence in a person or a concept.

►   It’s about acceptance and conviction about what you understand as a verifiable truth.

►  It’s about having faith in your own ability to get something accomplished.

►   It’s about consciously developing a habit that makes things happen.

Anyone can believe in Magic of that nature. It’s available to each of us because it’s not just about Halloween-ish trickery (or “treatery” if that’s a word.)

Magic flows through us. What an empowering approach to an occasion that’s become so over-commercialized and even subject to criticism from some quarters!

As Breathnach suggests, isn’t Magic what we perform when we create an authentic lifestyle for ourselves and those we love? Can’t we shape unseen forces with our creativity … bring into the physical world what only existed in the realm of unseen beliefs?

And if this can be done unconsciously, how much more could we accomplish — how much more success might we experience — if we were alertly aware of our powers, developed them fully and focused them on creating our desired outcomes?

TGIM ACTION IDEA: Summon the Magical powers that lie within you (and each of us). Direct them toward making your desires reality. It doesn’t take some dark art or spell or arcane incantation. 

What would you like to know more about or accomplish? Set your own course of study and make an earnest effort to know the ideas and ideals that work for you in the real world.

Of course –

Be careful what you believe.

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: Make sure you’ve got facts (not speculation) and all the facts you need before you settle on a course of action. Check and double check. Know your sources. Search for independent resources to verify what others tell you.

And watch out for tricksters and mischief makers. Don’t be naive and think that with all of today’s sophisticated means of communication you can’t be duped in the 21st Century. Realize that, with the profusion of broadcast channels … and the gazillions of connections of the digitally interconnected world … and the only slightly more personal relationships created by social media, there are abundant opportunities to deceive a well as inform.

Added point: In the run up to this Halloween, consider all the lives you touch in the course of your life. Sometime in the perhaps-overhyped, candy-fueled course of the day, commit to using your Magical Powers more wisely and effectively. Stay a thoughtful and thinking person and you won’t be “tricked” into wrong decisions this or any other time of the year.

Wishing you nothing but treats.

Geoff Steck   
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373
tgimguy@gmail.com

P. S. “I am sure there is magic in everything …” observed Frances Eliza Hodgson Burnett (1849 – 1924). She was a playwright and author best known today for her children's stories, in particular The Secret Garden and Little Lord Fauntleroy (which, although an anachronism now, was the Harry Potter of its time and made her essentially the J. K. Rowling of her day; wealthy, celebrated and influential).

 

“I am sure there is magic in everything” she said –“Only we have not the sense to get hold and make it do things for us.”

Thank Goodness It's Monday #379

STRESS!!!

HERE ARE A DOZEN QUICK-READING WAYS

TO GET THE BETTER OF IT

 

“Stress can be your worst enemy -- or your best friend."

That’s a bit of so-called “advice” I suspect you’ll find in the early going if you plop a phrase such as “Stress Management” into your search engine of choice.

 

That’s what I came up with straight out of the box.

Arrrgh! Thanks a lot for that gratuitous input. And just what action do you recommend to accomplish the mental judo that flips a stressor over to Good Buddy status?

No answer is forthcoming. Or, worse in some ways, was web-centric advice that suggested, “Write a stress management business plan ….” 

More arrrgh! If I had the time, the inclination and the wherewithal to write a stress management business plan -- then I probably wouldn’t be feeling so stressed!

So here’s the deal. Since I was finding the world-wide search for answers was only creating more stress, I opted for another tack. I picked up the phone and rang up folks in my circle who I felt might have ideas worth knowing. 

The results: Not necessarily genius, but stuff certainly worth knowing and reviewing. So I’m going to share with you a dozen of the ideas other executives and entrepreneurs told me they use to break tension and maybe even make stress work for them. (BTW: No one bought the “stress as your best friend” premise.)

