Three Words of Advice: Ideas

(To read past posts in this series, check this out!)

Become idea prone.
By organizing your inner and outer landscapes.

Create idea-friendly time.
Where anything goes and nothing is judged.

Create self-evident ideas.
Because if they don’t “get it” right away, they never will

Express ideas visually.
It’s easier to infect others with your passion that way.

Hone multiple ideas.
Because there’s never ONE answer.

Ideas create money.
How many ideas did YOU come up with this week?

Just capture ideas.
Because if you don’t write it down, it never happened.

Make Idea Goals.
They’re just as important as your tangible goals.

Need crazy ideas.
To live, work and BE effectively and completely.

Present graspable ideas.
Because you’ve only got a few seconds.

Save bad ideas.
Because you never know when they’ll come in handy.

Sidestep idea grindhouses.
It’s not fair to your inner child.

Synthesize ideas constantly.
Because they’re all connected.

Transplant your ideas.
To multiple domains and dimensions.

Welcome wild ideas.
They’re healthy for the creative soul.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How many ideas did you have today?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “49 Ways to become an Idea Powerhouse,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

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

Is your frontline IN line?

Tune in to The Frontline Channel on NametagTV.com!

Watch video lessons on delivering unforgettable service!

Three Words of Advice: Avoid

(To read past posts in this series, check this out!)

AVOID

Avoid agenda pushers.
Because they don’t listen very well.

Avoid comparison shoppers.
Because they’re probably buying on price, not value.

Avoid eye rollers.
Because that’s when people stop listening to you.

Avoid fitting in.
Because you will get noticed, get remembered and get business.

Avoid hideous headlines.
Because it’s not good for your brain (or your heart).

Avoid lumping indiscriminately.
Because it’s dangerous to compartmentalize every person you meet.

Avoid mass anythings.
Because ctucan TOTALLY tell.

Avoid mental censoring.
Because you’re burying some good stuff.

Avoid outdated frameworks.
Because they stop you from thinking.

Avoid self-satisfied contentment.
Because you’ve never arrived and there ain’t no finish line.

Avoid stale eyes.
Because they miss all of the nuances, anomalies and patterns that lead to breakthroughs.

Avoid stock phrases.
Because customers can TOTALLY tell.

Avoid telegraphing interest.
Because it projects a needy, seeking attitude.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What do you always avoid?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “37 Things (not) to Do This Year,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

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

Is your frontline IN line?

Tune in to The Frontline Channel on NametagTV.com!

Watch video lessons on delivering unforgettable service!

Three Words of Advice: Listen

(To read past posts in this series, check this out!)

Listen behind words.
There’s always something (else) being said.

Listen for intent.
It may explain why they said what the said.

Listen to listeners.
That’s a great way to learn.

Listen to yourself.
Because you’re pretty sharp.

Listen without advising.
Especially if people didn’t ask for it.

Listen without defending.
It’s a form of emotional reactivity, and it builds walls.

Listen without distractions.
Duh. That’s just good manners.

Listen without labeling.
Since objectivity is best attitude for solving problems.

Listen, don’t fix.
Because people don’t like to be fixed.

Listen, don’t jump.
Just chill. Stay grounded.

Listen, don’t think.
Do you think too much?

Listeners build confidence.
In themselves AND in the other person.

Listeners don’t bulldoze.
Because that isn’t listening, that’s interrogating.

Listening builds friendships.
Which of your friends is a GREAT listener?

Listening is growing.
Your soul, your creativity and your ears.

Listening is loving.
Jesus was right.

Listening is lubrication.
Which allows the conversation to flow with ease.

Listening is marketing.
Wow. Imagine that.

Listening is midwifing.
Allowing the other person to give birth to her own understanding.

Listening is persuasion.
Because the listener controls.

Listening is questioning.
Pointed, creative, open-ended, penetrating and challenging questioning.

Listening is selling.
Which is ironic, since most salespeople SUCK at listening.

Listening means business.
Yeah dude. No more messing around.

Listening means discomfort.
For the sake of the other person’s comfort.

Listening reduces mistakes.
If you don’t know, just ask!

Listening shocks people.
Which is odd. It’s so rare that it’s actually BECOME remarkable!

Listening takes self-control.
Of your words, of your emotions and of your agendas.

Listening takes work.
But it’s not a performance.

Listening, not solving.
Solving is an agenda, and agendas block listening.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are you (really) listening?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “27 Reasons People Aren’t Listening to You,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

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

Is your frontline IN line?

Tune in to The Frontline Channel on NametagTV.com!

Watch video lessons on delivering unforgettable service!

Three Words of Advice: Encouragement

(To read past posts in this series, check this out!)

Encourage aggressive mistakes.
Because mistakes reveal individuality and demonstrate courage.

Encourage creative dissent.
Because blindly agreeing doesn’t get us anywhere.

Encourage customer candor.
Because they know where you suck.

Encourage direct interaction.
Because in a commoditized market, the key differentiator is service.

Encourage honest self-evaluation.
Because if you can’t be honest with yourself, who CAN you be honest with?

Encourage input early.
Because it prevents snowballs and covers all your bases.

Encourage intellectual freedom.
Because that’s where innovation grows.

