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

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

Three Keys To Finding Success

What do Peter Drucker, Jack and Suzy Welch and my college friend have in common when it comes to defining the keys to success? Read on to see how three very different perspectives and values can all be used to define the keys to success.

Peter Drucker said nothing is 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 – a self described introvert - to release his inner extrovert if he wanted greater success in a large organization.

A college friend of mine was absolutely committed to being a salesman – even though his relational skills were close to non existent, and his overpowering obligation to tell all the truth all the time and at great length cost him all kinds of possibilities. He's had many, many sales jobs that just didn't work out.

What do the Peter Drucker statement, the Jack and Suzy Welch advice, and my college friends failures have in common? They deal with three key elements required to achieve success:

1 - Success is found where the work being done is perceived to be of high value.
2 - Success is found where success can be defined
3 - Success is found where strengths in behaviors, motivators and personal skills match work requirements - where doing what you are good at matches what needs to be done and how it is to be done.

1 - Establishing High Value

Drucker was right. If what is being done well is seen as not having value, then regardless how well it's done, it doesn't matter.. How often do we hear people complain that they are not appreciated for what they do? This happens most often in organizations where goals are not clearly stated.- where the importance of work is not made clear. But the burden of establishing the value of the work being done is the burden of the person doing the work. Why? Because they are the person most affected by the perception of the value of their work. It's in their self interest to advertise and promote what they're doing as worthy and valuable to the enterprise. Each person should be able, in thirty seconds, to explain what they do and its value to their organization. Not being prepared to do that creates the perception of low value. Its like the three bricklayers working on a new school. The first, when asked what he does said “ I lay brick.” The second said “I'm helping build a school.” The third said “I am am contributing to the building of a place where children in our community will learn – a learning place.” Same job, same outcome - three very different pictures of value added.

2 - Defining Success

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 did an excellent job of promotion – she was convinced of the rightness of her approach. At the same time, she was working independent of any direct supervision. She was advised to develop a monthly or weekly report 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 sporadic anecdotal information on which to judge her effectiveness. Had she put together a routine of reporting, created a vision of what she was doing and defined success for her bosses, she would have been seen as highly effective and successful – because she was. But no one was in a position to evaluate her success – and her relationships suffered. The work she was doing was important and of high value – but she didn't allow for it to be seen by others.

3 - Doing What You Are Good At Where It Will Be Valued

Many an A player in one situation ends up not succeeding in another. The cause?
Making the assumption that what worked at one place will work at another and not making sure motivators, values, behaviors and personal skills match the requirements of the new enterprise. It's amazing how often that happens – from both an individual and an organizational standpoint.

Three examples:

1 - The salesperson in a transactional sales job who prides himself on his relationship skills. The organization measures success on the number of prospects contacted and sold - one contact, one sale is the ideal. The salesman sees his success in the quality of his sales. His value and his behavior are at variance with the expectations of his company. Chances of his being successful in that environment without adapting – very low.

2 - 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 there will be 100% success at implementation. Chances of success in that environment without adapting – very low.

3 - A manager whose motivators and values are to support tradition and process now works in an organization that prides itself on its seat of the pants, ready – fire – aim approach Chances for success in that environment without adapting – very low.

The thread that runs through all the keys is the requirement for the individual, not the organization, to take the lead to see that all three keys are met. They need to define the value of what they do to the organization. They need to define success as the basis for discussion and understanding. They need to do what they are good at, and determine what new skills are needed to adapt and be successful in different environments.

Take a measure of where you are today in relation to these three keys. Then take the actions that come from your analysis to ensure greater success – however you define success.

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

How To Be A Top Contributor In Tough Times

In these times - tough times by anyone's measure - it's important to be seen as a contributor - a person who makes a positive difference in the success of their enterprise.

But having said that, when's the last time you read an article, or a book, on how to be a top contributor to any enterprise? Go in any bookstore and see the books on leadership - rows of them. No titles on being a contributor. And yet effective contribution results in most of the successes in any enterprise - just ask the leaders.

So what does it take to be a top contributor? We asked some of the most successful contributors we know. Here are their answers: ten Behaviors, Attitudes and Personal Skills of top contributors.

We offer these ten answers as a self inventory. As you read through answers, ask yourself where you see yourself on each of them.

1 - Top contributors do the work that's recognized as the most important work by their organization. They identify what is most important by creating mutually shared goals. The secret to effective contribution is doing the work that is most important - and ensuring that is where the focus is. None of the other nine items is even worth mentioning if the important work doesn't get done on time while meeting budget, performance, quality and other criteria. It's not a matter of accepting what needs to be done - that goes without saying. Do the important work and get the opportunity to be seen as a top contributor. This sounds so basic - but it's amazing how often it doesn't occur.

2 - Top contributors practice personal leadership through self discipline. Being on time; meeting commitments; knowing when and how to say no; focusing on work and letting the unimportant go; maintaining emotional control; are all behaviors of top contributors.

3 - Top contributors accept the culture for what it is and adapt to it - or get out. There is no bigger waste of time than trying to change what exists to meet personal expectations. Better to leave or accept the culture - as long as it doesn't require acting immorally, unethically, illegally or unsafely.

4 - It's not about you. Top contributors know personalizing decisions and thinking of them in terms of self is a great way to lose motivation and commitment. Let's face it, a lot of decisions will differ from what might be seen as optimal, but accepting decisions for what they are, not making them personal, and moving on to the next issue is top contributor behavior.

5 - Take pride in contribution. Top contributors are convinced of the importance of their work - if they weren't how could they possibly see the value of their accomplishments? It's like the story of the three bricklayers: when asked what they were doing, the first said he was laying brick; the second said he was helping build a school; and the third said he was participating in offering a better education to children through his best efforts. Which bricklayer best describes how you value your work?

6 - Be convinced that you have a gift to give - then give it. Top contributors don't ration their efforts. They focus, they operate at top speed, and they get more done than they realized they could. And the next time they're asked to climb that same mountain, it's not nearly as high as the first time. And they can look for more - whatever more means to them.

7 - Top contributors realize interdependence beats independence in accomplishing anything. Group effort can seem like a pain at the beginning, but a top contributor knows the pain comes before the gain. Focused effort by a group is so much more powerful than individual effort in almost all situations. Acquiring the Personal Skills to work effectively in collaborations is key to top contribution.

8 - Top contributors have high ideals, but maintain realistic expectations. Peter Senge - in The Fifth Discipline defines a cynic in this way : "Scratch a cynic and you will find an idealist, someone who made the mistake of letting their ideals become their expectations." Ideals are important - without them staying on course is impossible. But creating a failure scenario by making an ideal a goal is a sure recipe for frustration and a reduced sense of self worth.

9- Top contributors are fixers, not blamers. They know establishing accountability for things that go wrong is necessary for the future. But they are much more focused on solutions than on placing blame. They know solutions behavior promotes communication and learning while blame behavior promotes defensiveness and error avoidance.

