THE ACHIEVEMENT DIGEST®
Combined summer issue, August 2002 Editor: Gene Griessman
CONTENTS
Quotations You Can Use
Leadership Tactics Of Very Successful People
Management Tip: A Different Way To Do Your
Performance Reviews
Feature Article: How To Leverage A Compliment
Lincoln's Log
Travel Tips
Only In America
How To Understand Body Language
QUOTATIONS YOU CAN USE
“If people don’t want to come to the ballpark,
there ain’t nothin’ to keep ‘em from not comin’.
Yogi Berra
“Without a deadline, I can’t finish nothin’”
Duke Ellington
“In a good society, common people care about the common good.”
Gene Griessman
“Entrepreneurial vision is not passive. It’s that rare, every-fiber-of-your being kind of
thing." Jim Blasingame Small Business Is Like A Bunch Of
Bananas (www.smallbusinessadvocate.com)
"Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths theatre."
Gail Godwin
"When women are depressed, they eat or go shopping. Men invade another country. It's a whole different way of thinking."
Elayne Boosler
"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face."
Eleanor Roosevelt
"I succeeded by saying what everyone else is thinking."
Joan Rivers
For more great quotes,
click here.
FEATURE ARTICLE: LEADERSHIP TACTICS OF VERY SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE
MANAGEMENT TIP: A DIFFERENT WAY TO DO YOUR
PERFORMANCE REVIEWS
The best way to manage is to
put people in positions
that play to their strengths, not their weaknesses.
A CEO attendee at one of our
seminars on the leadership
secrets of Abraham Lincoln observed that most
performance reviews are based on looking
for the worst in people instead of looking for
the best in people.
The focus is on the
negative. Typically managers say:
“Here’s where you’re weak, so here’s what you can do
to work on that.”
An alternative approach
would be, “Here’s where
you have real strengths. Let’s look for ways to
leverage your strengths.”
For more information about
the Lincoln
Leadership Program,
click here.
FEATURE ARTICLE: HOW TO LEVERAGE A COMPLIMENT
This tactic is easy to
execute. It will win friends, improve the quality of the service you receive, and make the world a better place. I’ve watched others use it,
and I’ve used it myself with remarkable results.
Here it is: Whenever people
do something
that pleases you, communicate your message of
appreciation and praise to somebody who
matters to them.
Mel Kranzberg was a famed
historian and editor
and the principal founder of the Society for the
History of Technology. If someone helped
Kranzberg by presenting a paper or writing an
article, Kranzberg always wrote a thank-you letter.
But Krazberg also wrote a
letter to that professor’s
department head or dean or president, telling them
how fortunate they were to have such a person at
their school. Kranzberg made sure the individual
knew too, because he sent them a copy of the letter.
At the time of Kranzberg’s
death, literally thousands
of individuals were indebted to him for such
letters.
(Kranzberg wrote a minimum of 10 letters a day.)
I was a recipient of the
Kranzberg treatment several
times, and still have copies of generous letters he
wrote about me to his influential friends.
HOW YOU CAN DO IT
If you receive great
customer service at a restaurant
or on the phone, ask if you can speak with that
person’s supervisor. When they arrive or come on
the line, praise them, and suggest to the supervisor
that they might want to put a record of the
compliment
in their file. Also, write the kind of complimentary
letters that Kranzberg wrote.
If you ever have dealings
with that person
again, you can be sure the service will be
excellent because you’ll be dealing with
a grateful person. And even if you don’t
interact with them again, you can feel good
about boosting the career of someone
who deserved it.
WHAT DO COMPLIMENTS AND COMPLAINTS HAVE IN COMMON?
Answer: Both are powerful
tools. But to be
used effectively, they must be used correctly.
For example, effective
complaining should not be
confused with venting. There’s an entire chapter in
"Time Tactics of Very Successful People" about how
to complain effectively. By using those complaining
tactics, I’ve saved lots of time, but I’ve also
received lots of goodies: upgrades, complimentary
meals and free nights at hotels, etc.
In fact, if I’m at some
fabulous place, I find myself
hoping that somebody will make a mistake,
because I know a good company will always do
something extra to try to keep customers happy.
HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED WHEN I USED THIS TACTIC
Recently my flight from Los
Angeles to Las
Vegas on America West was cancelled. When
a long line formed at the counter for reassignments,
a baggage handler pitched in to help. He retagged
the luggage and did everything possible to improve
the situation. I asked for his name.
Later I sent a note to the
airline telling them how pleased
I was was with the customer service. I
suggested that
they pay particular attention to this young man
because
he had strong leadership potential.
Back came a personal letter
from America West,
thanking me for taking the time to give them
feedback about their employees. Inside the
envelope was a voucher for $75.
In helping someone else, I
benefited too.
HOW TO USE COMPLIMENTS TO MAKE A
BETTER WORLD
Most people complain if they
receive outrageously
bad service. But few take time to pass along
a compliment to a supervisor or employer if they
receive exceptionally good service. Whenever I do,
supervisors are usually astounded because it’s a rare
occurrence. Complaints are what they usually get.
But think about it. If
enough of us praise the
good guys, good guys will get a better shot at
the big jobs because the compliments you
and I made about them are in their files.
Passing along compliments is
one small thing we
can all do to make the system work a little better.
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LINCOLN’S LOG FOR LINCOLN LOVERS
“The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the
stormy present. As our case is new, so we must think
anew, and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves,
and then we shall save our country.”
Lincoln's Annual Message to Congress, December
1, 1862
For more great Lincoln
quotes, go to
“THE WORDS LINCOLN LIVED BY”
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Gene Griessman's complete Lincoln performance
before an audience of over 20,000 at the Georgia
Dome.
