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No Johnny, you can't be anything you want to be

In DAG
8/31/10 07:30 PM

How many times were you told as a kid you could be anything you wanted to be when you grew up? There were no limits. You could learn anything, do anything – even be the President of the United States if that's what you wanted. Although, over the last 20 years I'm betting the noble path of politics has fallen down on the list of cool jobs kids dream about.

But I'd argue that the mantra, "you can be anything," is a myth. A phantom. You can't accomplish anything you set your mind to – certainly not on your own. And, it's a farce to council young and old to dream big and just go for it. There are limits beyond your control that everyone needs to be mindful of when dreaming of the future. Just ask any of the unemployed college graduates who are out there now looking for work. Most of them are strapped with debt from student loans and living expenses they accumulated while chasing their dreams. Or, ask any mid-career professional who became unemployed in recent months how solid that notion of being convicted to your dreams really is.

Sometimes, reality alters our course. Reality is kind of an important factor in determining what it is you want to be.

These days, career paths, educational options, and the realities of the new normal impact our lives in ways we've never seen before. The landscape has changed. Isn't it logical that the perspective on dreams needs some adjustment too? Is it a call for martyrs to unite and grieve helplessly of times gone by? I hardly think so.

There is still opportunity on every corner, but we have to let loose the old paradigms of how you get there. Flexibility and a renewed focus on being nimble, quick and open-minded are great characteristics to hold onto these days.

Do I think you can still achieve your goals? Well, sure. But I think you have to do so with a grip on reality. For example, let's say that all Johnny ever wanted be was an editor of a small town newspaper. Well, in this ever-changing industry, he might find his dreams cut short these days. But, if Johnny surveyed the world of new media, social media, ipads, web video etc., he would find a wide-open frontier with plenty of things to dream about.

It's not enough to dream. You have to accept the realities and make them part of your goal process. Be willing to retrain, retool and reapply yourself in the new normal. Don't sit back waiting on the old "normal" to return. It simply ain't happening.

Embrace the times upon us. Be flexible. Be open-minded and willing to do things that weren't in your master plan. Seek new forms of education. Explore new markets. Let go of age-old thoughts on how you thought it was going to be.  Instead, spend time studying how it is.

Sometimes, it is our own expectations of what life "should be" tomorrow, that hold us back from what we "can be" today.

By DAG

What is optimism worth?

In DAG
8/4/10 12:26 PM

In this economy I think optimism is one of the most valuable assets a company can have. It's a character trait every leader should embrace and demonstrate in every way they can imagine. I'll admit it's a challenge, but nurturing optimism is one of the most important things you can do for your business.

If what ole Winston Churchill said is true then we are embroiled in one of the most opportunistic times of our lifetime and that's something to be excited about! Basically, he said a pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity and the optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty. So more difficulty means more opportunity!

I'm fortunate to work with a group of people who have an unbridled spirit about life and work. Yes they get tired and beat down like the rest of us but I must say after enduring some turbulent times the folks I find who remain dedicated are special people. They are optimist at heart and at a time when our country's economy has been as challenging as it has been since the depression- well, optimism is worth a lot.

Hanging on to your dreams and your entrepreneurial vision is difficult in good times. Throw in a dash of economic woes and you've got to smile real big and think extra positive thoughts to muscle through it.

If you let the here-and-now get you down you can lose perspective on the big picture faster than ever before. It seems like it only takes a few months of down times to erase the vision of those good times that took you years to realize.

So, heed the call to re-up optimism and positive thinking. A lil' bit of "I think I can, I think I can," will carry you a long way."The glass is half full not half empty." "Every cloud has a silver lining." "Every dog has its day." "Opportunity is at every turn."

Cancel those negative thoughts. Imagine the possibilities. Don't focus on the obstacles. Think instead about what great things we have to work with. Think of the potential. Think of all we have to be thankful for.

Optimism. Be it. Live it. Thrive.

By Dag

Life Lessons: We can do this the easy way or...

