You’re going to work for a

living SOME where, right?

Recommended: Print & pass to a business hopeful attending or considering college

     So you’ve earned a PhD, an MBA, LLB, MD, MS, MA, and all kinds of bachelor and associate degrees. You are Mr. or Mrs. (maybe “Dr.” ?) Joe (Josephine?) College, in the flesh. And the academic credentials got you a decent job. Now what? Do you seriously believe your 4.0 grade average means you’ve got what it takes to thrive … even survive?

     After your punishing (and expensive!) labs, coursework, exams, thesis papers and consulting with so-called “Academic Advisors,” if you have learned anything less than HOW to put ALL of the following to work, you’re in big-time trouble, and college put you there.

     Can you honestly say you have learned how to practice (and hopefully excel at) ALL of these attributes?:

• Making Decisions
• Managing Stress
• Managing Time
• Managing Customers
• Communicating Clearly
• Being a Leader
• SELLING
• Delegating
• Innovating
• Being a Team Player
• Listening and Giving Feedback
• Organizing
• Empathizing
• Respecting Others
• Being Genuine, Honest and Transparent
• Valuing Experience
• Accepting Criticism
• Setting and Pursuing Goals
• Being Accountable and Cultivating Trust
• Avoiding Political and Psychological “Games”

     Give or take perhaps a couple of the above items, these are the attributes that add up to being effective in business or professional practice (ANY business or professional practice) and without which, your road to success will be a long one indeed, especially if you aspire to a forward-moving or productive management position.

     Good leaders do all of these things well. So do good salespeople. All good leaders are also, not incidentally, good salespeople [SEE TOMORROW’S POST ON THIS SUBJECT!]  

     What’s sad about all this is that institutions of higher learning (other than a very small handful that do in fact address a number of these subjects as part of academic platforms on, for example, nursing and entrepreneurship and some behavioral sciences like human development) not only scoot around these issues; they outright reject them.

     Colleges and universities (again with rare exception) fail to value reality. They are invested in fantasizing on the past which will never come again, or the future which hasn’t yet arrived, and may never. They refuse to acknowledge their hands in front of their faces.

     So YOU end up losing out to an arcane system of learning that fails to deal with preparing students for life in the real world. It’s true.

How do I know? I’ve worked extensively in creative roles with Fortune 500 companies, as a consultant with entrepreneurial businesses and professional practices, as a management trainer for over 20,000 business and healthcare executives, and as “Professor of the Year” at a major university and two colleges. I’ve been in the thick of it.

     You DO have a way out. There IS hope. You need to first accept that you’ve been taught subject matter, not real life applications, not how to succeed. Second, you must commit to yourself to learn as much as you possibly can about yourself as possible.

The more you know about what makes you “tick,”

the more skilled and successful a leader you will be.

# # #               

“If you think education’s

expensive, try ignorance!”

     Besides that this bumper sticker passed me today in the rain going at least 60 in a 40, I found it hard to stop laughing at the stupidity of the message from the standpoint of business. Education (at least as we know it in the U.S.) is hardly the opposite of ignorance. In fact, education (as we know it in the U.S.) is often the CAUSE of ignorance in business!

     Okay, let’s first take a look at whether education is expensive. Yes indeed, it is. Is it worth the expense? No indeed, it’s not. And why is that the case? Because — except for rocket scientists, neuro and cardiovascular surgeons, astronauts, statistical analysts, and tax attorneys (none of whom have the slightest clue about business), it doesn’t much matter.

     Formal education in America is a complete failure. Primary and secondary education systems fail to prepare students for the real world and college prep programs fail to prepare students for college.

     Advanced education systems fail to prepare students for the real world and career prep programs fail to prepare students for careers. Those who would own and run businesses are better off getting real first-hand experience than suffering through meaningless formal education coursework that’s out of touch with reality!

     Having had over 20,000 students (in business, career psychology, human development, and elementary education) I can attest that maybe (maybe!) one in 100 students actually gets the point of it all, and recognizes that formal education coursework is all about learning the PROCESS.

     You would be surprised (or perhaps not) to find out how few students recognize that what they need to be learning is HOW TO THINK, not what idiotic events took place that led to market segmentation media planning or what magic formulas exist for setting retail mark-ups or what impact socio-economic factors have on target market strategy development.