10 - Top contributors use a combination of personal and organizational goals to frame their work and their lives. The closer the alignment between the different goal sets, the better. Contributors know relying on organizational goals to establish self worth and value is very limiting. Organizational goals can change unexpectedly and often - particularly in tough times. Personal goals, on the other hand, provide a "True North" perspective on what is really important.

Take the time, right now, to carefully look at your own contributions - and what can be done to increase your personal impact in your personal and organizational life. Then decide which of the Behaviors, Attitudes and Personal Skills of top contributors will help you achieve the success you want. Then act to make them happen - and watch 2009, even in the midst of tough times, be the best of times.

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 2008 All Rights Reserved

Become Thirty Percent More Effective In Selecting The Right People

Success starts with the right people in the right jobs. Particularly in leadership positions. But if that's really the belief of most organizations, why is it that so many selections fail at their jobs - or - even worse, just hang on and take up space?

Based on feedback from any number of studies, candidates hired for leadership or emerging leadership positions are successful about a third of the time, with success being defined as meeting or exceeding the expectations of the organization. About a third fail, with failure defined as not meeting the expectations of the organization, and about a third survive, with survival being defined as getting close enough to meeting expectations to avoid being let go.

Often the rationalization for this level of performance is that the best hitters in baseball only get a hit about 1 out of three times at bat - and they're considered stars. The difference is that once the batter ends an at bat - it's over.

But when a failure to get a hit in selection occurs, the problems are just beginning. Low morale, increased turnover, missed goals, reduced profit, possible lawsuits and lowered standards of performance are all part of a poor selection decision. And those problems just get worse as the decision on what to do gets put off - no one likes admitting to a mistake. And the biggest cost - the opportunity cost - the cost of not having the right person in the right job - is by far the biggest cost of a poor selection decision.

And yet, many organizations that are constantly striving and working toward improvements in quality, customer service, sales, and profits appear satisfied with the status quo in selection. While they are convinced that standing still in so many areas is actually losing competitve advantage, they don't see the same thing happening in selecting the right people for the right jobs. To the extent they stand still on improving in this most vital of areas, theyre losing competitive advantage.

It doesn't have to be that way. In fact, every organization striving to improve their selection batting average can become at least 30% more effective.

How can you add 30% effectiveness to your people selection processes - selection including hiring, transfer, promotion and team membership?

Here's how:

1 - Start by identifying a critical position that has been hard to fill - where turnover and failure to perform have been a problem. Or a critical position where fit with the existing organization is essential to success.

2 - Look for biases that have no bearing on the job that may have limited the applicant pool. I don't mean the mandated of race, sex, ethnicity, religion - those should have been dealt with long ago. I'm talking about ensuring your pool of applicants/candidates isn't being restricted by biases and assumptions and cultural differences that have no real basis from a organizational standpoint.

3 - Create the key accountabilities for the job using the key stakeholders. Prepare to be amazed at how different one key stakeholder sees them from another. Get agreement on the top three to five - even if that means having to really negotiate to agreement.This is key at the beginning of the process - agreement here will go a long way to ensuring the people involved in the selection are all on the same page. And the recruiting is targeted.

4 - Have the stakeholders identify the education, experience, industry experience, and other hard data elements. These are the quantifiable data points that every candidate must have for further consideration.

5 - Identify the behaviors, motivators and personal skills that have been successful in the job. Get them from the people who have been successful in the job, from the people with close contact and interdependence with the job, with the people who manage the job. If assessments of behaviors, attitudes and skills are currently being used, use the results of past assessments to help create the profile. If they are not in use, or the assessments in use don't lend themselves to this process, get ones that do.

6 - Have the stakeholders meet to review the findings and to use them to arrive at a profile of the ideal candidate and to prioritize must haves, want to haves and nice to haves. Use assessments to help the stakeholders in this vital step. The process is benchmarking- creating the benchmark against which all candidates will be measured. No more letting the candidate pool set the standards for success.

7 - With this information in hand, train and develop an interview team to use it in creating a coordinated interview process. And have the candidates that pass the education, experience and other hard data elements take the same assessments. Review the assessment reports of the candidates against the behavior, motivators and personal skills profile created by the stakeholders in the organization.

8 - Use what was learned in this first benchmarking project and apply it to other high value positions. The process has value at all levels - but it does take an investment of time and effort, and the early efforts should be directed at the highest potential gain positions.

Organizations that have followed this process have seen major improvements in selecting the right person for the right job. Organizations have seen their comfort level and support for newly selected people jump because there is a firm foundation for the selection decision. And the profile completed by the stakeholders provides the blueprint for development and success of the person selected. Success and retention rates have increased well beyond the 30% level in many organizations.

Examine your own process. See what tools you are currently using. Don't be satisfied measuring activity - when evaluating your current process measure results in the success of the selections. Don't confuse survival with success. It's a roadblock to increasing the level of excellence in the talent level of the organization. Real improvement comes with the right person in the right job. Use this process for your own success.

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 2008 All Rights Reserved

How To Increase Your Personal Energy

Successful people have an energy about them. It's one of their most valuable resources. We asked many of the most successful people we know where they would put energy on the scale of requirements for success. All placed it in their top three. They were not talking just about physical energy, but about that hard to describe internal energy - in fact, when pressed, almost all placed internal energy above physical energy in terms of critical attributes.

How do they get and maintain their high level of personal energy?


Here's what they told us about creating personal energy.


The first thing is understanding that a high level of personal energy is a critical success factor, and then placing a high value on the things that create it - and treating the things that reduce it as enemies to success.


It's knowing that personal energy comes from within. There are external sources of stimulation that can add to energy in the short term, but the real source of personal energy is inside.


Optimism, and thinking in terms of opportunities creates personal energy. Pessimism and consequence thinking can suck the energy right out of anyone - even the most optimistic.


Good health - both physical and mental - provides the platform for high personal energy. Taking care of that health is critical. At the same time many highly successful people have overcome very difficult physical and mental issues to create the energy necessary to succeed. That's where optimism and opportunity thinking are so very critical.


It's getting up and acting that creates energy. One of our leaders attended a Hugh O'Brian Leadership Seminar when she was in high school. After the seminar she was asked what was the thing she remembered the most. Her answer was" To be enthusiastic you must act enthusiastic." Having actions control emotions creates personal energy.


Curiosity - a sense of discovery - wanting to know more - and then taking action to gain knowledge - creates personal energy. It's a key way to stay out of a rut. And remembering that the only difference between a rut and a grave is a rut's longer.


It's drawing inspiration from the accomplishments of others - and drawing strength from what they had to overcome to succeed. Reading biographies of successful people is a way many of our leaders create and renew their energy.


It's overcoming fear - today. And overcoming that little voice-demon that sits on everyone's shoulder and says "take it easy" and "be careful" and "this could be a mistake" and 'be afraid."


It's laughter and finding joy in everyday things. It's great to be able to laugh at a good joke - it's absolutely terrific to smile at the little child holding their mom's hand.


