- Stephen R Covey - writer of one of the world's best selling self improvement books. His work is widely used in business and management training because of its straightforward advice. His book is called "7 Habits of Highly Effective People'.
- Lawrence Kholberg - psychologist who can aid us into becoming entrepreneurs and successful business people. His work shows us, as humans, how we grow from being self centered children to responding to praise and punishment, to becoming a fully functioning adult responding and contributing to situations through a process of reasoned debate.
- Karl Hopkins - Started off on a ND Graphic Design course and is now one of our region's most successful businessmen. He has appeared on the TV as a 'Secret Millionaire' and now delivers business training.
Proactivity
The first of Covey's precepts is to be proactive.
Proactivity is considered to be one of the main attributes that separates humans from animals. Most animals are predictable as they respond to stimuli. Animals will run, hide, hunt, in response to different situations, whereas humans have the ability to be proactive in these situations.
Proactivity is also the key trait of a successful business person. Our lives are improved by designers who can anticipate the future needs of others. Also alike would be a helpful shop assistant who anticipates your needs as a customer and offers you a range of suitable products instead of holding back.
STIMULUS >> CHOICE >> RESPONSE
Highly effective people make decisions to improve their situation through the things they can influence rather than waiting for something to come along needing to be influenced. Ineffective people are often complainers and use excuses of why they CANT. Successful people set themselves achievable goals and gradually extend their capabilities.
Project
- Develop a vision of your future
- Create a principle centered personal mission statement
- Extend the mission into long term goals.
You need to have a clear vision of where you are going to be most successful. When apply for a job you need a clear vision of why you are applying for the job, how it will benefit both you and the company and progression within the company or as a result of working for the said company. You need to know who you are working for, for example, how successful they are, how many people they employ, who is the owner and what their reputation is like.
“Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans” - John Lennon
If you don't have any particular plans or goals then you will be stuck dreaming of a dream.
You need to be made aware of the difference between a dream and a plan. It is very easy to dream about living a luxurious life in Los Angeles with a swimming pool and views to the horizon but not really have any plans to achieve that lifestyle. However, if is is your plan to live and prosper in Los Angeles, then all of your choices and actions will be designed to lead you to that conclusion.
Provide
1. Give clear explanations to people.
2. Speak in their language.
3. Talk about benefits' not processes.
Carl Hopkins climbed through the graphic design ranks to become Managing Director of Judith Donavan Associates, taking the company from 9 million to 20 million turnover in 5 years. He says that in order to market yourself successfully you must be able to explain yourself, your ideas, vision and plans in language that people can easily understand.
Talking easy to understand language will benefit both you and your employers/employees.
1. Think - who you are talking to.
2. Create - clear messages.
3. Inspire - people with you creativity.
People from small start up companies to established companies all all bad at describing what they do. It is a common mistake to describe the processes that you provide and forget to speak directly to the customer and tell them how you can benefit them.
There is an exercise that many effective people have used. The 'elevator pitch'; if you were to get in a lift with me for one floor and I asked you to tell me what you do - could you do that? If not that is a missed opportunity.
My 10 word pitch....
I am a realistic, perfection driven, innovative designer who turns the ugly into luxury.
HMMM maybe needs a bit of work?
Prioritise
1. Put first things first.
2. Keep a proper balance.
3. Stick to your personal mission.
Study >> Socialise >> Rest >> Money >> Time >> Results <<<<<< FOCUS
You need to have a clear view to your roles in life.
Why did I choose to come to The College of Art? - To work hard, achieve well, socialise, leave home, get a job??
For me it is the whole package and missing any one of these factors would affect my time at University, but I have to put them into order of priority.
You need to put 'first things first' at the front of your mind so you can act here and now in the right direction.
Presents
1. Think win/win.
2. Seek outcomes and relationships that are mutually beneficial.
3. Do a favor to gain a favor.
All three experts agree on this subject. The 4th habit of highly effective people is to seek out people and agreements that are beneficial to both parties involved.