     We are all businesspeople reading this, right? So perhaps it’s preaching to the choir, but when we look carefully at the business people and business success stories that have made a difference on earth — from Henry Ford to Bill Gates — what’s seems striking is that formal education never played an important role.

     Our neurotic societal values dictate that MBAs and PhDs are such enviable and important degrees for business success, that they must be encouraged at all costs. Baloney! They are meaningless tools for entrepreneurs. They cost huge amounts of time, money, and energy, and get in the way of the real learning that takes place on the job.

     A more realistic bumper sticker might read:  

“IF YOU THINK BUSINESS SUCCESS DEPENDS ON EDUCATION, YOU’RE IGNORANT!”

# # #               

Money money everywhere,

and not a cent to start with!

     Sure there are all kinds of venture capital dollars and small business loans out there. There are also slot machine, blackjack, horse race, football pool and lottery winnings to be had.

     Forget ’em all! REAL entrepreneurs don’t gamble. They’ve also probably learned the hard way to not trust outside funding sources.

     Don’t believe — for even one minute — that you can waltz into a small business loan package deal, government SBA, bank or credit union, and waltz back out of it.

     First off, unless you really enjoy building productive partner-type relationships with the IRS or motor vehicle bureau (and those examples are just for openers), reality is any government -affiliated loan arrangement will leave you so tangled up in your underwear that your business will probably fold while you’re struggling to get through the mumbo-jumbo paperwork, acronyms and legalities.

     And don’t you just love that the daily lineup of eager-to-please loan officers require only that you put up enough collateral to cover the amount of the loan … like your home, your sister and your oldest child? Duh, if you had all that net worth in your closet, why would you need a loan?

     If you think it doesn’t seem fair, it’s because it’s not. Business is not fair. Neither is life, so say those who have failed because they couldn’t get the loans they needed to avoid bankruptcy and foreclosure.

“Yeah, but I’ve got a great, earth-shattering

idea that will make millions, billions even!”

     Good luck!     

     Of course there’s always the mafia. Can’t find any around? Drive to New Jersey (apologies to my former neighbors) and just ask. You could maybe even Mapquest it. Then, you need only be willing to give up your life in return. Hmmm, not a bad deal: business survives; you die. Oh well.

     Venture capitalists want 45-60% control ownership and immediate return on their investment. You’ll be amazed how fast 180 days go by, and wait to see how much fun it can be having to get approval for a printer cartridge purchase.

     Uncle Charlie? Maybe, but probably not a good thing unless everyone else in your family is already dead.

     So, what’s a bright up-an-coming entrepreneur to do?

     Sweat. Work hard long hours. Believe in yourself and your ideas. Be passionate about them. Have a burning desire to achieve them and be willing to pursue your goals at all costs. Keep your head down and charge.

     Never give up. And when you stumble, get up! Be the posterboy or girl for TRUST and AUTHENTICITY and INTEGRITY, and don’t let anything or anybody get in the way of that! 

     Be single-minded enough to not be side-tracked, but stay flexible and resilient enough to make adjustments along the way. Surround yourself with positive people and cultivate positive thoughts and attitudes. Take lots of deep breaths. Don’t take anything for granted. Work it yourself. Sell yourself, and earn enough to fund yourself!

# # #               

Entrepreneur money

goes round and round.

    Yup! You “coont effin spelt enterprenewer, and now y’all is one.” Well, just maybe there’s some chance that you could have also had a few other misconceptions about the title. But you’re probably still smarter than the rest of the business world. 

     Or perhaps you’re one of those amazed and astonished corporate types who’s literally rolling in misconceptions about entrepreneurs, and likes to cluck your tongue at even the thought of such low-life business people who haven’t one iota of strategic planning in their blood.

     Well, hey, YOU might be wondering about how the entrepreneurial thing is going right about now in this government-fantasized period of financial boom that even the neighborhood corporate mogul knows is nowhere near reality.  

     Well, here’s something to keep in mind that very few people except entrepreneurs know about entrepreneurs: Entrepreneurs only take reasonable risks! Whaaaa? How could that be? You trying to say those reckless spender-types have a sense of reason? Vision? Purpose?