To order "An Evening With Abraham Lincoln," click
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FEEDBACK
“Many thanks for the audio tape (“The Inspirational
Words Of Abraham Lincoln”). It is wonderful!!!
Joseph M. Brill, Terre
Haute, IN
“I want to thank you so very much for everything
that you did at our National Sales meeting….You
not only set the tone for the meeting; you
encouraged, educated, challenged
and motivated our group. You brought them to
a higher level.”
Susan Cross, Marketing Services Manager,
AIRCAST, Summit, NJ
“It was great seeing Abraham Lincoln in person and
not on movies or reports. After you left, I was left
amazed and thankful for the lessons you gave us.”
Oscar Bermejo
A high-school student leader who attended
Lincoln portrayal at a HOBY retreat
From the Evaluations:
“I like the richness of the content and the
innovative delivery of the messages.
Stepping out of ‘self” to a character
was powerful in delivery.”
Company president, Toronto
“You are so knowledgeable about Lincoln and his
philosophies that you became him for the time you
made your presentation. I had to remind myself
that you were acting.You became your subject,
which convinced your audience of your convictions.”
Spouse, Executive Retreat, Dana Point,
CA
A BOOK WORTH READING
Lately I’ve been reading
books that attempt to explain
America’s origins. One of those is "Founding
Brothers.
The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis.
Written in 2000, the
paperback has
just been released by Random House as a Vintage Book.
As the title of the book
suggests, it’s written
about people who knew one another. Ellis has
a deep knowledge of the characters in his stories.
The sentences and paragraphs are overly long, and
there
are numerous scholarly caveats, which makes
for slow reading. This is certainly not a book for
people
who are detest polysyllables. That said, the
book is full of wise insights. Here’s a sample:
“Mostly male, all white, this collection of
public figures
was hardly typical of the population as a whole…
All of its members…would have languished in obscurity
in England or France…No titled and hereditary
aristocracy
was in place to block their ascent; and no full-blown
democratic culture had yet emerged to dull their
elitist edge.”
One of the most important
qualities of a great leader
is to be able to understand what is absolutely
essential
to succeed--that one thing, if you will. Here's
Ellis on George Washington. (Ellis calls it an
"elemental insight."):
"The strategic key was the
Continental Army. If it
remained intact as an effective fighting force, the
American Revolution remained alive.
"The British Army could
occupy Boston, New York,
and Philadelphia, and it did.
"The British navy could
blockade and
bombard American seaports with impunity, and it did.
"The Continental Congress could be driven from one
location to another like a covey of pigeons, and it
was. But as long as Washington held the Continental
Army together, the British could not win the war...."
(pp. 130, 131)
******************************************************
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******************************************************
TRAVEL TIPS
Orlando
Christini's
Memorable Italian dishes; small, elegant room
Expensive, and worth it
The people at my table raved about the rack of
lamb,
(“Never tasted better!”), Chilean sea bass,
and the crème Brulée
A 10-minute ride from the Marriott’s Orlando
World Center off Interstate 4;
7600 Doctor Phillips Blvd. 407-345-8770
Toronto
Joe Badali's
Inexpensive, and wonderful
I happened to visit on a night when they served
their pasta, soup, pizza, and salad buffet.
Spectacular price--$14.95 (Canadian)
Be sure to order a Belinni--a memorable
drink.
156 Front St. West (downtown, three blocks
from
the Toronto Hilton or the Sheraton--in a fun
part of Toronto)
Dana Point, California
The St. Regis
Until recently, when one talked about great
hotels between
Los Angeles and San Diego, the Ritz Carleton at
Leguna Niguel stood supreme.
Now there’s a new and serious contender: The
St. Regis
(Monarch Beach Resort and Spa). Located on
a breathtaking property at Dana Point, the common
areas,
the appointments and décor of the rooms are things
of delight.
Wonderful customer service. Room
prices--usually
north of $400 per night, yet completely booked
when I was there.
******************************************************
ONLY IN AMERICA
“It’s great to be an American.
We wear Italian suits, eat French food,
drive a Japanese car, and on holidays,
put out an American flag, made in Korea!
Thanks to Alice O’Neill for
sharing this with me.
(O’Neil writes the widely read syndicated column
“Hollywood Behind-the-scenes)
******************************************************
HOW TO READ BODY LANGUAGE
Patti Wood’s specialty is body language. Recently
she
was quoted extensively in an article by Lisa Daily,
author of "Stop Getting Dumped."
That article is entitled , “Is it Romantic
Armageddon,
or just Uncomfortable Shoes?
13 Warning Signs You're About To Get Dumped!”
It’s primarily about
romantic relationships,
but I found several fascinating observations that
are applicable to business settings.
Here are selections from the
article:
“Where the toes point, the heart follows.
According to body language expert Patti
Wood, MA, CSP, “…A person who knows she's going to
end the relationship with you, but hasn't done
so yet will be itching to get off the phone with you.
If she is talking to you, but not adding anything
to the conversation, it's sign she is heading towards
the finish line. She's probably just pacing herself.
“…According to body language
expert
Wood, a person who is about to dump
you will display a lack of open "windows"
towards you. "Windows" being his heart,
eyes, neck and palms. If your man turns
his heart (the center of his chest) away
from you as you are talking to each
other, it's a big sign he's not interested.
"Time is an important
non-verbal communicator,"
says Wood. If he keeps you waiting, it's a sign
his interest is waning, and a sign of disrespect.
“If he starts waiting until
the very last minute
to make date plans with you, it's likely
he's lost interest, or he's hoping something
better will come along and he's using you as a back
up.
Thanks to Patti Wood for
permission
to use this material. Patti can be reached
at http://www.pattiwood.net
******************************************************
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seminar
or keynote for your organization,
click here.
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