Walking on fire

Why in the world would anyone want to walk on fire? In fact many ask "What the hell are you thinking? That is crazy!". In fact, that is the response I got from almost everyone I told that I wanted to and was going to walk on fire.  Others, well let's just say they were skeptical at best. Not many believers out there these days I guess.

In fact, you might be saying the same or close to the same thing.  WTH are you thinking?

What I was thinking was what a rush, what an accomplishment, and what a game-changer.  I tell clients to challenge their beliefs, try new things to get better results.  Take action on the things that cause them to hold back.  Fears they have, ideas that prevent them from moving into greatness. My job as a business coach is to help people face and overcome those limiting beliefs that are holding them back.

So what does this have to do with walking on fire?  Here it is... I am so scared of fire it isn't funny.  As a young boy, I had a scary experience with fire.  I was trying to help my dad light the hot water heater in the basement. (gas fed). At 10 years old I had yet to understand how gas and flames work, I just knew that dad couldn't fit in the crawlspace to relight the heater and I wanted to help.  "I can do it Dad, I can fit, let me!" I exclaimed.  So he let me and told me to turn the lever to pilot light and then take this big long  (lit) match and place it on the pilot light. After a few failed attempts to light the pilot frustration set in and my 10-year-old brain said, "just turn up the gas, that should help" so I turned the lever up to on and proceeded to light the heater.

Well, you can imagine the result, gas flooded the small area under the heater and as soon as I moved the lit match close... WOOOOOOM!!!  Flames shot out and flashed back and burned all of my eyelashes, brows, and some of the hair on my head off, and flash burned my face and neck.  Thankfully my reaction was to shut my eyes and my sight was unaffected.  Why do I tell you this?  Because I was deathly afraid of fire after that.  I had a fascination but overwhelming fear of fire.

What are you afraid of?   What scares the shit out of you?  Bugs, Spiders, water, speaking in public? Whatever it is the ONLY way to overcome or get past that fear is to do it.  Bottom line, you have to face your fear and do it anyway!  It is mind over the issue and a focus on the goal. Knowing what you want is critical when you are setting out to accomplish something. 

You must catch that bug, kill that spider (not that I’m about killing anything), jump in the water, get up in front of the group and share that idea or speech. Take that chance, make something happen.  Do it NOW!!!  The first commandment of Coach Rick’s 12 Common Sense Commandments for Success. That leads to rule number two,  If not now… WHEN?

Coach Rick Kolster, CBC is the founder of the Peak Performance Group, a leadership, Sales and team development company.  He is also the author of Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get To Work as well as an expert on designing strategies for companies. He can be contacted at 817-748-7425 or info@MyPotentialPLus.com

 

 

An Attitude of Gratitude

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”   Ralph Waldo Emerson

In other words, for your wellness and highest good, and for the good of all, start and end each day with a grateful heart. It makes such a difference in raising your energy level, along with that of the person or thing you are thankful for. It truly brings blessings to the world.

A great gratitude “tool” is keeping a gratitude journal. Just before going to sleep, write, say three things or events you are grateful for that day. Then while you sleep, your subconscious and your brain will be focusing on those positive thoughts, rather than negative ones. When you wake up in the morning, probably after a good night’s sleep, thanks to your gratitude, thank your bed for having provided you with a cosy resting place for the night, and whatever else you would like to give thanks to, so as to start your day in the positive energy of gratitude.

Everything in this world is comprised of energy and you receive according to the frequency you transmit. So, when you are grateful, you create opportunities for things to come your way for which you can be grateful. Studies have shown that people who adopt an attitude of gratitude tend to be happier and healthier. In turn, happier and healthier people are attracted into your life, with whom you have deeper relationships.

There are so many things to be thankful for, and while you are focusing on these things you mind will not allow you to look for the things that you feel like you may be lacking. Negative thoughts withdraw to the background and eventually don’t come up on your radar.

This is encouraging when considering the end of year holiday season. At this time, we see much beauty and evidence of things for which to be grateful. However, the holiday can be stressful, exhausting and lonely for many people. For those who exercise gratitude on a regular basis, it can be a positive period.

We’ve seen how gratitude makes you happier and healthier, which in turn affects the central nervous system. As a result, you become more peaceful, reacting less to situations and people. You get on better with others, having closer and deeper relationships. It is evident how this would lead to a more pleasurable end of year holiday.

To conclude, let’s consider the words of John F. Kennedy:

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them." This is a positive mantra for not only the holiday season but all year long.

Coach Rick Kolster, CBC is the founder of the Peak Performance Group, a leadership and team development company.  He is also the author of Roll Up Your Sleeves & Get To Work.  He helps people design a life strategy for success. He can be contacted at 817-748-7425 or Rick@MyPotentialPlus.com

The BALD TRUTH - Work/Life balance is B*LLSH*!

There’s been a lot of talk and discussion over the past few decades about the work life balance, and today we have companies that provide training in this area and basically teach us a lot of stuff that sounds great but has little to do with reality. So, are we helpless? Is there any way we can achieve a perfect work life balance, perform in our careers and still manage to spend time with our family? Oh, but there is. Of course, at first the “I don’t know what to do” kicks in and we find ourselves trapped in between what we must do, what we have to and what we actually want to do.

