Over the past few months I have been facilitating 3.5 hour diversity training sessions around the state of Iowa. The topic of diversity is an interesting one as it is something that most people don’t think they need, but they have many opinions about. There are many different tactics to use to embrace diversity, create an environment of cooperation, and resolve conflict, but the foundation of it all is respect for one another.
Here is a great ‘feel good’ video where differences are accepted and friendship rules. We can all learn something!
Rise up this mornin’,
Smiled with the risin’ sun,
Three little birds
Pitch by my doorstep
Singin’ sweet songs
Of melodies pure and true,
Sayin’, (“This is my message to you-ou-ou”)
Singin’: “Don’t worry ’bout a thing,
‘Cause every little thing gonna be all right.”
Singin’: “Don’t worry (don’t worry) ’bout a thing,
‘Cause every little thing gonna be all right!”
– It’s a dog eat dog world out there. As hectic as life can get at times it’s absolutely critical to have good people around you that:
Understand you
Respect your values and beliefs
Support your mission in life
And occasionally sing you sweet songs and melodies pure and true
If you have read my blog and listened to my radio show you have heard me organize life into four areas:
Health
Finances
Relationships
Careers
I feel the area that is the most critical and can significantly impact the other three is relationships. When we set goals in the other three areas: Health, Finances, and Careers we can become successful and fulfilled by setting our goals and with our individual actions. Granted people are probably involved in each area, but in most cases we don’t have to be dependent upon anyone else for happiness, success, and fulfillment.
With relationships, we have to work directly with other people. Other people who probably have different:
Values and beliefs
Perspectives on the world
Reasons and methods for doing things
Goals
A difference in any of these areas can lead to disconnection with in a relationship, be it personal or professional.
In ’7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ Covey talks about reaching the stage of interdependence. This means that we approach the world around us understanding that our best chance of becoming a highly effective person is to work with others as we are working toward our goals.
He also talks about the concept of ‘Toxic People‘. Toxic people are like poison. They stifle or prevent you from being who you want to be and living the life you want to live. Our ability to make wise choices with the people we surround ourselves with on a daily basis can make all the difference in accomplishing our goals and living the successful and fulfilled life we deserve.
In this song, the “Three Little Birds” represent those people in your life that help you be the person you want to be. The are supportive and encouraging. They want what is best for you!
We live in a crazy-fast paced world and sometimes it’s easy to forget and ignore the three little birds are in our lives are. We also forget that we have people in our lives who depend on our sweet songs and pure and true melodies.
“Don’t worry ’bout a thing,
‘Cause every little thing gonna be all right.”
This morning I was bouncing around YouTube watching videos of successful speakers. Earlier this week, social media expert Mike Sansone recommended that I watch videos of Guy Kawasaki as he is a great speaker and has done a great job at branding himself and his business. So I hop on YouTube, do a search for Guy Kawasaki, and a number of his videos come up. The first one I clicked on was a 3 minute clip of a session he did at Stanford University.
He was talking about entrepreneurship and his message resonated not only with me and what I am trying to do in my business, but a perspective I am trying to help my clients gain as I work with them.
Guy’s message was: Make Meaning, than Make Money!
“My naive and romantic belief is that if you make meaning, you’ll probably make money. But, if you set out to make money, you’ll probably not make meaning AND you won’t make money.”
He says the core reason you should start a company is to Make Meaning.
I say the core reason you should live your life is to make meaning. Guy continues to give three ways entrepreneurs can make meaning when they are starting a business. I think the same could be said for each of us living our lives.
Increase Quality of Life.
Live to increase the quality of life, for not only yourself, but everyone around you. Be motivated to change the world! -
Right a Wrong - There is so much BS in the world that we don’t need to add to it. Help change something, help prevent something, or at minimum don’t create more BS. Understand what is important to you and live accordingly! -
Prevent the End of Something Good - Life is so fast paced that great things come and go, as do not so good things, but what if the good things never left. Look around you and recognize all the good that is happening and do your part to ensure they continue.
If you read the papers, websites, or watch television it doesn’t take very long to see opportunities for change. But, what are you doing about it? Average people like to play ‘Monday Morning Quarterback’. Average people like to piss and moan about things like they know what they are talking about, but they don’t get off their butts to help create change.
I came across some interesting statistics regarding employee performance. Take a look at the information below, as well an example below that. - The concept of employee engagement is so intangible it is hard to put into numbers and measure. This information does that and really shines a light on the importance that organizations become more and more intentional with their people strategies.
Hire people who are the best fit for your company and open position. -
Develop people based on their needs, rather than a one size fits all leadership approach. -
Promote based on job match, rather than tactical success.
Take a look at this:
Unskilled / Semi-skilled Workers*
Average workers output = 19% more than Non-producers
Superior workers output = 19% more than Average
Superior workers output = 38% more than Non-producers
Skilled Workers*
Average workers output = 32% more than Non-producers
Superior workers output = 32% more than Average
Superior workers output = 64% more than Non-producers
Management / Professional Workers*
Average workers output = 48% more than Non-producers
Superior workers output = 48% more than Average
Superior workers output = 96% more than Non-producers
-
What if this were your organization? -
50 Unskilled/Semiskilled Workers who are Average Performers
Average Salary of $20,000 per year = $1,000,000
$1,000,000 x 19% = $190,000 in lost production -
25 Skilled Workers who are Average Performers
Average Salary 0f $40,000 per year = $1,000,000
$1,000,000 x 32% = $320,000 in lost production -
10 Management/Professional Workers who are Average Performers
Average Salary of $60,000 per year = $600,000
$600,000 x 48% = $280,000 in lost production-
Total Loss in production of $790,000
It doesn’t pay to settle for average! -
-
*Source: “The validity and utility of selection methods in personnel psychology: Practical and theoretical implications of 85 years of research findings” Psychological Bulletin, Sept 1998, Vol. 124, No. 2, pp 262-274.
