Decisions, Decisions, Decisions…..!!!

January 8, 2016 admin

Do you sometimes wonder how to make great decisions? What do you do when when you’re not sure where to start? Let me tell you a story about me, my brother and some cars. (stick with me it will make sense)

Many years ago both me and my brother decided that we needed a classic convertible “toy” car for the summer. Not only so we could look great with the roof down but as a little engineering project. We approached our decisions in very different ways, I looked for something small and easy to store: an MG Roadster. My brother on the other hand fancied something a bit more full bodied: a Triumph Stag, clearly he has more room in his garage and was thinking of using the car not just when the sun was shinning.

As the search took shape my brother found a good looking white Stag and after some haggling paid £1000. It looked and sounded great, it had a couple of odd rust spots but nothing that a bit of hard work couldn’t resolve. Me, I struck it lucky when I found a Roadster with only two owners, father and son, had been kept in a garage since new and still had all the original leather covers. After having a new soft-top made and fitted the total cost of £2000.

“OK, we have some good news and some bad news.

The first summer we both enjoyed our purchases, the weather was definitely made us feel we had made wise decisions. Once the frost of winter passed we began the annual service and road worthiness checks. This is when the story started to change as my little MG only needed minor work; oil, brakes pads, etc..(don’t worry not going to get technical), unfortunately my brother didn’t have a spring in his stride when he spoke to the mechanics.

“OK, we have some good news and some bad news. The good news we know why you had trouble changing gears, the bad news is it will cost £750 to fix.”

Well my brother had little choice but to agree and handed over the cash. Both now cars fully functional and summer looming, we used our toy cars everything the sun shone , but the winter arrived all to soon and they were put away until the new year.

When spring arrived and the maintenance regime began my brother noticed a rattling from the rear of the Stag. Another conversation with the mechanics left him with a quandary.

“We’ve got some good news and some bad news. The good news is we have found the cause of the noise, your rear axle mounts need replacing. Bad news is it will cost £1000.”

“The good news is we have found the cause of the noise.”

This is a difficult question to answer as my brother knew that the Stag in good condition was worth £2500, but if he didn’t fix the axle the car would be worth £1500 at best. Either way he is going to lose money what should he do, sell the car as is and cut his losses or fix the car?

I know what happened in real life but what would you do?

Uncategorized

MisQuotes

Quote January 8, 2016 admin

Give me the million mile an hour overview!

“MisQuote”

Thoughts

“Mentors”

January 7, 2016 admin Leave a comment

What is a mentor and what do they do? Are your chances of success increased by having a mentor? These are good questions to ask yourself, and today I’ve wondered too.

In these days of the internet there are many open-source and the free available sophisticated tools to support those who want to be successful. But one of the most valuable and gifted assets anyone can have is also one of the oldest. I’m talking about a mentor – someone who can show you the ropes, avoid obstacles, and navigate around scary politics to help get you where you want to go.

Mentors are people who have achieved success themselves and want to pass along what they’ve learned to others. They don’t usually tell you what to do – that’s not their role – but they do help you weigh your options and think through decisions.

With the pass of change to the way the business world works the power of a mentor seems to becoming a double edged sword. When neither your mentor nor more than a very small number of people have ever experienced the new technologies or recognises the potential impact to the industry their power is challenging your opinions and perceptions.

Who are you mentoring and who is mentoring you?

Thoughts

“True Commitment”

January 7, 2016 admin Leave a comment

What does commitment to something really mean and why does it matter?

As humans we’re social animals and have a deep need to be involved in the world. This desire for close relationships and social encounters has fuelled the whole social web. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and even LinkedIn all rely on our desire to connect with other people but support our need to feel valued.

But commitment means little without some kind of affirmative action, a reward for the effort expended. The nature of our commitment is a reflection of the perceived significance of the compensation or recognition. Commitment means making a choice and giving yourself time to become engross yourself with whatever that choice is.

It means accepting the limitations of that choice as well as the potential benefits, and it means entering into an agreement with whatever we are committed to, be it a person, a career, creating a work of art, writing an essay.

When we make a commitment, we can’t expect to gain any greater satisfaction from the arrangement than the effort we put into it. Ultimately, it is only through significant commitment that we discover who we are and can grow. Commitment is not a matter of thinking thoughts or speaking words. It requires real time, real dedication and real action.

What are you committed to? Does what you do helping you to learn, grow or enrich your life?

Leadership

The Key to Success is Simple: The Secret is…..

January 7, 2016 admin Leave a comment

There is no question about it: Commitment is a key to success whether it’s in a marriage, a business, personal and professional growth, or sports.

What made Larry Bird one of the best players in basketball? He was considered slow, and many thought he could not jump. Sometimes it almost looked like he was playing in slow motion. Or what about Shane Williams who became Wales’ best international rugby winger? Everyone thought he was just too small to play professional rugby at 5′ 7″, except an old boss of mine. OK, he is Welsh and they had completed another Grand-Slam in the 6-nations. Shane, not my boss, always looked a little out of place next the rest of the 6 foot plus team. But why did these two succeed as players: they were totally dedicated to success. They practised more, played harder, and had more mental toughness than most of their competitors and team-mates. They both got more out of his talents than almost anyone did.

“Commitment and Success”

You see, the difference in physical attributes between athletes doesn’t tell you much. It’s the level of their commitment that separates the good players from the truly great. People who are committed to success are willing to do whatever it takes; as long as it doesn’t harm anyone else, no-one should be thinking I mean extending beyond personal commitment. Everything they do reflects their commitment; focus, work hard, learn, train more, repeat until perfected.

Ask yourself the following questions and think about your answers

How strong is your commitment?