If It's Worth Doing, It's Worth Doing Poorly

Wait a minute! Isn't that a composition error? My whole life I've been told that if something is worth doing, it's worth doing well – or the best you can – or right – or correctly. So how can doing it poorly have any value?

And then it occurred to me the belief that it had to be done right the first time had held me back from doing lots of stuff. If you're a perfectionist, and I happen to be a recovering one, you know what I mean. Preparation takes a lot of energy, and commitment, and time. It's a valuable part of any process. And yet – maybe a little less prep, a little more tolerance for the results of early effort, and maybe – just maybe – a lot more could be accomplished. I remember a quote in a Harry Beckwith book - “Don't let perfect stand in the way of good.”

But I also remember a belief my Dad pounded into my head. “ Experience is the best teacher, but only fools can learn by no other.” Ouch! Talk about enabling procrastination – using preparation as a means of avoiding taking action.

And then I remember what A.K Best – a very good tier of flies for fishing – those little bits of feather, floss, foam, thread, fur, hair – that can be so complicated to create – said about tying a new fly pattern. He said he doesn't master a particular fly pattern until he has tied at least twelve dozen flies. I suspect his first attempt is pretty good – he's an acknowledged expert – but I suspect each following fly is a little bit better in some way – materials, process, proportions, color – until after 144 flies he's pretty satisfied with his results – and he can tie the fly with speed, precision and mastery of proportion.

A. K. Best's process is not a lot different from what we need to do to meet our own challenges. And yet many of us hold back – hang onto the preparation stage – feel intimidated with the possibility of not getting it right the first time. We don't want to appear foolish to ourselves or to others. And someone without the same intelligence, concern and processing ability that we have, goes out there, stumbles, gets up, learns from the experience, and gets it mostly right – and gets the credit, the recognition, the sale, the reward. And we know we could have done it better – if we had just acted a little sooner – if we had stopped preparing – overcome our self imposed expectation of perfect on the first try - and went for it.

To all my fellow perfectionists and professional preparers, I offer this call to action. Work hard to adopt the belief that something worth doing is worth doing poorly – at the beginning. Work hard to give yourself permission to fail, and not be perfect the first time – to learn from action, and to be better the next time. It's so much more liberating - and effective - to adopt that belief and behavior.

Written by Andy Cox, President
Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph:& Fax: 602-795-4100; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com;Website:www.coxconsultgroup.com; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com

Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved

Eleven Qualities of Successful People

How do you define successful people? Og Mandino, in “The Greatest Salesman In The World,” defined success as meeting ones goals – whatever they may be. Sounds good to me. Given that definition, what do successful people have in common?

I was challenged to write, in 500 words or less, an answer to that question. Here goes.

They're lucky – if you define luck as the intersection where preparation, opportunity, action and optimism, with a healthy dose of knowledge and prospecting – all come together.

They know you gotta do the work to succeed. No silver bullets. Picasso was asked by a lady in Paris to sketch her likeness. He did. He charged her $5000 . She protested that a five minute sketch for $5000 seemed excessive. He replied “ Madame, not five minutes, but a lifetime.”

They're attractive. Their sense of opportunity and optimism attracts things to them – relationships, opportunity, luck – you name it. Some of the most attractive successful people aren't – by any stretch - Hollywood good looking – but that doesn't matter.

They're competitive and collaborative, and inspired by the success of others – and by the challenges on the way to success. They see the success of others as proof of there being plenty for everybody.

They know what's important to them and they focus on whatever that might be. They respect what's important to others, and work to align their own goals with the goals of others. But when push comes to shove, their goals are the ones that take priority.

They're selfish with their time, so they can be generous with it. Sounds like a contradiction but it isn't. Treating time as the least flexible of commodities - treasuring every moment of it – not spending time where it does no good – being able to say “No” - allows more time for the things that really matter.

They're persistently consistent – what they say and what they do are closely aligned – you can count on it – again and again and again.

They know that trust is the cornerstone of effective relationships. It's hard to earn, easy to lose and almost impossible to regain. They treat gaining and giving trust as top priorities in all their relationships.

They set high expectations for themselves and for others – while being able to separate their ideals from their expectations. They are realistic about the human condition – their own and others.

They are optimistic about their relationships with the people they meet and they seek out new contacts. They go into new relationships with the expectation of something good coming out of it – for everybody.

They have a real respect for people – all kinds of people. They treat people that can do them neither any harm – nor any good – the same way they would treat anyone else.

To add to the eleven qualities, send me an E Mail.

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph& Fax: 602-795-4100; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com;Website:www.coxconsultgroup.com; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com

Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved

A Story of Success - Here's To You, Hank Teuteberg

I'm looking at a picture of one of the most successful men I have ever had the privilege to know. He was raised in Brookfield WI and moved all the way to a beautiful house he and my sister built overlooking Lake Oconomowoc – about 15 miles away from where he had been born. He enlisted in the Navy shortly after high school, then became a computer programmer back in the days of punch cards and big box mainframes.

He got married to my sister 44 years ago, and they raised three children – and raised them well. And those children gave them eight grandchildren – and they delighted in them. He founded his own business in 1976 – a printing company that, over the years, has grown into one of the top marketing services, fulfillment and printing companies in the US.

He was an excellent baseball player. He was an avid golfer – a low handicapper that belonged to two country clubs and played – a lot. For years he ran every morning, and for years he carried his own bag – for all 18 holes.

His success at his business allowed him to buy a place in Florida – on Sanibel Island – so he and his family could get away from the brutal Wisconsin winters – and he could play golf – every day – and he did.

But he never took his eye off the ball – off his business. And it prospered. And it does today – with his son as the President.

He was the kind of guy that you just knew would live forever – or close to it.

And then he drowned, in a freak happening, in Pewaukee Lake - where he had almost drowned at age 11. And at the age of 69, with so much in front of him, he left this earth. And when I look at his picture – it's on the cover of the program for the Visitation and Mass of the Resurrection that was held for him - it simply does not seem possible that he is gone. But he is. And at the Visitation a solid line of people stretched out the door of the church where it was held - and they just kept coming. For four hours my sister stood or sat next to his casket and greeted and talked to every one of the people who came to pay their respects. For four solid hours – without letup. What a tribute to his life and to his family!

And the one quality so many remembered about Hank – whether they were golfing buddies, neighbors, baseball teammates, business associates - was that they never heard him say a bad word about anybody. What an epitaph!

Hank wasn't a particularly reflective guy – had he been asked to write down what people would say about him at his funeral – and that's an exercise often used to develop goals – I'm sure he would have found something more important to do.

He was successful in so many ways success is measured. But for my money, the phrase “ He never said a bad word about anybody” is his true measure of success.

Until we meet again, Hank.

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph & Fax: 602-795-4100; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com;Website:www.coxconsultgroup.com; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com

Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved

Ten Challenges To Successful Self Employment

Being your own boss is so tempting! No more working for the Man. No more politics. Total control over everything. Time to smell the roses. Time to capitalize on all those experiences and skills that you have acquired.

What follows are ten areas of challenge that face everyone looking to make a successful leap from working for an organization to working for themselves. Successful people have stepped up to these challenges and made them work for them.

In the questions that make up the ten challenges there are no right or wrong answers. But each one requires some real thought and decision making. Being your own boss is not for everyone, and every year lots of people find that out. And lots of other people hit the ground running and never look back. Use the ten challenges to decide, commit and prepare so you never have to look back.

​First - Motive - Why are you thinking of doing this? What makes working for yourself so attractive? If the answers are based on opportunities to build on what you've already done – as the next step in a career path - as a sound use of resources - that's good. If your answers are focused on a negative – a bad boss, a bad job, a bad career, or anything else that is based on getting away from something, think twice.

Second – Commitment - Are you ready to make the commitment to be successful? What represents success – to you? How good have you been on commitment so far? How passionate are you about what you plan to do? In an organization it's fairly easy to ration your commitment and effort and do what needs to be done to survive. When you are on your own that just doesn't work. You gotta be totally committed . Commitment and passion go together. A friend – a corporate person – once described the condition of the self employed as “the servitude of the self employed.” It's servitude only if you're not totally committed and passionate about what you do.

Third – Business - What business will you be in? What value do you bring to the marketplace? Can you express your value to a stranger in thirty seconds? Many people feel they know where they are going and don't need to write it down. That's a mistake. A business plan doesn't have to be a long, complicated document. But it should be a legitimate plan that answers those questions. For many people working in companies the switch from having the prestige of the organization behind them to being a Lone Ranger is tough. You have to know, behave and promote what you do – and state it in ways that have people asking you “How do you do that?”

