CEO Success Report - December 2001

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          CEO Success Report - December 2001
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Increasing the Effectiveness and Enhancing the Lives of CEOs
and business owners.

Contents of this issue...
   .. Welcome - A few words from the publisher, Gary Lockwood
   .. Thought-Starter - "Ten Healthy Habits"
   .. Guest article - "There's No Crying In Baseball"
   .. CEO Resources
   .. Quotes to use in your staff meeting this month
   .. Humor to lighten up the executive suite
   .. Contact the publisher
   .. Subscribe and unsubscribe instructions

See past issues of the CEO Success Report at:
     http://www.CEOSuccess.com/archives

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
      WELCOME to this issue of the CEO Success Report!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Hello again. I'm Gary Lockwood, President of CEO Success.

Welcome back once again to the CEO Success Report for this last
issue of the year. I know you have no shortage of material to read
and I thank you for choosing to read our newsletter.

For many of us, this is the time of year to look forward. Often, I
Find myself examining my business and myself, looking for those
Things I want to keep doing, start doing and stop doing.

My Thought-Starter for today outlines ten healthy habits to improve
your firm's performance. Select a couple that you can get excited
about, and have a go at building them into your life.

May I ask a small favor? Please forward this issue to other CEOs
and company presidents who may be interested in receiving
these messages. Thank you.

We work hard to provide practical ideas, thought-provoking concepts
and useful information for you. Please give me some feedback
about this issue or about the website. Send your comments me at
   mailto:Gary@CEOSuccess.com

And now for our guest article this month...

In the film, A League of Their Own, Tom Hanks chastised one of
his players, and she began to cry. "Are you crying?" asks Hanks.
"You can't cry . there's no crying in Baseball!" Yet, baseball and
business are emotional games, and feelings are everywhere.

Our guest article this month is by Barton Goldsmith. In his article,
Barton explains how to add directly to the bottom-line by creating
a culture that understands the losses suffered from negative
emotions, and utilizes the power of positive emotions.

Read more about Barton at the end of his article.

I hope you enjoy receiving these articles and ideas to
help you sharpen your thinking about being an effective CEO.

My wish is that you use the ideas in the CEO Success Report to
get the results you really want. If you want some help in putting
them into practice, or if you have questions, email or call.

As you know, our specialty is Increasing the Effectiveness
and Enhancing the Lives of CEOs and business owners.

Enjoy this issue with my compliments.

Sincerely,
Gary Lockwood
CEO Success

P.S. I have openings for two new coaching clients. A couple of
projects are completed, and that makes room for you. If you are
ambitious, ready to tackle some big achievements, and are willing
to be accountable for the results you produce, let's talk.

Coaching is not cheap, nor is it easy. If you are in charge of your
life, ready to move quickly, and can afford to invest in your future,
contact me at 909/984-3344 or at Gary@CEOSuccess.com

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       This month's THOUGHT-STARTER
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     Ten Healthy Habits to Improve Your Firm's Performance

As you launch into this new year, consider these resolutions.
Taking action on any of these could transform your enterprise
and your life.

** Resolve to get wired
Businesses of all shapes and sizes are flocking to the Internet,
the fastest-growing communications medium in history. Use of
the Internet and the World Wide Web can be a cost-effective addition
to your arsenal of competitive weapons. Don't wait. Resolve to get
your enterprise in some form of ecommerce this year. Companies
worldwide are finding out you can reduce marketing costs, increase
revenues and improve service using the Internet.

The world is moving fast. Plug into it today.

** Resolve to expand your comfort zone
Each of us has our own personal comfort zone. Some would call
it "a rut". Staying in your comfort zone can be very limiting. The
world passes us by as we stagnate. If we are not learning, trying
new things and growing, our jobs and businesses may be
deteriorating. Make a list of 50 things that, if you really were
successful in doing them, you would be a better person or a better
company.

Things like give a speech (oh no!), write and publish an article,
start an exercise program, meditate daily, teach a class, feed a
homeless person, volunteer, climb a mountain, learn to play a
new musical instrument, sign up for a dance class, try for that
promotion, and so on.

