Think Outside The Box - Develop Your Inner Voice

Thinking outside the box comes in lots of different sizes - from the smallest to the really big, sweeping, high leverage things. And while the really big, important changes that occur get the most attention, and are the most sought after, the sum total of all the little changes and habits of thought that happen every day are what lead to the really big stuff. And that's where our inner voices play such a big role in helping us think outside our boxes.



A story on myself that occurred in the last week - titled:

The Faucet and the Headlight

The Faucet: For some time, the kitchen faucet had been leaking, A pain in the butt. I replaced the whole unit about a year ago and here it was - once more - leaking and causing problems. The only solution was to go to Home Depot, get the repair kit, disassemble the faucet and correct the problem. That was on my to - do list for weeks - the faucet only leaked while in use so I kept a towel wrapped around it to absorb the leakage. Yesterday, my inner voice said " Andy, before going to Home Depot, take another look. Could it be something else?" I did - it was. The fitting for the flexible hose was leaking - a few turns with a pliers to tighten it - no more leak.

The Headlight: My wife's car was repaired after a front end collision. The right low beam headlight began to go out intermittently. I took it back to the repair shop - they said it was a loose connection, and fixed it. Not. So I checked the connection. I pushed the connector in as hard as I could into the headlight socket - and it worked - for a little while. The next step was to take it to the dealer to get it fixed - and probably replaced. I took another look. I had been pushing the connector into the socket as hard as I could. My inner voice said " Andy, how about pulling on the connector rather than pushing it in as hard as you can?" I did, I heard a little click - and the headlight now works fine.

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How often do we let a particular course of action become the only way to do something - even when outcomes are telling us it's not working? How often do we become so focused on a particular solution that we don't seek out the little adjustments that can make the difference between success and frustration? How often do we become convinced of the rightness of our ways and not seek help from outside our little self - made fortresses? If you're like me, that happens a lot. And most times it's OK, but thank goodness my inner voice called to me about The Faucet and the Headlight - my inner voice saved me time, money and energy.



Cultivating our inner voice - listening to it in the little things, creates a habit of thought that helps us use that skill in the big things as well. Being able to step back - define alternatives - take a different look - ask for and accept input from others - ask the "What If's" and the "Something Else's" - trust our inner voice - are the behaviors of successful people.



I'll bet you can think of your own Faucet and Headlight stories. If you're like me I smile and shake my head and use what I've learned from them to keep reminding me to stay open to possibilities - on all levels.



In addition, I'm feeling pretty good right now - no faucet leak and no trip to the repair shop. Life's just a little bit better - thanks, inner voice.

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://multiplysucces.blogspot.com/

Copyright 2007 All Rights Reserved

Think Outside The Box - Take The Time To Look Up

Think outside the box. How do I do that? I suggest you take the time to look up

A personal story to illustrate my point:

On the Deerfield River, in western Massachusetts, fly fishing, and so intent on the cast, the drift, the possible take, that nothing else mattered. Nothing. And it wasn't going well. No strikes - a fouled leader, snagged in a tree. Damn! All the equipment and fishing bad spirits seemed to be aligned against me. What was I doing? Why was I here?

And then something made me look up. And I looked around. And what I saw was a glorious fall afternoon - high clouds in a blue sky, a river lined with mixed hardwood and pine forests, bright, clean, moving water that glittered with light from the reflection of the sun. The river partially in shadows.

And then something magical happened. Fly fisher's call it 'the hatch" - the time when insects that have lived underwater for a few months to a few years swim to the surface, and become winged insects.

First one at a time, and then by the hundreds, then by the thousands, these flies came off the water, glowed in the sun, and helicoptered into the trees, where they would metamorphose into the last stage of their life, and return to the water, and lay their eggs. Many didn't make it off the water - trout started eating them - and showing their location. The fly fisherman's dream.

And I took a deep breath, and just stood there - loving every minute of being in this special place at this special time.

I'd like to say my fishing fortunes changed - they didn't. But I fished on until it was too late to see, and the late fall temperature had dropped to the point where I could see my breath, and a mist was coming off the water. I loved that day - and I've had a lot of them since - and most of them have had nothing to do with fly fishing.

That day taught me a valuable lesson. I started to look up - not just when fly fishing, but at other times. Things I had seen as chores I found had value that I had not thought of before. Presentations I had been making to groups in the company I worked for took on a uniqueness that had been missing. Routine things I had to do became opportunities to think and process complex issues.

