Seven Simple Truths

Here are a collection of my original a-ha’s I first penned fourteen years ago during a cross-county flight.  I called them the Seven Simple Truths.

1. It’s better to be good. I don’t mean pious, I mean knowing ethical behavior and common sense manners. Knowing you’re values and acting in accordance to them.

2. Cause and effect works in every event whether we choose to believe it or not. Everything happens for a reason and the reason is a reaction to what has already occurred.

3. We all need to give more. We need to give more of our time, our energy our thoughts, our ideas, our talents, ourselves -- more of everything imaginable.

4. Anything is possible. Everything that exists today that was created by man was once a foolish idea that most people thought would never work. The truth of the matter is everything is possible. Every problem is solvable. Every epidemic is curable and every thirst quenchable. We have the power and the ability to abolish poverty, to end starvation, to resolve conflict without bloodshed. With patience, perseverance and focused thinking we can accomplish any goal. It may not be easy, but it can be done.

5. The body and mind must be exercised. The body must guard our mind and our mind must inspire our body. While in this form they rely on each other.

6. Being happy is better than being sad.  Both are emotions, and emotions are not right or wrong.  They are the by-products of an action. Therefore it’s better to do things that make you positive and upbeat. Always smile, laugh and inquire like a child.

7. Know what you want. It is simply that easy. Just knowing what it is you want to accomplish sends you way ahead of the indecisive pack.

Think more.  Do more.  Give more.  See more.  Be more.  Laugh more.  And know that anything is possible.

Making Effective Decisions

Knowing why, who and what makes your decision making easier

Decision making is often full of confusion when it comes to who, what, where and when it takes place.  To be effective at making decisions there are a few things to keep in mind.  It’s important to listen to your intuition however, base your decisions on the facts and available data whenever possible.  Gathering the facts shouldn’t unnecessarily delay or hindering your progress.  Consider all your decision making criteria and if needed, make a tentative or pilot decision before full commitment.  Once you’ve reached a decision, support it whole heartedly until new critical information becomes available which could alter the conditions.

With decision making think about; why the decision is important, who will make the decision, and what criteria will they use?  Below is a checklist to help keep focus on the vital elements of a significant decision.

Decision Making Checklist

• Determine the decision or goal to be achieved.


• Establish the criteria to be considered.


• Generate then narrow alternative solutions.


• Evaluate the alternative solutions against your criteria.


• Select the top ranking solutions.


• Assess the feasibility, risks and gains of each solution.


• Make a tentative decision and explore intended and unintended consequences.


• Make the decision and develop an action plan.

Decision Making Options (Who Decides)

• You decide with no input from others.


• You decide with input from others.


• You let a group decide with less than half the group making the decision.


• You let a group decide with more than half the group making the decision.


• You let a group decide with consensus or unanimity.

Factors or Criteria to test Decisions

• The Quality Impact of the decision.


• The Acceptability of the decision by stakeholders.


• The Time to make and implement the decision.


• The Capability to implement the decision.


• The Level of Accountability for the results of the decision.

Some decisions are not particularly significant so observe the 80/20 rule and ensure you put time and resources around the things that will have the greatest impact.

5 Perspectives in Decision Making

We make hundreds of decisions everyday, often based solely on habit or personal preference.  That’s fine for the little things in life, like what soup to have or which dressing to pour over our salad.  When facing complex issues, you need an approach that is worthy of more attention.

When making a decision, it is best to make it fast and change it slowly. Fast decision making does not mean rushing.  It involves thoughtful debate, running through your options and then proceeding with self assuredness.

Decision making is not merely picking yes or no, left or right.  Thoughtful decisions take into account the implications of your actions.  Once you know you’re comfortable with the possible ramifications, you act.

How can you determine all the possible outcomes of your decision?  You can’t, though you can increase your likelihood of being prepared by quickly looking at it from five different perspectives.

1. A Factual Point of View: Spread out all the facts you know before you.  Opinions and beliefs aren’t allowed here.  Be ruthlessly fact based.

