Make It a Winning Life eNewsletter March/April 2004

MAKE IT A WINNING LIFE:
Strategies to Help YOU Succeed Faster

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Vol. 6 No. 2, March/April 2004
Copyright 2004 by Wolf J. Rinke
mailto:WolfRinke@aol.com
http://www.WolfRinke.com

IN THIS ISSUE
1. NEWS YOU CAN USE
2. KNOWLEDGE IS NOT POWER
3. SPECIAL PRE-PUBLICATION OFFER
4. HUMOR BREAK
5. HEAR WOLF "HOWL"--I MEAN SPEAK
6. ABOUT THE EDITOR
7. PRIVACY STATEMENT AND SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

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INSIGHT BREAK
"Genius, like a thunderstorm, comes up against the wind."
--Søren Aabye Kierkegaard
Source: W. Rinke, Don't Oil the Squeaky Wheel and 19 Other Contrarian Ways to Improve Your Leadership Effectiveness, McGraw-Hill, 2004

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1. NEWS YOU CAN USE
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IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD
Recent research reported in the prestigious journal Science has provided conclusive proof that placebos have a biological effect on brain functions. When researchers told volunteers, who were given an electric shock on the right wrist, that the cream that was rubbed on their wrist was a powerful analgesic cream that controlled pain most participants who had received the dummy cream "tended to [experience] reduced brain activity in the thalamus and areas of the cortex involved in the experience and anticipation of pain." The researchers concluded that "the mere belief that one is receiving an effective analgesic treatment can reduce pain."

ACTION STEPS:
Take advantage of the power of your mind by only communicating positive messages to your subconscious.
Source: Science Notebook, The Washington Post, 2/23/04; p. A8.

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2. KNOWLEDGE IS NOT POWER by Wolf J. Rinke, PhD, CSP
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Knowledge is power. How many of you agree with that statement? That's what I like to ask my audience members. And guess what, virtually all hands go up. (I bet you agreed too?) I don't! Here is why. The number of leaders and managers I have the opportunity to work with, who know how to lead people, always startles me. Heck some know more than I do. They got it all together. They can talk a great game…and yet when I watch what they actually do, which is what consultants and coaches do, I find that they do not act in accordance with what they know. They act in accordance with their habit patterns. The patterns are typically based on what has worked for them in the past. The problem--need I say it?--is that we live in a hyper speeded global economy where what has worked in the past may no longer provide you with optimum results today. That's why this article. It's all about breaking your tried-and-true Weltanschauung--your view of the world of leadership--assumptions that have worked for you in the past, that need to be revisited, reevaluated and maybe even, horror of horrors, be changed.

Here is the brutal fact: you know an awful lot of stuff. Great stuff, stuff that has the potential to change the way you lead people and have an immediate payoff on the bottom line. However, all this stuff won't do you any good whatsoever, unless you apply what you have learned and develop powerful new habit patterns. (You're familiar with the old saw: If you do what you've always done, you will always get what you've always got. And if you want something different to happen without making a change, that's defined as insanity.) You see it is not what you know that makes a difference, it's what you do, and what you apply, apply over and over again until it causes you to transform new knowledge into a new auto-pilot response pattern. And that will not happen from reading this article. (You can read all the diet books in the world, and never lose a pound.)

A good example, recently shared with me by one of my coachees--sounds like an Indian word, doesn't it--is of one of his grade school buddies walking up to the high diving board at the beginning of the swimming season and without a moments hesitation jumping off into the pool. Never mind that the dive looked absolutely atrocious, once he was in the water he floundered so badly that the lifeguards had to pull him out. Once back in the showers, Walter asked his friend what happened. "Not sure, he said, actually I had it all figured out. I've been reading several how-to-swim books all winter long. But once I hit the water it just didn't seem to work."
Okay pessimist, I hear your question. What if I try new stuff and it does not work? What if it fails? First, and let me be a bit emphatic here, there are no failures…there are only outcomes. If you apply something and it does not give you the results expected, try it again. And if it is really important to you, try yet again. And if it is super-important try up to seven times. (Lots of stuff that happens is caused by random events and has nothing to do with the intervention. Especially since you are in the people business and people are quite unpredictable.) And if it still does not work, you've learned something you didn't know before--I don't call that failure! On the other hand if it does work, you've hit the mother lode…a new strategy that will enable you to improve your performance, productivity and maybe even your organizations profitability. (Hey, even I'm getting excited!) So the key then is not knowledge, but doing, experimenting, making yourself uncomfortable--oh, oh, that's a dreadful thought.

