Work – Page 10 – Sam Makhoul

August 30, 2011

Five Ways to Be Awesome At Work

In Australia we have a saying on the football field. It goes, “go hard or go home.” I like this quote because I believe that work should be a place that challenges us and not a place where we cruise. Like sport, it should push us to create, innovate and deliver outstanding performance.

I have collated the following five tips from watching the best athletes hard at work (whether their sport is on the sporting field or in the corporate world).

1. Show up: Awesome people rarely take a sick day. My barometer is this: I only ever take a day off if I do not have enough energy to perform my tasks. I know that a lot of organisations tell staff to stay at home because they do not want to infect others. But this has gone too far. Some stay at home at the first sign of a sniffle. Lets get real. Staying at home is not going to prevent a cold spreading. We are so connected these days at our children’s school, on public transport, and at the grocers that stopping the spread is near impossible.

2. Support your Team: Care for the people you work with. No one is perfect and everyone deserves a break. Answer someone’s phone if they have left their desk briefly; cover a shift for them; show them how to use the business tools, whether it’s a computer system or a machine. Celebrate their wins and never-ever put them down.

3. Be Energetic: You cannot be awesome if you do not have high energy, period! So work on the three pillars of good health: nutrition – exercise – relaxation (See my previous journals).

4. Be Expressive and Enthusiastic: Speak truthfully at work. Say what’s on your mind. Do not agree with ideas just to be popular. That is a form of lying and in the long run costs the business money in failed projects. People appreciate honesty, not popularity. So speak up and express your opinion. Also, make sure that what you say is enthusiastic. The most enthusiastic people in a room are usually the most successful.

5. Be Awesome At Home First: I know many people who are awesome at work but lead a mediocre life at home. Why? Not because they do not care, but because they don’t know how. How? Simple! Apply the four tips above at home. Show up – many of us get home but never truly show up because we are still thinking about work. That’s just the same as being absent. Be Supportive – do your fair share of chores, help your kids with their homework and, encourage your family to believe in themselves and their abilities (never-ever put them down!) Be Energetic Expressive and Enthusiastic – be a fun person at home, not just at work.

In my next journal entry I am going to share with you 8 tips on how you can go from being “AWESOME” to being “LEGEN…. wait for it…. DARY”!

August 17, 2011

You’re Living in the Past Man!

I love that line from Seinfeld.

When it comes to work and working I want to ask you THREE questions. The answers to these questions will determine whether you are living in the past. And please be honest with your response.

1. Are you earning instead of serving?

2. Are you earning instead of learning?

3. Are you earning instead of Enjoying?

If you answered yes to all three then yes you are living and working in the past.

Some of us view work as separate to and a negative part of life. A “must do” and a “have to do” to make money so we can be happy in our personal life. This sort of thinking is outdated and frankly twisted. It is a product of the industrial revolution where we had to toil.

In truth working is an important part of who we are. Being productive makes us feel good. In fact research shows that Working with purpose contributes to our health and wellbeing.

So change your focus. See work as serving – serving others and making a difference in society is what its all about. See work as learning – working is meant to be a place where we are constantly learning and challenging ourself. And see working as enjoying yourself – do this by having fun in the context of your work and celebrating your achievements often.

Trivia: Who said “You’re living in the past man!” to George? And in what context?

July 19, 2011

What is your ONE thing?

In the last few months of coaching I have noticed a trend. One that is encouraging. I have noticed that many of us think that there are a myriad of obstacles that is holding us back from pursuing the life we really want; when in truth it is often only one thing. That’s right, you heard me correctly. Only one! And I don’t mean only holding you back in your career or business. It could be holding you back in all eight areas of your life.

So all you have to do is go searching for that one thing that’s holding you back. Sometimes the search is within you and sometimes it is external. It could be a food you need to eliminate that unburdens your body and unleashes your energy. Or it could be a fear that’s holding you back from taking action with courage. Or it could be as simple as making that phone call or enrolling in a course.

Here are a few real examples:

One client changed his exercise routine from weight training to jogging and cycling. It suited his body more. He was more relaxed, more energetic and more confident. It showed in his performance at work. He was more upbeat and enthusiastic. He was focused. At home he was happier. It changed all areas of his life.

Another client merely changed the time of day she worked out. It made all the difference.

Another eliminated coffee and alcohol.

Another started working from home one day a week.

Another started waking at 6am instead of 7.

Another went back to Uni to study.

Another changed jobs.

In all these cases the transformation was huge and immediate. When you have the courage to take action on that ONE thing, it’s like breaking the shackles and unleashing your passion onto the world. It is truly amazing to witness this.

So my question to you is, WHAT IS YOUR ONE THING?

