Are You a Greek or a Roman?

I heard an intriguing comparison between the Greeks and the Romans. The Romans copied many ideas from the Greeks but the Roman Empire survived much longer than the Greek Empire. Perhaps the Romans learned from the Greek successes as well as their mistakes

The Greeks believed that it was honorable to die in battle. It meant that regardless of the conditions they must stand on the battle field and fight until they won or died.

The Romans wanted to win the war. That meant if they weren’t winning this battle they would withdraw, rethink and fight again another day.

Which are you and which would you rather be?

Perhaps you know some Greeks. They believe that they should honor their word at all costs. Being true to your word is a good thing. But what if you gave your promise while lacking important information, under duress or in a state of heightened emotion?

Many of us have made dumb promises. The most common one is “until death do us part”. Those promises were made in good faith at the time but things change. It’s not just marriage that can be a bad promise. There are many other promises that we make throughout life that might need to be revisited.

You can think like a Greek and stand fighting to death until one of you dies. Or you can be a Roman, retreat, rethink and fight a different battle. The Romans weren’t cowards. They were good strategists.

Sometimes we make impossible promises to a boss, customer or employee. We simply need to revisit reality, deal with the disappointment and move on. Some battles you can’t win today.

PS: This post isn’t meant to disparage people of Greek origin. The analogy seemed worth repeating. It’s ancient history and there might be a valid lesson in there.

PPS: Remember the 300 Spartans. They fought bravely and they all died.

George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker  
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Frank O’Dea interview on Business in Motion

Interview with Frank O’Dea on Business in Motion

Frank O’Dea is a business builder, philanthropist, author and motivational speaker
http://www.frankodea.com/index.php
——————

Who is Frank O’Dea?

Former skid row panhandler

Founder of Second Cup – which became the largest chain of gourmet coffees and teas in Canada.
Co-Founder of ProShred Security – a company that pioneered the entire industry of on-site document destruction

Author of “When All You Have is Hope”

In 1985 he co-founded Street Kids International, an organization developed to help homeless children in third world countries, through education and self-reliance programs. A few years later, he became the founding Chair of War Child (Canada), an organization that provides assistance against suffering and abuse of children in war affected countries. In the same year, Frank co-founded the Canadian Landmine Foundation, an organization that raises funds for the dismantling of minefields around the world
Officer of the Order of Canada
———————–
Insights from this radio interview

Second Cup started in 1975 selling dry coffee in bags to take home. That was a disaster.
So it morphed into selling gourmet liquid coffee by the cup.
Secrets about creating a new industry:
Find a place where no one else is. It’s risky. People will call you foolish. You need to be courageous and have a vision.
Currently building houses in Brazil. Lots of opportunity there.
I made lots of mistakes. That’s how I learned.
The longest I stay at something is 10 years. Then I get bored and move on.

The formula for success?
Hope – Vision – Action

Frank O’Dea

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George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker  
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Kathy Bardswick, The Co-Operators Group, Interview

Radio interview with Kathy Bardswick, President and CEO of the Co-Operators Group.

Kathy Bardswick has been with the Co-Operators for 32 years. She worked her way through various roles with the company. A working mom with four children she was inspired by her own mother (with six children) who encouraged her to pursue her dreams. Kathy earned her MBA at McMaster University.
—————————–
Inisghts from this interview with Kathy Bardswick

The Co-Operators is a co-operative that is owned by 47 other like-minded co-operatives.
Each owner owns an equal share. The share value does not change which means that the company does not focus on driving share value.

They are in the business of offering financial security for Canadians along with peace of mind for the ups and downs of life.

Co-operators was formed to meet unmet needs in 1945 by Saskachewan farmers who were unable to buy insurance from the traditional insurers.

It is run democratically in that everyone has a voice – yet people are held accountable.
A big concern and worry is the sustainability of our world environment and the quality of life. The increasing gap between rich and poor does not bode well.

Youth Sustainability Conference – an opportunity for students to leverage their passion for sustainability.
We have reduced our internal footprint by 22%. The next goal is 50% and the step after that is to be carbon neutral.

