Tag Archives: Keen Mind

Women Are Where It’s At

You’ve got to be wondering just exactly what the hell it is I’m thinking starting with a headline like this.  Pretty simple really, I firmly believe women hold the cards in the new economy.  Here’s this week’s cover (May 2014 Edition) of FAST COMPANY.  Ironic…nope!

Chelsea

Chelsea

As we move quickly out of the production/information economy of the late 20th century, and deeper into the service economy of the 21st century, we’re seeing a woman’s leadership, sales style, and compassion take center stage.  I’m not going to relate this to a glass-ceiling conversation.  More, an observation on psychology and physiology of the working woman in 2014.

Think about these changes happening right in front of our faces:

  1. Every single aspect of the new economy is social and involves conversation.  Every one. Blanket statement – Who’s better at engaging in a conversation, men or women?  DUH!  Want to see a wonderful infographic on girl power in social?  Click here (once you’re done reading of course) from Entrepreneur.  Women DOMINATE Every Social Media Network.
  2. The world is service-demanding (not just service-focused) like never before.  Having understanding and empathy are extremely important.  Who’s good at this?  I’ll give the edge to the ladies.
  3. Selling.  The conversation wrapped around selling is a different style and dialogue today.  It involves education and not over the top closing techniques.  Selling could be replaced with nurturing the consumer today.  Can men do this?  Yes, they certainly can.  Are women possibly better at it today?  I think so.
  4. Flexibility and working relationships.  I firmly believe women for the most part are wired to be more compassionate than men.  Therefore, as new challenges approach and compassion is needed to keep key team members, women will play a crucial role in understanding their teams and the flexibility they need to continue growing.

As if women haven’t controlled men’s hearts and minds enough for the last 2,000 years.  Honestly though, if I were starting a business tomorrow the first thing I’d look for is female leadership.

Not to fear men, we’re still needed in the workplace and we haven’t become obsolete just yet.  But if you think long and hard about this, you know we’ve got some learning to do from our female counterparts.  I recommend you listen.

ACTION ITEM: Men, we have to open our eyes and our hearts.  Social Media superstar Gary Vaynerchuk (who happens to be a man) says it frequently.  Companies and businesses are being built today on thousands of micro conversations and customer engagements by people who actually CARE.  The world of one to many is dying in front of us.  Embrace this change and evolve.

Women, continue to be who you are and what you’re great at.  Don’t forget to stop every now and again and give us guys a few pointers along the way.

PS – thanks to Beth Keeney for feedback and the social media infographic from Entrepreneur!

 

I Need You to Lead This Week

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I’m not your boss and I hope I never will be. Much bigger plans are in your future. However, this is what your boss is thinking.  I promise you.

Everyone around you is thinking this, but no one will say it.  I’m saying it to you now.

I NEED YOU TO LEAD THIS WEEK!

Here is a list of people in your life thinking this:

  1. Your spouse
  2. Your team at work (especially the quiet ones)
  3. Your boss, management team, or ownership
  4. The little league team you coach
  5. Your neighbor
  6. The charity you volunteer for
  7. Your friends

There it is.  I said it, now what will you do about it?

ACTION ITEM: This one’s up to you…

 

Closing the Say-Do Gap Will Change Your Life

The Say-Do Gap

The Say-Do Gap

I’d like to start this post off with a heavy helping of humble pie.  Here is a small list of things I said I was going to do, but haven’t yet accomplished or followed through on in 2014.

  1. Completing 36,000 push-ups (100 per day).  Truth be told I’m at about 2,000 (20 per day).
  2. Volunteering more to a charity (count = 0).
  3. Launching a supplemental income strategy.

Ouch!  I learned one thing from this exercise.  Writing these things down brings a world of reality to the things I “said” I was going to do in 2014.  Good news is the year isn’t over yet.  Plenty of time for more “doing” in the upcoming months.  That’s not to say I haven’t accomplished anything this year either.  I have, but I don’t think listing them is going to provide you any value.

