Another good one from Jay Steinfild
There’s something about the word “compromise” that irks me. Many people say, “If everyone just compromised, we’d all be better off.”
I don’t think so.
As a CEO, I cannot allow my company to compromise its core values, which include things like continuous improvement and experimentation. When you lead, you need to be clear as to what’s important — and it can’t be important only some of the time. So, for example, when we hire, we’re always looking for personal traits that reflect our core values. If they’re not present, we don’t hire. If we compromised on these core values, we would be suggesting that they’re not really core to our success, that they are negotiable.
Same thing goes for performance standards. If an employee wanted to negotiate with you so that she need only meet your standards 70% of the time, would you accept that? Of course not. Your minimum expectation is 100% — compromising would lead to wasted resources and a teammate who requires everyone else to pick up his slack.
Let’s take a look at another example: Say you want a lower price from your supplier and that supplier responds (truthfully) by telling you he cannot lower the price without sacrificing quality or delivery times. You might compromise somewhere in the middle on price, but ultimately your reputation for quality and service will suffer.

Compromising is like standing in the middle of a railroad track. There’s a person on one side of the track telling you to move off the tracks to the left, and a second person on the other side of the tracks suggesting you move off to the right. You could compromise and stand in the middle — where you’ll get smacked by an oncoming train.
Instead, I believe in the concept of principled negotiation, particularly as explained in one of my favorite books of all time, “Getting to Yes.” The concept does not involve compromising one’s core values or minimum acceptable standards. It’s about achieving a win-win, where each side finds common ground, and avoids ending up on opposite “sides.”
Using that approach, the supplier and buyer in the example above would agree to keep the price where it is, but the supplier perhaps agrees to ship his goods sooner than the competition. Or, the buyer might get a better price — only when he achieves economy of scale with sufficient volume.

I propose that we all decide what’s mandatory for the success of our businesses, then set aside the word “compromise” and work toward our common good.

From MBA blog by business school students homepage
December 8, 2010 5:39pm by Barry Chien, Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business
In statistics class, we’re told to not ask why in the classroom because there are complex formulas behind some of the statistical principles. I agree with this approach for this class since I want to focus on applying statistical analysis to solve real world business problems instead of just memorising and analysing formulae.
When it comes to self-discipline and leading oneself, however, asking yourself why is an important exercise. Having a purpose and setting your priorities/goals/targets in stone creates a blueprint for all future action steps. I borrowed this idea from chess champion, Garry Kasparov, who said in his autobiography, How Life Imitates Chess, that the man who knows why, will be greater than the man who only knows how.

Garry said that you should always have a general checkmate strategy/game plan and that you should move all of your chess pieces from the Queen down to the pawn in harmony with overarching strategy. The German philosopher, Nietzsche, once said, “A man can bear any what if he has a big enough why.” Thus, a meaningful “end” should drive the “means” and not vice versa.

By Steve Tobak, Bnet blogger, very good!!!

Once in a great while, experience teaches us a lesson that that can only be described as an axiom or a truism. It just is. You can try to understand its origins or debate its basis in theory, but if you ask me, that’s just a waste of time. You’re better off just taking it for what it is – an empirical observation – and benefiting from its implications.

Now, I know some of this stuff straddles philosophy and psychology, but there’s a good reason for that. While they are indeed “real world” observations, they were perceived through a subjective filter – my brain – which, for better or worse, includes all kinds of strange and diverse influences.

So, while you will find elements of Taoism, Freudian theory, Ayn Rand, and What They Don’t Teach You At Harvard Business School, make no mistake: they’re all practical lessons that can help your career … or even change your life:

1.If you don’t know, say so. If you don’t know what you’re talking about, stop talking.
2.Whether negotiation is strong or weak depends entirely on your goals.
3.Don’t jump ship before you hit the iceberg.
4.Anger is never about what you think you’re angry about.
5.Confidence comes from success, knowledge comes from failure.
6.A**hole is a subjective noun.
7.If you’re miserable, quit and do something else. If you’re still miserable, it’s you.
8.Success is based on current behavior, not past performance.
9.If you protect your domain or CYA, that’s all you’ll accomplish.
10.Thin-skinned people are actually thick-headed.
11.People won’t perform for those they don’t respect.
12.If you’re not passionate about what you’re doing, you won’t be successful at it.
13.When you have problems with others, look inside yourself for answers.
14.The workplace is about business, not you.
15.Conflict is healthy; anger is not. Get some help for that.
16.No matter how smart you are, wisdom only comes from experience.
17.Whine and complain all you want; nobody gives a crap.
18.You can BS others but you really can’t BS yourself.
19.The boss isn’t always right, but she’s still the boss.
20.The customer isn’t always right, but he’s still the customer.

