In can be quite a chore to be the one to head something up – especially when you have to collect money from a large group of people as part of your organizer duties.

Well, there’s an APP for that!

I was thinking about this as we are starting to hear the usual chanting of “Are you ready for some football” signalling the upcoming season (as long as they are not on strike) and for many out there, it is more of a “hey, are you ready for some “fantasy” football?   Leagues form in many families, groups, companies, industries, cultures and one of America’s favorite pastimes lives on in the realm of fantasy.  Along with this comes the inevitable question: Who is going to organize this year.  While most quietly take a step back leaving one poor soul to appear to have taken the step forward to volunteer, they get stuck with the job.

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a way to organize this easier?  There is.

A friend of mine actually owns a company that produces an APP in order to provide just this type of service.  It’s called Pay It Square.  They actually automate the entire process of collecting fees and make it so simple that you participants can pay any way that they want.  Click here to read their latest press release about the product.

Now that I think of it – I wish I had thought of using this for my own futbol (soccer) league.  Each year when the weather gets cold and threatens to snow we take our weekly games indoor where we have to RENT field space and I cannot tell you what a pain it is to collect from everyone.

Bottom line?  Check out Pay It Square – might just be the season ticket to a more simple process for the person that organizes YOUR league.

To celebrate my 50th, my wife and I went to Hawaii for a week.  We have been before, but not without the kids so this was a bit special (see the previous post entitled “You’re not taking me?” to chuck at my son’s reaction that he was not invited).

A big thank you to Aunt Barb for the use of her condo on Oahu (the BEST way to see Hawaii), and to my VISA card for the points I saved for three years to afford the flights – all in all, a cheaper trip than driving up north for the weekend (or very close to it)!

So tell me, how can two flights take over 16 hours and get you there at 10:30pm, when three flights leaving at the same original time (all via the same airline) get you there by 5:30?  Usually we would opt for less stops and go with two, but took three and as it worked out it was the same plane for all three legs – just get off for each stop and walk right back on (new crew for last leg).  At least we got there before dark which allowed us to get our bearings and onto the right highway heading for our destination.

The coolest thing about the flight was in the last 3 minutes as we were circling the runway just prior to landing, and looking out the window at the shoreline we spotted a Seawolf Class Nuclear Submarine coming into Pearl Harbor flanked by a host of other Navy craft escorting it in – a first for me!  Even with all that excitement, after 12+ hours in the air, and losing 6 hours and several time zones we crashed upon our arrival at the condo.

Good morning!  this is the view from the condo looking straight out into the ocean from western Oahu – I could stay right here and watch this scene forever.  Million dollar view that we have seen whales, dolphins, cruise ships, Navy vessels, sailboats, kayaks and lately stand-up paddlers on long boards cutting across the horizon.  The small cove in front of the condo served well as the kids were younger as we could snorkel and even go a little boogie boarding as the waves came in.  We have seen lots of colorful fish and even an eel hiding in the coral at the bottom of the cove.  The beach is protected fairly well, but if the wind gets to hard there are two saline pools nestled into the complex to enjoy.

Our past visits have always been in the winter when the sun sets straight out in front of the condo, but the later time frame of this trip put the sun off to the right behind some of the distant shoreline.  At first we were concerned that the timing would not bring good weather, but before we booked the flights we researched online and found out that the post-winter months actually were the most temperate months of the year and as a bonus, it was considered off season so much less crowded and expensive.

After recovering from the long flight, we ventured out to get groceries for the week.  We did stop off for breakfast at a local spot that has been there forever – I splurged and got banana pancakes, mmm good.  Maybe it was because we were on vacation but these were fantastic (can’t go shopping on an empty stomach anyway).

Shopping is actually one of the most memorable experiences I have had in Hawaii – now that may seem odd, but let me explain.  To get a few pieces of Ahi tuna in Michigan it can cost anywhere from $5-15 depending on where you go.  The first time I was here and found this treat I was blown away, and it continues to be high on the list to revisit every trip.  The grocery store looks pretty much like you might expect anywhere until you get to the deli counter (the fish counter to be specific).  There, in trays as common as baked beans or potato salad sit bin after bin of every variation of Ahi tuna you can imagine.  Spicy, oyster sauce, teriyaki, seaweed, and on and on.  Then, they ask if you want to try any.  Just like Baskin Robbins or Zoup, they skewer you out a taste and you can have as much as you want.  I still remember the first time I must have sampled every one.  My wife found me grinning from ear to ear and I said, do you have any idea how much sushi I just ate?  In Hawaii they buy it by the tub and snack on it whenever they want.  Needless to say we always buy plenty (at pennies on the dollar of what it would cost back home)!