Of course, the most important thing is how you approach the situation, how you position yourself in relationship to it and afterwards what you do about it. There’s this powerful saying I agree with completely that says “No man is trapped except in his own mind”. So let’s set things straight and get you out of this mess.

First of all, you need to take a few steps back and look at it from up above, because when work life balance is messed up, you’ve gotten yourself in a little too many details. What is your dream? What do you want to do with your life? What is your true, deep inside calling? This is the starting point and you need to take some time to answer it.

Don’t worry, it will come to you and you will know. Then do a right and rigorous self-assessment of yourself.  What is really important to you? What are the things in your life you couldn’t do without? What are your values? What are the guidelines you have set for your life? Take some time to think about what truly matters for yourself. After you’ve got your answers about your dream, your calling, and your truest values, it’s time to look at your job. Are we talking about the right job fit here? They say that one who loves his work will not work a single day in his life.

Are you that one? Be honest to yourself and at the same time take your time. It’s the perfect time to slow down just a notch, now that things are beginning to look more clear and everything is more obvious and out there. Now it’s time for the right focus to kick in. Start to focus on the things that matter, the things you love to do, focus on your dream, focus on your inner peace and happiness. In the end, these are the things that matter the most.

Coach Rick Kolster, CBC is a certified business/life coach, the author of Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get To Work as well as an expert on developing leaders and designing strategy for companies. He can be contacted at 817-748-7425 or   Rick@CoachRickKolster.com 

www.CoachRickKolster.com

The BALD TRUTH - Thank You From the Heart

“Thank you” from the heart

Now that Thanksgiving is gone, it’s a good time to focus on the meaning of giving thanks and how it can affect your life. It is a simple word that can change your day in an instant. It can make your day better when you hear it from the lady you help to carry her grocery bags, or when you say it with a smile as someone holds a door for you.

This feeling is a part of human nature, and it is so common that it is often simply ignored. It can be said mechanically without even thinking about its importance. However, a thank you should never be said mechanically, but it should be said from the heart. In the same way, it should not be taken for granted, something that you know should be said, but as something that has been given with the purest intentions. This is a powerful feeling that should be taken into account many times during your everyday life.

Besides the everyday life, a thank you is often said at the work place. It has the purpose to help employees bond and to help employers express their gratitude. However, there are many companies where people do not understand the true meaning of a real thank you, and therefore many problems start to appear. These companies forget the importance of these two simple words. This begins a slow decline in motivation and employee satisfaction. Turning this around can happen with a acceptance of this simple gesture.  This way they will have more chances to stand out from the competition and ultimately find success. After all, employees need to work in a peaceful environment where they can reach their full potential.

If you own a company, you should try this as soon as possible. You will see that you can easily change the external perception about the work place you have to offer. An honest thank you  causes zero harm, but it will show appreciation and help you motivate your employees. This in turn provides an environment where they can perform a better quality job. The most effective way is to apply the power of example. This means that you will have to express your gratitude each time it is warranted or whenever you feel that it is necessary. This in turn people will feel appreciated and that their work makes a difference, which keeps them motivated and they will put more into the job. As you can see, this does not require much time or effort, and it drives the organization to become more successful.

Once a person hears a thank you, said from the heart, he/she will have a different view regarding the world. After all, people appreciate when someone recognizes their effort. There are many who believe that money represents the gratitude of a company, but this is not true. Money does not have anything in common with the deep emotions transmitted with the help of a true thank you said from the heart. 

Who will you thank today?

Coach Rick Kolster, CBC is a certified business/life coach, the author of Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get To Work as well as an expert on developing leaders and designing strategy for companies. He can be contacted at 817-748-7425 or   Rick@CoachRickKolster.com 

www.CoachRickKolster.com 

The BALD TRUTH - Planing to fail? Your call!

Planning to fail.  Your call.

We talked about the three killers of a business.  Number one is lack of cash flow.  Number two is poor leadership and now let’s talk about number three:  LACK OF A STRATEGIC PLAN

Strategic Planning

People don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan.

Businesses succeed and fail for many different reasons. It might be your commitment to getting out there every day, a new product or service, great marketing, consumer demand and maybe even luck are all a part of the reasons.  All of these contribute to whether a business makes it or fails.  Knowing your vision and mission (why) and designing your strategies to accomplish them (how) are both a part of the strategic plan.

Why should you have a strategic plan?  Here is the reason. Without a plan you will be flying without a rudder and trying anything that is presented to you to make your business grow. As a business owner you will be bombarded with marketing and sales ideas from every conceivable direction. Each one touting it is the best way to grow your business.  To that I say BS!

Do they even understand your business?  Do they know your WHY? Probably NOT! So why would you allow they to tell you how to run your business yet business owners do it every day. Having a strategic plan will give you direction and allow you to make decisions about your business that are in sync with your vision.

What is the process of strategic planning?  It looks simple yet takes time to create.  The components are:

1.    Vison

a.    Why are you in business?  This is your big picture of your potential as a business. This defines the purpose of the company and the plan. It might be called the “quest” of your company. What is your company Why? Do you know it?

2.    Values:

a.    These are foundational to how you will make decisions.  They lay to ethical ground work for your company and its future. This will define the basic beliefs your company, or what your company is committed to. Does your company have clearly defined values?

