Why "Let's Wait and See What Happens" May Not Be the Answer to Our Dreams

Everyone has dreams and aspirations for their lives. Believing in those dreams is what fuels many people to take action towards making them come true. Unfortunately, some people go through their entire lifetime as "victims of the circumstance" while they wait to see what happens. According to Answers.com, this phrase refers to someone whose bad luck was not of his own making; born at the wrong place at the wrong time; got out of bed on the wrong side; or crossed the road at the wrong moment. This mentality consequently impedes some people from achieving success and prosperity or realizing any of their dreams.

Sadly, some people prefer to negate their dreams based on negative circumstances and use them as an excuse to live in mediocrity. Some simply sit and wait for doors to open without ever knocking on them or just expect miracles to happen without ever making any effort. As free agents in this world, we have the ability to manifest our desires far beyond our own expectations if we first identify what it is that we really want. Unfortunately, most people do not even identify with their callings, gifts, or talents that can serve as the catapult to achieve what they want out of life.

I recently shared a dream with someone with the expectation that this person would encourage me to go for it and to share some enthusiasm and excitement at the possibility of such an accomplishment. However, this person immediately took out his pin and attempted to “pop” my dream bubble! When we share our dreams with others with others, we take the risk of encountering “bubble poppers.” Those who do not want to see other succeed immediately reveal their jealousy by sharing disaster stories and reasons why our plans will not work. They thrive on negative energies and do not want others to “pass them up.”

If you want to achieve YOUR dreams and aspirations, there is good news that will inspire you to stay the course. There is no need to wait for others to approve our dreams or help us in any way. Simply put, we do not need wait for things to happen; we can MAKE them happen! We can take charge of our destiny by making every effort on our own FIRST. You can achieve all your dreams once you understand that more steps must follow the first foundational step of courage and determination. Then be surprised by how the right people and opportunities will appear in your life at the right time and at the right place, all there to help you achieve your goals. You may still encounter some bubble poppers who will try to discourage you, but YOU are in charge of your life now. Taking responsibility for your life gives you an upper hand.

Although a nonchalant and lackadaisical attitude is not necessarily a bad thing, it may not help when it comes to our hopes and dreams in life. Waiting to see what happens is a passive attitude towards your goal of accomplishing your goals and achieve success. No one who has ever achieved success has done it based on what others have done for him or her and waiting to see what happens. The internal drive for success MUST be the underlying force to drive us to make our dreams come true. Should we wait for everything to be perfect before doing something that we really want? Not if we really want it!

There will always be another piece of education to attain, a person to meet, and even a closet to organize. In short, the time is never right to start moving towards our dreams. Waiting to see what happens makes no provision for our greatness. Making daily strides towards our goals is the only way to ensure that we get to where we want to go. No one can claim to have climbed a mountain by just looking at it and telling others, “someday I will climb that mountain.” Mountain climbers and dream achievers see it in their minds, believe it, and then take action to make it happen. You have heard it said that life waits for no one, so why wait and see happens anymore. It is time to take the first step and see YOUR dreams come true!

Start Right Where You Are

Start Right Where You Are
By Edwin Martinez, PHR

The time comes for everyone to look at where we are and where we would like to be. However, why is it that for most people the path towards success never reaches to the starting point? Do we forget that the little everything we do has the potential to bring us closer to our goals? It may not always seem as though our efforts are making a difference in certain areas of our lives. However, the manifestation of our desires will eventually appear and solidify our deeds, determination, and commitments. Consistency in the little things can produce habitual actions towards the big goals.

When we set our standards too high that we cannot meet them, we make it easier for feelings of discouragement to take over and stump our personal and professional growth. After many attempts that seem to fail, it is easy to stop all together and entertain the thoughts of insecurity, low self-esteem, and even rebellion towards progress. There is no need to set the standards so high, just live life as they you are the creator because you have the option of where to start and finish.

There are times everything seems to be going our way and the feelings of confidence are high. The thought of unfortunate situations or negative circumstances seem so far removed that we feel we can conquer the world. Times of joy, happiness, and success are alive and threading through every fiber of our being. Life is grand and we just do not understand why others are not in the same frequency. We cringe at the thought of others suffering and their misfortune while we have it all.

