28 February 2013

117. Observation Of The Day for February 28, 2013

Do NOT talk about the opportunities that are before you. Talk about what you DID with those opportunities!

Thank you,
Dave Guerra

P.S. I do invite you to join the conversation and tell me what you are thinking.

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26 February 2013

116. Yahoo's NEW(?) Work-at-Work Standard (my two cents)

Recently, Yahoo's Chief Executive Officer, Marissa Mayer, issued a memo to all employees of the company.  The memo was directly targeted at the company's remote workers (the "work-from-home" crowd).  The memo clearly stated that all Yahoo employees will now work from the corporate office or they can opt by resigning their employment with the company.

My concern is that after so long from working from home or working at the office the change in this big will do nothing more than to kick morale right smack in the shins (both of them).  While, Yahoo is a "major" player in the Technology and Internet sectors it is not an up-and-comer, this company has been around for quite awhile. Heck, even at one point in their history they were at the top.

Therefore, their way of doing business has worked up until this point.  Then again, that may also be the reason they're not number one.  However, at this point in time they cannot compete with those organizations are on top. It is because of this fact that I can completely understand that something has to get done but dragging people out of their homes and back into the office is not going to solve the problem.

Yeah, their problems run much deeper.

Now, I am not going to pick and dissect all of the problems that Yahoo is currently facing.  What I will pick and dissect is the following:

How can any organization decide that now is a great time to change the entire day-to-day operating model of a major corporation?

I understand that a company needs to ensure that all its players are on the same sheet of music.  I also understand the need to keep track of all of the company's employees even to the point of justifying some of the management positions that may have been deleted had not everyone been brought back into the fold.

I do not understand why a set of employees that have been used to not buying gasoline to drive to work, not been buying lunches out, and that have not been purchasing new work attire are now being forced to!

Don't get me wrong, I too would love to work from home and once or twice a week drive to the office. I would love to just walk over to the refrigerator and eat some leftovers for lunch (I know I can take those leftovers to the office, which I do) and I would love to work at home in my PJs.  However, that's not my reality. Soon, those remote workers will have to say goodbye to their Work-at-Home reality and Hello to the corporate life.

Let us take a look at some of the "unforeseen" that will most certainly arise when everybody comes back to the corporate coop.  Increased spending in infrastructure such as office space, data cables, phone cables, electrical outlets, and so on.  Other things that will produce a "long tail" of expense are office furniture, PCs, printers and toner, increased load on the power grid, increased stress on the AC units and other equipment and let's not get into the nightmare of buying copy paper.

FYI, the "long tail" that I am referring to is those items that will be around long after the initial purchase.  The example that I love to use is that of the sign that your kids will obviously read even when you know they can't read. You know what I am talking about, the "Free Puppies" sign. As anyone that has ever acquired a "free puppy" knows is that there is no such thing as a free puppy. 

There is the mandatory visit to the Vet for the dog to be spayed or neutered, then the annual rabies shot, then the distemper and numerous other shots, along with the special diet food they need, then the scientifically designed regular dog food, and the leash and the collar. Then add to that the countless other things you will be required to purchase throughout the life of the dog (or your sanity).

Certainly, major corporations such as Yahoo have plans for the "long tail" of executing any plan. Right? Yeah, most certainly Yahoo has a plan on how they will cover the long tails!

Now let's turn this on its ear just a bit and ask: What about the small to medium size business? 

Let's say your company has a small office and employs several individuals that serve very specific functions within the company but cannot be housed in the main office (due to their location or lack of office space) and thus work from home.  Can you really decide to one day call everybody and tell them effective some day very soon everyone will be working from the main office?  Can it be done?

Think about it!  Just how much retooling, reshaping, and reorganizing can your company has to do in order to effectively accommodate everyone?  Can it be done it all?

Then once it's done what then? Do you realize that housing everyone what not the wisest decision? What happens if your company grows and needs to hire new people? What then? Build a new building to house the new hires or let them work from home???

Till Next Time,
Dave Guerra

P.S. I do invite you to join the conversation and tell me what you are thinking.

As always you can read this blog post in its original location at http://daveguerra.blogspot.com 


Till Next Time,
Dave Guerra

P.S. I do invite you to join the conversation and tell me what you are thinking.

As always you can read this blog post in its original location at http://daveguerra.blogspot.com

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14 February 2013

115. About Appreciating People

When was the last time that you appreciated someone for their thoughts, their words, or their deeds?

Give a good 360 degree look at the world around you. What do you see?

Do you see people that do nice things for you because they are EXPECTED TO?

Do you see people that say nice things to you because they are EXPECTED TO?

or do you see people that GENUINELY CARE about you?



Thank you,
Dave Guerra

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13 February 2013

114. About Plans: You Have Completed Your Plan, Now What? (Part 10)

You met your goals, You've met your objectives. Your Plan is complete. Now what?

