I spoke with someone on Friday that was in the Marine Corp and we got on the subject of being on time. She said, if you are early you are on time, if you are exactly on time you are late, and if you are late you are in trouble with me. Being on time shows discipline and respect for other people's time, being late shows lack of respect and that it's all about you. Rearrange your schedule so that you can be on time consistently. Just to clarify, the world doesn't revolve around you. You revolve around the world, and God made you and the world. You may not think its a big deal to be on time, but being able to be counted on by being on time is something not just your employer is watching, but your spouse, children and friends are watching too. Being a person of your word, is about character and developing character is a step towards Modeling the Way.
Ephesians 6:1-3 "1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 'Honor your father and mother' --which is the first commandment with a promise-- 3 'that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth'." This is the only commandment for children in the Bible. Everytime I am disciplining my young children, I reference God's only command for children...to obey your parents. It's one more opportunity to talk about God and His Word, and how to discuss "Modeling the Way." Holy Bible, New International Version(R) NIV(R) Copyright (C) 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblical, Inc(R) Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Yesterday I met with a couple and their three children who were buying leads for their business. I had met with the husband several times before, but yesterday the family came to finalize the paperwork. Over the previous conversations I was able to uncover that this man relied on God for his life, his family and his work. So it was not surprising when he showed up and both he and his wife were involved in his business decisions. I have other friends that have gone off and bought items like a boat, and needless to say, that man's wife was not very pleased. As for me, I believe that you need to involve God in all aspects of your life, your family and your work. And involve your spouse in all personal and business decisions. My wife and I have a set limit that each of us can spend up to $300 on our own without discussing the purchase in advance with the other. It's a good recommendation that we implemented after receiving that advice ourselves. If you keep God first, spouse second, children third, and your job fourth in order of priority, then having God and your spouse involved in your decisions becomes much easier. I recently had the opportunity to meet with a customer that I had not seen in a while. Based on my pace for this particular deadline day and what I needed to accomplish, I would have to say that I was in a hurry with a lot that needed to be done. From the moment I saw this customer and shook their hand, my need to hurry just went away. Over the next several hours I focused on the conversation and what could be done to improve their situation without looking at my watch or being in a hurry. In today's fast-paced world, many meetings are being shortened and with greater expectations being expected out if these shortened meetings. I challenge you that for an important upcoming meeting to do do two things, 1. not to set an appointment right behind this appointment to allow time for a deeper conversation and not to rush the appointment and 2. don't look at a clock, phone or watch during the entire meeting. Watch and see how that by purposefully not being in a hurry it will impact the the depth of the conversation and the outcome of your meeting. Deadlines are meant to provide structure to a project or event. Understanding that you don't have to wait until the deadline is a sign of one's ability to manage both time and customer's / client's expectations. Creating urgency before the deadline helps the stress level of everyone involved and it improves accuracy. My observation is that 25% of mistakes made in the advertising industry are with accounts handled just before the deadline. Improving your planning and preventing client procrastination (and yours) is a professional sales reps responsibility and a sign of maturity. Are you driven by fear or driven by pride? About 50% of people are driven by fear and 50% are driven by pride. Look at your life and decide what you are driven by, then look at you spouse or significant other, or maybe your parents...opposites attract so odds are they may be different. Have a discussion with your spouse or a friend on what you are driven by and incorporate your fear/pride driver into your daily talks with God (prayers) and each other. Being aware of how you are driven and reading what God's word says about fear and pride will help you be aware of and give you options next time you see fear or pride issues pop up in your life. Choose your attitude. Your attitude impacts everything you do and every relationship you have. Decide in advance to have an optimistic positive can-do attitude and watch watch what you accomplish and your relationships change. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5 Do you have a life verse? A life verse is a verse from The Bible that you may have memorized that you say out loud or not that helps you when you are tempted, it gives direction, keeps you on course, or emulates Jesus, kind of like the "What Would Jesus Do" (WWJD) phrase that was popular several years ago. It's not just a verse you know, refer to or memorize, but a verse that you also apply. If you don't have a life verse, I encourage you to learn one and utilize it to be more like Christ. Holy Bible, New International Version(R) NIV(R) Copyright (C) 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblical, Inc(R) Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. One of the things that my family strives to do as a family is having meals together. Dinner is on the table weekdays at 6:30 thanks to my wonderful wife. Then on weekends we eat all meals as a family. In today's fast-paced hectic world that we all do life, it's great to be able to come together and nourish our bodies, share in giving thanks to God for all of our blessings, and talk about the days happenings and events. If you are not joining together regularly with family or friends to eat I encourage you to start. This is a family value that we plan to continue. "Worrying about my job is not my responsibility; it's God's....My job is to coach." - Tony Dungy "Quiet Strength " calendar (July 22) |
"Modeling the Way" BlogMark A. Watkins is a Region Sales Manager in the Midwest with Rollins, Inc. and strives to Model the Way as a Sales Leader, Teacher, Visionary, Innovator, Problem Solver, Coach and Mentor. Archives
August 2018
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