Listen to this interview with Kathy Bardswick

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George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker  
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Five Tips for Effective Feedback

Guest Post fron Liza Provenzano


As an HR professional, I’ve been engaged in many conversations in the workplace about the importance of feedback and what effective feedback looks like. However, one of the best examples of effective feedback that I’d like to share took place behind the bench at a hockey game. I have been playing women’s recreational hockey for about five years. While I grew up,  girls hockey didn’t exist. But, as an adult, I found an opportunity to take up the sport and get engaged in a game that had always intrigued me. I was a little nervous to start because I didn’t know the game that well but I could skate and I was eager.

The first season was fun but at times, I was frustrated because I wasn’t sure what I should be doing to improve. We didn’t have a coach behind the bench and unless a supportive teammate gave a suggestion here or there, I was left to figure it out myself. In our second season, we had a coach. He knew hockey and he loved teaching the game. As soon as I would complete a shift and come off the ice, he would give me feedback.  When I would step back on the ice for my next shift one minute later, I would feel more confident and knowledgeable about how to play this exciting sport.

If we look at this simple example, we can see the characteristics of great feedback.

• It is immediate. The coach’s feedback was much more salient when it was provided right after my shift as opposed to after the game and I could accurately recall exactly what play he would be talking about.
• It is specific.      He would refer to one play and be able to tell me exactly what I did, or didn’t do, that helped or hurt my performance.
• It is a source of recognition. He pointed out positive performance and I knew what to continue doing.
• It is constructive. In those shifts where I made a mistake, he didn’t sugar coat his comments but instead, outlined other options that I had in how could have handled the play and explained how those other options may resulted in better outcomes.
• It is quick. Hockey is a fast game and I wasn’t the only one that he was talking to behind that bench. He had to get to the point. It was a classic example of how “less is more”.

Finally, one of the most important aspects of effective feedback is that it is most powerful when the relationship between the person giving it, and the person receiving it, is based on trust and respect. In that hockey season, I knew that the coach was working hard to make us a better team.  In that climate, the recipient can be confident that the feedback is being given in the spirit of genuine support and care which will only serve to deepen the commitment one has to perform and give it their best.

Liza Provenzano is the Founder and CEO of SparkHR, a human resources consulting company that helps small and medium sized businesses achieve their goals by building productive, capable and engaged teams. To learn more about SparkHR, visit our website at www.sparkhr.cahttp://www.sparkhr.ca/.

George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker Listen to Business in Motion audio PodCasts On iTunes Business in Motion on Facebook

Do You Have a Black Book?

Keep a Mysterious Black Book - And improve your sales effectiveness! 

Guest Post from Jim Domanski

Call this a 'throwback' idea or tip but if you're serious about a career in sales and you want to continue to improve your selling skills and abilities (and subsequently) earn more, then keep a black book.

What's a Black Book?

A black book is literally a bound book of some sort or another (see some popular choices below) that you use to record virtually anything. It is a single and central repository of everything that is or could be important or significant to you.

9  Good Reasons to Keep a Black Book

1. Black books keep you more organized. Instead of having sheets here and there, notebooks here and there, smart phone notes here and there, your black book is the one place for everything. This means you can find everything you need. Use it for brief client notes, selling tips, ideas on prospecting, brain storming sessions on marketing, to do lists, doodling (yes, doodling), sales meeting notes, quotes (see the list below for more ideas). Everything and anything you might want to refer to or remember. It will save you time, frustration and hassle.

2. Black books keep you focused. You can record important things like your goals and objectives. You can use your book to create a daily "To Do" list. Note your priorities. Your book will keep you on task.

3. Black books keep you motivated. Use your black book to record your 'victories' or to list your dreams. Use them to record your results. Jot down inspirational quotes. Cut out pictures of what you'd like to buy or places you'd like to visit or scenes that inspire you. Tape them inside. Refer to them. Remind yourself of what you've achieved and what still lies ahead. Note your 'losses 'and 'defeats.' Jot down why you might have lost a sale. What did you learn from the experience? Were you prepared enough? Do you need to brush up on a skill? Should you be working on your product knowledge? You'll find it quite rewarding when you take personal responsibility.

