BizTalk: Two Goals are Better than One

Mayu used to ask me in the beginning of our relationship where I "wanted to be in 5-10 years". That was a tough question for me to answer as I have, more often than not, lived in the NOW moments, and left the future to shape itself based upon what I did right now. I am 43 years old, and I've made it this far, so it can't be a totally wrong concept. It has worked well for me.

There are, however, some changes in the air that will need to take place in 2009, due mainly to two primary factors: the subprime loan fiasco in the USA, and the collapse of the financial industry in the USA. These have rocked the entire world, and the splashback has actually hit over here in my little Shangri-la. Thanks to Americans drastically tightening their belts, the number one consumer economy in the world has gone into recession, and well.. the industry of the world, China, as well as everyone else on our fair globe, has been negatively influenced so much that this splashback is hitting everyone, everywhere.

It is time for me to set some new goals.

Everyone sets goals. In many cases they turn out more to be dreams than something we actually achieve with success. We set goals like:

• I want to lose 10kg.
• I want to make a million dollars.
• I want to get my MBA degree.
• I want to go on a cruise holiday.
• I want to move to a different country.
• I want to get married.
• I want a comfortable pension to live off once I retire.
• I want to retire early.
• I want to get divorced.
• I want to change my job.
• I want to make more money at my job.
• I want more customers.
• I want to start my own business.
• I want to landscape my yard.
• I want to blah blah blah blah blahhhh....

... and so on.

In some cases we achieve our goals, but in many cases we don't. I have always wondered what would be a good way to improve on the rate of success...

Here is something to think about: If we look at a goal as a final destination on the "flight plan", we will see that in order to reach that goal, we must pass through a variety of points on the map. Each point is but one part to the entire plan, but it is essential to the plan's overall success.

It's like I always say... make a plan for the future, but live in the NOW. The NOW are those little points we need to pass through. What does that mean in this instance? I think that if we focus on little things that we can do right now, eventually we will achieve our final goal. The final goal may seem lofty, but when broken down into these minuscule steps, it suddenly does not appear quite as daunting.

The following article I found in my Nikkei Weekly. When I read it, it resonated with me on both business, and personal levels.

I would like to share this article with you in hopes that if you have a seemingly insurmountable goal that you really want to achieve, you can try to apply this "set two goals at a time" concept and take all the little NOW steps in between that will get you to where you want to go.

So, where do YOU want to go, today?

I love you!

Cam

Setting a goal is surprisingly difficult, so set two at a time
Randy Cross, Nikkei Weekly, 2008/10/13

 

I have been studying and teaching time management for many years now. Everyone needs to manage his or her time effectively, but it is critical in my line. My business is recruiting and sales training. Therefore, my time is my only product. If I do not use my time efficiently, I cannot make money.

 

Time management is all about setting personal goals. If you do not have clear­cut goals it will be difficult to accomplish anything in a timely and efficient manner.

 

This sounds simple, but I have discovered that effective goal setting is surprisingly difficult. I struggled for many years until I discovered a basic fact about setting goals.

 

You must set both numerical and behavioral goals.

 

What is the difference between the two? In a sales context, a numerical goal would be something like, "I will sell $80,000 worth of product this month." In a weight-loss context, a numerical goal would be, "I will lose 10kg this month."

 

Behavioral goals are different. Instead of focusing on a numerical result such as selling $80,000 worth of product a month or losing 10kg, a behavioral goal focuses on your daily activities; For example, a behavioral goal in sales would be, "I will visit two new potential customers every week and ask them for an order." For the weight-loss scenario, the behavioral goal might be, "I will only eat breakfast and lunch for the next month."

 

Which type of goal do you think would be more effective in reaching the desired results?

 

The answer is that you need both numerical and behavioral goals. Of the two, however, the behavioral goal is the more important. Let us look at the weight­loss example again, as this is an issue for many people (especially for us overweight Americans).

 

Let us say that you want to lose 10kg this month. This is the only goal you set. You weigh yourself every morning and then try and adjust your daily diet and exercise to reach the goal. You concentrate on trying to lose 10 pounds.

