POT LUCK

I have just experienced my first Thanksgiving meal. This lunch time we partook in something called Pot Luck. If like me you are unfamiliar with this term, please let me explain… but just before I do I’ll give you a little back story as to how Thanksgiving found its way into our office in London. Recently a young lady (Stacey) joined the team. She hails from the good ole US of A and she suggested that for lunch everybody brings some food in and we all eat together.

That’s what pot luck is, it is as simple as that. I am lucky enough to belong to a team that are close and we share a common vision to ensure that each of us and the business as a whole is successful and yet our lunch seems to be a rather more private affair. Normally, everyone takes an each to their own approach when it comes to that midday meal.

However, today we managed to fashion a smorgasbord of epic proportions. Needless to say the pot luck approach went down really well with the whole team. We had a really great time, eating, talking laughing and listening to Jose’s (Our Special One), let’s just say eclectic mix of music.

We didn't manage to get through all the food but we were efficient in cleaning up and getting back to work. The rest of the day seemed to fly by and everyone seemed a little bit chirpier.

It did make me reflect that something so simple can create such a great atmosphere in the office.

Someone senior in the organization told me when I first started in the company that people support a world they help create. Well, today through the guidance of Stace we created a Thanksgiving feast and were all better for it.

Regardless of your position within your organisation, why don’t you try something to see if you can also increase the level of engagement of your colleagues?

I am really looking forward to the festive period as it approaches and am really excited about Christmas. Maybe if I’m lucky enough the team will rally around and soon we will be having POT LUCK PART DEUX.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Amar Garcha

The few who do are the envy of the many who only watch

What a week in the world of football. As a Manchester United fan and like many of the Red Devils, I was shell shocked by the revelations made by the club regarding the imminent departure of Wayne Rooney. There have been many stories plastered in the papers, uploaded on to websites as well as the extensive coverage on television and radio whilst this saga unfolds.

However, I would like to shift focus altogether on to Sir Alex Ferguson. Arguably the greatest manager in English football history. I believe he has achieved his success not only because of his managerial and coaching ability but also through the use of key principles.

Many players have left United in the past, such as Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham and countless others and not once in all of Sir Alex's reign has he criticized, condemned or complained. Even when the Glazers took over the club and placed a huge debt over its head, he simply got on with his job. Sir Alex has also developed raw potential into world class talent and achieved this through honest and sincere appreciation of his players. Many of his players have talked of his continual support and how they see him as a father figure. He has the ability to create a winning team, but more importantly has been able to keep them hungry for more by arousing an eager want for success within his team. He always makes other people (namely his players) feel important.

With Rooney, Sir Alex has shared that he is a special player and the door is always open to him. Rooney has since closed the door and thankfully for United fans he will stay at the Theatre of Dreams after agreeing a new contract with the club.

These are just some of the fundamentals Sir Alex has applied in order to become and then remain successful. These principles are inherent in highly successful people. Just take a moment and think about what has been achieved by Richard Branson and Warren Buffet. Now, consider other high achievers you know; friends, a teacher, colleagues or your local businessmen and women, who have gained phenomenal success and you will see they also apply these simple and effective principles. These qualities are not reserved for the gifted few. Anyone can gain the same success, by applying the proven techniques described by Dale Carnegie in his book How to Win Friends and Influence People.

If you aspire to the successes of people such as Warren Buffet then follow his lead and enrol on the Effective Communications and Human Relations programme which is based on the aforementioned book.

Not convinced?

Then come along to the free preview of the programme on November 4th and see for yourself. Click here to register

Amar Garcha
Sales Consultant

www.London.dalecarnegie.com

Big Waves, Big Business

How many times do you go out on a limb and really push your comfort zone at work? Just ask Ross Clarke Jones, the 42 year old professional big wave surfer (pictured) who has forged a career in motivational speaking whilst he travels the globe in search of the worlds largest waves. Speaking to business leaders about fear management, you must wonder how does Ross relate riding an 80 foot wall of water to business decisions?
In an interview with redbullbwa.com Ross shared “I simply describe what goes through my head, my thought processes, as I decide to go for a big wave. …..Businessmen are simply blown away by what I’m thinking, and how relevant it is. They ask me questions, like, how do I deal with the fear, and how much time do I have to consciously make the decision to go, and when I tell them, they are amazed"
Broken down, the physical skills used to ride a small wave are the same as those applied to riding gigantic swells, it is all in the mental state and preparation whilst eliminating worry and doubt from your mindset.

We can apply Dale Carnegies Basic Techniques in Analyzing Worry to Ross’s situation:

1. Get all the facts.
Ross knows he has the right equipment, has read the conditions on the day, is well prepared and has the skill to catch the wave.

2. Weigh all the facts – then come to a decision.
For Ross this comes to his faith in himself, knowledge of the ocean and he has only a split second to weigh all the facts.

3. Once a decision is reached, act!
Once Ross has committed to catching a huge ocean swell, he is not thinking of falling or not reaching his goal, as a mistake in the wrong place could be fatal. Acting on his decision comes immediately, the whole process for Ross must be weighed up in a matter of seconds.

“That moment when you decide to go for a big one,” says Ross, “can be compared to making a gnarly business decision. You know, when you have to rely on gut instinct, when you have to make a split-decision, when you have to just turn around and go (catch a large wave), that’s just the same as making big calls in business. When there is a sudden gap or turn in the stock market and you have a few seconds to make a decisions, or when there is something else that involves a whole lot of guts and instinct, that’s the same as surfing in big surf.”

After researching more into Ross’s life whilst writing this article, I couldn’t help notice his power of decisiveness, making a decision and sticking to it in very sticky situations. Whilst he may be seen as reckless by others, in fact he is very calculated. Want to be more decisive in stressful situations? Take a look at our Dale Carnegie Course in Effective Communication and Human Relations starting on March 9th.

Angus Firth
Performance Consultant
http://www.london.dalecarnegie.co.uk/