Top Performance: Zig Ziglar Tribute

 Success  No Responses »
Dec 062012
 

“You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want”.  Zig Ziglar

On the 28th November 2012 a great man passed away. His name was Zig Ziglar, and he had left a lasting impression on me as a result of his knowledge in sales, his wisdom on success and his inspiration in life.

It was 1996 when I first met Zig Ziglar at a Jim Rohn event in Brisbane, Australia. I was a fledgling in sales just having acquired the role of Business Development Manager for a Medical Diagnostics company where I was responsible for establishing international markets in Europe, Asia and North America. Since Zig Ziglar had an excellent reputation in sales knowledge and experience I was looking forward to learning some of the skills that would differentiate me in the market.

After listening to one of the most inspiring and influential presentations from Jim Rohn, including a number of goal-setting and personal development activities that changed my life, it was time for Zig Ziglar’s presentation. His unique southern US drawl with a preaching style voice hit my senses immediately. The words and ideas that were delivered captured the attention of everyone in the room and became influential and motivational for me in decades to come.

Following ia a summary of the notes I took on how to be a top performer:

  1. Regardless of the past, tomorrow is a clean start
  2. The choices you make today will determine what you will be, do and have in the tomorrows of your life
  3. Top performers learn to make the right choices – There is something you can do right now to change your future and it is your choice!
  4. Don’t waste time blaming others; fix the causes – You are the only one who can solve your problems
  5. You can change what you are and where you are by changing what goes into your mind – It is what happens inside of you that matters.
  6. Top performers learn every day by seeking new ideas – Establish an “automobile university” and listen to audio CDs on the road
  7. The most important conversation you will ever have is with yourself
  8. Develop a wall of gratitude that highlights the people who have made a difference in your life
  9. What you send out is what you get back – Improve your conversations and your attitude
  10. Serving others is the foundation for relationships

Dr John Kapeleris

 

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Achieving Personal Excellence

 Success  No Responses »
Oct 112012
 

While I was reading Brian Tracy’s book, “No Excuses!: The Power of Self-Discipline” I came across an interesting section, which in summary stated that if you want to join ”The Top 20 Percent” in a given field or profession then you need to achieve personal excellence in the specific skills required for that field or profession. You need to identify the key leaders or dominant players in the given field or profession and emulate their skills and behaviours. Brian Tracy also mentions that if you want to be successful identify a successful person and find out what they do on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. You need to know what they do when they wake up in the morning, their exercise program, what they eat and drink, their daily routine, what they read and write, what they are thinking, and what they do in the evening before they go to sleep.

For example, to become a football (soccer) superstar you need to identify the skills and behaviours of the leading players and develop those skills and behaviours through learning and significant practice to achieve personal excellence in the game. If we take the example of the football star then the key skills required to achieve excellence include: fitness/endurance, ball skills (passing, receiving, dribbling, defensive, attacking, kicking, finishing), running speed, awareness and anticipation (position), decision-making, and most importantly, discipline, attitude and mindset.

The same approach applies to business and personal life. If you truly desire to be the best in your given field or profession (that is, the top 20 percent) you need to identify the skills and behaviours of the top performers, and develop and practice those skills and behaviours. For example, in my current role as General Manager, what I need to do is focus on leadership skills. As a summary from a previous blog, “A New Profile for Future Leaders“, the key skills and attributes of a future leader include:

  • Key leadership skills
  • Ability to create and articulate a vision for the future
  • Define and establish clear goals and objectives
  • Mentor and develop staff
  • Team dynamics
  • Ability to solve problems
  • Ability to generate new ideas and identify new opportunities
  • A high level of written and verbal communication skills
  • Negotiation and persuasive selling skills
  • Operational and project management skills
  • Financial management
  • Change management

Once you have identified these specific skills you then need to evaluate your level of competency for each skill by developing a Personal Skills Matrix. A skills matrix consists of a list of the required skills for your field or profession and a rating for each skill against the level of competency required.  The skills matrix will determine the gaps that exist and this will provide the basis for your personal development action plan that will encourage you to focus on the specific skills required for your development.

Dr John Kapeleris

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Increasing Personal Productivity

 Goals and Objectives, Self-discipline, Success  No Responses »
Jun 042012
 

Productivity in our work and personal lives involves focusing on the key goals and objectives, developing a project plan, identifying the key value-adding tasks, and executing the plan by taking action. It may come as a surprise that many people struggle with this basic approach to achieving personal productivity. Many reasons can be identified for losing focus and not taking the appropriate action to achieve the desired outcomes.