2. An Intuitive Point of View: What's your gut telling you?  What are your feelings?  Being rational does not serve this perspective.

3. A Pessimistic Point of View: Be a Negative Nelly.  What’s the worst thing that could actually happen?

4. An Optimistic Point of View: Okay Pollyanna, your turn.  What’s the best possible result of your decision?

5. A Creative Point of View: Now for something completely different.  What’s an entirely new outcome you could create with a creative perspective?

Actively running possible scenarios through these different points of view gives your mind the opportunity to weigh your options so you can be best prepared for the implications of your decision.  First decide.  Then act.

The Modern Haberdasher

I am a rare breed of man who is as comfortable in suits as others are in a well-worn pair of jeans. As a result, I tend to burn through them quicker than most. An unfortunate realization, I generally buy them from stores that have “depot”, “wearhouse”, or “factory” in their names. One day I may evolve to purchasing suits from the array of stores that end in apostrophe “s”, but for now, I’m still a bit of a skinflint.

One time, my wife went to one of our neighborhood haberdashers and had four suits held aside for me to peruse later. That evening, the two of us returned to the store where I was greeted by one of the clerks who asked if I needed any help. Out of habit I immediately dismissed him but my wife thankfully stepped forward to tell him we had several suits on hold. He fetched them and we met near the dressing rooms. I tried on each of the suits, subjecting myself to the three-way mirror while my wife editorialized about cut and color. We whittled the selection down to two. Throughout this, the sales person hung back quietly. I voiced some concern over the particular cut of one of the jackets when he finally chimed in with some nonsense about it being very popular now because all the newscasters are wearing them. The extent of his influence on my buying decision was infinitesimal.

As the cashier rung up the final choices I noticed three of the sales staff coagulating near one of the bargain racks, eerily reminiscent of a used car lot. From across the store another sales associate, probably a supervisor, called out, “No clumping. Remember the meeting. Circulate. Circulate.” They quickly scattered with laughter. The gentleman who had “helped” me earlier walked passed the supervisor with a smile and remarked, “Of all the places I’ve worked over the years, this is the only place I’ve been that the sales people actually work.” Pathetic. What sales “work” actually occurred? It was nothing more than demand fulfillment. Now, I may be guilty of turning suits into a commodity, after all my buying criteria tend to be price and overall look and feel. Still, how successful was the sale? I had four suits in my hand but left with two. How could this have been a more effective experience for the store?

At another establishment, where price is commensurate with value, they also value team. The sales person measures me, asks what I’m looking for, gushes over how wonderful I look and what a smart choice I’ve made. He then introduces me to a charming sales associate who suggests a new shirt that can make the interwoven threads of the suit “pop”. She’s right, of course, and what’s the point of a new shirt without a new tie? She offers two, taking the guesswork out of it. Can’t decide? Buy them both and bring one back later. (Like that would ever happen.) What about cuff links, or brass stays to keep those bothersome collars from winging up? In this establishment I am cared for as an intelligent and powerful man, capable of making scores of decisions which are repeatedly validated through the sale. Do I value that? Yes, who wouldn’t? Yet the money I spend on that value-added white glove treatment never fails to make me feel a little worked. Is it all worth the price of an additional suit? Not to me, right now.  This is still old school, because value-add is generally for the benefit of the seller. There’s not much sales work to be done. It’s like an ineffective real estate agent taking a grown man and woman through a house and proudly beaming, “and this is the kitchen.” No kidding, a five-year-old child could figure that out.

Business development is about demand creation. How could a suit sales person be an effective business developer? They would canvas a particular geography, or demographic. Study what is being worn. Know the industry well enough to accurately tell someone his or her size and complementary color scheme. Know the customer’s preference of form or function. Then address the target market with custom tailoring. Perhaps offering cuffing and minor repairs onsite or within an hour. They would know if prospective customers needed suits or casual sports coats. They would know when their clients needed to look especially sharp and respond accordingly.

