Tag: QREATIVITY

22 Ways to Make Negative Thinking Work for You

Inasmuch as positive thinking is a healthy, creative and productive approach to life, there IS something to be said about being the (occasional) Negative Nelly.

Wow. That was REALLY cheesy. Negative Nelly. I sound like Ned Flanders.

Whatever. Flanders rules.

Anyway, Negative Thinking – despite its bad rap – CAN have positive attributes.

When used and timed correctly.

Because…

Posing occasional questions underscored with doubt and skepticism is a healthy way to maintain objectivity and curiosity.

And that’s what leads to breakthrough thinking.

Negative Thinking – and, more specifically, Negative Questioning – is a protective measure. It’s challenging, counterintuitive and gives you permission to explore the downside without feeling like a Negative Nelly, Debbie Downer or Suzie Suckbag.

LESSON LEARNED: human beings NEED to have occasional negative thoughts.

So, in situations where you’re evaluating, planning, discussing or offering/soliciting feedback, consider asking people (AND yourself, too) negative questions.

Let’s explore 22 of them:

ASK YOURSELF…
1. What are my three most limiting factors?
2. What is the stupidest thing I could say?
3. What is the stupidest thing I could do?
4. What are the three most common mistakes made by people my situation?
5. What’s the worst thing that could happen?
6. What’s the stupidest idea I could possibly have?
7. What type of person do I definitely NOT want to become?
8. What negative addictions do I have?
9. Who can hurt me the most?
10. In what ways am I obsolete?
11. How could this negatively affect me?

ASK OTHERS…
12. What mistakes have you learned from?
13. What’s the absolute worst idea you could possibly come up with?
14. What mistakes did you make in your first year of business?
15. What was your last “what-NOT-to-be” lesson?
16. What are the common traits among those who have failed?
17. What was your last “what-NOT-to-do” lesson?
18. How could this negatively affect you?
19. What UN-motivates you?
20. What do you fear losing?
21. What has been your biggest failure?
22. What threatens your peace?

REMEMBER: it takes a positive person to make negative thinking work.

So, when used judiciously, asking Negative Questions can lead to some pretty cool break-diddely-ake-throughs.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are you positive enough to think negative?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share your three best Negative Thinking Questions here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

…only 20 more days until NametagTV.com goes ON AIR!

Clarify the type of conversation you’re having

One of the primary tasks of Growing Bigger Ears is to guide the conversation into focus.

To help the speaker clarify what type of conversation she wants to have with you.

You do this for three reasons:

FIRST, clarify to … open up the space.
People need to feel free and relaxed in your presence. So, by first negotiating the space between you, you make it safe to share. This builds a foundation of comfort and approachability that endures throughout the entire encounter.

SECOND, clarify to … to set expectations.
Without an initial understanding of your conversational objectives, you’ll never know whether or not you and your partner were successful. So, think of this practice as sort of a mini-goal for creating a harmonious climate.

THIRD, clarify to … establish boundaries.
Listening is a process of suspending your own agenda in the service of the speaker. So, when you know what your respective roles are – and what areas are off limits – you prevent yourself AND the speaker from wasting emotional energy.

OK! Now that you understand the value of clarifying, let’s explore five questions you can pose to help the speaker guide the conversation into focus:

1. What needs to happen during this conversation for you to feel that it was successful?
2. What type of conversation do you want this to become?
3. Do you want me to suggest ideas or just listen?
4. Is this a dialogue or a discussion?
5. How would you like me to listen to you?

CAUTION: be sure to pause for at least three seconds after every question AND answer. Let the pearl sink.

REMEMBER: when you clarify the conversation by asking future-focused, positive questions, you not only open up the space, set expectations and establish boundaries; but you also demonstrate your willingness to move forward together.

And that’s what approachability is all about.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
When you’re The Listener, what questions do you ask yourself?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share your best two questions here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

…only 21 more days until NametagTV.com goes ON AIR!

Here’s the story … of two inventors …

During the late 1800’s, two inventors had almost identical ideas for this AMAZING new transmitting device called “The Telephone.”

You can probably guess who ONE of those inventors was.

Alexander Graham Bell, of course.

But here’s a name that you might have heard before: Elisha Gray.

See, he actually recorded his schematics the telephone about six weeks before Bell did.

SO, YOU GOTTA WONDER: “Why is it that nobody remembers that guy?”

Well, Elisha Gray received a lot of criticism for his telephone invention.