LIGHTEN-UP
Oh, and one more thing. It's time for you to have more fun. Why? Because, and this is important, so take note: If it's fun, it gets done. But you protest, we've got work to do…we don't have time to have fun. Think again. According to serious research conducted for more than four decades, and reported in the November 2003 issue of the prestigious Harvard Business Review, executives who are witty--are you ready for this--"get bigger bonuses and better performance ratings." Why? Because "Humor, used skillfully, reduces hostility, deflect criticism, relieves tension, improves morale, and helps communicate difficult messages." So quit taking yourself and your work so seriously and lighten up. And one of the best ways to do that is to laugh at yourself. Just in case you find that a bit difficult, go to the Humor Break at the end of this eNewsletter. (Remember, you don't have to exercise all your funny bones, just the ones you want to keep.)

SMART STEPS
Get rid of Ya-but. I hear it all the time: "That's very interesting, but…" Avoid the ya-buts and other idea-killer phrases such as "This will never work for me," or "This is all fine in theory, but...." Every time you say "ya-but," you have opened an escape hatch for yourself. Remember the last time your boss paid you a compliment such as, "I appreciate you finishing this project on time, but...." That's right, you didn't hear the compliment. All you heard was what came after the "but." (That's your boss's escape hatch; what came after "but" is really what she meant to tell you. The rest was just filler to soften the blow. So take your "but" out of your mouth--get it?--and say instead: "Yes, and…"

Practice, practice, practice! Practice your new skills repeatedly until you have developed a powerful new habit. Consider your team members, your boss, your dog and anyone else you interact with on a regular basis as your "laboratory." Keep trying out new strategies to see what results you get.

Just do it. Avoid saying to yourself "I know this already" or "I have heard this before." You probably have, but are you doing it?!?! When it comes to human behavior, there is very little that's new. What makes it new is when you translate new stuff into a change in your behavior. Now that is magic!

Don't squander your mental energy. At any one nanosecond your mind can have only one thought. That thought can be positive and improve your leadership skills. It can be neutral, and keep you where you are. Or it can be negative and take away from your ability to become a highly effective manager and leader.

Get selfish. Pass what works for you onto your team members, your boss, your customers, and anyone else who will benefit. When you teach someone else, you download your new knowledge into your "hard drive" and it will stay with you forever. Now, that's selfish!

Smile. Or better yet, make yourself laugh! Once you get the hang of this, you will be well on your way of becoming a highly effective Contrarian Leader.

SOURCE: Based in part on Chapter 1 of my new book Don't Oil the Squeaky Wheel and 19 Other Contrarian Ways to Improve Your Leadership Effectiveness, to be released by McGraw-Hill, early May, 2004. Take advantage of my pre-publication special offer below.

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3. PRE-PUBLICATION SPECIAL FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY
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NEW BOOK: Don't Oil the Squeaky Wheel and 19 Other Contrarian Ways to Improve Your Leadership Effectiveness, to be released by McGraw-Hill, early May, 2004, by W. J. Rinke. Publisher Price: $14.95.

Advance praise: "Tells you what you need to know to win in the game of leadership in these turbulent times."
J. W. Marriott, Jr., Chairman of the Board and President, Marriott International, Inc.

POWERFUL CD: How to Motivate Employees to Achieve Peak Performance. Publisher Price: $19.95.

This LIVE audio by yours truly (~60 mins.) will teach you how to build a positive organizational culture that will achieve quantum leaps in performance, productivity and profitability.