 

Without a definite behavioral goal, you have to constantly remind yourself to eat less and exercise more. Sometimes you remember and sometimes you don't. You may lose some weight if you concentrate hard on the numerical goal, but even if you do, it is hard to sustain the same concentration day after day. If you do not meet your numerical goal of 10kg, you may become discouraged and give up.

 

Now, let's say that you want to lose 10 pounds and you set an effective behavioral goal such as skipping dinner for the next 30 days. This behavioral goal is much easier to follow. It is simple. Do not eat dinner for one month. It is also much harder to cheat on yourself when focused on behavioral goals.

 

Let us look at another example, this one in sales. Let us say you want to sell $80,000 worth of product this month and this is the only goal you set. Some days you are all fired up and run around seeing customers or trying to find new ones. Some days you are less energetic (or perhaps discouraged), sit at your desk and worry about how to increase sales. Again, your sales may increase but it usually takes a tremendous amount of self discipline to pursue a simple numerical sales goal.

 

Instead, what would happen if you stopped and thought carefully about the one activity (behavioral goal) that would definitely increase sales? Earlier we used the example, "I will visit two new potential customers each week for one month: In your business, it maybe something different like, "I will get my largest current customer to increase his orders by offering a weekly technical seminar to its employees." Or, "Every week, I will ask five current customers for a referral to a new customer."

 

I use these behavioral goals in my business. Four years ago, when our business was slow I set a numerical goal to increase sales by 30% in three months. I focused my behavioral goal on getting referrals. I set the numerical goal of calling three acquaintances or current customers every day. It worked. We ended up with more new business than we could handle.

 

Please try this yourself. Identify a problem in your business or personal life. Set a numerical goal and behavioral goal and then concentrate on the behavioral side. I think you will be pleased with the results.

 

-Randy Cross is president of Executive Resource Group Inc.

Publicious!

Well, it is official! Yesterday in the snail mail I received a thick package which contained the Journal Of Knowledge Management (JKM), Vol 12, No. 2 2008. This most prestigious journal, in the KM field holds many "current" research articles by people from around the world. And guess what? I'm in it! Yaaaay me! Need online proof? Check this out!

I wrote about this going to happen back in 360 in my post entitled, Naru Hodo, March 23, 2007, but it happened sooner than I had anticipated. I was thinking "Volume 12" meant December 2008, but I guess not. I still haven't figured out how this journal works its vol, no. system, but that's OK because this is the only one I'm probably ever going to get unless someone finds me in here and wants me to study, research, or work on this stuff for them! Until that time, I'll continue flogging titanium and buffs to China in an ever-increasingly difficult time, to pay the bills... or until the time for a greater change comes upon me.

I know that a good majority of you probably aren't interested in the meat and bones of what I wrote, and that's perfectly OK. It was, in fact, one of my final papers in my MBA studies. My professor, Dr. Wang liked it so much that he recommended I submit it to this journal. And after some editing to fit into their style, it was accepted as "having value to the industry in terms of better understanding the field of Knowledge Management."

Even if you don't read the article, take a look at the abstract. It should give you insight into what I was working on. Download the PDF and just scroll through to get a feel for how this journal publishes. The colour scheme is quite nice, and I do like the layout a fair bit.

It's here, it's published, and I hope that those who get this journal will find some nuggets of gold in what I wrote. If asked how I came to my conclusions, I can only say that I took the theory I learned, mixed it into the research that was out there, and then added a good dose of "Life-Systems Engineering Science" that I have learned from Brian Peskin and my best friend Khanada (of YES Supplements and PEO (formerly called EFA) fame) to come up with something that I believe would really work IN THE REAL WORLD.

Have a great day!

I love you!

Cam

Attachment: cams first publication.pdf

Biz-talk: Maslow's Hierarchy of Sandwiches

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a theory in psychology that Abraham Maslow proposed in his 1943 paper A Theory of Human Motivation, which he subsequently extended to include his observations of humans' innate curiosity.

 

Mr. Neuendorf has proposed Maslow's Hierarchy of Sandwiches based upon the "standard" five levels discussed by Abraham Maslow in his "classic" Hierarchy of Needs. I, have come to believe that there should be a new level, a sixth level, in order to further expand upon our needs through life.