It's positive relationships - the kind that add optimism. And it's avoiding toxic relationships - the kind that pull down, create pessimism and destroy energy.


It's giving without keeping track of payback. Years ago one of our leaders was given a terrific piece of advice. "If you want to make a friend, let them do something for you." It works. We all - or at least most of us - want to give - to help.


It's realizing the toughest thing to do is to start - but once in motion, good things will and do happen. A very fit friend tells me the hardest part of a session at the gym is driving there. Once there, the exercise takes on a life of its own. Same thing with all kinds of things.


It's realizing that personal energy is a variable - from day to day the level of personal energy varies. But exerting the discipline to keep personal energy competitive on even the toughest day has its own rewards. Keeping the promises we make to ourselves creates energy.

A personal experience one of our leaders had illustrates that point.

She was working out at a gym. She'd had a bad day and wasn't feeling particularly optimistic or happy or opportunistic. As she worked to meet her time and distance goals, it became apparent that she was really laboring. The thought of just quitting started to be attractive. Then it struck her just how much her mental state of mind was impacting her level of physical performance. Her results that day were a good 10% less than normal performance. But at the end of the workout, she felt really good about overcoming those negative emotions to accomplish something she had promised herself she would do. That little demon perched on her shoulder had been trying to tell her to "give up", to "try again another day." She ignored it. A small victory. It'll be back, but she knows she can overcome it. That realization felt good - felt energizing. Action guided emotion.

Take a few moments - right now - and assess your level of energy. Then pick out one of the ways our leaders use to increase their energy levels. Laugh, smile, think about an opportunity. Discipline yourself to take action, and have that action control your emotions. Be prepared to be amazed at how your thoughts and actions can and will lift your energy level.

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: http://www.coxconsultgroup.com/; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com/

Copyright Andrew Cox 2008 All Rights Reserved

Lessons In Survival - A Critical Leadership Skill

To survive - to hang in there - to keep your head while all around you others are losing theirs - to stay in play - is a critical skill of leaders. Let's face it - even the most astute, successful person will suffer setbacks, and surviving and overcoming those setbacks is the true measure of a leader.

To some, survival sounds like a skill for a loser. And, frankly, there are many who try to survive by holding back, by not taking risk, by getting as invisible as possible. Those are not the behaviors of leaders - they are not what survival means in this article - and they lead to failure.

An example of survival and leadership:

A client had a business unit that was doing badly. Unprofitable, losing customers, over budget. The business unit leader had been in the job for six months - not long enough to have created the mess, but long enough to be held accountable for it. Her predecessor had held the job for ten years - and then retired with honors. There were many days when she felt like giving up. She felt that she was more a victim than anything else. She had been a top performer in every other assignment given her. She felt she had gone from the a top 5 percenter in her company to being perceived as a loser by former colleagues. Everyone likes a winner - no one wants to be associated with what looks like a loser. No one was going to rescue her from this situation - she was either going to sink or swim.

She felt she had four choices:

1 - She could quit and find another employer - she was highly regarded in the market.

2 - She could stay and look at who to blame. She could try to cash in on her former accomplishments and get a transfer - or not be held accountable - or be given lots of slack.

3- She could let the situation tear her down, wallow in self pity and blame fate, and turn into a part of the problem - rather than be part of the solution.

4 - She could do what she had to do to survive the situation - stay afloat, give herself a timetable, work to improve performance, and then decide where her future lay.

She chose the last alternative. She reviewed it with her boss - he agreed with her. For the first time in her career she was faced with stabilizing a losing business, rather than growing a winning one. What a difference! Going from winning as a strategy to surviving - as a strategy - at least as a first step strategy.

She shared her survival strategy with her staff - and watched their reactions. They ranged from acceptance to indifference. This unit was part of a much larger company, and some of her staff had friends in other parts of the organization that could "take care of them." She let some people transfer to other parts of the business - got rid of some others - and brought in key people who saw their new positions as a chance to prove themselves.

She put together a "stop the bleeding" short term plan with goals and measures that could be quantified and tracked and reported on regularly. No "BHAGS" here ( Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals). Her boss gave his support -while keeping the situation at arm's length. The plan was shared with the people in the business unit, and every person was expected to establish goals that contributed to the plan. Some did - some didn't. The plan worked - at least to the extent that the bleeding stopped and the business returned to marginal profitability in six months. No celebrations were held - but the leader and her staff were pleased with their progress -they knew just how much had been accomplished - although no one else seemed to share their emotions.

As the six month plan unfolded, it became clear to her that some significant investments in capital and systems were going to be necessary if the business was to prosper - and there was some risk that, even with those investments, prosperity might not happen. The fight for capital was intense, and other, more successful business units got their share - and hers as well.

She gave it six more months. In that time, steady progress was made, customers were won back, and profitability continued to improve. At the same time, she sensed a growing impatience from her boss with the rate of progress - but no real help in the form of additional resources. At this point she was 18 months into her job, and while she had seen major progress, very little recognition of her accomplishments came her way. She gave it six more months.

At the end of two years in the assignment, when continued improvement went unrewarded, she resigned.

When asked about that experience five years later, she said it was by far the most valuable of her career. When pressed to identify what particularly valuable lessons she had taken from the experience that helped her be successful - and she had become very successful - she listed the following:

• You gotta pick your spots carefully. Every organization has top units and bad units. To decide to survive in a marginal unit with little upside is not very bright. Be sure the survival situation has an upside.
• The decision to fight through a tough situation, and take the risk of surviving, must be a conscious one. And once it's made, all effort must be directed forward. It's easy in these situations to adopt a "why me" or victim attitude - and that is fatal.
• Managing, defining and communicating expectations in a survival situation are absolutely critical skills - more than in a highly successful business. Pressure from above to see progress can lead to commitments being made that simply cannot be kept. And intentions sound good at the beginning of a reporting period - but only results matter. "Hockey stick" forecasts and plans - where all the good news is forecast to occur near the end of the measurement period - are always greeted with suspicion.
• Tolerance for mistakes is much lower in survival situations. And negative outcomes that would be ignored in a successful business are magnified and used as examples of just how bad things are - while good news is received with skepticism. Protecting and insulating the people committed to making it work from harsh criticism and judgment is a major task for the survival leader.
• A survival leader must have a core group of optimistic believers who are committed to making it work.
• Stay in close contact with the Boss - absolutely no surprises are allowed.
• Keep people focused on improvement through widely communicated goals they can share and buy into.
• Don't let people see your discouragement at bad news - and there is always bad news in survival situations. Your negative emotions will be multiplied 100 times by those that observe them.
• Survival mode must be a temporary situation - it's easy to slip into a survival mind set and make it a long term behavior.
• Survival - both personal and organizational - is often thankless. While in survival mode leaders have to see the value of their contribution themselves. Often, there is very little positive recognition given to survival.
• The worst thing a survival leader can do is to stay in place and let the situation grind them down. When the best shot has been given, and it remains apparent that that isn't enough, move on - that's always a choice - always. Know when to hold, and know when to fold.
• In the stress of survival situations, it's easy to personalize all kinds of things. Don't. The ability to see things for what they are - no more or no less - is a necessary ability. Trying to ascribe motive, or waste time on hidden meanings are great ways to lose control and perspective.

