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Monthly Archives: April 2009
Warren Buffett’s Rule of Thumb on Personal Integrity
On occasion, personal integrity and ethical conduct can be challenging. Greed, selfishness, distrust and other inclinations can result in misrepresentations, deliberate omission of facts to throw a positive spin on things, purposeful oversight, misuse of information and self-interested behavior.
Warren Buffett, one of the world’s most successful investors and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, directs that all his employees follow this rule of ethics in every undertaking.
“… I want employees to ask themselves whether they are willing to have any contemplated act appear the next day on the front page of their local paper — to be read by their spouses, children and friends — with the reporting done by an informed and critical reporter.”
The key to personal integrity is to gather all the relevant data, define the “right thing,” exercise prudence and standup for what is right. Good intentions do not necessarily translate to action. Your thoughts and actions define your credibility at work and in the society.
Credit: Warren Buffett’s picture courtesy of user ‘trackrecord’ on flickr.com
***See other articles related to transparency, ethics, integrity, conduct
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Inspirational Quotations #269
Perfection is achieved,
not when there is nothing more to add,
but when there is nothing left to take away.
* Antoine De Saint-Exupery
Day and night, dawn and dusk, winter and spring, come and
Depart again and again. Time sports and life ebbs away. And yet,one
leaves not the gusts of desires.
* Shankaracharya
Nobody can prevent you from choosing to be exceptional.
* Mark Sanborn
All our knowledge begins with the senses,
proceeds then to the understanding,
and ends with reason. There is nothing higher than reason.
* Immanuel Kant
The one thing we can never get enough of is love.
And the one thing we never give enough is love.
* Henry Valentine Miller
In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves.
The process never ends until we die.
And the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility.
* Eleanor Roosevelt
The saddest failures in life are those that come from
not putting forth the power and will to succeed.
* Edwin Percy Whipple
Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be
strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved.
* Helen Keller
To listen well is as powerful a means of
communication and influence as to talk well.
* John Marshall
From what we get, we make a living;
what we give, however makes a life.
* Arthur Ashe
Visit www.Inspiration.RightAttitudes.com for my compilation of inspirational quotations by author and topic. You may also subscribe to the weekly newsletter of inspirational quotations by sending a blank email to iqml-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
*Keyword(s): Inspiration, Quotations
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Free Seminars in Bangalore and Pune in mid-May
I am traveling to Bangalore, Pune and Mysore in the middle of May. If you would like me to speak at your company, college or non-profit organization, email me via the contact form in the sidebar.
I can speak on effective communication, people skills, simple and effective writing, avoiding destructive behavior, professional etiquette, writing job descriptions, helping managers become better coaches, time management, and skills for success.
My seminars come at no charge to you or your organization.
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Inspirational Quotations #268
More are the names of God and infinite are the forms through which
He may be approached. In whatever name and form you worship Him,
through them you will realise Him.
* Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
It’s not what happens to you, but what you do about it.
* W. O. Mitchell
Peace is not absence of conflict,
it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.
* Ronald Reagan
Happiness is found along the way,
Not at the end of the road.
* Unknown
If you want your eggs hatched, sit on them yourself.
* Haitian proverb
Mistakes are not just the spice of life. Mistakes are life.
Mistakes are not to be tolerated. They are to be encouraged.
* Tom Peters
The wise should surrender speech in mind,
mind in the knowing self,
the knowing self in the Spirit of the universe,
and the Spirit of the universe in the Spirit of peace.
* The Upanishads
If you realize that you aren’t as wise today as
you thought you were yesterday, you’re wiser today.
* Anonymous
The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by
skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by obvious realities.
We need men and women who can dream of things that never were.
* John F. Kennedy
I now appreciate all that I have.
I am grateful for the smallest things today.
I can always find something in my life for which to be grateful.
I give thanks for everything that is now coming into my life.
I rejoice in the wonders of life.