May 31, 2011

Are you happy at work?

I heard someone in a lift one morning complaining about her work. “My job sucks,” she said to a friend. Never one to pass up an opportunity to coach on the fly, I turned, smiled and said, “what would you rather be doing?” She looked back embarrassingly. I quickly apologised for eavesdropping. The awkwardness did not stop there. We exited the lift only to meet again in a line up at the same café. She turned to me and said, “You know, I really wanted to be an actor.” I told her that she should pursue that passion and she replied. “That’s just not realistic. I have bills and a lifestyle.”

This got me thinking. We are made to feel guilty for not pursuing, what we think, is the job of our dreams; because doing what you love is the mantra of many life coaches. In fact I heard Donald Trump trumpeting this message in an interview. But what if we pursue our dream job and not like it? I have met some people who have pursued their passion and left a high paying executive job to start a new business only to end up losing a lot of money. They ended up hating, what they thought was, their dream. You don’t get to hear about such stories, because in personal development circles, it does not sell books and coaching programs.

I believe that we all should work. Working completes us and contributes to our HAPPINESS. But do we have to go so far as to say that we should all do what we think we love. If so, no-one would want to do the unsexy or uncool or unpopular jobs. Not everyone can be a Beyonce or Tom Ford or Steve Jobs. So there must be a better way to cater to that human need of being happy at work. I believe there are three ways.

1. Master your Craft

If you are good at what you do, you will start to love it. Competence builds confidence and with confidence comes self-belief. So master your craft by performing your job to the best of your ability. You can do this by learning from others at work – be mentored by a top performer. Alternatively you can read and research your industry. Attend conferences and/or enrol for short courses. Really get to know your product or service and how it affects your customers. Practise improving your accuracy before you go for speed.

2. Focus on Making a Difference

We are charitable by nature. We are happiest when we making a contribution. Therefore we are highly motivated by the results of our work. When we see the connection between our work and how it impacts on other people’s lives, it makes us happy to know that we are making a difference in society. We value ourselves in equal proportion to the value we add to society. In fact recent research shows that organisations who are focused on purpose before profit tend to have the highest staff and customer engagement; and ironically the highest financial returns (See Firms of Endearment published by Wharton Business School).

3. Have Fun

Work in an environment that fosters fun in the workplace and incorporates fun activities for staff throughout the week. There have been many studies done supporting the fact that having fun at work improves creativity, innovation and customer engagement. i.e. happy staff equals happy customers. Gary Kelly, CEO of SouthWest airlines once said that, “People rarely succeed at anything unless they are having fun doing it.” Adopt that as your personal motto, but remember that having fun at work does not mean wasting time on frivolous activities that are not work related. It means having fun in the context of your work.

April 30, 2011

Flip Fear, Forever!

If you are a person that is a constant worrier and always fears the worst… take heart. You see I believe you have an amazing ability. It takes imagination to conjure up what could go wrong in life (and business). Some of the best leaders I come across have this ability but they use it to imagine the best instead of the worst.

In my one-on-one mentoring, I come across some brilliant imaginations. This ability usually manifests itself when we get to that part of the program, which requires action. This is when these same brilliant people start thinking of everything that could go wrong. Left to their own designs such people would think of every conceivable reason not to take action in life.

‘I could get sick’

‘I might get laughed at’

‘I might lose money’

Most coaches call that fear of failure. But when you look at it closely, it’s really nothing more than misguided imagination or, imagination gone astray. My approach is that if you harness that imagination, you can flip fear forever.

Creative imagination is a very powerful asset. And some people are born with an amazing one. But it’s a double edge sword. Your imagination can hurt you as much as it can lift you higher in life.

In my mentoring sessions I get my clients to imagine the best NOT the worst. I get them to close their eyes and imagine themselves on the field or in the boardroom or giving a presentation. I guide them to visualise all the wonderful consequences that could happen when they ‘go for it’. Kicking that goal. Making the sale. Motivating their team. Running that mile.

I finish by asking them: “How did that dream make you feel?” The response is usually, “Really awesome!”

“That’s your imagination!” I add. “Use it by visualising your best dreams not your worst nightmare.”

Dreaming about your best life is different to goal setting. Goals reside in the mind whereas dreams live in the heart. When we dream up our best life we awaken passion in our hearts. Passion then brings courage to the surface to push past fear. It’s amazing to witness some people go from the back foot to the front foot simply by flipping fear. They walk out of my office feeling stronger, taller and fearless! Seeing this transformation inspires me to do likewise.

The marketing genius – George Lois once said:

“Only with absolute fearlessness can we slay the dragons of mediocrity that invade our gardens”