WHAT IS DRIVING YOU?

On March 21, 2013, In @ Work, By Bryan Dodge

Fear and greed are what drives change. You’re either so fearful of what’s going to happen to you — and believe me, the thought of losing what you love most in life is scary—or you’re so tempted by what you can have that you do what’s necessary to get it. The question is: what drives you? If it’s fear, be a big boy or a big girl and accept it. If it’s greed—you feel like you want a bigger home, or a new boat—that’s fine, but you have to understand that those motivations are totally different. Fear is looking backward. Greed is looking forward. What is it that is going to inspire you to change?

Positive or negative, change is coming. Who’s going to pick it for you? Being a follower is never a recipe for satisfaction. You’re called to be the leader of your own life. You’re not called to have somebody else decide for you. It’s not the government’s job to dictate what you do. The number one step toward taking charge of your own life is looking in the mirror and saying, I’m changing because I want to change. It happened to me, and it’s the reason I have a wonderful wife and three great kids.

So many “self-help” books and “motivational” speakers have tried to give people easy-to- digest ways to change that the entire subject has almost become a cliché. And to be honest, most of them diminish how important change is—reducing it to some sort of superficial New Year’s Resolution process that will make you feel better about yourself for a few days or a few weeks.

In my best selling book “The Good Life Rules,” (available in book stores in North America, or from my website, www.bryandodge.com , click the link under the featured product on the home page), I share with you the eight rules for being your best at work and at play. But when it comes to making a successful change, I have to stress that understanding why change has to happen is more important than the physical steps to achieving it. Become a why-focused person and always remember those who focus on the “how” in life always end up working for those who focus on the “why.” I challenge each of you in the next 48 hours to e-mail me your why list, and I will send you a gift. Send that email to whylist@bryandodge.com . This list is crucial because that’s what generates all the energy and discipline for your efforts. If you’re inspired, you’re determination will help you succeed. In my book, I walk you through the actual steps you will take and the 48-hour action plan to recharge your life, and that process will change your life for the better.
habits.

I wish you the best that life has to offer you and those that depend on you.
Find the energy from within,
Bryan Dodge

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YOU’RE THE BOSS FIRE YOUR BAD HABITS

On February 18, 2013, In @ Work, By Bryan Dodge

I believe with all my heart that this is a great time of the year to look in the mirror and decide what you must do to eliminate a destructive habit, whether it is obesity, habitually being late, profanity, smoking, having a short temper, alcoholism, promiscuity, etc.

The first and most important thing you must do is to decide that you are better than these habits. Always remember good habits seldom come to you, it is the bad habits that are easy to attract and make your life harder. You have to first decide that you are in charge of your life and then take responsibility for your life. This, my friend, is the first step towards building a better you.

Here is some practical advice. Seek after better habits and replace those bad habits that found you. With that mindset you will attract the habits that are harder to find and even harder to develop, but are easier to live with over time. That is a decision you and only you can make. Without this type of true inspiration on your part, no person or procedure will have any significant impact. If someone else or the world “talks you into it,” the chances are strong you will perhaps start but the effort will be short-lived. Many times you end up further behind than you would have been had you not attempted to quit a habit which you were not ready to give up.

It is important to be reminded that bad habits like when they have a place to stay and will fight back when you are trying to fire them from your life. So first, and most importantly, decide you no longer are going to be a slave to any destructive habit. It’s your life, and you are the boss of your life. It’s time to fire those habits that need to be fired so you can hire better habits that will help you achieve that control you need over your life to accomplish a better you both at work and at home.

Fight for your own best interest. I want you to have that wonderful feeling of being free. Decide today, not tomorrow that this is what you want for your life. Choose to do things with your life instead of having things done to your life. Remember it is your life, and last time I checked you’re the boss.

Building a better you starts with building better habits.

I wish you the best that life has to offer you and those that depend on you.
Find the energy from within,
Bryan Dodge

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The Power of Coaching Up

On January 10, 2013, In @ Work, By Bryan Dodge

An important task that each leader must undertake is to “coach up.” You can’t turn this coaching job down—you have a lifetime contract to coach your team. You can’t be fired and you can’t quit. You must accept that everything rises and falls with you. That is how important you are, both at work and at home. Of course, you can choose not to actively coach your team, but that leaves you exactly where you are right now. So, why would you choose to not coach your team? I believe that people who choose not to coach up don’t understand the basic rules in life.

Let me explain. In his book “Life’s Choices,” John Lawrence states, “We not only enter into the blessings that God has bestowed upon us for which we have not labored at all, and we not only enter into the blessings and benefits of the labors of others in this, but we reap the wrong because others came along before us and sowed the wrong.” Coaching up incorporates two important elements. First, it means intentionally being a person who has chosen to coach the team. Second, it means intentionally creating a first class team both at work and at home to play alongside you. To coach up, you must operate efficiently and effectively. The coach must take responsibility for where the team is and where the team is going, as well as having a plan to deal with troubled times.

Your fan, Friend, and Battle Director,
Bryan Dodge

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Love What You Do

On September 15, 2011, In @ Work, By Bryan Dodge

Do what you love in the service of people who love what they do. There are four “keys” and one major “door.”

