Are You or Your Team Entitled (WT489)

Are You or Your Team Entitled (WT489)

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by Shirley Dalton | 8 Nov, 2019 | Blog, Business

WT489 Are You or Your Team Entitled

This week’s thought might be a bit provocative.

I was chatting with a colleague recently who had just returned from a trip to the Philippines. We’ll call her Leanne. 

She had been investigating outsourcing some work to a company over there and had visited some of the outsourcing companies.

As we chatted she remarked how surprised she was to hear how much the employees of the companies wanted their companies to do well. They really wanted them to become massively successful on a global scale. When she enquired about the reason, they said simply, “It means we have a job for life and can take care of our families.”

Leanne was taken aback. The workers were so grateful and had simple needs. They valued their families and they enjoyed music.

Leanne couldn’t help but notice the difference between the Filipino and Australian culture when it came to work.

“The only word I can think of to describe some of the Aussie workers is entitled,” she said.

“There is little accountability and I might get taken to a tribunal if I dare to ask someone what they’ve been doing for the day or the week, or worse, the more the success the company enjoys, the more the workers want a cut. It’s almost like they question helping you build the business. Contrary to what most people believe, the majority of business owners work very long hours and are not rich.”

Wow, I could see that this trip had really affected her and as much as I hate to admit it, I too have seen that entitled attitude appear from time to time.

How about you, are you or your team entitled?

How about we all make a conscious effort to be grateful for what we have. Being grateful for what we have, even if we don’t particularly like where we’re at, is the quickest way to move out of it onto something better.

My challenge to you this week is to notice and record all the things you can be grateful for right now.

Planning is Essential (WT488)

Planning is Essential (WT488)

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by Shirley Dalton | 1 Nov, 2019 | Blog, Business

WT488 Plannning is Essential

Ever have one of those weeks or months when you keep hearing or seeing a message? 

I’ve had a few of them lately. 

The first message came from a member of our online membership program, he reminded us that Planning is Essential but Plans are Useless. 

The reminder was appropriate for the discussion we were having at the time and I left it at that. 

Fast forward a week or two and one of my mentors mentioned it in his weekly training, Planning is Essential but Plans are Useless. 

Three times lucky, this week I heard it again when we had to evacuate the park we were staying in to escape the north coast fires. 

“Ok, maybe I need to have a look at this,” I thought to myself. Let’s dig in. 

Here’s what it means to me. Let me know your thoughts and experiences. 

Without a plan, I have no idea where I am going. I have no focus, no direction and certainly no timeframe. I don’t know what action to take nor what to prioritise, or who to work with, so planning is essential. 

However, plans are useless because much of the time we find ourselves not sticking to a plan or changing a plan before we’ve achieved our outcomes. 

The curious thing about this is that the universe always has our back and at times when it seems like we aren’t getting what we want, the universe knows better and in the long run, it always turns out for the best. 

I remember years ago we went away for a weekend to develop our 5-year plan for our carpet cleaning business. We were really happy with where we wanted the business to go and were excited to implement the plan.

A few weeks later we met with some friends and were sharing our 5-year plan. They asked us a couple of key questions and by the end of the meeting we had decided to sell the business.

“Whoa! How did they happen?”

Turns out it was the exact right thing that needed to happen in order for us to move forward with some other goals we had. Planning is essential, plans are useless.

At the time I was upset and disappointed and I think I gave up on planning. Over the last few weeks I’ve been reminded of the importance of planning and getting into some sort of action, in order for the universe to work with us, to help us achieve our goals, even if they turn up in a different way to what we envisioned. 

How about you?  Do you have stories where this has happened for you?

Are you a planner or an avoider?

If you’ve been avoiding, perhaps this is the message you need to hear (read) to get you into action so the universe can work alongside you to give you what you want.

And for Ross and I, we’ve made a clear decision to find our piece of paradise on the Australian East Coast. I also have a vision for being a Lead Trainer in Australia for David Bayer’s coaching. It’s one of the most exciting transformational methodologies I’ve come across – ever. We’ve worked out a plan, and we’re working the plan. I can’t wait to see how the universe tips that upside down in order to deliver on our vision.

Strategy Vs Belief (WT487)

Strategy Vs Belief (WT487)

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by Shirley Dalton | 25 Oct, 2019 | Blog, Mindset

WT487 Strategy vs Beliefs

Jordan was recounting a story where he had met with his mentor. 

His mentor had given him some advice about how to resolve a situation. 

As I listened to Jordan I couldn’t help but wonder about the success of the suggested strategy. 

You see, I knew Jordan quite well. 

I knew that he knew that the mentor’s advice was correct and that he should take the action as suggested. 

I also knew that Jordan had a few limiting beliefs that were in direct opposition to the advice. 