So, all settled in we kicked back for a day or so just enjoying the view and getting started on a couple good books, and even took some time to actually plan a couple things we wanted to do during the week.  What did we want to do that we had not done here before: learn to surf, scuba, explore the east side of the island.  What had we done before that we absolutely had to do again: go to the north shore for lunch at the shrimp trucks, get shaved ice from Matsumoto’s, drive as much as possible with the top down, and hike Diamond Head.

We actually decided to try a different hike than Diamond Head, and picked Manoa Falls.  It was a bit longer and more treacherous as it was not paved, and it is basically a rainforest so there is mud, roots and rocks to climb over – but wow, talk about being transported to another world – I felt like I was in an Indiana Jones movie.  Dense Jungle area, lots of trees as big as a house around and dozens of stories high, very neat bamboo groves everywhere, rivers and streams, rocks as big as trucks and all kinds of interesting sounds you would not hear at the shore just 20 minutes away.

The trail wound tight in some areas where it took you to all fours just to navigate and not slip off some dangerous edge, and other times it was wide open.  We traversed huge roots and other times found some stairs that had been built years ago that were helpful but still a bit rough and slippery.

I am not sure I have ever been in such a remote rainforest type area – one of the coolest things there was the bamboo.  Just knowing what it takes to grow bamboo, and the fact that it is beautiful and really peaceful to look at (not sure why that is), it was really neat to be deep inside huge areas of the tall bamboo trees and be able to take some pictures.

There are a lot of places to hike into the mountains of Oahu, and this was a fun, new excursion to take.  The falls themselves might be a bit more dramatic depending on the time of year that you take the hike, but they were still neat to see – a very tall shear rock face falling into a small pond area before heading out to the stream and downhill.

I have heard there are other falls to hike to that you can actually get in and swim the pond at the bottom of the falls, but because of falling rocks and the small size of this point it was restricted – and yes, being the rule follower that I am we obeyed (although my wife is a bigger rule follower so even if I was tempted there was no way we were crossing past that sign to take a dip.

This was easy to get to and just east of Honolulu where lots of people tend to stay.  We did not really see many people on the hike so it was almost like being in the middle of the rainforest alone.  That in itself was worth the effort to get there.  We have done the hike up Diamond Head more than once and it is always very crowded (although the view is cool), but being the only two people watching the falls here is really something more unique and memorable.

One of the highlights of being in Hawaii is the waves.  There is nothing like getting into the ocean and riding a wave by just body surfing or using a boogie board – my son and I do it for hours when we are there together, but I had always want to go to that next level and actually learn how to surf.  After researching the best sites on the north shore for instruction, we contacted North Shore Surf Girls.  We took a semi-private lesson (just my wife and I) and it was very cool.  Yes were were on the north shore, but since this was not the winter season when the waves are as big as your house, we got to do instruction right where the “real” surfers play.  If you get the chance, get in touch with NSSG and ask for Carol the owner – she was great – patient, informative and fun!  One thing I would do the next time would be to wear a better rash guard or even some type of wet suit – we got board rash from all the ups (and downs) and ended up looking like we had serious rug burns that lasted until after we got back.

The next excursion was diving.  I had been scuba diving years ago (about 10 to be exact) and really wanted to go again.  This time, My wife said no way, she did not want any fish getting in HER face, so I went solo on this outing.  We found Captain Bruce Diving not even a mile from where we were staying and they had the best package as well – they took care of everything, all I needed to do was show up.  We went out for a half day that started at 8am.  The first dive was an introductory dive down to a minesweeper that had sank off the coast – very cool, still intact, and after roughly an hour under water we started back up just in time to see a school of manta rays (about a dozen or so) swim over the bow of the vessel.  Then we cruised up the coast to the second dive site – the Makaha Caverns which were lava flows and caverns that you could swim into – lots of sea life, about 5 different types of eels and dozens of fish varieties and even a small shark eating what was left of an eel.  Very cool.  One of the instructors brough up an eel that he though was dead, until he got it to the stern of the boat and it tensed up on him – very large and we got to touch it (with him holding onto the head) so big I could not get both hands around it in the middle.