Then, from your list, choose one or two that you are willing to do
within the next 90 days. Schedule those one or two new activities,
then go for it. Afterward, choose one or two more and do it again.
Make personal and professional growth a lifelong habit.

** Resolve to get better clients
Most businesses take on any client who steps up with the money.
Consider the cost to you for dealing with the people you serve.
Have you ever noticed that some people make you feel good just
to be around them? These are the people who give you energy
when they are near you. On the other hand, there are probably
others you can think of who drain all the life out of you. Which
clients would you rather have? You can surround yourself with
people who are pleasant, easy to deal with, interesting and, oh
yes, profitable. Get better clients. You deserve it.

** Resolve to get organized
Too much going on?.... Not enough time?.... Sound familiar?
How would you like to have more time for what YOU want to do?
Resolve this year to plan your days, reduce interruptions, clean
off your desk, say "No", make lists. The benefits of getting more
organized include being more effective at your work, having more
positive control of your workstyle, saving time and money, improving
your professional image with clients, bosses, etc. and taking control
the stress.

** Resolve to be a rainmaker
I've seen many people who sat around waiting for rain. They would
wait by the phone, hoping a prospective client would call or come
to the business. Others, including some of the most successful,
took positive action to "make it rain". These are the ones who made
calls, ran ads, got out of the office to make their own contacts.
Through their activity, these business professionals created oppor-
tunities for new business. More clients, more revenue, better client
relationships and happier employees are just a few of the advantages
you'll realize when you take business-building action for your
enterprise.

** Resolve to cleanup loose ends
We all have messes in our lives. Messes are incomplete tasks,
disorder, disarray, or conflicts that distract you and cause you to
lose energy, break your concentration and reduce self-esteem.
Messes can include cluttered desks, relationships gone awry,
physical well-being, finances, incomplete agreements and legal
issues. Every time you eliminate a loose end, you boost your
confidence, increase concentration, and feel a surge in energy.
For the coming year, target a mess a month.

** Resolve to focus on your strengths
Conventional wisdom says we should work on improving our
weaknesses. What a terrible waste of time, talent and opportunity!
Highly successful entrepreneurs, as well as top scientists, artists,
athletes and entertainers throughout history have achieved great-
ness by focusing on their areas of strength. Everybody has a natural
aptitude in some areas. No matter how hard you try, it is unlikely
you will ever be more than average in areas where you do not have
an aptitude.

Working on your weaknesses undermines your self-esteem since
you will focus mostly on your deficiencies. Developing your natural
talents is rewarding and motivating, allowing you to continually
realize higher and higher levels of ability, achievement and success.
This year, experience the immense satisfaction that comes with
being superb at something.

** Resolve to take more free time
Free time isn't a reward for working hard; it's necessary for optimum
performance and productivity. We need free time, away from the
business, to rejuvenate ourselves. When you are aggressive about
getting rest and relaxation, regularly and frequently, you'll see
increased creativity and productivity. The more free time you take,
the more creativity and productivity you will experience. To make
breakthroughs in income, productivity and creativity, significantly
increase the amount of free time away from your business.

** Resolve to develop stronger business relationships
Your economic future is dependent on other people's future. Your
success in your enterprise is based on the extent that you help
other people to succeed in their lives. Ask every person you
encounter what he or she wants to have accomplished three years
from now. Focus on finding ways to help others in achieving their
goals. By adding value to their preferred future, you not only deepen
your relationship; you also create huge opportunities for yourself.

** Resolve to get in better shape
Take a hike. Or a jog, swim, or bike ride. With few exceptions, those
who are consistently successful have lots of energy. They have the
stamina and the energy to be creative, to tirelessly serve their
clients, to put in the extra effort when necessary and to go the extra
mile for their employees.

The bottom line is that regular, strenuous exercise is good for
business, because it's good for you. You can increase your well-
being, jump-start your days, boost your confidence, turbocharge
your creativity, and knock down stress by exercising consistently.