If any of this comes across as sort of preachy, just so you know, that’s not my intent. I’m not interested in indoctrinating anyone, just helping you to navigate a complex and challenging working world

“Your best life now” is a book, which if you chose to read, will certainly have impact on your well being. I can use so many good lines and post them here, but it will not do a justice to the book and to Mr. Joel Osteen, writer of the book. I believe that one of the many challenges people have in generally is a “Self-Image”. There is a good line from the book:
- How you see yourself and how you feel about yourself will have a tremendous impact on how far you go in life and whether or not you fulfill your destiny. The truth is, you will never rise above the image you have of yourself in your own mind.
If you do not have good opinion of yourself image, read the book. And ask a close friend (if you have one) to give you opinion on how he/she see your image and do not get offended if they tell you different from what you think. It is something that we have to work on it every day and change to positive image one step at the time. If nothing changes, nothing changes.
Let’s go to work.

Regards,

Branko

I usually do not post part or entire stories from other blogs. But I have to admit that I am following Bnet.com in last several years and I am amazed by the quality and variety of it. I will just take/copy a part out from today’s blog on Bnet. It is written by Jay Steinfeld and above title is his as well. Jay is talking about core values that could be personal as well company’s core values. And this is a little excerption from the whole story that you should log into Bnet and read it all.

” At Blinds.com, we only have 2 core values: Improve Continuously and Experiment Without Fear. I believe the success of my company is the result of our drive to always look for ways to improve, and in process, tinker with things, fail, and ultimately find better ways. This also drives me as a person. I define success in life and in my company with just these two values. As long as I’m on the upward continuum of experimenting to improve continuously, then I’m successful. It’s not about the destination; it’s about the process. A little Zen, maybe, but that way I see life optimistically and always have something to which I look forward. I surround myself with people that are constantly improving themselves and everyone around them — including me.”
My question will be, how many people you know that have their core values defined, including yourself.
Best regards,

Branko

Do you have one? Real friend love is like dog’s one – unconditional love. If the dog loves you, you can yell at him, call him all names you want (hopefully you do not physically abuse your dog, they need to be loved, not abused), throw the bone on him and he will still love you. How about you do that to your friend; yell, call names, throw the bone at him. They might never come back, they might yell back, call you names not to mention the bone.
They might stay, keep quiet and ask “how can I help you”? Do you have someone that lately asks you “How can help you my friend”? I hope that you do.

How can I help you?

Regards,
Branko

After we went through certain experience in life, we all know what we needed to do at certain points, but we could not see it clearly while we are going trough. One of my mentors told me – to get out from the “thing” you have to go through the “thing”. You will understand. Well, I’ve been going through the “thing” for a while now, and rightfully, I have high expectation to get out from the “thing”. I believe that solid ground is very close, and sign “thing is over” will appear soon. Then, I will celebrate it with my wife. I will take her to some very fancy place, which might not appeal to guys, but appeal to ladies. We will have fancy dinner, drink excellent vine, and for the desert: gelato and (you read well – and) tiramisu, big peace, extra large for me. Espresso on the end.
I do not want anything that is average. Average is your biggest enemy in life. Average means subpar. Some people want and live average life. They find average partner, buy average house, have average kids, average house, average cars, eat average food, have average sex, average dog, they have average neighbour, they contribution to the society is average. They cheer for average hockey team; they eat average pizza, drink average beer, and have average dreams. Average is your biggest enemy. Now you go back dear reader and change average with excellent or extraordinary word. I’ll bet you any money that you would really love that life. Life could be very different. Expand your dream and work for it. Not as employee, but as business owner.

Regards,
Branko

Successful people do whatever it takes to get the job done, whether or not they feel like it. For people that read the books, Slight Edge from Jeff Olson is a must. Slight Edge is about your awareness. It is about you making the right choices, the choices that serve you and empower you.