The sales profession is often maligned. Unfortunately, as happens with the practice of law, faulty practitioners create the perception. Mediocrity disguised as effort. The professional who makes the time to know their client, to truly care about their well being and success, who feels the compulsion to serve, rather than an attitude that they deserve, will far exceed the results of those who still think shepherding customers to their already researched and decide conclusion is hard work.

4 Steps to Improvement

Why make things more complicated than they have to be?

Here are four simple steps to take in order to make improvements in virtually anything you pursue.

1. Know your desired outcome.


2. Take action.


3. Notice if it’s working.


4. If it’s not working, try something else.

Oversimplified?

Not really.

Stick to it and accomplish things.

Fight it and risk wallowing in mediocrity.

Find What's Right Day

It’s easy to find things that are not going well.  Alarms go off too early, cars don’t start, busses are missed, toast is burned, lines are too long, reports are missed, on and on.

We get what we look for thanks in part to the the brain’s gatekeeper, the Reticular Activating System  (RAS), the part of the brain that filters out noise and stimuli so we can function.  It’s why you notice things in the world that are important to you.  The parent who hears a baby gurgle in the next room, how you hear your name in a crowded room, or see your dream car on the highway.

Why don’t you spend the day testing your RAS and be on the lookout for everything that’s going right in your world.  From green lights, to unexpected checks in the mail, finding a good deal on a new suit, or accepting gracious complements on your hair.  Instead of being convinced you’ll be a victim of Murphy's Law, "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong", be determined to be a recipient of its opposite, “Anything that can go right will go right.”

Challenge yourself to find everything right in yourself and others.  This may be odd at first, because you may not do it very often.  Tomorrow, do it all day long.  Within a few hours you will notice things you never noticed before and it will lift your spirits and awareness.  Share what happens.

Snakebite and Venom

Two friends are walking along a path when they happen across a rattlesnake. One of the men, pompous and careless, severs the snake with an ax, but not before it bites the foolish man on the wrist. The man wails and flails his arm all about in pain while his companion is immobilized with panic. There is a third man, an experienced hiker several hundred feet away who has witnessed the events. Which one is you and what do you do next?



Perhaps you are the foolish man, filled with bravado who acts violently in the face of latent danger and who is paying the painful price of his folly.

Maybe you are the other man, made powerless with indecision and panic, whirling about uselessly.

Or perhaps you are the experienced hiker, equipped with the knowledge that, although painful, snakebites don’t kill people, it’s their venom. Venom that if not removed, courses through the veins, accelerated by the constant movement and shaking of an ignorant and fearful victim.



This scene is repeated in people’s lives nearly everyday. We’ve all experienced painful situations. We may have antagonized someone who then lashes out at us, or we may have come across trouble unexpectedly and been the victim of a painful blow. Our first inclination is to lash back, to bellow accusations of unfairness and to blame our trespassers. If only we recognized that energy would have been better spent by removing the venom and repairing the damage. How often are we the experienced hiker, witnessing these events yet instead choosing to keep walking rather than help those who are angry, confused or hurting? Even though we have the skills or knowledge that could solve the problem, bring about calmness, alleviate pain, or perhaps even save a life, we decide not to get involved.



Therein sits one of the differences between a leader and a follower. Leaders get involved. They act. They do not shrug their shoulder and sigh, “Oh, well.” They give of themselves, protect people and remove the venom from the veins of others, and teach others to do the same.



When trouble looms before you, what role will you play?

Tigers are Not Always Ferocious

Americans are well conditioned on seeing a public figure apologize for their infidelity or crimes.  Its frequency is almost seasonal.  We are an unforgiving lot as you work your way to success; and take a morbid joy in seeing people stumble.  Inevitably, those who have a passion for what they do, brush themselves off and work on atonement, either with self deprecation or extra ambition to “do-good” in the world.  And as a culture, we love a comeback story.