Fourth – Customers - Who are you going to sell to – and who's gonna want to buy? What is going to be your market? How are you going to market what you do? Do you have contacts in your profession or industry that can help you hit the ground with that first sale? It's tempting to think of everyone as a prospect, but that's a trap. If everyone is a potential customer, the truth is that no one is a prospect. Be very careful of “business opportunities” that have high entry costs and paint a picture of the whole world as your prospective market. Defining and focusing on a niche is a must.

Fifth - Preparation and Credibility - How prepared and what “ chops” do you bring to the table? How have you prepared and what does your target market demand of the successfully self employed? What certifications, product relationships, technical skills, references do you bring to the table?. How does your Summary of Experience and Qualifications read?

Sixth - Critical Personal Skills - What are your influence skills? How are you going to shift from being an authority in an organization to being an influencer in your own business? How will you work with very little leverage? How good are you at asking - asking for work, for meetings, for the business?
Do you have the personal discipline to work hard with no one looking over your shoulder?

Seventh – People Network - What are your relationship skills and abilities? Who is in your network. How big is your file of names of people? How big and diverse is your Universe of people? Are you comfortable asking for referrals? How good are you at reaching out for help, relationships, partnerships, associations?

Eight – Baggage - How much mental and behavioral baggage do you have to throw away in order to be successful on your own? What are the things that have to change ? No admin, no HR, Accounting, or PR staff support. The old days of budgets as the barometer of success are over. Not making mistakes as the way to success? Not when you're on your own. All of us carry a set of assumptions built on our experiences. Being conscious of how those assumptions may get in the way of success is critical to change and growth.

Ninth – Sales and Marketing and Business Development - How are you going to deal with going from being in demand in an organization to looking for work? Within organizations work and opportunities go to the most effective people The most effective people are used to being sought out for opportunities and assignments – their phone rings – their E Mail box is full. Even the very best self employed person must constantly be searching for opportunities, for suspects, for prospects - their phone won't ring based purely on capability.
I asked a very successful consultant in the personal development business what was the highest value position in his organization. He didn't hesitate: Sales – getting the business. He felt that was 70% of the equation for success. I challenged that on the basis that the work had to be delivered in order to get paid, to get referrals, to establish relationships for the future. He agreed that was all true, but, in his opinion, getting talent to do the fulfillment work - be it seminar leaders, coaches, writers and course developers - was a hell of a lot easier than getting an effective sales and business builder.

Tenth - Self Knowledge – Are you an opportunity person – or a consequence person? Opportunity thinking is critical to gaining customers. So is optimism – it's a quality that can keep things going even when things look bleak – as they invariably will. How well do you know yourself? How well aligned are your perceptions of how you impact people with the reality of how you affect and impact others? If those are far apart, they need to be brought into alignment. You need to know what you're good at – not just what you think you're good at.

Being self employed covers a lot of different scenarios. No two people or businesses are exactly the same. Neither are their motivations. The answers to the ten challenges in this article will differ tremendously from one person to another – even in the same self employment niche. But the ten challenges can help you determine the why, what, when, where, who and how of your own business. They can help you be more successful – if after answering them, being in your own business remains your chosen path.

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph& Fax: 602-795-4100; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com;Website:www.coxconsultgroup.com; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com

Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved

Nine Ways To Discover and Develop Your Strengths

Malcolm Forbes said: “ Many people overvalue what they are not, and undervalue what they are.” That's another way of saying that we place more value on our weaknesses than we do on our strengths. And in that mistaken evaluation lies one of the main reasons for under achievement, frustration and lack of personal clarity.

If I asked you to list ten of your strengths and ten of your weaknesses, what comes to mind first?

Answer that question – right now. Write those ten strengths and weaknesses down.

For most people strengths are hard to describe. Weaknesses, on the other hand, seem to be much easier to discover. It isn't bad enough that we define our own weaknesses; it's made worse by all the other people willing and able to point them out to us. We see someone performing at a high level and rather than just enjoy the performance we tell ourselves we couldn't possibly do that. That may be true – but it's also true that we have other strengths – we just haven't valued them the way we should. But every time we make one of those negative comparisons, we chip away at our own feeling of worth.

My Dad used to say that the best football players never played football. That used to drive me nuts – how could you argue that someone who never played the game could possibly be the best football player? As I got older and discovered my Dad knew a thing or two, I began to see what he meant. He meant that the people who could have been the very best never played the game. Lack of opportunity, self doubt, other interests, culture, necessity, risk avoidance - all work to keep people from discovering their strengths – from playing their game. Some of those things can't be helped – that's life. But self doubt and risk avoidance can be dealt with.

How do we overcome those negative voices that create doubt and feelings of unworthiness and lack of ability? Here are nine steps to take.

1 - Adjust that habit of thought that looks for what isn't before it looks for what is. Our daughter, when she was in fourth grade, came home in tears one day. She'd gotten four wrong on a test. When we pointed out that she had gotten 96 right, she stopped crying and it dawned on her that she'd done pretty darn good. She worked on getting the correct answers for the four questions she'd missed, but she did it from a position of success, not failure.

2 - Believe that there is plenty for everybody. Someone else's success is a cause for celebration, not a time to feel as if something was lost. Appreciate the strengths of others for what they are, and avoid making negative personal comparisons that highlight weaknesses.

3 - Interdependence is a key to discovering and developing strengths. Synergy – one plus one equalling four or five – occurs when the strengths of one person compliment the strengths of another, and the weaknesses of each person are absorbed by the strengths of the other. If you're a good speaker and presenter but a lousy administrator, your speaking strength will be leveraged by a good administrator who isn't good at speaking. It's called a win – win relationship.

4 - Think in terms of opportunity. Strengths are drawn to opportunity. weaknesses push opportunity away. If you are a consequences person team up with an opportunity person who values your strengths as you do theirs – and reap rewards that neither of you could have achieved alone.

5 - Seek out positive people that see opportunity and grow with them. Avoid the toxic people who are always seeing the glass half empty. You know who they are – they can suck the life out of even the most accomplished optimist.

6 - Take risks by reaching outside your comfort zone. How else can you find your strengths than by testing and trying new things? It could be a project at work or doing something that the late comedian George Carlin called having a sense of “Vuja De" – the feeling that you have never ever been in this place before. I had a teacher that reminded us constantly that the only difference between a rut and a grave is that a rut's longer. Don't let the comfort zone become a rut – keep pushing at it.

7 - “Aim with your heart, adjust with your head, and always do all you can.” A saying from Tut The Universe. A great way to express the “ Ready, Fire, Aim” approach to success. Avoid the definition of madness - “Continuing to do things the same way and expecting a different outcome.”

8 - Get assessed. Discover yourself. Find out what the results of an assessment of skills, motivators and behaviors can tell you about yourself. Then use that knowledge to focus on who you are, what makes you tick and on the personal skills that you possess in abundance.

9 - Identify a hero or heroes. We all need people we can look up to and emulate. Just don't let the celebrity and strength of the hero cause you to diminish the value of your own strengths. Write down what makes them a hero to you – in that analysis lies terrific information on what you value – what you want to be.

It's easy to overlook the strengths we were born with and have acquired through experience, work, life and education. Often we assume everybody has what we have - nothing could be further from the truth The outcome of that assumption is that we underrate our unique set of strengths.

Apply these nine steps to your own life and get your focus on the good things that make you positively unique and valuable. Play your game - the result will be greater success personally and professionally.

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph& Fax: 602-795-4100; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com;Website:www.coxconsultgroup.com; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com

Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved

Multi - Tasking - An Effective And An Ineffective Behavior

There are two sides to multi – tasking. It's keeping a lot of balls in the air without dropping the important ones. It's getting more done with less. It's being effective with the resources available. It demands a high level of energy and commitment. But it's also the enemy of focus. It can be the enemy of effectiveness. Multi – tasking can be the friend of Resistance – that force that keeps us from doing the really important stuff. Multi – tasking can keep us thinking about what we're not doing, rather than focusing on what's in front of us.

I just read an article on MSNBC about a media multi -tasking study. The study was conducted by Stanford University and used college students who were either heavy media multi-taskers or not. The study concluded that the heavy users of media multi – tasking found it more difficult to focus and concentrate, and found it harder to ignore unimportant information than did the not heavy users.

This took a Stanford study to figure out? And the researchers were surprised by the results? I'm shocked that they were shocked. Whether it's media multi – tasking, or any other kind, there's a fine line between getting things done and just being busy.

I know that because every day I fight the urge to be busy as the means of fooling myself into thinking I'm effective. And multi - tasking plays right into the hands of that mysterious force called Resistance that fights like crazy to keep me from doing the things I know need to be done. Multi - tasking can be like a magnet for “thin things”– attracting all the stuff that hangs around the edges and calls for attention. And it feels so good to do the “thin things” - rearranging E Mail files – reading all the accumulated professional journals – organizing the picture files on the hard drive.