TGIM ACTION IDEA: Pick and choose what you suspect might work for you. Keep in mind that’s what’s most stressful for one individual may be “nothing” to another and that the solutions may not be equally effective for everyone.

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: Add the ones you think might work for you to your toolkit. Review the list from time to time for methods that may apply as circumstances change. Share as appropriate.

Here, in a makes-some-kind-of-sense-to-me order are a dozen for your consideration:

► Maintain your sense of humor. Jokes, humor and funny anecdotes can be the antidote for stress-inflaming tension. The entrepreneur who shared this added, “If stress burned calories, I’d be a supermodel.” I was feeling less stressed already.

►Never be a martyr. Treat a problem not as something that’s being done to you, but as something you can do something about. Then get to doing, well, something … almost anything … about it.

 

►Stay curious. Face the stressful unknown with adventuresome curiosity, seeking to minimize apprehension. Greater knowledge and understanding can minimize anxiety.

►Stop worrying. (No, and not “Be Happy.”) Point here is, if you’re stressed at work but at all suited to your position, you really don’t have a great deal to worry about most of the time. And on the rare occasions when worry may seem justified, remind yourself that you can function – I dunno – let’s say at least twice as well without the undue stress. So give yourself that advantage.

►Respect yourself. (This is related in a way to “Stop worrying.”) Modesty and a certain amount of humility are to be preferred to braggadocio, but don’t sell yourself short. When you feel stressed in the quest for success, review all that you’ve accomplished so far, then determine that you will not be dissuaded from future success.

►Prioritize. Structure your day so you accomplish the most important things early, and don’t try to handle more than is possible in one day. When feasible, try to tackle tough jobs right away, rather than waiting for them to build up to the point where you have to rush and feel stressed out.

►Have confidence in associates. While you can’t delegate stress, you can reduce it by remembering that, having picked the right people for the right posts, you can count on them to do their best to bring a stressful situation to the best possible conclusion.

►Don’t face it alone. Talking it over helps knock fears and anxieties down to defeatable size. (I knew that. It’s why, in part, in the search for de-stress strategies, I called folks who are inclined to be supportive.)

►Organize. Stress often stems from the chaos of disorganization. Being organized introduces elements of predictability and control. When you’re in control, stress is reduced.

►Take frequent breaks. Especially in a creative environment “the pause that refreshes” (anyone else remember that advertising slogan?) is one way to minimize stress. The breaks don’t have to be long, but they can be real stress busters. And odds are, a five-minute break isn’t going to diminish performance or add significantly to, say, a project’s completion time.

►Eat to win. Eat light lunches; heavy food makes you lethargic. Go easy on the booze; it’s a depressant. Reduce caffeine; sure it might jazz you up but too much coffee or caffeine-loaded, high-fructose-corn syrup soda can make you unable to take the daily pressure in a natural stride.

►Get rest. Stress and lack of rest are coupled together with the frequency of peanut butter and jelly. Lack of rest can turn ordinary molehills into Himalayas of stress. No one can run the business marathon – or life’s marathon – day in and day out and expect to win without adequate rest. Pay attention to the need for rest, and heed its warning.

Remember, these ACTION IDEAS come from folks who are NOT physicians, psychologists, or therapists, so this isn’t “professional” advice. But these strategies do stem from real life experience in the real business world.

Take it easy in the days ahead. And if you can’t, apply some of the above. And if that’s not helpful, hope we’ll better inspire you next Monday.  

Geoff Steck   
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373
tgimguy@gmail.com

P. S. In the spirit of the first item how about a few more not-too-serious quotable thoughts about stress?

·         “Stressed is desserts spelled backwards.”

·         “Stress: The confusion created when one's mind overrides the body's basic desire to choke the living daylights out of some jerk who desperately deserves it.”

·         “Stress is when you wake up screaming and you realize you haven't fallen asleep yet.”

·         “God didn't do it all in one day.  What makes me think I can?”