The first issue lies within our minds. The human brain, although powerful and complex, if not trained appropriately can only handle a limited number of tasks at any one time (the literature generally states about seven tasks or pieces of information). As the brain becomes overwhelmed and stretched to perform, it begins to forget important items in the process. The brain does not generally think sequentially or in a linear manner. It thinks more in a random or radial manner.

The second issue involves interruptions from colleagues, unscheduled meetings, the telephone, email or the influence of external people. Interruptions should be avoided and removed from your daily work environment. This can be done by closing the office door, finding a quiet place to concentrate, checking emails at specific periods of the day (morning, midday and late afternoon), making all your calls in the morning and late afternoon, and delegating as many tasks as possible.

The last issue involves lack of clarity and focus. Focus can be achieved through concentration and structured thinking. The mind has to be reinforced that focus and action are the key drivers to achieving successful outcomes from a project. In addition, clarity can be achieved by removing the clutter and blocks that exist in our minds.

Following are the key steps that will increase your personal productivity:

  1. Use structured thinking to provide clarity and focus
  2. Focus on the key goals and objectives
  3. Develop a project plan and identify the key value-adding tasks
  4. Assign time limits on each of the tasks
  5. Take immediate action
  6. Maintain the self-discipline

We all struggle to remain productive and achieve optimal outcomes. The key to success involves focus and action.

Dr John Kapeleris

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Applying the Pareto Principle – 80/20 Rule

 Success  No Responses »
Nov 302011
 

The Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, states that for many events or situations approximately 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. The principle was first postulated by Vilfredo Pareto in 1906 when he noticed that a small number of the population owned a large percentage of the wealth.

The 80/20 Rule can be applied to almost anything, from science and management to the physical world around us. For example, 80% of your sales may come from 20% of your customers or 20% of your employees may take up 80% of your time.

By adopting the Pareto rule the important few tasks can be separated from the trivial many to focus attention on the key value ating activities.  80% of your time and energy should be focussed on the 20% of your work that is really important.

To begin using the Pareto principle the following suggestions will help:

  1. Identify your key metrics for your products, processes and customers
  2. Convert the measures into Pareto charts
  3. A Pareto chart consists of individual values in descending order in the form of a bar chart
  4. Determine what percentage of the products, processes and customers are contributing to the value of the organisation
  5. Reduce, remove or isolate the low value elements of your products, processes and customers

The Pareto Principle is an easy tool to apply in your organisation, however, it involves some arbitrary decision-making to determine the 20% cut-off, which is more of an art than a science. The Pareto Principle has the potential to identify the more important activities within the organisation thereby providing clarity and focus.

Are you currently focusing on the high value-added activities in your organisation or are you getting overwhelmed with large numbers of trivial activities?

Dr John Kapeleris

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Finding Your Flow

 Success  4 Responses »
Nov 152011
 

Have you ever experienced a situation in your personal or work life when everything progressed according to plan and was working optimally? Were you also at the same time completely focused, motivated and immersed in the activities of the work you were undertaking? This state of being has been described by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi as FLOW.

Flow is the mental state in which a person is fully immersed in an activity, where they feel focused, motivated, in self-control and have a sense of fulfillment. Csíkszentmihályi describes flow as “being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost.”

Many people engaged in sporting activity who ultimately rise above the challenge of  competitors to win an event or game usually state that they were in their flow or in the zone. Flow provides an ongoing state of satisfaction, exhilaration and fulfillment where success is achieved in the process of the activity.

According to Csíkszentmihályi, flow delivers personal satisfaction, happiness and satisfies our creative desires. To experience flow you need to gain a level of competency in the tasks you are performing (e.g. playing a musical instrument, engaged in a sporting activity etc) and be able to transition into a relaxed state of achievement. Getting into the right mental state of flow is a skill that can allow you to think creatively, solve problems and perform at optimum levels. The key to entering the mental state of flow requires the ability to transition your mind into the Alpha State which is the bridge between the conscious and subconscious.

Csíkszentmihályi identifies a number of  factors that are associated with experiencing flow:

  1. Clear goals – goals align with one’s skills and abilities, however, the challenge level should be high, albeit achievable.
  2. Concentration and focus - a high degree of concentration on a limited field of attention (that is, deep immersion in an activity of interest).
  3. Loss of  self-consciousness - the merging of action and awareness.
  4. Distorted sense of time - experience of time is subjected and altered, where time seems to pass by quickly.
  5. Immediate feedback – response is direct and immediate, therefore successes and failures in the course of the activity are apparent, and actions can be adjusted as needed.
  6. Balance between ability level and challenge – the activity is neither too easy nor too difficult for one’s abilities.
  7. Personal control – a sense of personal control of the situation or activity, therefore can influence the outcome.
  8. Intrinsically rewarding - the activity undertaken is rewarding therefore the actions seem effortless.

