Lawrence Fine

We all find ourselves in situations where we don’t know something. When in this situation, we have 3 choices.

Shut up
Ask questions to learn more
Bluff and pretend we know something we don’t

It’s best to shut up and listen when there are others around us who know a great deal more and we can learn by listening.

Asking questions will allow us to learn more than we knew before PROVIDED WE ARE THEN PREPARED TO LISTEN AND LEARN.

Bluffing only works if we are around people who know even less than we do. It results in a lot of misinformation and confusion but for some reason seems to impress some people (mainly those who are doing the bluffing). When you bluff around people who are more knowledgeable all you are doing is convincing them how little you know and how little you are willing to learn.

Shut up and listen, ask questions when appropriate and get rid of the bluffing and you might be surprised with what you might accomplish.

Have a great day!

Lawrence

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I received an email the other day asking if I would be willing to meet with the owner of a company I have done a little bit of business with. The reason for the meeting was to discuss ways we might be able to work together to increase each others business. In my mind, this is an example of a company looking for opportunities and willing to partner with others and look in directions they might not normally look.

Do you have an opportunity to do something similar with your business or organization?

Is there someone you can call on to look at ways you can work together?

Are you willing to admit that you are looking for help or suggestions?

Are you willing to also help others to try to create a true win/win opportunity?

Expand your search while looking for opportunities and you might be surprised at what is out there.

Just something to think about.

Have a great day!

Lawrence

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People make personnel suggestions all the time.

In athletics players might approach their coach with a suggestion of a different starting lineup.

In business an employee might approach their boss with a suggestion for a new member of a committee.

How much more credibility would the player have if their suggested starting lineup took them from the lineup to the bench?

How much more credibility would the employee have if their suggestion involved them losing responsibility and maybe even compensation?

Too often people will suggest something that might adversely affect others but rarely will they suggest something that might adversely affect themselves.

It is a lot easier to take a person seriously when their suggestions don’t always affect them positively and others negatively

Have a great day!

Lawrence

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There is a difference between what you have to do and what you should do.

People in a business environment frequently do what they have to do but rarely go the extra mile and do what they should

Looking at an extreme situation that is in the news right now, Joe Paterno most likely did what he had to do in reporting his former assistant to his boss. The bigger question people have is whether he did what he should do as well (in terms of following up to see it didn’t end with the one discussion). It’s a good example of doing what you should do vs only doing what you have to do (this is not a discussion regarding Paterno but rather a good example to consider)

Are you doing what you have to or what you should?

Must something to think about!

Have a great day!

Lawrence

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You have a choice on a Sunday afternoon. You can watch an NFL football game on tv or go for a two hour hike.

You have a choice on a Tuesday evening. You can watch NCIS on tv or play a set if tennis

You have s choice on a Saturday morning. You can watch a cooking show in the cooking channel or go to art galleries and antique stores.

There is nothing inherently wrong with watching tv occasionally but given the chance, consider choosing something more active to do. You sill very rarely regret it.

Just something to think about.

Have a great day!

Lawrence

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Do you value something more because it costs more?

Is one car better because it costs $75,000 as opposed to another car that only costs $20,000?

Is a name brand drug better than it’s generic alternative because it costs more?

Do you appreciate something you pay more for as opposed to something that was inexpensive or free?

Too often we equate price with value but the truth is they frequently are completely unrelated.

When determining how much you like something, how much you want something or how much you need something, do it based on what it’s worth to you and not the number on the price tag.

Have a great day!

Lawrence

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When an organizations discipline starts to slip it’s frequently a sign of many other problems going on behind the scenes as well.

As a simple example, you go into a restaurant you have been in before and notice the carpet isn’t as clean as it’s been in the past, the bathroom has some towels on the floor, there are some spots on the glasses etc. While none of these things would directly affect the quality of the food, if they let these other things slip, they are probably failing short on the quality of their food as well.

In your own organization keep an eye on the first signs of discipline starting to slip and correct it before it’s too late.

Have a great day!

Lawrence

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An employee signs a 3 year contract with a 90 day escape clause.

How long is the contract for?

If everything goes well, it goes for 3 years but in reality, if both sides have a 90 day escape clause, the contract can only be counted on for 90 days.

If both sides can’t prepare adequately for this 90 day clause they might want to reconsider this escape clause.

Take this into consideration the next time you sign a contract.

Have a great day!

Lawrence

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Occasionally I will watch the TV show Kitchen Nightmares. If you haven’t seen the show it features Gordon Ramsey (a big time chef) who goes into a restaurant that is really struggling and tries to help them change and be successful.

One of the first things he does is look at the menu and order lunch. Inevitably one of his recommendations is “reduce the menu”. These restaurants have 10-20 pages for their menu and in trying to be good at everything they end up being good at nothing. When he is done, he reduces their menus significantly so they can have a few things they specialize in.

When looking at what you do, how can you “reduce the menu”?

Remember, when you try to be everything to everyone you end up being nothing to anyone.

Just something to think about.

Have a great day!

Lawrence

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Some people ask the same question to the same people over and over hoping that at some point they will get a different answer.

Others reword the question thinking that would be an effective way to get a different answer.

The smart ones realize it might not be the question that is the problem but instead the intended audience so they find the right audience to ask the question to.

If you keep getting an answer you don’t like (and you feel it’s not the right answer) considering finding the correct person to ask.

Just something to think about.

Have a great day!

Lawrence

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