I was learning to look up and see the opportunity, the value, the utility of things I had seen as objects and obligations. It helped me get through some very tough times - it still does. It helped me think outside the box - although I have a hard time explaining exactly what that means. But we all know it when it happens.

We can all benefit by taking the time to look up. and see things in a different light. It doesn't have to take a lot of time - some of the best insights and value shifts can take place with lightning speed. And they don't have to be giant shifts. In fact, very little in our lives creates big shifts in values, attitudes, behaviors, skills. But those little shifts - taken by looking up and seeing what has always been there, are what can make our lives so much richer - in whatever way we define that term.

Try it - look at something you are doing right now - think of it in different terms. Perhaps it's value to others; it's contribution to your enterprise; it's value to your family and to yourself. If you're stuck in the thick of thin things - perthaps some of those thin things - things you have seen as having little importance to you - can be seen as something different - something with impact and value. You'll be richer for the exercise. You'll find your own Deerfield River - your own special place. Then make looking up a habit of thought - think outside your box.

Start today

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 2007 All Rights Reserved

How To Earn Respect

There's a secret to gaining respect - one that I had the good fortune to learn early in my career - and from a most improbable source. The secret to getting respect is to give respect.

Read on to see how that lesson was taught to me by a very special person.

Early in my career I was Branch Manager of a temporary help service. The largest part of our business was done in the Labor Division. The workforce was made up of day laborers - men who had fallen on the hardest of times. They were paid by the hour, and could receive a daily draw against wages earned. For most of them, working and getting the draw was the difference between having food and shelter or going hungry and sleeping in the Mission - or worse.

Every morning at 5:30 AM our office would open, and in would file the men looking for work.There were as many as a hundred who waited, drank free coffee, and hoped to be assigned and dispatched to a job. Many were assigned - some were not.

Early morning was a time when lots of bad things could happen - anger at not getting assigned - anger at perceived insults - anger at competitors for the same job - anger at life - and anger at being treated poorly by the full time staff. The result had been a number of fights, knifings, and one attempted shooting. Those problems resulted in a decline in business. I was sent there to correct the situation.

Our product was the labor that these men performed. It was definitely in our best interests to maintain a positive relationship with our own people. Unfortunately, many men left for jobs feeling angry, patronized and disrespected. Some never showed up at their assignments, others walked off the jobs, some forged their time tickets.

Observing the situation for a week I could understand why the men felt that way. They were patronized - they were treated as the bottom of the barrel - they were not given any reason to feel valued. And when one was publicly humiliated - and that happened too often - they all felt that humiliation. The only thing most of these men had left was a shred of self respect - or at least the need to feel respected. When that need for respect was abused, when it was not recognized, bad things happened.

The first step to change occurred when my boss gave me a sign to put up in the office- visible only to the full time staff. It said "There but for the grace of God, go I." A constant reminder of the thin line between good fortune and bad fortune.

And then we set up four rules that full time staff were required to follow:

1 - Every man who showed up for work, regardless of his condition or qualifications was to be addressed as "Mister" followed by his last name. First names could be used once the person was known. The use of any abusive name, description or nickname was prohibited

2 - Any discipline would be done confidentially, and without the use of abusive and demeaning terms

3- No assignments that were known to be unsafe would be accepted

4 - Assignments would be given on the basis of length of service, ability, past performance and availablility.

Those were the rules. Some full time staff had a problem with these simple rules - they were replaced.

Into this environment walked a man named Riley Bentley. Mr Bentley was an African American - like about half of our workforce. He was big, muscular and an intimidating looking and acting man. He had a silver earring long before they were popular, and he had a "keep away from me " manner. He was sober, he had no problem filling out the application, he looked you right in the eye. He was hired. From the first day, every job he was sent on resulted in excellent reports. He would come back every night, get his draw, and leave. No talk, no socializing - nobody messed with Mr Bentley.


He worked for us for about six months, then, like so many others, he stopped showing up. We had customers tell us if he came back they wanted to know - so they could get him back. Hard to imagine a man with his capabilities and no obvious vices not having a full time job.

After a three month absence, Mr Bentley walked back in. I was running the Labor Office - it was hard to get and keep full time staff who would obey the rules and treat the men properly, and when they left or were fired, I filled in. I was glad to see Mr Bentley and I told him so. He had lost some weight, but he was still the strongest, hardest working man we had. One night, Mr Bentley came back to the office just before 6 PM - closing time. He looked me right in the eye and said I could call him Riley. I said that he should call me Andy, and we shook hands on it. He walked with me to my car after I had closed up - I asked him if he needed a ride - he said no and kept walking. That became a regular thing. He would arrive at the office just before closing time after working hard all day - and then chat with me and then walk me to my car and head off into the night.