In Pantyhose are the work of Satan... and other things I know for sure
7/10/10 05:48 PM

Recently, I conducted a very scientific poll on that intellectual social platform known as Facebook (or to Americans older than 50: "The Facebook"). I thought it would be interesting to ask my peeps to tell me the best advice they ever received. Of course, then I had to ask for the worst advice they ever got – and that proved to be even more valuable, in my opinion.

So for your reading pleasure (and drive time points to ponder) here are my top picks for the best and worst advice ever from Kelly's Facebook friends – the most reputable and reliable sources!

Best advice:

  1. Work on your "to be" list, not your "to do" list.
  2. Even if you win at the rat race, you're still a rat.
  3. Can't never could.
  4. Tell the truth. Tell the truth. Tell the truth. The truth will always outlive a lie.
  5. The best definition of success is being exactly who God created you to be. Live to please an audience of One.
  6. You can't argue with a fool without looking foolish also.
  7. If the queen ain't happy, ain't nobody happy! (Graciously offered by my wise and wonderful hubby.)

Worst advice:

  1. Take this, one won't hurt you.
  2. Everything is okay in moderation.
  3. The more you owe the bank; the more they will work with you to help you pay it back.
  4. Never admit that you are wrong or take responsibility for your mistakes. That opens the floodgates of liability.
  5. Don't worry about violence in movies and video games. Boys will be boys.
  6. You have to treat some people like dogs in order to get anything out of them.
  7. Ignore the behavior you want to go away.

This second list all came from the same person!

I get the distinct impression that she learned the hard way that these were the worst pieces of advice. I can so relate. I remember once giving a talk to a group of women business leaders and entrepreneurs on the top ten things not to do to be successful in business. Yes, I had enthusiastically done them all! My bio accurately reads: Kelly Greer is a summa cum laude graduate of the "Been there, ought not to have done that" School of Bad Decisions.

So what about you? What prime pieces of good or bad advice are missing from this list? Have you learned more from your successes or failures?

By Kelly Greer

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Thinking stuff up is easy

In DAG
7/8/10 09:36 AM

Thomas Edison quipped that genius was 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration. Given that he was a pretty smart fella, I think I'll agree with him. Most people I talk to concur implementation is a far bigger challenge than coming up with ideas themselves, even though ideas seem to get all the glory.

And what about this? Seems there are plenty of folks who can spew an idea a second, particularly when they are telling you what "you" should do. They'll throw an idea out and then sit back like they've done the heavy lifting, when in reality, discussing an idea is the easy part. Implementation is where superstars are born! The people and companies that see their ideas through to reality are the ones I watch.

If you plan on being brilliant at what you do and becoming known for great ideas, then you might as well get used to the fact that ideas only become great when implemented. Sure, you'll have detractors and you'll have unplanned obstacles. You might even feel like giving up -- but don't. More often than not, the road to implementing genius isn't easy and sometimes it ain't pretty, but things worth doing seldom are.

So what's the key to implementation? Relentless drive. Tenacity. Focus. Above all... action. Be obsessive about action. Keep moving, keep pursuing, keep working towards the end goal no matter what. Enemies to implementation are at every turn. Procrastination. Competing priorities. Overwhelming stress. You name it and it will no doubt be part of your journey to making an idea a great one.

I don't mean to diminish the importance of vision and great ideas. Not in the least. I'm just saying... I think more ideas are left undone because of lack of good ole fashioned hard work and action, rather than lack of creative genius. No doubt we've all experienced the proverbial spinning of wheels and wasted actions without a defined outcome in mind, so vision and clear-cut expectations are essential.

Ideas with no action? Not good. Lot's of action with no clear cut idea of the outcome? Not good. Get a great idea and be obsessive with action? I think that's when the brilliance happens.

Perhaps best said like this: Ideas + Action = Genius. Now go make Thomas Edison proud and sweat your way to genius!

By Dag

Congratulations! You're a mom. Now turn over your brain cells.

In Pantyhose are the work of Satan... and other things I know for sure
5/20/10 10:28 AM

Okay, so I know it – I've never been the sharpest knife in the drawer. But at the rate I'm going, something's got to give. With Mother's Day just around the corner, I feel compelled to report on this particular phenomenon and seek help – or, at the very least, commiseration.

