Relationships by design

A quick reminder:

Acknowledge the characteristics you want ignore the characteristics you don’t. Acknowledgement is a powerful design tool. People will accept acknowledgement and will resist criticism. The fastest way to change behavior is positive reinforcement. Focus on what you want to see in others. Stop correcting.

The Economy is collapsing choose:

A. Stock up on ammo and canned goods?
B. Keep your head in the sand and ignore the signs?
C. Solidify your tribe?

Whatever your choice there will be consequences to your actions. It may always be a good idea to have plenty of ammo and canned goods but if it comes to that we are all screwed. The ostrich effect is not a bad idea because I believe the media drama is hyped and the economy is already clearing and becoming more efficient but what do I know? So gentle readers the proper answer is C to solidify your tribe.

Human beings from time immemorial have been tribal in nature. It is how we survived despite not having sharp claws, big tusks and heavily muscled bodies. Our ancestors banded together to take down the saber tooth tigers and mammoths. We no longer live in hunter gatherer societies but our ancestry follows us today. Studies show that a human being roughly has 215 friends and 1,000’s of acquaintances. That is a lot of people so how do we know who should be in our tribe?

A tribe takes care of its own. A tribe can help you get that job or lead, or financing that you will need. To quote Napoleon the pig from Animal Farm “All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.” This tribe concept also applies to our clients so which of our clients are more equal than others? Who is in the first class cabin of your business? Who are the people that you take care of? If you are answering, “I treat all of my clients equally” my retort is that you are screwed. Why? All of you clients are not equal. Some of your clients pay you a lot of money and they like and trust you. While other of your clients pay you little and drive you crazy. Makes you wonder doesn’t it?

If you do it right your tribe will help you weather these economic challenging times. Your tribe will be anchored by your first class cabin. The hardest part about creating a first class cabin is that you have to discern. Yes you will have to discriminate against your clients for they are not equal. No one ever said life was fair.

The criteria for discernment is simple and it is explained in detail here: http://www.revenueblitz.com/interior.asp?id=22

Build your tribe and thrive.

Does Your Mindset Serve You?

We all have a filter in which we color the events of the world as they unfold. Do you know what color your filter is? In a previous post I waxed about the distinction of the eagle and the chicken.  Today I will add another character: Eeyore the donkey.

Events will always be unfolding and how we color that event will continue to enhance the theme we have for our business and or life. With my clients I enforce a principle: “You are the sun and whatever you shall shine upon shall grow.”

An Eagle mindset will use the filter that the world is unfolding exactly as it should and whatever unfolds will serve me. For example a client leaves: the Eagle will interpret this event as a good thing that will create the space for profitable clients to appear.

A chicken mindset uses the filter of fear that what is unfolding is scary and we must always exercise caution and fear because the hawk is always circling. For example a client leaves:  the Chicken will interpret this  as the beginning of a mass exodus and panic with a massive explosion of desperate sales activity.

An Eeyore mindset is everything that unfolds as a continuation of his sentence: “this always happens to me”  For example a client leaves: Eeyore will see this as proof that he is not very good at what he does and question why he is in the business in the first place and go into a depression.

Now the funny thing about mindset is that it’s made up but does it serve you? Think about it if you believe that everything that unfolds serves you it will! If you believe that things unfold to suppress you,the suppression will continue! Mindset is made up ultimately by you and no your mother did not permanently scar you by making you wear your sweater.

How do you change Mindset? Attention. Ask yourself what are you making the event unfolding mean? And does that meaning serve you? Are you thinking like an eagle? A chicken? Or Eeyore?

The choice is always yours.