Now, it was not all scheduled activities as we had plenty of down time lounging at the cove right outside the condo – and we were both able to get through some serious reading and relaxing!

One thing we did do at the end of the week, was to explore the other side of the island that had eluded us in our first visits.  The entire island of Oahu would fit in one corner of Michigan.  We took off one morning after breakfast, dropped the top and started our cruise.  The other side of the island is like a completely different island – more lava, rocky areas and interesting areas to pull off the road and take pictures of some really spectacular views.

We passed Hanauma Bay State Park it was the front edge of Memorial Day weekend so they were totally full and not allowing anyone in.  Just past that there were a few cool spots like Halona Beach Cove made famous almost 60 years ago in a steamy scene in the movie From Here to Eternity starring Burt Lancaster.

Next time we will have to bring our bathing suits and maybe a picnic basket and spend a bit more time in this unique spot.  There were some sea turtles swimming around in the cove and a few people sunbathing on the wind-protected beach.

Just past this spot there was another turn off with parking and an amazing view.  One spot they call the Halona Blow Hole and it is an area of massive lava flow outcroppings that stretch way into the ocean and then drop off.  At the edge of one of the spots is a hole completely through the lava clear down to the water so when large waves come crashing into the ridge the water shoots up through the hole like Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park.

We were glad we took the time to see the other side of Oahu.  Sites like the Chinaman’s Hat on Oahu Hawaii (named after its shape, also known as Mokolii Island), and Popoia Island (known as Flat Island because it looks like a flat slab of rock in Kailua Bay.   All in all, the Windward coast was a very cool spot to tour through – if you get a chance take time to see it.  A bit off the normal path for most, but worth the drive.

As far as birthday celebrations go, this was a fantastic present – a gift of time, exploration, relaxation, excitement, new experiences and lots of fresh fish right out of the ocean.  I could spend a lot more time talking about food (as far as people either eat to live, or live to eat – I am a foodie), so maybe in another post we can delve into the Hawaiian cuisine a bit further.  Nothing against parties, but given the choice I would head out on a travel adventure every time.

Aloha!

My wife asked me what I wanted to do for the big event.  Party?  Small or big gathering?  Quiet night at home?  Of course, family and friends were sort of lobbying for the bash that we could all get together and celebrate, but the last year has been filled with much hard work and I really just thought a good getaway rest was in order.

Let’s just go on a vacation the two of us.  Those of you with kids know this is probably a rarity.  In fact, other than the occasional weekend excursion, or conference related departure I can probably count on one hand the times we have done so.  She took me to Utah for snow skiing and golfing (yes in the same 4 day weekend) for my 40th, and for hers (hmm…let’s just say it was one of the big decades like 20th or 30th…) I took her to an all-inclusive in Cancun.

That’s about it for getaways sans children.  So, when I told my teenage son that my wife and I were going to be gone for a week in Hawaii and he was going to stay home (he did have school to attend after all) he said, “You mean you’re not taking me?”

We have done quite a bit of traveling with the kids on trips to California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, New York, Maryland, Utah and other areas like Canada, so it was quite a shock to his system when he realized he would be missing out on this one.  I will never forget the look on his face.  He must have aged an entire year as the realization set in.

For me, travel is important for a number of reasons.  Mostly to change the scenery, relax and recharge.  We use it to read books we normally don’t have the time to read, experience a few niceties in a special setting, and reconnect in a way that normal day to day life just does not always cooperate with.

Bottom line?  Even if it takes a bit of tough love, it may just be a really good thing for you to take the time with your significant other and find time on a special getaway for just the two of you.  After all, you might need some practice for the time when your kids are out of the house and that is all that is left.

Safe travels!