3.    Mission

a.    A mission statement transforms the vision into specific actions that are necessary to achieve the vision. The mission statement defines and says what you want to achieve in a specific time frame. This gives direction to all in your company and keeps them on track.

4.    Critical Success Factors

a.    These are the meat and potatoes of the plan.  The tactical areas that must be addressed to be successful. They are broad areas such as: Cash flow, marketing, new product development, product quality, customer service. The list can be long. What are your top 3-5 areas that need to be addressed?

5.    Goals

a.    Each area that you come up with will have to have specific measurable goals. This gets you into action.

The plan will also include market research, a SLOT analysis, Sales plan and financial budgets.  Bottom line, if you want to assure your business will have a better chance to grow and prosper.  Design a plan for the future. Call us today.

Coach Rick Kolster, CBC is a certified business/life coach, the author of Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get To Work as well as an expert on developing leaders and designing strategy for companies. He can be contacted at 817-748-7425 or   Rick@CoachRickKolster.com 

www.CoachRickKolster.com 

The BALD TRUTH - Are you using protection?

Every day businesses and business owners are susceptible to many attacks and challenges that could devastate their hard work and livelihood.  Are you one of those businesses or owners? A survey by Forbes Magazine showed some interesting facts:  Over 500,000 new businesses are started each month. Almost 40% of these small businesses never make it to their second anniversary. Yet another 55% never make it past 5 years. Only about 1/3^rd make it to 10 years. Why?

Three main killers of a businesses

1.    Lack of cash flow

2.    Poor leadership and customer service

3.    Lack of a strategic plan

Over the next few months I will address each of these three major challenges that business leaders fail to protect themselves from and will kill a business.

Lack of Cash flow.

Starting a new venture takes a bunch of things, one of which is a basic knowledge of business and how to sell your product or service.  Over the past 11 years I have been working with clients to create sustainable and profitable businesses I have found that this is the thing that will kill a business.  So you are probably asking yourself, how this relates to the 3 killers of a business.

Bottom line, no sales, no cash flow, no cash flow, no business. Simple but true.  So often a client has made the decision to step out, start a business based on their technical expertise and has yet to learn how to sell what they do. They also start without enough capital in reserve.  Result.  FAIL!  It has been said and I believe “that nothing happens until a sale is made”.  If no one is selling, I can guarantee tis, no one is buying. 

 

Ok how does lack of cash flow kill a business?  I have learned that cash flow is king and with a consistent flow of cash into a business there is hope. Now if it is a negative cash flow, there is a challenge for sure. When I opened my first restaurant in 1981 we did everything on a shoestring and were literally taking from Peter to pay Paul. What does that mean? What it means is we used cash flow to pay immediate critical bills (electric and staff) while others  (beer and food vendors) we used float time to let our cash reserves replenish to take care of other these less critical expenses. My partner and I became known as the kings of the float.

We would pack the bar out on Thursday Friday and Saturday with happy hour and late night biz.   What that means is we would always write checks late on Friday to the beer and food vendors knowing they would wait until Monday to deposit, giving us three days to use the cash flow and float to keep us going.  Now this just was used as a strategy as we started, once we established the business and we began to see positive cash flow, things smoothed out.  Still I learned that cash flow is king.

So to protect your business, focus first on your cash flow and protect it like a chastity belt protects a virgin. But that's something for another time.  Until next month protect your business and remember cash flow is king.

Coach Rick Kolster, CBC is a certified business/life coach, the author of Selling for Geniuses and Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get To Work as well as a motivational speaker on personal growth. He can be contacted at 817-748-7425 or Rick@CoachRickKolster.com www.CoachRickKolster.com

The BALD TRUTH: SH!#% or get off the pot!

Are You Using Protection? Part 2

&@%# or get off the pot!

Last month I promised that I would address each of the three major challenges that business leaders fail to protect themselves from and will kill a business.

In part one we talked about the three killers of a business.  Number one is lack of cash flow.  Well by now I hope you have taken this to heart and begun to watch and manage your cash flow a little better.  This month we will talk about the number two killer of a business, POOR LEADERSHIP.

Leadership

“Leadership is the art of getting someone to do something you want done because they want to do it.” Dwight D. Eisenhower

 How can you get others to do what needs to get done and make sure they are doing it gladly and with enthusiasm?  The answer is very simple.  Have a vision and make it part of your culture. A vision and direction is critical to get your business moving and to assure it stays on the right direction.  People will follow a clear vision that is shared and engages them.  Leaders use the vision to inspire the people they lead.

Too often business owners rely on systems or franchise models to assure success.  While these are important, they will not assure that the business will grow, thrive and prosper.  There is only one thing that will assure success.  The people in an organization know and buy into the vision of the organization.  Making sure that the most important asset, the people, are lead, directed and properly motivated will assure that the right things get done.

Leaders come in three types:

1.            Enhancer

Enhancers are confident, respected and responsible. They contribute more to the organization and the people they lead than is expected. They are positive and people are excited to be around them and work with them.

2.            Neutralizers

Typically better at managing things than with leading people. They typically have teams that do what is expected but little more. Most are neutral about them as a leader and have a apathetic workplace.