     Actually, I am convinced that government institutions and agencies along with corporate giants are the only entities in existence (well, maybe academia too) that throw around money they don’t have, and insist on taking risks that would be unreasonable to a three year-old.

     But what do I know? I’ve only notched a few hundred business startups and taught entrepreneurship in college, and managed to squeeze in some significant years of service to both corporate giant and government (and academic) incompetents

     I observed enough to appreciate that no entrepreneur worth her or his salt would be caught dead in those suffocating environments for any longer than it takes to escape to lives of business independence and self-sufficiency. 

     Those experiences also underscored for me the absolute sanity of individuals that most of the rest of the world considers to be insane business venture leaders. Entrepreneurs are postured as being filled with cockamamie ideas and always juggling money deals while straddling shifting sands. Not a pretty picture.

     Truth: Entrepreneurs are the world’s most genuine and productive catalysts of change.

     Historically, Entrepreneurs have always been the movers and shakers of society. They still are today, and will continue to be far into the future. They alone know how to turn on a dime, how to respond to market fluctuations, to competitors, to innovation, to the whole mindset of making ideas work.

     Entrepreneurs, again contrary to popular opinion, are not driven by profit motives. They are driven by a burning desire to marshal whatever forces necessary to make their ideas work.

     That pursuit alone is so staggering in so many quarters that money simply appears and flies at them — heads down, charging forward — while they are in the make-it-work process. Yet we are actually seeing more entrepreneurs distance themselves from investors who today seek immediate ROI and hold out no regard for authenticity of pursuits.

     When we finally ever DO see this economy turn, remember the impetus didn’t come from government or corporate giants. They haven’t a clue. If you want to appreciate financial upswings, thank an entrepreneur!                                                                                                                        

# # #               

Well, it’s here:  Thanksgiving,

and I just surpassed 500 posts! 

     Now you not may think much of either of these milestones, but suffice it to say about the first of them that I do love turkey (in spite of certain extremist political PETA types efforts to convince us of inhumane turkey treatment!), and I am looking forward to my plateful tomorrow.

     The 500 blog posts?  I think of it as being like a baseball player reaching 500 career errors (because I’ve learned something from every post and miscue!), and am looking forward to my next post (which THIS week only will be on Friday instead of Thanksgiving Thursday!).

     Actually, I never thought  I’d find anything as challenging and rewarding at the same time as writing a daily blog.  It’s challenging because I rarely know where the inspiration is going to come from ’til I’m staring at the blank screen like a post-surgical labotomy patient.

     The only sad part  is tangled up in the “rewarding” deal which unfortunately depends on visits and comments instead of dollars … but this is about to change: Big News Coming in January! 

     And the discipline involved?  I’d rather do push-ups.  The nightly time crunch and rapidly advancing bedtime with a take-out-the-dogs thing sandwiched in between doesn’t do much for my heart rate when all I’ve figured out is some dumb headline that I’ll inevitably scrap and redo anyway.

     I know, it’s “Welcome to the journalist’s world!”  God bless ‘em, I really admire the talented few writers who can pump out daily newspaper features that educate, inform and entertain . . . night after night… all 3 of ’em! [When did “reporting” get swallowed up by “opinionating”?] 

     Anyway, enough of me spamming your brain.  All I really want to say today is thank you. 

     My blog visitors have grown  from a weekly count-on-one-hand number nineteen months ago, to a consistent few thousand-and-growing-steadily every single night. [ HA! And you thought you were the only one dumb enough to be reading these?]  

     People tell me they laugh and they learn.  Who, really, could ask for more? 

     I am so grateful.  I appreciate every time you stop by and every new person you send along to visit . . . and every laugh.  YOU are my adrenaline. 

     Have a safe, peaceful and happy Thanksgiving  wherever you are. 

     Very special personal thank you’s  from me to Michael Infusino for your skillful, good-natured tech support … to Andrew Jackson for a wonderfully-growing strategic alliance.