Because we’re experienced in these matters we’ve become a bit more discerning.  For example, we no longer like it when a straying politician has his wife standing next to him in the limelight.  We prefer our tarnished stars take their lumps quickly and alone.

I’ve often felt public figures should hold themselves to slightly higher standards.  They have to manage their image, which is their brand; but they don’t NEED to be role models.  We just like it when they are because it takes the pressure off ourselves.

At some point in our lives, we are all role model for someone.  The question is, are me making a positive or negative difference?  Taking responsibility to be a role model builds in a level of accountability.  There’s that word again.  It’s okay, we know accountability keeps us focused.

Our responsibility pie has three slices, professional, personal and private.  The professional slice is how we pursue our career.  The personal slice contains the things that are unique to us as individuals; our opinions and beliefs.  The private slice is private; the things the world does not have a right nor a need to know.  When you’re a public figure, that slice of you life can get very thin.

Tiger Woods shared his remorse for his professional and personal transgressions during his press statement today.  His privacy, his relationship with his family, his rehabilitation and all that goes along with his own healing and redemption are private matters.  The public does not need to hear about them, and most don’t care.

As a sample of poor crisis and brand management the Tiger Woods matter is exemplary.  Anyone in customer service will tell you when there’s a problem, fix it and fix it fast.  Lay blame later.  Work on quality improvement initiatives on your own time.  Firs, solve the problem.

Some fans are calling Tiger Wood brave for his statement earlier in the day.  There was nothing brave about it.  It was the opening salvo of a rehabilitation campaign too long in coming.  His words may have been nice, and his delivery over coached and we may not know his sincerity for months to come.  We do know, addressing a group of friends, family, fans and the media like a sorrowful politician didn’t do him any favors.  Bravery is a press conference not an address.  Bravery is answering your critiques until you have exhausted their questions.

His words rang of him being selfish and apologizing for that.  Critics note his actions don't support this.  Choosing this medium on this day to speak was contrived.  Fans say it was the only opening on his schedule.  Selfish people never make room on their scedule.  Tiger Woods did not take the media spotlight today, it was given to him.  Supposed professionals continue to call his event a press conference, even though no questions were asked.  Networks continued to run his remarks in their entirely, “In case you missed it.  Just how important was it?

From a brand perspective, the goal is to get your unflattering stories out of the public light.  Tiger Woods, and those managing the personal and professional slices of his image have continued to keep the story alive.

A brand for a company is a promise.  A brand for an individual is called your reputation.  The reality is you cannot control your reputation, after all it’s noting more than other people’s perception of what you do.  The best you can do is know your values and beliefs and practice them everyday.  If you fail to, you will eventually fail.

Angry People Are Boring

There's anger in our nation and there's plenty to be angry about, however we should stop acting as though this is a new phenomena.  As a nation, we were angry ten years ago and ten years before that.  Take five random people and ask what they're angry about and at least four will tell you everything that's wrong with the world.  Of those four, two will agree and two will think the other two are to blame.  Be the fifth person.  It’s okay to get ticked off from time to time yet remain reasonable.

Have you spent time with angry people? They make a lot of noise, even when they pout and give the silent treatment you can hear the doors slamming and feet pounding and music blaring. They may incite some passive aggressive behaviors from you, either because you support them, or you disagree with them. Eventually though, all angry people become boring and boring people ultimately get ignored.

Anger isn't bad. It's a clue that something is assaulting our core beliefs and values.  If we don't respond to the feeling of anger we run the risk of letting our beliefs and values atrophy.  That is our nation’s biggest threat.

When we’re angry we make trigger reactions and are fueled by instinct.  That's good, it's a survival mechanism.  A quick vehicle to check our gut. However, it's not meant to be our primary modus operandi.  At some point if you want to affect change you need to shift from a reactive stance to a position of “respond-ability.”

Ever witness two people quarreling?  When we're not directly involved in the dispute it’s often times very amusing to watch and listen to the irrational  arguments and assertions they make and huge leaps of logic they take.  You can tell they're not hearing each other. They just want to be more right than their opponent.

