The Ant Philosophy by Jim Rohn

I think everybody should study ants. They have an amazing four-part philosophy.

Here is the first part: Ants Never Quit. That's a good philosophy. If they're headed somewhere and you try to stop them, they'll look for another way. They'll climb over, they'll climb under, they'll climb around. They keep looking for another way. What a neat philosophy, to never quit looking for a way to get where you're supposed to go.

Second, Ants Think Winter All Summer. That's an important perspective. You can't be so naive as to think summer will last forever. So ants are gathering their winter food in the middle of summer.

The third part of the ant philosophy is that Ants Think Summer All Winter. That is so important. During the winter, ants remind themselves, "This won't last long - we'll soon be out of here." And the first warm day, the ants are out. If it turns cold again, they'll dive back down, but then they come out the first warm day. They can't wait to get out.

And here's the last part of the ant philosophy. How much will an ant gather during the summer to prepare for the winter? All He Possibly Can. What an incredible philosophy, the "all-you-possibly-can" philosophy.

Wow, what a great philosophy to have - the ant philosophy. Never Give Up, Look Ahead, Stay Positive and Do All You Can.

Time is Money and here's how to Save it

The following abstract article written by Stephanie Bernardo is from the September 1985 issue of SUCCESS.


"Hey, Jack, got a minute?"


These words, spoken by a fellow employee, are often a clue to run fast in the opposite direction, according to Dr. Larry Baker, president of the Time Management, Inc., in St. Louis. "Seemingly innocent 'one-minute conversations' can turn into a tremendous time waster in any executive's workday," Baker says. "It's like taking a $5 bill from the company till and putting a match to it."

"I'm not against socializing," says Baker, "but we can over-communicate. When you're working, you can't afford to be constantly interrupted. You have to be firm, and make sure that your work comes first. It's hard to break habits, but let me remind you of a Mark Twain quote: If you think you can, or you think you can't, you're probably right.'" Baker is clearly someone who thinks in terms of can. At 47, he is a much-sought after lecturer and consultant; he is also blind.

"If you shorten the average drop-in visit by a minute or two," continues Baker, "you could save your company thousands of dollars each year. How can you guard against these time thieves?

"It's unrealistic to think that you can spend the entire day undisturbed. One simple solution is to close your door. Another is to place your desk so that your back faces the doorway; this is sure to discourage casual visitors. To people who pop in and ask for a minute, if necessary simply say, 'It isn't convenient now, but I'll be glad to work with you if you can come back at ___.' This helps impress upon them the value of your time.

"Another effective approach is to stand up to greet the person who enters your office without an appointment. This way you can control the situation. It is rare that a visitor will make himself comfortable when his host is standing. Or you can try a more subtle approach and use phrases such as, 'Well, I guess we have a lot of work to finish,' or 'I don't want to take up any more of your time.' And as a last resort, there is always subterfuge. I know one person, for instance, who cut the front legs of his visitor's' chairs shorter than the rear. The slick plastic seats cause the person to slide forward, making him uncomfortable. As a result, most visits are quite short."

Cut the Weather Report



Some of these methods were recently covered in another time-management seminar, conducted by Peter Turla, director of the National Management Institute in Roanoke, Texas, and co-author of the book Time Management Made Easy. Another longtime foe of that most clamorous of time thieves is the telephone. "Did you ever get a long-distance weather report?" he asks the 50 executives who attended the seminar. "You know the kind. The person calls long distance to waste 20 minutes on small talk, before getting to the point. 'How's the weather up there? We've just had three solid weeks of rain down here ... .'"

To cut off these callers who are short on substance but long on wind, Turla suggests taking a positive but forceful approach. "When the caller identifies himself, immediately ask, 'What can I do for you?' And keep a repertoire of conversation-enders on hand: 'I'll get to that right now,' or 'I'd better let you go.'"



Directness, without question, is always the best approach when you become locked in a conversation with a boor who won't take a hint.