Believing speech transmission to be a waste of time, the top technical journal of the industry, The Telegrapher, put down his idea.

“It is NOT a new idea,” claimed the publication, “…the telephone is an invention with no direct practical application.”

According to the (awesome) book They All Laughed, even Gray’s colleagues were unimpressed.

So, under the weight of criticism, he slowly started to give up on the idea that the telephone was a moneymaking enterprise.

Now, he didn’t give up totally. But he DID continue his research with heavy doubt.

Meanwhile, a determined young man named Alexander Graham Bell was still cooking up his idea for the same invention.

AND HERE’S THE CRAZY PART: although he had no affiliation with Gray, Bell’s initial sketch of the telephone was almost identical to his counterpart’s.

SO, YOU (STILL) GOTTA WONDER: “If Elisha Gray had the idea for the telephone first, why does Alexander Graham Bell always get credit for the invention?”

Well…

After constant legal struggle between the two inventors, the idea of the telephone was eventually deemed fair game for both parties.

So, on the morning of March 7th, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell walked into the Patent Office and secured his name as the official inventor of the telephone.

AND HERE’S THE BEST PART: later on that same afternoon, only two hours after Bell walked out with his patent, guess who walked in the door hoping to do the same thing?

You guessed it: Elisha Gray.

Too little, too late!

See, Elisha Gray didn’t show up in time, because he didn’t BELIEVE as much as Bell did.

He allowed criticism to stunt his creative momentum.

And as a result, he forfeited the opportunity to be recognized as one of the most influential inventors in modern history.

Two hours. That’s all it took.

What are YOU waiting for?

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What is your biggest creative regret in 2007?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Post it here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Consultants. Bah.

No systems. No formulas. Just someone who listens, asks KILLER questions and facilitates creative breakthroughs.

Rent Scott’s Brain today!

14 (Random) Keepers to Mold Your Melon, Secure Sales and Build Boundaries

Every have a bunch of random thoughts you need to get out of your brain and onto the page?

Me too.

So, here’s a list of 14 things I’ve been thinking about lately. Bon appetit!

1. Always think on paper.
2. Art comes through you, not from you.
3. Do everything creatively.
4. Do experiments everywhere.
5. Let experiences change you.
6. Premature organization stifles creative generation.

7. Customers become comfortable when YOU are comfortable.
8. The goal is to get them to learn it on their own.
9.. The listener controls.
10. Everything communicates something.
11. Foster customer activity.
12. Other people who do what you do have already miseducated your customers.
13. Help people get beyond their misconceptions.

14. Recognize threats to your ownership.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What are your three random thoughts of the day?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Post them here! (Also email them to me at [email protected] – I’d love to hear from ya!)

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Coaching, schmoaching.

No systems. No formulas. Just someone who listens, asks KILLER questions and facilitates creative breakthroughs.

Rent Scott’s Brain today!

4 Ways to Create a Question-Friendly Environment

People need permission.

Permission to open up.
Permission to request help.
Permission to offer feedback.
Permission to share their victories and mistakes.
Permission to volunteer information and voice concerns.
Permission to discuss workplace problems before they snowball.

Most importantly, they need permission to ask questions.

BUT HERE’S THE CATCH: your employees, affiliates, team members, students (or whomever else you serve in your organization) are ONLY going to give you credit for what they SEE you DO consistently.

Therefore, you must provide them with constant reminders that they work in a question-friendly environment. Here’s a list of four ways to increase the approachability of your organization:

1. Make anonymity optional. It’s important to give employees, customers and members the option to remain nameless. This will increase the probability of a question being asked.

For example, you could introduce an anonymous question box, (NOT a suggestion box, but a QUESTION box) or a secure online forum or a name changing policy for all questioners.

REMEMBER: people tend to speak up when their name isn’t on the line.

2. Diffuse defensiveness. Yes, it ALWAYS exists. Consider these suggestions:

*Instead of saying, “Does anybody have any questions?” consider saying, “What questions do you have?” It’s less threatening.

*Encourage people to write their questions on cards ahead of time and pass them to the front. This approach is less aggressive and diverts attention so people aren’t put on the spot.

*If you’re holding a group meeting, having a one-on-one interview or delivering a speech, make sure to say, “We’ll have plenty of time for questions at the end!” or “Feel free to ask questions at any time.” That way people can prepare themselves.

REMEMBER: your primary task is to make the other person(s) feel comfortable.

3. Post past questions. On your website, in your marketing materials and all around your facility/office/building, post lists of frequently (and infrequently) asked questions and their answers.