Contrast that to an angry customer pitted against a well trained customer service professional. The professional may mirror the irate customer but they also empathize.  They’re not using the primitive brain to react and counter react, they are responding by being thoughtful and creating a setting where cooler heads can arrive at a mutually satisfying solution.

Anger is fine, but at some point, you need to act responsible and lower your irrational, venomous rhetoric so you can get to work on fixing what's making you angry to begin with.

If you just stay mad, the adrenaline rush may be fun for you, but you quickly degenerate into a whiner, and no one likes a whiner. Whiners make crappy leaders.  That’s the fundamental problem with the current political climate.  We have a bunch of angry whiners who love to make a lot of noise and get attention because they equate that with leadership.  It's not, it’s gimmickry.  People can’t resist a freak show, they’ll even spend money on it, but they quickly moved on.

Leaders do things.  Sometimes they make noise, sometimes they make mistakes; but they always do things.  Are you part of the angry mass, upset about something within your control?  Grab a mop and start cleaning up the mess instead of being angry about the size of the mop, or the floor, or the cleaning solution. Offer alternatives and lead people or shut up and get over yourself, you’re boring.

Snooze and Lose?

Do you use an alarm clock to wake up?  Author, Ken Blanchard, a perennial optimist gifted with a positive attitude suggests it be renamed an Opportunity Clock.  Wouldn’t you prefer to be awakened by opportunity rather than an alarm?

Granted, some people like to sleep.   Just like a new vegetarian’s willpower prevents them from indulging in an artery hardening but delicious prime rib, there are those who relish their slumber.  They deeply value it.  It rejuvenates them.  They would never agree with statement, “There will be plenty of time to sleep when I’m dead.”  (To be clear where I stand, I have no problem eating a steak at 11pm, but that’s another story).

Have you seen the sobering advertisements the state of Michigan tourist board have put out, that remind us, “25,000 mornings, give or take is all the average person gets.”

What percentage of those mornings have you hit the snooze button and decided to put off the day for a little while longer?  I asked 235 people how often they hit the snooze button in the morning and here’s the results:

29% - Once

22%  - 2-3 times

9%  - More than 3 time

40% - Before it goes off

When you are living on purpose, you tend to wake up enthusiastically with the alarm, or one minute before it goes off.  Have you ever experienced that?  It’s amazing how you can program your mind that way.  Unfortunately many do not.  People who are not thrilled by the prospects of the day choose to snooze.  Inevitably they then run late and compound their stress.

ACTION: Live on purpose and find your passion.  Passion is easy to identify.  It keeps you up late at night and wakes you up in the morning.  It causes your heart to race, not with anxiety, but with anticipation.  As Wayne Dyer has often said, “You can decide to wake up and get out of bed, open the shades and mumble, good lord, it’s morning.  Or, you can wake up, get out f bed open the shades and declare, Good Morning, Lord.”  The choice is always yours.

How Much and By When?

Some people make achieving goals sound like a mysterious science.  They complicate things.  I’m not saying achieving your goals is easy, infact, often it’s easier not too.  Which is why so many don’t.  It’s easy to stay with the status quo.  It’s even relatively easier to go back the way things were.  That’s hardly progress though.

Have you even been stymied after a long meeting that didn’t seem to produce any actions?  Or received instructions from your manager or even a customer that weren’t clear?  There are two questions that will help. How Much?  and By When?

Yes, there are other elements to effective goal setting, however these two questions cut through much of the clutter. “How Much?” is your volume measurement.  It can be anything; dollars, units, customers, votes, legislation. “By When?” gives you a timeframe; a day, week, month, year.  Put the two question together and you have the immediate basis for accountably.  Which is why it’s hard for some people to answer those questions.  They want wiggle room.  They don’t want the accountability.

No one “likes” accountability yet we all thrive when it’s there.  We’re at our best when we’re accountable to ourselves, our family, customer or constituents, and ultimately a higher calling.  Accountability creates movement.  How much and by why is the lever to get things moving.  Get in the habit of asking those questions and providing the answers to projects that are important to you.