Learn How to Delegate



"If you can't delegate effectively," Turla stresses, "you aren't managing effectively. Delegating not only frees you to be more productive, it establishes you and your subordinates as a team. Delegating also forces you to become more organized; you have to have clearly defined objectives and deadlines. Don't be a would-be delegator. Instead of asking yourself, 'Can others do the job as well as I can?' ask, 'Can they do the job well enough?'"

"When handling paperwork, follow the four D's: Dump it, Delay it, Delegate it, or Do it! And when paper begins to accumulate, follow the G.U.T.S. principle: Give it away, Use it, Throw it away, or Sell it." Also, designate one of your lower desk drawers as a dump drawer, and into in dump items such as flyers, brochures and unimportant mail. Let them simmer for a month and then throw out.

"One approach to procrastination is the salami technique. Slice the assignment into a series of less threatening parts, giving each its own deadline. Take it a slice at a time. Also schedule 'rewards' for yourself: Once I finish this page of the report, I'll take a five-minute break."

The chattering visitor, the screeching phone, the groaning inbox - these are all familiar time thieves, but who is really your worst enemy? You, Turla says. Turla's advice: "Organize! And act! Do something! Babe Ruth was the home-run king. You can't hit the ball unless you swing the bat!"

Management Pot-Pourri -- A Lesson for Every Salaried Employee

Saw this meaningful article in the internet. What most important is to stay accountability to yourself.

A shopkeeper watching over his shop is really surprised when he sees a dog coming inside his shop. He shoos him away. But later, the dog is back inside again. So he goes over to the dog and notices that it has a note inside its mouth. He takes the notes and it reads," Can I have 12 soaps and a shampoo bottle, please. The money is with the dog." The shopkeeper looks inside the dog's mouth and to his surprise, there is a $10 note in his mouth. So he takes the money and puts the soap, shampoo and change in a bag, and then places it in the dog's mouth.

The shopkeeper is so impressed, and since it is closing time, he decides to follow the dog. The dog is walking down the street, when it comes to the zebra crossing, he waits till the signal turns green. He walks across the street to the bus stop. He waits on the stop and looks up the timetable for the bus. The shopkeeper is totally out of his mind as the dog gets into the bus and sit on a vacant seat. The shopkeeper follows the dog. The dog waits for the conductor to come to his seat. He gives the change to the conductor and shows him the neck belt to keep the ticket. The shopkeeper is almost fainting at this sight and so are other people in the bus.

The dog then moves to the front exit of the door and waits for the bus stop to arrive, looking outside. As soon as the stop is in sight, he wags his tail to inform the driver to stop. Then not even waiting for the bus stop to arrive, the dog jumps out and runs to the house nearby. It opens a big iron gate and rushes towards the door. As it approaches the door, he changes his mind and walks towards the garden. The dogs walks up to the window and beats his head several times on the window. It then walks back to the door and waits. The shopkeeper maintaining his senses walks up to the door and watches a big guy opens the door.

The guy starts beating, kicking and abusing the dog. The shopkeeper is surprised and runs to stop the guy. The shopkeeper questions the guy, "What the heaven are you doing? The dog is a genius he could be famous in life." The guy responses, "You call this clever? This is the 3rd time in this week that the dog has forgotten the door keys."

MORAL OF THE STORY: YOU MAY CONTINUE TO EXCEED ONLOOKERS' EXPECTATIONS ... BUT ALWAYS FALL SHORT OF BOSSES' EXPECTATIONS ...

The Salary Axiom: The pay raise is just large enough to increase your taxes and just small enough to have no effect on your take-home pay.

Isaac's Strange Rule of Staleness: Any food that starts out hard will soften when stale. Any food that starts out soft will harden when stale.

Lampner's Law of Employment: When leaving work late, you will go unnoticed. When you leave work early, you will meet the boss in the parking lot.

Practice Being Like a Child by Jim Rohn

Remember the master teacher once said 2000 years ago, "Unless you can become like little children, your chances are zero, you haven't got a prayer." A major consideration for adults.

Be like children and remember there are four ways to be more like a child no matter how old you get –

1) Curiosity - Be curious. Childish curiosity. Learn to be curious like a child. What will kids do if they want to know something bad enough? You're right. They will bug you. Kids can ask a million questions. You think they're through. They've got another million. They will keep plaguing you. They can drive you right to the brink.

