Vision
August 30, 2010
“Where there is no vision the people perish…” – Proverbs 29:18 (KJV)
Most of us are familiar with the proverb above. It’s been around for a long time. I believe that most people would agree that it is true.
I believe that this was true back in the days when it was written. People needed vision back then. I also believe it is still true now. Whether it is countries, businesses, families, or whatever, there needs to be a vision. We need to know what we are and what we want to accomplish.
Do you know where you are going? Do you have a vision to make sure that you don’t perish? And one more thing, do you have an action plan to achieve your vision?
Copyright Kevin Drum 2010
Permission is granted to reprint this article provided it is reprinted in its entirety including this copyright information and it is attributed to
Kevin Drum
Titan Solutions, LLC
What Does Success Look Like
August 26, 2010
I did a workshop for a company regarding achieving success. One of the first questions that I asked them was what success looked like to them. This simple question provided a good laugh for all of us.
They couldn’t answer the question on the spot. They were a very intelligent and successful group. But they couldn’t put the answer into words at the time. It was a good “a-ha” moment.
The point is that if you don’t know what success looks like to you, how will you know when you reach it? That leads to the following question. What does success look like to you?
Copyright Kevin Drum 2010
Permission is granted to reprint this article provided it is reprinted in its entirety including this copyright information and it is attributed to
Kevin Drum
Titan Solutions, LLC
Someday
August 23, 2010
I remember listening to a great motivational talk by Brian Tracy. He was talking about getting started on a new business or whatever it is that you want to get started on.
He warned about taking a vacation before you started. It wasn’t a warning about going to a beautiful tropical island or the mountains to relax. It was about going to “someday isle”. In other words, someday I will …
You can fill in your own blank. Do you ever find yourself saying something like the following?
- Someday I will get away from a job that I hate and start my own business.
- Someday I will start a family.
- Someday I will make my life better.
- I mean someday, I will do it when the time is perfect and everything else is also perfect.
Life is challenging, yet fun. We all have real considerations to make regarding how our actions affect our lives and the people that we care about. We have to be careful about taking a vacation to “someday isle.” If we take that vacation we may get too comfortable and never pursue what we really want to do. Sometimes it is a challenge to not wait until it is too late and realize that we missed the calling of our life because we never pursued it. Procrastination, fear, financial concerns, life, and lots of other things can get in our way. If we want to achieve our goals we have to get started. One key is to keep balance in our lives so that we achieve success in all different areas of life.
Copyright Kevin Drum 2010
Permission is granted to reprint this article provided it is reprinted in its entirety including this copyright information and it is attributed to
Kevin Drum
Titan Solutions, LLC
Toughness and Energy
August 19, 2010
I found an interesting editorial in the NY Times by a gentleman named David Brooks back in 2009. He pointed out that historians discovered a theory hundreds of years ago explaining why nations both rise and fall. My understanding of the theory is as follows – “…Toughness and Energy lead to Wealth and Power which lead to Affluence and Luxury which lead to Decadence, Corruption, and Decline…”
I keep coming back to this in my mind and following are some of my thoughts on this. I believe that these same principals apply to businesses as well as to individuals. Prosperity is a challenge to withstand.
When we fight to succeed we have to use a lot of toughness and energy. But as we become more successful it is easy to get a little soft and to get off track. If we aren’t careful we will end up in a state of decline.
Do you believe that toughness and energy are important? As you achieve more and more success what do you do to maintain the level of toughness and energy that got you there?
I believe that it is perfectly acceptable and probably desirable to most of us to want to enjoy what we build over time. This may include taking more time off or spending more of the money that we make on things that are just for fun. In the King James Version of the Bible, Ecclesiastes 3:13 says “And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.”
We still need to be careful stay on the right course. Later on in scripture the Bible talks about the need for moderation. We have to maintain some balance.
This includes maintaining our toughness and energy over time. What more can you do today in order to maintain yours?
Copyright Kevin Drum 2010
Permission is granted to reprint this article provided it is reprinted in its entirety including this copyright information and it is attributed to
Kevin Drum
Titan Solutions, LLC
Negotiate With Ethics
August 16, 2010
Do you like to negotiate? Some people see it as a challenge and a game and really enjoy it. Others prefer not to have this type of direct confrontation and don’t enjoy negotiating.
I’ve met a lot of people who believe that they are good negotiators. Maybe this is because they got a good deal on something recently or in the past. Maybe this happened on a business deal or on a new car.
If you enjoy negotiating, it can be an exciting and thrilling experience. But what makes a successful negotiation. A lot of things go into this. There are lots of tips, strategies, and techniques that you can use. Ethics is one key area that we need to remember to be successful. Unfortunately, in our society it is an area that is easily overlooked.
In one negotiating class that I attended, there was a particularly memorable event that occurred. Toward the end of the class we broke into groups and then divided into teams and negotiated with another team in our group. In order to make the experience as real as possible, there was some actual cash given to the participants based on negotiating effectively. It wasn’t a lot of money, but it was enough to make the exercise more interesting.