This tool accomplishes several goals. First, it’s a VISUAL representation of your question-friendly environment.

Secondly, it immediately addresses the key issues faced by the people you serve.

Thirdly, it builds a foundation of comfort and enables people to move past their primary concerns.

Ultimately, your employees and members will start to ask more specific, more penetrating questions, now that they’ve been given permission to do so.

REMEMBER: pose the first question and people will follow.

4. Be curious, not judgmental. This is the foundation of approachable managmenet. After all, “if people can’t COME UP to you; how will they ever get BEHIND you?”

So, honestly ask yourself: Are you genuinely curious to hear people’s answers?

If not, don’t bother asking. See, we live in a sort of “Gotcha” Culture. And it’s easy for people to assume that your questions are just a means to an end. Just a way to catch them in the act.

So, give signals to people that you’re their PARTNER, not PERSUADER.

Prove to them that questioning is merely a small part of the discovery process. That way, they’ll perceive your questions as helpful, not threatening; curious, not interrogating.

REMEMBER: ask with the intent to listen and learn, not to control the conversation.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How does your organization create a question-friendly environment?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share your secrets here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Wanna write a book?

If so, perhaps I could help on a more personal, one-on-one basis.

Rent Scott’s Brain today!

34 Questions to Keep Yourself Growth-Minded

As we approach the end of 2007, it’s important to ask yourself (and your team) Growth Questions.

So, grab a cup of hot chocolate, relax, and let’s start thinking about the future!

REMEMBER: growth, not comfort.

Enjoy!

1. Are you cloning yourself through teaching others?

2. Are you doing business at the level you want to?

3. Are you growth minded?

4. At what point are you making a living vs. building your business?

5. Does this client represent long-term business potential?

6. How are you being stretched and forced to grow?

7. How are you making sure that everything you do is leading to something else you do?

8. How are you typecasting yourself?

9. How can you duplicate yourself?

10. How can you use this to add more value to yourself?

11. How do you self-renew?

12. How often are you bringing in work that improves your skills and keeps you competitive?

13. In what ways are you currently obsolete?

14. What are the most important things for you to work on that will grow your business the fastest?

15. What are you building?

16. What are you doing in the next five years that’s going to set you up for the next ten years?

17. What are you doing to prepare for the next phase?

18. What can you do differently today to add value to your business?

19. What else does this make possible?

20. What is creeping up on you?

21. What kind of clients would you like to have in three years?

22. What kind of work would you like to be doing in three years?

23. What new markets should you be entering?

24. What percentage of your revenues this year came from products and services you didn’t offer three years ago?

25. What’s next?

26. What’s the movement value of this idea?

27. What’s your sequel?

28. When was the last time you brought new skills to your clients and prospects?

29. When was the last time you created new value?

30. When was the last time you entered a new market?

31. When was the last time you reinvented yourself?

32. When was the last time you upgraded your qualifications?

33. When was the last time your business embraced change and did something innovative?

34. Will it make your company more competitive?

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are you growth-minded?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share your Top 5 Questions for Keeping Yourself Growth-Minded here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Enjoy this post?

If so, perhaps I could help on a more personal, one-on-one basis.

Rent Scott’s Brain today!

Soften your eyes

Remember those Magic Eye posters from the 90’s?

They were totally cool.

You’d stare into the image.
You’d relax your eyes.
And eventually, a “hidden picture” would appear!

The scientific name for this kind of image is an autostereogram. They allow people to see 3D images by focusing on 2D patterns.

According to the Magic Eye website:

“Autostereograms produce an illusion of depth using only a single image. The computer-generated image repeats a narrow pattern from left to right. Then, by decoupling eye convergence from focusing operations, a viewer is able to trick the brain into seeing a 3D scene.”

Now, if you’ve ever found yourself staring at a Magic Eye poster for an extended period of time, you know how frustrating it can get.

Especially when one of your smarty-pants friends walks by and says, “Hey, look! A sailboat! Cool…”

This makes you want to yell, “No, shut up! I haven’t seen it yet! Go away!”

OK. Settle down. It’s just a picture.

ANYWAY, HERE’S MY QUESTION: what was the difference between your vision and your friend’s vision?

Simple: your friend softened her eyes.

See, we live in a hyperspeed, A.D.D., instant-gratification, advertisement-saturated culture. It’s information overload!

And millions of powerful forces are constantly vying for your precious time and attention.