If you’re like me, you’ve got to be wondering, how do I “do” more and close the gap?  To get to the root of the issue in closing the say-do gap, I’ve included a list of items that help me personally. The great news is I really believe the more you do, the more doing momentum you create.

  1. Write it down.  The power of the written word is well documented.
  2. 20 mile march.  In Jim Collins book, Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck–Why Some Thrive Despite Them All, he references the 20 mile march.  Effectively this related to companies willing to make the march every day.  20 miles.  Not 10, then 100, but 20 miles every single day.  This screams DISCIPLINE.
  3. Honesty mirror.  Do what I’ve done and conduct a fair self-evaluation.  Don’t beat yourself up, but be honest.
  4. Share accountability.  In today’s society, this is easier than ever.  Make your do-list or goal public.  I’ve seen people use social media to lose a great deal of weight and keep it off.  Why?  Basic human behavior.  We’re terrified of not reaching our goals once made public.  On the other side of it, we LOVE the positive feedback we receive when others believe in our struggles.
  5. Help someone else.  This is also in our DNA.  Helping others makes us feel good.  It also gives us the motivation we need to make the next move on our path
  6. Take the next step.  Not a leap, or jump, or risk, just the next step.  An object in motion tends to stay in motion. ~ Sir Isaac Newton

This blog is the result of me closing the say-do gap.  Plans were written down, ideas were scribbled, and I studied many blogs before I launched A Keen Mind.  What go me started?  Me.  I wrote the first post.  Starting this and seeing massive progress in other areas of my career changed my personal and professional life.  I know it can do the same for you.

ACTION ITEM: One thing that fails me is having a too many items on my DO LIST.  It plagues me with a lack of focused energy.  Use the six tips above to start closing the say-do gap for your list.  Keep the list short and start achieving.  Momentum will soon take over and then…WATCH OUT!

 

4 Key Ingredients to Masters Magic

Hello friends.

It’s Masters week and I want to discuss my experience last year at Augusta National with you.   Below please find a video I did after returning back home.  You’ll also find four key ingredients I took away from this remarkable experience and how Augusta delivers the magic.

The Masters

The Masters

  1. Committed to the Cause – Every single person on the grounds at Augusta National is all-in on serving their patrons.  The moment I understood this was in the bathroom actually.  There may be more bathroom attendants in the restrooms than there are patrons.  Every single time a patron uses a bathroom stall or urinal they are cleaned before the next patron visits.  I never thought I’d write something remarkable about a restroom experience, but I stand corrected.
  2. Over Deliver – I’d heard the stories.  I’ve seen the faces of friends change upon hearing the words “Masters Tournament” when uttered in a conversation.  I’ve watched hundreds of hours television and studied hole by hole breakdowns on the web, but I wasn’t ready for the experience when it happened.  Everything I heard, or saw, or thought I would experience was BETTER.  The grass was greener, the hills were steeper, the greens were slicker, it was more energetic, and more beautiful than I imagined.
  3. Compassion – I spoke earlier about the bathroom attendants.  You won’t find a single worker or volunteer who isn’t excited to welcome you to the Masters.  My favorite memories exist of early mornings walking through the East Georgia fog and you’d hear it.  “WELCOME to the Masters,” an older gentleman would say greeting the patrons as they walked into Disney World for adults.  But the voice wasn’t just an older man who treasures the game of golf.  It was every single person on the grounds and every one of them was compassionate in their delivery of the magic.
  4. Attention to Detail – The closest word I can come to grips with to define the grounds at Augusta National is perfection.  Some say you can’t achieve perfection, but I can promise you this.  You can get damn close with a serious attention to detail in every element of your pursuit.  This level of commitment can be found everywhere you look and with every experience you have.

ACTION ITEM: The Masters opened my eyes to how truly great an experience can exist in today’s cluttered and cynical world.  Surround yourself with truly wonderful people with an equal or greater fire in their belly.  Unite in a purpose and let your passions pave the way.  The rest will be magical.

We’re Waiting For You

I was listening to a podcast today by John Lee Dumas (Entrepreneur on Fire) and I heard something that sparked this post.  Coincidentally enough, I saw the following post from a friend on Instagram earlier this week and it couldn’t have been more perfect.  Here’s the post (thank you Maria)!