And then Riley was gone - and I hoped he had found a full time job - he deserved one.

A few months later Riley was back, thinner, but still as strong as ever. I noticed he perspired a lot, even though it was fall and cold and he did not wear a jacket. While he was gone we had gone through two new full time staff - and I was back to opening and closing the Labor Office. Riley resumed coming in every night and spending time leaning on the counter and looking out to the street while we talked and I took care of business. Part of the business was paying the men in cash. We kept a large sum of money in small bills for that purpose. We had a safe but it was so busy during the after work hours that the money was in the safe, but the safe was kept unlocked. Anyone could have come in and held me up. Riley could have turned me upside down and taken the money and there would have been no way for me to prevent it. I think Riley read my mind. One night he told me the reason he always stayed until I locked up and why he walked me to my car was to thank me for showing him respect - and his thanks was to provide me with his personal protection. I was ashamed for my concerns - and glad I had Riley - our office was in a very tough part of town.

Riley worked a few more weeks - he seemed to be in distress when he came in at night - perspiring heavily, shivering, but he persisted. He would not discuss his physical condition, and he would never accept a ride or any other kind of help.

And then he was gone. A few weeks later one of our regular men came in and told me Riley had been found in his room - in a chair - and he'd been dead about a week. I was stunned, and saddened, and sorry about the loss of my friend - because we were friends, in our own special way. Riley had given me his protection as his way of expressing his respect. I had given him respect because it just made sense - on a personal and business level, to recognize the humanity of our people. I was repaid a hundredfold for that by Riley.

Ever since that time, Riley Bentley is in my prayers - and he always will be.

Riley taught me the secret to gaining respect. The secret has stayed with me since that time. It's pretty simple. The secret is you get respect by giving respect. I will be forever grateful to Riley for that lesson.

There are other elements to gaining respect, such as keeping your word, making good on commitments, honoring what you promise. But aren't they all part of giving respect? I think so - giving respect is the cornerstone to getting respect.

In your own life, take the time to recognize people that you may have passed by. There's a saying " The true measure of a person is how they treat someone who can do them no good nor any harm." We all can profit from remembering that saying, and making it part of our daily self talk and behavior. And if you're really lucky, maybe you'll find a Riley Bentley in your life.

Start today.

Written by Andy Cox

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

Copyright 2007 All Rights Reserved

Eight Bad Assumptions We All Make, and How To Remedy Them

Assumptions have the potential to get you in trouble - big trouble. The assumptions that are the subject of this article are the ones we make based on our own behaviors, attitudes, and skills. We start by assuming that others think, act and have skills similar to our own. In fact, each of us is so unique that assumptions based on behaviors, attitudes and skills will result in being wrong at least 70% of the time.

An example:

A client had a manager who was highly intelligent, very energetic, demanding and always looking for new approaches to problems. Not a bad combination of attributes in a manager. He was also firmly convinced of the rightness of his ways. The business he was managing was in crisis - it needed firm direction. The problem was the frequency of new initiatives. He would direct his limited staff to new issues requiring action and resources on a weekly basis. The stretched thin, survival trained staff did all that they could to keep up -but they invariably fell behind. Lots of balls in the air - lots of activity - no additional resources. The manager assumed that since he had instructed his people on what to do that they were doing it - and they were afraid to tell him the truth.

He assumed his people would act the same as he did when his boss told him to do something. He would make his bosses request his first priority, and do whatever had to be done to get it done. He assumed his people would do the same when he made the same kind of demands.

That was a bad assumption.

He was very proud of all the things he was doing to turn this business around, and for the first few months, progress - measured by activity - was good. And then the cracks started to show. Shipments delayed, quality issues, turnover of critical people, earnings estimates missed. His response was to turn up the pressure to get the things done that he had assumed were either done or well on their way to completion. He was stunned to see that very little had really changed. His people were bogged down - too many balls in the air - too many things to focus on. He was fired.

So much of what had happened could have turned out differently, if he had assumed less, and verified more.


What follows are eight of the most common assumptions we all make in our work- every day. They have the potential to be fatal to our careers. The assumptions, a short narrative and a suggested remedy for each follow.

Assumption 1 - My boss and I are on the same page.


The newer the relationship, the better the chance that this assumption is wrong. Often very wrong.