Encourage reluctant people.
Because they probably have the best insight.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s your secret to encouragement?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “79 Questions Every Manager Needs to Ask,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

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

Nobody talking about your business?

Bummer. Perhaps I could help on a more personal, one-on-one basis.

Rent Scott’s Brain today!

Three Words of Advice: Conversation

Great news!

Today I’ll be starting a new post series called Three Words of Advice.

The idea for this project came about sort of accidentally. See, over the past few years I’ve been collecting chunks of advice in three-word form. (You may remember this post from last year.)

Then, in the past six months, I’ve been working on a series of … well, they’re not fully articles, not really essays, not exactly poems … I don’t know what they are.

Guess it doesn’t matter.

But, they’re based on some of those chunks of three-word advice that have been helpful to my personal and professional life.

Anyway, the structure is something a little different than what you’re used to reading on my blog, so, enjoy!

(For future reference, www.threewordsofadvice.com will contain links to all posts in this series.)

Such as…

Encouragement

Listen

Avoid
* * * *

Communication, not information.
They’re NOT the same thing.

Conversation, not argument.
Too much resistance becomes counterproductive.

Conversation, not interrogation.
This isn’t Law & Order, partner.

Conversation, not lecture.
They need to participate and contribute.

Critique, don’t criticize.
Or else they won’t come back again.

Demonstrate, don’t assert.
That way they won’t become defensive.

Dialogue, not debate.
Organic, two-way conversation.

Disagree, not disagreeable.
One is fair, the other is annoying.

Don’t accuse, inform.
Stay objective, non-judgmental and calm.

Don’t hear, listen.
That means NOT talking.

Don’t inform, form.
Do so, and information will be incidental.

Don’t listen, understand.
Major difference between the two.

Don’t talk, DO.
Because action is eloquence.

Don’t do, BE.
Because who you ARE speaks louder than even action.

Editability, not accountability.
It’s more inviting and less threatening.

Encounter, not confrontation.
Because humans naturally avoid conflict.

Insinuate, don’t impose.
Let them give birth to their own understanding.

Listen, don’t fix.
Because people don’t like to be fixed.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s your secret to successful conversation?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “5 Ways to Use Conversations as Laboratories,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

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

Nobody talking about your business?

Bummer. Perhaps I could help on a more personal, one-on-one basis.

Rent Scott’s Brain today!

69 Mini Philosophies on Just about Everything

Since this is my final workweek of 2007, I’m going to post a ridiculously long list … every day. Be sure to check back all week!

And, don’t forget to read the other ridiculously long lists in the series:
101 Lessons Learned from 2007
101 Ways to Create a Powerful Web Presence
123 Questions Every Marketer Must Ask

But for now:
69 Mini Philosophies on Just about Everything

1. Survival, then bounty.
2. Customers, then problems.
3. Breathe, then respond.
4. Generate, then organize.
5. Intentions, then goals.
6. Meet, then move.
7. Pace, then lead.
8. Practice, then preach.
9. Renovate, then innovate.
10. Sell, then make.
11. Survival, then bounty.
12. Whether, then how.

13. Open, but particular.
14. Trust, but verify.
15. Welcoming, but choosey.
16. Informally, but clearly.
17. Challenging, but achievable.

18. Analysis AND synthesis.
19. Observe AND describe.
20. Smart AND alert.
21. Duplicate AND multiply.
22. Force AND momentum.
23. Glory AND gory.
24. Invent AND reinvent.
25. Participate AND reciprocate.
26. Read AND reference.
27. What AND why.
28. Within AND without.

29. Artistry over mechanics.
30. Form over function.
31. Character over credentials.
32. Totality over singularity.

33. Assert without rejecting.
34. Cancel without consequences.
35. Give without credit.
36. Inquire without supposing.
37. Listen without distractions.
38. Listen without prejudging.
39. Protect without imprisoning.
40. Self-assertion without guilt.
41. Travel without plans.

42. Respectful, yet firm.

43. Access isn’t presence.
44. Activity isn’t results.
45. Aloneness isn’t loneliness.
46. Autonomy isn’t solitude.
47. Biography isn’t destiny.
48. Codependence isn’t intimacy.
49. Difficult isn’t impossible.
50. Education isn’t knowing.
51. Evidence isn’t proof.
52. Faith isn’t fact.
53. Humility isn’t weakness.
54. Information isn’t communication.
55. Information isn’t wisdom.
56. Listening isn’t corresponding.
57. Motion isn’t progress.
58. Obvious isn’t easy.
59. Quitting isn’t failing.
60. Reading isn’t believing.
61. Respect isn’t weakness.
62. Satisfaction isn’t retention.
63. School isn’t education.

64. Diagnose before prescribing.
65. Huh? before Aha!
66. Humanity before statistics.
67. Percolation before fruition.
68. Planks before specks.
69. Value before price.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What are five of your best mini-philosophies?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Post your lists here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Orthopraxy, not orthodoxy.

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

Rent Scott’s Brain today!

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Tag: three words of advice

Three Words of Advice: Ideas

Three Words of Advice: Avoid

Three Words of Advice: Listen

Three Words of Advice: Encouragement

Three Words of Advice: Conversation

69 Mini Philosophies on Just about Everything