So, “softening your eyes” is more than just a technique, it’s a philosophy. And it’s not just physical, it’s mental and spiritual as well:

It’s about slowing down.
It’s about noticing the novelties of life.
It’s about studying ordinary things intently.
It’s about making the mundane memorable.
It’s about being mindful of your surroundings.

AND HERE’S THE BEST PART: when you maintain a Soft Eyes Philosophy, three cool things happen:

1. You OPEN your mind to the world around you.

Which means your optical guard lets down.
Which means you’re less likely to neglect key opportunities.
Which means you’re more willing to accept multiple perspectives.

RESULT: more ideas for your business.

2. You OBSERVE patterns quicker and more frequently.

This enables you to make connections between seemingly unrelated things.
This enables you to notice things and give them names.
This enables you to have more creative thoughts.

RESULT: better ideas for your business.

3. You ORGANIZE your thoughts with ease and comfort.

Which helps you filter them through your personal theory of the universe.
Which makes them YOUR unique ideas and theories.
Which makes them easier to spread.

RESULT: word-of-mouth worthy ideas for your business.

All from Softening Your Eyes.

Now, as you’ve probably guessed by now, we’re not exactly talking about Yoga here.

(Although, physically softening your eyes is a great relaxation technique!)

So, if you want to put the Soft Eyes Philosophy into practice, consider this list of 13 leverage questions to ask yourself (and your team) on a daily basis:

1. How are these issues related to each other?
2. How could you use this as an example in your work?
3. How does this fit into your theory of the universe?
4. How does this have to do with your expertise?
5. How is this a symbol or example of you expertise?
6. What did you (just) learn from this experience?
7. What does this have to do with you?
8. What else can be made from this?
9. What else does this make possible?
10. What else is like this?
11. What is around you that you can use?
12. What’s the key idea here, regardless of the context?
13. What’s the Universal Human Emotion?

HERE’S YOUR FINAL CHALLENGE: if you truly want to LIVE this philosophy, try this. Write a few of these questions on sticky notes and post them all around your office!

By practicing QREATIVITY regularly, you will train your eyes to soften regularly.

And a result, EVEN in our crazy-busy, information overload culture:

You will slow down.
You will notice the novelties of life.
You will study ordinary things intently.
You will make the mundane memorable.
You will be mindful of your surroundings.

And you will develop higher quality ideas than ever before.

Even if you (still) can’t see that damn sailboat.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What have you recently discovered by softening your eyes?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share your revelation here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Enjoy this post?

If so, perhaps I could help on a more personal, one-on-one basis.

Rent Scott’s Brain today!

15 Ways to Avoid Writer’s (Thinker’s) Block

Writer’s Block is a myth.

There’s no such thing.

See, writing is merely an extension of thinking.

So, if you hear someone complaining about her insufferable “Writer’s Block,” what she’s REALLY complaining about is her “Thinker’s Block.”

Because she’s not asking enough questions.
Because she’s not taking daily time to think.
Because she’s not maintaining constant curiosity.
Because she’s not viewing the world through her unique lens.

Those are just (some) of the causes of Thinker’s Block.

But there’s more. And if you want to avoid it, remember these six words:

CREATE A CONSTANT STREAM OF IDEAS!

Here’s a list of fifteen ways to do so:

1. U NEED 2 REED EVERY DAY. This is the #1 reason people suffer from Thinker’s Block: they don’t read. (And no, US Weekly doesn’t count!) I’m talking about BOOKS. Old and new. Every single day. Also, I suggest reading more than one book at once. Keep reading material in your car, bathroom, briefcase, gym bag, desk and anywhere else you spend a lot of time.

2. Copy your notes. Don’t just read; STUDY! Take copious notes. Write related ideas in the margins. When you’re done, re-copy your notes onto your computer. Store them in a folder called “Book Notes.” Revisit them regularly to refresh your melon.

3. Write everything down. Writing is the basis of all wealth. And if you don’t write it down, it never happened. That’s all I have to say about that.

4. Everything communicates something. But are you paying attention? Probably not. And yes, it’s hard. Especially in such a fast-paced society. So, remember the words of Ferris Bueller: “Life move pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while – you could miss it.” What does your hurried lifestyle make you miss out on?

5. Soften your eyes. Literally AND metaphorically. It’s about slowing down and noticing the novelties of life. It’s about being more mindful of your surroundings. Studying ordinary things intently. Are you making the mundane memorable? (More on Eye Softening tomorrow)

6. Think on paper. That way you won’t have to remember anything. So, based on your learning style, use flip charts, whiteboards, voice recognition software, note cards or mind maps to record your thoughts.

