I am a Davidson College Alumni.
It was absolutely from another world amazing to be upset about being one shot from the Final Four this weekend. Amazing.
And, it made me think about Great Finishers and my 7th grade soccer team.
Every year at my little school, there was a game between the 7th graders and the 8th graders. We thought this was the year for the upset. The thought of not winning NEVER entered our mind or our discussions before the game.
We played like 9th graders that day, but the game was even and nobody scored. Until in the final two minutes, the 8th graders scored and hung on to win despite how well we played.
I can still remember how upset we were, and to this day I remember the Varsity soccer coach's talk afterwards.
"The 8th graders always win. That doesn't mean that you didn't play well. I have never seen such a close game. But, the 8th graders played and lost last year, and they know what they have to do. They always win."
Davidson College almost did it. In fact, they DID do it to a lot of teams in this year's tournament.
Finishing means maximizing your abilities, living in the moment, working and playing for your teammates...all those great things that Davidson did do throughout this whole season.
But the big guys always (well almost always) win. Kansas was clearly the better, deeper and bigger team.
Davidson lost, but I think this run and this experience will inevitably take them to a different level in their lives, at the school, and of course...next year when they get to the Final Four!
Go Wildcats!
Showing posts with label finishing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label finishing. Show all posts
Monday, March 31, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Finishers Make Time to Focus
I have heard from many of you that you continue to look for things to Subtract from your working lives. (If you haven't read about my Subtraction Challenge...do so HERE)
In keeping with the idea that I need to connect the dots that get us from being a great Finisher to how and why that is important to your business.
Finishers Make Time for Focus -
I have recently started reading a very strong blog called Zen Habits. As of today he has more than 46,000 readers...maybe we should pay attention to how he is doing that!
Leo has a very good post this week called How to Make Time for your Personal Goals.
The quote he has at the bottom of his post from Yoda is one of my favorites.
"Try not. Do or do not. There is no Try."
You can focus on your goals, personal and professional. Instead of giving in to the crowded nature of our days....stop.
Stop and Make Time to Focus. Great Finishers do this. By blocking the non-essential stuff out, you will create time in alliance with your motivation.
Oh...and go check out this week's Subtraction Challenge update HERE.
In keeping with the idea that I need to connect the dots that get us from being a great Finisher to how and why that is important to your business.
Finishers Make Time for Focus -
I have recently started reading a very strong blog called Zen Habits. As of today he has more than 46,000 readers...maybe we should pay attention to how he is doing that!
Leo has a very good post this week called How to Make Time for your Personal Goals.
The quote he has at the bottom of his post from Yoda is one of my favorites.
"Try not. Do or do not. There is no Try."
You can focus on your goals, personal and professional. Instead of giving in to the crowded nature of our days....stop.
Stop and Make Time to Focus. Great Finishers do this. By blocking the non-essential stuff out, you will create time in alliance with your motivation.
Oh...and go check out this week's Subtraction Challenge update HERE.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Finishers Persist
If you are pushing to the edge of your industry, or your position, or your career choice, there must be something to push against.
Finishers Persist, even flourish, when the Way gets harder.
As the line from "A League of Their Own" goes, "Of course baseball is hard. It is the hard that makes it great. If it wasn't hard, everybody would do it."
How do you learn to persist when The Forces of Mediocrity (a recent Seth Godin Post) start dumbing down your remarkable plan?
First you have to fail and learn by failing. In tennis, getting to and winning a third set or a fifth set (if you happen to be in a Grand Slam), is a big hurdle. Some players feel the pressure and learn to focus on the details and plans. Other players get off track, lose focus and even though they won the second set by playing better than their opponent, lose the third 6-0.
You have to lose a few third sets before you start to figure out how to win them.
Great Finishers Learn to Fail.
Persistence does not Mean chasing down every attack
Many years ago when I loved cycling I was watching a stage of The Tour De France. A rider was in the leader's yellow jersey and the elite riders in the race were at the front of the big field. This leader was a very good rider, but he did not have a strong team. As the road went up a huge mountain, the other leaders of other teams began attacking. One after another they launched attacks trying to get away from the yellow jersey. Each time someone attacked, the leader of the race tried to chase them down. The problem was, as soon as he chased one down, another attacked. Within 15 or 20 minutes, he was unable to chase the attacks and was left behind.