And, for a big (literally) finish:

·          "Cheer up, the worst is yet to come. Quit worrying over the little stuff and wait for something really big."

Thank Goodness It's Monday #378

BIG BIRD’S 2012 LEADERSHIP LESSON

FOR EVERYONE

Had enough post-debate Big Bird talk?

 

I’m guessing you probably have. But for me it’s been a –

Bird-in-the-hand moment. I have a story. Therefore I won’t let debate fatigue stop me from regaling you with a Big Bird-centric, non-political, TGIM-minded anecdote that I reported a decade-plus ago in the pocket-sized publication Leadership – with a human touch.

It’s not (overtly) political. You don’t have to be a fan of Sesame Street … supporter of Public Broadcasting … or even remotely liberal in your thinking to connect to the TGIM-minded Takeaway here.

 

So I’m simply going to seize this Big-Bird-in-the-headlines opportunity to share it again, almost verbatim.

Here ‘tis –

“You never turn down the opportunity to work with a legend like Carroll Spinney,” wrote actor Noah Wyle in Esquire magazine. 

“He has thrilled audiences from more than 140 countries daily for the last quarter of a century. His face has graced the cover of Time magazine. He and his coworkers have earned 71 Emmys.”

Perhaps you, like millions of his fans, know Carroll Spinney better as his 8-foot-2-inch, yellow-feathered alter ego: 

Sesame Street’s

Big Bird

And, like Noah Wyle, perhaps you have a fondness for Big Bird because he made mistakes … got frustrated … and was baffled by questions that plague kids and adults alike:

·         What makes a friend?

·         What’s good and bad?

·         What’s for lunch? 

 

Here is Wyle’s report on their first encounter:

“Excited doesn’t even begin to describe the feeling …. Sitting three chairs to my right was a slender, distinguished-looking gentleman wearing the bottom half of a feathery costume. White beard, kind face, gigantic orange feet.

 

Outtake from the upcoming
feature-length documentary film
I Am Big Bird
 

“I knew those feet.”

Their first conversation went like this:

“How do you do, Noah?  I’m Carroll Spinney,” Big Bird said to Wyle.

“How do you do? It’s an honor to work with you.”

“That’s nice of you to say,” was the Big Bird reply. “Today will be fun. Would you like to rehearse?”

With Wyle being gently guided by the ever-professional Spinney, the day’s rehearsal and filming went smoothly and quickly. After the last scene was wrapped up, Wyle reported:

“I walked over to Carroll and tried to articulate what I had learned coming back to Sesame Street: 

·         “That he was the most dedicated performer I had ever had the pleasure of working with.

·         “That I hoped to bring the same enthusiasm to my work.

·         “And whatever frustrations he may have had doing the same character for almost 30 years were appreciated.

·         “That I liked him a lot.”

“Carroll?” I said.

“Noah, thank you for joining us. It was very nice to meet you,” he said.

“Carroll, I just wanted to say –“

“Before you go, I have something for you,” he interrupted.

He reached behind himself and plucked two yellow tail feathers from the costume’s backside and handed them to me.

“Take these home to remember me by.”

TGIM Takeaway: Noah Wyle concludes, “It was something I didn’t expect him to do. It was something he probably wasn’t supposed to do. But I learned that it’s just the kind of thing you should do when you’re an old friend.”

Do I have to tell you how to get to Sesame Street in your daily dealings?

Follow that bird. Thanks for reading, friend.

 

(Now, what’s for lunch?)

Carroll Spinney
in October 2010

Geoff Steck   
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373
tgimguy@gmail.com

 

P. S. “Jim [Henson] had written letters to his five children to be opened only after his death. Brian read from his. Jim wrote, 'Be good to each other. Love and forgive everybody.' I remembered Jim telling me that he never wasted energy on hating anybody; he had too much thinking to do.” Carroll Spinney reports that in his book, The Wisdom of Big Bird (and the Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch): Lessons from a Life in Feathers.