An example of "thin things" was on The Apprentice show a few years ago. An accountant who was part of a team competing to complete a complex project appointed herself as the keeper of the balance sheet. The team ended up losing – but their balance sheet was great. It contributed little to the project. She was fired by Trump. She made the mistake of working on “thin things” rather than the main things.

Successful multi – taskers know how important focus is. They know focusing for a substantial period of time on the really important things – the true meaning of “Quality Time” - takes real work. Focusing requires saying no – accepting that certain unimportant things will not get done – or will get done at another time or by someone else. Focusing requires identifying and prioritizing the really important stuff. And it requires the self discipline to not be distracted by all the lightweight, interesting, easy stuff that floats by on the breeze.

Successful multi - taskers know how easy it is to lose focus and cross over that line between being effective and just being busy. They use goals to help them stay on track – even when distractions and demands are coming at them hot and heavy. They know circumstances can change things in the blink of an eye. But they also know that goals can help them get back on course quickly and not lose sight of the main things.

To ensure multi – tasking is a personal strength, examine your own approach to it. We all need to do some of it – some more than others. Busy behavior can become addicting - take the time to analyze what you're doing and why you're doing it. And if the answer is to meet important goals – you're on target. If, on the other hand, much of it is to keep from doing something else that's more important, take the time to develop or modify the few main goals needed to keep focus where it should be. And then work those goals as the way to break loose from the busyness addiction.

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph& Fax: 602-795-4100; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com;Website:www.coxconsultgroup.com; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com

Copyright 200 All Rights Reserved

The Six Steps Of A Project

Reading about the trials and tribulations of Boeing as it brings the 787 Dreamliner to market reminded me of a poster I saw in a clients office. It described the Six Steps Of A Project. They are:

1 - Enthusiasm
2 - Disillusionment
3 - Panic
4 - Search for the Guilty
5 - Punishment of the Innocent
6 - Praise and Glory for the Nonparticipants

At first I thought they were funny, but then realized in humor there is a lot of truth.

Fortunately, unlike the Four Stages of Change - Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing, that always happen in any and all projects and change, the Six Steps, while fairly common, don't. They are reserved for those efforts that really get off the rails, and where the organizational culture focuses on blame rather than problem solving.


I've been the fly on the wall at enough project meetings to know what's going on in the minds of many of the team members.

Here's what one member of a project team may have thought while working through the Six Steps of a project.

Step 1 - Enthusiasm - "High hopes, everyone's on board, we're gonna make this happen - fast. Yeah, sure we're optimistic, but why not? The Project Manager assures me we've learned from the past projects, he knows where the landmines are planted, and we're not going to make the same mistakes - we're smarter than that. Let's go!"

Stage 2 - Disillusionment - "Damn, this is harder than we thought! We really bagged ourselves with that pie - in - the - sky estimate of time to market. I feel like the Old Cowboy in the painting the Boss has on his wall - the one with the caption "There were some things I didn't know about this outfit before I hired on" Ain't that the truth. I wasn't here for the last project, but there are plenty of people telling me it had a lot of the same problems. Gotta keep a positive perspective, but with so many expectations coming up short, I don't know."

Stage 3 - Panic - "Yikes, we're really in the tank on this one. Whose idea was this anyway? Everything we try turns to crap before our very eyes. I didn't know it could be piled this high. The Boss has made it clear he's going to get to the bottom of this pile of you know what, and when he finds out how, why and who screwed things up, it's really going to hit the fan. I don't want to be downwind when that happens."

Stage 4 - Search For The Guilty - "Time to pull the hatch covers shut and hunker down and do what I'm told to do with a "Yessir" and not take any chances. Time to show up on time for those endless status meetings, keep quiet, take notes, look interested and don't make any waves. Bad time for vacations, sick days, seminars or anything else that might make me vulnerable and question my effort. Scratch those Saturday golf games. 24/7 - here we go! I really do want this project to succeed, but I know how easy it is to get caught in the cross hairs when the chiefs are looking to blame somebody. And the person that takes it in the ear seems to always be the person at the bottom of the food chain."


5 - Punishment of the Innocent - "Well, the Project Manager got up and gave his report on where we are in this project, what we have to do to recover and move ahead and what the issues are that need to be put to bed. He didn't get much of a response. There was no discussion from his bosses. They didn't seem that interested in what he had to say. The writing is on the wall, but it's hard to see what he's done that would put him in jeopardy. But the result is we're behind schedule, over budget and nobody is happy. Hope he survives this - he's actually a pretty good guy. If he doesn't, I really want that Old Cowboy painting from his office.

6 - Praise and glory for the non participants - "We got a new Project Manager about three months ago and everything is moving along according to the revised schedule - the one the old Project Manager did. The new PM got a bigger budget and brought in talent to help beef up the Engineering effort, and she obviously has the ear of the the top people. Funny, when she has a meeting and tells the bosses the same stuff the old PM would tell them, they agree and encourage her to press on. We all feel the project is on track, but we can't help but feel the old PM got screwed. He was the shock troop - took the crap - did the modifying and communicated the status without any BS, and the last reward he got was the opportunity to take six months with pay to find a new job. This project wouldn't have gotten off the ground without his effort. Guess he was the wrong person at the wrong time. Too bad. Timing is everything. But that's the way it goes. If anybody asks me to take on a new project, I'm going to say "No Thanks." Better to be safe than sorry. The new PM gave me the the Old Cowboy painting, but told me to take it home - she said it's message is too negative."

If this self conversation sounds familiar to you, it's only because so many project teams get tied up in this kind of scenario. You can bet the team members in this project will think twice before taking risk - and that's too bad. I suspect that in blame cultures a great deal of talent ends up playing it safe - and that's a real waste of talent.

Work to promote problem solving cultures - ones that plan with the Four Stages of Change in mind - at every level. The result of that effort is a much higher level of commitment and engagement. Make the blame game obsolete.

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph & Fax: 602-795-4100; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com;Website:www.coxconsultgroup.com; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com

Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved

The Key To Personal Power - Know Who You Are

The most powerful and successful people are those who know who they are. That sounds like a no brainer, but it isn't. They know that they are first, the person they think they are; second, the person they want others to think they are, and third; the person others actually think they are. Successful people – people who meet and exceed their goals - work hard getting to know who they are, and work hard to align their three different persons.

When all three are understood and aligned, a tremendous amount of personal power is generated. To the extent that the three persons are different from what their owners believe them to be, potential never becomes power – it's wasted – in sales, in relationships, in negotiations. How can there be clarity in relationships if there is poor personal clarity?

Remember the movie "Dirty Harry?" When Clint Eastwood's character, Harry, describes someone as a "legend in their own mind?" It was a funny line in the movie – not so funny in real life. We all know at least one "legend in their own mind" kind of person. They are people who don't know who they are, on any level – even though they think they do.

I have a friend who sees himself as kind, warm, caring, a good listener and particularly skilled at problem solving. He just couldn't understand why he had such poor personal relationships in the software development company where he worked. He was shocked to find out, after going through a personal assessment and 360 assessment process, that others saw him as highly controlling, a poor listener, a person you couldn’t discuss a problem with without his telling you exactly how to fix it, and a very domineering personality. Quite a gap between what he thought others thought of him and what he thought of himself. Did he change to be more like what he thought others saw? Yes and no. What he did do was take the description of how others saw him, share it , and use the knowledge he gained to better understand the effect he had on people – and the effect they had on him. His comfort zone with his friends, co workers and family went up, as did their comfort zone with him – and the differences in perceptions actually became a source of humor in their relationships. His personal power went way up – he took the time and effort to identify his three persons and share that information. People respect that.

The acquisition of the knowledge of who you are and how you impact others is powerful on all levels and in all types of relationships.

So how does one go about getting this priceless information about themselves so they can apply it to their lives, their careers and their interpersonal relationships?

Step One - You gotta want the information and you gotta commit to the time and effort it takes to get it. This sounds so obvious, but for many people self discovery is really scary, or unnecessary – because they believe they already know themselves quite well. (In my experience, the people that are most convinced that they already know themselves are the ones that would benefit the most from knowing more.) The other reason people resist this process is the concern that they will have to change. Change may be an outcome, but the software developer didn't change his behaviors, but broadened his knowledge of himself and shared that with his people.

Step Two – Take an assessment of your Behaviors, Attitudes and Motivators and Personal Skills. Use a highly validated, professionally developed assessment process that can provide you with usable information . Be prepared to be surprised at what the assessment reports tell you about you. For many people, its a real eye opener! Online personality tests are not the answer – they provide the kind of superficial information that doesn't lend itself to gaining real self knowledge.

Step Three – Enlist the help of people you trust in your process of discovery. Consider them your Mastermind group - dedicated to helping you get to know yourself better. Be sure to offer them your help in their own process of discovery. Be sure the people in your group have observed and been engaged with you at work, at play, or at home.