You start again.

You can't rest on your laurels. Now is the time to formulate a new plan and execute. That's right now is the time to start all over again.

Let's say your plan was to write a book and you wrote it. Well, one book just won't do. Look at Stephen King he has published in excess of 50 books. Imagine what life would like if he just stopped at one? No Pet Sematary, No Salem's Lot, No Pennywise the Dancing Clown.

Pretty scary to think that all this would be missing from our lives. Lucky for all of us, Stephen King pressed on and continues to do so.

So keep on, keeping on. Start all over again. Hatch a new plan. Put it on paper. Work out the bugs. Launch Your Plan and Make it Happen, Again!



Thank you,
Dave Guerra

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11 February 2013

113. About 1,440

What does the number 1440 mean to you?

To me, it means the number of minutes in a day. To you it should also mean the number of minutes in a day.

Seriously, you and I have the same 1440 minutes every day.

Ideally, give or take 420 minutes should be spent sleeping. That leaves us with +/- 1020 minutes to do with what we will.

What do you do with that time? Do you use those remaining 1020 wisely or do you just waste them away doing stuff you know you should not be doing yet do anyway?

I am guilty of BOTH! I try to use my time efficiently and effectively. I even schedule things out to the minute and duration. However, if truth be told and GIVEN the opportunity I would most certainly be found wasting away the hours behind my PS3 controller shooting at the bad guys on Battlefield 3.

It's not that wasting time is a bad thing. Wasting time is the reason "down time" was invented. Everyone needs a down time every once in a while. The bad thing is when we waste time when we are supposed to be taking care of our bread and butter. You mess with that and before you know it you will have every one of those 1440 minutes to waste away.

Thank you,
Dave Guerra

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03 February 2013

112. About Plans: Cross Your I's and Dot Your T's! (Part 9)

When it comes to crossing your I's and dotting your T's (yes, I know that's backwards but it's intentional)

There is a need to look at your plan from all angles, even reading it backwards.

The distraction behind putting your plan into action comes from looking at it from a linear standpoint. This means we will limit ourselves to look at a plan that goes from Point A to Point B to Point C to Point X and there is nothing wrong with that.

However, there is a need to view your plan a different way. As you are on your journey take a moment and see what plan looks like from the perspective of how it goes from Point L to Point E or Point A to Point H to Point D to Point R to Point A and so on.

Look at your plan from as many angles and ways as you can. The view may astound you.

Thank you,
Dave Guerra


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01 February 2013

111. About Plans: Go Ahead...Redefine Your Plan! (Part 8)

Redefining Your Plan!

Now you've run through your plan and things are moving along, that is until...

Until you hit a stumbling block then what do you do?

What you do is take a moment to REDEFINE the plan. If the issue is with a supplier then you find a new and better supplier. If the issue is with a friend then is the relationship salvageable or was it never really a friendship?

It all comes down to this: LOOK at the plan, LOCATE the exact point where the stumbling occurred, DETERMINE what EXACTLY needs to be done, REDEFINE it, ACT on it, GET BACK ON TRACK with your plan!!!

Never let a stumble or a fall mean the end of executing your plan.


Thank you,
Dave Guerra

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25 January 2013

110. About Plans: What about Temporary Failure? (Part 7)

What about Temporary Failure?

It's real simple: IT WILL HAPPEN!

Now matter how big or how small failure is ONLY temporary!!! Failure is never permanent.

So don't go BONKERS over something that failed to materialize, come through, stopped working, or quit.

If you must go BONKERS, then go a little BONKERS. You have to permission to give yourself ONLY five minutes to wallow in self pity, then you pick yourself up off the playground dirt, wipe yourself off, straighten your tie, and GET YOUR ASS BACK TO WORK!!!

Your peers, your staff, your company NEEDS you to be present in the moment to figure out what you are going to do to get past this TEMPORARY FAILURE.

There is absolutely no time to back down you have to step up and take the lead to turn the temporary failure around as quickly as possible.

As a reference, remember in the motion picture, Apollo 13, which is based on the true story, there is a scene where the three astronauts are stressed that their spacecraft is broken, the landing on the moon is scrubbed, there CO2 levels are rising, and they are not sure that they will ever get back home. Two of the astronauts are starting to get agitated with not just the situation but with each other.

The Mission Commander, Jim Lovell, sees the unfolding nonsense, steps in, and LEADS, "...We're not gonna go bouncing off the walls for ten minutes. 'Cause we're just gonna end up right back here with the same problems. Trying to figure out how to stay alive!"

As we know, they made it home. THEY NEVER GAVE UP. 

You should never give up, as well.

Even though, there will continue to be failures in our personal and professional lives. However, remember they are ALL TEMPORARY FAILURES.