When in a state of flow the person is fully absorbed in the activity and their awareness is reduced to the actions of the activity, sometimes resulting in a lack of awareness for personal needs when undertaking the activity – not eating or taking a break.

What are some examples when you have experienced flow or have been in the zone?

Dr John Kapeleris

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Four Key Skills for Success

 Success  No Responses »
Apr 132011
 

It doesn’t matter whether you have completed a university degree, other higher education courses or just completed some level of schooling, when starting work in an organisation or in your own business, the four fundamental key skills for success in your personal or business life, that emerge from numerous studies, are:

  1. Communication. The ability to communicate effectively, through both written and oral skills, is always at the top of the list for achieving success. Business transactions mainly involve the interaction between people, therefore, building relationships with people requires effective communication and interpersonal skills. Persuasive communication skills are also needed to influence other people, whether in your own organisation or in another organisation.
  2. Negotiation. Negotiating terms and deals is important in business and personal life, whether you are engaged in a licensing deal, a distribution agreement, a manufacturing contract, sales terms, or simply purchasing a new motor vehicle or house. A good understanding of the process of negotiation and the different strategies available will assist you in your business and personal life.
  3. Creativity. Being able to tap into your creative abilities will allow you to generate new ideas for new business opportunities. Creativity is also needed to solve complex problems through identifying and sourcing innovative solutions or looking at problems from a different perspective. Furthermore, the ability to identify new business opportunities that other people have overlooked requires the right mindset, including, an open mind that is able to make the appropriate connections in the business environment or marketplace.
  4. Marketing/selling. The ability to market yourself and your organisation increases your exposure in the marketplace.  Although many people don’t consider, or want to consider themselves as salespeople, everyone is a salesperson and therefore needs to understand and utilise the power of selling. For example, it is important to be able to sell your ideas and products to other people but also to sell your capability and skills, particularly in service based industries or when you are applying for a job.

I would also add a fifth skill, which is relevant in today’s digital world; the ability to understand and utilise the power of the Internet, particularly Google, YouTube and social media applications such as LinkedIn, facebook and twitter. Through Google and the Internet you can find virtually any information, knowledge and online learning resources for continuing self-education and personal development. The Internet provides a medium to source ideas and new opportunities that can be applied to different business environments. The Internet is also a network of fluid connections allowing you to connect to other people who may have the knowledge, capability or related interests, to assist you with your business, or who may become your future clients.

Start developing these skills today, that have the potential to make a difference to your future!

Dr John Kapeleris

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Your Personal “Board of Directors” – The Influence of the Mastermind

 Knowledge, Networking, Personal Development, Success  No Responses »
Mar 282011
 

Napoleon Hill in his all-time bestselling book “Think and Grow Rich” makes mention of the power of the Mastermind. The mastermind principle is defined as the coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people for the achievement of a definite purpose. A mastermind group can be a powerful way to achieve your definite purpose or goals. I have joined a few mastermind groups each having a specific purpose or goal where the contribution of the knowledge, experience and united spirit of all members can catapult you to the next level of achievement. Members of a mastermind group will have a common interest where each person is willing to discuss topics openly and contribute knowledge and experience. The mastermind groups that I belong to meet regularly and have formal and informal agendas for prior preparation and subsequent discussion. A number of outcomes have emerged from my mastermind groups, including sharing knowledge and ideas, creating new start-up businesses, identifying new commercial opportunities, and developing solutions for business and community problems. Some of the most successful people in the world (e.g. Henry Ford, Andrew Carnegie) have relied on their mastermind groups to guide them or provide wisdom and inspiration.

Another mastermind concept is establishing your personal “Board of Directors” which involves a group of trusted people or mentors who can guide you or coach you in various aspects of your life, including business, career, personal development, financial or health. For example, when I was between jobs I had a personal fitness and conditioning coach, a career coach and a personal development coach. I would meet with my personal fitness and conditioning coach three times a week for a period of eighteen months undergoing fitness, physical endurance and mental conditioning training. I would also meet with my career and personal development coaches once every two weeks, alternating between each coach weekly. When I met with my personal development coach I would discuss my progress in building and enhancing my skills for my next challenge in life. My mentor would give me self discovery exercises, references to read and small development projects to complete between the meeting sessions. My mentor also opened my mind to a wealth of opportunities that I would investigate and develop in later months and years.