Remedy - Ask your boss to write down the 3 to 5 most important things that you must do , and you do the same. Exchange your answers -being in agreement on 2 to 3 out of 5 is very good.


Assumption 2 -My people and I are on the same page.


Once again, the newer the relationship, the better the chance that this assumption is false - and really dangerous.


Remedy - Do the same thing with your people that you did with your boss - do the boss thing first.

Assumption 3 -I shouldn't have to ask.


Why not? Every one else has to. The very idea that other people should know what to do or how to act is so far from the truth that many, many relationships are destroyed by the assumption that someone should know enough to keep you from having to ask.


Remedy - Ask. If asking sticks in your throat - and it does for a lot of people, read the "Aladdin Factor" by Victor Hansen. Terrific book

Assumption 4 -People will do what I tell them to do.


Not necessarily. There are lots of reasons that they may do something other than what you anticipated. More pressing work, a misunderstanding about what is to be done, conflicting priorities, you name it, it exists.


Remedy - Create goals with the end in mind. Then communicate the goals, then hold regular updates - formally or informally, depending upon the culture of your organization.

Assumption 5 - People see things the same way I do.


Not true. Put a group of people in a room - show them the same picture. Watch the different interpretations, conclusions, ---. And yet they were all in the same room - given the same instructions - looked at the same thing. Amazing.


Remedy - Create goals that clearly state the result and the steps to take to reach it. Involve the people who will participate in meeting the goal in the development of the goals.

Assumption 6 -My managers have all the freedom they need to accomplish their goals.

Probably not. Reminds me of a highly experienced manager hired to run a Canadian acquisition of a US. His boss, the CEO, told everyone he had complete authority. Actually, he couldn't approve even a $10 expenditure without corporate accounting's approval. As soon as that became apparent, he lost a lot of influence with his people. The CEO said accounting had to be involved. His idea of involvement, the new manager's and the accounting department's take were very different. It never got resolved. The new manager resigned after 6 months .

Remedy - This is where the bureaucracy needs to be checked carefully. The boss assumes their people have the same approval and indirect reporting relationships and understandings as they do. Not. The boss needs to lead in developing effective, consistent working relationships up, down and sideways for their people.

Assumption 7 -People who speak with conviction are experts on the subject. Not necessarily.

Often the person speaking the loudest and with the most conviction is in fact drowning out the real expert who doesn't share the same behavior profile.

Remedy - Make sure all have the opportunity to voice their contribution. Be skeptical of all inputs until all the players are heard. Don't let anecdotal feedback overly influence the decision. How often have we all heard about the mysterious "they" that said something and it got play way out of proportion to its value and substance? Check any newspaper for examples of that dynamic.

Assumption 8 - People will see the same opportunity the same way I do.

No they won't. In fact, roughly 70% of the population will see consequences and problems before they see opportunities - if they see them at all. That leaves 30% that may see things the same way you do - not a high percentage. Both consequence and opportunity people are valuable, contributing people in every organization - value both inputs.


Remedy - Be sure to communicate what you see as the opportunity in terms of your people's interests. And be sure to listen to and value the issues and problems the pessimists will bring up - better to get them on the table than have them fester in the group without recognition or resolution.


Assumptions can be the biggest hurdle every manager and leader has to overcome in their career. Assumptions made about them, assumptions they make about others, all have low probability of being accurate. Start by checking your own thinking against the 8 assumptions stated in this article. Then act to replace them with goals and comunications that align effort with expectations. Start today.

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 2007 All Rights Reserved

Leaders Know High Expectations Lead to High Performance

Leaders know high expectations lead to high performance. Leaders know that the more people believe in themselves, and their leaders believe in them, the more they will accomplish - at all levels.

We often think of leadership in terms of the Jack Welch's; the leaders of the military; the leaders of our government and institutions; the leaders of our industries. But leadership doesn't come in any particular wrapper - it shows up all over the place.

Let me share a story of real leadership:

A young girl, in second grade in a small town in Wisconsin was tested and classified as a below grade level student. That designation put her in an educational wasteland. Not much expected of her, not much effort spent on her development. Her parents discovered she had a vision problem - she had been accommodating it by memorizing everything. It caught up with her in second grade. Her parents fixed the vision problem. Her parents talked to the school, but they were firm in their decision to keep her in a below grade level class. The young girl had a hard time thinking of herself as being as good as other kids - after all, her school said she wasn't up to standard. And now she was the only kid in class with glasses.

After this young girl had completed fourth grade, her family moved to California. It was a good time to let this young girl catch her breath academically, and so she repeated fourth grade. No onus on it - she was in a completely different place.