 

As we have moved out of the 20th and into the 21st century, the baby boomers who are now beginning to retire en masse no longer crave the complexities of life and are instead looking to "roll back the clock" to a time where life was simpler. And for this sense of "needs" we must look to a new sandwich to fulfill their desires...

 

MASLOW'S HIERARCHY OF SANDWICHES

By Andrew Neuendorf

Stage Six added by Cameron Switzer

.

- - - -

 

S T A G E   O N E

Mayo and Bread

A subsistence sandwich, strictly for survival. The foundational food of the penniless poet who must silence the Sturm und Drang of the stomach long enough to contemplate where his next check will come from. The staple sandwich of the sociopath who maintains an ascetic lifestyle, keeping only two ingredients in his refrigerator while scrapbooking thousands of photos of as-of-yet-unspoken-to neighbors. Also, the prized sandwich of the mother of 14 on food stamps.

 

S T A G E   T W O

Bologna Sandwich

When enough financial security has been achieved, meat can be slapped on top of what was previously a rudimentary meal. The newfound protein generates enough energy to stabilize and secure one's lifestyle. Bologna is the sandwich for budget-conscious lower-class and lower-middle-class folks who can feed their children pseudomeat while saving time on meal prep and avoiding the high prices of cooking gas.

S T A G E   T H R E E

Peanut Butter and Jelly

Once stability arrives, people naturally pine for the comfort and intimacy offered by relationships. Few things belong together like peanut butter and jelly, which, when placed face to face, meld like an almost sexual union of opposites. Sticky and sweet no longer compete, but instead congeal into a mortar that warms the roof of the mouth while plugging the gaps in the heart's levee. The snack sandwich a giggling brother and sister share after Mom has cut off the crusts.

S T A G E   F O U R

Reuben

Social and familial bonding, though important foundations, can only take people so far. Enter the Reuben, which fuels esteem and self-worth with its layered, corn-fed meats and melted cheeses. The sandwich sizzles on the grill like a Dionysian figure keeping his cool as he skates across Hades' fiery lake. The Reuben is so confident that it sports sauerkraut without fear of reprisal from finicky eaters. The sandwich for self-composed delicatessen-goers who order and eat while selling stocks on cell-phone headsets and slipping business cards into the pockets of attractive people 20 years their junior.

S T A G E   F I V E

Muffuletta

When the needs provided by conventional sandwiches have all been satisfied, people begin to seek the whole loaf, which is ample enough to support a complex amalgam of ingredients, including layers of provolone, salami, and ham. Additionally, the muffuletta's olive-salad spread, a mixture of 13 ingredients, unites and surrounds the meat and cheese like a salty oversoul. A product of America's melting pot, the muffuletta is a global sandwich large enough to feed a table full of hungry immigrants who can set aside their differences and break bread in recognition of their common humanity. The muffuletta does not exist as a result of the stomach's emptiness, but was born from the fullness found deep inside us all.

S T A G E   S I X

BLT

 

In Stage 6, the good life finally blends with the desire for the austere simplicity of our youth. The trials and tribulations of a hard life achieved, while facing the stresses of a dysfunctional social network that rewards not the hard working, but the unscrupulous have taken a toll on those who "have everything". Life is finally slowing down, but in a beautiful sunset sort of way where the last rays of sunshine burst forth before the crisp cool night envelopes the world. In order to provide this "soulful regeneration" into the later ages of the golden life in which we have lived, we no longer require the fulfilling muffuletta richness, but instead deem simplicity and austerity as the purest form one can attain.

 

This would be STAGE SIX, and it would be expressed through the enjoyment of a bacon lettuce and tomato (BLT) sandwich, consisting of delicious crispy full-bodied bacon otherwise known as "food of the gods" between two slices of whole-wheat toast slathered in the mayonnaise of our youth to remind one of the good times enjoyed "just surviving". Add to that the zing of a thickly sliced piece of fresh tomato and some crispy lettuce. Top it off with a bit of salt and pepper to bring back the nostalgia of the former "spice of life" years and you have the perfect sandwich to enjoy through the much deserved golden era of life.