Many successful people establish their own personal “Board of Directors” by identifying key individuals who can assist them in specific areas of focus. If you need a business mentor or adviser you proceed by identifying and choosing someone who has had considerable success and achievement in business. Finding the right mentor or business coach can have a significant affect on your life. A mentor can teach and guide you through your life journey and can be one of the best ways to achieve personal success. Mentors can also accelerate your learning curve by providing the knowledge to fill the gap of “What you don’t know you don’t know“. For example, a business mentor can provide you with the tools and resources to grow your business or to teach you the strategies and processes (tricks of the trade) for a new business opportunity.

Following is a process of finding the right mentors to build your personal “Board of Directors”:

  1. Identify a person in your domain or area of interest who has been successful and would make a great mentor. e.g. a business mentor
  2. Your next step is to contact the person via telephone or a written letter and request whether they can be your mentor.
  3. Don’t be afraid; the worst thing that can happen is that they say “No”.
  4. If you do get a “No” then continue to look for another possible mentor.
  5. Once you have found a group of mentors establish a meeting schedule with an agenda to maximise the full benefits of the engagement. I find that monthly meetings over a coffee or tea is the best approach.
  6. The engagement should be a “win-win” therefore it is important that you also provide some value back to your mentor. This could be in the form of new leads, new business opportunities, information of interest or business intelligence.

Don’t hesitate. Start identifying potential mentors today and begin building your personal “Board of Directors”.

Dr John Kapeleris

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Review, Evaluate and Celebrate!

 Action, Goals and Objectives, Mind, Personal Development, Self-discipline, Self-education, Success  1 Response »
Dec 202010
 

“The purpose of man is in action, not thought.” — Thomas Carlyle

We are fast approaching Christmas and this is always a sign that we have once again reached the end of another calendar year. I always find the end of the year to be a time of reflection and review. It is also a time to evaluate the progress of your life purpose, goals and objectives that were set at the start of the year or the longer term goals set in previous years.

The end of the year also offers a fresh start for activities that we had intended to do but never got around to doing them. Although I had previously stated that any day can be the start of the rest of your life, the end of the year can be a special time because it can provide closure to outstanding action items that may no longer be relevant, but also removing limiting beliefs by leaving them behind in the current year. The dawning of a new year provides the incentive to start a fresh action list and the motivation to get things done.

Many people make New Year’s resolutions, however, they quickly discover that the resolutions fade even before the first quarter of the calender year is reached. It is not just about making New Year’s resolutions at the dawn of the New Year, it is about making a committed effort to set written goals and objectives for the coming year and for the medium to longer term timeframe.

I challenge you to make a committed effort, that is, take ACTION, to review your previous goals and objectives, and to set new goals and objectives for 2011. Begin by identifying the major achievements and highlights for 2010. These could include work achievements, financial objectives, family highlights, personal development, educational achievements or personal success outcomes. Achievements should also be acknowledged and celebrated to ensure mental reinforcement and capitalizing on the motivation that this can provide to your subconscious mind. I try to reward myself when I achieve a particular goal or objective. For example, I will buy a gift for myself that reminds me of the success that I have achieved, or I will organise a special holiday trip for myself and my family. Last January I decided to go to Byron Bay and live in a beach house for ten days to celebrate a very successful 2009. In previous years I bought myself a Tag Heuer watch to remind me of a successful multi-million dollar deal I had closed in the year.

I use a visual journal with white pages to document my goals and objectives for the new calendar year. Once I complete this activity I then develop Action Plans for the major goals and objectives. Throughout the year I periodically review my goals and revise any action plans that are not progressing as expected. You should also prepare a vision board which consists of a portfolio of visual material or a collage of images that portray your vision, goals and objectives. The vision board helps to stimulate your reticular activating system in your mind to reaffirm your subconscious.

Like most people I also identify a few missed opportunities or disappointments for the year. This allows me to learn from the experience so that I can strengthen my future plans moving forward. Go ahead and document the missed opportunities and disappointments. Ask yourself, “What could I have done differently to capitalise on the missed opportunities or overcame the disappointments?”, and document potential changes and actions for the future. Don’t spend too much time regretting the missed opportunities. The rest of your life starts now, therefore focus on your future goals and plans for 2011. Some of these goals could also be carried over from 2010. Particularly goals that were over ambitious, which is common amongst high achievers.

I had also previously posted a number of blog entries that can provide further detailed information on developing your goals and objectives (see below). Furthermore, I have included a Personal Development Plan Template that may also be used as a guide.

What does your personal development plan look like?

Have a merry Christmas and I wish you every success for 2011!

Dr John Kapeleris

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The Winning Mindset – Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude

 Mind, Personal Development, Success  1 Response »
Jul 292010
 

“Your attitude determines your altitude”. Zig Zigler

A winning mindset is all about having the right attitude. A positive attitude can be one of the greatest assets that you can nurture in yourself, which can then determine how far you go with your personal development and achieving the outcomes you desire in life.

