Radish Sprouts

WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR?

What do you stand for?  What does your personal and business brand represent?  Now is the time to reflect on last year (Was it all you wanted it to be?  Did you live true to your highest convictions and values?) and then put together a plan to execute this year.

 

“We spread integrity.”™  This is the motto of Once Again Nut Butter, an employee-owned company located in a small rural community in upstate Western New York  (www.onceagainnutbutter.com)  “You can be assured that extra care and consideration is taken into bringing you the freshest and highest quality products possible.  Our employees insure that you will enjoy a wonderfully rich tasting product that is produced with integrity.” In eating Once Again organic sunflower butter this afternoon, I tasted the goodness.  Their values come through.

 

Know Thyself.  The sages since antiquity have said, “Know Thyself.”  The foundation of personal and business planning starts with values – what you stand for.  Value and gifts define your passion.  Passion, along with other personal traits, determines how effectively you pursue your purpose.

 

• Your values define who you are and what is meaningful to you.  Values include your core beliefs, ideology, ethics, morals, attitude, and ideals. 

 

• Your gifts mold how you can uniquely contribute.  Gifts include your talents, experience, abilities, aptitude, education, and traits.

 

• Your traits are personal characteristics that allow you to effectively use your values and gifts.  Passionate pursuers, people who successfully find and pursue their passions, have the nine SUNFLOWER traits, as described in March – November 2005 newsletters (http://www.pursuitofpassionatepurpose.com/newsletter.html#) . 

 

 

Radish Systems Case Study.  When we restarted Radish 2.0, we reaffirmed the core values upon which we stand.  They include:

• Integrity, Honesty, and Ethical Conduct
• Stakeholder Delight – provide financial and real rewards for all involved including customers, partners, investors, and employees
• Innovative Solutions – contribute to the world in a way that would outlive us
• Empowering Environment – allow an empowered team to contribute and be rewarded to the fullest
• Community Service – support the greater good
• Sustainability – be sustainable and non-harmful to the environment

 

Five Practical Pointers to Determine What You Stand For.

 

1. Inquire.  Probe deeply into your values, gifts, and traits.  Ask for feedback.
2. Assess.  Take the “Self” Inventory.  Use it to understand where you are now and what aspects you need to nurture.
3. Explore.  Consider how your value and gifts help define what you are passionate about.
4. Test.  Strengthen your sense of self by putting your values, gifts, and traits to work in hard times.  Interpret adversity as a positive force.
5. Surround.  Encircle yourself with trustworthy people who are good examples, give you honest feedback, and live true to your standards. 

 

Now is the time.  Do not delay.  Determine what you stand for. Use this to guide your life and work.

Theresa Szczurek (www.TMSworld.com, www.PursuitofPassionatePurpose.com, www.RadishSystems.com)

SOLVE PAIN TO FIND GAIN: Five Tips to Create Income from Innovation

Companies strive to innovate.  Innovation alone is not enough for a company to succeed.  The key is to ensure that a new product or service solves a real problem or satisfies a need.

 

“If you create a new product that addresses a company’s or consumer’s number one or two ‘pain point’ or problem, your company will see success,” said Matt Larson, chief executive officer of Confio Corporation during a CEO Roundtable in Boulder, CO  sponsored by the Boulder County Business Report.  “If you look at a thousand companies that are addressing ‘pain’ instead of ‘nice-to-have,’ the odds of them being successful are higher.”

 

Radish Systems Case Study:    VISUAL IVR EASES THE PAIN.

The Situation.  It is well known that Interactive Voice Response (IVRs) are a serious pain for callers, especially mobile callers who want ever-faster, ever-easier transactions. IVRs in Mobility are a disaster for the customer experience due to any number of interface and device issues which result in even higher abandonment rates.  Worse yet, complex IVRs with long phone trees don't efficiently deliver information or easily allow transfer to live agents.

The Solution.  To solve this problem, Radish Systems just introduced its Visual IVR solution. Here's what others are saying:

 

"Radish Systems recently released the ChoiceView REST API for Visual IVR. This release is significant as it is the only solution that has the ability to currently turn outdated Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems into next generation Visual IVRs that can operate with any network, phone, and just about all mobile devices."