Step Four– Use a qualified professional and a validated 360 degree process to get feedback from your group on who they think you are. This process can be very targeted or very generic – the important thing is that your group provide information that allows you to reach a better understanding of how others see you, and adds to the body of self knowledge gained by taking the assessments.

If the use of a professional and a validated process are outside your means, do this:
- Develop a list of descriptor words or phrases that you feel describe you – no less than ten, no more than twenty – take them from your assessment report.
- Give your group three alternatives in their answers to each descriptor – either Agree, Disagree or Don't Know. Have your group complete it. Use check marks – you want to assure your group that their individual responses can't be traced to them – that guarantees getting better responses. Provide space for your group members to provide additional descriptors of how they see your behavior.
- Review and compile the results. Be prepared to be surprised.

Step Five – Whether using a professional process or a self developed process, review the results with the members of your group. This can be a tough one. It's purpose is to better understand the responses of the group – not to make individuals in the group defend their responses. In analyzing the responses, look for the biggest differences between your three persons – those give you the strongest indications of where you need to seek greater alignment.

Step Six - Set up a Personal Development plan – use the information you've gained to help guide you toward better alignment of your three persons.

At this point, you've come a long way toward creating the kind of personal clarity that leads to greater success. You now have developed priceless information that you can use every day to be more effective in your relationships. It's not easy, but the results, in so many different parts of life, are worth the emotional investment.

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph & Fax: 602-795-4100; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com;Website:www.coxconsultgroup.com; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com

Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved

Grit and Goals - The Cornerstones to Success

In today's environment our definitions of what represents success may have changed, but the personal qualities that create the opportunity for success haven't. And when things are really tough, as they are right now for so many, it's essential to review where we stand with those essential qualities.


A recent Boston Globe article concludes that genius will get you somewhere, but to get to the top you have to have grit. The article goes on to say that recent research indicates old fashioned virtues such as conscientiousness and perseverance are better determinants of success than intelligence.


That conclusion would come as no surprise to Ralph Waldo Emerson, who passed away at the age of 78 on April 27, 1882. In his classic Press On, he said:

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not : Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not: unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

Far be it from me to change what Emerson wrote, but I do believe amending his writing to “focused determination and persistence “ would be an appropriate change – and I think he would agree.

In an article in Business Week, Angela Duckworth, a psychologist at The University of Pennsylvania states that after tracking the careers of her classmates at Harvard, she concluded that the most successful were the ones that identified a goal early on and stuck with it, rather than the equally smart folks that flitted from one thing to another.

Whether its the Boston Globe, Ralph Waldo Emerson or Angela Duckworth, all agree an essential ingredient to success is grit, or call it self discipline, persistence, determination – they are all part of the same thing.

Grit is another way of describing someone who sticks with it, doesn't let obstacles keep them from moving ahead and finishes what they start. It describes someone who focuses on an outcome and strives to meet it – realizing that flexibility is required – knowing that when things don't go well, they can adapt and seek resources to help them press on. In the classic movie True Grit, the title describes the heroine – a young woman who is determined to find and bring to justice the killer of her father. She succeeds – it's not easy and she has help – but she never gives up until he is brought to justice.

And the other cornerstone is goals – goals that concentrate and focus the energy of all that grit, self discipline, determination and persistence rather than letting them diffuse and be lost to too many little things. In todays environment, with so many of those different things demanding attention, goals are a critical element of striving for success.

The importance of having both cornerstones reminds me of the story of the man walking in the woods. A runner passes him going at full speed . After about an hour, the same runner passes the walker again – and this time the walker shouts “ Where are you going?” and the runner shouts back over his shoulder “ I don't know, I'm too busy getting there!”

I suspect many of those people Emerson described – the ones with talent, with education, with genius - failed as much from not being focused on the important few as they did from a lack of determination and persistence.

Without goals, even the most disciplined, energetic person simply can't sustain the focus and drive necessary for success. It's impossible to be single minded and focused without goals. But with goals, grit gets fed and grows. And with grit, goals are met, and then redefined to even higher levels of achievement.

A friend of mine was told by his boss that there was such a thing as being too smart, too talented, too educated. He said that happened when those qualities resulted in straying from the few most important things. The boss agreed that Google can be great – Wikipedia can be great – but they can lead the curious astray, and take energy and time from the most important things. That boss said the remedy to that temptation was to stay focused on goals – written goals - every day. He advised my friend to not confuse the attainment of knowledge with the attainment of goals. That boss was right.

Now's the time to take a look at your own cornerstones. Circumstances and changes in conditions can erode any foundation. Give yourself a test. Ask yourself what are the three most important goals in your life. Ask what are the three most important goals you have to meet this quarter, this month this week. Then ask if those short term goals support your three most important long term goals. Your answers - or the lack of them - will tell you what to do – and what you need to do to build an even stronger set of cornerstones for future success.

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph & Fax: 602-795-4100; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com;Website:www.coxconsultgroup.com; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com

Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved

Health Care and Knowing When To Hold and When To Fold

When Kenny Rogers sang the “The Gambler,” the lyrics “ you gotta know when to hold them, know when to fold them, know when to walk away, when to run” - provided advice to live by and succeed – at all levels. So what's that got to do with Health Care?

I don't know about you, but Nancy Pelosi promising to have a health care bill out of the House before the August recess does not give me a warm feeling. Like you, I've watched this process – if that's what it can be called, weave around like a drunken sailor, and bounce off one wall after another. Is it supposed to cut costs, or provide care to the 47 million that someone somewhere claims don't have insurance, even though 50% of that group are estimated to be eligible for insurance that already exists? And another 30% are estimated to be illegal immigrants that shouldn't be entitled to health insurance in the first place? I'll bet a large percentage of the already eligible but not enrolled are the same people that never used those $40 vouchers to buy the boxes they needed to see TV after the changeover to digital. I – like most Americans – don't mind being my brothers keeper – but that brother better get off the deck and help himself from time to time.

Democracy is a messy business – by anyone's measure. Where else could the vast resources of the legislative and executive branches expend so much effort, and do it so poorly, as they have in this health care change situation? It was gonna be a tough thing to do under any circumstance, because this change will affect all those taxpayers out there that actually pay taxes and vote. And most of them seem to feel reasonably satisfied with their health care coverage. And with the way this change process has been going, the status quo looks pretty damned good. Even if all of those 47 million are counted – and they shouldn't be, that means roughly 14% of the population is the center of whatever we're trying to accomplish. If your odds were only 14% in any card game, it's time to fold – it's time to run away. But no, another iteration of this incredibly complicated bill – with large parts of it so complex that they will never see the light of day, is being worked on in committee to come up with a winnable bill.

Winnable for whom? Answer: The Congress – specifically the President and the Democrats – certainly not for the country. The latest piece of news I've heard is the possibility of a five person executive council – read “Czars” - that will oversee and make the decisions that will keep the plan revenue neutral and “fair” (God, how that word scares me) for all. What a frightening thought! But the people so wrapped up in their own underwear – so dedicated to passing a bill – just dig in deeper and deeper – and leave logic and common sense ever further behind them.

It's time to hold – it's time to fold – it's time to turn away – it's time to run.

Congress - take a recess, take a deep breath, talk to the people that will be affected by whatever is passed, then come back and try again. Throw the 1100 pages plus 300 plus amendment pages in the trash – there's been so much back room dealing to gain votes that no one trusts what's in them anyway. When the devil is in the details, and no one can explain or even foresee the consequences, risk is too high. The status quo is so much more to be preferred.

The lessons for us mortals to gain from the health care mess are pretty straight forward:

● When something that started out with good intentions becomes so complicated that no one can understand it, or explain how it will meet its stated intentions, it's time to get back to the drawing board.

● When the responses to the plan keep pushing back and the response to the push back becomes ever more complicated, it's time to fold. Its time to go back to the drawing board and start by reexamining those intentions.

● When other circumstances overwhelm the importance of intentions – like the recession - its time to hold, and prepare for the time when progress can be made.

● And, if the best laid plans require misrepresentation and, at best, half truths to pass inspection, its time to turn away, and run.

Now let's all learn from what's going on, and let's tell our elected officials that knowing when to hold, when to fold, when to turn away, and when to run are all parts of showing integrity and leadership. They're absolutely essential to our success - at every level.

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph & Fax: 602-795-4100; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com;Website:www.coxconsultgroup.com; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com

Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved

How To Increase Employee Commitment and Engagement

Never has a high level of commitment and engagement been needed more than right now. With the dislocations, uncertainties and bad economic news of the day, and the lowering of expectations, keeping a high level of engagement and commitment requires a conscious effort on the part of organizations.