     Thank you for all the wonderful unsolicited love — to my children: Haley, Christopher, and Melissa; — to my grandchildren: Talley, Dylan, and Gwyn; — to some very special relatives: Marian, Dorothy, Tim, Victoria, Harrison, Danielle, Timmy, Chris, and Rick; — and to my two dogs: Barnegat and Tuckerton.  All of you have made such a difference in my life; I am forever grateful for your support and respect. 

     Most of all, thank you Kathy, for sticking by me through thick and thin, and for always letting me stay glued to my keyboard without complaining when I know I should be doing chores.  You deliver fun and joy and love and caring to my life’s front door every day.  You give me purpose.  I love you!    

     Oh, and remember our troops out there, will you?  Their courage, sacrifices and vigilance make this special day and all the freedoms we enjoy possible. 

Thank YOU!  Hal    

# # #               

“It’s not MY job!”

     Ever heard this before? Or is it just my imagination? Odds are someone in your business either says something like this, or has the underlying attitude but doesn’t express it openly.

     The person who rejects  awareness, spontaneity and (friendship / partner / spousal) intimacy also rejects the responsibility for shaping her or his own life. She or he is someone who thinks of him or herself as either lucky or unlucky, assuming without question that it’s meant to be and: can’t or shouldn’t be changed, or that only ______ can change it.

 Sound familiar? This is the same individual who

     routinely proclaims (or thinks): “It’s not MY job!”

     By contrast, the autonomous person  is concerned with “being.” He or she allows his/her own capacities to unfold and encourages others to do the same. These are the kinds of individuals who project their own possibilities into the future as realistic goals which give aim and purpose to their lives.

     They sacrifice  only when they are giving up a lesser value for a greater value according to their own personal value systems. They are not concerned with getting more, but with being more. 

My philosophy is that not only are you responsible for your life, but doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.”

— OPRAH WINFREY

     As a business owner or manager, and especially in today’s economy,  you really can’t afford to have people working for you with this attitude. E V E R Y person in your business needs to accept responsibility for doing whatever needs to be done whenever it needs to be done as long as he or she has the ability to do it.

     But this doesn’t mean that you need to be a shrink  with employees who evidence a not-my-job mentality. It DOES suggest that you may want to think hard about keeping this kind of person on payroll.

     If it’s a locked-in situation  and you can’t let go of her or him right now, set a deadline for change, explain it clearly and gently, then teach by example. Do recognize that it takes courage for someone like that to rise to the occasion, and reward any evidence of attempts with “pat-on-the-back” comments and encouragement to keep at it. 

     You’ll always get more of what you genuinely

appreciate, praise and reward.   

With special thanks to human relations/communications consultants Muriel James and Dorothy Jongeward for the inspiration and adaptations from their classic book BORN TO WIN: Transactional Analysis with Gestalt Experiments    

# # #               

If Jesus Christ

runs your business 

 . . . look before you leap!

     If you believe Jesus runs your business,  God Bless You, but be careful about how you represent yourself. It’s probably a fair estimate to say that a good deal more than half the world could care less about your religious persuasion as a business owner or manager.

     It’s probably also a fair estimate to say  that in most parts of the United States, and especially the major cities, there is even a pointed resistance — and even an antagonistic and spiteful attitude — toward religious (Christian) based businesses.

     Reality: Many non-believers are threatened.  Many dismiss you condescendingly as “just another Jesus Freak.” Many will go out of their way to not do business with you. Some will try to undermine your business efforts.

     That doesn’t mean you should give it up.  It does mean you should be careful. It means you and your spirituality will be best served by exercising Christian values in everything you do and every encounter you have without necessarily advertising them.

     All the time?  No. There are some times and places–and many ways–where it’s appropriate to publicize your beliefs where it won’t cost you business or relationships. You may not like having to “hold your tongue” but reality dictates that it’s sometimes best for your self and your business to not be making public proclamations about your religious orientations. As for ways to do it, HOW you say what you say is the key.

     Certainly, Jesus would advise  tolerance when confronted with contentiousness? Remember that the bottom line is if you believe you and your business are serving Jesus, you will best serve by passive accommodation: i.e., a “customer is always right” focus, which of course works for EVERY business.

     If your business is a local or regional one  that is located in a heavily Christian community, then you can be much freer in expressing your interests and affiliations than in a geographical area not as uniformly receptive to your mission.