  Carolyn J. Dawson, August 14, 2012, TMCnet.com

With a True Visual IVR customers instantly see menus while hearing information, tap choices on their smart device, rapidly move through screens in much less time than it takes to speak the options, and receive visual and voice responses.   Visual IVRs cut call time and costs, by more than half in most situations, increase understanding by 50% or more, and improve mobile user satisfaction and engagement. 

“Radish Systems’ ChoiceView mobile platform and applications offer contact centers additional options to service their customers and provide innovative ways for clients to interact through live visual communications,” said Monica Tarr, SPS contact center consulting practice director. “Visual IVR provides a unique experience for smartphone users and maps caller behavior to business processes.”

Learn more:

  1. See a Visual IVR in action at the video demo link at www.radishsystems.com.

  2. Get the free white paper presentation, "Why Visual Interactive Voice Response (IVR) for Mobile?" at www.radishsystems.com/products/the-choiceview-ivr/.

  3. Start using the ChoiceView Rest API to enhance your IVR and the ChoiceView SDK to enable your mobile app. Get it at www.radishsystems.com/for-developers/.

4. Ease the pain. Nominate companies you'd like to see improve their IVR at www.radishsystems.com/ease-the-pain/.

5.  Try ChoiceView NOW.  Download the free mobile app from the Apple and Android App Stores.  Try the demo.

 

Five Tips to Creating Income from Innovation.

 

1. Find the Pain. Look for pain points or unmet needs in the marketplace.

 

1. Innovate and Determine a Solution.  Do you have a potential solution to the problem?  Define it.

 

1. Test the Marketplace.  Talk to prospective customers, confirm the problem, and test the solution.  Is your solution a must-have?  Learn as much as you can on how to make the solution a necessity.

 

1. Iterate.  Take what you learned from the marketplace and improve your solution.  Then test some more until a prospect says, “We need what you are offering right now and we will pay you for it.”  

1. Learn from the Pros.  Successful entrepreneur Steven Blank offers the free online Lean LaunchPad course.  “What we now know is that startups search for business models while existing companies execute them. A startup is a temporary organization designed to search for a scalable and repeatable business model. This Lean LaunchPad class will teach you how to efficiently search for your scalable and repeatable Business Model Design and Customer Development.”

Theresa M. Szczurek (www.PursuitofPassionatePurpose.com, www.TMSworld.com, www.RadishSystems.com)

FIVE TIPS TO GET THE HELP YOU NEED TO SUCCEED

It has been said in the Bible, “Ask and ye shall receive.”  Do you believe that?  How often do you reach out and request what you really need? Many times we work alone or hold back in fear of what others will think if we ask. Connections with self, proper people, and spiritual sources are part of the winning formula.

 

Author Jim Collins said, when I interviewed him for my “Pursuit of Passionate Purpose” research study, “The right people help along the way. This inner circle of people with integrity won’t let you down.  If you were on a boat in a stormy ocean, you could rely on them.”  Not surprisingly, ‘having the right people on the bus” is also mentioned in Good to Great as one of the determining factors distinguishing great organizations from those that are merely good, and as the closest link between a great company and a great life.  People genuinely want to help, although some may not be as tactful and others not as forthright as you would like.

 

Radish Example.  Last quarter, I sent out a special message via various channels asking for connections that could help my new business, Radish Systems.  I was pleasantly surprised at the positive response I received and continue to receive.  Thank you for your help and for demonstrating the power of the Connections Strategy.

 

Five Practical Pointers for Getting the Help You Need

 

Attract.  Hold a broad intention of what you want. Imagine the help you need coming your way.  Be open to the possibilities.  Believe that you will receive. Use the Attraction Strategy.  Say the affirmation, “I easily and quickly attract all the resources needed.”

 

Ask.  People want to be wanted.  They like to help.  Some are standing on the sidelines wishing they could be involved.  Perhaps your passionate purpose can bring meaning to their lives, and it may even become their reason for being.