Then there comes the day where out of nowhere a situation arises that causes us to look deeper into our lives and find the dark spaces that hold all of the emotions tightly squeezed and out of site. The force of bad feelings, thoughts, and embarrassment about our flaws and frailties force us to acknowledge that we are living in a human body with a soul that is not exempt to the realities of life.

Life gives us challenges that cause us to take inventory of our lives and make adjustments in the areas that really matter. Unfortunately, we lose sight down the road and fall right back into the mindset of superheroes where “everyone else is just cramping my space” attitude. Fortunately, the days of adversity, which may “appear” to be negative and disruptive, help enlighten us of the realities of life and guide us to make new commitments of loyalty, faithfulness, and determination. These moments can inspire use to succeed in spite of all opposition including our own inner conflicts.

It is only through our acknowledgement of what we really want in life that we can truly make a difference in where we finish. Life is full of disappointments and major bumps that can derail our intentions towards success. However, life is also full of great people that care enough about extending a helping hand to others and making their dreams come true. Life is full of opportunities for everyone regardless of where we currently stand.

It is time to look around, focus on what is good today, and not what was bad yesterday. Start today and MAKE this the time to live and shine beyond the obstacles of fear and misfortune. Start today to make the small subtle changes that will produce greater rewards later in life. Start today and SEARCH out the new opportunities to “create” your life of success. We have a new opportunity right we are! Have a TREMENDO day!

Poor Customer Service - Is Someone Having a Bad Day or a Symptom of Bad Management?

Have you ever walked into an establishment and wished you had done an about-face right before entering? You might have been feeling full of confidence and enthusiasm walking in only to feel deflated and indignant on the way out because of the way you were treated. Maybe the person who projected this behavior was having a bad day or simply disliked their job and let you have it! Perhaps you responded with the same attitude or you likely just decided to let it go but never return there again. Whatever the case may be, poor customer service does impact a company's bottom line but not in a positive way.

The good news is that companies can take steps to ensure that those bad experiences are kept to a minimum. They can also put in place measures to make up for those rare occasions of poor customer service and perhaps gain even further loyalty to their business. Here are some thoughts on why it’s important to treat everyone in an organization and everyone that touches the organization feel good about what they are doing.

I recently attended a superb forum called Diversity & Inclusion Practices to Sustain Employee Engagement. During this forum, the keynote speaker Joe Machicote said “If you are not serving your customers, you should be serving those who do”. I found this statement to be a key to help me understand why it is that people experience bad customer service. I realized that it could very well be that the employees on the front line may not feel “included” in the mission of the company or worse yet, they may feel disrespected or ignored.

Could that be the only reason to explain these types of scenarios? Maybe not, but it may be a way to help explore and engage employees to feel like everything they do regardless of how insignificant it may appear to others, does not only have an impact on the bottom line for the company, but that they are valued and appreciated for their contribution.

Sometimes employees have their own personal problems or prejudices and reflect it in their job performance but it may not be the only reason for poor customer service. At least looking at this dilemma from an objective standpoint, we may be able to find answers and solutions rather than brushing them off as low performers with no people skills. In fact, after this seminar I was open to the idea that perhaps some employees simply reflect the management leaders by example default. If those in management roles take proactive approach in the development and inclusion of their employees regardless of their ethnicity or background, it may produce long term benefits of loyalty and commitment. While they may not always be comfortable with this approach, it may significantly improve customer service within their companies.

While customer service skills are learned and paired with our own personal characters, a genuine organizational approach to cultural diversity and inclusion may prove to be more than just lip service and instead motivate and empower employee to develop themselves and succeed in their tasks and personal lives.