Both book and CD--$24.90 + s/h. SAVE $10.00! (Will ship ~5/1/04)

------------------------- Offer expires 6/1/2004 -------------------------------
To order log onto http://www.WolfRinke.com/SpecialMarch04.html

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4. HUMOR BREAK
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Take advantage of this "new" invention

BOOK is a revolutionary breakthrough in technology. It has no wires, no circuits, or memory chips. It requires no external source of power, no monitor, keyboard or mouse to operate. There is nothing to be plugged in or turned on. It's so easy to use that even a five year old can operate it. It's compact, portable and self-contained and can be used anywhere--in the bathroom, in bed and even snuggling up by a crackling fire in your favorite chair.

This technological marvel is constructed of sequentially numbered sheets of paper; each is capable of holding thousands bits of information. The pages are manufactured using a unique technology called a "binding" which keeps the pages in their correct order. Using a process called DST--Double Sided Technology--allows manufacturers to use both sides of the paper thereby increasing the information density, reducing weight, and minimizing costs below that of a modest dinner in an inexpensive restaurant. Best of all manufacturers are able to achieve an almost unlimited increase in information density by simply using more pages.
BOOK requires no special storage device and never gets infected by viruses or worms. It never crashes or requires re-booting, and is always on, to be used any place, any time, by simply opening it. Users scan each page optically to download the information directly into their "hard drive." To progress through BOOK the user simply flicks a finger. The "browse" feature allows the user to move instantly from page to page and even go forward and backward. The higher priced models feature an optional device called an INDEX, which allows the user to instantly find the exact location of specific information. During interruptions the user merely closes BOOK and can re-start BOOK at the exact same location with another optional device referred to as a BOOKMARK or users who are minimalist can achieve the same results by employing a simple technique referred to as "crimping."
BOOK has a virtually unlimited shelf life and may be stored with other units without any interference or special technological devices.

One other unique feature is that the user can customize BOOK by making notes in the margins using an optional programming system referred to as PENS--"Portable Enhancing Notation Stylus." Best of all BOOK may be shared with an unlimited number of users without paying any additional licensing fees, and to the delight of even the most ardent environmentalist, BOOK is totally recyclable.

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5. HEAR WOLF HOWL--I MEAN SPEAK
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Here is a list of full day seminars that I will be presenting in 2004 that maybe open to you, especially if your company is a member of the Institute of Management Studies (IMS). Contact the Chairperson for additional information.

Increasing Your Personal Effectiveness
6/24 Hartford, CT, George Avril, imsct@att.net
7/20 Philadelphia, Joe Paesani, Philadelphia@ims-online.com

Winning Management: Building a Peak Performance Workplace
5/6, London, UK, Mike Matthews, ims@events01.golbalnet.co.uk
5/7, Manchester, UK, Gareth Morris, imsmanuk@aol.com
5/10 Scotland, Graeme Crawford, crawfassocs@BTinternet.com
5/11 Amsterdam, Giep Franzen, Amsterdam@ims-online.com
6/3 New York, Mark Antonucci, mantonu@aol.com
10/1 Minneapolis, James Arnold, jkarnold@imsminneapolis.com

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5. ABOUT THE EDITOR
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Dr. Wolf J. Rinke, CSP is an internationally recognized motivational and management keynote speaker and seminar leader who delivers customized presentations that combine story telling, humor and motivation with specific "how to" action strategies that participants can apply immediately to improve their personal and professional lives. You can preview a live demo at www.WolfRinke.com. He is also a highly effective management consultant, executive coach and author of 12 books including: "Make It a Winning Life: Success Strategies for Life, Love and Business" available at www.WolfRinke.com
To take advantage of Dr. Rinke's services visit our website or call 800-828-9653 or mailto:WolfRinke@aol.com

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6. PRIVACY STATEMENTS AND SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
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We will not make your name or e-mail address available to anyone. Period!

MAKE IT A WINNING LIFE: Strategies to Help YOU Succeed Faster

MAKE IT A WINNING LIFE:
Strategies to Help YOU Succeed Faster