 

Pray. The help you need may come from spiritual sources.  If these forces are real to you, recognize and embrace them. Spiritual connections positively influence some people’s pursuits.  As Paulo Coelho states in The Alchemist, “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it.”

 

Appreciate.  Be sure to take time to thank those around you. Be grateful.  A little appreciate goes a long way.  Let your supporters know you value them.

 

Help others.  It never seems to fail—when you help others, others will help you.  You learn a lot in the process, especially about how to involve others in your quest.

 

Theresa Szczurek (www.TMSworld.com; www.PursuitofPassionatePurpose.com; www.RadishSystems.com)

Six Pointers to Developing Your Business and Personal Theme

Does your business have a theme to focus its top priority strategic efforts? Do you have a personal theme for 2012? 

For decades, I have personally had an annual theme.  Friends would tell me that they looked forward to reading my annual holiday letter and learning my theme.  Over the years it has varied including: Out of Darkness, Into Light (after finishing the Ph.D. program); Year of the Book; Back to the Core (after the book tour realigning on my consulting practice); Focus, Finish, Fly; Believe and Act, and many more.  My theme has encapsulated my priorities and kept me going in the right direction.  For 2012, my theme comes from Pam Watson Korbel’s book by the same name, “More Money, Less Work, More Fun!”

Why have a Theme?  As Keith Cupp, President of Gazelles Coaching, says, “Your Theme helps your organization’s Quarterly Priorities or “Main Thing” come alive in the organization, resulting in Focus, Energy and Alignment across departments and team members.” Here are some suggestions from Keith Cupp (keith@gazelles.com) a top-notch Gazelles Business Coach.

Six Practical Pointers to Developing Your Theme:

1.  Do your strategic plan first.  Determine what are your BIG rocks or main priorities for the quarter or year.  How will you measure the successful outcome?  Is there one Main Thing or Priority?

2.  Brainstorm on possible Themes based on the Top Priority.  Be creative, out of the box, distinctive, and odd.

3.  Evaluate the candidate Themes, ensuring they are relevant to your culture, workforce demographic and touch on a point of reference in your team member’s minds (e.g. a current trend, or movie, etc.).

 

4.  For the winning Theme, brainstorm with your team and determine the Theme Name, Reward and 3-5 ways to communicate your theme (e.g. skits, emails, posters).

 

5.  Choose a leader who will be accountable to develop a Theme Roll Out

Plan to the entire company.

 

6.  Roll out the Theme at an all Company meeting, with an introduction by

the Chief Executive (and perhaps a “leading role” by the CEO in a skit).

Four Hands Case Study.

Rich Russakoff (rich@bottomlineupenterprises.com), shared the theme of one of his clients.  Four Hands (www.fourhands.com) is a a global manufacturer, wholesaler, and importer of innovative home furnishings. The 2005 Goal was to do $26 million. At the end of the first quarter, they were seeing that results were a little short of budget.  They realized that they were not maximizing opportunities to really align and focus people.

 

Theme. They used the 7.7.7 theme to emphasize their goals:

1)     $7 million in revenue in Q2 (to catch up and get  back on budget)

2)     $700,000 bottom line (to control expenses and insure profit sharing)

3)     $7 million in open orders (to insure 3rd quarter results)

 

The challenge for each employee was to help manage costs and increase profitability.

 

Results.  7.7.7 was a very successful theme

• hit the first goal of $7.5 million in revenues
• hit $900k bottom line
• got to $8 million in open orders

 

Reward. Company celebrated success with a party and put 20% more into profit sharing.  Most importantly, this theme put them on track for 2nd half of year, where they ended at $29 million.

Theresa Szczurek (www.PursuitofPassionatePurpose.com, www.TMSworld.com)

Seven Pointers for a Winning Business and Personal Plan

What is your plan for 2012?  Some of you may have a plan – great, pursue it and continue monthly assessments.  For others who have put planning off, it is not too late.  It is always the right time to assess progress, reaffirm your passions, align your passions with a meaningful purpose, and then put together a plan for your continued pursuit of passionate purpose. 