There was a time where I could keep up with numerous to-do's and priorities effortlessly. Throw in my handy dandy Steven Covey Daytimer and I was a smooth-running machine of roles, goals and focus. Then something happened – I had a baby. And then something else happened – my to-do lists started looking like a hodgepodge of goals and priorities that were utterly unrelated. How do you prioritize" Meet quarterly revenue goal" against" Make poodle skirt for school by Friday" ? And it never ends. Today alone my list included: shoot video, proof magazine, lead client conference call, dress daughter Gracie as her favorite book character (Fancy Nancy, for those of you who are interested), make lunches, send in field trip money, find Lovey the panda bear, pick up kids by 3:15 p.m. and write this column.

Gone are the times of uninterrupted focus. Gone is the stringing together of multiple coherent thoughts. Gone are my brain cells.

My good friend and neighbor, Amy, recently relayed a story that really summed up the gobbling of brain cells. Amy, a mom of three children under the age of seven, was attempting to have a semi-serious and (key word) focused conversation with her own mother. The kids were running through the house – no doubt with scissors – and the baby had just discovered that dog food was a delicious snack. As Amy tried to focus on what her increasingly frustrated mother was saying, while simultaneously assessing the degree of danger each child was in, her mother blurts out," What's wrong with you? You seem so...so...so distracted!" To which Amy replied," I AM so distracted!"

So here's my question. Are women everywhere losing brain cells to this mysterious vortex called having children? Or, could it be working moms multitask and perform at a far higher level than they ever did without kids – even if on paper it doesn't look that way. We aren't losing cells, but rather just need a whole lot more to meet the demand! As another good working-mom friend of mine said recently," I'm glad I'm self employed or I'd be fired by now."

What do you think? Are you losing brain cells at a record pace or does being mom mean you just need more?

By Kelly Greer

Add a Comment

Do you do too much?

In DAG
5/6/10 10:51 PM

I'm kind of a do it yourselfer. I've come up in the ranks as a small business owner and never really experienced the good ole days of having a secretary or a maintenance staff at my beckon call. In a small business, if you see something that needs to be done, you just get up and do it.

A couple years ago a new employee came to my office and asked where the "Maintenance Requisition Forms" were. He had a light bulb out in his office and needed it replaced. I took him down the hall and pointed him to the closet and said "they're in there." In the closet was the ladder and the light bulbs. I told him to be careful on the ladder and be sure to close out the ticket when he was done.

When you come up in a culture wear you wear many hats sometimes you just take on the attitude that, "it's quicker to do it myself than to ask someone else." I've caught myself going behind employees who may have not completed a task the way I thought it needed to be done and just fixed it on the fly. I'd rationalize that there was no need to interrupt them and by the time I could explain it, I could just do it myself.

But at what cost? If you do too much, you run risk of never teaching your staff things that you know could better shape their actions. You miss fundamental opportunities to share with them how you see things, and you also miss chances to explain why you do things a certain way. The worse part is that years can go by while you are stuck living with the repeated frustration of having to go behind or correct things that in your mind, "weren't up to par."

The next time you think about being courteous and avoiding interrupting someone to come back and correct something, think again. The time you invest in explaining is well worth the effort and in the long run, better for your company. My experience has been that employees prefer to understand and are happy to do things the way you see them if they know what you're looking for.

So kick back, don't do so much and explain things a lot more. Long term growth for your business depends on it.

By Dag

Hold steady and don't derail

In DAG
2/5/10 04:29 PM

Turn on the news or read the daily newspaper and you're likely to see another day's collection of crime, trauma and business gone bad. Unemployment is up, downsizing and layoffs are commonplace, and economic woes cover the pages.

Our big picture view, our long-term perspective, gives way to attention-grabbing headlines which can impact our judgment. No doubt, it's a tough challenge. Day after day facing bills, cash flow and sales challenges – it's easy to see how one might lose sight of the norm.

Sometimes you just gotta breathe deep and focus further out on the horizon. Yes, you may have to forget about where you were tracking on your goals. You may have to adjust your timing on things, even lower some expectations, but it doesn't mean you have to give up on your dreams.

