One of the biggest business buzzwords today is engagement.
Everyone suddenly seems to have realized that we need to have employees who are engaged in their work. It seems to be the latest "holy grail" in leadership and management circles (teams, lean and total quality are just three past examples).
Like the other examples, creating and nurturing engaged employees is important and will make a difference both for the individuals and the organization. I believe in the importance of engagement and the value of engaged employees. And I believe leaders can make a big difference in this area.
And, if these are my beliefs, you may be wondering why I opened on a bit of a cynical note?
Because I know many reading right now are thinking about "buzzword Bingo."
I get that.
And, even though engagement may be the latest rage, it's still an important topic for you to be familiar with - regardless of how you feel about the latest leadership fads.
(Leadership tip: I also know that when we acknowledge how others may be thinking and feeling up front we improve our ability to connect and communicate with them.)
If you agree that engagement is important and that we as leaders can do something about it, the logical next question is, what can we do? Here are four everyday actions any leader can take to support, build and nurture the engagement of team members.
The Four Ways
Acknowledge them. I've just given you an example of this one. One of our deepest human needs is to feel heard and acknowledged. It starts with listening but goes beyond that. We do not have to agree with people in order to acknowledge them and their perspective. The quicker we realize this, the more effective we will become.
Share the big picture. Do your folks know the big picture? Can they see past the work of your group to see how it impacts the larger organization? Do they know how your organization's products make a difference for Customers? Positive answers to all of these questions are critical to creating engaged team members. If any of the answers are no for your team, this is job one for you as a leader. Once the answers are yes, you can remind, connect and reinforce these ideas every day.
Create meaning in daily work. People will be engaged when they feel like their work matters - that it makes a difference. Help people find that meaning. Certainly understanding the big picture will help. You also can do this by learning more about their needs, interests and skills and helping them see the connections between these and their work (or adjusting their work to create a better match). Another way to create meaning is to give people a more personal connection to Customers. When people meet or talk to those who use their work output (or the final products of the organization), the work isn't just being done "because it is my job," but to "actually help Carla the Customer."
Trust them. Can you tell if someone trusts you? Do you try a little harder, pay a little more attention and remain a little more engaged for those who do? Your answers to these questions should be a big signal to you! Trust people. Show them in tangible ways that you do. When you do you will reap higher levels of engagement.
A Final Important Thought
One could look at these as tactics that could be used to manipulate others. Please know that if you choose to look at them in this way you will not be successful beyond the very short term - in any way. These activities will gradually create greater and greater engagement for your team members, but only when they are done authentically and genuinely.
Potential Pointer: When you help people become more engaged in their work they are more effective. Your job as a leader is to create the environment and provide the support and tools to nurture greater individual engagement.
Remarkable leaders know engaged employees are more effective, productive and happier. That's why they continually look for ways to help those they lead become more successful and engaged. One way is by participating in The Remarkable Leadership Learning System - a one skill at a time, one month at a time approach to becoming a more confident and successful leader. Two months of that unique system are included in Kevin's Most Remarkable Free Leadership Gift Ever.
101 Ways to Have a Great Day at Work by Stephanie Goddard Davidson
Posted at 8:07 AM on
You won't get a simpler book than this. It fits in the palm of your hand. The left hand pages contain brief quotations. The right hand page contains a tip for making it a great day at work.
Here are two examples. I just randomly opened the book and . . .
#41 Take Ten! The next time you can't get started on a task or project, tell yourself you will only work on it for ten minutes. Chances are you will stick with it once you've started, but even if you move on after ten minutes, you have accomplished that much more.
#21 Find Inspiration. Find a quote that really inspires you and post it somewhere prominent in your workplace. Better yet, find a role model in your field and read up on how he or she achieved success.
That is the book, simple as can be.
My suggestion is to read one each day you're at work. Some you will be able to easily apply, some you may already do, and some may seem harder. Regardless, try one every day! (Read and do one every day and you will get through the book twice a year.)
Or, you could pick one to apply as a team for the week.
Or, you will come up with some other great way to use this book.
It is a small, simple, little book that could make a big difference for you and your team.
Everyone I know loves the feeling that comes with being inspired. They like the mental lift, the energy, the attitude, the productivity, the satisfaction and even the way it makes them feel physically.
And as wonderful and valuable as inspiration is, for most of us, it's hard to capture, expand and make last. We want the eternal flame, but far too often settle for a spark as fleeting as the flame provided by a match.
There are predictable ways you can extend the life of your inspirational flame. When you learn these ways, they become important to not just you, but also those you care about, interact with and lead. As you begin to apply these ideas in your life you can help others be inspired and internally motivated as well.
In short, these keys will help you transform your spark into an exciting, lifelong, raging bonfire.
Passion - the Fuel for the Fire
Every fire requires fuel. The more fuel you have and the higher quality of that fuel, the bigger and more powerful your fire. If you want to create lasting inspiration you must be working and living from a place of passion. You must be doing things you love! If you know today how to make money with your passion, and therefore live it 24/7, great! If not, start with tapping your passion in as many ways as you can, as much of the time as you can.
Purpose - the Big Why
Before you can make anything happen, you need to understand and clearly define your purpose. Why do you want to achieve? What is in it for you, your family and those around you? When you connect your passion to a purpose you get excited about, your fire is already roaring; the rest is channeling the flames in the proper direction. Which leads directly to . . .
Goals - the Direction of Your Dreams
Goals are an extremely important part of the inspiration equation, but they aren't the start. Have you ever set a goal and become discouraged, or perhaps even despondent, when you weren't making progress? This is much less likely to happen, when your goals are set in connection with your passion and spurred by your purpose. Goals, in order to channel your inspirational fire, must be your goals and they must be aspirational.
Inspirational Inputs - the Oxygen for Your Inspiration
The first three components can be in place, and your inspirational flames can still smolder. Why? Because life happens! Things change, setbacks occur and we fall prey to our humanness. Just like a fire needs oxygen, we all need inputs that continue to breathe life into our inspiration. Perhaps for you it's your favorite music or movie. Perhaps it is a play or poetry. Maybe it is a seminar, workshop or time spent with the most positive person you know. Maybe it is all of these and more. Whatever your inspirational inputs are recognize that they are the oxygen for your fire. You don't get upset at a fire when it needs oxygen. Neither should you expect your inspiration to tend to itself without additional inputs on a regular basis.
Action - the Small Steps that Create Momentum
Want the ultimate cure for waning inspiration? Take action! Do something! Get off the couch and get going. Lethargy breeds lethargy and will kill your inspirational fire like sand in the campfire. You can't do everything today, and you don't have to. Do something. Take a step. And then keep going. You will get there, and you will move further faster than you realize.