These Lessons In Survival were learned the hard way. That's the only way to learn. If you see yourself or your organization in survival mode - use these Lessons to inventory what and how you can apply them to get through it better, quicker and more successfully.

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: http://www.coxconsultgroup.com/; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com/

Copyright 2008 All Rights Reserved

Eight Times When Good Enough Beats Perfect

When does Good Enough beat Perfect? When Good Enough clears space for action and accomplishment - for moving forward.

Perfect, on the other hand, almost always gets in the way of action and accomplishment - it keeps real progress from being made. Waiting for perfect is a sure recipe for failure.

Let me define what I mean by Good Enough. To a lot of people the phrase "good enough" is more criticism than praise - it implies just "getting by" - or that you could have done better. To me Good Enough means a commitment was kept, a solution that met a need was developed, an action was taken that met a goal. It means that recognition was made of the difference between the critical, the necessary and the trivial. It means a level of action leading to a solution was taken that met the situation - and time, energy and money weren't wasted trying to make the solution better than it needed to be.


I have a good friend who is in a constant battle with Good Enough. Every single thing that comes across her desk has to be handled as if it is the most important thing in the world. She is in constant conflict with much of what needs to be done - and has a real problem getting the very important done first. She strives for perfection in everything she does - and it's causing her real problems. She's a truly excellent person - the only person who doesn't think so is her.


I suspect that the greatest authors, the greatest artists, the greatest composers, the greatest software developers, the greatest salespeople can look back at their achievements and see room for improvement. At some point they all said to themselves " Good Enough." Had they waited for that final stroke of genius - that perfection - their work would never be treasured by so many. That's what perfect does - it keeps real genius under wraps.

How often have you worked hard on something - given it your all - and ended up judging your actions with a vague sense of disappointment when your result was judged - by yourself or by others - as "good enough." You're left feeling "damned with faint praise." But, in truth, your work - your actions - are something to be proud of. You acted, you took risk, you improved - and the next time you'll be even better. Think of the best hitter in baseball. On average, he only gets a hit every three times up to the plate. The other two times could be seen as failures, but the top hitters know those at bats - those imperfect at bats - are the only way to the hits.

Here are eight times when "Good Enough" will beat perfect:

1 - When Good Enough results in action being taken. Without action there can be no accomplishment. More people have failed while striving for the perfect solution - and missing the opportunity that is taken by the less perfect, but "Good Enough."

2 - When Good Enough results in taking the next step. The next step - be it the follow up sales call, the next experiment after a failure, the next presentation after a poorly received one - although that next step isn't perfect -results in being one step closer to success.

3 - When Good Enough defeats fear, resistance and procrastination. Good Enough can liberate - it can reduce the fear and resistance level - it provides that little boost to go beyond. Perfect creates fear.

4 - When Good Enough overcomes those two deeply imbedded beliefs we all share - " I am not able" and "I am not worthy." Nothing holds people back more than their own belief that they aren't worthy or aren't able. Nothing can get them past those beliefs more than promising to do the best they can - Good Enough - and finding out they far exceeded their own fears and expectations.

5 - When good enough creates a "ready, fire, aim habit of thought" - the first step to continuous improvement. Liberate resistance by understanding that success is a journey - every step on the journey is a learning experience - every step is evaluated on the basis of what was learned, and how much closer it brought success.

6 - When Good Enough separates the important few from the trivial many. Setting priorities - and separating the need for absolute maximum effort and expertise from the clutter of the less important - leads to more time for the really neat stuff that creates real success.

7 - When Good Enough keeps us raising our own personal bar. Raising the bar requires first finding where the bar is right now. Good Enough helps establish where the bar is - the first step to raising it - to continuous improvement.

8- When Good Enough meets our goals - SMART goals. Goals need to be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time framed. There is no room for P - Perfect - in that equation.


The next time you're tempted to think in terms of the perfect solution, remember that Good Enough puts you on the road to success. Use the Good Enough habit of thought to accomplish more, succeed more, and travel further down the road on the journey to continuous improvement.

Written by Andy Cox, President

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

Copyright 2008 All Rights Reserved

How To Gain Optimism Through Accomplishment

Nothing creates a greater sense of optimism than accomplishment. And optimism is one of the core beliefs and attitudes of successful people. It's estimated that only 30 percent of our population are optimists, but that the majority of successful people are optimists. That estimate says that the better chance of accomplishment and success lies with the optimists.

Ask yourself these questions: When you entered into a commitment with a sense of enthusiasm and conviction, what were your accomplishments? When you entered into a commitment with hesitation, with a sense that it wouldn't work out well, what did you accomplish? Then ask yourself which of these two approaches you follow most often.

If your response was hesitation and the possibility of failure, chances are that you're missing opportunities to succeed - and accomplishment is the only real security any of us have. Read on to find ways to strengthen your ability to seek out and accomplish more in your life - in every part of it.

If your response was enthusiasm and conviction, read on for ways you can share those attitudes and beliefs with the people around you.

Here are nine recommendations:

One -Accomplishment requires putting yourself in your discomfort zone - a place where you're not secure, where you have to learn and challenge yourself. The comfort zone is the danger zone - much more dangerous than taking risk. Staying in the comfort zone keeps people from ever knowing their real abilities and worth.

Two -Accomplishment comes in many forms. It can range from a small triumph to a huge one, but what's important is that the person doing the accomplishing sees it for what it is.

Three - View situations as opportunities first. This is a real challenge for people used to thinking in terms of negative consequences. But if your first thoughts are negative, the chances of passing on real opportunity are very high. Sometimes the best thing to do with those opportunities you grabbed is to drop them - but if you don't act in the now to get them, you don't have a choice - they're gone.

Four - Accomplishment likes action - action now. Accomplishment likes ownership - standing up and taking responsibility for a situation.

Five - Be able to see your accomplishments when they happen. This might seem like a no - brainer - it isn't. For many people. their accomplishments are taken for granted - by them. They don't see their unique abilities and strengths as anything special, and so what could have been a positive reinforcement of their own personal worth and ability, goes unnoticed - by them and by others.

Six - Create goals in order to define accomplishment. State them positively - in terms of gain. Create your own personal goal culture and communicate your goals to others.

Seven - Realize that fear and doubt are as normal as breathing - they won't go away - they will be with you everyday. Enlist fear and doubt as allies. The ability to wake up every morning, deal with fear of failure, and move forward is a quality of successful people. For more on this, read Steven Pressfield's excellent book, The War Of Art.

Eight - Understand everyone else, regardless how self assured they appear, has the same doubts and concerns that you have. Know that what you are going through on the path to accomplishment is shared by others. Know you're not alone in these emotions, but are part of what successful people experience every day.