3.         Diminishers

These leaders lack confidence and the ability to galvanize people. Diminishers take more from the organization than they give.  The people who report to them are on guard and cautious when dealing with the diminisher.  There is usually a morale issue surrounding this leader.

Now that I’ve described the types of leaders, take a hard look at your own leadership style and decide which one you are and which one you want to be. The choice is yours. What behaviors do you want to exhibit to your team?  How about in your organization?  It comes down to choosing to lead from a position of personal power verses rank or title.  Go back to the Eisenhower quote and ask yourself this…Are your people doing what they are doing because they want to do it or because they have to do it?  Your style makes the difference.  Choose your style from today forward.

Coach Rick Kolster, CBC is a certified business/life coach, the author of Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get To Work as well as an expert on developing leaders and personal growth. He can be contacted at 817-748-7425 orwww.CoachRickKolster.com

The BALD TRUTH Homeless, Horseless and Hopeless

Ignorance is the state of being uninformed (lack of knowledge) It does not mean one is stupid, just that they may not or don’t have all the facts.

Ignorance

The most painful experience I have ever had was caused by ignorance.  Before you all jump on the “band wagon” and start saying how mean I am to say someone is ignorant, let’s just take a second to define “Ignorance”.

According to the always correct internet site Wikipedia…  < Ignorance is the state of being uninformed (lack of knowledge) It does not mean one is stupid, just that they may not or don’t have all the facts. >

OK,  back to my story…

I have always had an approach in my life that I can and will take care of myself.  I accept responsibility for my own well-being.  In fact back in the 80’s while working in my first career in the restaurant business I experienced some major losses and financial struggles.  So bad that I had my car repossessed, lost my apartment and my job and was crashing on a friend’s floor.

It was my ignorance that had gotten me there.  I was uninformed or didn’t know the real consequences of not keeping up with my bills.  I got to partying all the time, and neglected my responsibilities.  This created a problem for me.  Or problems… I was homeless, horseless and hopeless.

Ignorance isn’t just not having the facts; it is also taking actions on the wrong facts. Making decisions based on your own lack of information and being wrong.  Because of this many make value judgments based on a lack of knowledge and assumptions, this can lead to anger, disappointment and even to hate.

Now hate is a strong word too.  Hate can consume you and control you to the point of stealing all your time and energy away from you.  It can and will suck the life out of you and with energy focused on the wrong things ultimately make you totally unproductive.  This is what happened to me. I fell into a cycle of unproductivity and self-doubt that only a swift kick in the seat or smack upside the head was going to cure.  Well that combo kick/smack came in the form of a man I will be forever grateful. 

He probably doesn't know this, nor have I ever told him but Dave Gilbert gave me hope in 1984.  That’s right , hope. He believed in me and showed me.  He saw something in me that had been pushed down so deep that I was spiraling out of control.  He gave me a chance, hope for the future. He asked me to come work for him in the biggest, baddest nightclub in Houston, TX. He got me working, riding and living again.  See I had fallen into an unhealthy place physically and emotionally but he pulled me back up. For that I am grateful and forever in his debt. 

Lastly,  When you act and react without full info (ignorance) be prepared for the consequences. However, have hope that around the corner is that one person who has his or her hand out to help you out that will get you out of the hole you are in.  Hope is the answer to ignorance.  Folks have hope and give hope. Be a hope maker!

Until next time. That is the BALD TRUTH! Now Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get To Work

Coach Rick Kolster is an expert on organizational development. He helps companies and organizations build great leaders, strong salespeople and loyal customers. He is the author of two books; Selling for Geniuses and Roll up Your Sleeves & Get to Work.  He can be reached at 817-748-7425 or info@CoachRickKolster.com  www.CoachRickKolster.com  www.RollUpYourSleevesBook.com  

The BALD TRUTH - Life Balance

                                                       Life balance

How to find a balance in life?
Each of us has to follow a process of steps in life.  When children grow up, they must focus on education. Then, they should have a stable work so that they can earn a good salary each month. When they decide to get married, their attention should be directed towards finding the right partner.

We all know that we have to set some goals in order to achieve the best results. After setting goals, we then start planning the steps that we have to follow in order to reach what we want to get.

Determine your mindset
Let’s think that you are looking for a new job. You are the one that has to choose how things will happen. In many cases, people think that they cannot get positive results because of destiny. This is false. Every success requires effort.  Begin by thinking that you are excellent at what you doing. Recognize and point out positive aspects about yourself. Understand that success is hard. Achieving all you want is going to take effort on your part. Most of all you have to be very involved in the process without trying to skip any step.  Planning your daily duties helps you get the results you want.

Being balanced doesn’t mean that we have to have equal parts of everything in our life. You may need to let some things go. We are different, and sometimes things that can make you happy have a different impact on another person.  You should just try to find what is good for you and what makes you happy; Another important aspect. We, as human beings, all change. What made us happy yesterday, could make today upset. Why? Because we change our perspectives easily.

Life coaching
If you feel that you can’t function alone, please feel free to ask for help:  Find a coach.  Life coaches can help you see things you may be missing. Occasionally, Friends can provide you with pieces of advice.  However,    As well as you think you know yourself, you might be wrong. The more outside perspective you get from a qualified coach, the better prepared you will be for taking life in your own hands.