 

Biz Talk: Meandering Through Carbon Offset Fantasies

Dunnster just wrote today (on our day off - first day of spring officially, Happy Shumbun no Hi!) a very good blog about the recent Prius Bashing that seems to constantly go around. Apparently (I didn't know this, but that's not surprising since he seems to know billions and billions of bits of information more than I do) there is a "Dust to Dust" report that compares the "total running costs" to the environment of a Toyota Prius to a Hummer and concludes that the Hummer is more efficient and better on the environment.

You can read the entire blog, entitled Cars here, and I recommend it. It's interesting, to say the least, especially because Dunnster always finds the most interesting controversies to share with us and he never ceases to amaze me.

As often happens to me when I have a bit of time to ponder, I started writing a comment. And then I edited it, and wrote some more, and some more and the next thing I knew it was a blog-in-a-blog. So, I extracted it from there, and decided to write it here instead so as not to take up too much space on his site. I'll go back and link this blog to my comment so those reading his excellent blog can pop over here if they wish to see my thoughts.

I know there are pros and cons to the system of businesses, industries, countries buying "carbon offset coupons", but if that money collected is actually USED for the improvement of CO2 reduction in some way, and not just considered a profit that goes back into the pockets of the investors, I think it could work.

If such were the case then it would be interesting I think, if individuals could do their part by purchasing environmentally-friendlier vehicles and at the same time a portion of their purchase price would be allotted to their receipt of carbon-offset coupons. This doesn't necessarily mean that the profits of the company have to decrease. If we were conscientious buyers, and wanted to buy into this system (after understanding it), then adding to the sticker price the option of purchasing carbon offset coupons when buying the vehicle would be a nice extra option, I feel.

The company could issue specific coupons in paper form, just as if we bought securities, that could be saved, traded, bought or sold openly on the market at market values, and it could become a new commodity that would be born every time we decided to invest in the improvement of the environment. Why not? If countries can print money and make it appear out of thin air, why not print "enviros" that can be used with other businesses as "points" for reducing future prices of other environmentally-friendly purchases? I like the concept. I'd buy into it.

It's just like when you purchase books from Amazon you get points that you can use to reduce your costs for future purchases. Why not be able to purchase carbon-offset enviros that would act in the same function and could be redeemed for discounts when purchasing certain products or services that were recognized to be produced by organizations who were doing their part in developing more environmentally-friendly goods?

Yes, we can change our light bulbs, drive less, turn off the lights, use less bottled water, turn our dishwater temperature down, stop using weed killer, reduce our plastic consumption, buy recycled tires, and more. No doubt there is a huge amount we as individuals can already do (and should be). I was shocked when I visited Bob in Asheville (where everyone buys "organic") to find out that ALL of their trash (glass, bottles, plastic, food, paper, everything) all goes out in one bag to the dump - shocked I tell you!

As I learned when my former company was applying for ISO14001 and we were studying about it, there is only so much reduction you can do before you can't do any more. It doesn't make sense to "suffer" to save the world, because that is not our lot in life. We should be able to prosper while working to improve the environment, and profit from it at the same time.

To actually be able to purchase more carbon offset (on a voluntary basis), would be an excellent way for those really interested in serving the environment further, those who have done all they can to reduce but still want to do more and not suffer from it (i.e. never use electricity), to do so.

How about this radical idea: Instead of paying a tithe to the church, don't you think "God" might prefer to see us keep our globe operating at a healthier level by buying carbon offset coupons? I'd like to think so.

When I was in Asheville, NC, I was looking into renting a car. One company (Alamo, I think) allowed us to choose a "carbon offset plan" which billed an extra $1.25/day for carbon offset. On the surface it looked like a good idea, but there was nowhere I could find in the site that told me where that extra money was going. Did Alamo plan to make us feel good by letting us "buy carbon offset", and in reality it was just going to go into their coffers? Or did they have a plan where they were using it to purchase offset coupons as a means to decrease their exhaust output on a "carbon-based basis"? I couldn't find so I didn't purchase. But I seriously considered choosing that over the other vehicles, even if it meant paying a little more per day. IF that money was going to true carbon offset in some way, and had it been explained, I would have paid extra to do my part on that scale.