1) Do what you love and make sure that your heart is in your work. Bring yourself fully and gratefully into everything you do. Be connected to your own work in order to inspire others. I truly believe that the vast majority of people grossly underestimate the power of the heart. They have no idea (or have forgotten) how much energy can be unleashed in themselves and those around them by telling others why they love their position and the influence they have on the company. Communicating their authentic hopes and aspirations for the future of their company will help bring back the liveliness that may have faded with time. We don’t always remain in love with what we do, as if it is in the beginning. But unless you love what you do, you are not making that true difference you are here to make. Accept that as truth and associate with people who will help you fall back in love again…with your job, your life, with all the opportunities that are around you. Don’t do what the average person does, fall out of love with what they do, yet hang on as long as they can until they lose what they used to love, and only then appreciate what they had. Successful people have learned how to find ways to fall back in love with what they do before it’s too late; they find the energy to encourage growth in the environment for which they are responsible.

2) Understanding the power of serving people will keep you true,
honest, and ethical. If you’re doing what you love, you’ll make yourself happy. But leadership is not only about you; it’s about your impact on others. After years of raising Labrador Retrievers, I always remind the people that buy the pups from me that money can buy the dog, but love can make it wag its tail. I believe that in most cases, it is a simple case of mistaken cause and effect. A mission statement in a company doesn’t generate the energy that produces the chemistry in the team; love does, great ideas do, principles and values do, and most importantly, learning how to show up for people consistently so they are reminded why they truly love where they are does. During one of my programs in Colorado, a V.P. asked me, “How do you make sure you show up for each employee on a consistent basis?” I asked him how many people are on his team and he replied, “116.” So I told him to take the next 116 workdays and assign each day to one person. Each day would be the “show up day” for that person and during the day, he was to make a point to go out of his way to let that person know that he believes in them and that they are important to the team. When he gets up each day, the first thing he should do to prepare for the day is look for the name of the person whose “show up day” it is. Over the next 116 days, each person will have his or her own day, consistently with no one left out. He asked what I recommended after the 116 days were completed and I told him to start over at the beginning, this is an on-going process that should never end.

3) Really loving what you do doesn’t mean that you find people who love you and then serve them. It means that it is your responsibility to give everyone you serve something to love about you and what you are doing for them by revealing yourself as a human being to those that you are in charge of or hoping to lead at some point. It is important, whether you are talking one-on-one or standing in front of a crowd, that you say “This is who I am, this is what I believe, this is what I believe we can achieve together if we put our hearts into it. I believe in you. Please join me and let’s help each other make this happen.”

4) Inspire love; don’t try to “motivate” it. Never forget that love is the true inspirational motivator of all great people. Love of something or someone; love of a cause; love of a principle; love of people you work with and the customers you have the opportunity to serve; love for the future; and love for your business. These are the things that truly matter in the world. Without the inspiration of your heart, there is no good reason for you to take a stand, to take a risk, to do what it takes to make a difference in life. Remember, if you don’t stand for something, then you lose the energy necessary to keep you from falling for anything.

The Major Door: Being Thankful
Over the past 26 years of servicing the education industry, I am constantly reminded why loving what you do matters most.

Make it a great day!
Proud to be an American,
Bryan J. Dodge

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How to Deliver an Effective Presentation

On July 29, 2011, In @ Work, By Bryan Dodge

How to Deliver an Effective Presentation
You have the opportunity to give a presentation and you are not sure how to start preparing for this event. First, get over the panic and just get started. Once you get the details arranged, the agenda established, and the participants assembled and waiting, what happens next? That’s right; you’re on! President Franklin Delano Roosevelt had some great advice for speakers and presenters: “Be sincere, be brief, and be seated!” I think you also need to prepare from the facts, and communicate from the heart. Everyone dreads bombing at the podium. The fear is understandable; for many leaders, their career advancement can be determined by their ability to speak and inspire an audience. The people you lead are watching, and it can be challenge, especially when you consider that you often have to address the same group week after week. The following are some excellent tips on speaking before an audience:
1.) Know what you are going to say and practice it until you are comfortable
2.) Research your material, and be prepared to answer.
3.) Include anecdotes and personal examples.
4.) Pause and take a breath before beginning.
5.) Don’t read your message; deliver it.
6.) It is almost impossible to talk too loudly, so make sure you use your voice to deliver the full impact of the message.
7.) Maintain eye contact; do not just look at your notes too often.
8.) Sit down when you are finished.
9.) Conviction and passion are powerful allies. If you believe the sincerity will come through.
10.) Be you! Don’t try and force an unnatural style that does not reflect your personality.
11.) Be brief and to the point. Nothing loses the attention of your audience like a speech that runs on and on unnecessarily.
12.) Use language the listeners will understand.
13.) Stay relaxed throughout the meeting.
14.) Lean into the audience when making key points. Your body language speaks louder than words.
15.) Be sure to talk with your team and not at them.
16.) Always expect the unexpected
17.) If you are nervous that’s good. That means you care.
18.) Prepare from the facts, and then communicate from your heart.
19.) Don’t be afraid to show your emotions.
20.) Finally, plan a powerful ending that includes an inspirational challenge.
Follow these tips and I am confident you will give an excellent presentation. If you are still nervous about getting up in front of a group, then I recommend that you join a group where you can practice. The Toastmasters International Organization would be an excellent resource. Remember, your ability to do what you fear most is the beginning of you being the captain of your own destiny.

Make it a great day!
Proud to be an American,
Bryan J. Dodge

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