 

Here a few Practical Pointers.

1. Assess.  There are many ways to evaluate where you are now.  Perhaps you use the Sigh Test – are you sighing more than smiling?  This is a simple binary means to determine if things must change.  Or, do a SWOT Analysis – look at your Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.  Consider creating a Stop/Start/Continue list – what should you stop doing, what should you start doing, what should you continue doing?
2. Where Do You Want to Go?  Get clarity on what your vision is?  Establish a BHAG – a big hairy audacious goal.
3. Bridge the Gap.  How can you most effectively get from where you are now to where you want to go?  What strategic initiatives are needed to bridge the gap?
4. Measure Metrics.  What is the critical number you are working to achieve that represents the overall most important way you are bridging the gap?  Have you established specific goals and ways to measure progress toward them?
5. Proper People.  Get inputs from both outside and inside your organization.  You may be amazed at what you learn.  Don’t do your internal plan by yourself either.  Who should be part of your strategic planning process?
6. Both Sides Now.  Put together both your personal plan and a business plan.   
7. Have Fun Using It.  Having a plan is good.  Using the plan to guide your directions in 2012 is even better.  How can you post it, review it, and determine if you are in track while having fun along the way?

 

Radish Case Study.

Radish used this last week of the year to do just that – assess and plan.  The output was be a revised 1-page strategic plan with clarity on our top priority ROCKS for 2012 and especially for Q112.  We have clear KPIs – key performance indicators – for each department and a scorecard to keep track of progress of our important work. What gets measured gets done.  We reference the scorecard regularly during our weekly and monthly meetings. And we have scheduled our quarterly strategic planning sessions to repeat this process.

 

Get moving –the right time is now.  Assess, plan, pursue, see progress, repeat.

 

Theresa M. Szczurek (www.PursuitofPassionatePurpose.com; www.RadishSystems.com; www.TMSworld.com)

OUT OF AFRICA as a Pursuit of Passionate Purpose

Here is a book review of Out of Africa, by guest blogger Annie Szczurek Davis.  As a heroine's journey, it is in itself an interesting pursuit of passionate purpose dealing with business and life experiences. 

What if you were given the opportunity to move to Africa and run a farm there? Would you do it? In Out of Africa, by Isak Dinesen, the pen name of Karen Blixen, Blixen describes her experience in Africa. In 1914, at the age of 27, she sailed from Denmark to Africa and married her Swedish cousin, Baron Bror Blixen. For seven years, they lived together on their 4000 acre coffee plantation in Kenya, but eventually got divorced. Karen Blixen remained in Africa for another ten years, until she was forced to sell her beloved farm and move back to Denmark. The book is filled with many stories of the land, the Native African people and animals, and her friends in Africa. Though many of these stories are simply memories from her time in Africa, and don't play much of a role in the plot, Karen's overall journey follows the archetypal heroic cycle. In the orientation phase of her journey, she is called from her home in Denmark to marry her cousin, and crosses into another world when she reaches Africa. During her 17 years in Africa (the disorientation phase), she experiences many struggles and challenges, and eventually is forced to sell her farm. After moving back to Denmark, in literary terms, reorienting herself, Blixen shares her stories with the world as a gift.

 The novel shared some valuable lessons and messages with the reader, through the different stories. One point that was particularly clear to me was understanding and appreciating people of different races. A good portion of the book was spent describing the Natives who lived on Karen's farm and certain of the Natives to whom she was closest. These stories helped the reader understand the similarities and differences between Natives and Europeans. Blixen writes with such affection and regard for the Natives that the reader walks away less prejudiced against them.