These five keys can give you a lifetime blazing fire of inspiration in your life. You must recognize that the spark you love will never become a raging fire without help.
Smokey the Bear says only you can prevent forest fires. He's right. And only you can create a personal fire hot enough to help you create the life you desire. Don't settle for a spark. Fan your flames every day.
Potential Pointer: Rather than searching for a spark, you should focus instead on fanning your flames. You can create lasting inspiration when you realize your inspirational sources and consciously put those sources to work in your life.
Remarkable leaders know inspiration is important for themselves and those they lead. That's why they look for ways to remain inspired and stay on a path of learning. One way many leaders do that is by participating in TheRemarkable Leadership Learning System - a one skill at a time, one month at a time approach to becoming a more confident and successful leader. Get two complimentary months of that unique system as part of Kevin Eikenberry's Most Remarkable Free Leadership Gift Evertoday.
Crush It! Why Now is the Time to Cash in on Your Passion by Gary Vaynerchuk
Posted at 10:37 AM on
I've known this book was coming for a several months. It's been fairly widely known that Gary Vaynerchuk, the online King of wine, all things New York Jets and social media and online video darling was writing a book. This is the book he wrote.
It is 142 pages of motivation, social media, personal branding, marketing, business acumen and more all mashed up into one. It's an embodiment of Gary. (If you don't know who Gary Vaynerchuk is, check out his website; spend a few minutes and you'll see who he is and what he is about.)
This book is the natural outgrowth of the personal brand Gary has built, and his success proves his book's point - we all can "Cash in on our passion."
The book talks about your passion, but it isn't a soup to nuts "how to find your passion" book. Gary recognizes the foundational important of finding your passion, but chooses to cut to it and move on to application of that passion to turn it into a personal brand; and then, how to turn that brand into revenue.
This book is for anyone - the recently retired person wondering what is next, the disillusioned or out of work mid-lifer who is looking for a purpose, the housewife who has raised her kids and wants to contribute in a new way, or the college student just trying to determine their way. My high school senior doesn't know it yet, but he's going to read it too!
If anything I've said intrigues you, buy this book. If it seems I've been too vague, buy this book and figure it out. This book can be a mind changer for you on a variety of levels.
But only if you read it.
Buy it now, and be among the first to read what will surely be a bestseller and most talked about books of the next few months.
This is the final post in my 16 lessons learned over (my first) 16 years in business. For a summary with links to the other 15, scroll down to post 15, Use Wisely Your Power of . . ..
I announced this lesson during our online party last Friday, as promised.
But now it is time to share it with you.
The title of the post, could have been written for better search engine optimization, but that would have given you the answer.
The biggest lesson I've learned in 16 years in business is that in order to be more successful, you must continue to learn.
If you are thinking to yourself, "Duh Kevin, that isn't so profound," read on - because that attitude certainly isn't conducive to the learning mindset. (And a open, curious learning mindset is extremely valuable!)
As human beings, we are learning beings. We are truly at our best when we are using our gifts, including our gift of learning, to it's fullest extent. I've learned this, and while I believe it with all my heart, but I can tell you that until I'm blue in the face and it won't motivate you to act as a learner more of the time.
I could also tell you that the key word is being a continual learner is the key. I used to think we needed to be continuous learners, but I believe there is a key difference. Continually means being on a path. Continuous means never stopping. It would be pretty hard to always be learning (at a conscious level). The only thing I can think of that we truly do continuously is breathe. Beyond that, we need a break.
I'd like to continually eat, but not continuously eat. I'd like to continually laugh, but not continuously laugh. I think you get the idea. we can't consciously continuously learn, but to become our best selves we must continually learn.
I've learned that be be a great learner, we must be continually learning, which includes rest and reflection.
And I've learned, that as valuable as this discussion of continuous vs. continual might be, this won't likely move you to learn more intentionally either.
But this might.
Think for a minute about what you want more of in your life. Think about your goals, dreams and aspirations. Whatever they are, and whether they are personal or professional in nature, you can not achieve them without learning.
If you already knew everything, everyone and all of the particulars, you would have already achieved those things. Learning is by definition a part of the journey towards anything we want and desire.
Would you like to get to your goals faster? Would you like the accelerant, the secret sauce to faster achievement?
Learning.
Learn more and learn faster and you will accelerate your progress towards achievement.
Create the habits, discipline and mindset to become a continual learner and you will have found the secret sauce.
Perhaps it is ironic that a guy who says he is in the learning business sees this as his biggest lesson. Ironic, perhaps, but no less true.
From a fairly early stage in my career I have been involved in process improvement activities. While at Chevron in the early 1990's, I served as a Quality Training Consultant teaching organizations, among other things, process improvement tools. The goal of the training and the efforts overall were to improve quality, reduce waste and take existing work processes and make them better.
These ideas certainly didn't start at Chevron.
Experts, notably W. Edwards Deming, have long used statistical analysis and process improvement tools to transform Japanese companies and eventually the entire economy. It was from this transformational success that American companies began looking to process improvement in the 1980s and beyond.
I have enormous belief in process improvement. There is no question that process improvement (and it's more current cousin Six Sigma) can create massive improvements and efficiencies in any business.
But, like anything else, its great strengths are counterbalanced by a weakness that too often goes unnoticed.
Let me explain with a hypothetical example:
Imagine in the 1980s, when process improvement was really starting to catch on in the United States that the leading maker of pay phones decided that process improvement was the key to the company's future.
They invested heavily in training and support for process improvement methodologies. And, as they hoped, they found major improvements in their key work processes.
These improvements reduced costs, improved efficiencies and added money to the bottom line. . . for awhile.
With the advantage of hindsight, we now know what happened to our imaginary company. They got better, more efficient and produced a better pay phone than anyone, but soon no one was buying them because everyone had a cell phone.
And THAT is the Achilles heel of process improvement.
Process improvement skills are wonderful, but even the very best process improvement experts often don't ask a fundamental question:
Do we need this process at all? Or, even more importantly, should we be doing something entirely different to start with?
Once we are sure this is a valuable and needed work process, we should definitely work to refine and improve it. But these skills alone don't automatically lead us to ask that fundamental question.
Just as using all of your leg muscles in unison gives you better results (and doesn't injure your Achilles tendon), using all the tools of process improvement is important, but those skills alone can't lift your business to the highest heights by themselves.
It is your responsibility as a leader to use these tools intelligently, supporting your teams in using them, and ALSO asking if the time calls for a breakthrough or the creation of something new instead of the ongoing refinement of what exists.
Potential Pointer: Process improvement is important to any business, and leaders must recognize both its value and limitations. To lead you must help your teams and organizations look outside your current processes to make sure you are not only doing what you are doing in the best possible way, but also to make sure you are doing the right things to start with.
