FailingCompany - Back to the Basics

This coming Monday is Memorial Day in the United States. This weekend marks the unofficial start of Summer. People head to the lake for the first time to get their boat out on the water. The campgrounds fill up with people eager to kick off camping season. Cookouts are in abundance as well as family gatherings. It's a weekend of celebration.

Memorial Day is so much more than just a kickoff to summer fun. It's a time to honor those who gave their life as the ultimate sacrifice for their country. They may have not even supported the war or conflict in which they paid the ultimate price, but they answered their call and upheld their oath, nevertheless.

These brave men and women are the ultimate example of dedication to a cause. They didn't know what defeat was and quitting wasn't in their vocabulary. True heroes, each and every one of them! We, as business leaders, can and should learn a lot from their sacrifice.

I was blessed to grow up being close to both of my grandfathers. Both served in WW2 and came home to start families, raise children and watch grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow up. These men were incredible role models to me, and I'm blessed to have had them in my life for such a long time. I'm proud to honor them on Veterans Day and feel blessed that I don't have to honor them on Memorial Day.

In many cases, it was mere chance on who made it home and who didn't. The odds were in my family's favor. Others weren't so lucky. Perhaps family lines were cut short since someone didn't come home from war and start a family? I try to never forget that I'm here because my grandfathers were lucky enough to come home!

How did these men become so brave? Was it simply that the generation that they came from was stronger or more dedicated that others? I don't think so since we have military men and women from each major war and conflict that paid the price. If it's not generational, what's the driving factor? The conditioning and training that they received starting in basic training? I'm sure that's part of it. I also believe that part of it is inherent in their character. They chose to say yes to joining the military when others said no. Even during the draft, people could have left the US for another country, so they ALL made the choice to serve and accept the risk of having to give all they had for their country.

How can we find people with similar character for our companies? There are probably many ways to find them, but the obvious answer to me is to hire veterans wherever possible. They said yes to their country and went through the conditioning, same as those who gave their all for their country. The veterans out there today just happened to be lucky enough to come home, just like my grandfathers. Every veteran that I've worked with has been amazing! Disciplined, professional, driven, quick learners, hardworking, precise and very focused on team success. What more could you ask for in an employee?

This Memorial Day I challenge you to take some time to really reflect on those men and women, whom you likely never met, that gave their lives for this country and, in many cases, your freedom. Then, resolve to look to those veterans who were lucky enough to come home the next time you need to hire someone. It's a great way to honor their sacrifice and you'll get an amazing employee. It's a win-win!!

Is your business ready to grow and would like to get some expert help, perhaps from some veterans? Maybe you'd like help growing your business to the point that you can start hiring veterans to fill the new positions? Check out FailingCompany.com to find the help that you need. Go sign up for an account or log in to your existing account and start working with someone today.

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If you've spent any time in a workplace with other people, then you probably encountered someone who took an extreme disliking to you. He or she went out of their way to make you look bad. Perhaps it's a coworker who went out of their way daily to make your life miserable or make you look bad to others. Maybe it was a leader in your organization that made you their special project. They attempted to work you to the breaking point. It's more common than you might think. How do you deal with some sadistic person like that?

Before we get to how to deal with these people, let's first tackle why they are acting that way. There are probably a few reasons that this may happen, but it usually boils down to the same root cause. They are intimidated by you. Plain and simple. You can rationalize it however you want, but people tend to ignore other people unless they really like them or are intimidated by them. They you have permanent rent in their head. Take that as a compliment!

You may say that they are a bully or just really don't like you. That may be true, but bullies often choose victims that are smarter, more attractive or popular than them. Internally, many bullies are jealous and just want to make themselves look better. Often times, people who don't like you may be rude to you but usually don't go out of their way to make you miserable on a regular basis. That only happens when someone is trying to break you down, so they look better.

So how do you deal with them in the workplace? You'll hear lots of tactics if you ask enough people. You'll hear everything from report it to HR, to try to befriend them to giving it right back to them. None of that works. The only thing that I've seen to be really effective is to simply out work them!

That's right. Out work them. Get laser focused on your work and do more and better work than them on a consistent basis. Become a beast and tenaciously crank out one amazing work product after another. Become the very best and they will eventually give up and move on to someone else. Why does this work?

