Start the week off with a Happy Quote from WorkHappy.net. This is a good place for "killer resources for entrepreneurs.
Guy Kawasaki is always good for a handful of posts that will force you to think about what you do. Check out his blog, it is called How to Change the World.
The Personal MBA...is a list of the best business books. Its motto is "Mastering Business Through Self Education." And here is a link to the Reading List and Blog.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Roger Federer...The Model Finisher
Roger Federer won his fourth consecutive U.S. Open yesterday. And even though he would not say he won it with ease...no one really came close to putting together a sustained challenge. Sure there were a few sets he lost, and there were more unforced errors than we are used to seeing, but no one could match him.
Most sporting commentators describe Federer's performances by saying something like, "He just has another gear."
When Federer was easily handling Andy Roddick's best effort and 140 mph serves, it looked like Roddick was working his heart out on every point. Federer barely looked winded at the end of three sets. Roddick had sweated through the BILL of his cap.
Here is the thing I love about Federer. He has no coach. He is totally and completely accountable to himself.
Early on in his career, Federer would get into a tough game and he couldn't handle the pressure. His game would crumble.
He had a coach for many years. Most professional tennis players have several coaches, hitting partners, and a friends and family entourage. While Federer clearly has an incredible support group, he is currently without a coach.
His quote from earlier this weekend, "Luckily, along the way I learned that it's about hard work, and that talent only takes you so far."
Federer is an amazing closer.
In the first set of this year's final, Novak Djokavic had at least three chances to close out the set. Federer won those points when then really mattered. He then won the set in a tie breaker. In fact, He won the first two sets in a tie breaker.
So this week's Finisher's Blog observation: Finishers are Accountable to Themselves.
Seems very obvious and easy to comprehend. It is much harder to put into practice. How do you become accountable to yourself at all times? How do you focus and perform at your best when everything is on the line? Go look at Federer.
Most sporting commentators describe Federer's performances by saying something like, "He just has another gear."
When Federer was easily handling Andy Roddick's best effort and 140 mph serves, it looked like Roddick was working his heart out on every point. Federer barely looked winded at the end of three sets. Roddick had sweated through the BILL of his cap.
Here is the thing I love about Federer. He has no coach. He is totally and completely accountable to himself.
Early on in his career, Federer would get into a tough game and he couldn't handle the pressure. His game would crumble.
He had a coach for many years. Most professional tennis players have several coaches, hitting partners, and a friends and family entourage. While Federer clearly has an incredible support group, he is currently without a coach.
His quote from earlier this weekend, "Luckily, along the way I learned that it's about hard work, and that talent only takes you so far."
Federer is an amazing closer.
In the first set of this year's final, Novak Djokavic had at least three chances to close out the set. Federer won those points when then really mattered. He then won the set in a tie breaker. In fact, He won the first two sets in a tie breaker.
So this week's Finisher's Blog observation: Finishers are Accountable to Themselves.
Seems very obvious and easy to comprehend. It is much harder to put into practice. How do you become accountable to yourself at all times? How do you focus and perform at your best when everything is on the line? Go look at Federer.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
The Finisher's Blog
When I was 10 my grandfather made an observation about me...I was a fast starter but a slow finisher. I would often get excited about starting something, but would rarely finish it.
When I was racing bicycles I was able to focus on the early part of a race, but often allowed negative thoughts to creep into my head when the race started getting hard. One day I learned a big lesson while in training with a group of friends. We were turning up the pace and as we got to the last two laps on the velodrome I said out loud, "nope...that's it," and I pulled up the track and slowed down my pedaling.
After the race when we all sat down, my good friend and mentor came up to me and shouted, "If you ever go in the tank like that again I will never ride with you again!" I got the point.
In sports and business and life there are finishers and there are people who tank. There are people who do the work to get the job done, and there are people who are very, very good but who don't quite finish well.
For many athletes, it is a matter of mental approach and focus.
It is the same with me...I often lose focus right at the moment that I need it the most.