Thank Goodness It's Monday #377

DISCOVERING LESSONS FROM 1492

THAT COULD STILL CHANGE THE WORLD TODAY

Goodbye Columbus? Today we’re commemorating -- and maybe celebrating -- the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the New World.
 

Hello ...
Columbus?

Even the image we have of Chris
may be inaccurate,
unless it’s this one,
a detail from the painting
Virgin of the Navigators,
done by Alejo Fernández (1475 -1545)
between 1505 and 1536.
 
The state-sponsored painting was commissioned
for a chapel in Seville's Casa de Contratación
(House of Trade) and remains there to this day,
as the earliest known painting
about the discovery of the Americas.

But why? These days we know that much of the simplistic “everyone thought the world was flat” stuff we learned in Grammar School about “The Admiral of the Ocean Sea” is far from historically authentic.

These days we recognize there’s a lot more to the story. For starters --

·        Christopher Columbus didn’t actually accomplish what he intended (reach China and India by sailing West from Europe).

·        In 4 voyages he barely touched the continental landmass (and never North America).

·        It took a long time to realize that. (His refusal to accept that the lands he had visited and claimed for Spain were not part of Asia might explain, in part, why the American continent was named after the Florentine explorer Amerigo Vespucci and not after Columbus.)

·        He did some hard-to-justify things to the locals as well as crew members and individuals who represented him.

·        He wasn’t exactly a master of team management, modern style. Almost immediately he faced mutinies and folks conspiring to undermine his royal relationships.

·        He certainly didn’t produce the ROI his underwriters expected on his initial voyages.

·        And more. Much, much more.

Still … 

Chris was a persistent guy, no doubt. And he did do what no one before him had knowingly done. (In the 11^th Century Leif Ericson and those “northern” sailors who stumbled on the “New World” were just kinda knocking around the neighborhood and weren’t on an all-out quest to get to the East by sailing West.)
 

When all is said and done –

Quirky Christopher Columbus

changed the world’s perception of,

well,

THE WORLD!

 

TGIM ACTION IDEA: Not many folks do that. So on this 2012 Columbus Day, let’s quit knocking the guy long enough to see what we can find to emulate.

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: To start the process, here are some thoughts grounded in historic Columbus-circa-1492 precedent that we can all apply, even in this modern age: 

►Think big. CC wasn’t just a guy with crazy ideas; he was a persistent, quirky guy with the courage of his convictions and the intent of executing his ideas at a grand scale. He had a plan. And when he presented it, he backed it up with convincing evidence. And, in the aggregate, he executed the key parts of his plan successfully.

►Connect with the right people. And persist. Ferdinand and Isabella weren’t the first monarchs that Columbus asked for support. He pitched his plan to many including Henry VII of England, Charles VIII of France, John II of Portugal, and twice to Ferdinand II & Isabella I, Monarchs of Aragon, Castile, and Leon in Spain, before they were convinced. It took him years, but he finally got royal backing for his endeavors. 

►Play the game. He told the powers that be what they wanted to hear in order to get the job done. In addition to the enticement of a fast-track to the riches of the East, he had a strong, lets-go-convert-the-heathen-natives pitch that appealed to the Catholic monarchs of Spain.

►Provide value. Know what you’re bringing to the negotiation. Columbus was convincing enough that the monarchs gave him an allowance, and gave him a letter ordering all cities and towns under their domain to provide him food and lodging at no cost. They didn’t want him to go elsewhere with his ideas. 

►Know your value. Ferdinand & Isabella promised Columbus that, if he succeeded, he would be given the rank of Admiral of the Ocean Sea and appointed Viceroy and Governor of all the new lands he could claim for Spain. He would be entitled to 10% of all the revenues from the New Lands in perpetuity. In addition he would also have the option of buying one-eighth interest in any commercial venture with the New Lands and receive one-eighth of the profits. And he also had the right to nominate three persons (from whom the sovereigns would choose one) for any office in the New Lands.

