Profit-Point 74:
Savor the S.A.B.E.R.
Have you ever heard the figurative business suggestions to “sharpen your axe” or “polish your tools?” Me too. Well now, I’m gonna suggest, that you also wield your saber. Or, S.A.B.E.R.!
A saber is a slightly curved blade that’s sharp on one edge. It’s a powerful tool. And so is this S.A.B.E.R, which will help you achieve a new edge of excellence!
SABER stands for:
| S | skills + |
| A | attitude + |
| B | behavior + |
| E | excellence = |
| R | results |
SKILLS:
Do you have the skills you need, to attain the results you desire? If the answer is “no” then whatta ya gonna do about it?
Consider:
- What are the skills you’d like to improve? (Make a list.)
- How will you upgrade these skills? (i.e., will you read a book, listen to a CD, watch a video or DVD, enroll in a seminar or course, or hire a coach or an advisor)
- When will you start this new road to results? (Commit to a date. Define a deliverable. Take the first step.)
ATTITUDE:
Is attitude everything? Nope. For without action, it’s merely positive fantasy. Yet, attitude matters. Lots!
And, here’s the good news. When it comes to attitude, you’re the ONE in control. Total control. Positive or negative, it’s your decision. Recently, I heard another hotel guest in Battle Creek, Michigan mumble beneath his breath, “It’s one of those days!” Heck, it was only 10:00 a.m.! Yet he was already convinced he could place this Monday on the losing side of his “daily scorecard.”
So what might influence your attitude?
Do you see:
- Challenge or opportunity?
- Problem or inconvenience?
- Dilemma or lesson?
- Breakdown or breakthrough?
- Mistake or asset?
- Failure or fortune?
It’s a choice. And the choice, is yours!
A sign in a University of Washington oceanography class proclaims:
“Man is 97% water, the rest is all attitude.”
BEHAVIOR:
Plain and simple, it’s what you do. Not what you promise. Not what you claim. Not what you boast. Not what you intend. But what you DO.
And all too often, folks ain’t doing the right things! They engage in, what my eight-year-old daughter Amanda calls, “inappropriate behavior.” (I know, the wisdom of a sage at a tender age!)
Psychologists even have a fancy term for helping folks who engage in counterproductive conduct:
“behavior modification”
With behavior mod, psychologists attempt to positively influence one’s behavior, by rewarding new and desirable activities or performance. And making the undesirable behaviors, less attractive.
Whoa. Simple stuff. Good stuff. When it works. Yet often, it doesn’t. How come? Because it only works, when you work. At it. On it. With it. Or thru it.
With many, when all is said and done, more is usually said than done.
Don’t be a “sayer.” Be a DOER!
EXCELLENCE:
Excellence is about attention to detail. Doing the right thing. The passion and commitment to deliver at peak levels of performance. Not once. But repeatedly. It’s about turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. It’s about the spirit, the will and the desire to excel. To win. It’s realizing while speed is appreciated, excellence is remembered. Yet to pursue excellence, it takes guts. For you’ll always be testing your limits. As Paul Harvey once said,
“You can out do you, if you really want to.”
RESULTS:
That’s the name of the game. Like it or not, we keep track. In points. In goals. In grades. In ratings. In dollars. In sales. The simple question, “How’d you do?” is all about results. And results is all about outcomes. Consequences. The tally. The score.
Did you win or lose? Advance or retreat?
Yet, what influences or determines the results, are your skills, attitude, behaviors and excellence.
S + A + B + E = R! A simple formula.
S.A.B.E.R., a simple tool. Yet perhaps, an even more dynamic “weapon for winning.”
Will you wield this S.A.B.E.R.?
The choice is yours!
“At the end of the game, it is about results. Life is a full-contact sport and there is a score up on the board.”
Dr. Phil McGraw, Ph.D., (a.k.a. Dr. Phil)
© Blackman & Associates, LLC
Profit-Point 75:
Truisms or valuable stuff I have discovered.
- Never compromise your integrity.
- It’s okay, to politely say, “No.”
- Do what you do best. Have others do the rest.
- Don’t waste time telling others about your grandiose plans. Results inform the world.
- Honor your commitments, deadlines and deliverables.
- When in doubt, simply do the right thing.
- Be decisive. Take action.
- Have a big ego. Meaning, be self-confident and assured.
- Have an ego that still leaves room for flexibility and change.
- Respect outside opinion, perspective and judgment.
- Find people who are smarter than you and seek their counsel.