In a report by Modern Survey on the results of their most recent Employment Engagement Index of the Finance Industry, they found that in mid 2008 23% of the employees surveyed were disengaged and 13% fully engaged. By May 2009 those numbers had changed to 11% disengaged and 16% fully engaged. Their studies conclude that highly engaged employees outperform the disengaged by 20 to 28%. Their research also shows that few companies really work at engaging their employees.

While the changes from 2008 to 2009 are encouraging, they still show the great majority of employees are either disengaged or only partially engaged. That's scary.

What are the costs of disengagement? Let's say a person spends an hour a day at work disengaging - doing non work activities – surfing the net, calls to friends, looking for another job. Based on a 22 day work month, that's 22 hours per month – almost 3 workdays - 13% of work time - with full pay and benefits, and no return. That should be unacceptable – but it's amazing how many organizations put up with it.

One thing is certain - the organizations that actively work to keep commitment and engagement at a high level will survive and prosper. It's a challenge – it's hard work – but the cost of disengagement is so great, and the value of full engagement is so high, it's worth striving for.

In working with a wide variety of organizations and observing what organizations do to engage their people, a number of behaviors and characteristics stand out. Behaviors and characteristics that are found regardless of the industry, the economy, profit or non profit, charitable or entrepreneurial. The following eleven are core to success in engaging and gaining commitment in the organizations we have worked with.

1 - They are seen as worthy enterprises – people are proud to be part of them – mission statements accurately express what they are about.

2 - They work hard to get the right people in the right jobs, and then work hard to help them succeed.

3 - They are demanding, challenging places to work, but rewarding for those who contribute and meet their goals.

4 - They know that to get commitment they must give commitment – and they show it through actions.

5 - They create, communicate, share and align goals throughout their organizations.

6 - They share information – the good, the bad and the ugly, and tell the truth as fast as they can.

7 - They work hard to see that equity in the way people are treated is maintained – in terms of pay, opportunity and development.

8 - They provide group and individual recognition for the value of all the work done - and make that recognition ongoing.

9 - They maintain a system of due process – a well known, effective and respected way of dealing with workplace issues.

10 - They realize that commitment and engagement are dynamic. Forces such as competition, new technology, changes in leaders and in pay and benefit systems – to name a few - impact the level of commitment and engagement. But they don't let those forces impact the maintenance of the characteristics required to maintain high commitment and engagement.

11 - They weave these characteristics into their day to day work and behavior – they are part of how they do their business – they are not treated as exceptions – they don't require the “behavior police” to keep them operating.

There is nothing soft or easy or blue sky about these behaviors and characteristics – they're tough. But the payback is huge. Think of engaging just one disengaged hour a day – and what the resulting 10% increase in productive time can mean to a business.

So what to do if these eleven characteristics and behaviors appear to exist – at least on paper - but there are still high levels of disengagement – with symptoms ranging from low productivity to customer commitments not being met, to union organizing attempts? Most often the answer is that there is a disconnect between intent and practice. The organization wants these characteristics to be part of the way things are done, but, in fact, the translation of intent into practice results in something very different at the operating level. Every time that happens, opportunities for commitment and engagement are lost – often replaced by a cynicism that becomes harder and harder to deal with.

To guard against those lost opportunities, many organizations use periodic surveys of employees to get a measure of how closely intent has been turned into practice. The first time many of these surveys are done the reaction from the leadership at the results is one of surprise at how different the perceptions of their people can be from what the leaders had intended. But by identifying the disconnects and taking action, organizations can preserve the high level of engagement they have worked so hard to get.

Use the eleven behaviors and characteristics as a checklist – add to them to reflect cultural differences from one organization to another. Then use surveys as a reality check of where your organization stands. Be prepared to be surprised at the results – and be prepared to take action where issues are identified. These steps to committing to greater engagement will help your organization gain competitive advantage through greater employee engagement.

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph & Fax: 602-795-4100; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com;Website:www.coxconsultgroup.com; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com

Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved

The Biggest Challenge To The Obama Administration

The four stages of change –“Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing,” represent the biggest challenge to the Obama Administration. The four stages are always part of any change process – regardless of scale, complexity, or any other factors. In the case of the Obama Administration - still in Stage One - the most challenging stages, where effective leadership is most critical - are yet to come.

Stage One – Forming - is where excitement, optimism, enthusiasm, expectations, energy and conviction are the highest they will ever be. This is the stage where everything is seen as a possibility. It's the stage where concepts, convictions, ideas and philosophies are transformed into plans of action. There aren't too many boundaries around the Stage of Forming. Dreams and hopes and visions all contribute to the goals and aspirations in this Stage. The higher the expectations, the more energy and commitment can be sustained and momentum generated – but with the risk that the fall in Stage Two will be harder than if expectations are based on reality, and not on ideals. Think post election and all the initiatives that have been introduced in the first six months of the Obama Administration. Think “a crisis too good to waste.”

In Stage Two - Storming – reality starts to set in. Reality in the form of scarce resources, differing opinions, unforeseen changes in circumstances, and a host of other things that keep those goals set with such high expectations in Stage One from happening – or at least not happening on the overly optimistic schedule set during Forming. This is the most dangerous stage in the four stage process. More changes lose their way and fail as a result of frustration from unrealized expectations than any single other cause. This is where frustration sets in, idealists desert the ship when they see their interests not being met to their satisfaction. Think “ How are we going to pay for this?” Or “Is this really necessary?” Or “We're trying to do too much too soon!” Or “This isn't what I expected or signed up for!” This Stage is starting to develop – and it is the single biggest obstacle – and opportunity – for the Obama Administration.

Stage Three – Norming – is that stage where the lessons of Stages One and Two are used to create a more realistic, attainable program of change. A lot of goals and initiatives never reach this Stage – they die in Stage Two of anger, suspicion, frustration and the very weight of their expectations. The goals that do survive to be reset in this Stage have the benefit of real world experience - of striving for more but coming up short. But rather than abandon the goal, new norms of what represents success, and new norms of performance are established. Success in change depends on strong, practical leadership that can effectively channel the intention, the commitment, the experience and the frustration into an objective, proactive force to see new ways of looking at how to meet the goals for the enterprise – in this case the enterprise is the nation. The Obama Administration isn't here yet.

Stage Four – Performing – is the Stage where success becomes evident – where all the expectations and intentions of Forming, all the trials and tribulations of Storming, and the give and take of Norming, result in the alignment of available resources to achieve attainable goals. The changes that get achieved may be far different from what was started with in Stage One. I truly hope, for the nations sake, we can get there on the truly important priorities - but there are so many expectations, so many promises to so many interest groups, and so many circumstances that will work against the expectations of Stage One.

Let's hope the messy art of politics - which is subject to the same four stages of change as any other segment of our society - can deal with the storm of Stage Two, and create from it a realistic set of initiatives that will keep our nation moving in a positive direction. Certainly, the expectations of Stage One cannot be sustained. And at some point that fact has to be made clear to the country. “Yes we can” is very different from “Yes we will.”

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph: 602-795-4100; Fax: 602-795-4800; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com;Website:www.coxconsultgroup.com; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com

Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved

Muddling Through As a Success Strategy

Have you ever noticed how some people just seem to work their way through some of the most difficult situations, and come out the other side successfully? When asked, these people usually give some “ Aw Shucks” kind of answer, and move on to the next thing. Those people know how to muddle – in the best of ways.

I'm not talking about muddling as a way of preparing a cocktail, or as a negative description of someone confused and without a clue, but as a way of moving through unfamiliar, confusing and ambiguous situations and having the action of muddling lead to successful conclusions.

I watched a tree trimmer work on a very overgrown and damaged tree. His work consisted of pruning a little and stepping back a lot. When asked how he approached this task, he stated that he always started with the end in mind - in this case he wanted to make the tree look good, but more importantly, he wanted to improve its ability to survive and prosper. How did he do that? He said he just stepped into the tree and started taking out branches and growth that he knew wouldn't contribute to his goals. Then he would step back and look carefully at what he had done as a guide to what he had to do next. As he stayed focused on what he was doing, the decisions as to which limbs to prune became clearer and clearer, until he had completed his work and he could feel satisfied that he had met his goals. I call it effective muddling – letting your actions develop the solution.

I like to tie flies for fly fishing. For a long time I was intimidated by the perfection of the work of others. It kept me from tying flies – at least until I felt satisfied that I had acquired all the possible knowledge needed to tie a pattern. I've found that over the years I've developed a pretty good body of knowledge about how to tie most patterns. But more importantly, I've found just diving in and having Eureka! moments as I developed new understandings, skills, and knowledge is so much more fun than trying to do everything right the first time. I've learned to relax and let my muddling do the teaching for me.