► Concentrate on your strengths. Hire the skills you need. CC was NOT first and foremost a mariner. He began his career path in 1473 as a business agent. So he hired sailors and experienced sea captains. He ran the expedition and navigated as an executive, not the guy hoisting sails and steering.

►Communicate with confidence. Columbus knew he would be commanding a team that spoke different languages. In order to communicate well, he spoke the language of his people. Although his first language was a rough Genoese dialect of Lingurian, he was ambitious enough to learn Latin, Portuguese, and Castilian. 

►Chart your own course with confidence. A self-educated, independent thinker, Columbus had the courage of his convictions. On his first voyage this helped him successfully return to Spain. Instead of going back the way they came, he used his knowledge of Trade Winds going East (the “Easterlies”) which convinced him to sail Northeast to the middle latitudes to catch the “Westerlies,” thereby avoiding putting unnecessary strain on his ships and crew.

►Share your special knowledge. When in 1503, his crew was beached for a year in Jamaica, the natives helped get water and food. That relationship kept them alive. Columbus balanced the equation by predicting a lunar eclipse, thus impressing the natives with his unique talent. Street cred, baby.

►Stay alert for unexpected opportunities. When Columbus met the New World natives and noted how fast they were learning the language his crew spoke, he wrote, "I believe that people from the mainland come here to take them as slaves. They ought to make good and skilled servants, for they repeat very quickly whatever we say to them." 

►Build your brand. All in all, despite being vilified and imprisoned by his sponsors between his third and fourth voyages, Chris and his family (brothers and children) remained prominent and somewhat recognized for their accomplishments in their day. 

And, hey! Five centuries+ later, it’s Christopher Columbus -- not name-on-a-map Amerigo Vespucci -- who reigns in the history books and has monuments and holidays and cities and countries around the New World named for him.

TGIM Takeaway: The world is not flat. There’s always something new to discover for those who make the effort. And even a deeply flawed man like Christopher Columbus has life lessons to teach us.

Smooth sailing to you this Columbus Day -- and in all the days ahead.

Geoff Steck   
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373
tgimguy@gmail.com

 

P. S. A nautical aside for Harry Potter fans: A corresponding efficient-Trade-Winds-travelling-technique to the one employed by Columbus (see "Chart your own course ..." above) appears to have been discovered first by the Portuguese, who referred to it as the Volta do mar ("Turn of the sea.") What do you think?

Thank Goodness It's Monday #376

NO PROBLEM!

WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE!

It may seem fussy and old fashioned, but lately I believe I’ve noticed a marked increase in sloppy speaking, especially in the world of sales and customer service.

And as you might guess from the headline, the phrase “No problem!” is often a problem for me and, so, is high on my annoying-expressions list. 

Site of the Most Grievous examples: Restaurants. 

Clearly we do have a problem when, after an unacceptable wait, I ask servers who really ought to be more on top of things, “Could you check with the kitchen on our order” … “About that water we asked for” or “Can I have the check, please?”

An apologetic acknowledgement and quick investigation and resolution is preferable to a chirpy, “No problem.” 

And perhaps WORST of all. It’s all gone enjoyably and we depart with a sincere, “Thank you.”

“No problem."

Am I a cranky, judgmental old guy?

You can plead “Guilty.”

Or you can plead “Not guilty.”

But you can’t plead “No problem.”

Yeah, maybe. 

But here’s at least a part of why I have a problem with “No problem.”

It’s kinda dismissive. Especially when it’s in response to “Thank you.” 

When I’m being grateful, a gracious response acknowledges that. “No problem” smacks of “Yeah, you didn’t inconvenience me so roll on.” 

Granted, it sounds OK to me in informal, friendly situations – “Thanks for helping move that furniture, friend.” “No problem, buddy.”  And maybe the difference is subtle but, in more professional, business-like formal exchanges, I’d prefer to hear: “You’re welcome” or “My pleasure.”  