Many think that the Eagle rank is the end of the story for most Boy Scouts, but in truth it can just be the beginning.  Our particular Troop actually has an entire Patrol of Eagle Scouts who come back and share their knowledge, skill, experience and hard work in order to make the experience we provide to the entire organization just that much more effective.  Kudos to the Troop 179 Eagle Patrol!

Most boys will not achieve the rank of Eagle, but in the words of a business partner’s son, “I have gotten so much out of the Boy Scout program, that even without reaching Eagle it was totally worth it!”

All of the levels in Scouting require hard work, learning, community service and achieving a set of criteria that generally puts young men outside of their comfort zone.  More time in front of their peers, more instances of having to communicate on a higher level, interaction with adults in order to meet objectives, and an evaluation when it is all done – where adults will ask you about what you did to get there.  For some the fear is greater than others, but they all risk something.

Some lack the confidence to speak in front of others, some need to develop specific skills, but in the end when pursuing that final Eagle rank all of the pieces that they have been testing themselves on for years come together in a project that they must design, lead and manage all on their own (okay – there is some encouragement from the parental units) and until they step up and get the work done, the goal will not be reached.

We had found and used the video above for work, but I saw an entirely different message that applies here.  Bottom line?  Remember that without risk there is no reward – get motivated and dream big!

Image via Wikipedia

Normally they would already have been there, having concluded the holiday and literally hit the road before the wrapping paper of Christmas presents made it to the curb for garbage day!

Unfortunately, life had different plans for them this year.  My father was dealing with a heart issue that had him (and his doctors) working out issues with his medications that, as you may know, is quite a process and not an exact science at all.  Doctors may argue that it is ALL science, and in a way that may be true but it takes considerable time to get the balance of medications correct so that everything levels off and there is no danger of traveling a long distance and being far away from a primary physician.  This was a several month adventure that thankfully now seems to be settling down considerably.

Just when you thought it was safe to load everything in a van and drive for over 18 hours, the wrong twist has your back in spasms so my dad got another tribulation to overcome.  This prompted the question, “Son, how would you feel about driving us to Florida?”

Hmmm, most of my recent experiences with Florida consist of mostly rain, cold and wind – not the luckiest (or even remotely typical) history for my visits there, but those most recent visits all took place in December which is not known for its consistently warm and enjoyable weather.  Of course, I was immediately agreeable as it is my parents we are talking about, but I did check online for the weather forecast just the same.  Over 70 and sunny?  Okay, sitting here in Michigan in roughly 10 degree weather makes it a bit more appealing now.

Still, I have not been in a car for more than a couple hours with my parents for over 25 years.  What am I getting myself into?  (ha-ha)

Well, I can tell you that if you have not done this for your parents that you should definitely put it on your list of things to do when you get the chance.  Living over 2 hours from them when they are here in the state has really been a barrier to the time we might have spent with each other if we were in the same city.  Jobs, family, life, etc – all things contributed to my not living on their side of the state and it has been a challenge at times to stay connected and work out holidays and visits and keeping them in touch with their grand-kids.

Even as the book on tape played on for the entire trip down, we did talk much on our journey, and it was a nice reminder of the conversations we used to have when there was a lot more time for them.  It reminded me of the lessons I learned from them over the years growing up.  Specifically, those lessons in life that you carry with you forever: work ethic, patience, positive attitude and how to get past difficult situations.

As long as I can recall, they have loved me through all of the bumps and scrapes of life. They were always good with a lighthearted comment that helped me take it all in stride, and sometimes a reminder to keep the faith and put things into God’s hands.  In regards to pain and difficult trials in life, they would tell me, it is part of life and is there just to let you know that you are trying to grow or get outside your comfort zone. If it doesn’t kill you, it will make you stronger. This has helped me both as an athlete and as a recruiter. I think it has even helped me as a parent – nothing is harder in this world that parenting (can you say teenager?) when you have to implement tough love and other strategies that good parents do instead of being their friend and letting poor behavior or choices slide by and not dealt with.

Facing things head on and knowing all the while that it might be a painful, yet necessary growth experience is what the journey is all about.  This is what my parents were doing now, in their seventies, by working through recent adversity and not letting it stand in the way of them enjoying all life has to offer.  Dealing with the medications taken at absolute intervals during the day, managing the back pain of a pulled muscle, and finding a way to get south to enjoy some sun, golf and a much nicer climate to be active in while recovering.