Actions speak louder than words. You're work quality and over-the-top productivity will demonstrate that you can't be bothered by them and that you won't be broken down. It becomes obvious that they can't out work you and others will begin noticing you in a very positive way. By continuing to pick on you they draw attention to themselves as being jealous or intimidated by you. Since they really just want to look good but are too lazy to put in the work, they go find someone else to make look bad. Problem solved.

An added benefit of this approach is that you demonstrate to leadership some amazing qualities. You're the person that can get things done. Regardless of the conditions or workload, you'll deliver. You also demonstrate that you can deal with difficult personalities in a professional and respectful manner, which is key to being a great leader. You may just jump on the fast track to a promotion!!

Dealing with haters is never fun. Nobody wants to do it. Reframing them as nothing more than external motivation to become a better version of yourself helps. Sort of like the mean drill sergeants in the old war movies. They were painful to deal with, but they forced the recruits to become a stronger version of themselves than they ever thought possible. Haters can do the same for you.

The next time you find yourself dealing with a work bully or hater, don't let them win. Don't quit or walk away. Internalize that pressure, aggression & hate and turn it into fuel. Use that to fuel your transformation into a newer and more impressive version of yourself. Beat them by becoming better and getting promoted. Then you can write them a nice little thank you note when you become their boss.

Have you recently leveled up and now want some help to scale your progress? Maybe you're looking for some expertise to really show up that hater that's bullying you around? Check out FailingCompany.com to find the help that you need. Go sign up for an account or log in to your existing account and start working with someone today.

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The Kentucky Derby was this past Saturday. Known as the greatest 2 minutes in sports, the Kentucky Derby has 2 weeks of festivities leading up to the big day. Derby week draws massive crowds to the racetrack, culminating in Derby Day and the Run for the Roses. It's quite a spectacle!

If you live anywhere near Louisville, KY, then you know all too well how big of an event it really is for the city. It's all the talk and it never ceases to amaze me how many people make such a big deal about going to the Derby. Turn on the local news on your TV, check out the local news website or open up social media and you're bombarded with pictures and video of the big day!

What's the big deal? The event itself is amazing and so are the festivities leading up to it. What never ceases to shock me is the extent to which some people go to look good to others. They pay for very expensive tickets to the racetrack, spend a small fortune on a new suit or dress and don't forget the Derby hat! Then there are the expensive drinks that the buy all day which makes them more and more daring with their money when at the betting window. All-in-all it can easily turn into a several thousand-dollar day.

Don't get me wrong, many people that attend are very successful, and the cost of the Derby is a drop in the bucket. Just another weekend or the cost of doing business. However, the crowd is also full of "regular" people and small business owners who are struggling. They spend money they really don't have to impress their friends and family or their clients. In most cases it all boils down to wanting a few likes on social media and to look important to others.

I'm all for enjoying nice events and having fun, but why break the bank for it when you really don't have the money to waste? Makes no sense to me. Why not invest that money in your business to advance a goal or in yourself and learn a new skill? Do that long enough and you'll be showing up on Derby Day and heading to Millionaire's Row.

If you must go to an event like the Derby, try to apply some moderation. The average person really isn't going to tell if you paid $2000 for your suit or if it cost $800. You'll look sharp either way. Do you need to spend $500 on that Derby hat or is there one for $150 that looks just as impressive? Do you need to drop $100s at the betting window each race or can you set a smaller budget and stick to it? You'll start to see that you can still go to the event, have fun, get the pictures to post on social media and feel better about it the next day.

Some of you may say, we'll it's business expense and a write off. I'm entertaining clients. I'm sure that's true and, in some cases, it helps close a huge deal that may result in an increase in revenue. Wise choice in that case. However, I'd venture to guess that, in most cases, the expense doesn't generate significant future revenue. It was just a day of fun and showing off that's being pawned off as a savvy business move. In reality, the ROI was negative, and it was a terrible business move.

If you're business is successful, then go for it. Live it up since you've earned it. My message is for those who are struggling. Why spend money that you or your business doesn't have simply to impress others? Sure, the social media pics will get a lot of likes and you'll momentarily feel good. Then it becomes ancient history buried deep in everyone's social media feeds. Yet, you'll still be stuck with the bill. Money that could have had a much higher return on investment. If you want to go for the pure enjoyment of it, then go in moderation and invest the rest!