 Lastly, Blixen made the point that although there will be uncontrollable events that occur in life, there is little-to-nothing you can do to control them. Life can be difficult. So, therefore, you should respond as best you can given the situation, but ultimately accept your destiny and fortune. Karen Blixen struggled with drought, low crop yields, grasshoppers, and much more. Because of these irrepressible factors which did not allow her ongoing financial support, she was ultimately forced to sell her farm and move away. After some denial that she would have to leave her home of 17 years, Blixen resigned herself to the fact that she was actually leaving. She also compared the philosophy of the Natives to that of Europeans with regards to their destiny and fortunes, saying that the Natives are more able to accept the cards they are dealt in life. From her own personal strategy, as well as her comparison of Natives and Europeans, her philosophy becomes clear to the reader that certain out-of-control events do happen, but there may be nothing you can about them except have equanimity. 

by Annie Szcczurek Davis (www.PursuitofPassionatePurpose.com)

copyright 2011.  All rights reserved. 

 

FIVE SECRETS FOR STARTUP SUCCESS from Bob Metcalfe

We can learn much from those people who have successfully pursued their passionate purpose.  During the recent StartupCamp4:  Comm Edition (http://itexpo.tmcnet.com/west/collocated-event/w11-startupcamp-communications.htm)  at ITEXPO 2011 in Austin, TX where we were honored to present our startup Radish Systems, Bob Metcalfe  (inventor of Ethernet, founder of 3Com, author of Metcalfe's Law, Venture Capitalist, and Professor) shared his wisdom.

 

1. Learn from Steve Jobs.  Have the courage to FOLLOW YOUR HEART and INTUITION.  Do what you LOVE.  Live each day as if it were the LAST – someday it will be. (See Steve Jobs in the best video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc) 
2. A startup’s NETWORK is its secret weapon.  The fate of a startup is a function of the networks they form.
3. Successful start-ups have:  founders who do not let their ego get in the way of the company’s success (the success of the company is more important that having a certain person run it), focus, sufficient funding, good technology/product, and good leadership. 
4. The five most important qualities of a startup CEO:  has a lifestyle which brings forth great ENERGY (sleep, eat well, and get exercise), knows how to WRITE, can SPEAK, has ability to PLAN, and can SELL. 
5. The richest companies get money from CUSTOMERS, not from investors.

Theresa M. Szczurek (www.PursuitofPassionatePurpose.com and www.TMSworld.com and www.RadishSystems.com)

FIVE TIPS FOR BETTER SLEEP AND RESULTS

"How do you sleep at night?" That was a question a Venture Capitalist asked the soon-to-be CEO of our previous start-up. The answer, "Pretty well, until I wake up at 3:00 AM and think about work and can't fall back to sleep." Too many business leaders and others with important responsibilities on their shoulders, including me, know this scenario and start the day sleep-deprived.

The Sleep Situation

If you don't get enough sleep, you're not alone. "40% of Americans (100 million people) are moderately to severely sleep-deprived! High school and college students are among the most sleep-deprived people in our population. 60% are sleepy during the day and 30% fall asleep in class at least once a week," says Dr. James B. Maas in Power Sleep.

Sleep's Impact on Your Business

In his New York Times bestseller, Brainrules, Dr. John Medina shares, "Bad things happen when we don’t get any sleep. Brainrule #7: Sleep well, think well."

Medina’s book has had a significant impact on me and my sleep behavior. I always burned the candle at both ends, working hard and playing hard. With more demands at work, I just reduced my sleep hours without realizing the impact it was having. As Mitch Albom, New York Times Bestselling author ofTuesdays with Morrie explains in his new book, Have a Little Faith, "There was a stretch where I could not have worked more hours in a day without eliminating sleep altogether. I piled on accomplishments. I made money. I earned accolades. And the longer I went at it, the emptier I began to feel, like pumping air faster and faster into a torn tire."

Medina summarizes, "When people become sleep-deprived, their ability to utilize the food they are consuming falls by about one-third ... you appear to accelerate parts of the aging process. Sleep loss cripples thinking. Sleep loss hurts attention, executive function, immediate memory, working memory, mood, quantitative skills, logical reasoning ability, general math knowledge. Sleep is rather intimately involved in learning. Some kind of offline processing is occurring at night."

Medina asks, "What if businesses and schools took the sleep needs of their employees and students seriously?" Here are a few suggestions.

