Free for the Taking − Help Yourself and Pass It On

Over the ages, we have indeed been blessed with a bountiful gift of wisdom from some of the world’s greatest minds representing every walk of life. This new series will share some of that wisdom along with suggestions for application to many of today’s growing challenges. If you’d like to contribute a personal favorite, please do so by sending your offering to

Today’s thought … The Power of Knowledge

In his best-selling book, The World Is Flat, Thomas L. Friedman, says: “Never before in the history of the planet have so many people—on their own—had the ability to find so much information about so many things and about so many other people.”

That statement is, indeed, very true. However, it’s so basic and simplistic that I fear some may not see the most obvious wisdom in his observation. His revelation states that we have more access to more information than anyone else in history has ever had. That doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re taking advantage of that splendid opportunity. I’m afraid we often take such privileges for granted and therefore forfeit the many benefits available to us.

For instance, in the 60s Canon introduced the “Pocketronic” calculator with a retail price of $345. Today, calculators are given away as a promotional item and taken for granted by most everyone. The average family has a calculator in most every room in their house. Again, the benefits are often overlooked. However, think about the time and energy we save by using this common example of technology.

I often compare the phenomenal benefits of using Google as opposed to having to scrutinize volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica or making a trip to the library for research purposes. The comparison is laughable.

However, Friedman’s assertion doesn’t mention the obvious fact that WE must close the Knowing-Doing Gap in order to benefit from the access to so much information in such a short period of time. True, the information is at our fingertips 24/7. The question is: are we taking advantage of this tremendous asset? Consider the many methods in which we can obtain information in today’s busy world — books, magazines, newspapers, radio, television, the Internet, newsletters, seminars, DVDs, CDs, video tapes, audio tapes, blogs, cell phones, classroom, conferences, seminars, mentors, and the list goes on.

The proper knowledge, utilized by individuals and organizations, can and does make the difference between success and failure every day. It’s become a true competitive edge for many and the decisive factor in various business challenges in today’s chaotic workplace.

Are YOU taking full advantage of the information available today? Are you aware of the many resources at your beck and call? For those who feel you simply don’t have the necessary time to investigate the possibilities for continuous and never-ending improvement … take Friedman’s tip as you focus on time management! Close that Knowing-Doing Gap!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

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Last month, I shared a very powerful time management tool which has proven to be very successful for those who have attended our time management seminars.

In that article, Start a “Stop-Doing” List, I explained that a “Stop-Doing” list is nothing more than a simple inventory of bad habits or negative actions currently practiced by an individual, team or organization that would provide better results if they were discontinued.

I pointed out in that article that our seminar break-out sessions have clearly demonstrated that everyone’s list is uniquely focused on their own daily routines. While some commonalities emerged from the exercise, most attendees produced examples that differed greatly from others in the session.

For that reason, I chose not to share examples. However, since the appearance of that article, I have received several requests for some examples. Therefore, I’d like to share a few of the more generic samples which have been generated in our “I Hate Time Management” seminars.

Hopefully, one or more of these examples will inspire you to create your own list customized to reflect your own personal daily routine.

“I’m going to stop hiring the first body that walks through the door simply because I’m short-handed.”
Experience has proven that it’s actually much more painful and expensive in the long run.

“I’m going to stop telling employees how to do their jobs.”
Far better that I tell them the results I want and expect, and let them figure out how to attain them. I’ll offer to coach them and provide them with support, but allow them to figure it out.

“I’m going to stop managing people.”
My job is not to manage people. My job is to provide a context within which people can manage themselves.

“I’m going to stop trying to change people.”
I’m going to focus instead on utilizing their existing assets.

“I’m going to stop thinking I have to know the answer.”
I’m going to focus on knowing how to find the answers or surround myself with those who have them or know how to find them.

“I’m going to stop sending employees to training of any kind without explicit expectations.”
I did exactly that after our last session and was embarrassingly shocked at the positive results.

“I’m going to stop treating others as I would like to be treated.”
I’m going to instead treat them as they would like to be treated.

“I’m going to stop doing just annual performance reviews.”
Monthly reviews have proven to be much more effective.

“I’m going to stop thinking of salaries and benefits as an expense.”
I’m going to consider them instead as investments and treat them as such.

“I’m going to stop enabling my staff and start empowering them.”
They’ll never grow until I allow them to do so.

Now create your own personal list of things YOU need to stop doing. Significant improvement will never come until we learn how to stop doing things and behaving in ways that are no longer effective. Now is the time to start!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

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Free for the Taking − Help Yourself and Pass It On

Over the ages, we have indeed been blessed with a bountiful gift of wisdom from some of the world’s greatest minds representing every walk of life. This new series will share some of that wisdom along with suggestions for application to many of today’s growing challenges. If you’d like to contribute a personal favorite, please do so by sending your offering to

Let’s get started …

Start a “Stop-Doing” List

This one is so basic and makes so much sense that I’m shocked no one came up with it 100 years ago. A “To-Do” list has been a critical time management tool for a very long time and, of course, still provides tremendous value. However, if not prudent, you can allow that list to grow beyond reason. For that very reason, our “I Hate Time Management” program now explains the many benefits of a “Stop-Doing” list.