* Unknown
Visit www.Inspiration.RightAttitudes.com for my compilation of inspirational quotations by author and topic. You may also subscribe to the weekly newsletter of inspirational quotations by sending a blank email to iqml-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
*Keyword(s): Inspiration, Quotations
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People Want Their Thinking to Count
Everybody Desires to be Heard
Last week, a manager complained that his boss constantly pushes his ideas with a “here’s what I want you to do” even though the manager is a subject expert. A wife criticized her husband for never asking for her opinions; “every idea, every decision has to be his—not mine, not even ours,” she grumbled.
In coaching people, one of the most common grievances I hear is that people feel they have lost their right to be heard—their spouses, parents, friends, partners, bosses, and significant others do not “listen.” In fact, one of the foremost reasons for job dissatisfaction is that employees believe their bosses do not care for their employees’ opinions. Lack of respect and consideration can strain professional and personal relationships.
People Make Decisions for Their Own Reasons
“I tell you and you forget.
I show you and you remember.
I involve you and you understand.”
* Eric Butterworth
In making decisions and getting things done with people, if you are often unwilling to ask for others’ opinions, it is because you likely think you might seem vulnerable, insecure, or incapable of taking decisions on your own. Or, perhaps, you simply choose to be forceful and assert your influence. Over time, such behaviors can easily hurt others’ feelings and trigger resentment.
Recognize that people make decisions for their own reasons, not yours. They are less likely to be motivated at something that they did not choose. If you try to be forceful, they are less likely to comply.
Four Important Words: “What do you think?”
“The four most important words in business are ‘What do you think?’”
* Jeffrey Immelt, Chairman and CEO, General Electric
Be open and approachable. Develop the habit of asking, “What do you think,” before declaring, “You will do this,” or even, “We will do this.”
Expect differences of opinion; they are natural. Work on reaching decisions by building on the agreements.
People are Inclined to Support What They Help Decide
Quite often, when people realize they have little influence on the decision-making process, they withdraw from active participation. They are usually reluctant to participate actively in a process, idea, or system that they were never consulted on.
People want to support, defend, and enthusiastically work on anything that they help create or decide. Therefore, include people in decision-making at every level in every situation—at home, work and elsewhere.
Develop the indispensable art of persuasion by asking, “What do you think.” By incorporating others’ inputs, you demonstrate a sincere interest in soliciting their opinions. When people feel valued and cared for, you establish an atmosphere of open communication, ownership, and increased commitment.
Related Articles
- What the deaf can teach us about listening
- Building consensus
- Overcoming the temptation to please
- Accepting compliments gracefully
- Expressing regret or apologizing
***See other articles related to persuasive skills, empowerment, commitment, listening, ownership, engagement, motivating employees, interpersonal relationships, team skills
Posted in Managing People, Self Development
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Seek Hideouts for Interruption-free Work
The High Cost of Interruptions
Studies suggest that,
- on average, workers are interrupted once every ten and a half minutes,
- once interrupted, it takes a worker 23 minutes on average to get back to the task he/she was working on, and,
- workers can lose up to 28% of their workday handling unnecessary interruptions.
Interruptions derail your train of thought. Thereafter, getting back to what you were doing can be difficult. If you are sitting at your desk at work or home, the odds of being able to focus on a task and work uninterrupted are zero. Too, interruptions abound when working from (or at) home around kids, pets, or others.
Seek Remote / Undisturbed Locations for Work
Richard Nixon, former President of the United States, used the following technique to isolate himself when he wanted to focus on important work.
Richard Nixon was extremely efficient as a time manager. One of his techniques involved the use of a small private office in the Executive Office Building across the street from the White House. Armed with several yellow legal pads, Nixon would walk over to the office to work alone. His aides were under orders not to interrupt him except in the case of an emergency.
To minimize the impact of interruptions on your work, seek a hideout. Find a place where people are not likely to bother you: a vacant conference room, a desk in another office location, or, the study area at your local library. Consider coming in to work before others or work on a weekend morning. Disconnect yourself by turning off cell phones and the internet. Focus to get more things done.
Recommended Reading
- Scheduling quiet time to think
- Save time by meeting in others’ offices
- Budgeting your time by values and priorities
***See other articles related to time management, handling interruptions, distractions, productivity, effectiveness
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[Effective Meetings] Save Time by Meeting in Others’ Offices
Henry Ford Saved Time by Meeting Others in Their Offices
Here is a productivity technique practiced by Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company and automobile engineering pioneer.