Your attitude is reflected in your thoughts, your beliefs and your self-image.  Every person can choose to have a positive attitude no matter what their background or abilities. Your attitude can affect everything in your life. If you have a positive attitude then you tend to attract the good things in life, while a negative attitude attracts the bad things in life. That is, you generally get out of life what you directly focus on.

To avoid a negative attitude you need to stop blaming others or blaming previous setbacks in life, and take responsibility in your life to choose a positive attitude that will elevate you to the next level. Your attitude is one thing that you have complete control. It is up to you to determine whether you choose to uphold a positive or negative attitude in life.

Many athletes choose to adopt a winning mindset that drives their achievements and successes. For example, if you consider two soccer players who have the same exceptional fitness and the same high level of skills, the distinguishing attribute that will differentiate the better soccer player will be the one who possesses the positive attitude and winning  mindset. In other words, it is not only physical abilities but also mental abilities that can make a difference in sport, which also relates to your business and your personal life.

Following are some suggestions of how you can adopt a more positive attitude in life to activate and maintain a winning mindset:

  1. Take some time out of your life to think and reflect on your situation.
  2. Ask challenging questions of yourself and determine where you want to go in life.
  3. Recall situations when you were at the top of your game i.e. in the zone or flow
  4. Extinguish any negative thoughts and stop worrying about things that may never happen
  5. Think positive thoughts and build positive visions i.e. be optimistic
  6. Keep smiling and share your smile with others.

Mindset is really about the way you perceive reality and not the way things ‘really’ are. When used well it can be a powerful incentive to drive your personal development and success.

Dr John Kapeleris

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Making it a GREAT life!

 Goals and Objectives, Personal Development, Success  1 Response »
Feb 212010
 

Most people don’t have any idea on how to achieve success. Our education system does not cover the basic principles of success or personal development.  It assumes that these skills will be learned through on the job training. If you were fortunate enough to have had a mentor or have read books on success or enrolled in personal development courses then you would not have been exposed to the basic principles of success. While undertaking the “Maximize Your Performance” course through the Brian Tracy University I came across a very simple approach to maintaining self discipline and achieving success. Brian Tracy uses the acronym “GREAT” to describe five elements to achieving success:

  • Goal – orientation
  • Result – orientation
  • Excellence – orientation
  • Action – orientation
  • Time – orientation

Further details of each element are outlined below:

Goal orientation

  1. Decide what you want – Identify your major definite purpose (an organizing or major goal)
  2. Write it down
  3. Set a deadline – Setting a deadline programs your goal into your subconscious mind.
  4. Make a plan – Place a foundation under your goal
  5. Get Busy – Do something every day towards achieving your goals. Develop a sense of momentum. The difference between successful people and unsuccessful people is what they do, not what they say.

Result Orientation

  1. Identify key result areas – Outcomes you wish to accomplish
  2. Determine standards of performance, for example excellence, professional, customer oriented, high quality
  3. Focus on the highest value tasks
  4. 80/20 Rule – What are the 20% of things that I need to do that account for 80% of my results?
  • Make a list of all the things or activities you need to do and circle only the 2-3 things that are the most important
  • Discipline yourself to do the 2-3 things that are important

Excellence Orientation (be the best)

  1. Identify critical success factors
  • Generally 5-7 critical success factors for each job
  • For examples a sales role will require the following critical success factors: Prospecting, Presenting, Accessing referrals, Closing, Managing time, Building relationships

      2.   Core competencies – Special skills you bring to the market place

  • Top 10% – What is required of you to be in the top ten percent?
  • What one skill, if you developed it to an excellent level, would have the greatest single positive impact on your life?

Action Orientation (# 1 Quality of Success)

  1. Move fast on opportunities, problems and ideas
  2. Develop a sense of urgency (Do it now!)
  3. Fast tempo is absolutely essential to success
  4. Launch – Take action immediately
  • Willing to launch and take action to move forward without guarantees

      5.   Act as if it were impossible to fail.

Time Orientation

  1. Plan your work and work your plan
  • Spend time up front to plan (saves you significant time down the track)

      2.    Make a list

  • Working off a list saves 25% of time.

      3.    Set priorities on your list

  • Use the following guide plan:

         A – must do

         B – should do

         C – nice to do

         D – delegate

         E – eliminate  

      4.   Concentrate single-mindedly on your highest value task

      5.   Stay with it until it is 100% complete

Make it a great day, every day!

Dr John Kapeleris

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