Nine - See yourself as worthy of the rewards of your efforts. See your accomplishments for what they are - an affirmation of your ability to achieve. Make those subconscious two beliefs that almost all of us share - that we are not worthy; that we are not able - shrink to nothing through personal action and accomplishment

Start today - grab ahold of some situation, project, challenge, and make it your own. Then make it happen. The possibilities are endless. But the one guaranteed outcome will be a more positive feeling about yourself earned through achievement- and isn't that a huge part of optimism?

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: http://www.coxconsultgroup.com/; Blog: http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com/

Copyright 2008 All Rights Reserved

Keeping It Simple Isn't Simple

Ever since making "Keeping It Simple" my main goal I have kept a sign that says "KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid" where I can see it all the time I'm at my desk and computer.

It is so much easier said than done. I wrote a blog a few weeks ago about keeping things simple, and making it my top goal for 2008. Not a SMART goal - but certainly a behavior shift that can keep the main things the main things, and keep me from - as a former boss put it - "getting tangled up in my own underwear." Homely little description, and funny, but if you've been there, you know what it means.


I have made a conscious effort to simplify things - and have been successful in looking at a number of issues and cutting through self imposed crap and being better for it. Progress is being made - some underwear has definitely been untangled.


But at the same time, it continues to be tough to untangle and get going.

A story to illustrate the point:

I am looking forward to a flyfishing trip with my son in law in the mountains around Lynchburg VA at Easter time. Really excited about it. I've been researching the flies that are most likely to catch trout at that time of the year in that area. Turns out there are a lot of them. Plus, every flyfisher has their own favorites. And the magazines all have killer patterns. And even the patterns that are personal favorites have many variations. And then the question of what sizes to tie ........ Do you see where this is going?


Every time I sit down to tie flies, a decision has to be made as to which of twelve patterns to tie - in what colors - in what sizes - in what variations. Talk about getting tied up in one's underwear! This is supposed to be fun - not an exercise in frustration.

Uncle Jimmy - the ultimate minimalist - a product of the Great Depression and World War II -one rod, one reel, two flies that he tied just before going fishing - one brown, one black. And did he catch fish! If he could see the equipment, the materials, the books, the videos, the magazines that I have accumulated, he'd just shake his head and roll another cigarette.


How to get out of this self inflicted, flytying rat trap? The first step is to simplify - reduce the number of fly patterns down to three - a tough thing to do. And then pick just one hook size, and then take action - start tying flies. Replace this process and analysis paralysis with some straightforward action. I'm gonna feel a lot better for it - I know it. I'm gonna keep it simple - or at least simpler.


This behavior of getting tied up in one's underwear will happen again and again. It's been a part of my behavior for a long time. But by keeping my KISS goal in front of me I'm going to do a better job of recognizing it and taking action to stay out of it. I'm going to have to replace the behavior I don't want with KISS behavior.


Keeping it simple isn't simple, particularly when our behaviors, our values, our skills all have been conditioned to complicate matters. And let's face it- a lot of things are complicated. But we all can be more effective in every part of our lives by adopting a behavior of action, rather than of analysis paralysis. If you see your own behavior in this confession of mine, press on, persevere and open up a whole new level of effectiveness for yourself.

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: http://www.coxconsultgroup.com/; Blog:http://multiplysuccess.blogspot.com

Copyright 2008 All Rights Reserved

How To Choose Your Response - The 24 Hour Rule

Choose your response - how do you do that? In the face of being flamed in an e mail; getting a less than favorable performance review; receiving poor customer service; getting a rejection to a sales pitch; being pressured by a sales pitch; feeling a sense of obligation to respond; or any of a thousand other ways, how do you choose your response?

It ain't easy, but the answer is to invoke the "24 Hour Rule." That Rule states that, except for life threatening emergencies, you have 24 hours to respond to most events. The Rule says that instant response is, in most cases, not best response. The Rule says that quick response favors the person or event that put you in the position of having to respond. The Rule says that taking the time to choose a response favors you - it shows emotional maturity and the ability to respond effectively. The Rule also says that most things that have the potential to create instant response, such as being cut off on the freeway, aren't worth any response.

The Rule provides the space to consider alternatives, consult, get advice, information and facts, and see the situation from different perspectives. In most situations, that results in a best possible situation.

Let's face it - in work, there are many situations where a response is expected right away. It would be suicide not to give an immediate response. But that response can be shaped as a request for the time to take action to get facts, touch base with others, look at alternatives. Rarely will the situation call for a snap decision based on incomplete information and analysis of alternatives. If a person demands an immediate response, there's a good chance that action, rather than decision, will be acceptable and expected, as long as the request includes a time commitment.

On a different level, a story about car buying and the 24 Hour Rule:

My daughter was shopping for an almost new SUV. She had found one in her price range, but it was a dull color and she was really not very interested in it. On the other hand, she needed a newer vehicle, it was in the price, age and mileage range, and it was the brand she wanted, and there didn't appear to be many on the market. Plus the salesman told her there were other people interested in it, and she should act now to buy it - or face the possibility of losing it. She called me; we talked about what was good and bad about the deal. I told her to remember there is always another vehicle; and if she really didn't like the color, that was an acceptable reason for passing. She passed. She spent a week or two looking at other SUV's. After about two weeks, the salesman she passed on called: he had an SUV that fit all of her requirements, and it had all the bells and whistles, and it was a great color. She bought it - she's happy. She would have hated that first SUV - she would have regretted not waiting. The 24 Hour Rule worked for her.

A suggestion: Take an inventory of your own decisions. Do you act impulsively on things? What price have you paid for acting on impulse? Do you have regrets or an "if only" feeling about decisions, actions, purchases that you have made? If you do, put the 24 Hour Rule in your self talk. And the next time you're tempted to respond immediately, ask yourself if taking 24 hours to choose your response can help you make a better response. I guarantee that in 95% of your situations, that time will be well spent.

Replace the " act in haste, repent at your leisure" behavior by using the 24 Hour Rule - it works.

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 2008 All Rights Reserved

How Do You Know When You've Quit?

How do you know when you quit? Sounds like a pretty stupid question! You know you quit when you stepped off the track without finishing the race -when you stopped doing something that you wanted to complete - when you resigned from a job that you wanted. Any number of actions - or lack of actions - tell you that you quit.

Not that quitting is necessarily bad. A poor fit in a job, an opportunity to move ahead in a different organization, physical illness or injury - all can be good reasons for quitting.

But there is another type of quitting that isn't so good. Cormac McCarthy, in his new bestseller The Road, has a quote that describes what I'm talking about. "When your dreams are of a world that never was or never will be and you are happy again, you will have given up."

What does that mean? Here's my interpretation. Dreams are funny things. They can inspire us, they can create successes. They can be a beacon for moving forward. They can lead to goals, action and accomplishment

But they can also be the source of false hope. When you catch yourself dreaming about what could have been, what should have been, or what might be, and those dreams occupy your mind, and you feel good about them - but no real action is taken to make them happen, you are in the act of quitting - of giving up.