The smarter thing would have been for him to rely on people who had an interest in the outcome as well. "If you want him to win the race, let him go...I'm not chasing him down."
Persistence does not mean chasing down every attack. Sometimes there are people who can and will help you out because their interests align with yours (even if only temporarily).
So, as Seth Godin implores...persist. If you are struggling it is because you are pushing.
Finishers Persist, even flourish, when the Way gets harder.
As the line from "A League of Their Own" goes, "Of course baseball is hard. It is the hard that makes it great. If it wasn't hard, everybody would do it."
How do you learn to persist when The Forces of Mediocrity (a recent Seth Godin Post) start dumbing down your remarkable plan?
First you have to fail and learn by failing. In tennis, getting to and winning a third set or a fifth set (if you happen to be in a Grand Slam), is a big hurdle. Some players feel the pressure and learn to focus on the details and plans. Other players get off track, lose focus and even though they won the second set by playing better than their opponent, lose the third 6-0.
You have to lose a few third sets before you start to figure out how to win them.
Great Finishers Learn to Fail.
Persistence does not Mean chasing down every attack
Many years ago when I loved cycling I was watching a stage of The Tour De France. A rider was in the leader's yellow jersey and the elite riders in the race were at the front of the big field. This leader was a very good rider, but he did not have a strong team. As the road went up a huge mountain, the other leaders of other teams began attacking. One after another they launched attacks trying to get away from the yellow jersey. Each time someone attacked, the leader of the race tried to chase them down. The problem was, as soon as he chased one down, another attacked. Within 15 or 20 minutes, he was unable to chase the attacks and was left behind.
The smarter thing would have been for him to rely on people who had an interest in the outcome as well. "If you want him to win the race, let him go...I'm not chasing him down."
Persistence does not mean chasing down every attack. Sometimes there are people who can and will help you out because their interests align with yours (even if only temporarily).
So, as Seth Godin implores...persist. If you are struggling it is because you are pushing.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Finishers Look for Subtraction
Here at the Finisher's Blog, I try to observe and report what makes people great "finishers" in their chosen fields / areas. Then I try to connect those observations to business work...sales work...marketing work.
This week's observation is counter intuitive and a lot of people don't want to try it.
Great Finisher's subtract stuff from their list without apology.
(Here comes this week's Seth Godin Moment)...
Read The Dip...Seth's great book about when to quit and when to stick. He recently blogged about this idea HERE.
The idea is that you have to become the BEST in the world...and you get to define how broad your "world" is. In his blog post, he says that means you have to eliminate all the "a little of this...and a little of that" stuff. Be strict.
Great Finishers...whether they are in sports, in sales, in business or in real estate... SUBTRACT the stuff that is keeping them from being the best.
Addition by subtraction is not a new idea...but applying it to your day and applying it to your business WILL help with finishing.
What can you subtract this week?
Click HERE to see our SUBTRACTION CHALLENGE.
This week's observation is counter intuitive and a lot of people don't want to try it.
Great Finisher's subtract stuff from their list without apology.
(Here comes this week's Seth Godin Moment)...
Read The Dip...Seth's great book about when to quit and when to stick. He recently blogged about this idea HERE.
The idea is that you have to become the BEST in the world...and you get to define how broad your "world" is. In his blog post, he says that means you have to eliminate all the "a little of this...and a little of that" stuff. Be strict.
Great Finishers...whether they are in sports, in sales, in business or in real estate... SUBTRACT the stuff that is keeping them from being the best.
Addition by subtraction is not a new idea...but applying it to your day and applying it to your business WILL help with finishing.
What can you subtract this week?
Click HERE to see our SUBTRACTION CHALLENGE.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
The Finisher's Blog
Starting Fast and Figuring Out the Finish
I started writing blogs several years ago, but never worked that hard to define my niche, differentiate my content, or plan my approach.