Slight Edge is all about living in the moment. Book is about putting the Slight Edge to work for you, instead against you.

Watch now!!! – It is easy to do. And it is easy not to do. And if you don’t do it, it want kill you or destroy your chances for success today. But that simple error in judgement, compounded over the time, will kill your chances for success. It will take you down and out of your life forever.

And that choice is always yours. Read.

Regards,

Branko

eSpring® Water Purifier

Home water treatment system, with patented carbon-block filter and UV light, reduces health-effect contaminants.

The eSpring® Water Purifier improves the taste, odour, and clarity of 5,000 litres of water, enough for a family of 6 to cook and drink with, for one year. The carbon-block filter reduces more than 140 potential health-effect contaminants like pesticides, VOCs, mercury, and lead yet allows beneficial minerals like calcium and magnesium to pass through. The UV bulb destroys microorganisms in drinking water without the use of chemicals. eSpring is certified by NSF International and has earned a Gold Seal from the Water Quality Association.

The below-counter unit is about the size of a coffee maker. The system includes a dedicated faucet that installs easily, without special tools, in the soap dispenser or sprayer opening in your sink.
Benefits

• Reduces over 140 potential health-related contaminants. No system reduces more
• The first in-home system to be certified to meet these 3 separate international standards of water quality by NSF International, 42, 53, and 55B: 
  • Standard 42: Improves taste, odour, and clarity.
  • Standard 53: Reduces health-effect contaminants.
  • Standard 55B: Reduces microorganisms with UV light.
• Has earned the Water Quality Association’s Gold Seal for superior consumer water treatment products
• Works well at all household water pressures, from very low to very high
• The cartridge is designed to serve the average cooking and drinking water needs for a family of 6 for one year or 5,000 litres, whichever comes first
• Cost-effective: The cost per litre in the second year is 5 cents
• Visit www.espring.cc for details on how eSpring® technology compares to other systems in contaminant reduction and price
• Patented monitoring system lets you know the carbon filter and UV bulb are working, and when it’s time for the annual cartridge change
• Changing the cartridge requires no special tools and is as simple as changing a light bulb
• The UV bulb inside the cartridge switches on only when you turn on the tap, so water flows cold, not warmed by the UV light
• Comes with a two-year limited warranty on parts and labour. And a refund within 120 days of your purchase if you’re not completely and utterly satisfied

For more information on the eSpring Water Purifier, including its performance, its technology, ease of installation, and use, please visit: www.espring.cc . For purchasing please visit: USA   www.brc.mychoices.biz      Canada www.brcenterprises.wwdb.biz

Regards,

Branko

“I would rather have one percent of 100 people’s efforts than 100 percent of my own” said J.  Paul Getty. That was the idea that drives franchising business that accounts for more than 40% of business today. Anyone who creates business model that works and is profitable wants to duplicate. The most common income source is a job and regardless of what kind of occupation you choose, regardless of how much you make;  your job security is not there.

The higher you go in the corporate pyramid more unstable your income becomes.

So the business model called; “Get yourself a good education, good job and work hard” has failed people. The pyramid system called “Pension plan” is failing fast and is going to disappear since it’s based on money coming in from people getting in (new employees) to pay people who got in before (retirees) and since there are more baby boomers than the generations X, Y etc. the pyramid has to fail. Just think about the biggest investing scam that took place in 2008 and all happy investors losing all the investments and the investor going to jail.

How stable is your job income and your retirement plan if you have one. Do you trust ever growing bureaucracy to take care of you or you plan to take care of your self and teach your children to do the same? There is more opportunity today than ever before and those who believe it will succeed while others will look back and regret. Let me just advise  you that if you have a job that you need to be the best employee possible. Why?

I have never met or heard of a lousy employee succeeding in anything. Success is a habit. Only good employees who diversify what they do, have a chance of making it outside of job environment.

When I started my Amway business I replaced my none productive activities outside of my job with business building activities as I was mentored to do by my mentors who had a financial interest in my success.

Your goal should be to:

• Diversify
• Duplicate
• Residual income

What would you do if you knew you only had five years to live and all the money you need?

Regards,

Branko