·         Good news: I expect that, when enough of us tire of the dismissive and automatic “No problem” response and react accordingly, it will go the way of “Have a happy day!”

·         Bad news: Some classic phrases that can send quite negative messages continue to be heard almost daily in the business world.

I’ve been listening. Here are 10 common language slip-ups that can have a negative impact on customers’ perceptions of you, your firm and its people, products and processes and can sabotage sales and profits. 

They’re hardly “new,” but they persist. And they’re a problem. 

TGIM ACTION IDEA: Listen for their use and correct accordingly.

1. “I would hate to lose your business.” The lesson here is: Don’t suggest what you don’t want your customer/prospect to even consider. Instead say, “We value your business. What can I do to ensure that we continue to serve you for a long time to come?”

2. “To be honest with you ….” This implies that you have been telling me something akin to lies up to this point and now you plan to speak truthfully. Needless to say, this implication can impact the short-term conversation and undermine your long-term credibility.

3. “In my opinion …” or “I think ….” Although there is nothing intrinsically wrong with offering your point of view, it is much more powerful to provide statements from authorities or testimonials from loyal, satisfied customers. For example: “The CEO of Ramtron was quoted in Industry News as saying …” or “Our customers often say that ….”

4. “I’ll try to get this out today.” In other words, you’ll make an attempt, but you’re not willing to guarantee your success or take full responsibility for the end result? Saying you’ll “try” makes you and the company sound weak and ineffectual. Customers want to deal with someone who is committed to doing whatever it takes to get the job done. Be willing and prepared to make that commitment.

5. “It’s company policy to ….”  These are the most frustrating words to the ears of today’s buyers. Rules and policies are best explained in terms of how they benefit the customer: “Our customers find that pre-counted packs save time and money, so we stock them in shrink-wrapped sets of 20.”

6. “Of course, as everyone knows ….” Maybe your prospect doesn’t know. Avoid making assumptions that might alienate your customer. Encourage people to ask questions; request their comments or opinions. You might say, “What questions do you have about this feature?” or “I would like to know your opinion on this subject.”

7. “I don’t know.” You can’t know everything, that’s for sure. But there are other ways to state this that may be more flattering to you. Encourage continued trust from your customer. Say something like, “Jan is our expert on this subject. Let me connect you to her so she can answer your questions more precisely.” Or, “That’s a good question and I’d like to get more information before I answer it. May I call you back in a few minutes?”

8. “Unfortunately ….” As soon as prospects hear “unfortunately,” the mindset shifts to disappointment as they prepare for the letdown they believe will follow. Give people good news first and the bad news won’t appear so ominous. Tell them: “We’ll be happy to get those out to you. They’re scheduled to arrive here October 8. Let me get your order in now so you’ll be among the first to receive your shipment from that fresh stock.”

9. “So you’re not interested ….” This just reinforces prospects’ negative decisions. Instead, have them tell you what they are interested in: “Tell me what you’re looking for in a new system.”

10. “You have to ….” People don’t like being told what they have to do. They’d rather decide for themselves. If you feel that it would be in a customer’s best interest to take a certain action, say gently, “Here’s what you might do to ensure that you receive this item as quickly as possible ….”

So …

TGIM Challenge: Can you watch your language to assure that you win the business you deserve? Can you pass these insights and strategies along so what others say on your behalf helps boost the bottom line?

“No problem!” you say?

Great! 

Now “Have a happy day!” and enjoy the week ahead.

Geoff Steck   
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373
tgimguy@gmail.com

 

P. S. Lest you think I’m a complete “No problem” curmudgeon, here’s one permissible-in-my-view usage from the 1989 Nobel-Prize-winning Dali Lama: “For those who may not find happiness to exercise religious faith, it's okay to remain a radical atheist; it's absolutely an individual right, but the important thing is with a compassionate heart – then, no problem.”