Remarkable leaders know that process improvement is important, and support it within their organization. Leading both process and project improvement is one of the skills in the Remarkable Leadership Learning System - a one skill at a time, one month at a time approach to becoming a more confident and successful leader. Get two complimentary months of that unique system as part of my Most Remarkable Free Leadership Gift Ever today.
Perhaps the easiest piece of our celebration to understand is that we have products on sale!
Specifically, we are offering you a 16% discount on six of our products. We carefully selected these products to give you a wide variety at a wide range of investments - check it all out.
If you have always wanted a copy of Remarkable Leadership, now you can get one and save some money. If you've considered some of our other products, now is the chance to check them out, and save yourself, or your organization, 16% - a pretty significant amount of money.
There's no limit on the number you can buy, but the window of time is shrinking. You only have until 13 more days to take advantage.
This is my 15th of 16 lessons from 16 years in business. This post will actually reference many of the others in this series. If you would like to read the introductory post, you can do so here.
While the original plan was to publish this post yesterday, and #16 today, the 16th, I've chosen to unveil the biggest lesson live on our online streaming video Party today at 3 pm ET (Watch and get the full details).
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Then, I'll post that final lesson here this weekend. But for now, lesson 15.
Lesson 15 is about an ability that we all have, all use, and along with opposable thumbs is one of the things that make us different than any other living thing.
We can choose.
We choose literally thousands of times a day - most all of these choices made subconsciously - based on past experience and habit. This is good, of course, because we need not be consciously dealing with many of those decisions or choices in our daily lives.
My lesson is that we become more successful, productive, happier, healthier, more confident, have better relationships, (insert any positive desirable attribute here). When we exercise our ability to choose - taking back from the subconscious some important choices, and in other cases simply recognizing that we have a choice.
As I thought about how to talk about this lesson, I realized that this lesson is imbedded inside almost all of the other lessons. In some it is at the heart of the lesson, for others more on the edges. But choice plays an important role in each one.
One more thing about each of these lessons. You can choose all of them now.
Right now.
Realize too, that waiting is a choice.
What I've learned, and I relearn it every day (and I certainly don't always get it right), is that we move closer to our potential and make a bigger difference in the world when we choose more consciously and with greater intention.
This is the 14th post in my series of 16 posts on lessons learned in 16 years in business. You can scroll down to read others in the series, or read the introductory post here.
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Most everyone would say that attitude is important - even those who would admit theirs isn't as positive as it could be.
And most people who know me would say that I am a pretty upbeat, and positive person. In fact, some have said I was as positive as anyone they've known (and I was even called Pollyanna once).
Given the general world view, and the general consensus of MY world view, this might seem like a strange or obvious lesson to share. Actually, though, perhaps because my inclination is towards the positive, this post is even more valuable and instructive.
You see I write this post not because of my predisposition towards a positive attitude, but because of my observations in working with individuals, teams and organizations over that last 16 years. Those observations lead to these four truths about attitude.
Attitude is a habit. Habits are things we do with out thinking - natural responses. In most cases our attitude is like that - we have a positive or negative attitude based on our recurring habits, not based on anything else.
Attitude is highly valued. Ask any successful business owner or leader and they will tell you. While attitude can be learned, they would rather teach technical skills than attitude. Those who have a positive attitude alone are valuable. Those who have technical expertise AND a solid positive attitude can change the world.
Attitude affects everything. Your attitude impacts your performance, the performance of those around you, your ability to lead, your health, your confidence . . . I could go on, but I hope you get my point.
Attitude is a choice. This one is the most important. Regardless of your habits. Regardless of your circumstances. We can choose our attitude. And the choices we make will affect everything else (as the other four truths tell us).
this is one of the most valuable things I have learned in my business - If you want to be more effective, productive and successful, choose an more positive, proactive attitude.
This is the lucky 13th post in my 16 post series on things I've learned in 16 years in business. To read the previous posts scroll down. You can read the introductory post to his series here.
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Several years ago, my good friend Kat Koppett, an expert in improvisation, taught me one of the key tenets of – the concept of "yes, and." This concept allows improve actors to always focus on what's next rather than worrying about what has happened, the crummy line their partner left, them, etc.
Kat shared with me that this idea is part of how improvisational actors do what the rest of see as magic - working without a script, and without a net.Since learning this from Kat, and watching her excellent example both on and off stage, I've thought a lot about the power of AND, and I've realized it is valuable for the rest of us, not just those who an can improvise a story in front of a group.
Here are five powers of and, and how we can use them in our professional and personal lives.
And provides options. When you ask someone a question, they answer and you reply with "and . . ." you are encouraging them to provide more options, look deeper and consider more. We could go to the ballgame and the ballet. We could swim and fish. We could sing and dance. We could look for process improvements and breakthroughs. The world is full of options. When we say and rather than or, we and thinking like the world operates.
And provides balance. Take one of my examples in the previous paragraph – process improvement and breakthroughs. An organization, team or individual who gets too focused on either end of that spectrum, will miss opportunities. By thinking "and" we are naturally looking at more options, allowing us to find a better balance.
And creates space. Saying "and" in any conversation give people room and opportunity to say more. It is hard to talk about but easy to notice. Try it and you will see and feel what I mean.
And reduces judgment. Tell someone something, then say "but", and continue. Then replace the same two ends of the sentence with "and" in the middle. "But" implies judgment, and "and" doesn't. If you want to send a clear and observational message, use "and". If you want to improve the chance that people hear both parts of the message, use "and".
And is affirming. Because and reduces judgment, it is also much more affirming to people. It is only one word AND it makes a big difference.
This is the 12th post in my series of 16 lessons learned during sixteen years in business. You can scroll down to read the earlier posts, or go here to read the introductory post to this series.
I am seldom at a loss of ideas - in fact, I have journals full of them and we have flipchart pages capturing them here at Remarkable House.
I love ideas.
And as fun, exciting and full of possibilities as they are, they should never be our end goal.
Because ideas without action are worthless.
As leaders we sometimes focus on coming up with the blockbuster idea, when in fact what we need to do is implement the ideas we already have. And this point isn't just for organizations and big creative problem solving situations either.
If we want to make progress on any goal, any endeavor, anything, action is required.
One of the lessons I continue to learn is that while ideas are great, poorer ideas implemented are better than great ideas on a piece of paper (or worse yet, in your head).
Action get us started, action moves us forward, action creates momentum and action is contagious.
While we must plan and create ideas, we will do ourselves a favor when we stop thinking and start doing.
Need to change a light bulb, change a work process or change careers?
Get started. Start doing. Take action.
When you are feeling lethargic, the best medicine is action.
