Will or Will Not - The REAL Truth to Success

This one is a short sharp hit,

We are seeing changes in the global environment at a pace that is staggering. Many people are not coping, not keeping up and they are scared.

They are scared because they do not “have” the skills to transition because the “will” has not been there. Now it is being been forced upon them. In some cases they are being dragged into a new paradigm that they don’t understand simply because their fear stopped them from keeping up willingly.

Life is not about “the have and the have nots”; it’s about “the will and will nots”.

Those who “will”, will “have”. There is absolutely no mistake about this. Everyone is “able” to have; but not many are “willing” to have.

In the 21^stCentury, the competition in India, South East Asia and China have worked this out already.   And they are coming fast. Their rate of adapting to change is nothing short of amazing. In India, the average education is a Masters degree. In Australia it is less than Year 9.

Don’t believe me?  Look at the Herald Sun and The Age newspapers; same city – different skills and abilities to read and comprehend. In order to “will have”, we need to keep on working on our existing skills.

The Phil’s-osophy
·         Develop new skills that allow us to transition
·         Keep on improving the skills you already have!

Become one of the “will’s” as opposed to “will nots” so you can be one of the “have’s” instead of the “have nots”.

Because if you don’t, someone else “will”.

To Your Success,
Phil
www.philipwagner.com.au

Another Life Lesson... and My Son the Teacher

This extremely valuable lesson comes from my son. It was learnt by him one sunny inconspicuous Sunday. It was such a revelation to him , that he could not wait to share it with me.

This was the event as related to me by him on the way home from work. My son works at a local cafe as one of the waiting staff, serving coffee and food. The cafe shop has a serving capacity of about 50-60 people. On this particular day, a fellow worker did not call in that day – that is to say did not call in and did not show up. This meant the venue operated at one person short, putting strain on the team for the whole day.

Without any reason for not showing up or calling, the owner really had no choice but to let the staff member go.

Lesson: I asked my son what was the lesson he had learnt? He responded simply, “Tell your employer if you are not coming into work, whatever the reason.”

The other night I went to a client site for our first appointment. I knew I was not going to be on time so I phoned them so they knew I was going to be late.

Lesson: a verbal conversation over the telephone has much more impact than text or email – your use of the telephone has a direct proportion to the results you get. The person at the other end believes they have enough value to you that you would actually make voice contact rather than a text.

Recently I was asked for a telephone number from some one reasonably close. The request came via text. I sent the number back by text, mirroring the request. I did wonder though, why a text message and not a phone call. The reason for many of the texts is so that we avoid having to  hear a human being on the other end…and all that that entails.

Lesson: Fundamental communication includes the ability to have a conversation with people over all mediums, especially those close to you.

The above lessons could be described as the “bleeding obvious”, but clearly they are not.

It means a great deal more. What is occurring is:

The Phil’s-osophy

We are losing our understanding for the concept of respect. Having enough respect for another person to let them know you will not be where you were supposed to be.

We have forgotten how to use a telephone. In fact we have become scared of using the telephone because we have to actually speak to the person at the other end, relying on texting, email and Facebook.

So amazed was I by this that I wrote a course on this aspect of communication, which will be available soon.

It comes back to RESPECT; Respect for your fellow colleagues, family members people you pass in the street.  What you put out comes back three-fold.

Use the telephone to communicate; the voice has more magic than a text! You’ll probably be part of a minority but you’ll become far more connected to others.

Abide by these simple rules and you’ll be regarded more highly by all.

To your success,
Phil.
http://www.philipwagner.com.au/

Life Lessons Learnt at the Supermarket

Every now and then, we find some really simple life lessons in all the things we do in our life. Even the humble grocery shopping has something to teach us.


First of all you have to find a parking space. Some days there spaces are everywhere and sometimes you have to search for them. Then there are the people who’ll drive around the carpark several times looking for just the right spot – you know the one that leaves enough space on either side of the car, is not too far from the front door and is close to the trolley bay.


Then you get inside the supermarket and start your shopping. Through the maze of shopping carts in the aisle I go, like weaving in and out of traffic on the freeway. You have your slower drivers who need to check the scenery as they travel. Then you have your faster drivers. They know the direction they are going and the exit they need to get off at and get annoyed by the slower drivers travelling in the fast lanes.


You need to watch out for those weekly specials. The supermarkets will do whatever they can to make them enticing. Woolworths, Coles, etc? We shop at Aldi for our staples each week and their weekly specials are amazing; everything from BBQs to school shoes – rice cookers to chainsaws. And then there are the food specials. But it’s their job to sell you these items – even if you don’t need them. You wander through thinking; ‘oh that might come in handy’, only to put it away in a cupboard never to use it.


Of those fast moving supermarket commuters, most will have a list of the items they need. They won’t be tempted by the specials unless they need them for their already pre-planned weekly menu. They are happily unaware of what is happening around them and so they often don’t realise when they are in someone else’s way or when someone else is about to crash into them.


The last person you’ll usually encounter at the supermarket is the checkout attendant. So many times I see customers just get through the checkout barely acknowledging the attendant. I’ve seen people talking on their mobile all the way through the checkout. Guys; a smile, a kind word, a ‘how’s your day going?’ and a ‘thankyou’ doesn’t cost a thing. Gives you a good feeling inside to acknowledge another person and helps them feel like they are visible.


The Phil’s-osophy

1. Get out of your way – you don’t need perfection to get started. You just need to get started.
2. Be focussed on what you want to achieve. When faced with a decision on what to do next, go for the action that is in keeping with what you want to achieve.
3. Keep the focus. There will always be those little distractions. If you do get sidelined, acknowledge it, get back into focus and move forward.
4. A good way to maintain focus is planning. Keep it super simple. The daily “to do” list is a simple and effective way to start. Collate a list of all the things to be done and pick the most important three. Once these are done, the next three and so on.
5. Be courteous. A kind word or a helping hand goes a long way. It’s good for the person you’re helping and it’s good for your soul. You never know who it is you are helping and they may surprise you.

Lessons are everywhere you go – open yourself up and absorb them.
To your success,
Phil.
http://www.philipwagner.com.au/