And that's not all. Think of exercise as your gift to yourself and to
your loved ones. A gift of longer life, more energy, happier
disposition, increased creativity and reduced pain. You can
increase your well-being, jump-start your days, boost your
confidence, turbocharge your creativity, and knock down stress
by exercising consistently.

Start by exercising your free will. Commit to any of these ten
Resolutions and make this a great year!

© Copyright 2001 BizSuccess   All rights reserved. No duplication

   About the Author...
Gary Lockwood is Increasing the Effectiveness and Enhancing the
Lives of CEOs, business owners and professionals.
Get the Free BizSuccess newsletter -
     http://www.bizsuccess.com/newsletter.htm
or send any blank email to mailto:subscribe@BizSuccess.com

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
          Guest Article
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

     There's No Crying In Baseball
     The Truth About Emotions In Business
     by Barton Goldsmith, Ph.D.

In the film, A League of Their Own, Tom Hanks chastised one of his
players, and she began to cry. "Are you crying?" asks Hanks. "You
can't cry . there's no crying in Baseball!" Yet, baseball and
business are emotional games, and feelings are everywhere. Look
at the stock market, the dot coms and the dot gones. Feelings
abound on Wall Street. The emotions created by a World Series or
an IPO are tremendous. The transfer of power as Jack Welch retired
from GE created front-page news, and an outpouring of feelings
from corporate America. A business can generate as much emotion
in its people as a team can generate in it fans.

In reality, however, most leaders try to keep emotions out of
business. After all, emotions running rampant make things difficult.
Why? Emotional team members can have a significant negative
impact on performance. Emotional people can perform erratically,
engage in arguments and refuse to work together. The result is
generally a clash of egos and the loss of productivity.

Understanding Feelings at Work

One of the ways negative emotions present themselves in the workplace
is in team members withdrawing and being unavailable to their
coworkers. This is a reaction to hurt feelings. To put it in Psych 101
terms: People act out their pain. In the workplace they tend to
respond emotionally because the people they work with on a daily
basis become a surrogate family and people tend to react and respond
like family members.

If the family/company has good communication skills and thrives on
interaction, people act in a functional manner, and resolve
differences appropriately. If however, the family/company is
dysfunctional, individuals often act very much like children playing
in a sandbox, i.e., "Your truck ran over my truck, and I'm not playing
with you anymore."

Furthermore, when people get their feelings hurt, they can become an
unconscious saboteur. This can manifest in a number of ways including
not contributing at meetings, missing deadlines and even offending
clients. Ninety-nine percent of the time, this is unconscious
behavior.

People are not aware they are doing it since the unconscious controls
90% of our actions. If unhealed emotions are not addressed, companies
can experience significant losses in terms of personnel, a dwindling
customer base, financial success and market positioning.

The Keys to Motivation

All businesses want motivated team members. They spend time and money
pumping up and motivating staff. They want to build passion, and what
is passion but emotion. So on one hand companies work to create
feelings (when it serves them) and on the other they attempt to
suppress
them. You can't have one without the other. But you can balance
emotions
and maintain an emotionally healthy environment.

Emotional and passionate people make things happen, but they are not
encouraged in business settings where detached, cool and objective
decision-making skills are considered to be strengths. Passionate
people threaten the status quo. They create change, and shake things
up. Their passion begets persistence. Motivation, creativity and
productivity are the energy boosters businesses want, but what is your
company doing to create that culture?

Encourage open communication and feedback. Once your team members
Are able to really talk with each other, the blocks to risk taking,
Overcoming barriers and letting go of ego diminish. Here are ten ways
To encourage effective emotion in your company:

1. Find the emotional connection to what you do and with whom.
2. Create an environment of openness; encourage people to talk.
3. Make it OK to talk about emotion within the organization.
4. Give people training in basic conflict resolution skills.
5. Encourage informality -- functional groups tend to be more relaxed.
6. Encourage team members to bring their "whole" selves to work.
7. Admit publicly that not all management's ideas are good ones.
8. Encourage team members to think out loud.
9. Promote the belief, "Laughter is good, playing it 'cool' is not."
10 Recognize the emotional connection to work makes the impossible
   seem possible.