So I think there is potential here for such a system for the individuals, and I hope that it eventually gets implemented in creative ways (not "creative accounting ways") that we, the boys and girls in the street can do just a little bit more to do our part. It's time to stop complaining about the destruction of our planet and start acting. All complaining does is bring back more destruction upon us; it serves no positive constructive purpose. If you believe that the energy you transmit out to the Universe comes back multiplied, what is the use of sending out negative energy? We need to act, to show our positive intent in order for that positive ripple to turn into a tsunami of change, rather than a tsunami of destructive force.

I think that the automakers could really lobby for a movement in this direction if they aren't already doing so and it would, in turn, be a good marketing tool for the environmentally conscious, as well as assist them to design and develop more models that have the energy-saving, or energy-replenishing concepts. After all, the faster they can get these new tech vehicles down in price to the mass-market price point, the faster we will all be able to switch over and make petroleum a "resource of the passed".

Couldn't Amazon.world find some creative way to introduce this into their point system? They have a monstrously successful business model with phenomenal logistics. I think that they probably could. Then for those of us who want to buy books online, Amazon.world could be our environmentally friendly choice which might give them a competitive advantage over other online bookstores (not for long, of course). I think they could do it, if they sat down with creative minds and worked it out. I would most definitely buy into that since I like this company already! (two books just arrived today, Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth" and a Japanese novel for Mayu.)

But having said so, I don't think it would be good to be passed as a "carbon offset tax" where everyone was forced to do their part. Sure, it would force people to change their habits (one of the outcomes on economics as we know is to change habits by levying taxes and tolls, not just to make more money), having it as OPTIONAL would allow those who can to do so with a conscious mind, and those who were not at a point in their lives to do so, would not need to feel angry that their "hard-earned dollar" was being taxed even further for something they may not believe in. And it wouldn't be forcing people to do something they weren't ready for, so they would not need to feel resentment toward it.

Not everyone would go for this, and that's fine. Those that want to, should be able to do so, and those that don't, really shouldn't be forced. Not yet anyway. Maybe in the future when it needs to be forced if we are at such a point of global environmental crisis, but I would prefer to think that as people become more aware, they realize the merits of this system and come on board on their own accord, and with their own understanding and desire to do so. So much more can be accomplished when you WANT to do it, rather than when you are FORCED to do it against your will. "How much can I give for a dollar" as opposed to "How much can I take for a dollar", is a similar analogy.

This is just a thought that started rumbling through my mind as I read Dunnster's blog today. And I would like to thank him for helping my mind get going on a new, and to me interesting, thought.

I love you, Rob!

Cam

P.S. Robin, would you design an "enviro" for me so that I can put it at the top of this blog as my picture? I would love for you to design a truly "global currency" that everyone around the world would benefit from in a collective way, whenever it exchanged hands in transactions!

Biztalk: Cutting Edge Customer Service

(2:36 of me talking.)

The other day I had a product failure.
The company took care of it.
Extremely quickly.
I'm a happy customer.

No matter where I am, I always try to see people around me as "customers". This allows me to treat them with the courtesy and respect they deserve and it helps me to appreciate their efforts on a deeper level.

I love you!

Cam

Biz Talk: "Why the presidential candidates flunked the email test"

http://www.imediaconnection.com/printpage/printpage.aspx?id=18458
In any venture, whether it be business, politics, government, whatever, the proper use of marketing tools is essential. Email is probably the single best way to reach out to nearly everyone on the planet who is wired into the Internet.

Marketers know this, but do they know how to maximize their potential returns (ROI) utilizing this high-powered marketing tool? It seems like the marketing teams for the U.S. presidential candidates could use a few basic pointers.

For those of you interested in learning how to improve your return on investment in marketing (SOHOs, private business owners, small, medium, even big-business readers here), take a look at this independent study which takes standard business e-mail marketing tactics as a benchmark and compares the email campaigns of Obama, Clinton, Romney, McCain, Edwards and Huckabee to see how they measure up.

All of the candidates fail to make the grade.

Don't be a failure in your email marketing campaigns. Take a few minutes to read this article (set to printer friendly page to reduce your click-thru time) and see if you can improve your own returns.

I love you!

Cam