Tired of spending money trying to impress others and ready to invest in things that actually matter? Do you simply need help getting your business finances in order? Check out FailingCompany.com to find the help that you need. Go sign up for an account or log in to your existing account and start working with someone today.

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Last week I wrote about needing to occasionally break from your routine. I'm not one of those "do as I say, not as I do" kind of people, so I followed my own advice and went on an amazing hiking trip with a couple of my cousins. It was a much-anticipated trip and didn't disappoint. I always find it interesting how you can learn valuable lessons in the most unexpected situations, and this trip didn't disappoint.

Knowing that I was getting stuck in a rut, my cousins and I began planning the mountain trip a few months ago. The trip required hiking up and down the mountain. To be successful, we had to develop of new habits and routines to condition ourselves for the long hike over rough terrain with heavy packs.

These new routines required tremendous discipline on my part, as they involved daily strenuous workouts before my workday began. The discipline paid off. By the time the day came to step onto the trail, I felt very prepared for whatever the mountain may have in store for me. This is no different than any business venture. Discipline is critical to successfully executing your plans!

Where were we going when we hit the trail? The lodge at Mt. LeConte, which has been on my bucket list for many years. Mt. LeConte is the 3rd highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains and is home to the highest inn that provides lodging to visitors in the eastern United States. At an elevation of 6,593 feet, getting there is not a walk in the park.

Like anything we do in business, preparation was key to success in this adventure as well. I didn't decide that I needed a break and then go climb the mountain. I laid out a plan, established a workout program to condition my body and established a new and more productive routine to get into shape. It wasn't by luck that I arrived at the top with plenty of energy left to enjoy my stay in the 100-year-old cabin and celebrate with the other wonderful people who also made the journey up. It was simply by executing my plan one day at time and by relying on discipline to stick it out till the end.

Even though I was well prepared for the physical demands, the journey up to the lodge wasn't without challenges. It rained the entire day and I had not trained in the rain. I could have cancelled and stayed in our warm cabin in town. Instead, I embraced the challenge and pushed forward, adjusting as needed to the weather. I was wet and cold when we checked into the lodge. Did that ruin my experience? Nope. It made it more meaningful since I persevered where others would have chosen to quit! Very similar to how our most challenging business ventures are the ones that we look back on with the most pride!!

I also got to observe the dynamics of three different human beings approaching the same situation from different perspectives. We all three had the same goal yet we all brought different strengths and weaknesses to the hike. This caused us to go through the forming, storming, norming & performing cycle of team building even though we'd known each other all of our lives. The situation was new to us, so we still had to form into a functioning team for the task at hand. Experiencing that firsthand reminded me that we must always work on our team dynamics, as new situations can completely disrupt an otherwise high performing team.

When we arrived at the lodge and achieved our goal, each of us celebrated in our own way too. One wanted to take a well-deserved nap. The other wanted to explore some of the trails at the top of the mountain to take in breath taking views. I wanted to get settled into our cabin, get cleaned up and take some time to reflect on a multi-year goal coming to completion. Seeing how different people celebrated the same achievement in such very different ways reminded me of how important it is to honor each team member's uniqueness when celebrating team victories.

Taking a break from my routine not only got me out of a deep rut that I'd dug myself into, but it gave me the opportunity to experience some key aspects of team building and goal achievement in a very novel and hands-on way. This trip required planning, disrupting routines, preparation and hard work, discipline, team building and recognizing success just like any major initiative in business. It could never be replicated in an office environment, nor could I ever read it in a book and internalize it the way I did by living it!

I encourage you to always seek out challenging experiences of your own to complete. Not only will it be a great way to break your routine, but you'll most certainly gain valuable insights like I did. Insights that are far more real than anything found in a book. Having lived it yourself, you'll be far more prepared to put these new insights into practice in your business!

Have you had a similar adventure where you learned things that can help you become a better leader? Do you need help putting that new wisdow into practice? Check out FailingCompany.com to find the help that you need. Go sign up for an account or log in to your existing account and start working with someone today.

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