5. Black books make you more creative. When a good idea pops into your head, capture it in your black book. Immediately. Craft some notes while the idea is still sizzling away. Go back to the idea later and expand on it. In this manner, you'll never lose the thread. (You can use your black book to "mind map" your ideas. Mind mapping is a way to more effectively tap into the creative, right side of your brain. Check the internet for Joyce Wycoff's book called "Mindmapping." It will literally change your life.)

6. Black books make you look...well...smart. This may not be a big deal for you but when you go into a meeting with your black book under your arm you immediately set yourself apart from the crowd. Look around. Half the people won't even be equipped with a pen or a pencil. People who count (bosses, executives, owners and the like) take note of someone who comes prepared. It elevates your status.

7.  Black books become your sales encyclopedia.  When you read or hear a good sales tip, jot it down or cut it out and paste it in your book.  If you listen to a speaker and you like what he or she says, put it in the book.  When you learn a new technique, grab a pen and write it out.  This simple act will help you retain the information better.  More importantly, you can go back and review your notes every month and remember those sales tidbits your forgot.  

8.  Black books make you mysterious.  Well...not really... but people will take notice and the WILL ask you about it.  Then you can show them how valuable it is. Pass the word. Do a good deed. All that stuff.  In any event, it's kind of fun because others get intrigued by it. 

9.  Black books create a legacy. I have black books dating from the late 1980's. Every now and then I haul out one or two. I see how I have progressed and matured. I sometimes see where I have regressed. Here and there are some really hare-brained ideas. But there are also some interesting insights. In any case, it gives me a sense of personal development and growth. I suspect it will do the same for you.

Use your black book to:

Here is a summary list of things you record in your black book. But don't feel constrained. Use it however you see fit.

•    List your sales victories
•    Stimulate thoughts and ideas
•    Record your yearly sales goals and objectives
•    Record your daily goals and objectives
•    Make notes about your clients
•    Take meeting notes
•    Take notes while on the telephone
•    Impress your boss with your thoroughness
•    Tape in articles of interests on sales ...or whatever
•    Paste in pictures that inspire
•    Write compelling quotes
•    List "lessons learned" from your mistakes
•    Jot down "Top 10 Lists" ( e.g., Top 10 fiction best books, best movies, best restaurants, best business books, best web sites etc.)
•    Create daily to do lists
•    Doodle and draw
•    Jot down dreams and ideas
•    Note your achievements
•    Draft proposals
•    Write down quotes ("Never, ever quit," "L'audace, l'audace, toujours l'audace!" etc.)
•    List strategies to develop new customers
•    List ways to develop your relationship with existing clients
•    Jot phone numbers and messages
•    Note questions or issues
•    Rate restaurants that you visited
•    Insights and observations on anything
•  Recipes (All Purpose BBQ rub)
•  ... you get the picture, right?
•  

Choosing Black Books

First off, black books don't have to be black. Color doesn't matter. It's what's contained inside.

Next, go to any bookstore and you'll see ever-growing displays of "Moleskin" books that are leather or cloth bound. More expensive, they tend to have a 'neat' look. People like Ernest Hemingway used them, so you'd be in good company. They come in different sizes and themes. Piccadilly make a less expensive version and it's just as effective. Check them out on line.

I have gone to art stores and purchased blank sketch books. These books are sturdy rugged things, and they give you lots of space to write, sketch, and map out your ideas.

But you don't have to get fancy. Your black book can be an inexpensive wire bound notebook that you can get almost anywhere for a few bucks. Doesn't matter. Whatever you like; an expression of yourself.

Black books or 'journals' are nothing new by any stretch of the imagination. Caesar had one (it was in a scroll format, of course). Napoleon had one too. Most professional golfers keep a version of a black book. Most great figures had a black book of one sort or another. I'll bet a lot of sales gurus have them as well.