Let me illustrate with a personal experience I encountered many years ago. I had spoken with a very pleasant company representative of company for which I was going to do business with. I was asked to come to the local office to complete some required paperwork. Upon arrival, I was greeted by the same person but this time in a very unprofessional manner. I was dismayed and confused but rather than just let it go, I wrote to the owner of the company regarding my experience. My thought was that this company must have spent hundreds or thousands of dollars to advertise how great they were only to have an employee throw their marketing investment out the window through poor customer service. Every person walking through their door was a potential result of company marketing efforts. However, a person leaving their office with a negative impression would potentially have a negative affect on their profitability. I was very impressed that the owner took heed to my expressed concern and made every attempt to rectify the matter. Nonetheless, the image of their company was now tainted for future opportunities.

Rather than relying on fixing a bad customer experiences, companies should incorporate internal checks and balances to ensure that everyone within the company understands that they are serving a customer at all times. For example, if one of the HR representatives does not serve an employee in a professional manner, it may cause the employee to feel disengaged and less likely to project an enthusiastic approach to the end-user customer.

Taking initiatives to engage employees from the perspective that Machicote recommends may prove to be a value-added approach to organizations that are losing great talent because there is no customer service examples from leadership. If management leaders embrace their employees as individuals and invest in their talents and skills, employees may improve in performance and deliver with excellence because they are being lead by example.

Granted this may not be the cure-all answer for every company but it sure beats a passive or rigid approach to managing people as if they were assets, clones of one another, or dispensable. Every individual has the potential to make a company shine or bring it to its knees. Let us all take pride on how we deliver customer service whether it’s to the end-user customer or to those who work under our management. It’s a world of inclusion for all to enjoy!

Why Devaluing Others Devalues Oneself

Have you ever felt like you have been devalued by someone else? How did it feel? Were you angry and downtrodden? I have and know exactly how it feels when other people have devalued who I am and what I do. I regained my emotional composure in spite of these judgments, and realized that I am still who I am and that I did not die of sadness or inferiority. Overcoming rejections and hurtful situations can be difficult but not impossible. The word “haters” comes to mind when I observe or know of people who constantly devalue others based on personal judgments.

Before I started to write about this topic I thought about how I may have been a hater myself in some instances. So I guess I can not put a halo on for this one. After taking responsibility for value judging others, I tuned back into the innermost genuine part of my character that frowns upon the very thought of people taking a voluntary stance of superiority over others.

There is no doubt that society imposes certain criteria that most people try to live by for acceptance and self-gratification and part of the deal is a certain degree of devaluing others to feel better about themselves. There are reality TV shows devoted to flaunting and glorifying the “fun” associated with trying to look and be “better” than others. Self-improvement, common courtesy, and the golden rule of treating others as you would like to be treated appears to be a thing of the past.

In sharing a brief camaraderie moment with one of my colleagues, she pointed out that her father had once told her that she was not better than anyone else but no one else was better than her. That inspired me to take this topic and run with it for the article. We enjoyed sharing the empowerment one feels when we maintain the idea that others do not determine our value and that even when we are faced with gestures of dislike or hate from others, one must remember that the value judgment that truly matters is; you guessed it, your own.

When we hold on to the truth that lies within our genuine characters of self-worth, we become our own best heroes. We just need to remember that we possess certain talents, abilities, skills, and characteristic traits that are unique and that no hater can take them away no matter how much they devalue you.

Changing the frequency of our lives to gain empowerment over our decisions at our homes and work organizations can make all the difference in the world in terms of joining the haters groups or serving as examples and pillars of greatness for the betterment of society. Devalue others and devalue yourself; empower others and empower yourself!

Human Resources vs. "UN" Human Resources

The momentary insensitivity of an HR professional can set in motion a disastrous and a potentially harmful chain of events for any business today. Taking a closer look at what can happen when employees seek advice from their employer’s HR department and instead are treated as if they are a nuisance, can reveal that some “Un” human resource professionals have managed to settle in positions for which they have no calling. The reality of what we see in the news these days concerning workplace violence and vengeance can lead one to wonder if the HR representatives are abiding by the core values and professional HR code of ethics that can strategically minimize some of the employer tragic stories.

