1/22/12


Q:  What is your fundamental mindset?  Are you a beginner, a novice, an expert?

A:  The frustration in finding any answer is that it often demonstrates the death of the question.  If you believe that you are the utmost master within the sales or management arenas, please forget it as this mindset can lead to your ultimate demise.
Don’t allow your routine to become a routine.  Don’t accept that its business as usual.  Don’t become predictable to a fault.  If you do fall into this trap, your competitors, your peers, your customers and your employees will know what you will do or say to any given situation.  And in most cases, that is not a good scenario.

Now with that said, please don’t misinterpret my meaning.  It is imperative that you remain defined and disciplined and that you must keep your “tools” sharp and polished but not to the point of becoming a slave to these things.
Whether you are in a sales, administrative or management career, it’s continues to be all about people and people issues.  And with all people comes one constant and that is change.  You cannot react to change if you don’t keep an open mind.  You must think like a beginner and act or react like an expert.  To stay on top of your game, you must maintain a high level of alertness that will allow your mind to receive new and more effective techniques to incorporate into your bag of tools.  And this, is what I define as a beginners mind.

Picture this…. We are sitting at the kitchen table and I put a cup of coffee in front of you that is almost full. I start pouring coffee slowly into your cup and soon it reaches the brim and starts to overflow with hot coffee splashing on you, the kitchen table and onto the floor.  When will you jump up and tell me to stop?
In this analogy, the cup of coffee represents your mindset. You came to the table with an almost full cup and little room for anything new.  You may think you know it all but the mind of a consummate professional is never full.  In fact it’s really always empty and ready to receive something new without warning.  My example uses the coffee in the coffee pot to represent knowledge, ideas, techniques and a new prospective.  A proven prospective that you can put into motion within your life with little effort.

As a final thought, remember this, “If you open your hand, you can take hold of anything.  If you close your hand, nothing can grasp it.”
2011 is in my rear view mirror and 2012 is happily glaring into my windshield. I am determined that this year is MINE for the taking.  Is your mind open enough for 2012 to be YOURS’ as well?  If not, I promise to offer my hand to you as I go by and hopefully we can proceed down Highway 2012 together.  You do make a difference and I do care.  Call or write if you have a need and I will respond immediately!

Regards,
George F. Mancuso, CPC
President
Client Growth Consultants, Inc.