Each team had parameters and information that set the foundation for the exercise. Unfortunately, I was put on a team where one of the team members didn’t value simple business ethics. When we met as a team to discuss our strategy prior to beginning, he concocted a plan to make up additional information that wasn’t part of the exercise. The rest of us told him that this wasn’t a good idea and that it wasn’t acceptable. Most of us barely know each other and unfortunately, in this exercise setting, there was no stopping this guy. He wouldn’t close his mouth and he wouldn’t stop lying.
Of course the things that he said made no sense to the other team based on the parameters they received with the exercise. One person on the other team took particular exception to this guy’s actions and the discussion got heated.
This basically wrecked the negotiation for all of us that were involved. Both sides had a negative experience because one person lacked enough ethics to get the job done effectively. The rest of us eventually brought the exercise to some conclusion once we got things settled down.
If you think that this would never happen if you were on the team – because you would have gotten the person quite – then good luck. It was difficult to get him quiet even after everyone turned against him.
For a long time I thought that this took something away from an outstanding seminar. However, I have a better perspective now. The valuable lesson learned that day was more important than that one exercise.
Ethics do matter in negotiations, in business, and in life. The actions of one unethical person can wreck the best efforts of many others. Make sure that you behave ethically when you negotiate with others. Also, whenever possible, surround yourself with others that do the same.
Copyright Kevin Drum 2010
Permission is granted to reprint this article provided it is reprinted in its entirety including this copyright information and it is attributed to
Kevin Drum
Titan Solutions, LLC
Common Courtesy
August 12, 2010
Have you ever heard the phrase “common courtesy?” Do you practice it? Is it one of your strategies for success in business and in life?
I believe that some common courtesy still exists in our society. But my observation is that we also lack a lot of it. As an example, when you are driving in traffic, are you more likely to see someone being courteous or to see someone cut you off and make an obscene gesture? My observation is that both exist but the latter is much more prevalent.
Have you ever tried to buy something from a business and the sales person or customer service person was rude? How about when you tried to return something?
Good and bad and rudeness and courtesy all tend to get mixed together. However, my belief is that when people lack common courtesy, it will catch up with them. Life comes down to making good choices and decisions. Why not make common courtesy one of your strategies for success in your business and in your life?
Copyright Kevin Drum 2010
Permission is granted to reprint this article provided it is reprinted in its entirety including this copyright information and it is attributed to
Kevin Drum
Titan Solutions, LLC
Integrity
August 9, 2010
Years ago someone asked me what the definition of integrity is. They went on to tell me that integrity is “basic personal honesty’?
This is probably the best definition of integrity that I ever heard. It is simple and to the point? It is also very important.
How many sensational news headlines come about because someone lacked integrity? Whether it is a sensational business, political, or crime story, often the whole thing started because someone lacked integrity and took a short cut.
Our society gives a lot of lip service to the importance of integrity. But do you believe that it is really important? Often it seems that people who take short cuts get ahead and come out on top.
However, my belief is that when people lack integrity, it will catch up with them. Time and life have a way of making wrong things right. Living with integrity is an important part of a successful and balanced life.
Copyright Kevin Drum 2010
Permission is granted to reprint this article provided it is reprinted in its entirety including this copyright information and it is attributed to
Kevin Drum
Titan Solutions, LLC
Sincerity
August 5, 2010
Are you sincere in all that you do? Are you sincere in your relationships? Are you sincere in your business dealings with other people? Do you think that sincerity is important?
Have you ever dealt with someone who is insincere? We all have at some point or another because there are so many insincere people in the world? It’s not likely that we can eliminate dealing with insincere people. But when I have a choice I would much rather deal with someone who is sincere.
How about you, is sincerity a quality that you value in yourself and others? While sincerity alone won’t make you successful, it sure is a step in the right direction.
Copyright Kevin Drum 2010
Permission is granted to reprint this article provided it is reprinted in its entirety including this copyright information and it is attributed to
Kevin Drum
Titan Solutions, LLC
Getting Stronger
August 2, 2010
“What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
I’ve heard the expression above used periodically in everyday conversation for as long as I can remember. The quote is credited to Friedrich Nietzsche. He was a philosopher who lived in the 1800’s.
If you are struggling today, remember that mankind always faced struggles. Whether it was in the 1800’s or before, mankind always faced problems and overcame them.
Overcoming problems makes us stronger in the long run. But problems can get us down if we aren’t careful. I certainly have plenty of days with lots of struggles and I can’t help but wish that I was already strong enough. But life keeps bringing challenges.
If you are struggling with problems today, be persistent, persevere, and find solutions. Remember to keep it all in perspective just like Nietzsche said – “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.”
Copyright Kevin Drum 2010
Permission is granted to reprint this article provided it is reprinted in its entirety including this copyright information and it is attributed to
Kevin Drum
Titan Solutions, LLC