Now, Get Back To Work!!!


Thank you,
Dave Guerra

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23 January 2013

109. About Plans: Don't Give Up...EVER! (Part 6)

There may come a time when you will want to give up after starting your plan. It is common to see when one starts implementing a new plan / change. The stress of not having done this before can at times be overwhelming. Like I wrote that is perfectly OK.

While many will quit and that will be the end of that. They just give up never to enjoy the thrill of having reached their goal, making new plans, setting new goals, achieving them, and then starting all over again.

Quitting is not an option!


Thank you,
Dave Guerra

P.S. I do invite you to join the conversation and tell me what you think about any of the postings so far.


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21 January 2013

108. About Plans: Meeting Objectives (Part 5)


In the course of executing your plan you will come to a point when you have achieved minor victories. These minor victories are known as "meeting objectives."  These objectives are more like stepping-stones in getting from Point A to Point B in your plan.

When you meet your objectives what next?

You do two things; review what was just accomplished to ensure that all the T's were crossed and the I's dotted. Then you move on to the next objective.

Now if you did not cross your T's and dot all your I's then this is the time to go back and do it. If even after that there is still more to do before you can move on to your next objective then the time might be right to insert a little sub-tasking.

Remember, the thing here is to ensure that later (and I mean much later) you do not have to stop and double back and hunt for something that could have been prevented by systematically and periodically looking back as you move forward in the execution of your plan


So, take a minute or two and review as you go along. It might just save you a lot of heartache in the end.

Thank you,
Dave Guerra


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19 January 2013

107. About Plans: Follow Through (Part 4)

You've got your plan in writing, you've launched it, now what?

You FOLLOW THROUGH!!!

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines FOLLOW THROUGH as "to press on in an activity or process especially to a conclusion"

This means once the ball gets rolling there is no stopping it until you get the end.  So go with it! Of course, there will dips in the road, speed bumps, and even stop signs. However, that should NOT completely stop you (more on that later) it should serve as an opportunity to adjust or refine your plan and its execution (more on that later).

In the meantime, the ball is rolling and all you have to do is just keep going!

Thank you,
Dave Guerra

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17 January 2013

106. About Plans: Execution! (Part 3)

Now that you have your plan on paper, what happens next? Now you have this treatise that will define your future for tomorrow, next month, next year and you are probably wondering when do you start?

You start NOW!!! Not tomorrow, not this weekend, you start right now!!!

If for some reason you don't start right now, like you are in a full body cast and cannot train for the next 5K then you start the moment you are physically able.

Seriously, if you PLAN to start next week, guess what? Next week never comes and what does come will be plenty of nonsense and excuses. If all you want to do is complain then why start? There can be no half-ass attempt at having a plan in place and attempting to execute that plan.
 
...and that's why NOW is the best time to start in executing your plan.



Thank you,
Dave Guerra

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15 January 2013

105. About Plans (part II: ideas)

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "Ideas must work through the brains and the arms of good brave men, or they are no better than dreams."

All plans are born from ideas. Ideas, in most cast cases, come to the mind as a result of addressing a need, an injustice, or just to make life a little easier. No matter what the reason, all plans come from ideas. You could say that a plan is an idea that has been defined to laser sharp focus and then made real once it is on paper.

On paper, an idea becomes real. It becomes tangible. Then and only then is the idea, now the plan, truly ready to be executed (acted on).

Work your idea, turn it into a plan, and make it happen.


Thank you,
Dave Guerra


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14 January 2013

104. About Having A Plan

Today I was reading a book and it got to a section about having a plan and why it is important to have one then as if by some divine intervention I received a quote about planning in an email. The first quote came from the late Dr. Steven Covey (The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People): “The future does not get better by hope. The future gets better by plan.”

and the next from Napoleon Hill author of Think and Grow Rich: "Remember when your plans fail, that temporary defeat is not permanent failure."

The first one is a very frank commentary on why having a plan is best. Without a plan at best all you can do is wing it and hope for the outcome you want. However, with plan you are not coming off as if you are faking it, in an attempt to "hopefully" achieve your goals.

The second quote tells you that any failure of the plan is a temporary setback. Everything up to the point of failure may have been spot on in the execution but where it failed you now know you have to start working on correcting. Then you can try again.

Remember: No Plan = No Go

Plan Fails = Find where it went wrong, correct, proceed.

Thank you,
Dave Guerra

P.S. I do invite you to join the conversation and tell me what you think about any of the postings so far.


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03 January 2013

103. 2013 Resolutions (part 2)

Three days into the new year and some are preparing to start their resolutions after the weekend. So before you start ask yourself:

• What makes a difference in the quality of your life?
• What drives you?
• What motivates you?

Believe it or not, plain and so very simple it's EMOTION (yours, mine, ours). Everything else is BS you sell yourself, trust me on this one, we sell ourselves way too much BS.

