Home
>
Small Business
>
Increase Productivity and Business Success - Take Responsibility

Increase Productivity and Business Success - Take Responsibility

Are you responsible for your results?

What comes to mind when I say that?

When you hear that you're totally responsible for the results you produce in your business and in your life---you might jump to a conclusion. You may think that I'm suggesting that you should take the blame for your results.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

By taking responsibility for your results and your outcomes--- you grant yourself great power.

If you acknowledge that you're truly responsible for the way your projects end ---good or bad--- you give yourself great power. You can use this newly discovered power to make your projects end up another, possibly more desirable way.

Before I go on, let's agree on a few things.

The first agreement: The results you produce are determined by your choices and your actions.

Second agreement: A lot of people look upon failure as a bad thing.

What if there was an optional way, a more productive way to view a failure?

I believe that failure isn't really as much about failing as we might believe.

I'd like you to think of failure as a success. You don't fail.

You are successful at reaching an outcome 100% of the time.

Here is a question that will help shift the traditional mindset. Is the result you produced the result you had intended to produce or was the result unplanned?

I want you to start looking at failure in a new light. I want you to start thinking of failure as a process that generates unplanned results.

Using that definition you can begin to view your results as a stepping stone to greater success.

This shift in thinking will provide you with the chance to change the choices and/or the actions that are producing your unplanned results without making yourself feel like you've been doing something wrong.

Here is a story I use to illustrate the point.

The genius inventor, Thomas Edison had performed more than thousand, unsuccessful experiments while on his mission to create the electric light bulb.

Edison was asked, "How were you able to continue with your experiments after encountering so many failures?"

Edison replied, "I did not look at the unsuccessful attempts as failures, but rather as a thousand ways not to make a light bulb."

He took responsibility for each outcome, made adjustments and continued on to success.

For most people, the ability to take responsibility for unplanned outcomes and adjust accordingly calls for a new "skill set". You have to develop and exercise the "skill muscle" called responsibility.

Focus on developing your "skill muscles".

One way to develop these "skill muscles" is to pattern your results oriented behaviors after the model for Effective Communication.

Effective communicators know their outcome and state it in the positive. In other words they focus on what they want versus what they don't want.

Effective communicators have the awareness to know whether they are moving away from or towards that desired outcome.

Effective communicators have a flexibility of choice and action that allows them to make a course correction, especially if what they were doing was producing unplanned results.

As your "skill muscles" grow stronger your ability to achieve your desired outcomes more easily and more often will emerge. Your ability to communicate effectively with yourself and with others will grow proportionately.

Be ready and willing to ask yourself, "For what parts of the project am I willing to take responsibility?"

In addition, I suggest that you stop taking things as seriously as you have been.

That is not meant to imply that what you're up to is not serious. It's just that life is serious enough without making it more so.

Remember that life is an adventure over which we have little control.

We make choices, we take action and we play the game the best we can.

Being enlightened is the best mindset to have when you play the game.

So--- keep in mind that the greatest pathway to enlightenment is to--- Lighten up.

Remember to--- Play the game, take responsibility and lighten up.

"Angels fly because they take themselves lightly." -G.K.Chesterson

? 2005 Ian Krieger

Ike Krieger is the founder of BusinessSuccessBuilder.com. He is a nationally known business language expert, mentor, speaker, radio and TV talk show host, educator and author. He is a former communications instructor at Ohio State University.

He has served as business makeover specialist for the LA Times and writes for the San Fernando Valley Business Journal. He is the current Chairman of the Board of the North San Fernando Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce. Ike's business success builder programs have helped thousands of entrepreneurs, executives, salespeople, consultants and professionals get an even bettershot at networking, selling and business success.

Ike can be reached at 800-700-4334 or by e-mail at ike@businesssuccessbuilder.com.

BusinessSuccessBuilder.com. Build it Big, Build it Bigger!

ike@businesssuccessbuilder.com

818-997-7575 - 800-700-4334

green cleaning service Glencoe ..

In The News:

Fake buyers demand specific vehicle reports from unknown sites to steal credit card information from car sellers, but warning signs can help identify these scams before paying.

Android users can now manage apps across multiple devices more easily with Google Play Store's updated remote uninstall button in the latest update.

NASA's Perseverance rover discovers shiny metallic rock on Mars that could be a meteorite from an ancient asteroid, containing high levels of iron and nickel.

Holiday scams spike during Black Friday and Cyber Monday as criminals exploit your leaked personal data. Learn how to protect yourself from fake stores and phishing.

Commerce Department proposes TP-Link router ban over Chinese security risks. Learn how this potential prohibition could affect your home network and devices.

Hyundai AutoEver America suffered a data breach affecting 2,000 current and former employees, exposing names, Social Security numbers and driver's license information.

Washington court rules automated license plate reader images are public records, even when stored by vendors like Flock Safety, setting precedent for transparency.

Fake airline texts claiming flight cancellations are targeting travelers with convincing scams. Learn how cybercriminals steal personal data and credit card info.

Discover how iOS 26's new Adaptive Power feature automatically extends iPhone battery life by learning your usage patterns and adjusting performance intelligently.

New TikTok malware campaign tricks users into running PowerShell commands that download Aura Stealer, which steals credentials and authentication tokens.

Gaia Family offers fixed upfront pricing for IVF cycles with unlimited embryo transfers and financial protection, partnering with over 100 U.S. fertility clinics.

The Jetsons Act aims to position Pennsylvania as a leader in advanced air mobility by establishing regulations for hybrid ground-air vehicles.

Fake Geek Squad invoice emails are targeting users with convincing charges and urgent phone numbers to steal personal information and money.

Fox News Digital's artificial intelligence newsletter digs into a robot in Russia that faceplanted, George Clooney's alarm and OpenAI's rivalry with the New York Times.

Major data breach at Conduent exposes personal information of 10+ million people. Government contractor hit by cyberattack affecting Medicaid, child support systems.

Texas startup Janta Power raises $5.5M for innovative vertical solar towers that generate 50% more energy than traditional panels while using just one-third the land.

NASA's twin ESCAPADE spacecraft launched aboard Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket Thursday afternoon from Cape Canaveral, beginning their journey to Mars with arrival expected in 2027.

Learn how to set email reminders on iPhone and Android so you never forget to reply again. Simple built-in features help you stay organized and on top of messages.

Discover how Apple's passkeys revolutionize Mac security by replacing vulnerable passwords with biometric authentication and encryption for ultimate protection.

New survey reveals 78% of parents fear AI scams targeting their kids, yet nearly half haven't discussed these threats. Learn why this dangerous gap exists.

Chrome now autofills passport and driver's license info automatically. Google's latest browser update adds official document support with encryption and user control.

Scammers impersonate Department of Veterans Affairs employees claiming veterans owe money, but real VA communications only direct to VA.gov or official channels.

The AltoVolo Sigma hybrid-electric aircraft flies 500 miles at 220 mph while operating 80% quieter than helicopters, featuring safety systems and compact design.

Google search scam alert: fake customer service numbers can give scammers remote control of your phone. Learn how to spot these traps and protect yourself.

Electric vehicles overtake gas cars in total CO2 savings after just two years of driving, with emissions benefits growing over time as power grids get cleaner.

Increase Productivity and Business Success - Take Responsibility

Small Business