Many companies of all sizes have HR departments comprised of ordinary people who serve in many different roles for the benefit of the organization’s growth and stability. The many facets of HR have become difficult for people to understand when it comes to functions and responsibilities. Some see all HR people as recruiters, some as administrators, and yet some as strategic business partners and legal consultants available to help companies stay out of the court room. The variations are customizable to the organizational structure and strategic measures. Nonetheless, people view HR as the one-stop shop for employment issues, concerns, investigations, etc. The bottom line is more and more people look to HR for advice and counsel. So, along with the responsibility to counsel the employer, the HR professionals need to maintain the “human” approach when dealing with employee concerns, complaints, and any other issues that may come their way. Showing the employee genuine care and concern should never be asking for too much.
In these days, it is the best approach from a “best practices” standpoint.

Ann Bogardus, states in her PHR/SPHR Study Guide book that by the middle of the twentieth century, the personnel function was part of almost every business and thus in 1948 the personnel practitioners developed into a profession. Today, this profession is called Human Resource Profession and plays key roles from administration to strategic partnerships. Hence, it behooves businesses to take a closer look at their HR departments to assess if their “un” human resources representatives can be either properly trained and coached to serve in their respective roles or replaced by professional “Human” Resources teams that can provide all aspects of HR while maintaining the “human” touch necessary for the overall stability and safety of their organizations.

In consideration of how all the pieces of the Human Resources fit together in the realm of business and organizational growth, it becomes increasingly important to examine, assess, and determine the best solutions at least on an annually. A coherent argument on the benefits of in-house vs. outsourcing of the HR department can draw interesting conclusions. One sided views without proper quantifications is a dangerous precedent and quantification without the “human” element will produce skewed and inconclusive results.

Taking a serious look from both angles will allow organizations to view and decide on the best possible solutions that can improve their bottom line. Understanding the importance of balancing the HR functions in conjunction with the core values and strategic company goals can make all the difference in the world. Start your journey today by reaching out the HR professionals that can offer your organization the tools needed for compliance with a winning edge on the real “Human” Resources approach.

Get an Attitude!

Get an Attitude
When we hear or the read the word “attitude” most people think of having a “bad” attitude or expressing negativity frequently. In a Google search of the word attitude, I found one definition stating “a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways”. In this article, I will share why it is still important walk around with an attitude! Not one stemming from a pompous, holier than thou, nor superiority set of beliefs; but an attitude that acknowledges the greatness that is built within every person. One that breaks the barriers and systems that often stands in the way of success and achievement.

As a Certified Human Resources Professional (PHR), I have been able to experience both sides of the coin in terms of maintaining the proper attitude in relation to my career. In my years of experience, I have witnessed internal and external situations that can contribute to one’s loss of confidence and commitment to succeed. Today, I can look back and be proud of myself for maintaining a proper “attitude” throughout my working years and be grateful for what I have accomplished thus far while I continue to grow personally and professionally.

Professionals in every industry have an opportunity to go beyond the obstacles and remove the impediments that block the growth for success and self-development if they maintain the right attitude. One must believe that dreams cannot be taken away from those who are determined and committed to reach their goals and aspirations. It is the attitude of the heart that can determine how far one can go without giving up before achieving success. The attitude of consistency and belief in oneself can serve to open doors for great opportunities in our personal and professional lives.

Taking advantage of every opportunity to increase the level of education should definitely be a priority for every practicing and aspiring professional. A more educated person will be able to progress and move beyond more of the limitations they encountered on the path to success. The benefits of pursuing success is not limited to any one category of people and is certainly a measure of ones own determination to have an impact in our homes, our sphere of influence, our communities, and in the freest country in the world!

The right attitude of “can-do” will certainly shine and make way for greater opportunities and increase the possibilities to achieve more in life than others would want. In a world of such diversity of culture and relative perceptions, it is important to remember that it is in our own attitudes that we determine if we are to have successful journeys and accomplishments. Even in the midst of opposition, one must stand and know that the only attitude that really matters is the attitude of determination and commitment to believe in oneself at all cost.