Let's face it – telling your boss that you're muddling through as a means of finding a solution or meeting a goal is probably not the brightest thing one can do. But that's the way countless problems and issues and conditions are wrestled to the ground every day. Successful muddlers know you gotta get into the problem to see what it's all about. And the best way to do that is to stick your nose in and go for it. It may be that things become more confusing before they become clearer. But every act results in increased knowledge.

Brainstorming and “Ready, Fire, Aim” are two successful muddling techniques - and ones that sound impressive to a boss. Planning and goals are very important parts of success, but that first step into the unknown, having the courage to take that step, is just as important. And to do it without a clear plan – whatever that means, or without clear goals, is the mark of a successful muddler. A “just do it” person. That's what Thomas Edison meant when he remarked that each failure to invent the light bulb brought him closer to success. Without muddling through, Edison would not have given himself the opportunity to fail as a means of learning

Many people refer to muddling as a process – it is – but attaching that description to it kinda takes away from the fun of it. Muddling is as much art and attitude as it is process. So the next time you're faced with a situation and you don't know where to begin, give yourself permission to muddle – and watch the solution form from the actions that you take. That's what successful people do more often than not.

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph& Fax: 602-795-4100; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com;Website:www.coxconsultgroup.com; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com

Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved

Make Real Choice The Basis For Success In Hiring The Right People

Act in haste and repent at your leisure. Who of us hasn't at some time acted in haste and later regretted a hasty decision? I suspect we all have done that. Lots of little decisions can be made quickly based on personal experience, intuition, biases, and our body of knowledge without much damage being done. But when it comes to hiring the right people for the right job, acting in haste will have long term negative consequences.

To make real, considered, job focused choice the basis for hiring the right people three Elements need to be in place.

1 – Start with a written blueprint of the position. Not just a Job Description, although that's an important part of the blueprint. I mean a profile of the job and what attributes and qualities are needed for success. And a written statement of the top 3 to 5 accountabilities of the job is a must, as is the participation and buy in of the stakeholders to the development of the profile of key accountabilities, attributes and qualities.
2 – An active recruiting campaign to provide choice in the form of vetted candidates that meet the “Must Have” requirements developed in Element 1.
3 – A process for selection that relies on the skill, experience and a shared understanding of what's needed for the job on the part of a selection team using tools and techniques that help select the right people for the right jobs.

These three elements create the space for choice to work and guard against the kind of snap decisions based on biases and emotions that often lead to failure.

The following is a real world hire decision that illustrates the negative consequences of acting in haste.

A newly hired Division President needed a General Manager for one of the five operating units reporting to him. He filled the position very quickly. He selected a transfer from another division of his new employer who had been mentioned as a candidate by a corporate HR person. The basis for the HR recommendation was the candidate having asked what it took to get promoted. The President was impressed with the way the candidate arranged his transport to the interview – all the way from Hartford CT to Boston MA, his fast walking and fast talking, and his immediate availability. On that basis the President hired him. For the candidate it was a big promotion into a troubled business that needed technical and leadership expertise if it was to survive. Contacts in the division he had come from were mystified at his promotion. He was described as a “dud.” He lasted two years, never relocated to Boston, and finally resigned just before he was going to be fired. The damage he and his boss did resulted in the operation being consolidated with another operation in a western state, and over 200 employees in Boston losing their jobs.

This new President had a pressing need, he had very little knowledge of the organization, and he had no developed contacts or processes within his new corporation to help him vet candidates. He also had as a model a former boss who routinely made snap hire decisions and then fired people as soon as it became apparent he had made a mistake. Absent any other information, this new President assumed that behavior was the way to do things.

The three Elements – a job blueprint, a recruiting campaign, and a selection process can create choice and protect from the kind of snap decision this President made. When it's tempting to act in haste, the three elements can be a real aid to creating space for a reality check – and providing the tools for real choice.

It's surprising how often hiring decisions are made in haste based on pressing needs and biases that have nothing to do with success in the job. Inventory your own choices in selecting the right people, and then use the three Elements to improve your success in selecting the right people for the right jobs.

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph & Fax: 602-795-4100;E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com;Website:www.coxconsultgroup.com; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com

Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved

Finding The Right People Now Is Tougher - The Key To Success Is Preparation

Employers say that finding the right people has always been a challenge. But high unemployment has made it even tougher. That doesn't seem to make sense. But our clients place as much if not more emphasis on preparation for recruiting and selection of critical positions in high unemployment markets as in tight labor markets.

Careful preparation is necessary to overcome certain beliefs and behaviors that always seem to show up at times of high unemployment. The behaviors and beliefs our clients cite most frequently as needing to be overcome by careful preparation are the following:

The belief that critical positions should be easier to fill in this economy. With so many people out of work, shouldn't it be easier and quicker to hire the right person for the right job? That expectation and the pressure it places on recruiters and hiring managers can result in taking short cuts in the selection process.

The high number of applicants has made it harder to separate the qualified from the not qualified. It's not uncommon to get 500 resumes or on line applications for a position that, a few years ago, may have seen one or two qualified applicants.

The high volume of job applicants hasn't changed the fact that at least 90% of them will continue to be unqualified for specific positions. Except now it can take a lot longer to sort that out, and the exposure to lawsuits based on discrimination in hiring increases. With so many applicants, the number of discrimination and bias complaints has grown.

There's a real temptation to hire “overqualified” people for jobs – opening the possibility of higher turnover as soon as the job market for their particular qualifications improves.

It's tempting to “raise the bar” for applicants in high unemployment markets. As a conscious choice in a strategy to upgrade a workforce, it may be OK. As a choice based on the assumption that more people, and, therefore, better people are available, it's not so good.

It's easier in today's market for hiring managers to take the “throw them up against the wall and see who sticks” approach to selection. It's a lazy approach to hiring, and speaks poorly of the organization that allows it.

Many of the unemployed got that way by being “cherry picked” by their previous employer. Problems of behavior, performance and other issues that were allowed to fester in good times become the reason for laying them off in bad times. Those issues often carry over to a new employer – and reference checks rarely uncover the real reason for their being laid off or terminated. Prepare to do the digging yourself.

The “cast a wide net” theory of recruiting is hard to resist. With so many people out there, why not throw out the biggest net and get the most applicants and then sort them out? The assumption that a larger applicant pool will somehow result in better selection is false. The large applicant pool is not nearly as valuable as one right person for the job.

It's human nature to see people from the outside as better possibilities than people from the inside – there are no warts on the outside applicant – yet. The temptation to take a chance on hitting a home run with a new hire rather than promote from within is greater in a high unemployment market. The results can be lower morale and commitment and a loss of trust. It's tempting to take the existing employees for granted in high unemployment. After all, with few jobs available, they'll sit tight, won't they?

With so many applicants, it's tempting to not do the homework before recruiting. But lack of preparation slows down the process. Good people don't last long, even in a high unemployment market. Without the confidence of knowing what the right person will bring to the table, it's likely that decision making will be slow – and that right person ends up going somewhere else.

To manage these behaviors and beliefs, and at least a few of them exist in every organization, the key is good preparation.

Here are six elements of good preparation that create the benchmarks of the job – not the candidate - that are key to success in selection.

1 - A written job description covering the who, what, where, when, how and why of the job is critical – not just some boilerplate piece that hasn't been updated for years, but an up to date description that can be shared with all those involved in the selection process – from recruiters to interviewers to applicants.

2 – Separate from that description, but even more critical is a statement of the top 3 to 5 Key Accountabilities for the position. What are the things that this job will contribute, and how will performance be measured? It's amazing how often this key step in preparation uncovers substantial disagreements between stakeholders. Without agreement and alignment on these KA's, how can a selection team possibly make the best decision on candidates?

3 – The stakeholders and those with significant knowledge of the position need to be part of the job description and Key Accountabilities discussions and development. Don't expect a staff person with no real skin in the game to be able to give the same depth of input as a hiring manager or a person who was successful in the position or a person who will depend on the position to support their own.

4 – A profile/benchmark of qualifications including education, experience, industry knowledge, specific skills and other relevant hard data needed for success is developed. This is critical to avoid letting particularly attractive candidates - for reasons other than criteria critical to the position - introduce irrelevant criteria into the process. At this point focus needs to be on the job – not the applicant.

5 – A profile/benchmark of the Behaviors, Attitudes and Motivators, and the Personal Skills critical to the job is developed by the same stakeholders that developed the Job Description and the Profile of qualifications. The best way to accomplish this is to have the stakeholders use the same assessments that will be administered to candidates of interest.

6 – The selection team is briefed on their roles in evaluating candidates, and are given training in the interview and evaluation of candidates.

Once these six steps are taken, attention can be focused on candidates. The focus on the candidates is in the context of a well developed and communicated understanding of what the job needs.