7. Capture, capture, capture. Don’t (just) write stuff down. Take pictures. Rip articles out of magazines. Pick up trash and keep it. Save voicemail messages. Keep key emails and letters. Constantly update a folder full of scraps and ideas you jotted down on vomit bags three months ago. You never know when a bad idea might come in handy!

8. Write Morning Pages. These are the single best tools I’ve EVER discovered as a professional writer. They prime the pump, get the creative shanks out and allow your best material to surface. And if you make them a habit every single morning, you will NEVER have Thinker’s Block again. Read how to do Morning Pages here.
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9. Exercise every day. Aka, solvitas perambulatorum. Even if it’s just a fifteen-minute walk. It’s the best way to get the endorphins and dopamine flowing. Best legal high in the world. Best source of ideas in the world. Plus it’s, like, good for your health and stuff.

10. Easy Does It. Keep running lists of quotes, one-liners, great ideas, cool words, websites, pieces of advices and short thoughts. Start documents called “Quotes” and “Ideas.” Just list them and updated them daily. No explanations. Just list. By recording your incomplete, fragmentary association process, you stimulate and inspire highly saturated streams of thought.

11. Perpetually hunt for insight. Inspiration comes unannounced! And your constant stream of ideas flows everywhere. So, actively respond to life. Maintain childlike curiosity and ask, “Why?” to everything you see, hear and experience.

12. Prime your brain. Each morning, affirm that new ideas, concepts and thoughts will come into your mind. Maintain a receptive and creative posture for your mind. Meditate daily. Have daily appointments with yourself to mentally prepare your mind to accept ideas from all sources. Prime your brain and the ideas will come to YOU!

13. Stop organizing. Premature organizing stifles idea generation. Just get it down. Make lots of lists for EVERYTHING. Order comes later. First, puke everything out. Then, don’t stop until your cashed. Finally, review (and update) the list over time.

14. Ask and you shall receive. Questions are the basis of all creativity, discoveries, innovation, knowledge, learning and understanding. So, you need to have a readily available list of questions you ask yourself on a daily basis.

15. Punch yourself in the face. Consider writing your motivational questions on sticky notes or on your wall. By keeping them in front of your face at all times, you will challenge yourself AND keep yourself creativity accountable. Potential questions include, “What did you write today?” and “Is everything you know written down somewhere?” REMEMBER: questions are ideas waiting to happen. Learn how to punch yourself in the face here.

With these fifteen ways to create a constant stream of ideas, you melon will be motivated from every possible angle.

And you’ll never have to worry about Writer’s (er, Thinker’s) Block again!

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How do you combat thinker’s block?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share your tips here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Enjoy this post?

If so, perhaps I could help on a more personal, one-on-one basis.

Rent Scott’s Brain today!

38 questions that REALLY make you sit back and think

1. Are customers asking to buy a product you don’t presently sell? And if so, what does that tell you? And what are you going to do about it? Listen closely.

2. Are you making people WANT to stand in line and pay higher prices than they know they should? Think Nintendo Wii. Not customers; fans. And not satisfied or even loyal — insistent. Who loves YOUR stuff?

3. Are you the one with the most information? As Bill Gates said, “Leaders in business are the people and organizations who do an outstanding job with information.” How much intellectual property to you own?

4. Does this person enrich your life in any way? If not, ditch ‘em. Sure, it hurts, but you’ve got to be fair. To yourself AND the other person.

5. Does this statement give you any insight about yourself? It probably does. After all, you learn not from your experiences but from intelligent reflection upon those experiences.

6. How are you closing the credibility gap? Ask yourself this question daily. Because defensiveness always exists.

7. How are you helping your customers build their business? That’s really the end-goal. Improving the client’s condition.

8. How do you avoid being perceived as one-dimensional? You know, typecast. One hit wonder. One trick pony. After all, diversity is equity. What’s your sequel?

9. How long does it take for your ideas to become tangible things? Because ideas are free; but execution is priceless.

10. How many free samples of your work are out there? People need to see you doing what you do. That way, they’ll get hooked and think, “Cool! I want him to do that for me too!” Be like a Drug Dealer.

11. How many listening lessons have you taken? Poor listening is widespread. That’s why very few people can answer this question. And all it takes is a little Googling.

12. How many of your customers are seeking expertise elsewhere because they don’t realize you possess it? Ouch. Kind of makes you want to start blogging, huh?