The right attitude will empower anyone who is on a path of self-improvement and professional development and will assist to conquer the difficulties that may arise and become obstacles and impediments. There is never a reason anyone would have to wait until everything is perfect to take the plunge towards professional success. Having the right attitude will ensure that all things come together for the best outcome at the right time.

It is through one’s own quest for excellence that possibilities become reality and achievement becomes the norm, the expectation of an all out effort. Today is a great day to dust off any past disappointments or failures and achieve your dreams by walking around with an Attitude!

Please Do Not Scratch My Wood Floors!

Whether a company is evolving from the inception to the growth stage or from the mature to the declining stage, changes and challenges are certain to be a part of the growing process. However sudden and abrupt changes to an established organization can either leave tracks of success or nasty scratches that leave unpleasant memories for a lifetime. Organizational leaders that focus only on what goes out the door without much concern about their internal valuable assets can be likened to the careless individuals who move heavy furniture on beautiful stained wood floor and leave large and unsightly scratches.

Ever increasing changes into today's working world have already created memories that can never be erased from the American working force. Organizational pillars have fallen from grace and past employees have sought revenge from employer wrong doings by returning to the worksite and committing criminal acts of violence. As the world turns is not only a soap opera name for the domestic engineers to watch on TV. Real life is happening as our working class seeks to find the real meaning of life through organizational change. Coping with loss of jobs, lowered salaries, and leadership bad behavior has caused many people to stop and wonder if they too will be part of the statistics.

As a working people, we take pride in our beautiful shiny wood floors that we create during our working days. It feels great to build a career from a dull looking stage with not much luster to a successful top-of-the-ladder birds-eye view. It takes time, effort, diligence, and determination to build upon our jobs and careers. Every successful step taken towards personal development and growth adds another coat of shine to our wood floors. The sacrifices made in personal lives to achieve career success are not to be viewed as mandated chores but as decisions to participate in the system which is part of the American culture and the benefit of living and prospering in the freest country in the world!

Organizational leadership that looks at the entire organization as a valuable asset will take pride in the human efforts that comprise its overall success. Daily decisions made by company leaders should always consider the overall effects their decisions have on those people who are buffing their wood floors. Taking care to watch every move made with proper communication to can pay back some valuable dividends in many different ways.

Regardless of the leadership style, every leader must consider their actions and how they affect others. Changes that produce positive organizational results are ultimately the goal of effective company leaders and every step counts towards positive memories or nasty scratches on the wood floors. Let us all take pride in our roles as leaders or buffers and do the right thing by others so our own floors can maintain the luster and shine we have built so far. Success and prosperity are not worth the nasty scratches on anyone's hard (working) wood floors. Let us be remembered by the people we touch as leaders who care enough to keep from scratching others wood floors. Happy buffing!

At the End of the Day...

Have you ever heard the expression "at the end of the day" and pondered on what it really meant? Who actually coined this phrase anyway? In my quest to find its origin, I went to my favorite search engine Google and discovered a website called LawGeek with some interesting information. Jason Schultz states on this site the Plain English Campaign has announced the English language most irritating clichés and the number one most hated is "At the end of the day". No further research required for me. I am convinced that this cliché is the most hated and "at the end of this article" it will "give us a clue" clichés are all too common.

At this moment in time, like, it really makes a big difference how we communicate in our organizations. With all due respect, we must stay focused 24/7 in order to absolutely get the picture. As we address the issues, we may find that around 100% of organizational communication is done in clichés that basically reflect theoretic communication approaches. It is awesome to find impressive ball park figures in our email correspondence on a weekly basis so please bear with me while I work my way out of this rock and a hard place. Confused yet?

Hang tight while I bring you to my blue sky and boggle your mind with the bottom line of cracked troops and diamond geezers. Organizational communication is like an epicenter where one can find a glass half full (or half empty) and going forward, you will see what I mean. So, again, bear with me because I hear what you are saying and in terms of rhetoric and meaningful communication, it’s not rocket science. Literally, when you move the goal-posts on an on-going basis and prioritize, while pushing the envelope, it will be evident that we all sing from the same hymn sheet. Having said that, let’s take a look and see how we stack up against the odds.