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The title of this post is, “We’re waiting for you.”  We’re waiting for you to take a chance and be the ENTIRE person you can be.  We’re waiting for you to take risks, challenge your thinking, and take the next step in your journey. 

The angst of the wait is simple.  Not one subscriber on this blog or relationship is going to tell you when you’re ready.  Nor will someone give you permission if that’s what you’re in search of.

It’s likely you’re ready to take the next step or make big moves, but you’re waiting for the horn to sound or flag to drop.

I hate to disappoint, but I’ve never seen the sign when it’s ok to start or embark on a new journey.  You just start.  There is no official starter with the gun shouting, “On your mark, set,…BANG!”

Every time you start, take another chance, or challenge conformity it gets a bit easier.  Soon, (as the image states it) “it becomes a habit.”  Habits are really hard to stop (I speak from experience).

What I will tell you is everyone around you is waiting for you to BE MORE.  They’re just not going to beat down your door and show you the path.  They’re just as human as you and I, and we’re working on our own journey.  Take responsibility for your future and give people the eye opening experience they’ve been waiting for.  Until then, we’re waiting for you.  We need you!

ACTION ITEM: In the near future choose the uncomfortable.  It will take work and it won’t be easy, but the accomplishment you’ll feel will release the endorphins needed to start your habit.  “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” – Lao-tzu

Normal is a Plague

Normal Distribution

Normal isn’t something most strive for, but then why do so many end up there?  Below I’ll give you my acronym for NORMAL and why its something we must fight against every day of our being.  I venture back to this acronym when I feel myself gravitating back to the status quo (this is no where near where I want to be).

N – Needy.  This person needs everything.  They need to be taken care of.  They need to make more money.  They need to get a new car.  The challenge I have with these needs is they’re most always superficial and the person committed to the need isn’t ready to make the sacrifice.  I also find there isn’t a great deal of appreciation for what they currently have.

O – Others fault.  I think this one causes me the most pain.  The normal people I see have everything happen “to” them.  Nothing is their own fault or the result of their actions (or lack thereof).  These are the finger pointers.  Except the old adage says, “when you point the finger there are four pointing back at you.”

R – Reactionary.  Normal people are reactionary.  It’s almost as proven as gravity.  Normal people don’t create, initiate, and certainly don’t make moves.  They wait for life to smack them in the face or for someone to tell them what’s next in this great event we call life.  This really sucks.  Take a step back and imagine living a normal life for the next 60-70 years except look at it from the perspective of someone telling you what to do the entire time.

M – Motionless.  Normal people lack activity.  I’m not calling them lazy, but there is no momentum being created in their lives.  Motion creates emotion and emotion is married with passion.  Passionate people rarely live normal lives.

A – Angry.  After a little thinking on this topic this one hit me like a frying pan to the forehead.  Normal people are angry.  They’re angry they can’t get what they want or perceive they want.  They’re mad at their boss, spouse, kids, job, you name it.   I promise you these “normal” people can be found at a local watering hole 5pm on a Friday.  They’ll be the one complaining angrily about what’s not going their way.  Have a beer, but STAY AWAY from these people.

L – Lack.  Normal people live in a state of lack.  Normal believe they lack: skills, toughness, money, resources, drive, happiness, and the list goes on.  They live with lack thoughts and lack the mental toughness to get out of the normal life.

Newsflash.  I didn’t one single time say normal people are bad people.  Normal is a choice, a lifestyle, a mindset.  It’s one i choose to run from at all cost, but one I’m not immune to.

ACTION ITEM: Normal thinking is popular and is easy to get drawn into (like a tractor beam).  Continue to develop your Keen Mind and realize when this is happening.  Ensure your thoughts and actions are moving away from the NORMAL as quickly as possible.

Achievement Addiction Addressed

We’re a nation of addicts.  Uppers, downers, and achievement.  Yes, achievement.  I too struggle with this addiction.Screen Shot 2014-03-09 at 11.02.02 AM

This week I got to reading about achievement addiction throughout generation Y and millennials.  What struck me as very interesting is the way many of us attempt to measure ourselves and those around us with our stack of achievements.  I decided to compile a list of a few of those things I see every day.