Here’s an example: Let’s say you want to increase your income by $10,000, $100,000 or $1,000,000. The amount is irrelevant. You learn some sales strategies. You learn how to advertise and market your business or yourself (if you’re employed) and after a while you start to get disappointed because nothing is working. You haven’t increased your income at all. You’ve taken the action as prescribed. You were given the strategy from someone who had successfully implemented it. Why then, didn’t it work for you? 

The reason is because you have a limiting belief (maybe an unconscious belief) that “Money is hard to make” or similar. 

Your beliefs trump any action you take. Your beliefs trump any strategy. 

In this example, if you believe money is hard to make, then money will be hard to make. In other words, you will likely sabotage yourself. You’re setting yourself up for failure before you even begin because you are not aware of the beliefs that are holding you back. 

This is why it so very important for you to discover your limiting beliefs so you can change them and use a technique known as neuro sculpting to rewire your brain so that your beliefs are in alignment with what you want to achieve. 

As for Jordan, the mentor’s advice and strategy were spot on, however they didn’t yield the results Jordan wanted because the real work Jordan needed to do was to discover and change the limiting beliefs. That’s another conversation and not one that everyone is open to. 

Speaking of which, if you would like to know more about discovering your limiting beliefs and why things may not be working out for you, reply to this email and we’ll set up a 15 minute complimentary call.

Time is Irrelevant (WT486)

Time is Irrelevant (WT486)

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by Shirley Dalton | 18 Oct, 2019 | Blog, Business

WT486 Time is Irrelevant

We hear people talk of time management and self management. 

There are any number of consultants and trainers that teach strategies for getting the most out of your day; remember we all have 86,400 seconds in a day and they can’t be banked. 

One of my mentors, David Bayer explains that, “Time is irrelevant but timing is everything”. 

What he means by this, is that there is no advantage in becoming overwhelmed with our To Do Lists. 

From a spiritual point of view, life corresponds with us. If there is something you earnestly desire and have a vision and belief that it will manifest, then all you need to do is to what you can do in a day, moving toward your vision and then surrender the rest. 

What you will mostly find is that many of the things you think you need to get done in a day, don’t have to get done, otherwise you would have done them. 

For the things that you didn’t get done, the universe will meet you half way and often help out with either new information that gives you an easier way to do it or you find it didn’t need to get done at all or someone shows up to help. 

As an example, I was freaking out about all the things on my To Do List and worrying about how and when I was going to get my accounts in order for the end of the quarter to be able to submit my BAS (an Australian requirement to submit tax collected on behalf of the government). 

Out of the blue my bookkeeper emailed me and asked how I was going with the accounts. Did I need any help?  Yes please.  She was able to get me an extension of time as well as help to complete a few of the tasks. 

Next time you’re freaking out and feeling overwhelmed, remember, simply get done what you can get done in the day and surrender the rest. Time is irrelevant but timing is everything.

What Can a Dog Teach You about Leadership (WT485)

What Can a Dog Teach You about Leadership (WT485)

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by Shirley Dalton | 11 Oct, 2019 | Blog, Leadership

WT485 What Can a Dog Teach You About Leadership

The past few weeks, we have had the opportunity to “dog sit”. It has been a fantastic experience, especially when it comes to implementing the leadership training I provide for others.

The first night was a bit rough. I am assuming the dog was missing its owners. He didn’t understand where they were and who these two new people were, so he did his best to assert himself as the leader of the pack. 

The next morning, Ross and I decided that one of us had to assume the leadership role.

Here’s some leadership principles that the dog taught us:

  1. There can only be one leader.
  1. Consistency is key, especially if you make new rules.
  1. Praise and reward go a long way.
  1. You must be present and give people (and dogs) attention, lest they start looking for it in ways you would prefer they didn’t.
  1. Adaptability and flexibility are also key skills for success (survival).
  1. Gestures work better than yelling.
  1. Teaching new skills requires patience and good communication skills. Not everyone speaks your language.
  1. If somebody does something wrong, it’s best to discipline them straight away, in a firm and caring way.
  1. You must plan for and allow time for fun.
  1. Systems and routines help to maintain order and increase efficiency.
  1. Clean up your mess as you go.
  1. It’s ok for the leader to learn new skills as well.
  1. Sometimes you have to change the environment to change behaviour.
  1. How you structure your teams and choose your personnel can have a huge impact on the results. (The dog next door influenced our dog to dig holes so they could socialise together, and get up to all sorts of mischief, not to mention the possibility of truanting.)
  1. Your team know when you’re out of sorts. (I was sick with a cold over the weekend and he sat by my side the entire time, giving me great comfort and support.)

Who says an old dog can’t learn new tricks? I certainly did.

The dog we looked after was an 11 month old puppy, full of beans and energy and lots and lots of love.  The more attention he got, the more pats (Touch love language) and belly scratches, the better he behaved and the more fun we had.

Makes you think, who really was the leader and who learnt the tricks?

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