Then I decided to blog about something that I struggle with personally and in my business and to make this blog an exploration of those failings as well as a series of observations about people I think are great finishers.
Here are some Finisher Qualities I have identified and written about, along with the link to my posts from the past year.
Here is my first post on the subject - The Finisher's Blog
The Qualities of a Great Finisher:
Accountable to themselves - Roger Federer-Model Finisher
"Finish" interruptions: The Productivity Formula
Do NOT deal try to motivate with information: What Does "I Don't Know" Really Mean?
Do Not seek the path of least resistance: Finisher's Never Weaken
Know When to Focus...and When to Drift: Knowing When To Focus
See the "Shot" Early: Finishing When You Are Busy
Never quits...even when everything is going badly: Finishing and Not Finishing
Think First...Then Act Decisively: Compost and Finishing
I started writing blogs several years ago, but never worked that hard to define my niche, differentiate my content, or plan my approach.
Then I decided to blog about something that I struggle with personally and in my business and to make this blog an exploration of those failings as well as a series of observations about people I think are great finishers.
Here are some Finisher Qualities I have identified and written about, along with the link to my posts from the past year.
Here is my first post on the subject - The Finisher's Blog
The Qualities of a Great Finisher:
Accountable to themselves - Roger Federer-Model Finisher
"Finish" interruptions: The Productivity Formula
Do NOT deal try to motivate with information: What Does "I Don't Know" Really Mean?
Do Not seek the path of least resistance: Finisher's Never Weaken
Know When to Focus...and When to Drift: Knowing When To Focus
See the "Shot" Early: Finishing When You Are Busy
Never quits...even when everything is going badly: Finishing and Not Finishing
Think First...Then Act Decisively: Compost and Finishing
Monday, January 14, 2008
Compost and Finishing
This weekend I decided to build a compost container and it taught me something about Finishing.
Problem:
I have a number of large trees in my yard and I am tired of bagging up the leaves and sending them off to the landfill.
Solution:
Build a compost container to turn the leaves into supercharged compost for the extensive garden that is now in the works.
Lesson - In order to finish well you have to learn to walk the fine line between thinking and doing.
I write this "Finisher's Blog" because I am often chastised for my lack of finishing. So, I was determined to be a doer this weekend and to actually finish the compost handler. No such luck.
Weekend laziness + fun kid-time + cold temperatures kept me inside too long. So, I finally went outside to get started...as always determined to finish strong.
I started building without thinking enough about what and how, etc.
Normally, I spend too much time thinking and planning and thinking some more before I actually DO anything. This time, I launched into action without the thinking...and it slowed me down later.
Lesson Learned...think first...then act...but don't think too much.
Problem:
I have a number of large trees in my yard and I am tired of bagging up the leaves and sending them off to the landfill.
Solution:
Build a compost container to turn the leaves into supercharged compost for the extensive garden that is now in the works.
Lesson - In order to finish well you have to learn to walk the fine line between thinking and doing.
I write this "Finisher's Blog" because I am often chastised for my lack of finishing. So, I was determined to be a doer this weekend and to actually finish the compost handler. No such luck.
Weekend laziness + fun kid-time + cold temperatures kept me inside too long. So, I finally went outside to get started...as always determined to finish strong.
I started building without thinking enough about what and how, etc.
Normally, I spend too much time thinking and planning and thinking some more before I actually DO anything. This time, I launched into action without the thinking...and it slowed me down later.
Lesson Learned...think first...then act...but don't think too much.
Monday, December 3, 2007
It is time to Finish something
I was putting together my week's list this morning, and realized that there was an unfinished item on there from September 7...
That is not good finishing, but it was a result of focus on other priorities.
The problem? This was an item that was directly related to the future of my own business. This item, to finish a website for Brain Bucket, was not a paying customer, and therefore had been put off for more than two and a half months.
How unfinisher of me!
Therefore, this morning, I am going to go finish that task.
If there is anyone reading my blog each week, I encourage you to go check out two friends blogs who each have excellent recent posts:
Jerry Smith is Accord Coaching - www.balancelifework.com
and
Shawn Kinkade is Aspire Business Development and his blog should be read by anyone interested in learning how to run their own business.
http://www.aspirekc.com/Blog/2007/12/01/have-you-referred-anyone-today/
Have a great week.