Examples would be the person who dreams of winning the Lottery as the means to financial salvation, while continuing to dig a deeper financial hole for themselves. Or the sales person dreaming about how great it will be when he has new clients, but isn't doing the hard work of cold calling. Or the writer who dreams of her great novel and how good it will feel, but doesn't do the writing. Or the student who dreams of being a doctor, but doesn't do the academic work to get into college.

Rudyard Kipling, in his poem, IF, says, "If you can dream, but not let dreams become your master." What a perfect description of where dreams belong in our lives.

But often dreams do become our masters. It happens when they substitute for accomplishment and action. It happens when they allow us to feel good about the past, the present or the future, without having to deal with reality. And so we feel happy. And we've quit. And we probably don't even know it!

It's a habit of thought - this act of dreaming. That's good. Habits of thought can be worked with - replaced with new habits. It's hard, but success lies in self discipline, and the application of our considerable resources. Dreams without action take away from our bank of resources - they divert resources to what never was and never will be. It's like making a withdrawal with no value - like destroying our personal resources.

Review your own habits of thought. Ask yourself three questions: Do your dreams focus on the future - do they build on what has already happened - do they inspire you to action? If you can answer yes to those questions, good for you. If you answered no, focus your mental energies on the dreams that can happen - the world of possibilities. You can save a little corner of your thoughts and dreams for the improbable, but get to the place where your dreams result in yes answers to those three questions. You will achieve more, and who knows, those improbable dreams of the future may become more probable.

Written by Andrew 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: http://www.coxconsultgroup.com/

Copyright 2007 All Rights Reserved

Personal Importance - Your Success Depends On It

One thing I've noticed about all the successful people I've met - they all are convinced of the importance of what they do and of their own personal importance. I don't mean in an egotistical, arrogant way, but in a way best expressed as quiet confidence. And many of them didn't start that way - they had to develop the habits of thought that allowed them to believe in their own worthiness and ability. It's not easy, but it is critical to personal success.

I've also noticed how many people, by their own actions, communicate their feeling of unimportance. They do it in little ways - deferring to someone else when they had a perfect right to stand their ground; when they apologize or minimize their own contribution; when they don't speak up even though they have a lot to say; when they fail to express their successes.

When we were kids, I remember being told to "not talk unless talked to," that I was to "be seen and not heard," that talking about myself was boastful, that it was "better to keep my mouth shut and appear dumb, than to open it and remove all doubt." I'm sure many of you have your own list of negative messages that were part of your life.

When those message soak in and become beliefs - and they do - it's tough to not feel that others must be better or more able or more worthy.

Think about your own self talk. What does it tell you about yourself - does it help you feel more worthy and able, or does it keep repeating those messages of your earlier years?

You’d be surprised how many people - when they really think about this, say they still hear their own "be seen and not heard" messages.

The story is told of the three stone masons - all working on the same job. When asked what he was doing, the first said he was cutting and laying stone. The second said he was building a school, and the third one said he was helping build a place of learning for children, and he wanted it to be the best built school he could manage. I suspect you know who felt important in contributing to this place of learning, and who was just laying stone. Same skills, same assignment, same project, probably the same work effort, but what a personal difference. The third mason will visit that school, point with pride to the contributions he made, tell his own children about it, and keep it as a personal point of pride and ability for the rest of his years. Don't we all want that kind of feeling about our work, our passions, our families?

To get that feeling one thing is certain - no one else can do it for us. We can be stone mason #1 and work and collect our pay, or we can be stone mason #3, and collect our pay and so much more. But only we can do it for ourselves.

People that have a feeling of self worth and those who are challenged to gain a greater sense of their own worth, look at the inputs and communications they receive in a very different way from people who don't have a good feeling about their worth and ability. Why? Because we all look for the things that confirm what our mind already believes or wants to believe! So the person with a positive self worth will hear an affirmation, the person working on getting a better sense will hear a constructive comment, and the person with a poor self worth will find a criticism or suspicion that they are being manipulated, or a reason to dismiss the compliment as so much BS. Same comment, same situation, three very different effects.

If you want to improve your own sense of self worth, what can you do?

1 - Stop looking back - what happened up to this point got you to where you are. Dwelling on it to find root causes just eats up today - which is all there is.

2 - Become very aware of what you tell yourself .

3 - Suspend judgment and just take what happens or is communicated for what it is - and no more.

4 - Start replacing damaging self talk with positive affirmations. Start by constantly reminding yourself of what you do well.

5 - Work with your strengths - the ones you feel good about - and be convinced you have more than you know - because I guarantee you do.

6 - Understand that you are unique - no one else on this earth is just like you - don't assume others can do what you do well - because they can't.

7 - Avoid the circumstances and events and people that would drag you back into where you no longer want to be.

8 - Identify how you want to make a difference - and go for it.

9 - Associate with successful people - and be amazed to find out they have their own challenges - just like you.

10 - Read biographies of great people - people that have overcome adversity to succeed. You will be amazed how their stories can affect and motivate you.

11 - Help someone else succeed - nothing helps you feel better about yourself than helping another person.

As you implement these steps, you're going to feel a real growing sense of your own importance, and your ability to get things done - in every part of your life. And as you gain a sense of your own worthiness and ability, it becomes more difficult for others to negatively influence you, and as you gain that better feeling about yourself, you will see so many more possibilities than you ever felt existed.

Start today!

Written by Andy Cox, President

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

Copyright 2007 All Rights Reserved

Successful Leadership - Beware The Silver Bullets

We are all tempted to keep looking for that one person, that one application, that one solution, that one customer that will make all the bad things go away and breathe new life into whatever we've been stuck with. The Silver Bullet - the epiphany - the stroke of lightning that cures all ills. Billions of dollars are spent every year on hope - and Silver Bullets - with little if any positive effect.

A story:
I was meeting with the Executive Vice President of a large multi business company. They had a business unit in Florida with continuing labor problems. The unit was union free, but every two years there would be an organizing attempt by a major national union. Two years was up since the last attempt, and another organizing attempt was in the works. The company felt continuing to resist, although expensive and disruptive in the short term, was better than having a union and third party representation of their workers. The business unit was highly successful, hadn't had a layoff in years - in fact, they were in a hiring mode.
The EVP directly responsible for the unit was tempted to throw in the towel and agree to a union, but the CEO was dead set against it.
The EVP wanted to know how I could help turn this around, and avoid an organizing drive.
We went through the checklist of elements that are critical to remaining union free, starting with competitive wages and benefits, a system of due process to handle issues, an equitable system to recognize length of service and a well developed communication process. As we talked he became increasingly impatient, and finally said " We have all that. I'm looking for the one thing - the thing we don't have - that will make this organizing attempt go away. We've tried all kinds of programs and processes, and none have succeeded." I suggested the place to start would be in evaluating the effectiveness of what they were already doing, then go from there. It's possible to have lots of things - but possession and use are two very different things. He didn't like that - he was looking for a new approach - a Silver Bullet. I told him I didn't have any special formula to make his wish come true, and, frankly, I don't believe in the Silver Bullet approach to managing a workforce.