One of the hardest things for an entrepreneur to accept is taking a few steps backwards. Slipping back in growth, holding back on expansion, or treading water just goes against the grain of an entrepreneur. In this economy, however, holding steady is an accomplishment in itself.

Now might be a time to balance long-term thinking with short, incremental steps to recovery. Think ahead a couple of years. Where do you want to be two years out? Keep that in focus as you ponder decisions, but don't let it overwhelm you. Instead, concentrate on stabilizing the now.

First, just look out one month at a time. What does it take to make it 30 days and hold steady? What do you have to do to maintain for that month? Then, look out to the next month and the next, but keep it in bite-size pieces so it doesn't seem overwhelming. Build on smaller successes. Let go of some of those big lofty goals – just for a while.

Slowing down a business is like slowing down a freight train – hard to do it real quick. However, you're much better to brake and reassess rather than risk a derailment because you didn't let go of yesterday's metrics.

Find your own perspective – not what you read in the news, not what your company goals from last year suggest, not what your financial history suggests. Take a fresh look. See what you have to do to maintain and posture. When the economy turns, and it will, you'll regain momentum in no time.

By Dag

Dance With What Brung Ya

In Pantyhose are the work of Satan... and other things I know for sure
2/1/10 12:00 AM

I was recently watching a biography on a young singer-song writer and was captivated by her originality. In a society where we are encouraged to conform and compare, it was refreshing to see someone simply "going with" who they were.

Each one of us has been given gifts and talents. You know, the stuff that comes easy to you while your friends and family just stare in disbelief or appreciation. Isn't it funny how we often "discount" our gifts? I think it's human nature to minimize the value of things that come easy to us. What a mistake! We sometimes take our gifts so much for granted we have a hard time seeing them. I remember a while back doing an exercise with friends where we where supposed to talk about our gifts. Some in the group couldn't answer the question at all and some named one or two things, but were totally oblivious to the other gifts that were so obvious to the rest of us.

In a time where many have been displaced in business or find themselves burned out or disillusioned by current conditions, consider this: Maybe your current circumstances are really just a fantastic opportunity to re-acquaint yourself to the real you. In his book Believe That You Can, Jentezen Franklin states, "The secret to discovering your destiny is to find something you enjoy so much you would be willing to do for free. Then become so good at it that people are willing to pay you to do it."

Being true to who we are and fulfilling our destinies are interconnected. And it's so easy to get off track. A promotion, a lucrative job opportunity and financial obligations can affect the short-term decisions we make. Our choices seem correct at the time, but may ultimately have us dancing the wrong dance.

And we aren't alone in trying to figure this all out. Google the words "purpose" or "destiny" and prepare to have your mind blown with all the theories and self-help gurus out there. But here's the real truth. Go to the source. Go to who made you. Who better than the one who created you to know your intended use and give you your operating instructions? He knows about all sorts of applications and advanced features that may surprise even you. How cool is that?

As I write this, Phillipians 2:13 (NLT) keeps coming to mind, "For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him." If you find yourself lacking desire or power in your current endeavors, maybe it's because you aren't dancing with what brung you, or more correctly who brung you. There's never been a better time than right now to declare who your partner is, select your song, turn up the music and enjoy the dance!

By Kelly Greer

646 Comment s   

Get your head in the game!

In DAG
1/6/10 12:15 PM

When I was a kid I played little league baseball... or lets just say I was on a team. I remember being out in left field tending to the turf. You know, kicking rocks, twirling around in a circle and daydreaming. For most of the game I didn't really care what was happening on the infield. Oblivious to when the pitcher threw the ball– Unaware of the action at home plate. On occasion a ball would drift my way and smack me back in the moment. I'd tell myself, hmmm– I guess I should've had that one.

The coach was stern but with ample patience and a keen awareness there was only so much he could do with some of us. Every now and then he'd yell at me and say "Hey Dag, get your head in the game boy!" I'd give him a glancing stare then quickly resume my meandering ways. I mean they don't call it the great American pastime for nothing. I was passing time with the best of them.