That is not good finishing, but it was a result of focus on other priorities.
The problem? This was an item that was directly related to the future of my own business. This item, to finish a website for Brain Bucket, was not a paying customer, and therefore had been put off for more than two and a half months.
How unfinisher of me!
Therefore, this morning, I am going to go finish that task.
If there is anyone reading my blog each week, I encourage you to go check out two friends blogs who each have excellent recent posts:
Jerry Smith is Accord Coaching - www.balancelifework.com
and
Shawn Kinkade is Aspire Business Development and his blog should be read by anyone interested in learning how to run their own business.
http://www.aspirekc.com/Blog/2007/12/01/have-you-referred-anyone-today/
Have a great week.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Finishers "Never Weaken" - see: Justin McBride
Here's a finisher's quality and a guilty pleasure all rolled into one post:
I am obsessed with the PBR.
No, that doesn't mean I am hanging out in some guy's back yard having a "yard" beer.
That is the Professional Bull Riding. "The Toughest Sport On Dirt" - as their commercials say.
This weekend was the end of their season where the league crowned its "World Champion."
My finisher for this week, therefore, is the PBR Season Champion Bull Rider Justin McBride. His rider page is HERE...just in case you are curious how much you can make riding a bull.
This guy is a finisher. One of his mentors, Ty Murray, has a saying about riding bulls that I think to myself whenever I recognize that I am slipping into something less than a finisher.
It is, "Never Weaken."
The only way you can ride a 2,000 pound bull for 8 seconds is to fully commit yourself to that action at that moment. When you watch hours and hours of bull riding, (and yes that means that I have...just ask my wife!), you can clearly tell the difference between the riders who finish their rides and riders who aren't.
It is not a question of ability or heart or "wanting it", or any of the things that ALL of the riders have. I think the difference is being able to sink yourself into the moment completely.
Finisher's Quality of the week: Finishers Never Weaken... they are ready to ride for 10 seconds.
by the way...if you want to pull for the bull...that's ok. A bull named Chicken on a Chain is the winner of the rankest bull world championship. HERE are his stats for this season.
I am obsessed with the PBR.
No, that doesn't mean I am hanging out in some guy's back yard having a "yard" beer.
That is the Professional Bull Riding. "The Toughest Sport On Dirt" - as their commercials say.
This weekend was the end of their season where the league crowned its "World Champion."
My finisher for this week, therefore, is the PBR Season Champion Bull Rider Justin McBride. His rider page is HERE...just in case you are curious how much you can make riding a bull.
This guy is a finisher. One of his mentors, Ty Murray, has a saying about riding bulls that I think to myself whenever I recognize that I am slipping into something less than a finisher.
It is, "Never Weaken."
The only way you can ride a 2,000 pound bull for 8 seconds is to fully commit yourself to that action at that moment. When you watch hours and hours of bull riding, (and yes that means that I have...just ask my wife!), you can clearly tell the difference between the riders who finish their rides and riders who aren't.
It is not a question of ability or heart or "wanting it", or any of the things that ALL of the riders have. I think the difference is being able to sink yourself into the moment completely.
Finisher's Quality of the week: Finishers Never Weaken... they are ready to ride for 10 seconds.
by the way...if you want to pull for the bull...that's ok. A bull named Chicken on a Chain is the winner of the rankest bull world championship. HERE are his stats for this season.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Finishers are Team Players
Here is a superb recent post from Tom Peters regarding Individualism in Business.
Many of the things he brings up are related to being a finisher. I hadn't thought of it this way, but teams always out perform individuals.
Even if you are a sole proprietor in your business...look for a team.
Here is the link: Individualism in Business
Many of the things he brings up are related to being a finisher. I hadn't thought of it this way, but teams always out perform individuals.
Even if you are a sole proprietor in your business...look for a team.
