Make What Works a Habit
When things are done systematically you are in control. Identify ideal behavior and make it a habit. Habits are the result of repetition, and good habits are as easy to establish as bad ones. Feelings and judgments normally control behavior; when you feel like doing something it’s easy to do; when you don’t feel like it you may not; but should anyway.

Use Checklists
Airline pilots and their co-pilots go through a checklist together before every take off. I’m sure there are days that they don’t feel like doing it, but they do anyway. Aren’t you glad they do? Some of them have been flying the same plane for 20 years and may not think it’s necessary to go over the same things, but it is and they do; it’s the system.

Selling and Flying
I went flying in a friends airplane recently and as he went through his checklist I looked over mine.

Every Day - Every Time!
Most people brush their teeth EVERY DAY, not just on the days they feel like it or think they may get close to someone. It’s a system. You may not even remember doing it today, but you did; it has become automatic. There are some actions that are just as important as brushing your teeth. Those things should be done just as automatically. Determine ideal “success behavior” and make that as “automatic” as brushing your teeth. You will have some wonderful surprises. You will see it work when you didn’t feel like doing it and at times you didn’t think it would.

It Makes You Better
Prior to joining Clark Hatch Fitness Center downtown I got my workout walking around Ala Moana Beach Park and Magic Island. Whenever working out, I make it a point to time myself on my iPhone. As I was “walking” the park one morning I saw myself gaining on an elderly Japanese man “running” very slowly up ahead of me. I picked up my pace and caught up with him. As I passed him by (walking) I saw him give me a concerned look.
Within a few minutes he ran past me, looking back with a smile on his face. I picked up my pace a bit more, but couldn’t seem to gain on him. I noticed that he kept looking back at me, and the gap between us got wider and wider until he was out sight. At that point I felt myself slow down a bit; however upon the completion of my walk I saw that I had one of my best times yet around the park. I suspect that he did too.

It’s Motivating
Looking back on this experience got me thinking about the power of competition. Here we were two men that don’t know each other, both out for our morning excercise. There was no race underway, no prize at the finish line, no one else was watching, and no words were spoken. However we both got in a better workout because of the subtle competition that was created. From my side, the motivation was the pride of walking faster than someone running. From his side it was the humiliation of having a “walker” pass him by.

When You Compete You Win
Whether it’s walking around the park or selling in a store, spirited competion will make you better. In a race (or a sales contest) there’s only one number one, but everyone that competes is a winner. If you are in ninth place and catching up with number one seems impossible, set your sights on number 8, then 7 and so forth. You will be better off than if you are content with where you are.

It’s as EASY as ABC

-Attention to the customer is more important than anything. Period.
-Be on the floor during peak hours.
-Check your ego at the door.
-Delegate operational areas so you can spend more time leading your team.
-Energy and passion are your most effective tools.
-Focus your team on achieving daily goals and the month will take care of itself.
-Go first when you introduce something new in the store. People learn from watching you.
-Humor is a great way to manage your team - as long as it’s in good taste. Remember, what’s funny to you may not be funny to someone else on your team
-Interview potential employees as if your future depends on it. Most of the time it does.
-Just because you think something doesn’t mean you should say it. Think before talking.
-Knowledgeable employees are vital to a store’s success. Your role is to provide knowledge in an easy to learn, easy to apply method.
-Lead by example with every customer encounter.
-Meeting one-on-one with each team member every month keeps communication open and positive.
-Never put off a difficult conversation with an employee unless the time truly isn’t right. Waiting rarely makes it easier or better.
-Optimism is a must for a team to achieve its goals.
-Practice makes permanent. Roleplay with at least one person every day. Remember, go first.
-Question your team members regularly about how you and the store can improve. Be open to their suggestions.
-Respect people’s privacy. As a manager or owner it’s inappropriate to share knowledge about one person with another unless there’s a real need to know.
-Stress out at work and your team stresses with you. Remain upbeat and positive and your team remains upbeat and positive.
-Time is one of the most valuable assets you have in a day. Spend it wisely.
-Use each team member’s strength to help others on the team to grow.
-Values and integrity determine what kind of leader you really are.
-“We” should be used more than “I” or “you” every day.
-X rated words should never be used at the store.
-Your development is as important as your team’s development. You can’t give away what you don’t have.
-Zap negativity before it spreads. Resolve issues or conflicts before they undermine the rest of the team and, eventually, the customer.

Have a SENSE of URGENCY
Late last night, while watching TV, my wife asked me to do something with a piece of her art on her website. I got right up and headed to my office. She said, “You don’t have to do it now, just be sure to remember it.” My reply was, “Doing things now is my way of remembering to do them.” It only took me a few minutes to do it. It is so easy to put off doing things that are not urgent, and then when a bunch of them become urgent all at once it’s “stress time.” You may even find yourself in a state where you have so many things to do that you don’t do any of them, or do all of them poorly.

Overload
Things done under stress are just not done as well. That’s one of the things I love about Sundays. That’s my creative day; it’s the day nobody is asking me to do something. It’s the day that I found the “time” to write all of my books. It’s a great day for me to get things done, and done well.
Today’s technology has provided many tools to be organized, and remember to do things. Outlook Reminders for example will put an intended “to do task” in your face as often as you want it to. The problem with these high tech reminders is that they also make procrastination as easy as accomplishment. With the click of a key you can move a task that you wanted to do this morning to tomorrow morning, then the next, and the next, until it becomes urgent and you HAVE TO Do It Now.
In Success Made Easy I say, (something like) “It takes less time to do it than to decide if to do it.” Or, as the late great W. Clement Stone said, “When deciding when to do something, just DO IT NOW!” That works for me. It will for you too. Give it a try.

Start Fast - Finish Strong!
That’s the key. A strong finish without the fast start can amount to hitting goal at the last minute. That’s better than missing it, but it is better to do as one of my clients preaches, “Kill the Goal!”
To Kill the Goal, a fast start is crucial.
GO!!!