Purpose and direction
The life purpose that you have uncovered and discovered will guide you towards a sure destination: that one that you desire for yourself. Knowing your purpose is key. It is what it is whether you know it or not.   If you are very confident in your purpose you will keep headed the right way. Everything is based on living to your purpose. Be equilibrated and self-motivated and success will definitely appear on your street.

Success
After having overcome obstacles, you are now free to feel happy you have reached success. The key is that success can have different forms for every person. For instance, one could consider that he got the right way to the success by achieving great grades in school. Another one could reconsider success as a bonus for having done his job well.

Don’t forget: success can be reached. Be aware of your purpose, use your skills and take action on opportunities, this will get you on the path to success. Start thinking positive. That’s the first thing that you have to do.

Coach Rick Kolster, CBC is a certified business/life coach,  the author of the upcoming book Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get To Work as well as a public speaker on personal growth.. He can be contacted at 817-748-7425 or Rick@CoachRickKolster.com www.CoachRickKolster.com

The BALD TRUTH - April Fools!

Our minds cannot distinguish between what is real or what is made up.  We spend much of our time telling ourselves what we believe is real.  Sometimes we spend much of our time living a MSU life. That is a world of Making Stuff Up. We fool ourselves all the time.  It's how we are wired.  We see something and come to a conclusion based on our own experiences.  Many times, our experiences taint our thoughts and we make up what we believe to be true. It’s like the ultimate April Fool’s joke except we do it every day!

Think about it.  You are driving down the road, it is just starting to get dark, but it is still clear out. You are a little behind (as usual) and pushing the speed limit just a little bit.  You are cruising along and all of a sudden you see a car coming up on you from behind and then the blue and red lights pop on and it starts to speed up and gain ground on you.  At that instant what is happening to your mind, what are you thinking?  Probably, crap, I'm going to get a ticket.  Now take an inventory on how your body is reacting.  Is your blood pressure up? Is your stomach in a knot?  Are you sweating?

Answer... YES!!  Your brain is telling you that you are getting pulled over and probably going to get a speeding ticket.  Back to real time... While all that is going on the police car is gaining on you and comes up behind you, then suddenly swerves into the left hand lane and blows right by lights and siren blaring. WHEW!!! That was close.

Now think about it. were you really getting pulled over?  NO! did you think you were? YES! did you react physiologically as if you were getting pulled over?  YES!  Why?  Because your brain knows only what we tell it.  We decide what is real.  So how can this help you be more positive?

Easy. tell yourself good things, things that will empower you. Things that will make you believe good will happen. You will get that deal, you will win that game, you will love stronger and deeper, you can get that promotion. 

Intention is so powerful. If you watch the video you will see how Jessica tells herself she loves everything about her life. http://youtu.be/qR3rK0kZFkg 
  

She is happy, she is positive and she is looking at the good she has rather than the things she doesn't.  What would change for you if you focused on the good in your life? The great things you do have rather than what is missing and is crappy?  Tell yourself it will all work out for the best and I guarantee it will turn out much better than if you whine about it,  AND the people around you will thank you too.

Quit playing your daily April Fool’s joke on yourself and start thing positive and see what happens.

Coach Rick Kolster, CBC is the founder of the Peak Performance Group. He speaks The BALD TRUTH and works with leaders to “Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get To Work!” 

Order his new book "Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get To Work" here: www.rollupyoursleevesbook.com

The BALD TRUTH - 10 behaviors that create trust

Re-posted from http://buschmanconsultancy.com/en/2014/02/28/10-behaviours-that-create-trust/#.UydNNl5lB-Q.blogger

  Stephen M.R. Covey states that the most important ingredient within any relationship is trust. Not just in loving relationships but also in working relationships. In an age where change is occurring at ever-increasing speed, and commitment from employees and line managers is increasingly crucial, the value of trust is greater than ever. According to Covey, it is the most important and most underrated ingredient for business success.

In the article The speed of trust, I describe four key elements of trust: intention, integrity, capabilities and results. In this article I will go in more detail into 10 behaviours that help to create trust. I’ll be interested to know how far you are aware of these already and whether you are applying them in your own life.

1. Straight talk
Did you know that 6 out of 10 employees do not trust their line manager? This is often due to a lack of transparency – partly because the line managers will not admit to making mistakes. Or because they do not treat bad news within their organisation in an open manner. I have some good news: there is an alternative! By being honest, telling it like it is, getting to the point and using simple language.

2. Listen first
Have you ever asked yourself what would happen if, instead of broadcasting your own message, you were to ask questions and listen to the answers? If you replaced the monologue with a dialogue? If you honestly want to understand opinions and insights that deviate from your own? If you are capable of doing this, you will be operating at the third level of conversation: the dialogue, as described in my article the conversation.

3. Demonstrate respect
Demonstrating respect means that you accept the other as a worthwhile and valuable person. And you view that person separately from their function within the organisation. It doesn’t make any difference whether someone is a manager or a cleaner, everyone contributes to the success of an organisation. Demonstrating respect is often expressed in the small stuff; looking a person in the eye, saying thank you, holding the door open for someone, or addressing someone by their first name. And, sometimes it’s not happening that way. Check out this video to see a different perspective and the impact it can have.