Here is the link: Individualism in Business
Monday, October 22, 2007
Finishing when You Are Busy
In tennis there is a moment of shot recognition when your opponent can only make a defensive shot that is only just going to make it over the net. Once you recognize that they are not able to hit an offensive shot, you must "close on the net" in order to get to the ball before it drops below the level of the net...
Some people are waiters...they wait until the ball bounces and then blast it out.
Some people are flailers...they swing hard at the ball and blast it right into the net...their feet were not in position.
Finishers recognize the shot early, get in position, and close on the net in order to put it away.
I think that the ability to maintain your system, as well as a systematic approach to your work, when things really start flying is a finisher's quality.
My business and the "busy-ness" has really picked up in the last few weeks. More people are signing up for the basic Brain bucket website, and I am lined up to do consulting-type work with a great company. This is all great stuff that I have been working hard to make happen.
But that means that it is harder for me to finish the things that need finishing.
I see others that I consider good finishers handling this type of workload / flow much smoother than I do.
I keep telling myself to maintain my system and to take time to reset my work list...and to set aside enough time to complete my tasks.
Here are some other finishers from the weekend:
Oliver Truog (my brother) reached a huge, long-time goal when he qualified for the Boston Marathon this weekend. He ran the Kansas City Marathon in 3:09. GREAT JOB!
James Tomko (a great friend) completed a half Iron Man triathlon...That is a great achievement!
Some people are waiters...they wait until the ball bounces and then blast it out.
Some people are flailers...they swing hard at the ball and blast it right into the net...their feet were not in position.
Finishers recognize the shot early, get in position, and close on the net in order to put it away.
I think that the ability to maintain your system, as well as a systematic approach to your work, when things really start flying is a finisher's quality.
My business and the "busy-ness" has really picked up in the last few weeks. More people are signing up for the basic Brain bucket website, and I am lined up to do consulting-type work with a great company. This is all great stuff that I have been working hard to make happen.
But that means that it is harder for me to finish the things that need finishing.
I see others that I consider good finishers handling this type of workload / flow much smoother than I do.
I keep telling myself to maintain my system and to take time to reset my work list...and to set aside enough time to complete my tasks.
Here are some other finishers from the weekend:
Oliver Truog (my brother) reached a huge, long-time goal when he qualified for the Boston Marathon this weekend. He ran the Kansas City Marathon in 3:09. GREAT JOB!
James Tomko (a great friend) completed a half Iron Man triathlon...That is a great achievement!
Monday, October 8, 2007
Make a "Honey Do" List for your Business
Finishers do little things right away, and put the big things in a plan.
I have a list of "honey do" items around the house and the yard and the car and the garage.
Unfortunately, those have been supplanted by larger and more pressing projects that take multiple weekends and late week nights to complete.
But this morning, as I walked to the car I saw four or five very small projects staring me in the face. They are little things that I know I must do. Things that I know I will feel better about walking to the car and playing in the backyard once I get them done. I just haven't made them a priority...other things that are more important always jump in line.
Sound familiar? Does that sound like some parts of your business?
I have said before that I struggle with finishing and that is why I write this blog. So here's my confession for the week. I basically ignore those things until either (1) someone yells at me to get them done and stop sitting on the couch watching football, or (2) I get so sick of them myself that I decide to make them a priority.
What are the things you are not finishing?
For many business owners I have worked with, this could be as simple as setting aside part of a day each week to outline a sales system and to build a marketing plan. Then you will need to adopt some of the other finisher's qualities in order to actually make sure that those things get FINISHED.
This weeks book list:
"The Power of Focus" - Amazon Link Here
"Mentally Tough - the prinicples of winning at sports applied to winning in business" - Jim Loehr is a big time sports psychologist who turned his ideas towards business people a number of years ago. HERE is that book. I find things in this book that help me every day.
Blogs to check in with:
Shawn Kinkade will get your head back in your business: Aspire Blog
Stephanie Diamond: As always, Stephanie has some great business perspective. Read this and take the advice! More Ideas, More Profits?
Jerry Smith helps me every week. Read this blog and get your head straight: Accord Coaching
I have a list of "honey do" items around the house and the yard and the car and the garage.
Unfortunately, those have been supplanted by larger and more pressing projects that take multiple weekends and late week nights to complete.
But this morning, as I walked to the car I saw four or five very small projects staring me in the face. They are little things that I know I must do. Things that I know I will feel better about walking to the car and playing in the backyard once I get them done. I just haven't made them a priority...other things that are more important always jump in line.
Sound familiar? Does that sound like some parts of your business?
I have said before that I struggle with finishing and that is why I write this blog. So here's my confession for the week. I basically ignore those things until either (1) someone yells at me to get them done and stop sitting on the couch watching football, or (2) I get so sick of them myself that I decide to make them a priority.
What are the things you are not finishing?
For many business owners I have worked with, this could be as simple as setting aside part of a day each week to outline a sales system and to build a marketing plan. Then you will need to adopt some of the other finisher's qualities in order to actually make sure that those things get FINISHED.
This weeks book list:
"The Power of Focus" - Amazon Link Here
"Mentally Tough - the prinicples of winning at sports applied to winning in business" - Jim Loehr is a big time sports psychologist who turned his ideas towards business people a number of years ago. HERE is that book. I find things in this book that help me every day.
Blogs to check in with:
Shawn Kinkade will get your head back in your business: Aspire Blog
Stephanie Diamond: As always, Stephanie has some great business perspective. Read this and take the advice! More Ideas, More Profits?
Jerry Smith helps me every week. Read this blog and get your head straight: Accord Coaching
Monday, October 1, 2007
Finishing and Not FInishing...
The Kansas City Chiefs were playing at the same time I was playing a tennis match yesterday. One of us did a great job finishing, and the other did not.
The Chiefs were on the road, coming off of several sub-par performances, and against a top-notch team from last year. They never quit. They were behind in the first half and they stuck to their game plan, kept making good plays to put their opponent under pressure, and they never quit.
I, on the other hand, felt like the San Diego Chargers. The weak part of my game was constantly under pressure. The better part of my game was ineffective, and I lost focus. I didn't quit...but I did go in the tank. I rallied late and finished with a few good points and a few tough games that we won...but I was terribly disappointed with my performance.
I know I am better than I played...and yet I didn't put any "finish" to my game. I was hanging my head late in the match, and I wasn't engaged like I should have been.
Today's Finisher's quality: Finishers Never Quit.
Even when all seems lost, a finisher digs in, gets back to the basics, and Never, never quits.
Take that and go finish this week.
The Chiefs were on the road, coming off of several sub-par performances, and against a top-notch team from last year. They never quit. They were behind in the first half and they stuck to their game plan, kept making good plays to put their opponent under pressure, and they never quit.
I, on the other hand, felt like the San Diego Chargers. The weak part of my game was constantly under pressure. The better part of my game was ineffective, and I lost focus. I didn't quit...but I did go in the tank. I rallied late and finished with a few good points and a few tough games that we won...but I was terribly disappointed with my performance.
I know I am better than I played...and yet I didn't put any "finish" to my game. I was hanging my head late in the match, and I wasn't engaged like I should have been.
Today's Finisher's quality: Finishers Never Quit.
Even when all seems lost, a finisher digs in, gets back to the basics, and Never, never quits.
Take that and go finish this week.
Monday, September 24, 2007
The Finisher's Qualities...so far
Over the last couple of weeks I have transformed my blog into examining the qualities of people who are strong finishers. Here are my first few observations:
1) Finishers Do Not seek out the path of least resistance. You can insert any number of quotes here - "Do Not let good enough be good enough." - Bill Parcels comes to mind this morning. Any number of quotes from Gordon Ramsey also fit here.
2) Finishers take responsibility for their own actions - Roger Federer does not have a coach at the moment. Maybe he will seek one out later...but for now, he is structuring his work and his life without one. And it is working.
3) Finishers do not relax when they have a little success that puts them close to a goal. They set the next goal and find ways to push themselves through that first goal. (See qualities 1 and 2)
4) Finishers know how to set goals. You can read any number of books about setting goals that are a stretch but that are measurable. You have to know when you have achieved a goal...and you have to have the ability scratch a goal off your list.
Coming next - more qualities of Finishers and maybe some ideas of how to foster these qualities in your business life.
1) Finishers Do Not seek out the path of least resistance. You can insert any number of quotes here - "Do Not let good enough be good enough." - Bill Parcels comes to mind this morning. Any number of quotes from Gordon Ramsey also fit here.
2) Finishers take responsibility for their own actions - Roger Federer does not have a coach at the moment. Maybe he will seek one out later...but for now, he is structuring his work and his life without one. And it is working.
3) Finishers do not relax when they have a little success that puts them close to a goal. They set the next goal and find ways to push themselves through that first goal. (See qualities 1 and 2)
4) Finishers know how to set goals. You can read any number of books about setting goals that are a stretch but that are measurable. You have to know when you have achieved a goal...and you have to have the ability scratch a goal off your list.
Coming next - more qualities of Finishers and maybe some ideas of how to foster these qualities in your business life.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
GREAT site for your Presentations
My goodness this is fantastic. Merlin Mann has a blog that I follow called 43 Folders.
Here is a recent post about how he puts presentations together. Pick any single piece of this advice and you would have a good presentation. Put them all together, and you have a really, really, really fun approach to the daunting presentation.
This is the finisher's blog approach - do your research, search out people who have gone before you and who do a better job than you...and then study what they do.
How I made my presentations a little better
Here is a recent post about how he puts presentations together. Pick any single piece of this advice and you would have a good presentation. Put them all together, and you have a really, really, really fun approach to the daunting presentation.
This is the finisher's blog approach - do your research, search out people who have gone before you and who do a better job than you...and then study what they do.
How I made my presentations a little better
Monday, September 17, 2007
The Productivity Formula
I once had a sales manager who gave me the mathematical formula for productivity.
Productivity = effort divided by interruption.
In the language of this "Finisher's" Blog, I will take that to mean that the more I Finish the things that interrupt my day, then the more productive I can be.
Of course, there are always stops and starts to any day. I believe that The Finisher is the person who finishes the interruptions quicker and moves back into productivity mode.
Most of us are working very hard and doing our best to work smart. If you keep your effort consistent from week to week, the only way to become increasingly productive is to reduce the distraction of your interruptions. FINISH them before they take over your day.
Here is a link to Seth Godin's blog. He is a key finisher for me. Seth is all about redefining marketing, and work, in order to do remarkable things. His post, Is good enough enough?, is relevant to this finisher's blog because of its focus on redefining your work.
Here is a post from a new friend and business coach Shawn Kinkade. Shawn takes a good look at activity vs. productivity HERE.
Here is a post that refers to a very good book for any business person to read, it is The Four Agreements. This post is from a blog that is called Book Yourself Solid. The blog and the website are a little commercial for me, but the ideas do resonate with me. Here is the post: The Four Agreements
Final Thought:
A finisher takes responsibility for his actions. A work day and a work week is all about finishing.
Productivity = effort divided by interruption.
In the language of this "Finisher's" Blog, I will take that to mean that the more I Finish the things that interrupt my day, then the more productive I can be.
Of course, there are always stops and starts to any day. I believe that The Finisher is the person who finishes the interruptions quicker and moves back into productivity mode.
Most of us are working very hard and doing our best to work smart. If you keep your effort consistent from week to week, the only way to become increasingly productive is to reduce the distraction of your interruptions. FINISH them before they take over your day.
Here is a link to Seth Godin's blog. He is a key finisher for me. Seth is all about redefining marketing, and work, in order to do remarkable things. His post, Is good enough enough?, is relevant to this finisher's blog because of its focus on redefining your work.
Here is a post from a new friend and business coach Shawn Kinkade. Shawn takes a good look at activity vs. productivity HERE.
Here is a post that refers to a very good book for any business person to read, it is The Four Agreements. This post is from a blog that is called Book Yourself Solid. The blog and the website are a little commercial for me, but the ideas do resonate with me. Here is the post: The Four Agreements
Final Thought:
A finisher takes responsibility for his actions. A work day and a work week is all about finishing.
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.
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