- Pay attention to detail.
- If you expect a yes, only deal with decision makers.
- The easy way out, is usually the easy way in…to a new problem.
- Have a sense of humor. Laugh at yourself.
- Ask intelligent questions.
- Listen.
- On occasion, you will be tested. It will all seemingly be unfair. You will wonder, how is one person supposed to handle all of this!?
You can. And, you will.
© Blackman & Associates, LLC
Profit-Point 76:
Good-bye to status quo!
My clients are really smart. And fun! Here’s proof.
I received an invitation from Rochelle Jacobson, President of N. Merfish Supply in Houston, Texas.
The following, is verbatim language:
Send-off party Friday!
Please join us in the downstairs conference room to say goodbye to Status Quo!
Those of you who have been around for a while, know what Status Quo has meant to this place. Through all the ups and downs, Status Quo was always there. So let’s raise a glass Friday, November 3, 2000 and wish Status Quo good luck.
Things just won’t be the same around here.
So how will you say…
Sayonara to status quo
Adios to the way it has always been…
Fuh-ged-about it, if you have done it that way before…
Remember, life and business are a lot like the organic world, you can either wither and die or grow and prosper.
Toss a fiesta to your future!
© Blackman & Associates, LLC
Profit-Point 80:
Bravo Leader!
In November, 2000, I spent three days at the Saddlebrook Resort, just outside of Tampa, Florida. I was working with a client and their talented team of sales and marketing pros. We accomplished a bunch. And had a ball together!
A major contributor to the fun, was that Saddlebrook was swarming with Secret Service agents, bomb-sniffing dogs and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
These were gun-toting, curly-earphone wearing, walkie-talkie carrying security pros. (Even the dogs!)
These folks actually mumbled into their wrists and shoulders strange code phrases that began with the words, “Bravo Leader!”
So why were they there? (Well, when I travel, this is the typical security entourage that accompanies me!)
The additional security was really required, because the resort was also hosting the RGA or Republican Governors Association.
I innocently asked one Secret Service agent, “So when do the governors arrive?”
His response, “Here and there. Then and now.”
Huh?! Not exactly an answer I could set my watch by. Yet, I understood the rationale for his retort.
A seemingly harmless answer to the wrong person, could jeopardize their elaborate planning and strategizing.
And that’s what impressed me most about these security pros, their commitment to detail.
They were incredibly focused and disciplined. They were ready. They were prepared. They were eliminating risk. They had a game plan. They didn’t wing-it! Or, fly-by-the-seat-of-their-pants!
- What’s your game plan for success?
- What details can you improve upon?
- Where are you now in your life and career?
- Where would you like to be?
- How will you get there?
- What would you do if you knew it was impossible to fail?
- What are the skills, attitudes and behaviors required to catapult you to your proverbial next level?
- What steps will you take to make it happen?
© Blackman & Associates, LLC
Profit-Point 84:
G.O.I.M.O.
Always move forward. It’s okay to reflect on the past, yet don’t brood over it. If it didn’t work, learn from it. Then:
Get Over It, Move On!
© Blackman & Associates, LLC
P.I.T. Stop
| P | Provocative or Playful |
| I | Inspirational or Informational |
| T | Thoughts or Theories |
| • Master of the Universe | • Dude of Digital |
| • Queen of Communications | • Technology Evangelist |
| • Chief Creative Officer | • Empress of Audio |
| • Head of the Important Stuff | • Borrowed Mule |
Pokemon pointers.
“Until you start building up your wins, you are just an ambitious player in a world filled with like-minded enthusiasts. Time now plays a much more important role. So embrace new technologies and discoveries to get the most out of your adventure. Track your progress. And always know where you are going.”
“It is necessary to relax your muscles.
Never relax your brain.”
Stirling Moss, British racing-car driver
© Blackman & Associates, LLC
Profit Pillar VIII: Serve & Soar! →
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Jeff is a Hall of Fame speaker, best selling author, success coach, broadcaster and lawyer. His clients call him a “business-growth specialist.” If you hire speakers, please contact Sheryl Kantor at: 847.998.0688 or [email protected]. And visit jeffblackman.com to learn more about his other business-growth tools and to subscribe to Jeff’s FREE e-letter, The Results Report. Jeff’s books include; Stop Whining! Start Selling!, (an Amazon Bestseller), and the revised 4th edition of the bestselling Peak Your Profits. You can also stay connected with Jeff via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter: @BlackmanResults