The renowned Peter Drucker focused on this concept in several of his early books and, more recently, research by Jim Collins (author of Good to Great and co-author of Built to Last) certainly solidifies this theory. Collins found that one of the commonalities of the companies that were able to propel themselves from being just good to being great is that they all looked at what they were currently doing that they needed to stop doing. Therefore, you can add those successful companies to the growing list of believers in this unique strategy.

A great place to begin is in sharing a basic definition of a “Stop-Doing” list. It’s nothing more than a simple inventory of bad habits or negative actions currently practiced by an individual, team or organization that would provide better results if they were discontinued.

I’d very much like to provide you with a list of those habits and/or actions which should appear on this list, but I’ve learned from our seminar break-out sessions that those lists differ considerably from person to person and group to group. Your list can be greatly impacted by a variety of factors such as culture, experience, education, product, service, competition, technology, team members, leadership, etc.

Once your list is compiled, evaluate each component by asking: “Does this task add value or generate positive results for me and/or my organization?” If the answer is no, it should go right on top of your “Stop-Doing” list. Should the answer be yes, then ask: “Am I the best person to do this task?” The first question tells you whether you can eliminate the task. The second question tells you whether you can delegate or empower that task to someone else.

Once you’ve successfully completed your “Stop-Doing” list and actually ceased doing those tasks on your list, you’ll quickly discover a great deal of additional time and energy which you can now divert to other challenges.

The obvious and very valuable lesson here is: Until you begin to stop doing some things, you will not make significant progress in your personal growth or the improvement of your organization.

Once you’ve recognized the tremendous value of this strategy, you should consider asking yourself:

• “What else could and should I stop doing?”
• “What should our organization stop doing?”
• “What might others on our team stop doing?”

These questions should be routine in your organization from this day forward. This process is another example of Continuous And Never-Ending Improvement (CANI). We all seem to be very good at coming up with new things to add to our “To-Do” list. However, significant improvement will never come until we and our colleagues learn how to stop doing things and behaving in ways that are no longer effective. Now is the time to start.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

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Free for the Taking − Help Yourself and Pass It On

This feature shares wisdom from some of the world’s greatest minds representing every walk of life … along with suggestions for application to many of today’s growing challenges. If you’d like to contribute a personal favorite, please do so by sending your offering to:

Today’s Subject: Change

“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”

Charles Darwin shared that wise observation one hundred and thirty-nine years ago. It’s still very relevant today when applied to organizations as well as individuals. We can find evidence of its authenticity in the news almost daily.

You’ll probably hear more references to the necessary concept of change during this politically charged year than at any other time in our history. Take a moment to openly discuss Darwin’s assertion with your fellow staff members as it applies to your organization and employees.

• Are we responsive to change throughout the organization?
• Are we timely with our response?
• Do we have pockets of change reluctance among our staff?
• Do we initiate change or revert to it as a response?
• What issues are ongoing that we have yet to manage?
• What changes must be made to manage those issues?
• Why haven’t we addressed these issues yet?

This exercise may very well provide you with some valuable insight as to the possibility of future success or the inevitable lack of it. Open discussion is the first step in a very value process.

• Where are we now?
• Where do we want and need to be?
• How do we get there?

Try it. You may be amazed where it may lead you!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

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Free for the Taking − Help Yourself and Pass It On

Over the ages, we have indeed been blessed with a bountiful gift of wisdom from some of the world’s greatest minds representing every walk of life. Sadly, far too many of us either take their words for granted, are too busy to recognize the wisdom, obviously ignore the valued messages, or clearly feel it doesn’t apply to today’s intense circumstances. Some of us simply have yet to be exposed to these insights.

For those very reasons, this new series will share some of that wisdom along with suggestions for application to many of today’s growing challenges. If you’d like to contribute a personal favorite, please do so by sending your offering to

Let’s get started …

“When the student is ready, the teacher shall appear!”

This ancient Buddhist proverb has weathered the storms of time and progress to be as applicable today as it’s ever been. How many times have you heard veiled words of wisdom that simply never really clicked − just didn’t make sense at the moment? Then, all of a sudden − days, weeks, or even years later − you hear it again and experience one of those “Ah-Ha” moments. It suddenly clicks! The clouds part, the brilliance of reason shines through, and you wonder why you didn’t comprehend the obvious much sooner. The rationale is evident.

YOU weren’t ready until now! You are the student. Students never graduate as they’re open to continuous learning throughout their career. If you’re open-minded and eager to learn, the teacher can be anyone or anything. It may very well be a person but can also be a book, magazine, newspaper, TV or radio content, Google, a billboard, or just about anything at all.

As a life-long student … always be ready! Stay ready! Be open-minded and eager. Be the beneficiary of this ancient Buddhist wisdom. There’s a reason this advice has weathered the ages. The choice is yours!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

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