Five Tips to Better Sleep and Results

 

1. SLEEP IN A STORM. Albom shares a sermon from an eighty-two-year-old rabbi in his book, Have a Little Faith. "My friend, if we tend to the things that are important in life, if we are right with those we love and behave in line with our faith, our lives will not be curses with the aching throb of unfulfilled business. Our words will always be sincere, our embraces will be tight. We will never wallow in the agony of 'I could have, I should have.' We can sleep in a storm." Business leaders, consider what you can do to follow this advice so you can sleep through the night regardless of the challenging storms in your work. Does it include getting the right help, delegating, setting reasonable goals, letting go of control, and believing that things will work out?

 2. NAP. Medina states, "People vary on how much sleep they need and when they prefer to get it, but the biological drive for an afternoon nap is universal. One NASA study showed that a 26-minute nap improved a pilot’s performance by more than 34 percent." Why not treat a nap similar to addressing other biological needs such as having lunch or taking a bathroom break. Rather than having employees hide their naps in their cars, companies could provide a space for and encourage a daily half-hour nap.

 3. SLEEP ON IT. When people are allowed 12 hours to pass from being given a challenge to providing a solution, they will have more insights. If they are allowed to get eight hours of regular sleep during this period, they perform even better. When presented with a problem, give employees a chance to get a good night’s rest before presenting a solution.

 4. HAVE A FLEXIBLE WORK SCHEDULE. Medina recommends allowing employees to choose their work hours so they can experience their major productivity peak. As explained in Kenneth Thomas' book, Intrinsic Motivation, four rewards ignite internal enthusiasm — a sense of meaningfulness, choice, competency, and progress. Providing people the ability to choose is important. If people find meaning in their work, have choice over what or how they work, get feedback that they are competent at this work, and see progress being made, they are more intrinsically motivated and ultimately more productive. This is good for both the individual and the organization.

 5. MEDITATE, JOURNAL, EXERCISE, TAKE A BREAK. When you can’t sleep what helps you? All work and no play, makes you and me more stressed and sleep-deprived. The week is designed with a weekend for a purpose. Are you taking a break so you can recharge? If so, you may sleep better and think better as a result.

Radish Case Study. 

 Okay it’s true, sometimes I do not sleep as I would like during this entrepreneurial storm.  One day I might be up at 2:52am, the next 3:48am, and the third 4:18am.  The best thing I can do is get up immediately, write down my thoughts, and let insights flow, rather than twist and turn for hours in bed.  I follow journaling with a half-hour meditation session and sometimes a walk.  Then I get to work on one of those issues so that I can cross something off the list.  That night, I go to bed early. 

 

 Summary.

The world, and especially corporate leadership, needs better sleep.  I wrote this article to help me, and hopefully you, sleep in a storm and ultimately improve performance while pursuing a passionate purpose.   

Theresa M. Szczurek (www.TMSworld.com, www.PursuitofPassionatePurpose.com, www.RadishSystems.com)

Seven Pointers for Life and Business Success Learned from a Canoe Trip

There is nothing like a break to give perspective.  What plans do you have to unplug and get off the grid, so you can recharge, rewind, and refresh?  Thanks to my daughter’s Girl Scout troop, I had the opportunity recently to spend 5 days canoeing in the Buffalo River National Park in Arkansas where the temperature hit 102 degrees with 90% humidity.  There we were with four 15-year-olds, two leaders, three canoes, nine paddles, two tents, and one large, slowly moving river.  Of course, there was also one van to carry our troop and its gear 917 miles from Colorado to Arkansas and back again over two days each way.

 

Here are Seven Practical Pointers from the River:

 

Go with the Flow.  Life is like a river flowing.  Slow down.  It is so much easier to go down stream, rather then fight the battle to paddle upstream.  How often at work do we paddle upstream when we don’t have to? Use the Allowing Strategy – let go and go with the flow. ( See the book Pursuit of Passionate Purpose for further explanation on all success strategies.)
 
Divide and Conquer.  We divided the 50 mile trip into five days, approximately 10 miles a day traveling at two miles an hour….Piece by piece, part by part we flowed (and paddled) down the river.  Try tackling your next big project using the divide and conquer approach of the Persistence Strategy.
 