The more critical the job, the more critical preparation becomes. What it does is ensure the investment of time, effort and money spent on acquiring the right talent in the right job is maximized. The proof of the effectiveness of this kind of focused effort in selecting talent is seen in lower turnover, more successful hires and promotions and transfers, and a reduction in the costs associated with selection. An added benefit of this approach is in the acceptance of the person selected. When people in an organization see careful attention being spent on decisions that will directly affect them - in terms of new bosses, new peers and new support talent - they know they are part of a special place, with special people. There is a lot of pride and commitment in knowing that.

Take inventory of how the high unemployment labor market may have influenced the behaviors and attitudes toward selection in your organization. Then compare your preparation steps with the six steps described in this article. Then decide the best way you can use preparation to gain a competitive advantage in the selection of talent for your organization.

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph & Fax: 602-795-4100; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com;Website:www.coxconsultgroup.com; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com

Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved

What To Do When Where You Are Is Not Where You Want To Be

One of the most limiting things we can tell ourselves is that what we are doing and where we are is not where we thought we would be or where we want to be. Lots of people feel that way right now. With all the changes that have happened over the past few years, many people have seen their worlds turned upside down. They have seen their assumptions disappear. They aren't where they thought they would be – and they have a real problem adapting to the realities of their situations.

It happens to all of us at some time – the feeling that where we are isn't where we want to be, or where we deserve to be, or where we planned to be - in work, relationships, emotions, career. And when that feeling occurs, it's really tempting to give in and feel like a victim. Feeling out of control, blaming causes outside ourselves, feeling tempted to give up and give in and blame all the forces that have conspired against us. To do that is fatal. Once the victim disease sets in its hard to see opportunities, even if they're right in front of us.

Our daughter told me a story about the person their pest service sent for a service call. She started to describe the problem she was having with ants. The pest “expert” told her he was just doing this job to pay the bills, that as soon as something better opened up, he would be doing a higher level, more prestigious job than just spraying for ants! I suspect he wanted our daughter to know that he was “better” than the job he was doing. She didn't care – all she wanted was an expert to help with the ant problem.

I met two investment bankers in Miami recently. Both work for a small firm. We got to talking about the impact of the recession on their business. They both admitted business was tough. They observed that many of the people laid off from the large investment firms were simply not equipped to work in smaller firms. They had become used to generous pay, lots of resources and the prestige of being highly educated members of a worldwide firm – work had flowed to them. They didn't have to go looking for it. But in small firms you gotta beat the bushes. Having to pick up the phone and ask for business was not where they wanted to be – and many of the ones that found themselves in that situation hadn't survived. They weren't where they thought they should be – and either wouldn't or couldn't adapt.

Many of the companies I work with are small to medium sized enterprises – anywhere from ten people to twenty five hundred. Most have small support staffs and expect a high level of self reliance and resourcefulness from their people. Most of their experience with executive level hires that have come directly from large companies has not been good. Most of those hires carry a load of assumptions about what they should have to do and what levels of support should be available to them. They are almost always disappointed and frustrated with what they find. The succesful ones adapt. The others fight the situation, try to change it to meet their expectations based on their past experience – with the result that they just survive or get fired. They weren't where they thought they should be. Many of those who failed in their first job after being in a big company learn the lesson, adapt their expectations and perceptions, and succeed using the lessons they learned. Those are the people to recruit.

Here are seven strategies to use when you feel you aren't where you want to be. These are strategies to guard against falling into the the victim trap – or getting yourself out of the one you may be in.

Make Choices - Realize that while you may not be able to control the circumstances that put you where you are, you have complete control over how you respond to them. The key word is choice. A scary word for about 70% of the population. Choice is that space between stimulus and response. Sometimes that space is small – sometimes it's large. It's there for everybody – all the time – even if it doesn't seem to be. That pest “expert” had a choice – and lots of space - to choose how to describe the work he was doing. The choice he made was a negative one. It did not serve him well. Think about how he could have made it positive.

Determine to Adapt – One of the most powerful Personal Skills any person can have is to adapt positively to the situation they find themselves in. Observing and analyzing the situation, then making a conscious decision on how to best succeed – or survive - without compromising basic values is a behavior of the successful. The investment bankers that can see their world as bigger than any one employer, and change to meet different situations, are better equipped for so many more future opportunities than if they had continued to insist on finding work as they had known it. It makes little sense to mourn what no longer exists – adapt.

Create and Review Expectations – Expectations must be reviewed and analyzed and conscious decisions made about them. It's important to accept that expectations need to change to meet changing circumstances. It's also important to realize that expectations that are always too high to be met can drain enthusiasm, energy and self worth. You can keep them as ideals, but don't make ideals into expectations. Think about it – waking up every day and failing to meet your own expectations. Even the most optimistic soul would wilt under those circumstances It's important to realize that expectation are influenced by circumstances – often. We're taught from an early age that we can do whatever we set our minds to do. But when a high school dropout tells me he wants to be a doctor I may suggest he start by striving to get his GED and become an Army medic. There are always new stretch expectations that can be created.

Resolve To Act - No single thing can overcome that feeling of being a victim more than acting. What actions are taken are really less important than just getting out there – whatever that means – and doing something. The Nike Just Do It ads have been so successful because they are simple, they are direct. They mean whatever you want them to mean, and they require Just Doing It. Right now, write down ten things you can do to better your situation, bring you closer to your expectations, overcome the victim disease. Don't just think about ten things – write them down – do them – celebrate the action. And avoid the trap of being busy but not effective. Steven Pressfield, in his book ”The Art of War” suggests you ask yourself one question if in doubt about the effectiveness of what you are doing. The question is “ If you were the only person left in the world, would you continue to do what you are doing right now?” Tough question.

Never, Never, Never Give Up. - Realize there is a real nobility in working to pay the bills, to honor commitments, to feed a family, to survive so you can greet another day with the possibility of success. Never apologize for the work. And realize and guard against giving up. Oftentimes giving up doesn't happen all at once, it can be sneaky. Cormac McCarthy wrote a line in his book “The Road,” about a man and his son, trying to reach the East Coast after a nuclear holocaust, facing untold difficulties. The father at one point turns to his son and says ” When your dreams are of a world that never was or of a world that never will be, and you are happy again, you will have given up.” Hope is critical, dreams are a must, but they need to translate into effective action in today. Make sure the actions you take are important and contribute to your expectations. They can carry you through the roughest of patches.

Develop Observation Skills – See the world around you as it is – not as you wish it would be – or as you dream it could be – or as it used to be. Hard eyed realism is an invaluable tool to moving forward, creating realistic expectations and using today in the best way possible.

Dwell In Possibilities – Stephan Schiffman, in his book “Make It Happen Before Lunch” offers the advice to “dwell in possibility – there is always a door somewhere waiting to be opened.” Possibility thinking leads to opportunities in places you may never have dreamed of.

Use these strategies to help overcome so much of the negative emotions and feelings of powerlessness that the steady barrage of bad news provides us with every day. At the same time, adopting the seven strategies will set the stage for the success that is sure to come to those who stay focused on it – and realize that success may be found in places far away from where you are now - what an exciting thought!

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph& Fax: 602-795-4100; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com;Website:www.coxconsultgroup.com; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com

Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved

Place High Value On The Small Stuff - It's Key To Success

Small stuff needs to be celebrated. How often have you been to a meeting, been involved in a project, attended a convention or a gathering where things clicked – where it became apparent that there had been a great deal of planning and attention to detail – and the overall effect was terrific. The small stuff got the attention it needed to ensure success.

Think about kaizen – the Japanese philosophy of “continuous improvement.” It has had a huge positive impact on productivity and profitability – but it depends on a lot of what some would call “small stuff” for its success.

As a point of information, “small stuff” was originally a nautical term used to describe cordage – usually of less than an inch in diameter – the small stuff as opposed to the larger diameter rope used as standing and running rigging, and mooring and anchor and towing ropes. It didn't mean small stuff was unimportant – small diameter rope has a thousand critical and decorative uses aboard every boat and ship.

The problem with the term “small stuff” is that it sounds so dismissive, as if whatever has earned that description doesn't really matter. And the problem is that it does matter – a lot - and dismissing it can have a negative effect on outcomes.

Outside the nautical world, small stuff isn't that easy to define. One person's small stuff is big stuff to someone else.

I worked with a manufacturing firm – 1000 employees and about $100 million in annual sales - that was looking for savings from operations to help boost profit without capital investment. Project teams were established and tasked with finding real dollar savings within the operation – savings that could be sustained and would have a positive impact on the business. At the first status meeting to review progress, the teams were excited about providing feedback on their results. The first team presented its first finding – a reduction in cost of $25,000 that could be implemented quickly and with no capital investment. The CFO, who was new to the organization and its culture, made it very clear that he considered $25,000 “small stuff” - he was looking for the really “big dog” savings. The effect of his response was to take all the air out of the teams – the savings the teams had identified were all of a similar size, and after his reaction they backed away from presenting them. They didn't want to be embarrassed or dismissed for their lack of scale. In fact the teams had identified an aggregate of $500,000 in savings that could be achieved. quickly and with little out of pocket cost. While the CFO kept looking for the big dogs, the little dogs didn't get done.