And then the stars aligned and this young girl met the leader who would take her to a new place in her life.

Her fourth grade teacher was Mrs. Kruger. A former military nurse who had been in the South Pacific during WW II. No nonsense, firm, tough. On parents night she warned all parents to let her students be accountable for their actions. If a student forgot their lunch, don't bring it to school. They won't starve. Let the kids know they are responsible for their own actions. There were no below grade level kids in Mrs Kruger's world. The young girl did forget her lunch early in the year. She came home hungry, but she never forgot it again.

Mrs Kruger taught from high expectations. If an assignment was turned in that didn't meet her expectations for that student, they got to do it over, and over, and over - until she was satisfied that they had done their best work. The young girl was forced to redo her work often, and she didn't always like it. But the work she turned in after being forced to redo it was always better for the extra effort - and she saw that - and knew hard work resulted in accomplishment.

There was no horseplay in Mrs Kruger's class - no disrespect. She simply would not let it happen. Her class was a demanding, but safe place for her students to learn. She was energetic, critical, optimistic, and a wonderful teacher for this little girl. Her students respected and feared her - although she never threatened or used force of any kind. She just demanded her students do their best - even if they weren't convinced they could do better. And when they did, she recognized them with praise.

After a year with Mrs Kruger, this young lady had achieved a three grade level improvement in reading, writing and arithmetic. It wasn't easy - she worked really hard. But she knew she had performed - and what a change that made in her feelings about herself.

From that start - from that year with Mrs Kruger, this young woman went on to Honors Level classes in high school, to graduating from Boston College, and to getting her Masters in Special Education from Simmons College in Boston.

We're very proud of our daughter- and we're very thankful that she had the opportunity to spend a year of her young life learning from Mrs Kruger - a true leader.

There are so many qualities that a leader may possess - but the qualities of optimism; of demanding and expecting the best; of rewarding accomplishment; rank at the very top of the leadership list.

Take a look at how much you expect from yourself - and from others. If there is room for improvement, think of this story of Mrs Kruger, who made such a difference in our daughter's life - and then go out and make it happen.

Do it today. We all can be Mrs Kruger in our own way.

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 2007 All Rights Reserved

Leaders Use Goals To Know When More Becomes Less

Leaders use goals to know when more becomes less. Leaders know there is a place where further effort, energy, knowledge, people resources and money don't really add much additional value. In fact, more of anything after a certain point may be stealing from other requirements. Leaders know time, money and effort, by themselves, are really inefficient measures - results are what count. And knowing what results are needed avoids the "more is less" trap.


Leaders know "more" can keep you stuck in the same place long after you've achieved most of what's really needed. "More" creates a comfort zone based on activity that tells us there is more to be learned - more to be prepared - more to be added. Leaders know that that comfort zone is an illusion, and that goals create action - they keep us from fooling ourselves into believing activity is accomplishment.


A personal example of what I mean:


Whenever I need information - for a client, a prospect, an article - I really dig in and search all kinds of resources to become really prepared. My searches have the potential to lead me deeper and deeper into a subject - or wider and wider into alternative subjects or information. The opportunities for research are endless - and so tempting. That must have to do with my high Theoretical value. I really value information for its own sake. I feel like I'm really accomplishing things as I acquire more and more knowledge. More is better - or is it? Problem is - even the most expert of experts have to set research aside - and act - if they are to become better known, better appreciated and better compensated. And if the search for "more" gets in the way of acting, then "more" is definitely less. I protect myself from that trap through goals.


Another example from my vast archives of "more" not being better:


An exercise I do daily is a hand grip exercise. I started doing it about five months ago when I felt my grip needed strengthening. I use the kind of gripper that has a spring that is squeezed until the handles touch. At the beginning it was a real effort to reach 30 reps for each hand. My goal was to reach 60 reps for each hand. I'm now up to 90 reps for each hand, and I hold the 90th rep for 60 seconds. I know I can do more if I persist, but I don't. Why? I'm way beyond my goal and I think I've reached the point where more is not better - the additional time I could use on this one exercise can be better used on something else - like converting my 24 pack abs into a six pack. In this case I've decided more would be a poor use of my time and energy. Now for the abs.......


On a work level, how often are we persuaded that more is better? In some cases, more is definitely better - like in more quality sales calls. But in other cases, like gaining more information before acting, or spending more time on preparation, more may be less. And that's where goals come in. Goals that measure results, not effort, create a climate of action - action to reach a measurable goal. And then consciously assessing the value of exceeding the goal.