Meeting the Challenge

Today's CEO spends half their time being a therapist to their staff;
solving their (mostly interpersonal) problems. It is difficult to
conceive the amount of time and energy that are lost. Once team
members learn to understand and deal with emotions, that time
could be put to building the company. Some companies have staff
therapists or executive coaches, some do emotional release sessions
and others use team-building exercises. All of these efforts add
directly to the bottom-line.

Your challenge is to create a culture that understands the losses
Suffered from negative emotions, and utilizes the power of positive
emotions.

About the Author:
Barton Goldsmith, Ph.D., has started, grown and sold 3 companies.
He is a highly sought after speaker and business consultant, and
presents to numerous companies, associations and leaders worldwide.
He works regularly with The Young Presidents Organization (YPO),
The Executive Committee (TEC) and The Council of Growing
Companies. Dr. Goldsmith writes for the Los Angeles Business Journal,
and is a contributing author to numerous books and trade journals.
He can be contacted through his web site at:
   http://www.BartonGoldsmith.com or at (818) 879-9996.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
        RESOURCES for CEOs
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

        Spyonit        http://www.spyonit.com

Why waste your time snooping around when you can have a
team of spies do it for you? Spyonit is the home of a large
number of bots that will troll the Web on your behalf. Each
bot has a specific function, from the frivolous to the
functional.

Our favorites? USENET Newsgroups I & II, which will
troll specific newsgroups of your choice for selected phrases,
keywords or user names, and Competitive Intelligence, which
is a straightforward spy that will inform you when a company
or person or thing you want to track has been mentioned on
any website within the last week. If you just want to track
major news about a company and not every detailed mention,
try the Cover Story Spy. Best of all, it's all free. News is
delivered via your choice of email, Web-based Spyonit account,
Instant Message or wireless device.

Check it out at        http://www.spyonit.com

< this resource brought to you by Larry Chase's Web Digest.
      Visit http://wdfm.com

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      QUOTES to use in your staff meeting this month
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

You can run with the big dogs or sit on the porch and bark.
         Wallace Arnold

This is as true in everyday life as it is in battle: we are given one
Life and the decision is ours whether to wait for circumstances to
Make up our mind, or whether to act and, in acting, to live.
         Omar Bradley

A new idea is delicate. It can be killed by a sneer or a yawn; it can
be stabbed to death by a joke or worried to death by a frown on the
right person's brow.
         Charles Brower

If you pray for rain, don't be surprised if you're struck by
lightning.
         Damien Cannon

No pressure, no diamonds.
         Mary Case

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
      HUMOR to lighten up the executive suite
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

        Signs From Around the World
---------------------------

An Amelia Island, FL, podiatrist: "Emergency Foot Surgery- Walk-ins
Welcomed."

Sign over a restroom in a restaurant: "Used beer department."

Comparative customs:
In front of flat in London: "It is unlawful to allow your pets to
foul the footways by depositing excrement thereon."

In New York: "Curb your dog."

A speed limit sign on Long Beach Island, New Jersey: "Smile, You're
on Radar!"

On a store front in Florida: "Your one stop shop! Beer ammo and
liquor. Drive through open 24 hours!"

Seen on a sign on a hamster cage at a pet store in an Austin, Texas,
Mall: "Hamsters: $6.97; Children Who Fall In: $2.88"

                    ***excerpts from: http://www.joker.org/ ***

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       CONTACT CEO Success
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Gary Lockwood is the publisher of the CEO Success Report.
   Email: mailto:Gary@CEOSuccess.com
   Office: (800) 272-1575 (USA) * (909) 984-3344
   Fax: (815) 361-3041

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
         Your Comments, please?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I appreciate feedback, corrections, and comments about the
CEO Success Report. Please send your thoughts to:
Gary@CEOSuccess.com <mailto:Gary@CEOSuccess.com>

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
      Subscribe and unsubscribe instructions
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

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Copyright © 2001 CEO Success All rights reserved.