4. Show loyalty

If someone has produced an outstanding achievement, do you acknowledge the good job they’ve done? Or do you take the credit yourself? I hope you answered with the first option! Be sincere, support your people and be proud of them. Make your support known to them and others. If you have to talk about people in a negative way, then do this in their presence.

5. Keep commitments
People often say that agreed is agreed, but to what extent is this carried out in practice? When it comes to simple issues it’s not normally a problem. It’s the more complex or politically sensitive matters that create difficulties. So try to be honest and transparent in these situations too. And if you know beforehand that you won’t be able to keep your promise, or if this becomes clear to you later on, just admit it.

6. Be willing to improve
Are you the kind of person who wants to learn all the time? Who dares to take risks, asks for feedback and learns from their mistakes? By adopting this attitude, you will not only continue learning throughout your life, but you are also an example to others to do the same. And this is a wonderful foundation for making your team consistently more effective.

7. Confront reality
We all experience difficult periods in our lives. The question is: how do you deal with them? Do you evade the issue and put off doing things you know you should, or do you tackle the difficult issues straight away? Don’t bury your head in the sand, but express what you’re having problems with, ask for help and start resolving the situation.

8. Clarify expectations
What do you expect from your employees? Make clearly defined agreements about the ‘what’ and the ‘how’. If you are expressing your expectations, make sure to check that the other party has understood what you are saying and that they are aware of how they can help you fulfill them. Try to be as concrete as possible. In other words, make your expectations, or goals, SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely.

9. Create transparency
Just be open and honest. Speak the truth and try not to appear better than you are. If for example you failed to do something, try not to think up a clever excuse to make you feel better. Just admit the real reason you didn’t keep to your agreement. And don’t forget: a half-truth is also a lie.

10. Righting wrongs
If you’ve made a mistake, then take responsibility for it. And try to find out how you can put it right. Don’t wait too long, but see what you can do and do it at once. And don’t forget to say ‘Sorry’, and mean it. This might be tricky, but if you’re able to push your ego to one side, it will pay dividends.

I wish you many relationships full of trust!

That's The BALD TRUTH!

Coach Rick Kolster, CBC is the founder of the Peak Performance Group. He speaks to organizations and associations on The BALD TRUTH He also works with leaders to “Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get To Work!” 

Pre-order his new book "Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get To Work" here: www.rollupyoursleevesbook.com 
www.plus.google.com/CoachRickKolsterCBC 

Reprinted from:  10 behaviours that create trust - Buschman Consultancy

The BALD TRUTH - Living in the Present

I've discovered that I have greater success with living life in the present moment when I remove judgment from what I'm experiencing. Rather than making an event a bad or a good experience, I find myself being in the "isness" of the moment; that is, what I'm feeling is much more helpful than why it isn't what I think it should be. This is called allowing rather than resisting what is. Even if I wish to change the moment, it's far more useful to allow it without any judgment and then notice everything I can about it.

The more I stay out of my good-thought/bad-thought routine, the more I'm able to just be with it. I love to observe the instant without any judgment. Birds simply allow whatever comes their way, no matter if the wind picks up or the rain comes, and I work at being like one of those fabulous creatures. The way I do so is to ask myself this question: "What's happening right here and right now, independent of my opinion about it?" Then I notice all that I can take in-the sky, the wind, the sounds, the light, the insects, the temperature, the people, the judgments...everything. I stay free of opinions and just let myself be. In these moments, I don't need an excuse or an explanation for anything.

I try to keep in mind that whenever I react against any form that life takes in the present moment, I'm treating the now as some kind of impediment or even as my enemy.

Be without judgment and you'll never feel the need for some tiresome excuse to use up your precious seconds, such as "I'm too old" or "It will take a long time" or "It will be too difficult." Instead, you'll be in the now, welcoming your constant present-moment companion, your Source of being, which knows nothing of excuses and doesn't know how to be anyplace but here, now. As one of my spiritual predecessors, Dale Carnegie, once wrote: "One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon-instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today."

Become one in the present moment with all of the roses that show up in your life. Stay present: every second, every minute, and every hour. Every day of your life is full of present moments of infinite value. You won't find God yesterday or tomorrow-your Source is always only here, now.  From Positive thoughts email.

Live well then Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get To Work!

Coach Rick www.CoachRickKolster.com

Coach Rick Kolster, CBC is the founder of the Peak Performance Group. He speaks The BALD TRUTH and works with leaders to “Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get To Work!” 

Pre-order his new book "Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get To Work" here: www.rollupyoursleevesbook.com 
www.plus.google.com/CoachRickKolsterCBC

The BALD TRUTH - Breaking Out Of Your Comfort Zone

I am finally stepping out of my personal comfort zone and hiring a personal trainer at my gym. Now keep in mind that over the past 35 years, I have been a collegiate level athlete in two sports, competed in over 40 triathlons, finished the Body for Life challenge 2 times and spent a lot of time in the gym (gym rat) for most of my adolescent and adult life.What could a young trainer teach ME about working out?

 Let me tell you, A lot! The reason I'm hiring a trainer is that I feel like I have hit a plateau in my workouts. I have my old routines and they are keeping me in pretty good shape. In fact I will say that at almost 55 years old I'm probably in better shape than most 25 year olds. I needed to try something different to help me break through and all I needed was a different perspective that would allow me to hit the next level.