Can your Smart Phone be a Black Book?

No. First off, it lacks the panache. (Look that word up). More importantly, they are not particularly good for extensive notes. Use your phone as a memo pad, not black book.

Invest in yourself today and you'll find yourself in good company.

Jim Domanski is president of Teleconcepts Consulting and works with companies and individuals who struggle to use the telephone more effectively to market and sell their products and services. Visit his web site at www.telesalesmaster.com or call 613 591 1998.

George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker Listen to Business in Motion audio PodCasts On iTunes Business in Motion on Facebook

Choose To Be Happy

Guest Post by WAYNE VANWYCK

“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” ~  Abraham Lincoln

 

When my daughter was about nine and preparing for school, she stomped her feet angrily and declared, “I hate static cling!” I laughed out loud, struck by the absurdity of this disgruntled pronouncement and I gave her a hug, “Static cling doesn’t care if you hate it. Being upset and angry at static cling will in no way change how it behaves. There is no use being upset. The question is, what can you do about it?”

Getting angry at something you can do nothing about is a waste of time and energy. It just makes you look foolish. The real question is; what can you do about it.

For years, in our programs, we’ve been teaching that if you don’t like something, you only have three reasonable choices:

1. Do everything in your power to change it.
2. Accept it the way it is.
3. Remove yourself from the situation.

However, although it makes little or no sense, many people choose a fourth response - they complain.

There are several common statements that slip into the conversation of the average salesperson:

• I hate traffic jams
• I hate technology
• I hate this lousy weather
• I hate this recession

Like static cling, these are conditions over which you have little or no control. Traffic, technology, and weather don’t care if you like them or not. Consider whether you can do anything to change what is irritating you. If not, accept it or remove yourself, because complaining is negative and demoralizing to you and the people with whom you share your grumblings.

Of course, there are circumstances over which you can exercise some control:

• I hate making cold calls
• I hate being stood up on an appointment
• I hate asking for referrals

It doesn’t matter if you like them or not! Can you do anything to change the situation? If you hate doing what’s required to be a successful salesperson, perhaps you’re in the wrong job. Change.

If you don’t like being stood up on appointments and it happens frequently, ask yourself what you’re doing that may be causing this. Are the appointments firm or tentative? Are you confirming them before you go? If you’re driving a long distance to this appointment, are you preparing a back-up plan, perhaps arranging alternatives if the appointment is a bust? Do everything you can to change the situation.

With allowances for clinical depression, most of us can choose whether to be happy or angry, satisfied or dissatisfied. We can observe the same situation through a different lens and interpret it to make us either happy or miserable. If you want to be happy, make up your mind to be happy. Why would you choose otherwise?

Choose to be Happy - Guest Post by Wayne Vanwyck of The Achievement Centre

George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker
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Business Language Gets Dumb and Dumber

Silly Business Buzz Words

Seth Godin called them tribes. Most of us are members of official and unofficial clubs. The people within the club share common interests or common characteristics.

Have you noticed that every club creates its own code words? Perhaps the “secret” code words help strengthen the appearance of a common bond. Sometimes the code is an acronym. Often it’s an overused cliché.

The unofficial club or tribe of business has more than its share of silly phrases and terms. Business seems to borrow many phrases from warfare and sports.

• Hit a home run
• The whole nine yards
• Dive right in
• Make a big splash
• Raise the bar

Recently I’ve heard the phrase “let’s circle back on that”. It sounds silly. I think they meant, “let’s discuss this later”.

"Impactful" is just dumb. It makes me think of a meter crater. "Think outside the box" is overdone and an example of not being creative. "Driving the bus" drives me crazy. 

Often those silly buzz words are repeated by staff as they mimic the boss.

And it looks like business schools are indoctrinating business graduates with those annoying terms during their education. And to think that it’s called higher learning.

Check this post to check your own language before your next meeting, presentation, interview or phone call.

The Silliest Buzzwords You’ll Encounter in B-School

After reading the list start noting the dumb phrases you hear or use. I dare you.

By the way, it's probably a good idea not to point out to the boss how silly he or she sounds.

The Silliest Buzzwords You’ll Encounter in B-School

George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker
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What is Strategic Thinking?

This question was posed in a Linkedin group.


What is Strategic Thinking?


This was my reply. 


--------------------
We only need a strategy when we want to change something. You don't need a strategy to stay the same.

Strategic thinking must be the ability to clairify the pain that you are willing to experience for the uncertain outcome.

-------------------- 


What do you think?



George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker
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15 Biographies Every MBA Student Should Read

Every MBA has an opportunity to make an impact on the business world in their own way, but first, it sure doesn’t hurt to find out about the greatness of others. Reading about the lives and work of business icons from both the past and present can lend a great deal of insight for your own career. Check out these biographies to discover the entertaining and educational stories of 15 great men and women in business.

1. The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life

   What does it take to become one of the richest men in the world? Get some insight from The Snowball, the story of successful investor Warren Buffet. You’ll find insights into not just his strategies for business and investing, but his personal life as well. Certainly a good choice for any budding MBA in search of wisdom from one of the greatest men in business.

2. My Years with General Motors

   Written by former GM CEO Alfred Sloan in 1963, My Years With General Motors has been regarded as a management classic for many years. So much so, that Business Week named it their top pick for their “bookshelf of indispensable reading.” Full of ideas for creative business management, Sloan’s biography is no less than a manual for managers. Read his story, and you’ll be able to better understand the basic concepts of the discipline of management, and how Sloan put these concepts to work to turn GM into the biggest company in the world after WWII.

3. Steve Jobs

   It’s no wonder that Steve Jobs was Amazon’s best selling book of 2011: it’s an amazingly insightful look into one of the most talked about men in business. The late Jobs is legendary for his creativity, innovation, and being notoriously difficult to work with. Apple fans, business students, and those curious about Jobs’ life will be satisfied with this biography that delves deeply into his life.

4. Call Me Ted

   Follow media tycoon Ted Turner’s story in this book, from dropping out of college to turning his father’s billboard company into an international media empire, and going on to become a champion in his personal interests of sailing and baseball as well. Written primarily by Turner himself, Call Me Ted also includes passages from those close to him, including family, colleagues, and competitors, all revealing how Turner has pushed through setbacks and learned how to achieve greatness in business and in life.

5. The Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie

   The hard work and frustrations of business school may have you questioning what the point of all this is, and Andrew Carnegie’s autobiography might just answer that question. As a man who amassed a great fortune, Carnegie famously put his money to work as a philanthropist. This book explains how he created organizations that allowed him to give away more than $350 million in his own lifetime.

Read the rest of this post at 15 Biographies Every MBA Student Should Read



George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker Listen to Business in Motion audio PodCasts On iTunes Business in Motion on Facebook

Contrarian or Team Player - Which are You??

Why We Need Contrarians in The Workplace

This article by Barbara Moses published in the Globe and Mail suggests that contrarians are valuable additions to every workplace team - whether they are appreciated or not.

But is a contrarian really appreciated by a group of team players? Are the two labels polar opposites, or is one a different shade of the other?

I agree with the position of the article that the concept of being a team player has been over hyped. I think to the point of blind obedience.

In my experience good team players:

• Go along with the rest of the group
• Are unwilling to offend others
• Do not place a high value on their own time
• Are willing to sacrifice results for group harmony
• Avoid embarrassment

In my experience contrarians:

• See things differently
• Ask bold and challenging questions
• Are willing to take a postition
• Are willing to oppose the group
• Accept that they will make mistakes

  

George Torok Host of Business in Motion Business Speaker Listen to Business in Motion audio PodCasts On iTunes Business in Motion on Facebook

Motivational Chicken and Egg

You know the old conundrum, “What came first, the chicken or the egg?”
One leads to other and one can exist without the other.

Well a similar conundrum exists when it comes to motivation. The question is, “What comes first the motivation or the motion?” Motivation and motion are closely related and interdependent. The words come from the same root. Certainly motivation leads to motion and motion builds motivation.

What comes first? It doesn’t really matter. When you feel motivated you will move into action – motion. When you are in motion already you will feel motivated – motivation. So if you don’t feel motivated – move. Do something. Start something. Get yourself into motion and you will start to feel more motivated. Doing things motivates. Resting seldom motivates you. Yes everyone needs a break but “break” is relative and a good break can just be a change.

When you want to feel motivated – move. Put yourself into motion. You might be surprised at how motivated you feel. We feel most motivated just after we have completed a tremendous task. Right after I finish a marathon I feel like I can run another (not right away of course).

So when you need some motivation – move. Try your happy dance.

© George Torok is a Canadian motivational speaker who specializes in helping business owners and professionals deliver their messages for better results. Visit his website www.Torok.com

The Business Transition Crisis – Book Review

Who is this book for?

This book is a must read for entrepreneurs and business owners who are thinking about their succession plan or drafting an exit strategy. Every business owner must plan for that transition. Unfortunately not everyone does. If you don’t plan your business transition someone else will make the decisions for you.


What is the urgency?

This book sounds a timely warning to the baby boomers within that group. Many of those business owners will be forced into a fire sale. Baby boomers have affected so many aspects of our culture and economy as they’ve grown older.

If you are a boomer you might recall the mortgage rates of the eighties hitting the high teens. I felt lucky to lock in at 14% for five years. Prices skyrocketed when boomers were ready to buy – and they will plummet when they are ready to sell.

This book offers some startling statistics. One that might chill you is “71% of business owners plan to retire within the next 10 years, yet only 7% have a written plan for succession.”

Imagine the financial, emotional and health tolls on the unprepared business owners. Perhaps the most traumatic issue for entrepreneurs is to let go of the business they built. That’s the case at the best of times. Imagine the pandemic when the massive baby boomer crowd decides to exit en mass. That’s the crisis.


Why should you read it?

The Business Transition Crisis is a good read for any business owner even if the only thing it does for you is to help you recast your business as a product – not as your baby. That major perspective shift is necessary for you to begin and successfully complete your transition.

The book continues to offer perspective checks and guidelines for the successful business owner. You can follow this systematic approach to prepare yourself and your business for successful transition. Even if you think that it’s too early to start planning your transition it will be worthwhile to read the book, address the questions and start preparing yourself for the process.

The book is written in a business-owner-talking-to-business-owner candor. Wayne Vanwyck offers you insights from his experience as an owner of three businesses. That includes lessons from his mistakes and successes. He reveals his own painful wakeup call that forced him to address his business transition.

The author provides insights from the interviews that he conducted with hundreds of business owners across North America. The excerpts from some of these conversations are revealing. Some examples will make you cheer while others might sadden you. In every case the lessons are clear and simple. This is reflective experience speaking to you.

If you are thinking about your business transition then this book is a powerful yet clear and simple step-by-step guide to personal and financial success. You are presented with probing questions that must be addressed at each step of the process. There are checklists, action lists and tips.

There’s help on how to build your transition team and ensure that all the relevant players are working for your best interest. The book introduces the intriguing concept of working with a Business Transition Coach. This is a role that offers more comprehensive support than one would receive from a lawyer, banker, accountant or business broker.

The book lists and explores several options of retiring from your business. In each case there are important steps you must follow to ensure the success of your health, financial security and important relationships.

The Business Transition Crisis is a book that every business owner needs to read before they retire so they can retire successfully.


© George Torok is the host of the radio show Business in Motion. He has interviewed over 450 business leaders. You can listen to those interviews free at http://www.businessinmotion.ca/ You can also listen to those Podcasts on iTunes. George is a motivational business speaker. Arrange a speech or presentation at http://www.business-speaker.biz/ or call 905-335-1997



Book review by George Torok

Learn more about The Business Transition Crisis