When you are feeling indecisive, the best approach is action (deciding is an action!)
When you want to make a difference, large or small in your world, take action.
This may be the 12th lesson in this series, but it is one of the most important ones I have learned and continue to relearn everyday.
What action do you need to take today? don't delay - do it now!
This is the 11th post in my 16 post series of lessons I've learned in 16 years in business. You can scroll down to read the rest and you can read the introductory post to this series here.
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The first business person I observed up close was my Dad. I grew up on a farm, and so I got my first lessons in hard work first hand - and not just by observation. One of the things that was clear about my Dad, and many of the other farmers I knew in our area was that while they worked extremely hard, they really did love their work. My observation even as a boy, was that the best farmers (and the best hired hands) were the ones that really liked what they were doing. In short, he was my first example of the idea that you can work hard and still enjoy it.
Today, we read stories about the Best Places to Work and the challenges that businesses face in creating a working environment and company culture that will attract and retain the best talent. It is a complex topic and worthy of conversation and study. Smart leaders DO want to maintain and build a workplace where people want to be - because when that happens, productivity (among other things) goes up.
We also can go into any bookstore and in the self help section find many books that tell you to find work that is your passion, and spend hundreds of pages helping you figure that out. This is also valuable material - well worth the space allocated to it in the bookstore.
Both sides of this coin - the workplace and the worker - are important. And at the risk of making it all over simplified, here's my advice.
Make Work Play!
As a leader, supervisor or employer, think about the environment, culture and fun that exists in your workplace. Make conscious choices to create a workplace where people can enjoy themselves while doing good and important work. Think too about the front end of this process - hiring. Make sure that you are hiring people that want to be in your organization, that are committed to it, that love their work.
Maybe you aren't a leader or employer. Or maybe you are, but are having trouble living up to my suggestion yourself. The personal side of this advice is just as important. Think about it this way: You are involved in your work more than in any other endeavor in your life. You invest more hours and energy in your career than in any other part of your life. Doesn't it make sense to enjoy it?
You may not be doing your life's work, or even know what your life's work is. As someone who is blessed to have found that sweet spot, I urge you to follow that path (and maybe read one of the books on the shelf I mentioned above). But to follow my advice today doesn't require you to stop everything and find your life's passion.
It only requires making a choice. The choice to approach your work with enjoyment and fun; to engage more fully and enjoy the time you spend at work. When you do, you will have less stress, the day will go faster, you will get more done, and sooner than you expect, you will find new opportunities around you.
So there are choices for us as leaders, and choices for us as individuals - and when we choose to Make Work Play, we will be greatly rewarded in a variety of ways.
We had some t shirts made several years ago that sport a Make Work Play! logo. And while, I can't promise anything, there is a chance that when you choose to join me for our 16th Anniversary online party on October 16th, you might have a chance to win one. You can learn more about this event, and RSVP here, or you can read 16 reasons why you should attend. (And that doesn't count the possibility of coming away with a tshirt!)
This is the tenth in a series of 16 daily posts celebration things I've learned in 16 years in business. Please scroll down to read others, and if you want to read the introductory post to the series, you can do so here.
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I was very fortunate to grow up with supportive parents; parents that loved me, supported me, and believed in me. Looking back, while I knew those things, and valued them, I didn't necessarily realize that this wasn't every one's life experience. the older I get, the more I see that not everyone had that experience. And the more I think about it, the more I value those things from my parents and others close to me then . . . and now.
In my work with, and speaking and writing to leaders, I often talk about this important starting point that too often gets left out of discussions of leadership and life success.
It is left out because it is assumed, or perhaps misunderstood. Yet since it is too often lacking, it is ultra important that we talk about it.
The starting point of all improvement, all growth, all project success, all creativity, all coaching, and much more is belief.
If you don't believe someone will succeed, will you help them (or help them as effectively)?
If you don't believe the project will work, will you give it your all?
If you don't believe the effort is worth it, will you expend it?
If you don't believe it is possible, do you realize it isn't?
And let me get more personal. . .
If you don't believe in yourself, will you ever reach your potential?
If you don't believe in yourself, will you even try?
I sometimes end emails or notes, and sometimes even phone calls with: "I believe in you."
People need to know that you DO believe in them. Our belief will help build their belief and their hope, and is an far-underestimated part of our ability to help others.
This idea or lesson was on my list of posts for this series. But it rose to become today's post when I say this video yesterday.
Watch it, listen to it, and ask yourself this question.
Do YOU believe in you? (Because even that needs to come before you can believe 100% in others.)
This is the 9th post in my 16 day series of 16 posts on 16 things I've learned in 16 years in business. You can scroll down to read the other posts. You can read the introductory post to this series here.
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I've long been a reader, and as I reflect on the life of my business, I can clearly identify my reading habit as a factor in my success and progress.
Specifically, I've found five things that reading does for me:
Reading keeps me learning. Reading certainly isn't the only way to learn, but it is a very highly leveraged way to learn - and perhaps the most efficient way to gain new knowledge. As the amount of knowledge explodes in the world around us, reading is a critical habit to helping us stay on pace and hopefully gain an edge. On a very related note, reading keeps me thinking (which leads to new learning too!).
Reading keeps me on-track mentally. When I trace the times I am most lethargic, and my business and personal growth is ebbing, it always coincides with a dip in my reading output. Simply put, reading gets me out of a slump and gets me thinking, feeling and working at maximum capacity.
Reading makes me a better writer. As a kid, I never thought of myself as a great writer. While I may not be great now, I do make a portion of my living from my ability to communicate with words. Whether you want to be a better writer, or just a better communicator (and who doesn't want this?), putting yourself in closer proximity to words and ideas will improve your skills as surely as ice melts in the spring.
Reading builds my self confidence. If it is keeping me moving forward, and keeping me learning, how could it not impact my self confidence? Plus as I learn things that are valuable to our Clients, my business or me, it automatically makes me more confident in my decisions and approaches.
Reading shows me my best self. I wrote about this some time back. We all need to find the activities that make us see the best of who we are. Reading is one of those activities for me.
While your "mileage may vary," and you might have some different benefits, I'm confident you'll find at least some of the same benefits as I do. And, whether you have experienced them or not, you probably agree with them at least intellectually.
In fact, most everyone I meet, when asked, says that reading is a good thing, an important habit and something they wished they did more.
When I get on the topic of reading with people, what often happens without me even asking is that I get the litany of reasons "why I don't read." So, let's get them on the table and expose each as it really is . . . an excuse.