They had an organizing attempt - after an expensive and extensive campaign the company was successful in defeating the attempt, but their profits, quality, shipments and employee relations all suffered because of it.

Moral of the story - Silver Bullets are so rare they're not worth focusing on. Rather than spend time and energy looking for them, take that same time and energy and convert it into solutions that improve on what you already possess and do well.

Successful leaders know accomplishment is built on a solid foundation of good people, good products, good leadership and good practices. Successful leaders know the Program of the Month is a recipe for failure - as one fix after another gets introduced, supported, and then slowly fizzles away, to be replaced by another. All that happens is the people in the business become ever more cynical and resistant to change.

Successful leaders should put a sign on their doors - "No Silver Bullets Welcome." They know the fundamentals need to be in place, excellence needs to be promoted every day, high expectations established, communications constantly improved, performance rewarded and recognized. Out of that comes the strength to grow and prosper. A few things done well beats a constant stream of new initiatives. It's the constant, insistent emphasis on the basics that creates results, and effective change, and improvement. It's the effective execution and implementation of the critical few things done well.

Actually, all the Silver Bullet approach does is to create distractions - they cause you to take your eye off the ball.

Does that mean all the new ideas and programs and processes are without value? Of course not.

The Silver Bullet is most often created in its application. One organization's Silver Bullet is another organization's successful initiative. If the approach is a quick fix for an existing problem it probably won't work - and if it will distract from more substantial work being done, then it's a Silver Bullet.

9 Questions to ask to identify whether an initiative, program, process or change is right for your organization:

Does it build on what we do well?
How will this affect what we are already doing?
What has been our history - have they made a difference - or have they faded away - or have they become imbedded in the organization?
Will this become part of how we operate everyday, or will it have to be treated as an exception, and need regular maintenance and support ?
What do the people to be affected think needs to be done?
Can we measure the effect?
Do we have the resources to see this through to its conclusion?
Will this really affect positive change and results, or are we just staying ahead of accountability and hoping it works?
Is this a survival tactic or part of a growth and improvement strategy?

Every organization is different - every organzation will answer differently, based on their situation, but answering these questions will allow you to see a Silver Bullet for what it is, and act accordingly.

Written by Andy Cox, President

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

Copyright 2007 All Rights Reserved

Self Criticism - Constructive Skill or Destructive Habit?

Self talk is one of our most powerful tools for growth, or for reinforcing those two worms - "I'm not worthy" and "I'm not able." Constructive self criticism is a positive, skill building habit of thought. Destructive criticism - berating ourselves for all kinds of things - just beats us down - it just keeps telling us we're not worthy, or not able, or both. And we do it to ourselves!

So how do we ensure our self talk is helping us? Try the following:

Which of the these questions are you more likely to ask yourself?

What could I have done better? What did I learn? What can I take from this experience to do better next time?

or

You dummy - why did you do that? I wish I'd said ---! I really blew it!

One set of questions deals with possibilities and growth. The other is beating ourselves up - you can almost hear the whip cracking.

If you're working to improve your self esteem, and at the same time improve your skills, experience and accomplishments, you gotta be conscious of the kind of criticism you direct at yourself. The next time you start to criticize yourself be sure to ask if the criticism is really necessary – is it constructive – does it have the potential to improve your performance – does it encourage you - does it celebrate your accomplishments? If you can answer yes to those questions, everything is OK. If you can’t, if you spend a lot of time looking in your own rear view mirror and not liking what you see, I suggest this exercise to help you break one habit and replace it with another:

Write down five constructive criticism questions. Use them to ask yourself about your own behavior, skills and accomplishments. Paste them everywhere - read them every day - answer them every day - do it for thirty days.

I guarantee, at the end of thirty days, you will have started to replace negative self talk with positive self criticism and a greater understanding of yourself - Personal Skills of the top ten percenters.

Start today.

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group LLC 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 2007 All Rights Reserved

Time and Energy - Where Do You Spend It?

Time and energy - yout two most valuable assets - and, believe it or not, the two most variable of your assets. What does that mean?

Time as an asset is less about the 24 hour clock than it is about the leverage your time provides. How much influence do you have in a day? How many other's lives and jobs do you impact every day? What are the things that steal time from you - and lower your leverage to nothing?

Think of energy as an asset. What pumps you up and allows you to focus and work at a high rate? What sucks the life right out of you - and leaves you dragging through the day?

If you're like most people, the top answer to this question is people - our ups and downs and success and failures can be traced, to the greatest extent, to our people relationships.

So, how do we use this knowledge to multiply our own success?

There are three groups of people in your universe of people - first - the 5 percent you click with from the very first time you meet. Second - the 5 percent you don't and won't click with. The third group is your group of possibilities - the vast majority of people you know - or will know.

The first group is easy - we just work well, engage well and communicate well. We want to spend time with each other - we have, as a former boss of mine put it " an ability to come to violent agreement." It becomes easy to spend a lot of our time in this group - when you find a good friend, a kindred spirit at work, a fishing buddy, a loving spouse. And then it becomes so easy to close ranks. To stay in the comfort zone these special relationships provide. And in doing that, so many possibilities for personal growth may pass you by. I don't mean to imply we should coldly calculate the time and energy spent with our special people, but I do mean to stress the need to remain open to other relationships so you can grow - and add to that special group of friends and soulmates. This special group gives you the energy to grow - to become more than you have ever been - treasure them.

The second group presents a challenge. When you meet one of your negative 5 percenters, you know it. Chances of changing the chemistry between you are are poor, but the ability to keep perspective and work effectively with the negative 5 percenters can be critical to your success. Too much time spent with or focusing on this group will suck the energy right out of you, It will take your time and make it seem as if you have none. And yet, how often do we see otherwise rational people fixate on the negative 5 percenters, to the exclusion of the other 95 percent of the population. What a waste! Let the press make their living reporting on this group - they are so good at it. And if you're working for one - get out!

Then there are the 90 percenters - the vast majority of people with whom you work and live effectively. The accomplishment that comes from working with this group can keep you pumped. Think about it. Almost all the people you will ever meet will be possible friends - effective co workers - people you can play golf with, plan with - the possibilities are endless. Your time and energy can expand exponentially with this group - all it takes is optimistic expectations and a willingness to meet other people half way - and learn in the process.

Ask yourself where you spend your time. Treasure your real friends. Then find some more of that 90 percent, and grow. And, starting right now, don't let the negative 5 percent have more than a 5 percent effect on you.

Written by Andy Cox, President

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

Copyright 2007 All Rights Reserved

Success Tool - Looking Back to Look Forward

Huh? Success Tool? I thought you're supposed to stay in today, plan for tomorrow and forget about yesterday. "Happiness is good health and a short memory." So what's this about looking back?