     Of course you can be a rebel-rouser  and charge into the marketplace brandishing a religious banner, but you will be risking the prospective success of what your business existence is all about.

     Is closing up shop  worth you having made a lot of noise about the principles your business is founded on? Remember: When your doors close, so does your ability to contribute!

# # #

  FREE blog subscription: Posts RSS Feed

  Hal@Businessworks.US   302.933.0116

  Open Minds Open Doors 

   Thanks for your visit and God Bless You.

  Make today a GREAT day for someone! 

Healthcare Dictatorship?

In this week’s Wall Street Journal,  former NY State Lt. Governor Betsy McCaughey brought to light some of the small business-impact details buried in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s 1,990-page health bill (H.R.3962) that you need to know about:

The government will require

EVERYone to:

     • Enroll in a “QUALIFIED PLAN.”  Sec. 202 (p. 91-92) of the bill requires that if you get your insurance at work, employers will have a “grace period” to switch you to a “QUALIFIED PLAN,” meaning a plan designed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. If you buy your own insurance, there’s no grace period. You’ll have to enroll in a qualified plan as soon as any term in your contract changes, such as the co-pay, deductible or benefit.

     • Be legally required to pay  whatever the Secretary of Health and Human Services decides what a “QUALIFIED PLAN” covers and what your fees will be. Sec. 224 (p. 118) provides that you will be told an amount 18 months after the bill becomes law. That,” says Ms. McCaughey, is like a banker telling you to sign the loan agreement now, then filling in the interest rate and repayment terms 18 months later.

On 11/2/09, the Congressional Budget Office estimated an individual earning $44,000 before taxes who purchases his own insurance will have to pay a $5,300 premium and $2,000 in out-of-pocket expenses: total $7,300 a year, which is 17% of his pre-tax income. A family earning $102,100 a year before taxes will have to pay a $15,000 premium plus $5,300 out-of-pocket: $20,300 total, or 20% of its pre-tax income. Individuals and families earning less will be eligible for subsidies paid direct to  insurers.

     • Adhere to a “one-size-fits-all” QUALIFIED PLAN  even though it doesn’t exist. See Sec. 303 (pp. 167-168) The bill claims to offer choice—basic, enhanced and premium levels—but benefits are the same. Only co-pays and deductibles differ. You will have to enroll in the same plan, whether the government is paying for it or you or your employer are.

     • Include proof in your taxes that you are in a QUALIFIED PLAN.  Sec. 59b (pp. 297-299) If you don’t, you will be fined thousands of dollars. Illegal immigrants are exempt.

Sec. 412 (p. 272) says that employers must provide a “QUALIFIED PLAN” for their employees and pay 72.5% of the cost, and a smaller share of family coverage, or incur an 8% payroll tax. Smaller payroll businesses are fined less.

     The bill Sec. 1302 (pp. 672-692) cuts future Medicare funding by $500 Billion, takes away patient rights to choose which doctor to see, permits the government to dictate treatment decisions, and specifies patients may have to accept a nurse practitioner instead of a physician.

     • Secs. 1158-1160 (pp. 499-520) reduces payments for care and the standard of care for hospital patients in higher cost areas such as New York and Florida.

     • Sec. 1161 (pp. 520-545) cuts payments to Medicare Advantage plans (used by 20% of seniors) expected to cut back benefits such as vision and dental care.

While the bill will slash Medicare funding, it will also direct Billions of dollars to numerous inner-city social work and diversity programs with vague standards of accountability.

     • Sec. 399V (p. 1422) provides for grants to community “entities” with no required qualifications except having “documented community activity and experience with community healthcare workers” to “educate, guide, and provide experiential learning opportunities” aimed at drug abuse, poor nutrition, smoking and obesity.    

     • Sec. 222 (p. 617) provides reimbursement for training healthcare workers to inform Medicare beneficiaries of their right to an interpreter.

     • Secs. 2521 and 2533 (pp. 1379 and 1437) establishes racial and ethnic preferences in awarding grants for training nurses and creating secondary-school health science programs.     

 And all of this is just the tip of the iceberg! For the text of the bill with page numbers, see www.defendyourhealthcare.us     

# # #               

Get Yourself Cranked

In One Minute FREE!