The Reasons People Don't Read
I gave you five reasons why reading will make a difference in your life, here are five reasons I often hear about why people don't read (or don't read as much as they would like):
I don't have time to read. Poppycock! Everyone is busy. And guess what . . . the busiest people I know read the most. Analyze your daily time usage. Find 30 minutes (or even 15) that you could re-allocate to reading. It is there if you look for it. The most likely places . . . the television or computer. The next time you look at these tools of entertainment, ask yourself if 30 minutes less of it replaced by reading would be valuable. Have a child? Read to them or create time in the house where everyone reads at the same time.
I'm not a reader. Of course you aren't a reader if you don't read. Talk about your self-fulfilling prophecy! If you have labeled yourself a non-reader, you can change the label. Your choice. If you don't read as well as you would like, you can change that too. Start by picking books that are easier and more accessible to your reading level. This in itself will build your reading skills and confidence.
I don't know what to read. Pick a topic you are interested in or an area you want to improve. Ask two people who are also interested in this topic what they recommend. Go to your local library and ask a librarian. Go to Amazon.com or Google. You don't have to know, you can ask!
I don't know where to start. This is related to "I don't know what to read". I understand this one, because with the stacks of books I have unread, I sometimes don't know what to read next. My solution? Pick up a few, and start reading what feels right. You can do the same thing in the library or bookstore.
It feels like work (or school). If you don't read much now, of course that is your connection! As you build your reading habit it will feel less like work AND when you pick things to read that interest you, this feeling will melt away quickly.
I've heard other reasons, but I'm guessing at least one of these five hits home. When you stop to think about them, they aren't really reasons, but excuses and are actually pretty hollow.
And when you compare these excuses to the benefits, the answer is clear: if you want to be happier and more successful, read more.
Potential Pointer: There is a correlation between reading habits and income, reading habits and flexibility, and reading habits and the ability to communicate more effectively. In short, if you want to be more successful, read more.
Remarkable leaders know that to improve they must be continual learners. Reading is certainly part of a long term learning strategy, as is becoming a member of The Remarkable Leadership Learning System - a one skill at a time, one month at a time approach to becoming a more confident and successful leader. Get two months of that unique system for free as part of our Most Remarkable Free Leadership Gift Ever.
In case you haven't heard, on October 16th we are having a party celebrating the 16-year anniversary of my business.
Since our Clients and friends are around the world, it seemed pretty limiting to have a party in Indianapolis - too many people wouldn't be able to come. So we are having an online, live-on-the-internet, television-show, party.
This is the 8th post (I'm halfway through!) of my 16 post series celebrating the 16th anniversary of The Kevin Eikenberry Group. You can scroll down to read more of the series or go here to read the introductory post.
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Perhaps it is odd that I have gotten half way through this series of posts before I talk about change - which might be the most pervasive theme of all my work as a trainer and consultant.
I can't, in this short post share everything I have learned about change, change leadership, change communication and the success and failure of change. But I also couldn't leave it off the list either for two basic reasons.
1. We all have to deal with change individually and organizationally all the time. 2. Organizationally, we have a pretty lousy record at doing it successfully (as a whole I'm not sure we are a whole lot better at it individually either).
When we aren't very good at something that affects us everyday, there is a learning opportunity!
Here are four key ideas and actions that will help you deal with and lead change more effectively. 1. People don't resist change, they resist being changed.
Stop and reread this sentence.
The point here is that change is a choice that people make. Since we all like to be in control of our lives and our circumstances, there is much less resistance and much greater success, when people are in a position to choose (or have input into) any change. This applies to a big wide spread company change and to the change of dinner plans with your family on Friday night.
2. People change for their reasons, not yours.
Change is a choice and it is made individually. Just because you are completely sold on a change, doesn't mean someone else sees it. Your values, experience and criteria are different. You see the world differently than they do.
This is ok -and even if it doesn't seem ok to you, it doesn't matter. It is reality. One important implication of this fact is that we can't get others to change by simply stating our case more passionately and/or louder. this isn't communication, it is coercion, and it won't work.
3. There is an emotional component to change.
People don't choose change based solely on facts any more than they make any other decision completely based on logic. How receptive (or not) we are to any change relates to all of our past experience about change, what our most recent experiences are, and what else is going on in our lives.
How we feel about change and the specific situation matters. Alot.
Keeping this in mind and planning accordingly is one way to drastically improve your ability to lead and nurture any organizational change.
4. You can't make change happen with a PowerPoint presentation.
At least not by itself.
When you take the other three points together you will quickly realize that to create change requires information and conversation. PowerPoint alone is a great one way communication tool. But one way communication, by itself, will never create and sustain change. We must create conversations and dialogue to help people make a true choice to change.
I'm off today to work with a new Client - and we are going to talk specifically about change. When they ask me to summarize some of the key lessons about organizational change, these will be on the list.
This is the seventh of 16 daily posts I'm writing on lessons I've learned over 16 years in business. You can scroll down to read the earlier posts in this series and you can read the introductory post here.
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Warning. I'm not going to tell you anything in this post that you haven't heard before. And yet reading it and looking for your lessons, is part of my point. Read on with an open mind - and look for your lessons.
This is a message we teach our kids at a very young age. Once they learn how to talk - and say the basic words like "Mommy" and "Daddy" (or in my case "tractor" - sounding like "trabbor" - which as the story goes was my first word), we want to teach them to say thank you. Not only do we want them to learn these two words, we want them to know when to use them.
I wrote about this in my book Vantagepoints and find it is one of the chapters people comment on regularly. We all "get" this. We learn to say thank you to be gracious and grateful. And, throughout our lives we are pretty good about it for basic things, like when someone lets us cut in the grocery line because we only have milk, or someone gives us a gift, and some of us are even good at it when people pay us a complement.
My lesson today though isn't just about saying thank you, which while important, should be an outcome, rather than the goal - I'm not, after all, in case you haven't noticed, Miss Manners.
One of the lessons I have learned over the past 16 years in business is that gratitude is vitally important to our self image, our attitude, and our success.
You might be thinking that in order to be grateful, we must have things happening in our lives to be grateful for, right?
This is true, but hardly a limited factor for any of us.
There is plenty for all of us to be grateful for each day. But the most important things won't be obvious.
How we are supposed to be grateful for things that aren't obvious or we don't even notice. (I'm glad you asked).
Look.
We must open our eyes and look expectantly to find good things in our world. Actually we can use all of our senses - the song on the radio, the smell of freshly baked pie, the feel of your favorite fall coat. We can "look" with all of our senses. And we should search expecting to find them. After all, if you want to find your keys, you don't look half-heartedly, you look expecting to find them. Look for things you can be grateful for. You will be surprised how many things you will find.
Find.
This may seem obvious after telling you to look expectantly. Recognize that even in the tough stuff and disappointments, we will find things to be grateful for when we look. Here are two quick examples.