It’s hard to predict the future, so sometimes your answers will be off.  Maybe your how much was too much or too little.  Your by when too near or too far.  It’s okay.  Revise the answer and keep going.  If we can hold ourselves accountable to those two progress inducing questions we can achieve more.

As an exercise, listen to your favorite or least favorite politician speak and see how often they offer answers to those questions.  It will give you insight to the breadth of their vision.  If they have no vision, by no means follow them.

Action: Ask, How Much and By When at least once a day for a week then share your results here or on the Karl Bimshas Consulting Facebook fan page. Did your quest for accountability tick people off?  Did you feel like you moved something forward?  Were you satisfied with the answers?  A caveat: make sure you provide your own How Much and by when answers to anyone who asks you.

How To Stay When You Want to Quit

Here's the book that inspired the last 21 Days.




You can find “How to Stay When you Want to Quit; re-scripting your life from whiner to winner”, here or here.  Now there's a chance for you to win a FREE Copy.




Simply become a fan of Karl Bimshas Consulting on Facebook (Join Here) and make a comment on the Whiner to Winner series.  A random fan will be selected to get an autographed copy of the book.

So share your thoughts, insight or other ideas with other fans.

Final Thoughts - Whiner21 (Day 21)

Here we are at Day 21!

For the last three weeks I posed a series of questions, exercises and thought starters aimed at helping you get over yourself and get working on something productive.





I’m sure you found concepts that can apply to virtually any job and any position in any organization.  Maybe it gave you some thought starters to begin moving your mind in a more positive direction.



My intention of these last 21 days was to help inspire others to maximize their strengths and continuously improve themselves and their organization or society, by bringing the powers of vision, passion and action.  I believe in some way doing so can help positively energize our nation and contribute to greater peace, prosperity, fun, understanding, responsibility and liberty in the world.



Now it’s up to you.  It’s time to put yourself back in the driver’s seat of your career and your life and begin pursuing the dreams, hopes, and aspirations that you’ve been moaning about all this time.  People believe in you.  I believe in you.  Now, believe in yourself and get to work.

Make the time to share your comments, progress or tips on the blog, on the Karl Bimshas Consulting page on Facebook or on Twitter using the #whiner21 tag.




Want to learn more about Karl Bimshas Consulting and finding the a-ha within?

Email - Karl@karlbimshas.com

Call - 619.717.6204

Visit - www.karlbimshas.com

Write - Karl Bimshas Consulting

P.O. Box 83983

San Diego, CA  92138

Meaningful Recognition - Whiner21 (Day 20)

There must be a regular diet of meaningful recognition.

Positive reinforcement, thanks and praise are the nutritional components of a healthy workforce, the helium that lifts the organizational balloon to new heights.  It is a currency that many organizations are afraid of spending; yet its value can be limitless.  Without it, or withholding it until the perfect moment, can result in at worst, a bankruptcy of human potential, and at best, leave people with a feeling of emotional deficiency.

All people want to do a good job, regardless of which motivations they declare to be driven by; the rewards of learning new experiences, enhancing important relationships or legacy building, people will respond to those who notice what they have already contributed with even greater performance.

It’s amazing.  Many times people think about thanking people for a job well done – but thinking is not the same as doing it. The best of intentions are still only intentions.  To make an impact you must actually do something.

Make a plan and recognize people for the good things they're doing.

Next up: “Final Thoughts”

Share your comments, progress or tips on the blog, on the Karl Bimshas Consulting page on Facebook or on Twitter using the #whiner21 tag.

Overwhelming Optimism - Whiner21 (Day 19)

There must be a sense of overwhelming optimism.

The compelling vision is not only the day to day, here’s what we need to do and why, but the over arching, here is our place on earth, here’s our legacy, here’s the good that we wish to do.

Living that is what creates a legacy. Knowing that is what helps create positivism.