Carl talks about giving customers more than they ever expected in order to make then think highly and speak highly of you. Carl gives talks and offers free advice clinics to keep himself visible and to keep people talking about him.
Kohlberg's Theory
Kholberg, the psychologist explains in his theory about Conventional behaviours that, as humans, we progress through different levels of moral, ethical and social behaviours as we learn and mature.
A Pre-conventional person is generally only concerned with themselves, they have an ego-centric perspective on life and deal with short term results. They will reason in terms of what’s in it for them.
A conventional person conforms to social norms. They know right from wrong and will be pleasant to deal with, will be reliable and make good co-workers. They obey rules and care about morality and the wellbeing of others.
Post-conventional people have a well developed sense the individual and may not conform with rules that differ from their own moral sense. They will have belief in liberty, human rights and justice. These people often question norms and also have the ability to see things from others’ perspectives. They collaborate to achieve higher goals and have a visions of a greater good in society. All of us may think we have some of these attributes but it rare to find anyone who consistently acts this way in every situation.
Pause
- Pause to listen - give all your attention. Give yourself to the moment.
- Empathise, walk in someone's shoes.
- Don't re-iterate or interpret, just listen.
- Do you really know how they feel or are you just saying how you feel?
You need to understand other peoples minds and experiences and not be wrapped up in our own world.
When you are trying to explain a story and someone keeps interrupting, you know they are more bothered about themselves and this can be very annoying; make sure you are not that annoying person.
When working professionally you should learn to listen without leading the conversation back to yourself. You will be surprised what you can learn from listening. To help solve other people's problems you need to step out of yourself and into their shoes.
1. See first to understand; then be understood.
2. Learn from your differences.
Proven
Consistency
Integrity
Reliability
You need to be memorable. Just because you have done something good doesn't mean that you are number 1. You will fall to the bottom of the pile if you don't constantly and consistently execute things well.
A business does not change its brand every time you come into contact with it – it is consistent in its execution, language, experience and its customer touch points.
Make sure when you market yourself you are consistent, so every time someone comes into contact with your or your work they will know it is you. Consistency of service and quality of work proves that you are running a reliable business. It proves that you have thought carefully about your approach to your work and that you will be around tomorrow. For example if you go to a restaurant and the first time it is okay and the second time it is amazing, they are not consistent and you do not know what to expect so you wont go back. It is the same for your practice.
Partner
Covey uses the term 'Synergy' for his precept. Synergy can occur when two or more people come together with a need to reach the same goal. Synergy is a process in which we can say 1+1=5 because the effort of two people works like a catalyst and produce far more than simply twice the effort or quality of result.
To create synergy you need to work with people who you can bounce ideas and work well together with rather than just picking the most qualified person.
Pit Stop
Sharpen up – bolt on , get new stuff,
Rest – renew, re-vitalise
Explore - challenge, excite
Propel
1. Extinguish your fears.
2. Exude confidence.
3. Instill faith
Going out there and marketing yourself can be scary – new networks, clubs, meetings, events; even new introductions can be scary. You will make excuses of not having the time, or the money, or the contacts but really they are mostly excuses.
The fear of the unknown, failing, or being rejected all hold us back. Thinking that 'it won't happen to me' will not get you anywhere and whoever has told you that will not get anywhere themselves.
What is the worst that can happen?
and
What is the best thing that can happen?
Attach that greater pleasure and gain to the possibilities and the opportunities that may open up to you. Attach more to the pleasure than to the pain you attach to the fear of loss, or the fear of risk, financially, or emotionally. EXTINGUISH the pain of the process of change to the pleasure of the gain of change.
Believe in yourself; if you don't believe in yourself, why should other believe in you?
Never use the phrase "I am JUST", no you are not just, you are "THE'.
Stand tall to give the appearance of intelligence - if you don't already have that.
Meet people, they might be as scared as you are.
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