If you have hit a plateau in your sales or management career, your personal life or just feel flat. You may be successful and accomplished much in your life. Outwardly have what most would say is success. Are you where YOU want to be? Could it be you are doing the same things that got you here again and again? Is now the time to hire someone to help you move to the next level.

I will keep you posted on how the training is going. I pretty sure that after even only a few sessions I will see (and feel) the difference. Make the change you need to get to where you want to get. 

Coach Rick Kolster, CBC is the founder of the Peak Performance Group. He speaks The BALD TRUTH and works with leaders to “Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get To Work!” 

Pre-order his new book "Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get To Work" here: www.rollupyoursleevesbook.com 

www.plus.google.com/CoachRickKolsterCBC  

The BALD TRUTH - Moving Forward with Power & Confidence

 This weekend I was blessed to spend it with friends and family. Watching a loving family interact at a wonderful event like a wedding was just inspiring. To see the love that each had for the other. Brothers, sister, fathers, mothers, cousin and friends all together in a spirit of love and support for one another. Too often we get mired down in our own little world to really experience that blessings we have right in front of us. So why don't we do this all the time?

The thought I have today is this: How do you move forward in your life after experiencing difficulty, pain, loss or hurt? What can you do to help yourself move forward?

First thing is to accept it. That's right accept it. It happened, its over with now accept it and know there is nothing you can or are going to do to change it. As I just love to say... "It is what it is".

Next we have just got to get over it. Why? Because again, nothing we can do about the past. We can only control our future. Are you going to relive those hurts, pains, disappointments over and over again? Why put yourself through that? Self flagellation hurts!

Finally decide what you want for your future. What does tomorrow look like? Is it a day you want to live in? What good can you put into the day, the week, the month? Decide what you want your life to look like and make life give it to you. Do you have some goals for the week? How about the day? I wake every morning and try to sit on my patio and pray, look at what yesterday was like. I figure what was good yesterday and what I want to change for today. Journal... This allows you to get out all the junk. We all have it, that junk in the trunk of our mind.

Are you setting daily objectives for your self? Too often we set BHAG's. We set those BIG HAIRY AUDACIOUS GOALS for our self but neglect to look at what we have to do today. One step into the future. The next action, then the next, then the next... Planning is a dirty word to so many yet so many fail to plan. While we fail to plan I really don't think anyone plans to fail.

Are you setting your daily direction? If not, why not? Do you need help and accountability? Get it!

Live your life with passion and a clear direction.

That's The BALD TRUTH!

Coach Rick Kolster, CBC is the founder of the Peak Performance Group. He speaks The BALD TRUTH and works with leaders to “Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get To Work!” 

Pre-order his new book "Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get To Work" here: www.rollupyoursleevesbook.com 
www.plus.google.com/CoachRickKolsterCBC

 

The BALD TRUTH - Positive Thinking

What are you feeding your mind daily? Jessica feeds her brain with good stuff. How about you?

Our minds cannot distinguish between what is real or what is made up.  We spend much of our time telling ourselves what we believe is real.  Sometimes we spend much of our time living a MSU life. That is a world of Making Stuff Up.  It's how we are wired.  We see something and come to a conclusion based on our own experiences.  many times, our experiences taint our thoughts and we make up what we believe to be true.

Think about it.  You are driving down the road, it is just starting to get dark, but clear out. You look are a little behind (as usual) and pushing the speed limit just a little bit.  You are cruising along and all of a sudden you see a car coming up on you from behind and then the blue and red lights pop on and it starts to speed up and gain ground on you.  At that instant what is happening to your mind, what are you thinking?  probably, crap, I'm going to get a ticket.  Now take an inventory on How is your body reacting.  Is your blood pressure up? Is your stomach in a knot?  Are you sweating?

Answer... YES!!  Your brain is telling you that you are getting pulled over and probably going to get a speeding ticket.  Back to real time... While all that is going on the police car is gaining on you and comes up behind you, then suddenly swerves into the left hand lane and blows right by lights and siren blaring. WHEW!!! That was close.

Now think about it. were you really getting pulled over?  NO! did you think you were? YES! did you react physiologically as if you were getting pulled over?  YES!  Why?  Because our brains know only what we tell it them.  We decide what is real.  So how can this help you be more positive?

Easy. tell yourself good thing, things that will empower you. Things that will make you believe good will happen. You will get that deal, you will win that game, you will love stronger and deeper, you can get that promotion.

Intention is so powerful. If you watch the video you will see how Jessica tells her self she loves everything about her life.  She is happy, she is positive and she is looking at the good she has rather than the things she doesn't.  What would change for you if you looked at the good in your life? The great things you do have rather than what is missing and is crappy?  Tell yourself it will all work out for the best and I guarentee it will turn out much better than if you whine about it.  AND the people around you will thank yo too.

Thing positive and see what happens..

Coach Rick Kolster, CBC is the founder of the Peak Performance Group. He speaks The BALD TRUTH and works with leaders to “Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get To Work!” 