Nobody likes being told that what they have accomplished is “small stuff.” Dismissive words or gestures that challenge the value and importance of work are extraordinarily destructive.

The CFO in this situation realized his mistake and adjusted his own approach to fit the culture he found himself in. He experienced a valuable lesson from his first reaction – a reaction of disappointment. But he recovered, inventoried his own beliefs, adapted to the beliefs of his new organization, and got back on track .

It took awhile, but the project teams recovered their commitment and pressed on and the cost savings actions were accomplished. They were a major contributor to the success of the business.

The CFO found out that successful organizations, like the one he was now with, have a number of shared beliefs that result in the commitment and engagement of their people. Here are four of the top beliefs:

1 - They believe all work being done is necessary and important to the success of the enterprise – there is no “small stuff” in the negative sense.
2 - They believe goals are the linkage that binds work together and aligns it with the important few objectives of the enterprise
3 - They believe clearly stated goals provide the direction needed for the most important work to be done first
4 - They believe goals provide the structure for people to know they are part of a worthy enterprise; that they are contributing to the enterprise; and that they can receive recognition through goal accomplishment.

To increase your own engagement and commitment, and that of the people you work with, take inventory of your own beliefs and behaviors and those of your organization. Compare them to the four beliefs listed. If you hear “small stuff” in your vocabulary or the vocabulary of others, make sure its used as a positive descriptor. Then celebrate and recognize those positive "small stuff" contributions. It may not seem like a big shift, but big shifts – of all kinds – come from the cumulative effect of small shifts – what some may call “small stuff.” That's how positive, effective, long lasting change occurs.

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph & Fax: 602-795-4100; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com;Website:www.coxconsultgroup.com; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com

Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved

The Hypocrisy of the Torture Policy

This post doesn't have much to do with Multiply Your Success, but I just had to write it.

I've just gotta get this off my chest. I've just gotta write my feelings about the current torture debate and another formerly high profile issue, and the hypocrisy I see between the administration's stand on the two.

Like so many others, I've been watching the development of the “torture” debate. I have my own feelings about what represents torture and when it's appropriate, but the position of the administration on torture versus its stand on late term abortion strikes me as so contradictory – so hypocritical.

On the one hand our leaders are telling us we must be true to our moral values and not use torture as a means of gaining intelligence and information that may be critical to our national security. And we are told there can be no exceptions to this policy. We are told there are better ways – or different ways to get that information – although what those ways may be remains a mystery. We are told that the use of torture cheapens our moral values and exposes us to disapproval throughout the rest of the world.

The administration has gone so far as to release highly classified documents that detail the debate and the techniques defined by the previous administration. They have released information that effectively “outs” some CIA operatives involved in the alleged torture – who were simply obeying orders. Wasn't the Valerie Plame affair about outing an agent? No outrage this time, since it is the current administration that did the outing – on TV. But I digress – an issue for another time.

And while this debate goes on an abortion doctor from Kansas, who donated to the campaign coffers of our new Secretary of Health and Human Services – continues to perform late term abortions for $5000 a life. Our President, by his silence, his legislative history and his selection for Secretary for HHS, condones this infanticide. Where is the concern for the coarsening of our moral values caused by the obscene use of late term abortion?

So let me get this straight. We should all be outraged over the aggressive interrogation techniques used to extract valuable intelligence and information from three enemies of our country – men who had a track record of doing harm to us. Interrogation techniques that were attended to by doctors and lawyers to see that the guidelines set after 9/11 were followed and the lives of the three were not threatened. Techniques that left the the three with no scars, impairments or long term effects.

But at the same time that we should be outraged and swear never to use these non fatal practices ever again, we should stand by and know that, for $5000, a viable fetus – a living child – can be destroyed by an abortion clinic doctor and his staff. And if the baby survives the barbarous methods of late term abortion used to extract it from its host – I can't bring myself to call the person who is having this procedure a mother - that sturdy little life is left to die. No lawyers or doctors or thoroughly vetted procedures attend to this little piece of life. And we shouldn't be affected by this practice – a practice being performed – not in some backward part of the world – but throughout this nation – this nation of laws and of deep concern for its moral values and the potential coarsening of those values?

Mr President – you've got your stands on these two issues backwards.

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph & Fax: 602-795-4100; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com;Website:www.coxconsultgroup.com; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com

Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved

Two Key Elements In Achieving Success

Peter Drucker and Jack Welch, two experts in anyone's list of experts, have identified many key elements leading to personal success. The following two are so fundamental and critical, but often get pushed aside in favor of the “silver bullet of the month” element. They bear repeating.

Drucker said there is nothing as worthless as doing well something that doesn't need to be done at all.

Jack and Suzy Welch, in their weekly “The Welchway” column in Business Week, advised a questioner seeking career advice – a self described introvert - to find and release his inner extrovert if he wanted greater success in a large organization. Relationships count, and being known and having your value known is a personal responsibility – so adapt.

What do the Peter Drucker statement and the Jack and Suzy Welch advice have in common? They deal with two key elements required to achieve success

Key Element One – You've got to be doing work that others see as valuable and it's up to you to advertise it's value.

And the valuing of the work starts with the person doing it. If they don't see its value, you can be sure others won't either. It's the difference between being “just the receptionist” and being “ the first person people meet when they come to my company.” It's the difference between being a “retail clerk” and an “expert on men's fashions.”

The burden of establishing the value of the work belongs to the person doing the work - they're the person most affected by the perception of the value of what they do. It's in their best interest to advertise and promote what they're doing as worthy and valuable to the enterprise. In many organizations, expecting that your work will speak for itself results in disappointment and frustration. When there are so many others speaking out for their work you gotta stand up for what you do.

Ask yourself - Can you, in thirty seconds, explain what you do and its value to your organization? Not being able to do that effectively creates the perception of low value. The story of the three bricklayers illustrates that point. The first, when asked what he does, said “ I lay brick.” The second said “I'm helping build a school.” The third said “I'm contributing to the building of a place where children in our community will learn – a special place.” Same job, same outcome, same pay - three very different pictures of value added. Which of the three would you rather have working for and with you?

A story about how to keep value and accomplishment a secret:

A good friend was in a new position promoting a new enterprise that was going to open its doors in about a year. Her job was to promote and develop interest and commitment in this new enterprise in its target market. She started from scratch, with very little to work with other than her knowledge and presentation and relationship skills. The results of her efforts would not really be apparent until the enterprise opened. She did an excellent job of promotion – outside her organization. Inside her organization – not so much. She was working independent of any direct supervision. She was advised to develop a regularly published report – weekly preferred, at the least monthly - to communicate her activities and accomplishments. She thought that was too much like self promotion, and, besides, she didn't like doing that kind of work. So her bosses really had only anecdotal information on which to judge her effectiveness. Had she put together a routine of reporting and creating a vision of what she was doing, she would have been seen as the highly effective, valuable and successful person she was. But no one was in a position to see her success. She was lucky she had a patient boss – and an excellent track record - many others aren't so lucky.

Key Element Two– Know who you are - your unique blend of skills, motivators and behaviors. Not just who you think you are, but how you are perceived by others. Then get to know your organization's expectations and culture. Then adapt to meet the needs of your organization - you must accept the responsibility of matching up with the requirements of the work and of the culture.

Sounds like a nobrainer. But many a can't - miss prospect, a big success in one situation, ends up not succeeding in what looks like a similar situation. The cause?

It starts with making the assumption that what worked at one place will work at another - that the motivators, values, behaviors and personal skills brought to the job match the requirements of the new enterprise. It's amazing how often they don't. It's also amazing how out of touch people can be with the reality of their personal skills, motivators and behaviors.

An example:
A manager whose experiences and values have resulted in her being very successful as a planner and preparer. She now works in a mid size company where speed to market is an absolute value. She insists that everything be planned and prepared so that chances of 100% success at implementation are as high as possible. No ready, fire aim for her. She's convinced of the rightness of her ways. Chances of success in that environment unless she adapts her values and behaviors – very low.

To put these two key success elements to work for you, take Drucker's observation to heart and make sure you do work valued by both you and your organization. And, of course, do it well. And take Jack and Suzy Welch's advice to heart and get to know the culture of the organization and how you fit in it and adapt to make sure your work is valued by others – self promotion is a valuable personal skill. It's an outcome of being convinced of the value of what you do, and, as the expert on what you do, you have the unique capability to share and create that value with others.

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph: 602-795-4100; Fax: 602-795-4100; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com;Website:www.coxconsultgroup.com; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com

Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved