Overwork & Achievement    Motivational Speakers Are Not Enough . . .

 
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In this Issue

 

Hi Everyone:

    This month’s article is a short one. I know many of you will be heading off on vacation soon. At least, I hope many of you will be heading off on vacation soon. Some of you might feel guilty about relaxing and enjoying yourself when you could be working. Get over it.

    By the way, if you’ve got a question or an issue you’d like me to take a shot at answering here in the newsletter or if you've just got a comment or two you’d like to send along, please let us know.

All the Best,

Barry

Infinite To-Do Lists, Overwork and Achievement: Speaking of Motivation

By Barry Maher
    

            "For me, it wasn't a matter of not living the life I thought I should live," says Eleanor Adams, president of an international consulting firm. "I had no life. My days were filled with an infinite to-do list and a daytimer the size of the Manhattan phone directory. I was on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion. Then I finally realized that the purpose of my job is not perpetual motion without ever having a moment to think. The purpose of my job is to achieve results."

            The last time we talked, she said, "The better I get at what I do, the less I work." 

            Peter Drucker wrote that while being efficient means doing things right, being effective means doing the right things. But how many of us feel like the industrial designer who once explained to me, "We're far too busy around here to ever get anything done."

            Hard work is productive. Overwork usually isn't.  That's why we call it, "overwork."

            Organizational development expert, Thomas Quick, tells a story about a young man who was promoted to head the shipping department and had to work with an older and more experienced crew. After a few days, he cut a deal with them: if he didn't insist that they return to work immediately when their break ended, they would work harder.

            The crew's productivity increased by 20 percent. Then the new supervisor's boss happened to catch them sitting around a few minutes after the official end of their break. Summoning the young man into his office, he angrily insisted that rules were rules and enforcing those rules was what supervision was all about. He didn't want to hear any reasons for granting exceptions. 

            So the rules were enforced. And production dropped back to where it had been. The men lost, the supervisor lost and the corporation lost.

    Tactic: Focus on results not activity. Whenever possible, get your boss to do the same.

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© Copyright 2006, Barry Maher, Barry Maher & Associates, Las Vegas, Nevada


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Letters

Dear Barry:

I just wanted to say thank you for sending the newsletter. I first heard you speak on a company sponsored cruise to Ensenada, April 05. Keep up the good work

Great insight,

Great encouragement,

If you are ever in Tucson, then the beer is on me.*

*Disclaimer, this offer refers to sale price beer only, no imports, may be rescinded after first beer is purchased. Offer not valid in states using vowels in their names.

Christopher Lidberg

Thanks, Christopher. By the way, Christopher is a budding comedian we may all be hearing from one day. If you're ever in Tucson, check him out at the local clubs. Maybe he'll even spring for a beer, hopefully one with fewer restrictions. 

Hi Barry,

While I was doing my masters of engineering, I started subscribing to sales newsletters because I was struggling with motivation—or more precisely: a lack thereof. I heard sales was a good place to learn motivation. I started reading in sales and found I have an interest in it. In an attempt to do a career change, I decided to forego engineering and pursue a sales career in a copying company. The deceit that went on in that place was unbelievable—actually, you've been around—you'd know better than me what goes on in some places. What's worse is they considered it "telling stories" as opposed to lying.

Anyways, although I'm not in sales at the moment, I just finished reading your book, No Lie:Truth Is the Ultimate Sales Tool, and I just wanted to say thank you. "It makes sense."

Cheers,
Roy

Thank you, Roy. Not surprisingly, when done correctly, there’s nothing like honesty for building immediate trust. With a very little practice, it’s astonishing how easy it is to honestly present potential negatives in a way that builds credibility and makes the sale far more likely—whether you’re selling your ideas, your products or yourself. It's also the best way I know to sell more and to feel good about it, rather than feeling guilty.

Book Barry Maher to speak at your next event.

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Find out more about Barry's great book, No Lie: Truth Is the Ultimate Sales Tool.

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