If you are one of those that doesn't want to admit that you are buying the BS let me fill you in on a little secret: We all do it!

So cut back on the BS and load up on the Authentic Emotion and you will see your resolutions become a reality.


Till next time,
Dave Guerra

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01 January 2013

102. 2013 Resolutions

Everyone else is doing it, so why not me again?

Here are a few of things that I will resolve to do this year.

1. Spend more time with my family
2. Travel More with my family
3. Read More Books
4. Write More
5. Take More Pictures
6. Post more videos online
7. By January 31st have my first ebook uploaded and under the review process at Amazon.com.
8. By March 31st have my second ebook uploaded and under the review process at Amazon.com.
9. By July 31st have my third ebook uploaded and under the review process at Amazon.com.
10. By September 31st have my fourth ebook uploaded and under the review process at Amazon.com. 

You may ask yourself why four ebooks in one year?  Folks, I have at least 11 books in the works and over half are about 80% complete before re-writes. I have two that I have been working on for the past three years and they are all but finished. So time to get them finished and published.

I'll keep you posted on how things go.

What are you resolving to do this year?


Thank you,
Dave Guerra

P.S. I do invite you to join the conversation and tell me what you think about any of the postings so far.


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30 December 2012

101. Happy Holidays!!!

I want to take a moment to Thank everyone that took the time to read my little blog this past year. I also hope you had a Very Merry Christmas and I want to wish you a Very Happy, Safe, and Prosperous New Year.

Here's wishing you that 2013 be a whole lot better than 2012 ever was.


Thank you,
Dave Guerra

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14 December 2012

100 Days, 100 Ways: Bonus #2: Go For A Walk

GO FOR A WALK!

Want to clear your head?  Want to start feeling better?  Want to lose a little bit of weight?

Well you can!  You can buy going for a walk.  Nothing fancy, a simple 30 minute walk at least three times a week will do wonders.

Go by yourself or go with someone you love but get out there and do it.

If you go with someone you love try not to talk about work or family or the bills or anything negative.  Just walk and enjoy each other's company.

If you go by yourself then you already there just you, your thoughts and nature.  Enjoy the scenery enjoyed a fresh air and most of all enjoy your time alone.

Walking for 30 minutes at least three times a week will get your metabolism going which then causes weight loss.  It also gets the old bones moving and that's a good thing.

Ideally, you should be going for seven times a week (once a day) but at least three times to start and definitely for 30 minutes (uninterrupted 30 minutes).

See you on the walking path.

Thank you,
Dave Guerra


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09 December 2012

100 Days, 100 Ways: Day 100: LOVE: Make It, Take It

As we reach this the last day of the 100 Days, 100 Ways to Better Living and even Better Thinking, I hope, I was able to give you something to think about.

Good or Bad, it was always my intent to give you something that you could carry with you for all the remaining days of your life.

A word of warning: Just because we are at Day 100 does not mean that I am done. Oh no, not by a long shot!!! There is plenty more to come. A lot more. So please stick around.

Now on to today's 100 Days, 100 Ways entry:

Even though we are at the end of this Journey there is something you need to remember most of all. By now, most of you know this but so many times we need to be reminded.

Now I will defer to the late John Lennon, the late George Harrison, the Great Ringo Starr, and Sir Paul McCartney for the following line that sums up what I want you to remember now and always:

"And in the end
            the LOVE you take
                              is equal to 
                                            the LOVE you make."


So go out and make it, it's only the ONLY way to take it!

Thank you,
David G. Guerra

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05 December 2012

100 Days, 100 Ways: Day 96: Have A Plan (A Life Plan)

Have a Plan (A Life Plan) 

Throughout our entire lives we are told have a plan .  Always have a Plan A!

Of course, with a Plan A you must have a Plan B.

I mean, no good Plan A goes without a Plan B.

As we all know, plan B is always the Backup Plan!Plan B should only be used when Plan A fails.

But what happens when you don't have a plan A?  It's highly doubtful you have a Plan B ready to go.

Therefore, you should always have a Plan A.  That plan which is can be considered your Life Plan.

Everyone should have a Life Plan. A plan that has your hopes, dreams, vision, and goals for the future. However, it should not be a plan that is so detailed that every minute for the next 50 years is planned but one detailed enough to know what you really want to do and how you plan to get there.

Of course, that Life Plan should always be revised and refined. Times change, people change, and situations change and so must your Life Plan. Keep It Up-To-Date!

Putting your Life Plan in order is something that will take time. Start putting the plan in order by writing it down on paper. Once on paper, you can start working towards achieving your goals and put your Life Plan into action.

Then once you put your Life Plan into action there will be NO need for a Plan B

Give it a try!

Thanks,
Dave Guerra

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