When the inning was over and I'd notice I was the only one on my team still on the field, I'd frolic into the dugout and have a snack. I was very content to follow the vibe of my team but I really wasn't engaged enough to know whether we'd win or lose.

The next season rolled around and something changed. I was on Lilburn little leagues version of the Bad News Bears. Weak on talent and the coach was the only poor soul who couldn't say no when the commissioner said if somebody won't coach your boys can't play. An expansion team they called us. The least athletic boy from all the other teams traded away to be on our team. We were something.

Little did I know my career as an outfield daydreamer was over. I was the fat kid so by default I was given the coveted catchers position. It's hard to daydream when hard little balls are being wailed at your head. Who knew a change in position, added responsibility and being inescapably in the midst of the game would change my outlook so much.

Pitching and catching. It's where the action started. From my vantage point I saw the game differently now. I anticipated what might happen before the pitcher threw the ball. I visualized the batter hitting it all around the field and in each scenario I thought about my next move. One move if it went to third base, another if it went to right field. Always aware of the count– how many on base– what inning it was. I even knew which batter was coming up 2 or 3 down the line. It was hard work but I felt much more rewarded by staying engaged on every play of the game.

The rules of the game and the things I learned in little league ring familiar as I ponder the outlook for small business in 2010.

In this economy there aren't many slots on a company's roster for daydreamers. Being on a team means you have to earn your keep now more than ever. Stay focused. Anticipate change. Visualize solutions. Take responsibility. Be disciplined and hard working.

As my old coach would say, regardless of your position, "get your head in the game". Your company needs you and my bet is you'll feel much more in control of your destiny and better yet, increase your odds and staying with a winning team.

"Wait til next year" is upon us boys and girls so lets all work hard and swing for the fences. 2010 could be the year!

By DAG

The Best Is Yet To Come

In Pantyhose are the work of Satan... and other things I know for sure
1/1/10 12:00 AM

We are all familiar with the phrase, "The best is yet to come." Most of us have heard it to varying degrees all our lives. Maybe not so much lately?and truth be told, it tends to be one we hear less and less as we get older. The media and pop culture doesn't help in confirming that notion either. According to the latest TMZ show or any other weekly entertainment magazine, if you haven't "made it" by time you are 30, you are pretty much over the hill and your best days are most certainly behind you.

I don't know exactly when it happened, but at some point I started to believe my best days were behind me. It's not like it was a conscious thing. It's just ? well, life happens! Between marriage, kids, work, family obligations, deaths and illnesses, let's just say we can all get "distracted!"

I think sometimes we just quit believing in our dreams. The reality is that life can be merciless. We get hurt, disappointed, rejected or worse. Mentally we can just end up so far away from the core "hope" and "idea" of who we are and aspire to be. It usually happens slowly over time?so slowly that you don't even realize it's taking place.

But you know what the cool thing is? We can reclaim our dreams and highest aspirations for ourselves at any time! We can choose to believe again. It requires being conscious and proactive about the thoughts and beliefs we allow in our brain in the first place. And also doing some serious pruning from time to time.

If you struggle with thinking your best days are behind you, I want to challenge you right now to reframe your thoughts on this topic. Could it be true that what you've been through ? the hard lessons you've learned and the mistakes you've made ? actually put you in a better position to succeed than ever before? We just need to wake up, smell the coffee and begin to claim it!

When my own meager pep talks start to fail me, I always look to my heavenly Father. My favorite verse on the subject is, "For I know what I have planned for you, says the Lord. I have plans to prosper you, not harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope." (Jer 29:11 NET)

I'm not going to argue with that! I'm glad my best days are ahead of me. Won't you join the movement?

By Kelly Greer

Previous Entries

What is optimism worth?

Life Lessons: We can do this the easy way or...

Thinking stuff up is easy

Congratulations! You're a mom. Now turn over your brain cells.

Do you do too much?

Hold steady and don't derail

Dance With What Brung Ya

Get your head in the game!

The Best Is Yet To Come

Let the good times roll

It's a long way from my desk to Washington, D.C.

Run more two-minute drills

I don't even know why I bother.

I believe I'll use my mulligan

 

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