On more than one occasion we have lost a chance at a large Client project - sometimes when we thought it was a done deal. When I remembered to look expectantly, I found lessons and opportunities in those "adversities" that could be grateful for both then and now. When my Dad died, it didn't seem there was much to be grateful for in that situation. Yet, even in the days immediately following that surprise, there were literally hundreds of things to be grateful for. Had I not been looking for them, they'd have gone by unnoticed.
Acknowledge.
When we can put a face on the gratitude, of course we should say thank you. But much of what you will find won't have an obvious person to thank. If you believe in a Higher power, thank them. If you believe in Karma, be thankful to it. Some people write a gratitude journal, writing down the things they are grateful for. Some people have personal, family or team rituals to provide a process for acknowledgement. Find what works for you, but find ways to acknowledge your gratefulness.
Use.
We are given gifts each day. They can aid us in our life's journey in a philosophical way, but they can have a real impact on us day to day as well. As you develop your gratitude radar and habit, you will find your attitude improving. After all, why wouldn't it, if you are seeing all of the wonderful things in your life? You will find yourself more confident, proactive and productive. And you will find greater success in your life, however you measure it.
Gratitude isn't just about "thank yous" and thank you cards. It is a way to create new learning, attitudes and results in your life. But in order for that to happen you must look, see, acknowledge and use.
This is the sixth in a series of 16 daily posts celebrating my 16th anniversary in business with 16 lessons I've learned. Scroll down to read others, or read the introductory post here.
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Creativity and innovation has been something I've done more than dabble in over the past 16 years. I think I have always been interested, but while I was still at Chevron, I had the chance to teach a two day creativity and innovation workshop that I loved. It spurred my thinking, peaked my curiosity and got me on a learning path about creativity and innovation.
I've studied the subject, read about and applied many techniques - both for myself and for our clients. I've taught, wrote and spoken on the subject, and developed some techniques myself.
Through all of this, I've learned some important things. . .
All of us can be creative.
We have the capability at birth. Look at kids. They get a new toy, but play with the box! They have imaginations, ask curious questions (a necessary precursor to creative thought) and aren't afraid to ask those questions or try new things.
You were that kid once. You didn't lose those skills, you lost the behaviors and habits that allowed your creativity to be exposed. It is still inside, ready to be tapped. We just have to allow it to come out - and maybe practice some too (this is where creativity exercises and techniques help us most).
When we allow ourselves to think and be more cretive, good things will happen to us. I highly recommend it, AND . . .
Creativity itself is just part of the game.
As adults, in business or in trying to solve any problem or meet any challenge, fnding cretive ideas and solutions are really important! Ifwe don't create the ideas, we can't possibly try them. If we don't get the more creative approaches into the conversation they can't be used.
So . . .
Creativity is fun, but innovation makes the difference.
We can't get the big innovations without creative ideas and practices, so we must cultivate our creativity. But we can't make creativity the goal (at least in terms of creating success for ourselves and in our organizations). Creativity is a wonderful waystation - and fablously fun and rewarding endeavor, but it isn't the end game.
Because . . .
Innovation is about action.
And I can prove it. Ever had an idea and later you saw that idea being used, or the product on the shelf? Your idea was great, obviously, but it is of no real value (other than the excitement of the initial creative process) unless you take action on the idea - unless you take a risk, and take some action.
Innovation is about action.
So . . .
I chose to talk about innovation as my personal lesson today, because today we are unveiling the third part of our 16th Anniversary celebration. this is the most creative part of the celebration - an online live streaming television show where you can ask me questions, I will share thoughts and ideas, you can listen to special guests and have the chance to learn about 16 surprises I will announce during the show.
This idea was a bit different (and the seed of the idea came from Jenny Pratt), but once we took action on it, we had other ideas, other streams of thought, and it all began to come together.
For sixteen days this month I am writing a lesson learned from my 16 years in business. (You can scroll down from here to and read the introductory post here.) This month I am writing something I am still learning, or relearning, or trying to get better at. I hope it is helpful for you too.
. . . . .
I think, in some way or another we all dabble. We become aware of something, get interested in it, pick it up for a bit, and then often move on. We dabble in hobbies, ideas, and tools. Some of us dabble in relationships or even careers.
I've dabbled in topics, exploring concepts that didn't always become an important part of my business. I've dabbled in approaches and tools; some of which we haven't benefited from -not because the idea is bad, but because we didn't stick with it.
I've observed Clients dabbling. Dabbling in a new product idea, in a new strategy. I've seen them struggle with change because they seem to change courses so often that the organization doesn't see the point.
There is a positive to dabbling. If we never try anything new, how can we innovate and improve? If you never try the food you don't like, a new author, or a new vendor, how will you know if it is desirable or an improvement?
The real danger of dabbling comes from a lack of commitment. Which leads me to a series of questions. . . .
Should we try new things?
Absolutely.
Should we also complete the things we start?
For sure.
Does this mean we must commit 100% to everything the minute we dabble?
Not necessarily.
The dangers of dabbling are in lack of focus for ourselves (and those we are leading) and in a lack of communication (to those we are leading).
The solution lies in being clear when we are tying something out for the sake of innovation and improvement, and when we are committing ourselves in a new direction, on a new path, and with a new approach.
Creating that clarify for ourselves and those we lead will reduce the dangers of dabbling, because while we may try as many things, we are trying them in pursuit of our larger goals and communicating our commitment once we get going.
Try new things, but commit to those that work, you are most interested in, or feel best about.
Many ways can get you to your desired goals, but at some point we must stop dabbling, and start doing.
Today is the fourth post in my series of 16 lessons learned during my 16 years in business. You can read the introductory article here (and scroll down to read the others).
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My Story
I think I have always been pretty good at building relationships, and at some level I realized how important that was in building my business. In instance, I've always said the the consulting business is a relationship business and I've always believed it.
But the history of my business and my observation of the world around me comfirms this in ways far beyond my comprehension when I started making that statement.
When I look at all of the best tangible things that have happened to my business, including the people now on my team, our biggest client projects, my book contract and much more, I can trace all of those to relationships. Yes, I had to be a good employers, had to be able to deliver for the Client and write a good book, but the opportunities all came from relationships.
Let's take just one example, Jenny Pratt. Jenny has been the Director of Remarkable Development at The Kevin Eikenberry Group for the past three years. I can trace the genesis of her being on my team to relationship decisions I made in college - in fact all the way back to the fall of 1980 when as a Freshman at Purdue University I decided to run for the School of Agriculture Student Council. I got on the Council and two years later was Ag Council President. As President I served on the Ag Alumni Association Board of Directors and I build a relationship with Mauri Williamson, the Executive Director during that time.