1. Your College/University

2. College GPA

3. Where You Live (City, Zip Code, Neighborhood)

4. Your Home Size

5. Name Brand Anything/Stuff

6. The Car You Drive

Truth be told it’s really hard not to be addicted to achievement, especially in today’s world. I know I’m a happier version of myself when I’m “achieving” or accomplishing goals.  It feels good.  I’m definitely not going to tell you to underachieve.  Those words will never come out of my mouth.

What I started to learn wasn’t so much about the feeling, it was the pursuit of why the achievement is needed.  Why do I need to feel this way?  What am I chasing in order to fuel these false achievements?  Who (more importantly) do I feel the need to compare myself with?  This is the scariest one!

Keeping up with the Kardashians has never been more prominent than in today’s society.  What I realized I needed to work on was the the idea that the achievement won’t ever overestimate who I really am.

In a famous NFL rant, then Arizona Cardinals head coach Denny Green screamed, “They are who we thought they were!” Here’s the clip

Green was referring to the undefeated Chicago Bears after the Cardinals blew a late game lead and squandered the opportunity to send the Bears home with their 1st loss of the season.

The lesson, I am who you think I am.

I came across this post on LifeHack.org, Do You Have An Achievement Addiction.  The element that brought me to blogging about it on A Keen Mind blog was the following statement, “Addicted to achievement, we forget there is a huge difference between success at a task or goal and success as a person.”

Stuff.  Achieve, accumulate stuff, and sometime hopefully many years down the road after my eulogy a garage sale of grandiose scale will take place.  Thrifty shoppers from miles away will be able to buy my once treasured “achievements” for pennies on the dollar.

Conversely I like to think of achievement as a legacy.  What can be taught, shared, or left behind, so that many years or generations from now it may still impact others?  This is a true measure of success and achievement.  Did I make those around me better?  Was I successful in leaving a legacy of: positivity, challenging others to be their best, and a winning mindset?  These are achievements and what I’ll work to strive toward.

I can’t promise you I’ll stop buying things or working toward a newer home or automobile.  What I won’t do is allow these purchases to be the measure of my achievement.  PS – if a Ferrari is in my future, I’m not going to get out of its way!

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ACTION ITEM:  Live your life for all the achievements.  Not only the ones associated with a price tag.

 

Six Temptations of Good

This post is the result of a habit I created a few years back after I received a sheet of paper from a very successful client.  He told me all I needed to be successful was outlined in what he provided.  If I could focus on these elements every day, success would be sure to follow.

It was only one sheet of paper with copy on one side and six very simple temptations we each battle every single day.  The title of the document read, “When Good Isn’t Enough.” I had to share because it is the perfect piece of content for A Keen Mind.

1. Leaders stop working on themselves

2. Leaders stop thinking BIG

3. Leaders of successful organizations “lead from the front”

4. Leaders stop developing others

5. Leaders stop holding others accountable

6. Leaders abandon the basics.

Give this just a moment of thought.  There are hundreds of business and success books published every year.  I’ve probably read 100 of them and each creates separate buzz within the topic.  Yet when I get back to working on myself as leader I always come back to this simple and short list.

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Here is a snapshot of my hand written list transcribed on the inside of by BIG IDEA notebook.

ACTION ITEM: Keep this link and list handy.  Share it with others looking to conquer a good mindset.  Review it frequently and take action against the temptations of good and I promise you success will follow.

 

 

How I Got Caught Recording Myself

What better way to start off this post than with a selfie recording in my office?

A Keen Mind Recording

Zac Keeney Recording

Yes, this is me (Zac Keeney) the author of “A Keen Mind” blog at work in my office while writing this post.  But I’m not here to talk about taking a picture of myself, I’m talking about using audio to record and prepare for your next BIG ASK.

I label a BIG ASK the next big thing you’re looking to do.  Maybe you’re looking to: get a raise, pitch a piece of business, ask for a promotion, or speak at a conference.  Most of the time, you’re going to need some help to accomplish any of these events.