Surround with Proper People and Beauty.  Besides the participants and leaders, many people helped along the way.  One family allowed the troop to use their van.  Another family let us use their tents and other river gear.  Another troop leader, worked as the trip treasurer.  The National Park rangers were extremely helpful in sharing pertinent information to plan for the trip.  Our outfitters provided the necessary equipment for a price. Nature provided the proper environment to relax and learn. We used the Connections Strategy – connecting with self, proper people, other beings, and spiritual sources.
 
Prepare and Pack.  A big trip like this does not just happen—it takes preparation, planning and packing.  We set the goal in September to have a June canoe trip.  While we did not know where we would go and exactly how much it would cost, we knew the girls would need to earn money.  The girls sold lots of magazines and cookies.  It turns out our actual budget was correct within 1% of our planned budget.  I wish all of my work budgets were so right on. We learned to pack the energizers and unpack the hindrances along the way – we used the Pack Strategy.
 
Be a Firefly.  How I love those bugs that fly around at night rhythmically flashing on and off.  They remind me of hot, lazy summer evenings in Illinois where I grew up. The message from these lightning bugs: Focus on your strengths.  Do what you do best.  Try to delegate the rest to others.
 
Skip Rocks.  We arrived at the take-out two hours early on the 5^th river day.  There was NO phone coverage so we could not call the outfitters to pick us up early.  So what did we do with time and no electronics for entertainment?  We decided to learn something new.  Be curious.  We learned about the optimal shape for a rock that will skip, how to hold and let go of the rock, and the fun in the contest.  There was the thrill on the face of the girls when they successfully skipped a rock two, three, or even seven times.
 
Take a Break.  Sing a Song.  What do you do when its mid-day, 100+ degrees, and you are tired after paddling only half of the required daily distance?  Be flexible on the distance for that day AND jump in the river for a cool, rejuvenating swim.  The paddling also goes much faster when you are singing a song together with your partner. Can you find a way to do this, have more fun, at work?  Enjoy the journey.
 

Summary.  Every experience in life brings lessons.  What will you learn from your summer vacation?  How can you apply these to your pursuits of passionate purpose?

 

Theresa M. Szczurek (www.PursuitofPassionatePurpose.com, www.TMSworld.com, www.RadishSystems.com)

Ten Tips To Go Beyond Stress to Happiness and Productivity

If you at times feel stressed out and overwhelmed, you are not alone. As highlighted in Greg Easterbrook’s book The Progress Paradox:  How Life Gets Better While People Feel Worse,  “Stress is the dirty secret of success:  as life gets better than ever, people are feeling worse.”  The result is negative for the workplace and home life.  Here’s what to do about it.

 

Impact of Stress.

 

“In the short-term, acute stress can boost cardiovascular performance.  If the stress is not too severe, the brain performs better.  Its owner can solve problems more effectively and is more likely to retain information.  If the stress is too severe or too prolonged, however, stress begins to harm learning.  Stressed people do not do math well, don’t process language very efficiently, and can’t concentrate.  Stress attacks the immune systems, elevates book pressure, and can cause depression, which alters the ability to think. Stress causes companies to lose between $200B and $300B a year – as much as $75B of red ink a quarter,” summarized Dr. John Medina, author of the New York Times bestseller Brainrules.  “The perfect storm of occupational stress appears to be a combination of two malignant facts:  a) a great deal is expected of you and b) you have no control over whether you will perform well.” 

 

Easterbrook states, “Research also shows that those who enjoy career success and exhibit stress symptoms are twice as likely as the population at large to describe themselves as ‘very unhappy.’  That the stressed-out are likely to be unhappy is a warning sign, because stress, measured either by emotional state or by cortisol (i.e., stress hormone) levels is rising in society.” 

 

Ten Practical Pointers:  What Can We Do to Reduce Stress?

 

These suggestions to move to a healthy level of stress include both short-term lifestyle changes as well as longer-term goals.

 

1. Exercise.  Engage in at least 30 minutes of physical activity daily.  Medina’s Brainrule #1 is ‘exercise boosts brain power.’

