In Harry Mills book, Artful Persuasion, he lists the 16 most persuasive words in the English language: You/yours New Proven Results Easy Benefit Health Love Guarantee Fun Now Money How to Safe Save Free In Robert Cialdini’s book, Influence, he

Most of us speak in vaguely general terms; certainly at the formulation of a new vision, a new idea, a new endeavor. If we don’t clarify our idea further so we know the direction to go to make progress, we

Most of us have trouble making good decisions. We make lists in our heads, on paper, online. Then, we start working from the top down. Most of us don’t even take the time to prioritize our list! Much of our

In any organization, the people, those emotional moving bodies, are the most important, and the hardest part. It’s where most of us struggle. It’s where everything can get muddy because of the emotions, the history, the baggage, the distractions, the

What I’ve observed too often in businesses lately: The owners are pushing to close out the year strong, knowing what they most want sold, what can be delivered with optimum efficiency…and the inmates are running the asylum! 80% of the

I talk to young and old, rich and poor. Many question their purpose in life, at work, at play. They struggle with what to do to make sure they become the person who they want to become, doing what they

Everyone starts as a dreamer. Each of us has our dreams, what we’d love to do. Many of us do nothing about most of them. They are the dreamers: they dream their dreams, procrastinate, provide reasons why they can’t, and

Four simple Rules of Engagement will keep your meetings focused, guarantee improved productivity, reduce the turf wars, while assisting you to fail fast and fall forward, to accelerate your momentum, your development, and your results! 1. Clarifying questions Questions to

In a business session, I found myself wanting to interrupt my client. Knowing that interruptions are like stomping on someone’s thoughts, I controlled my impulse. I focused on listening to them as if they were the most important people in the world.

A business owner I know assigns a subordinate to set the company goals. He’s not an absentee owner, he’s there every day directing the company. This leader is making a serious mistake and he doesn’t seem to understand why. He

It takes three things to be successful. Let’s concentrate on just one, trainability—the ability to assimilate new information, test it in your world, and learn what works and what doesn’t, on the fly, so you can use these newly learned

It doesn’t matter the age you stop learning: you’re toast, finished, kaput! Those who keep learning stay young, they stay vital and valuable, to themselves, and to their community. It’s not about age, it’s about value: what you contribute, what you

Our values inform our decisions; they create our vision, shape our goals. Our values establish our beliefs and make us who we become. What are your 5 most important values? The first time I wrote my answers—over 20 years ago—was

General Rules: Put pen to paper. There are no wrong answers. We’re creating, not judging. Step 1: Write your challenge, problem, issue, or opportunity, in the form of a question. Be specific as possible. Example: How do I increase cash

I believe in the stuff I am handing out, in the firm I am working for, and in my ability to get results. I believe that honest stuff can be passed out to honest men by honest methods. I believe

Too many of us think that once we learn something, we own it forever. It’s just not true, it’s not “one and done.” Here’s the process: We learn. We unlearn. We relearn. When we concentrate on it and use it,

They say: Of course I’m serious about achieving my goals! No one says otherwise. Nevertheless, if you are serious, you’ll behave in a manner that proves it. It’s not enough to say it, you’ve got to take steps to move closer

If you’re a leader, or aspire to be one, I have a recommendation: Never use the excuse, “I didn’t get it done because I didn’t have the time.” That’s BS and everybody knows it! You’re the leader; if that’s your

When I was much younger I thought: If anyone can do it all, it’s gonna be me. I was wrong and not just about I couldn’t do everything, I learned that nobody can. Until I grasped this universal law, I scattered my

Watson and Crick, the discoverers of DNA—the secret of life—were asked why, with all the other brilliant scientists pursuing the answer, they were the ones who found it. After giving 4 or 5 expected “Aw, shucks…” answers, Watson observed: “We were not

We’ve been told: Experience is the best teacher. I disagree. Experience provides the opportunity to learn. We may learn by reflecting on our experience—learning from it, not by it, an important distinction. We’ve been told: Doing the same thing over

Three clients requested help with negotiation skills. It’s one of my favorite topics and here’s why. No matter who you are and what you do, you’re constantly negotiating. You’re trying to move others to your viewpoint, your activity, your belief.

I was speaking with a client the other day about a project I wanted to get going. When he asked me what my target date was for completion, I started to hem and haw and justify why I couldn’t give

What is Zero-based thinking? It’s a creative thinking exercise used to solve problems. It was developed by financial experts to analyze how business could improve its performance. It’s not so much what it’s called as what it can do for

Striving for perfection is self-defeating. Anytime you set an unachievable goal, you guarantee failure. Because it’s not achievable (therefore, not believable), we procrastinate, we start and never finish, and we beat ourselves up for not completing our task. We feel

I’ve been learning from Brian Tracy for decades. In his book, Maximum Achievement, he writes about the realities of the human condition. I first read this more than 20 years ago; I’ve read it often since. It got my attention.

Often I meet with people who are dissatisfied with their lives, their accomplishments, themselves. When I ask what they should do about it, every one of them knows the answer. Asked if they will, many waver, then backtrack. They explain in