That positive approach has to be all-encompassing.  Tolerance of rampant apathy or negativism is a weakness.  If optimism is not visible in practice, alarms should sound and priority given to overcoming whatever the obstruction may be.

This does not forego the crucial role of devil’s advocate and challenging viewpoints -- but to leave negative feelings or remarks unchecked, even in the simplest day to day transactions, is to enable the contagion.  Counter the virus with positive encouragement and recognition. You don’t want to be Pollyanna with everything – that can be just as dangerous.  But negativity is an acid that corrodes everything.  It must be neutralized.



Are you more or less optimistic now than before you started this program?

How do you handle apathy or negativism when you encounter it?

(What more could you do?)

How do you recognize those who are positive?

Next up: “Meaningful Recognition”

Share your comments, progress or tips on the blog, on the Karl Bimshas Consulting page on Facebook or on Twitter using the #whiner21 tag.

The Vision Thing - Whiner21 (Day 18)

The organization must have a repeatable compelling vision and sense of purpose.

If possible it should be a clear and concise singular vision.  Every activity that the organization tackles must be able to foster a closer linkage to that compelling vision.  It must be memorable and repeatable so that every message, action and strategy supports the purpose with their obvious connections.

The clarity of the vision should be worded and promoted in a way that others can understand, support, be excited by, grow some passion around, and be inventive in discovering numerous ways to achieve that purpose. Too often people spend too much time and energy trying to create a literary masterpiece instead of a clear, easy to follow and understand vision. It’s a terrible waste of resources.

Leadership is about inspiring people – not tiring people and putting them to sleep.



Does your organization have a repeatable compelling vision and sense of purpose? (If it does, what is it?)

Does it excite you or anyone else?



Next up: “Overwhelming Optimism”

Share your comments, progress or tips on the blog, on the Karl Bimshas Consulting page on Facebook or on Twitter using the #whiner21 tag.

The 1st of the Four Musts - Whiner21 (Day 17)

The Four Musts are the things every organization, family or team need for optimal performance.  Now that you’re a winner your role is to act as curator for each of the “musts”.  The first must is about a leadership.





There must be a strong leader and strong, pervasive leadership.




Charisma is not leadership, although it can act as a helpful tool to quickly gain the acceptance of an audience.  Effective leaders share a passion for and a record of accomplishments.  Strong leadership is demonstrated daily by a person or a group of people who are honest, forthright, markedly visible and approachable.  Leaders fulfill their insatiable need to be out in front regularly.  When not actually walking on the frontlines then they talk with people who work there, both in “town hall” meetings and in one to one settings.  They remember that just as the shepherd is there for the benefit of the flock, leadership is there to serve the people and they take that responsibility seriously.



Do you have a passion for a record of accomplishment? What are your top three accomplishments right now?






How often do you talk to people who are on the front lines of your organization?



It’s one thing to talk like a leader – quite another to act like one.

Next up: “The Vision Thing”

Share your comments, progress or tips on the blog, on the Karl Bimshas Consulting page on Facebook or on Twitter using the #whiner21 tag.

Review Where We’ve Been - Whiner21 (Day 16)

Let's take a moment to review where we've been so far, and notice how far you've already progressed.  The first thing you needed to do was to acknowledge and honor the change that was occurring around you.  You had to figure out how you were going to deal with it and learn how to get happy.  Once you identified that, you had to be prepared to defend and protect the things that made you happy.

Next, you needed to beware of the three-donkey day.  You learned that it was foolish to blame what you were going through on burnout when you were acting like an arsonist.  You had a choice.  You could change, ignore things for a little while, or move on, but you had to do something.  You rediscovered what motivates you and remembered the way you felt when you first got your job and why you wanted it in the first place.  And that it was up to you to choose your attitude and approach.

You needed to become less selfish so you began asking people, “What one thing can I do for you that will most help you make a positive difference?”  If you found people were being negative you started to challenge them, asking them why they were still doing what they were doing.  You figured out your learning style and began to identify in yourself, and others the places where you could begin to make the most positive impact; in customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction and profitable revenue growth.  You knew that talking about it was a good start, but not enough, so you built weekly action plans around each goal.