The fact of the matter is that when organizations do not think outside the box, all hell can break loose, not to mention, lots of stuff can hit the ceiling and there is no telling what other negative attitudes will flare up and create unnecessary chaos and havoc in the workplace. To be perfectly honest, this is just the beginning of something big. Touching base up to and including terminations, HR departments can truly be recognized as the value-added department that will bring the organizations to the next level and stop the bleeding edge.

Now, let us back-track and see how we did so far and ask "How is this working out for our cutting edge organizations?" The reality is that as we speak (or read in this case), millions of emails across organizations of every size are about to be delivered containing most of these clichés that are part of the English language as we know it. I will give credit to the LawGeek website for listing most of them for me to use in this article but nonetheless, they are public domain with no end in site. Can we improve upon our communication without these clichés anymore? At the end of the day, we can all do our part to contribute to the communication style of our organizations because it is what it is. No worries though, it’s all good. :-)

Winning Isn't Everything??

Have you ever poured your heart and soul into a task or goal that you wanted desperately to achieve only to fall short? Obviously, everyone has not been successful at achieving every goal and we have all experienced disappointment. Certainly, we have all had the friend or business associate utter that famous adage, “winning isn’t everything”. This seemingly empathetic phrase is used frequently on such occasions. Some people believe that they may be helping the disappointed person by offering these stale words.

Communication Theorist, Leon Festinger developed a theory called cognitive dissonance outlining a distressing mental state caused by inconsistency between a person’s two beliefs or a belief and an action. ‘Winning’ is a belief system embedded in every person and ‘losing in something’ alters the attitude to accept the situation and subconsciously agree to be a victim in order to avoid bad feelings of oneself.

When someone is weeping and experiencing an emotional reaction to a hurt of some sort, the comfort and counseling by another person actually elevates the emotion to a higher degree of intensity. The action of misguided consoling reinforces and feeds the emotion and the action is now the new belief system. A more beneficial approach, after the emotional release has subsided, is to recognize the brief window of opportunity for restoration and objective analysis as to the reasons one failed. The friend or associate can actually help the disappointed person assume more control over their ability to succeed by helping him or her deal with the possible shortcomings that led to the failure. This allows for an adjustment in one’s emotional state because the powerful emotion of failure has given way to a sense of control of one’s destiny. The mental states of ‘Winning’ and ‘Losing’ are incompatible. Winning is indeed an attitude.

In a business setting, Festinger’s theory can prove to be an objective approach for winning if it is applied with purposeful intention. A winning perspective is not found in a company’s policies and operational procedures or in the strategic planning for growth and expansion. Winning is a culture that emanates from the senior management of the company and permeates down through the ranks. Often management undermines its intention of establishing a winning culture by the separation of employees from involvement in the creation of new ideas and the failure to communicate how the business is progressing which impacts he corporation’s cognitive dissonance. Lack of clearly stated objectives for the company and communication on how each employee contributes to the objectives often creates confusion, anxiety, and distressing mental states and thereby fueling a sense of personal failure.

It is imperative that companies that want to win and survive in today’s economic conditions be pro-active in communicating with their employees to avoid the dissonance and disconnect with the organization’s overall mission and vision. Effective communication will ensure that the winning attitude stays in the forefront of each employee’s mind and is reflected in their work and loyalty. Every step towards improving morale can build on a winning attitude.

Empowerment always comes from a winning attitude lived by senior management. Team and individual confidence is restored when honest communication takes precedence over policies and dogmatic nonsense that produce unhealthy attitudes. When good changes are implemented and the future looks bright, a fresh new sense of well-being grows through the organization and the power of winning takes on a new meaning.

To take winning to a whole new level today and reap the benefits for years to come, everyone in the organization should be empowered so that the expectation of winning all the time is the norm. With a positive attitude and expectation of winning, the occasional setbacks are viewed as opportunities for growth both personally and corporately. With the expectation of winning firmly entrenched throughout the organization, recovery from setbacks is hastened and the adage of “winning isn’t everything” can be replaced with “winning is better”.