A story - I was hiking in the Phoenix Mountain Preserve. It's very rugged with lots of trails. Two young women approached me and asked how to get back to where they had started. They were headed in exactly the wrong direction. I walked with them until I was sure they were on the right path. I suggested the next time they go hiking, they should turn around from time to time and look where they had come from - and pick out landmarks and trails. Doing that helps assure you won't get lost. In addition to a map, it's the best way I know to stay on course when you're in new territory.

Here's the Success Tool I call Looking Back. After the first week in any change you are going through, record your impressions, judgments and perceptions. It doesn't have to be neat - the only person who has to understand what was recorded is you. Put it away - and after a month, take it out and review it. And then record where you are after your first month, and put that away. Do this monthly for six months. When you go back and review your recordings, be prepared to be amazed at how far you've come and how much you've accomplished! See how much greater your understanding of people, processes and problems has become. See how much closer you have come to meeting and exceeding expectations - your own and others.

What does this Tool do? It's both a compass and a motivator. It helps you to celebrate the small successes that, added together, turn into big successes - and nothing motivates like success! It helps you know just how far you've come. It helps if course corrections are needed - if the successes aren't there - or if they don't meet your expectations.

In the rush to accomplish and solve and process and deal with the everydays, our individual accomplishments often go unnoticed and unrecognized. It's easy to forget what has led you to where you are now. Use this Tool to look back from time to time and gain the energy to go forward by seeing just how far you have already come.

Start today - write it down - make it one of your habits - never get lost again.

Written by Andy Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group LLC, 4049 E Vista Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85032 Ph: 602-795-4100; Fax: 602-795-4800; E Mail: acox@coxconsultgroup.com; Webiste; www.coxconsultgroup.com

Copyright 2007 All Rights Reserved

Assumptions - the Trap of Using Them to Predict Outcomes

Here is a story illustrating how beliefs we have create assumptions that can create their own set of issues and problems.

Having the freedom to choose, to me, is a very liberating idea. I first became really aware of the role choice plays in my responses and living while reading the perennial best-seller by Stephen Covey – “The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People” When I read the section dealing with choice, it struck me as a tremendously liberating concept, and one that, at that time in my life, I really needed to hold on to and make part of my own beliefs. The belief in choices went a long way to helping me get rid of a victim complex, and begin to understand my own freedom to choose.

Later, when I was conducting a seminar on leadership, the opportunity to introduce and discuss the concept of choice presented itself. The participants in the seminar were first and second level supervisors and managers for a large industrial company located in Atlanta. The response to the personal choice presentation and discussion was, at best, mixed. Some people looked at me like I was from another planet, some looked like they wanted to be somewhere else, and some seemed positively in agreement and accepting of the concept. Overall, the discussion of choice - that I had been so eager to introduce and so sure it would have enthusiastic support - contributed more negative than positive to the seminar.

After the seminar was over, I reviewed what had happened with a well known and respected seminar leader, and I mentioned the mixed response to what I felt was one of the most powerful messages in the seminar. Her answer was to tell me that in her opinion many people are not liberated by the idea of choice; that many people are threatened by choice; that many people are willing and even comfortable in letting others make choices for them; and that many people view the idea of choices more as a burden than as an opportunity.

That blew me away! But experience has led me to better understand what she meant. No wonder the idea of choice in investment decisions with Social Security funds met with such a mixed review by the voters – given the views of choice by many people in our society, that was a negative, not a positive.

Well, there went another of my assumptions – that choice would be seen as a good thing by most if not all people. That is an example of the kind of assumptions we make on a daily basis that lead us to predict outcomes and results - only to be disappointed.

I continue to believe in the power of personal choice, but I no longer assume others do. And I try to always examine my thinking to see if I have set up any minefields where I have used personal assumptions to arrive at conclusions. Good advice if you are a politician, or a leader, or someone looking to influence others to your way of thinking.

Written by Andrew Cox, President

Cox Consulting Group LLC

Phone 602-795-4100; Fax; 602-795-4800; E Mail: andycox@coxconsultgroup.com; Website www.coxconsultgroup.com

Copyright 2006 All Rights Reserved

Seeking Reality, A Crucial Skill

At a recent gathering of the Managers and VP's and C Level leaders in a large organization, they were all asked the question "If you had to rank yourself in terms of importance and contribution to our company of all the people at this meeting,, where would you rank ?" The responses were anonymous. 90% responded that they felt they were among the top 10%!! Time for a reality check.

Which brings me to the subject of this Blog. One of the key skills needed for success is to view reality as it exists - not as you wish it would exist, or want it to exist. That sounds pretty simple - it isn't.

A story: A new boss in a client company had all the education, experience, and industry knowledge to be really successful. He had the habit of assigning projects as they became obvious to him, without regard to the resources needed to get the job done. He saw clearly in his mind the need to act - and he was an impatient man. He saw there was so much to do, and so little time. Any attempt by the person assigned the project to negotiate a due date or modify the bosses assignment was met with anger and threats. So the assignee would tell the boss he would start work on it right away - because that was the only acceptable thing to say. The boss would go away satisfied that he would see results and get action - after all, the person he assigned the project said he would. He was able to report that huge progress was being made under his guidance.

After six months, this boss was stunned to find that all these projects were half done, or hardly started, or mired in lack of resources. He saw this as a challenge to his leadership. His reaction was to terminate some of the managers who had failed to perform, and bring in new people with "energy" to get things back on track. They didn't - the same things happened to them - and after eighteen months on the job the boss was fired - but not until he had cost a number of good people their jobs, and caused the business to suffer.

The moral of this story: Saying something doesn't make it so, no matter how hard you try. The personal skill this boss lacked was the skill to see things as they really are, rather than how they would be if his ideas were in place. This boss was so convinced of the rightness of his ways that he could not see the possibility that there may have been acceptable alternatives. His ego wouldn't allow it. The result was two parallel planets - his world as he saw it, and the world measured by results.

Success in any business enterprise requires a large dose of reality - both personally and organizationally. Take the time to inventory your view of reality. Check with people you trust, seek out facts that can't be disputed, seek out people that are outside your usual suspects, listen to what is said - and then challenge yourself and your perceptions to get closer alignment of your view and the reality of world around you. It's a crucial skill.

15 Competencies For Success

Over the years we asked leaders what competencies are essential to success in organizations. We received lots of answers, but the following 15 really cover so many of the essential requirements, we wanted to share them with you.

Dealing with ambiguity

Dealing with paradox

Integrity and trust

Strategic ability

Managerial courage

Managing vision and purpose

Negotiating

Learning on the fly

Command skills

Political savvy

Customer focus

Decision quality

Sizing up people

Innovation management

Building effective teams



The Cox Consulting Group LLC; Ph:602-795-4100; Fax:602-795-4800
E Mail:andycox@coxconsultgroup.com; Website: http://www.coxconsultgroup.com/
Copyright 2006 All Rights Reserved