It was really nice to have taken the time to help them make the drive.  When I was a boy, we would drive all over the country visiting family and friends in states all over the US – mostly the western states.  They were both teachers with summers off, and sometimes we would literally leave and not come back home for over 6 weeks – it was quite the geography lesson for me, and those were times I have never forgotten.

This trip will be remembered as well.  In the end it was a good thing I went, because there were several things that I helped with the minute we drove in: flat tire on the golf cart, leaky kitchen faucet that needed replacing, rotted floorboard of a base cabinet, drain issue in a bathroom, configuration of phone, computer and cable, and some errands around town to get them situated.  Now, it was not all hard work!  I left the cold and within two days was swimming in the pool in 75 degree weather – not to mention a couple rounds of golf with my mom and a great dinner at Harry’s.  It was certainly a trip to remember.

All good things come to an end eventually, and they flew me home to my 5 degree weather and a foot of recent snow in the yard.  Good thing it was just a short trip or I may have not acclimated back to the cold as quickly as I did.

The bottom line here is to be open to opportunities as they present themselves.  This was much more than playing chauffeur for a few days – it was an opportunity to reconnect with my parents and help them in a time of need.  You never know when you will get the chance – just be ready.

Cover of Zig: The Autobiography of Zig Ziglar

As I looked closer at the article I saw that it was written by one of my all time favorite motivational speakers and trainers, Zig Ziglar.  He was one of the first motivational speakers I ever heard when I cut my teeth in the business world over 20 years ago while attending a marketing conference.  I think I own all of his books and if you have every seen or heard him you know he ends almost everything he does with the dramatic phrase, “I’LL SEE YOU AT THE TOP!”

In the article I read he talked about the fact that he was a boxer from the seventh grade on through the Navy, and he boasted about his record of never finishing worse than second place.  That actually made me laugh out loud.  What a great way to put a positive spin on a boxing record.  This is why Zig Ziglar is so well thought of – everything he does is from a very positive perspective.

He goes on to talk about how boxing is like business in a way, although the similar approach to boxing is taken in business for a very different reason.  As a boxer, he said his coaches would instruct him to test the opponent out,probe for their weakness, and then exploit that weakness.  This is basically true of many athletic competitions.

In the world of business and especially the selling and marketing aspects, this similar approach would be to ask the right questions to find out where the prospective customer or client was weak, in pain, or had needs that needed to be filled.  Only after taking the time to learn this would we be able to design our product or service to strengthen their weakness, ease their pain or fill their need.  Hence, the oldest success advice going: find a need and fill it.

So, this is good solid advice for businesses, but can we take a lesson from Zig and apply this to other areas of life as well?  If you think about it, maybe many relationships would be stronger if the parties involved would take the time to find out what the needs of the other were and then meet them or help to fill them.  I am sure there is a book or two that would chime in here and agree with me.  Look no further to find “His Needs Her Needs”, or “The Five Love Languages” just to name a couple (no pun intended) books that are built along much of the same premise.

The bottom line here is that we could probably all strengthen any of our relationships, business or personal, by remembering the “find a need and fill it” philosophy.  Maybe there is a New Year resolution in there somewhere.

All the best this holiday and for a wonderful 2011.

What have we learned in all these years that has brought us to the point we are at.

So, the second thing that happened today was as we were departing for Indianapolis and the Lucas Oil Stadium.  All loaded up, packed and then an emergency call from Indiana had us making a quick stop by the high school for some items left by other students that would be needed this weekend – would teenagers really forget to bring their heads if they were not attached???  We hit the road, but stopped for some takeout for lunch and as we were walking out to the car we saw a woman pull into the Starbucks next door, jump out and walk in to get a coffee.  Not unusual, except that her car was running and that made me take a second look.  Someone could have easily taken the car in the business of the late lunch hour.  Odd to see anyone do that in the city anymore, and as I looked at her nice, brand new automobile I saw the baby in the car seat in the back of the car.

That stopped me dead in my tracks.  How could anyone do that?  It has not been even 3 months since the last two stories about babies left in cars.  one was stolen with the baby still in the car, and the other died in the late summer due to the heat.  We were on a tight timetable and needed to leave, but I felt compelled to stay until the owner came out of the coffee shop and back to her vehicle.  As she casually walked out after having left her child in the car for nearly 5 minutes, she was confused by my stare as she obviously thought nothing of what she had done.  Amazing.

Very few people leave a running vehicle unattended anymore.  Few homeowners leave without locking up anymore.  I have talked with those in the rural areas over the years that said they never lock their doors – almost stating so with a sense of pride that they still lived in a piece of America that was safe where they did not need to be so careful.

What it must have been like to have lived generations ago, where everyone could leave a baby to enjoy the warmth of a sunny afternoon in the back of their vehicle (or buggy) while they picked up a few sundries and the mercantile.

It is too bad, really.  Those good old days are mostly gone.  Artwork is nailed down in restaurants because if it is not nailed down someone will take it to hang in their own house.  Bikes are chained to rails because if they are not locked up someone will ride them away even though their name (or brand like on a horse) is clearly visible.  People that work for companies have to be diligent and help to push legislation to protect themselves because corporate greed have many CEO’s making decisions that will only benefit them and no one else.  And the worst of all, is that in many areas of the country we have lost that sense of community where we look out for each other to the point where if we left our child for a few minutes it would be perfectly safe.

It is sad that my first thought was for the welfare of this child.  The only comfort for me was that I stood by and waited for the mother to return so that in case someone else decided the car looked enticing there would be someone to step in.  Well, maybe not all hope is lost – there are still a few Boy Scouts out there.  Now, if we could just get some Eagle Scouts or old souls running Wall Street, Congress, and our judicial system I think we might just have a chance to get back some of the good from those old days.

What does perspective have to do with time?  We all value time differently, and for many of us time does tend to fly by quickly and maybe we should make some attempt to slow it down just a bit.  Heed the advice to stop and smell the flowers, if you will.

Let too much time fly by and there will be no flowers to smell.  Surely other people have a different point of view about time.  Everyone may have their own of course.

Maybe it is just a state of mind, with quite possibly our activity driving how we feel about the speed at which time progresses for us.  My paternal grandmother would say busy work makes the time fly by.  As kids we were never quite ready to stop having fun which I guess feeds right into the first quote, “time sure flies when you are having fun.”

One cultural belief said to having been debated now for about 100 years is the notion that as you get older time seems to pass more quickly.  Interestingly, there was a study done earlier this year that concluded that young people and old people gauged the passing of time with very little difference at all.  Personally, I think that the older people get the more they “think” about time and that may just be wherein lies the difference.  As youth, we often never worry about time because there always seems like more of it will be available.

For many it is just our particular circumstances that impact the feeling of time flying by.  When I look at the days left before my youngest is out of high school and off to college I start to feel like much of time has passed me by.  Setting the calendar up for college visits, and when tests should be taken, and all of the other steps in the process to prepare for the next big journey teenagers will face and all of a sudden I start to feel like there is just not enough time to get it all done and begin to feel the pressure of the available time closing in.  Having been through this once already maybe it is just me remembering how quickly this went by the last time!

As I approach the second half of my life maybe it is me focusing on time – looking at my health and everything else and being optimistic that I really am in the second half.  Don’t we all want to live to be 100?

In the meantime focus on the big rocks (like in the story I wrote about here) with the time you have so there is not a regret moment in your life later on.  The bottom line here is that you are only given so much time to spend. Do you know what your perspective of time is?

Today I was reading an article that was mentioned in the Health Informatics Technology LinkedIn Group that I belong to which took me to a Wall Street Journal article in the Careers section.  When I finished this article I spotted something else.

I Disagree

Nothing attracts the attention of a sports crazed society than a star in a slump and what they are doing to get out of it – with a picture of one of my favorite of all time sportsman, Jack Nicklaus!

I read the article with interest, and several points hit home with me – topics that I have talked about, trained on, and even touched on here in my blog.  When I finished reading, I clicked on the comments tab and read the comments that were left and was so surprised by the first one that I immediately began writing a response.

The first reader commented that the article was akin to “Looking to sports for solutions to business problems makes as much sense as relying on the wisdom of Homer Simpson to determine national economic strategy.”

So I went ahead and said it, and disagreed with his assessment of the article, and found it to be shortsighted.

Ask any blog writer about what topics you should be writing on, and they will suggest that you find something out there that you don’t agree with and write a piece that is counterpoint to their opinion.  I never really found writing in this direction attractive.  Maybe I just never hit on anything that I felt worth disagreeing with.  Who knows, maybe I am moving into a new phase of my writing.  Alright, that was probably a bit deep.

Personally, in my humble opinion I agreed with the author of the article and went on to say this in the comment section:

Anyone that has played golf on a regular basis knows that it is indeed a head game. When I was learning in my youth, one coach told me that golf was 90% mental and 10% skill. Maybe there is more to it than just developing the skill to get the ball in the hole.

In reality that coach was smarter than I ever had the maturity to understand as a teenager. Allowing negative emotion to rule generally results in failure in most sports as losing control mentally relates so closely to losing control technically.

In business, this is also very true as can be confirmed by most anyone that has sold or managed or consulted for any length of time. Numerous books have been written on the psychology of selling as well as the mental aspects of nearly every facet of business.

No one likes a stressed out consultant – they push too hard, oversell, and end up under delivering. As a search professional, I have trained and provided advice to lots of business owners on the effects of their mental game and the author uncovered the right answers in her research of the topic.

Sometimes slowing down, relaxing and recharging has the greatest positive impact on achieving the end result that you want. It is true in golf, because the most consistent players have total control over their mental game.

The article touches on another key concept, and that is visualization. This technique has been used by Super Bowl athletes, Olympic athletes and others at the pinnacle of their sporting careers as well as many of the top business professionals in sales, management, consulting and my profession recruiting.

Visualizing success, seeing the past successes, and staying focused on your ability to do it again has the greatest impact on you actually doing it.

The bottom line here is that the article successfully draws the parallel with the mental and psychological aspects of business and sports – and if you disagree, you have to stand up to Zig Ziglar, Denis Waitley, Tony Robbins and hundreds of other experts that have written about it as well as coached, counseled and spoken about it for years.

Stay positive, visualize success and get your game (or business) to where you want it to be!

The Trusted Advisor

Whether it is an acceptance speech at the Emmy’s, Grammy’s, awards dinner, press conference, or any other venue where all the important eyes are upon them and they need to give credit to the person or people that helped them get there.

This is usually where we hear about the coach, mentor, teacher, minister, parent or other individual that was highly influencial and provided the advice, guidance and counsel that helped them along their way.

Even Don Vito Corleone had his Consiglieri sitting at his right hand and advising him in all things important!

This month, we had the opportunity to host a guest speaker who sits at the right hand of some of the most successful recruiting firms in the country.  “The Consigiliori” Pasquale “Pat” Scopelliti talked on the topic of mastering key accounts with a presentation entitled: From Transactions to Key Account Mastery: The Point of Strategic Inflexion.

Mr. Scopelliti’s clientele reads like a short Who’s Who list in the recruiting journals and he is known for helping firms grow to 2-3 times their billing levels so he really captured our attention as he spoke because with success at that level you do not want to miss a single word, thought or tip he might mention.

The most important topic Pasquale talked about was one the biggest tactics recruiters fail to utilize in their businesses – and he drove the point home by saying that if we got nothing else out of the call we should remember this one thing.

Here’s the missing tactic: RECRUITERS VIRTUALLY NEVER
VISUALIZE THEIR SECOND PLACEMENT WITH THE CLIENT THEY JUST SERVED.

Of course, there are a number of key strategies to garnering a key account – which is a client that will work with you time and time again, year after year.  Pat talked about getting access to the business plan your client is focused on, so that you can be focused on the same things as you search for the human capital they need.

One of the more important topics he talked on was the ability to really get into deeper conversations with clients.  He said that this skill will help you to move from tactical service to strategic service.  Listening is one of the key pieces of this step, but in order to  discover what is in the minds and hearts of your client company’s managers and leaders, you have to be able feel what they feel and this comes from really getting into the deepest conversation you can with them and much of this comes in the way of listening properly.

We have two ears and only one mouth, an important thing to remember when trying to learn this high level skill.

Thanks for the great presentation Pat!