For the next several months, I will dedicate this blog to pointing out examples of finishing and of people struggling to finish.
Here is my first example:
A month ago I had a fistfull of proposals out the door. I was sure to have a good end of the summer because I allowed myself to count the dollars and say to myself, "Even if I only get two-thirds of these jobs started, I am in fine shape." And I went on vacation.
Well...I didn't finish the sales job properly and I didn't get most of the work. I had gone into sales presentation mode...feature feature feature....benefit benefit benefit...and I forgot to finish.
The Sandler Sales method is called "post sell" to finish the sale. I have worked with another great sales manager who called it "confirming" the sale.
Either way, there are ways to re-confirm what you think is happening. And I learned that if you can't get the customer to confirm the project with you...then you are just chasing and hoping.
I wasn't finishing.
When I was racing bicycles I was able to focus on the early part of a race, but often allowed negative thoughts to creep into my head when the race started getting hard. One day I learned a big lesson while in training with a group of friends. We were turning up the pace and as we got to the last two laps on the velodrome I said out loud, "nope...that's it," and I pulled up the track and slowed down my pedaling.
After the race when we all sat down, my good friend and mentor came up to me and shouted, "If you ever go in the tank like that again I will never ride with you again!" I got the point.
In sports and business and life there are finishers and there are people who tank. There are people who do the work to get the job done, and there are people who are very, very good but who don't quite finish well.
For many athletes, it is a matter of mental approach and focus.
It is the same with me...I often lose focus right at the moment that I need it the most.
For the next several months, I will dedicate this blog to pointing out examples of finishing and of people struggling to finish.
Here is my first example:
A month ago I had a fistfull of proposals out the door. I was sure to have a good end of the summer because I allowed myself to count the dollars and say to myself, "Even if I only get two-thirds of these jobs started, I am in fine shape." And I went on vacation.
Well...I didn't finish the sales job properly and I didn't get most of the work. I had gone into sales presentation mode...feature feature feature....benefit benefit benefit...and I forgot to finish.
The Sandler Sales method is called "post sell" to finish the sale. I have worked with another great sales manager who called it "confirming" the sale.
Either way, there are ways to re-confirm what you think is happening. And I learned that if you can't get the customer to confirm the project with you...then you are just chasing and hoping.
I wasn't finishing.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
The Psychology of Losing
The other night my wife (a relatively new tennis player) had the opportunity to practice with one of the best tennis instructors in the WORLD. HIs name is Ajay Pant and he is an amazing tennis geek.
She shared this story with me. He was talking to them about losing on the tennis court, and he related that when he loses he is absolutely torn up. He is angry, depressed and not fun to be around. This is not really surprising coming from a person who is clearly very competitive, successful, and driven.
His point was that it it OK to be really upset about losing. It is ok to be driven and then upset when you don't win. Go home, be upset and get it out of your system.
THEN - get back on the court, learn from your loss and let the losing motivate you more.
Try it with work!
She shared this story with me. He was talking to them about losing on the tennis court, and he related that when he loses he is absolutely torn up. He is angry, depressed and not fun to be around. This is not really surprising coming from a person who is clearly very competitive, successful, and driven.
His point was that it it OK to be really upset about losing. It is ok to be driven and then upset when you don't win. Go home, be upset and get it out of your system.
THEN - get back on the court, learn from your loss and let the losing motivate you more.
Try it with work!
Marketing in Bits and Pieces
Most people these days have a website. (It is not hard to get a website, unless you want a really hard website to get.)
Here is a post from Earnie's Blog...one of my favorite interactive marketing bloggers. His points about multiple waves of marketing, and that online marketing is not about finding a silver bullet, are really applicable to business and marketing today.
Here is the link: Multiple Waves
Here is a post from Earnie's Blog...one of my favorite interactive marketing bloggers. His points about multiple waves of marketing, and that online marketing is not about finding a silver bullet, are really applicable to business and marketing today.
Here is the link: Multiple Waves
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