It’s crucial to set goals with measurements and timelines, accomplishing them without that is more luck than effort.



You learned that you needed to protect your people at all costs.  To improve their jobs, their outlook and in fact, their lives was one of your key roles.  You’ve learned to begin to run to things – not away from things.  You now understand that it’s better to operate from a position of strength – not weakness as you continue to identify your vision.  It makes sense that people like to follow people who are passionate and competent and because of that you continuously refine your strengths.



It wasn’t easy.  You had to consciously get optimistic and turn everything into an upside.  You trained yourself to find the pony in nearly every situation.  It helped a lot to list your ten best excuses for not doing something to see how foolish you were truly acting.



Now you’re ready to learn about The Four Musts.



Next up: “The 1^st of the Four Musts”

Share your comments, progress or tips on the blog, on the Karl Bimshas Consulting page on Facebook or on Twitter using the #whiner21 tag.

What Do You Want? - Whiner21 (Day 15)

Take an inventory of what it is you want.  It is readily available or do you have to go someplace else for it?  Would you?



Maybe you’ve gotten comfortable with all your complaining.  People seem to be giving you pity – and you’ve been playing a great victim.  Keep it up and you could keep doing what you’ve been doing until you retire or die, whichever comes first.



But that’s no way to live, so how about spending some time working on you.  What do you want to do with yourself?  You’ve got to have a clue. Reach back into your childhood if you need to.



What did you want to be when you grew up?  Why?





Examine that in today’s context.  Is it still appealing?  If not, why not?  If yes, then why the heck aren’t you doing it now?





Go ahead; list your ten best excuses for not pursuing your dreams.  Write them down.  Prioritize them just like you would your goals.  Next, problem-solve them.  Get rid of the barriers.  Those SOB’s are keeping you from your dream.

Think of yourself as an actor on a television show.  You want to contribute toward getting high ratings each week so the show avoids cancellation; you want to get renewed each season.  So, you act and perform in a way that leads to the show’s success and you eventually earn awards.  Remember, you want to be a Highly Valued Star, not a Greatness Inhibitor.





Next up: “Review Where We’ve Been”

Share your comments, progress or tips on the blog, on the Karl Bimshas Consulting page on Facebook or on Twitter using the #whiner21 tag.

Find the Upside - Whiner21 (Day 14)

Make sure your network is is not the only thing working.  The fish don’t always bite; the ball does not always go through the hoop. Changing your attitude takes effort too.  What’s going on in your world that you can use to your benefit?



Act like the boy who walked into a room full of horse manure.  While his father grimaced and plugged his nose, the cheery boy excitedly proclaimed, “There’s got to be a pony in here somewhere.



So, get optimistic and turn everything into an upside.  Make a game of it.  When you do, a boring training class coming up becomes a test of endurance.  Got a thick new policy manual to read?  Time to practice speed-reading.  You’re a champion problem solver!  Keep a log of the problems you successfully solve each day.  Track and improve your average.  Measure progress.



You need to make time for yourself.  Take a break from the madness.  If you can get away for a while, great, even for an afternoon or a lunch hour.  Get away from your job and work on something else.  Anything.  Make the best grocery list the world has ever seen.  Wax your car.  Clean your closet.  Play.  Go buy a set of Lego Bricks and build something.  Just make sure you’re active, and that you’re engaging as many of your senses as you can.  Sitting on the couch with a pint of ice cream watching reruns of “Friends” does not count.  You need to move your mind, body and heart. When you’re done, there needs to be something you can look at with that all but forgotten feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction.  Go do it.  Then answer the question below.





What did you do that moved your mind, body and heart?





Next up: “What Do You Want? ”

Share your comments, progress or tips on the blog, on the Karl Bimshas Consulting page on Facebook or on Twitter using the #whiner21 tag.