Because of that relationship, when Mauri retired and Donya Lester replaced him, she came to see me on a planned trip to California in the early 1990's. That relationship led to a call to become the first ever out of state Director of the Association. After moving back to Indiana, and continuing to serve on the Board, I built relationships within the College of Agriculture, eventually having the Dean at the time, Vic Lechtenberg, as a Client, and getting to know his Communications Director Christy Denault. When Christy moved to Indianapolis, she introduced me to Jenny Pratt, her replacement. I could tell more of the story, but you get the idea.
This is just one of many similar stories I could tell. And, if you stop to think about it, you could too.
At any point in this chain of events, if I hadn't built relationships, rather than just showing up - passive networking - or "collecting business cards" - playing the numbers game, I wouldn't likely have the pleasure and honor of working with Jenny today.
Our Lessons
There is no such thing as a self made man or woman. In order for you to reach your goals, you need others. But, as I've said, it isn't about compiling a huge network, for the numbers themselves, but it is about building relationships.
Building relationships means giving of yourself first. It means knowing enough about the other person and their goals that you are able to help them. It means planting seeds and nurturing them.
Building and maintaining relationships can be hard work and will definitely take time. While I am far from perfect at it - I can think of many relationships I haven't maintained as well as I wish I had -I've learned that with the effort comes tremendous intrinsic and extrinic rewards.
Few efforts you can make will be as rewarding and fun as the effort you exert make better and deeper relationships with others.
This is the third lesson in my series of 16 lessons learned from 16 years in business. Read the introductory lesson here.
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My Story
Over the course of the life of my business, I have gotten lots of advice. Most all (I assume) well meaning, sometimes profound and timely, other times confusing and often contradictory. I've gotten advice from friends, family, and clients. I've gotten advice from other consultants. I've gotten advice from experts. seminars, magazines, books, blogs, podcasts, CDs, and tapes (hey, 16 years is a long time).
I have, of course, given lots of advice too - that is part of what I get paid to do, and I'll give you some more before this post is complete.
So I've thought alot about advice, taken some and rejected some, and here is what I've learned:
You should listen to it all, then listen to your heart. Decide what to do and move on.
Our Lessons
There are really four pieces of advice in that short sentence, let me talk briefly about each and how to apply them to your personal and professional endeavors.
Listen to it all
To be a learner, to be in a mode of growth, we need seek it out and listen to want we find. Please read broadly, please ask people what they would do, and search for ideas, solutions, and approaches. Be a sponge to these ideas, take them in with open arms and an open mind.
Listen to your heart
Some of the advice you may not like and may not agree with. Don't dismiss it out of hand - give it time to percolate in your mind. Some of the advice will be recurring - if you hear the same thing over and over, maybe you should listen a little closer. And some of the advice will seem immediately accurate and agreeable to you. While this might be more pleasant it also requires you to reflect on it a bit - while it may be comfortable, it might not be right.
Decide what to do
All of this is preamble to deciding. Advice and counsel is great, and in the end you must decide which advice to heed and which advice to ignore or delay. You can't do everything - even if you received 5 pieces of great advice, you might not be able to apply all of them at the same time. Decide what you will accept and use right now.
Move on
In the end any advice, counsel or feedback is only valuable if you take action! This is part of "moving on." The other part of "moving on" is letting go of the advice you haven't chosen to take now. You've decided and taken action - don't let the naysayers or other competing options you didn't choose weigh you down. Move on!
This is my advice on receiving advice. There are lessons for giving advice inside of this post as well, but for now I will leave you to ponder those for yourself. (Sometimes the best advice is simply pointing people in the right direction, and letting them own the ideas).
This is the second in my series of 16 posts of things I've learned in 16 years in business. (you can read the introductory explanation here).
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In talking with leaders over the years, I've noticed that most seem to struggle with celebrations.
Some struggle with when to celebrate. Some struggle with why they should. And some don't have a struggle because they don't celebrate at all. (Here the struggle is for those they lead!)
Unlike many other leadership topics, there doesn't seem to be much of a consensus on the topic. People range from one end of the spectrum to the other - from we don't need a reason to celebrate to we don't have time to celebrate.
This article is meant to address some of the questions and challenges, and perhaps provide some balance to the discussion.
Why We Should Celebrate
Celebrations in general (forget about the workplace for a minute) typically are organized to recognize, reward, rejuvenate, relax and/or to have some real fun. Because we are human beings at work, we need to remember that all of these reasons have validity on the job too.
You've heard the old axiom that says people spend more time at work than they do with their families? Guess what, unless you work with your family, it's true.
So, if celebration is at some level a human need, why wouldn't we incorporate that into work?
Too new-agey or humanistic for you? Let me be more bottom-line for you:
Properly done, celebrations will improve morale, improve productivity, reduce stress, reduce turnover and improve Customer Service.
If you are in the "we don't need to celebrate" camp, any one of these should be reason enough to reconsider. Taking them all together should make it an easy call.
Why We Don't Celebrate
I hear many reasons for not celebrating on the job. Here's a partial list:
We haven't succeeded yet.
We haven't reached the goal yet.
The project isn't finished yet.
Nothing happened
I expected we'd make that target.
We don't have time.
We don't have the resources.
No one wants to celebrate.
No one will organize it.
No one really cares.
It's no big deal.
We are here to work, not to celebrate.
Some are more valid than others.
As leaders I know you can be creative enough to overcome those that are self-imposed limitations. The next time you hear (or say) a rationale for not celebrating, take a step back and decide if it's a valid reason or simply an excuse.
Did you notice the one word that shows up in many of them - yet? "Yet" highlights a big gray area; few people will actually say they are against celebration - they just set the bar so high that none ever happen! (Keep that idea in mind as you read on.)
When We Should Celebrate
This is where many people get stuck. They realize the value, but either over do it (celebrate because it's Tuesday afternoon) or under do it (it takes something amazing before we celebrate).
The key is to find a balance between those two ends of the spectrum. Here are some questions to help you determine when to celebrate, and if you have a "good enough" reason to do so.
Do people realize how much they are appreciated?
Do people realize how much they have achieved?
Are people overly stressed?
Do people need some perspective on the progress they are making?
Would you like to bring people together?
Could a celebration help me communicate any important messages more effectively?
Do we just need to have a little fun?
Remember that celebrations can be for achieving a goal, but they don't have to be!
The real decisive point about when to celebrate (and how to do it) is this question:
Will people appreciate and enjoy the celebration?
Consider this a leadership primer on celebrations.
It's likely I haven't answered all of your questions or solved all your dilemmas about celebrations (that wasn't my goal), but I hope I have given you some tools and some things to think about.
If I achieved that, I can celebrate.
Potential Pointer: Remarkable leaders recognize the value of celebrations and make time to celebrate the achievements and successes of their team.