Let me tell you, you haven’t lived until you’ve gotten something this good for free. And it works, and there are no sales gimmicks or strings attached. It simply is good solid proven stuff that I taught for many years in high-priced management training programs. And here it is for my blog visitors just for visiting!

If you own or run or manage or operate a business or part of a business, you are probably already a partial nutcase so I won’t try to make you sane. But I WILL give you a technique you can use every day, over and over, that I guarantee will make a difference for you if you are your usual tenacious self about following through.

Best times for this:

• 1. As soon as you wake up in the morning
• 2. Before you go to bed at night
• 3. While exercising (especially in rhythm to your walking or jogging or lifting or stretching)
• 4. Every time you can possibly think of it during the night or workday, and can sneak in 60 seconds

Take the following as a guide and adapt it to your SELF. Say it convincingly to yourself as much as you possibly can for 21 days.

If you do this with serious concentration and conviction and enthusiasm (even when you don’t feel enthusiastic and even when you are NOT all of the things you are saying to yourself!), you will be truly amazed at the results you produce within a short period of time. 

Ready? Here you go… 132 words… CHANT!

“Healing energy in; healing energy in; healing swirling white light into my body.  

I AM my body: left/right/center. 

I am relaxed, happy, alert, safe and sound, healthy (I’m getting younger every day, stronger every day, more flexible every day, healthier every day), wealthy (all my bills are paid; all my debts are paid; money comes easily and frequently). 

I am painfree day and night; my mind and emotions are clear; I am staying at my ideal weight of xxx pounds and am physically fit. 

I sleep easily and wake up when I need to, feeling rested and alert.  

I treat all people, animals and plants with caring and respect. I recognize that everyone I meet is fighting SOME kind of battle.

Something wonderful is going to happen to me today!”

# # #               

Stop with picking your

yellow leaves, already!

     How many times a day, a week,  do you leave your desk to pick yellow leaves from the office plants, abandon your construction site for the nearest donut shop, surf the web while waiting for a conference or call, watch some horrendous network news on a waiting room TV, burst your energy balloon trying to think of who the person across from you reminds you of?

     Have you really nothing better to do?  Of course you do. So HOW do you choose to while away time that you have so much less of than you could possibly imagine, in even your wildest dreams? Notice I’m asking you to deal with PROCESS. What are the steps you go through to arrive at the point of workday lingering, daydreaming, hanging, dawdling, puttering, lazing?

     If you do this a lot, btw,  you are surely a government or corporate employee. [Don’t be offended; mindset-wise, there really is very little difference, you know, except that corporate folks actually have to turn a profit to earn a living.] Hopefully, you simply drift off occasionally and that’s it. If it’s more than once or twice a week, though, you may be part of the problem!

     Here’s a bright spot or two on this subject…

     As motivational guru Earl Nightingale  has often reminded us: YOU BECOME WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT! http://halalpiar.com/2009/10/what-are-you-thinking/ and my sign for the wall for you, the boss, to help keep you focused http://halalpiar.com/2009/10/message-for-the-bosss-wall/ These two links will provide all the support you’ll ever need to change your fuzzy ways and be more productive.

     BUT, maybe you care not,  and can’t even concentrate enough to find a towel to throw in. Well, if THAT’s the case, think quick and hard about the last person who surprised you by dying. Is that where your lackadaisical, ambivalent, noncommittal, ass-dragging, not-give-a-damn attitude is taking you? Hmmmm. Getting a little heavy-handed there, huh? Well, no, not really…not if this message arrives in time to be a wake up call.

     The point is  that we need to be –as Henry David Thoreau once urged– forever on the alert! It’s VERY easy to slip into nonproductive, time-wasting tasks of avoidance that become hard to account for when we’re not getting where we want to go.

     I don’t know about getting your nose to the grindstone  (which I would think is a painful maneuver), pulling yourself up by the bootstraps (a difficult task for those wearing sneakers), and putting your head down and charging (which could no doubt be REALLY painful). All at the same time? Sounds messy to me.

     But keeping tuned in to the present moment  each passing moment as much as possible will sure go a long way toward keeping your life and work in a happy balance.

# # #