One of his executives noticed that Ford almost always conferred with his managers in their offices instead of his own. Since, as the owner of the company, Ford could easily command them to come to him, the executive was curious about the reason for this practice. “I go to them to save time,” explained Ford. “I’ve found,” he said “that I can leave the other fellow’s office a lot quicker than I can get him to leave mine.”
Takeaway: If you tend to struggle to control the amount of time you spend in attending meetings and handling unwanted interruptions, offer to meet others in their offices. This technique discourages drop-ins and gives you a better handle on your participation: you could leave easily when you are contributing to the meeting.
Related Articles
***See other articles related to time management, handling interruptions, productivity, effectiveness
Inspirational Quotations #267
Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has
seen and thinking what nobody has thought.
* Albert von Szent-Gyorgy
You cannot solve the problem with the same
kind of thinking that has created the problem.
* Albert Einstein
In the final analysis there is no solution to man’s progress but the
day’s honest work, the day’s honest decisions, the day’s generous
utterances and the day’s good deed.
* Clare Booth Luce
Business is the art of extracting money from
another man’s pocket without resorting to violence.
* Max Amsterdam
Nothing is more conducive to peace of mind than not having any opinions at all.
* Georg Christoph Lichtenberg
I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really.
Get busy living, or get busy dying.
* Tim Robbins
We should spend as much time in thanking God for
his benefits as we do in asking Him for them.
* St. Vincent de Paul
In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man,
and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds,
the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.
* Mark Twain
Do not wish to be anything but what you are.
And try to be that perfectly.
* St. Francis de Sales
Knowledge itself is power.
* Francis Bacon
Visit www.Inspiration.RightAttitudes.com for my compilation of inspirational quotations by author and topic. You may also subscribe to the weekly newsletter of inspirational quotations by sending a blank email to iqml-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
*Keyword(s): Inspiration, Quotations
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Meal Manners: Pace Yourself, Start and Finish with Others
- As a guest, when your host asks you to order first, ask her for recommendations. This can hint at a price range from which to pick.
- As a host, urge your guests to order first. Then, try to order as many courses for yourself as your guests to make sure everyone can begin and finish eating at about the same time.
- At the table, wait until everyone is served. Begin to eat only after the host or the most important guest does. Follow this guideline for each course of the meal. Pace yourself such that you finish at about the same time as everybody else at your table.
- If you are the most important guest or the host and others are served way before you are, urge the others to begin eating while the food is still hot.
- At buffet meals, after you get your food and sit down at an open table, wait until two or three others join you at the table before beginning to eat.
Depending on the formality and decorum appropriate to the occasion, try to stick to the above guidelines. More importantly, use common sense and make others around you comfortable.
Related Articles on Etiquette
- The art of remembering names
- Etiquette: Protocol of introducing people
- Remembering names around a table at a meeting
- How to overcome shyness in initiating conversations
- Body language: Keeping good eye contact
***See other articles related to manners, etiquette, propriety, hosting, meetings, parties, gatherings
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Inspirational Quotations #266
Be fanatics. When it comes to being and doing
and dreaming the best, be maniacs.
* A. M. Rosenthal
Few things can help an individual more than to place
responsibility on him, and to let him know that you trust him.
* Booker T. Washington
Valor grows by daring, fear by holding back.
* Publilius Syrus
With your arms, I am strong.
With your wisdom, I am a man.
With your love, I know who I am.
* Unknown
Anything worth doing is worth doing well.
* Anonymous
If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find
in each man’s life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.
* Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Enthusiasm is the best protection in any situation.
Wholeheartedness is contagious. Give yourself, if you wish to get others.
* David Seabury
Behavior is the mirror in which everyone shows their image.
* Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
He who never walks except where he sees other men’s tracks will make no discoveries.
* Unknown
Don’t waste time calculating your chances of
success and failure. Just fix your aim and begin.
* Guan Yin Tzu
Visit www.Inspiration.RightAttitudes.com for my compilation of inspirational quotations by author and topic. You may also subscribe to the weekly newsletter of inspirational quotations by sending a blank email to iqml-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
*Keyword(s): Inspiration, Quotations
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