 

1. Turn off TV / media.  Media presents us with information to worry about.  Bad news sells.  There are then even more entries on your list of worries, activating more stress.  Zac Bissonnette presents five things every high-school graduate should try to remember (these apply to people in general) in his 5/22/2011 article in the Denver Post Wall Street Journal Sunday article and “No 5:  TV makes you feel poor.  One of the fastest ways to make yourself better with money is to smash your television—or just watch it less.”

 

1. Meditate.  Stop and be in this moment.  Meditation, which involves observing what is and then accepting it, brings tangible results of improved concentration, energy, relaxation, and more positive emotions.  Andrew Weil, MD, reports, “Meditation may not only make you happier, but also keep you healthier.  It can benefit health concerns ranging from stress and anxiety to atherosclerosis and chronic pain.” 

 

1. Connect.  Use the “Connections Strategy” described in Chapter 11 of Pursuit of Passionate Purpose to surround yourself with positive people who care about you.   Be part of the interconnected web of life and connect with your true self as well as spiritual sources and other beings such as animals – your stress level will be more manageable.  Get in nature.  Open to grace also called serendipity, synchronicity, divine intervention, intuition, or random opportunity.

 

1. Sleep.  Brainrules #7:  Sleep well, think well.  Loss of sleep hurts attention, executive function, working memory, mood, quantitative skills, logical reasoning, and even motor dexterity.  Since reading Medina’s book, I have started sleeping more, rather than working late into the night.  The result is very positive.  Try it.

 

1. Divide and Conquer.  You don’t have to do everything on your plate now.  Use the “Persistence Strategy” described in Chapter 9 of Pursuit of Passionate Purpose to mindfully persevere with focused determination using a divide-and-conquer tactic.  Rather than being overwhelmed with a huge project, divide your purpose into parts, focus your attention, and choose to accomplish a small section well.  This increases the likelihood you will get a sense of choice, competency, and progress.  These three attributes build intrinsic motivation, which build passion and more desire to continue.

 

1. Enjoy the Journey.  Tap into life as a river flowing. Laugh at yourself and the situation, if possible. Have a playful attitude. Take a break.

 

1. Be Grateful. Have gratitude for what you have, rather than regret over what you don’t have.  Change your attitude.

 

1. Cut Debt.  The burden of debt and finances run amuck can be very stressful. Whether you are managing a business or your family, live within your means.  Cut your expenditures and cash flow.  Avoid debt and payoff whatever debt you have.  Bissonnette’s No. 1 recommendation:  Debt is slavery. 

 

1. Review Your Long-term Goals.  What do you really want with your life?  Are you living the life you want?  If not, consider modifying your plans.  Perhaps the job and life anxiety is not worth what you are gaining.  How can you establish reasonable expectations of what is expected of you and gain more control over producing the end result? Should you slow the hectic pace and not buy into the societal rat race? “Lives of thrift and conscientiousness lead to less stress, great enjoyment of the things we do have, and a lighter carbon footprint, “ says Bissonnette in his recommendation No. 4:  Materialism is misery.

 

Radish Case Study.

 

Yes, Radish, as any entrepreneurial venture, is at times stressful.  So much to do, so little time.  Lots of responsibility, little control.  Increasing expenses, limited cash flow.  What do I do as CEO to reduce the stress?  All of the 10 tips above.  Additionally, I work to attract a talented team of people who can help us make progress.  Radish just announced hiring outstanding industry talent:  Tom Colamonico, VP of Sales; Jackie McDonald, Director of Customer Care; and John Meteer, Channel Sales Manager.  Read more at http://www.radishsystems.com/wp-content/uploads/Radish_New_Hires_Release_05-16-2011.pdf

 

Summary. 

 

Some stress boosts performance.  Too much stress negatively impacts. Take action now to reduce your and your employees’ stress to the right level.  You and your people will be more happy and productive in both the short-term and the long-term.

 

Theresa M. Szczurek (www.TMSworld.com, www.PursuitofPassionatePurpose.com, www.RadishSystems.com