13. How many thinking lessons have you taken? TWO WORDS: Edward DeBono. Read up.

14. How much time elapses between when your gut tells you there is tension (in a relationship, conversation, etc.) and when your partner hears you talk about that tension? Hopefully, as little time as possible.

15. How quickly do you take action on your new idea? Some people talk a big game. Others actually play in that game. Still, Shakespeare was right: action is eloquence. The choice is yours.

16. In what areas of your life are you most intuitive? A good thing to know about yourself. Also a good thing for other people to know about you.

17. In what ways are you currently obsolete? Ya big dinosaur. Come on. It’s 2007. Almost 2008. Get with the times.

18. Is your life working? Man. Think about THAT for a week.

19. What “does it” for you? For me: Tabasco Slim Jims, non-fiction business books with short chapters and mind-numbing action movies that may or may not star Bruce Willis.

20. What are the questions you (still) can’t believe your customers actually asked you? A great list to make with a few of your coworkers.

21. What are you becoming? Another homerun to think about all week.

22. What are you building? Maybe it’s a house. Or a family. Or an enterprise. Or a following. Or a church. Or a model train. But in the end, we’re all building SOMETHING.

23. What do you know that other people find valuable? Make a list of 101 of them. I triple dog dare you.

24. What do you know that people would pay money to learn? For example, if someone were to pay you $5000 for one hour of your time, what questions would they have to ask to get their money’s worth?

25. What else does this make possible? The ultimate leverage question. Ask daily. Because everything you do should lead to something else you do.

26. What have you recently UN-learned? Think about what you’ve been programmed, conditioned and taught to think over the years. How much of that is bullshit?

27. What ideas are you in love with that might prevent you from seeing clearly? This is especially difficult for artists. Especially when your ideas are your brainchildren. Be honest with yourself.

28. What kind of person do you definitely NOT want to become? A good suggestion is to take a look at the veterans of your industry. Look at their lifestyle, work habits and daily routines. Ask yourself if that’s the kind of person you want to become.

29. What personal skills have you not tapped into yet to add value to your customers? They exist. There’s something (or things) inside you that have not yet been used. Don’t waste them.

30. What personal skills have you not tapped into yet to build your business? Like, what are you really, really good at … that you aren’t presently being paid to do?

31. When was the last time you brought new skills to your clients and prospects? Competence is assumed, friends. Be sure to deliver new value regularly.

32. When was the last time you created new value? Last week? Last month? In 1997? Come on. Do something new.

33. When was the last time you listened, all the way through, to an idea that made you uncomfortable? It’s good for the soul.

34. When you realize it doesn’t apply to you; do you keep listening? Lots of people tune out the speaker in this situation. And that’s why they don’t learn much.

35. Where and when are you an automatic NO or YES? Worth making a list for this one. Something to carry with you at all times. Helps you become the world’s expert on yourself. REMEMBER: people respond to policies.

36. Which people in your life don’t respect your time? Ditch ‘em. Your time is the most precious commodity you have. Stop wasting it on people who don’t respect you. Let them suck the blood of someone else.

37. Who creates fires you waste time putting out? Not an easy list to make, but still a worthwhile investigation.

38. Who values you and your knowledge? Maybe it’s your readers. Or your staff. Or your family. Or a bunch of random strangers on the Internet.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s your best self-assessment question?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Post it here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Enjoy this post?

If so, perhaps I could help on a more personal, one-on-one basis.

Rent Scott’s Brain today!

The art is hiding the art

Michael Caine once said:

“Never let ‘em catch you acting. The art is HIDING the art.”

Great advice.

And you can apply this principle to a variety of situations:

Create marketing that’s SO fun, SO cool and SO participative…
That your market doesn’t even realize you’re marketing to them.

Sell your stuff with SUCH passion, SUCH comfort and SUCH service…
That your prospects don’t even realize you’re selling to them.

Perform SO effortlessly, SO naturally and SO emotionally…
That your audience doesn’t even realize you’re performing for them.

Write SO engagingly, SO well-architected and with SO much personality…
That your readers don’t even realize they’re reading.

Build community that’s SO organic, SO authentic and SO inviting…
That your members don’t even realize they’re members of an organization.

Of course, this isn’t about deception.

This is about just being yourself.

Delivering value in a way that detaches from outcomes. That focuses on finding flow in the process.

So, never let ‘em catch you acting.

The art is hiding the art.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are you seamless?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share your best suggestion for “hiding the art” here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

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