Remarkable leaders also look at all parts of their role and all the ways they can contribute to success. And with success comes the chance to celebrate! One of the best ways to increase success is as a member of The Remarkable Leadership Learning System - a one skill at a time, one month at a time approach to becoming a more confident and successful leader. Get two complimentary months of that unique system as part of Kevin Eikenberry's Most Remarkable Free Leadership Gift Ever.
My Triple 16 Solution: 16-Minute Phone Consultations with Kevin
Posted at 9:20 AM on
By now you've hopefully heard The Kevin Eikenberry Group is 16 years old this month. While we haven't announced the final piece of our celebration, we have announced the chance to have 16-minute conversations with me.
I conceived these "mini-consultations" as a way to give back to you one-on-one. While there is no way I can have a face to face meeting with every subscriber, I can have a conversation one with you, if you take action now.
I sat down with my calendar and carved out a limited number of hours for mini-consultations.
For 16 minutes you will have my undivided attention. I will listen to your leadership, training, coaching or other organizational or professional development challenge and give you my best advice, thinking and counsel - and it won't cost you anything, except 16 minutes.
The best part is, after that consult, if together we determine we have products or services that can help you and your organization, you'll receive a 16% discount on the cost of those services immediately, regardless of the size of your investment.
There it is, the "Triple 16 Solution" (16 years, 16 minutes, 16% off).
Think about it this way, if you were already thinking about calling us, setting up this consultation now could save you hundreds, or thousands, of dollars. Or, if your training or project budget has been cut by 15% - we can be an immediate solution to your challenge!
There is only one caveat: these mini-consults must take place in October. And, once the time on my calendar is booked, it's booked. To get your appointment and qualify for your discount, you must act quickly.
Sign up now - and we will be in touch right away to get you on my calendar.
This is the first in a series of 16 posts this month, written as a celebration my 16th business anniversary. Each post will share a lesson I have learned and hopefully successfully translate it into a lesson you can apply to your professional and personal success.
My Story
When I started my business I thought about many things I'd need to be good at. I wanted to be the best trainer I could be, I wanted to be excellent at instructional design, I wanted to be a successful marketer and builder of Client relationships. I worked to build all of those skills (and still do today).
Looking back over 16 years in business, the skill that has arguably been the most important to my growth and success isn't on this list, and wasn't on my radar at that time time - the skill of writing.
16 years ago I knew I could write if I had to, but it wasn't something I thought too much about. A couple of years later I wanted to communicate with Clients about what I was learning in my work with other Clients. That marketing idea became a faxed newsletter called Vantagepoints. After a few issues, it morphed into a story about learning from any life situation and moved from fax delivery to email and changed from just going to Clients to going to whomever wanted to read it. Eventually over 6000 people read it and the best stories became my first book - Vantagepoints on Learning and Life.
Over five years ago I began writing this blog (now with over 830 posts). I write another blog specifically on leadership, have written over 250 articles (and a new one each week),and produce three weekly email newsletters.
Along the way, I have also written another book of my own (Remarkable Leadership), am finishing two more this year, and planning at least one for next year, and have been a contributing author to over 20 other books.
Clearly there is a marketing and promotional value to all of this writing. But there is a much larger lesson here and it applies to all of us - whether we want or need to promote ourselves or our products or services. Let's talk about them now.
Our Lessons
1. Writing helps us learn. A key component of the learning process is reflecting on what has happened to us to determine what to repeat, and what to change next time. Writing about our experiences can really help us in this reflection in powerful ways. I can honestly say that all of the writing I do, would really be worth it, just for what I learn from the process.
2. Writing clarifies our thinking. Ideas can swirl in our mind and we can think about something, but when we put the pen to paper or our fingers on a keyboard and put our thinking into words, we become much clearer and our thoughts become more real and more actionable.
3. Writing makes us smarter. As a published author I often find that people now assume I'm smart because I wrote a book! While I don't know that my name on the cover of a book proves that, if you take the first two lessons - writing helps us learn and clarifies our thinking; the fact that writing makes us smarter is obvious. As we write we discover new things and new ideas. The process of writing allows for learning and the words we write provide more learning too.
4. Writing is about the process, not about the reader. As a author, this isn't completely true - as I write this I am thinking about you as my reader, and trying to write as clearly and persuasively as I can. AND, I know that one reason many people don't write is that they don't want others to read it, or don't think anyone else would want to read it. So to sell you on the decision to write, please know that all of the benefits listed so far are about you and not about the reader. If you write in a journal or a on a secret hidden document on your computer, you will get the benefits regardless of your grammar, style or spelling. If your goal is to have others read what you write, great! But don't think writing has to be about others - the personal benefits are huge!
5. We all have something to write about. We all have 24 hours of day experiences each day. We all have a lifetime of memories, thoughts and ideas. Sorting, compiling, referencing and using them is plenty of fodder for the type of writing that most of us can and need to do.
6. Writing is a habit. Most people I talk to about starting a blog say - I don't know what to write (see #5) or, I don't have time to write. If you believe in the benefits, you will find time to write. Admittedly, I have commitments to writing that keep me on track, and I don't always want to write. But I know, for all of the reasons I've listed (and a whole lot more), writing is important. And like anything important in our lives, we can make it a habit.
And lastly, this article isn't just about writing. The last lesson is to figure out the skills that really matter most. Often the skills we think are most important or valuable, really aren't. I see it in all of my work. People want to get better at their work and make assumptions as to the best ways to do that. Look beyond the technical aspects of your work (in my case, being a better trainer, for you perhaps being more expert, learning your products better, getting an advanced degree) - look deeper. Ask yourself what are the underlying skills that help me really achieve my goals? Another way to figure this out is to ask smart people who have been where you want to do - find a mentor and ask them.
If your goal is to write your memoir, Great American Novel, or to become a professional writer, hopefully this post was helpful and inspiring. But I really wrote this post for the rest of us (myself included).
One of the things I've learned in 16 years of business is that writing makes me a better business person and a better human being.
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One of the biggest business buzzwords today is engagement. 
Everyone I know loves the feeling that comes with being inspired. They like the mental lift, the energy, the attitude, the productivity, the satisfaction and even the way it makes them feel physically.
By now you've hopefully heard - 
By now you've hopefully heard The Kevin Eikenberry Group is 16 years old this month. While we haven't announced the final piece of our celebration, we have announced the chance to have 16-minute conversations with me.
Unleashing Your Remarkable Potential is Kevin Eikenberry’s guide to helping you have amazing success while developing your professional and personal potential.
Welcome! This was the home of my blog from March 2004 – November 2009. For my more recent writing to help you become more effective and successful, join me at our new blog – 