Leaders know the biggest enemy of "more is less" is perfection. Perfection may be a worthy striving, but many careers have gone down the tubes by letting perfect get in the way 0f good. When taking more time to prepare for that perfect presentation, when just one more test may yield the data to make a perfect product, when the acquisition of knowledge, or money, or expertise, keeps action to meet a goal from happening - more is less.


In Harry Beckwith's book - "How To Sell The Invisible," he says "Don't let perfect get in the way of good." When I'm tempted to take the time and effort to make very good become perfect, I stop. And if I'm convinced that what I have done is very good, I tell myself to stop seeking more, and I act to complete whatever it is I'm doing. And how do I figure out what is very good? Goals.


In creating goals, resist the temptation to create them based on the best of intentions. Base them on hard headed, clear requirements to meet the larger goals of the enterprise. Can they be an improvement on performance levels already attained? Of course. But know when to say "enough," and go on to other equally important goals. Defining "enough" is the secret leaders use to ensure "more" doesn't become less.


Take a look at your own goals, habits of thought, behaviors and attitudes. Identify where you can use "more is less" in defining your own actions and success. I suspect you will find, in your analysis, that there are areas - right now - today - where you can change so that perfect doesn't get in the way of good.

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 2007 All Rights Reserved

Focus On Creating Possibilities To Achieve Success

Focus on creating possibilities - it's the way to achieve personal success and organizational success.

That conclusion came to me the other day - a day I fooled myself into believing was highly productive. I had been busy - worked hard - got a lot done. But I didn't feel like I had really accomplished very much. I had organized, managed, read, prepared and drafted a whole lot of stuff - but something was missing.

Have you ever had that feeling? Worked your butt off and got so much done - great way to fool yourself into thinking what you did was really important. And yet you felt something was missing.

If you accept that interdependence is the highest and most effective form of working and accomplishment, then spending a whole day on independence just doesn't make it.

I read a book on cold calling by Stephan Schiffman called " Making It Happen Before Lunch." In it he says: " Dwell in possibility, there is always a door somewhere waiting to be opened." What a great thought!

That's when I put my finger on what was missing - I hadn't created any possibilities for myself. I had made things more organized, more accessible, more updated, more effective - but I couldn't count a single possibility created that day. Not one.

It occurred to me that I have lots of days like that. I'm highly organized and have a high Theoretical value and attitude. I know that about myself. They are good things, but they can be traps, as well. It's so easy to seek out more information - for its own sake. It's so easy to be sure everything is in its place. Not bad things - unless they take up the space that should be reserved for creating possibilities.

For me a possibility is that first step created by action that may result in being of service to a client - to helping them increase their success in selecting, retaining, developing and enhancing the performance of their people. It could be helping a manager become a leader. It could be helping a person or organization to plan and implement change. It's hard to create those possibilities while I'm organizing, reading, acquiring, preparing.

Focus on possibilities, in my case, requires overcoming or controlling my instincts and attitudes. It doesn't mean abandoning what I like - gaining knowledge and keeping things organized. It does mean creating a habit of thought of focusing on possibilities - honest to God possibilities. Finding those doors Schiffman talks about, then opening those doors and walking into a opportunity to be of service to people and companies.

We all have to create our own possibilities - for some it's second nature. For others - like me - it's definitely a learned process.

How to do it?

Start with optimism. It's so much easier to believe in possibilities as an optimist. That's a challenge for about 70% of the population - the 70% that have a habit of thought that thinks consequences rather than opportunities.

For all the pessimists, start every day with the thought that something good will happen today - if you make it happen. Keep telling yourself that.

Once convinced that there are doors waiting to open - whatever that means to you, then carve out the time and energy to find those doors

Create goals that keep you focused on possibilities. Make a promise to yourself that every day you will take an action - or actions - that will create possibilities. A phone call, create and post a blog, a website posting, a Letter to the Editor, a lunch with a long lost friend, a call to a complete stranger, asking a friend for help. But in every case - reach out!

Write down your accomplishments when you create a possibility - then see how many of those possibilities you created can be made into opportunities, then into relationships.

Build on your success. Be convinced that the more possibilities you create, the more doors are going to open - and think about how great it will be to step through into opportunities.

Don't ignore what you are drawn to - trying to be what you're not creates enormous stress. Make what you are drawn to do part of your possibility goals.

Realize that every day new possibilities can be created - they are there for the asking - what an exciting idea! Start today.

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

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