The key to any BIG ASK is preparation.  Not only in your mind, but with what comes out of your mouth.   Maybe more importantly than what comes out of your mouth.

I’ve found one of the very best ways to do this is record yourself.  If you’re thinking this is going to take some investment into technology or something grand I hate to disappoint you.   The device you need is likely less than three feet from you or may even be in your hand as you read this post.

It’s your smartphone; 99% of them have a record feature.  Use it.

I was recently working on a presentation for a speaking engagement and my wife came downstairs into the office only to walk in on me giving my presentation.  I guess it looks kind of weird seeing someone talking into their phone, but it was worth it.

Step 1 – Recording.  I recommend recording a couple different times.  If you’re just starting out you won’t hit your flow right away and that’s the point.  Just record it.

Step 2 – Listen for the pain.  This is the fun step if you’re prepared for it.  I have a great deal of fun picking apart the errors or weak moments of storytelling in my audio.  The key here is to think you’re critiquing someone else.  It’s human nature to want to provide feedback.  Don’t believe me?  Just look at shows like American Idol.  We love to critique and provide our point of view.

Step 3 – Rinse and Repeat.   Record, listen, critique and practice again, but get better.  Your comfort level and confidence in performing the BIG ASK will come off second nature.  You’ll be in a state of flow after a few times and you should be really having fun with it.

ACTION ITEM: The next BIG ASK you have coming try recording yourself in advance.  I promise you’ll be more prepared and success will follow.

 

5 Valuable Characteristics From My Wife

In honor of my wife’s birthday today I wanted to share with you five of her most brilliant characteristics and what I’ve learned from her Keen Mind.

I frequently refer to Beth as my “better half” in conversation.  You may shrug this off as a joke, but I’m not the least bit kidding and here are five reasons why.

Five Characteristics I learned from my wife

5 Characteristics – Photo Courtesy of http://www.cmphotography.de

1. Selflessness – If Beth kept a list every day of who she was worried about, or was looking out for I can promise you she would be near the bottom if not last on the list.  I have no idea what makes her this way but it’s really easy to admire.  Family, friends, co-workers, recent acquaintances needs all come before her own.  This is tough love for me as I can be selfish from time to time.  Beth won’t allow it.

2. Flawed – Like every single one of you reading this Beth has her faults.  However, unlike most of us she’s well aware of what she is and what she isn’t.  She doesn’t struggle with what she’s not.  She doesn’t lose sleep over it, and she’s certainly not interested in pretending.  It’s not worth her time.  Once again I’m learning.  I used to strive to be perfect.  Perfect for her is being happy with who she is.

3. Organized – Yes those that know her well will tell you she’s very organized, tidy, and clean.  Oddly enough, I’m not referring to her cleaning skills.  I’m talking about her mental organization.  No one I know is as mentally organized as my wife.  She can turn herself off when she needs rest and power up when extra energy is needed.  This can only happen with a well programmed brain.  She’s working with me on this one as I have a tough time: shutting down, turning off, letting go, etc.

4.  Curious – Beth is 100% up to try new things.  Although it may not be with reckless abandon she’s a gamer to try new things.  We’ve traveled without notice, tried new and exotic foods, and she helped me launch this blog.   This is one characteristic we both comply with and I hope never diminishes.

5. Challenge – Beth will frequently challenge my thoughts, plans and actions.  It’s funny because I consider myself a pretty good schemer of new concepts and plans.  Yet, every one of them I run by her gets better, more streamlined or more valuable after our discussion.  She’s honest with feedback and we don’t always agree (if you know the competitive streak in each of us this gets interesting).  I really appreciate this as she’s challenging to help me or my project get better.  There is never negative intent and she’s compassionate about helping me see a different angle.  Lastly, I’m working at this one as well.

ACTION ITEM: I try to end every post with an action item and this is no different.  Today I’d love it if you read this to wish my wife a Happy Birthday!!!  You can tweet her at @Beth_Keeney or if you’re friends with her on Facebook send her a note.  Thanks again all!