Pre-order his new book "Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get To Work" here: www.rollupyoursleevesbook.com 
www.plus.google.com/CoachRickKolsterCBC 

The BALD TRUTH - INTER-DEPENDENCE, CO-DEPENDENCE and INDEPENDENCE

The critical difference between INTER-DEPENDENCE, CO-DEPENDENCE and INDEPENDENCE!

There are a lot of people who are unwittingly sabotaging their future relationship effort by the misunderstanding of very different terms and ideas when it comes to relationships. First.. Lets briefly define these terms.

Co-Dependent - Neither the man or the woman can do anything apart from each other. With the lack of support or motivation both of them will likely fail at achieving their individual aims that benefit the relationship. Its like being tied at the hip or by a rope. if one falls both fall. if one is late then both are late. If one is unsure then both are unsure.

Independent - This is where the person stays single or if they seek a relationship they assert that they don't need anybody which is the unhealthy extreme opposite co-dependency. This person sometimes seeks cut even healthy ties, reliance and dependence to demonstrate that they are able to operate on their own. The fierce need to show their mate that they can survive without them often ends in the mate giving them what it seems like they want.

Inter-Dependent - Is a state where both partners are able to independently operate but are motivated by agreement and not need or desperation. They come together to do what is best for their relationship. They LIKE to be with their partner and prefer their company but are not emotionally crippled if it is not available as with co-dependence. This is the mature balance between co-dependency and independence.

Co-dependency and independence will likely cause you much headache with very little reward. Seek to find a reliable partner that you can depend on and work also to be a support for them while maintaining your own identity and carrying your weight in the relationship.

Coach Rick Kolster, CBC is the founder of the Peak Performance Group. He speaks The BALD TRUTH and works with leaders to “Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get To Work!” 

Pre-order his new book "Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get To Work" here: www.rollupyoursleevesbook.com

THE BALD TRUTH - People in Hell

The other day I was reminded of some of the things that my dad used to say. I call them Dadism’s. He had plenty of them and they were pretty interesting.  Sometimes they were funny and sure could make me laugh, but as a young man, they were pretty confusing.  At the time I was a teenager and young man but now they seem to all make sense.  One of the “Dadism’s” he used to say all the time was “People in hell want ice water.”  I never knew what it meant when he would say it except I knew that I wasn't getting what I just asked for and that's what I think he was trying to tell me. He was letting me know that you don't always get what you ask for.

The one thing he did tell me was that I could always get what I worked for. One of the things he I came to realize was I could and would get what I needed.  What you work for, now this part would get you farther in life and just wanting.  Don’t get me wrong, it is important to want things and desire better for yourself and others. Like my father told me, you really can get whatever you want in life as long as you wake up and are willing to work for a definite purpose.

Getting what you want life is probably one of the things that we are going for daily.  What we look for in our lives are everyday things that we want.  People sometimes look for what they need but more often they really look for what they want to have. The important thing is to look at it from the perspective of what it is that you want out of your life and what are you willing to work for in your life.  What do you really really want out of life and are you really willing to buckle down, Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get To Work?  In order to have in your life these things it's all about the hard work,  it's all about focus and it's all about doing what it takes to get what you want.

That is what I took from a tough but fair father when he would tell me “People in Hell want ice water.”

Coach Rick Kolster, CBC is the founder of the Peak Performance Group. He speaks The BALD TRUTH and works with leaders to “Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get To Work!” 

Pre-order his new book "Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get To Work" here: www.rollupyoursleevesbook.com

Coach Rick Kolster is an executive coach and thought leader who works with business owners and executives to help them maximize their efforts, gain life balance and learn how they can be the best leader they can be. If you are ready to transform your life, reach out to Coach Rick.  Rick@CoachRickKolster.com or 817-749-7425

The BALD TRUTH - Choice

Choice is the greatest power God gave us. Too many of us just accept our lives-we don't become leaders of ourselves. As a result, we can't get out of our own way. Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel wrote in Souls On Fire that when you die and go to meet your Maker, you're not going to be asked why you didn't become a Messiah or find a cure for cancer. All you're going to be asked is, "Why didn't you become you? Why didn't you become all that you are?" Fulfilling God's will for your life requires taking responsibility for yourself and your life. How do you do that? By saying yes to God first-then to yourself. Every time you say yes, you open yourself up to your God-given potential and to the greatest of possibilities. If you're used to saying no, you may find this difficult. If that is true in your case, then at least be willing to say "maybe." One day a father whose child was chronically ill asked Jesus to heal the child. "Jesus said to him, 'If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.' Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, 'Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!'" (Mark 9:23-24 NKJV). If you're a self-doubter, pray that same prayer. God will answer it. Never forget that you are unique, possessing talents, experiences, and opportunities that no one else has ever had-or ever will have. You're responsible to become all God made you to be, not only for your own benefit but for everyone else's.

"I have set before you life and death...choose life."Deuteronomy 30:19

Choose wisely 

Coach Rick Kolster, CBC is the founder of the Peak Performance Group. He speaks The BALD TRUTH and works with leaders to “Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get To Work!” 

Coach Rick Kolster is an executive coach and thought leader who works with business owners and executives to help them maximize their efforts, gain life balance and learn how they can be the best leader they can be. If you are ready to transform your life, reach out to Coach Rick.  Rick@CoachRickKolster.com or 817-749-7425