Also kids use their curiosity to learn. Have you ever noticed that while adults are stepping on ants, children are studying them? A child's curiosity is what helps them to reach, learn and grow.

2) Excitement - Learn to get excited like a child. There is nothing that has more magic than childish excitement. So excited you hate to go to bed at night. Can't wait to get up in the morning. So excited that you're about to explode. How can anyone resist that kind of childish magic? Now, once in awhile I meet someone who says, "Well, I'm a little too mature for all that childish excitement." Isn't that pitiful? You've got to weep for these kinds of people. All I've got to say is, "If you're too old to get excited, you're old." Don't get that old.

3) Faith - Faith like a child. Faith is childish. How else would you describe it? Some people say, "Let's be adult about it." Oh no. No. Adults too often have a tendency to be overly skeptical. Some adults even have a tendency to be cynical. Adults say, "Yeah. I've heard that old positive line before. It will be a long day in June before I fall for that positive line. You've got to prove to me it's any good." See, that's adult, but kids aren't that way. Kids think you can get anything. They are really funny. You tell kids, "We're going to have three swimming pools." And they say, "Yeah. Three. One each. Stay out of my swimming pool." See, they start dividing them up right away, but adults are not like that. Adults say, "Three swimming pools? You're out of your mind. Most people don't even have one swimming pool. You'll be lucky to get a tub in the back yard." You notice the difference? No wonder the master teacher said, "Unless you can become like little children, your chances, they're skinny."

4) Trust - Trust is a childish virtue, but it has great merit. Have you heard the expression "sleep like a baby"? That's it. Childish trust. After you've gotten an A+ for the day, leave it in somebody else's hands.

Curiosity, excitement, faith and trust. Wow, what a powerful combination to bring back into our lives.

What's Your Coin? by Ron Kaufman

What can a coin reveal about the service mindset of your leaders and your organization? Watch this video by customer service expert Ron Kaufman to find out now. To be a role model of superior service, pick up YOUR coin and put away today!

The Art of Retail Buying By Marie-Lousie Jacobsen

The Art of Retail Buying
An Insider's Guide to the Best Practices from the Industry
By Marie-Louise Jacobsen

What makes a store? The merchandise makes a store. What makes a great store? Great merchandise makes a great store. It's all about finding merchandise that has the "X-factor."

The retail industry is arguably one of the toughest in the world. Brands come and go, fickle consumers switch their allegiance overnight while the global economy directly affects every level of the market. So how do the top professionals manage to get it right year after year and keep both clients and employers happy?

In the Art of Retail Buying, author Marie-Louise Jacobsen draws on her years of experience to offer insights into the world of the professional merchandiser. This book if for anyone and everyone who wants to expand their knowledge in retail buying, product development, building and creating brands and buy-sell negotiations.

At the core of the book is advice on strategic buying, covering topics as:

- how to buy
- what to buy
- comparative stock analysis
- buying plans vs. selected buying components
- sensible budgeting.

Skilled retail buying entails merchandising ability and know-how in finding and buying merchandise that is market-relevant, customer-relevant, season-relevant, quality-relevant and product relevant. All these skills are ready to be learnt and are now available in The Art of Retail Buying.

From Fry Chef to COO

From Fry Chef to COO

McDonald's Janice Fields says focusing on her job,

not obstacles, paved her way to success.

by Sally Deneen

At 23, Jan Fields - a military wife with a child and no college degree - made a fateful stop. Early for an interview for a secretarial job, she stepped inside a McDonald's for a beverage. She noticed a sign: McDonald's was hiring. She liked the idea of working flexible hours. She applied immediately, got the job, skipped the secretary's interview and spent her first day making french fries.

"I went home that night and cried," Fields says. "I said, 'I don't think I can do it. It's too hard. They have too many rules for french fries.' I now understand why they taste so good."

Fields stuck it out, returning the next night to that McDonald's in Dayton, Ohio, to fill in at the front counter. There she got a chance to chat with customers and realized she loved the work.

Today, some three decades later, Fields has worked her way up from fry chef to be the first female chief operating officer of McDonald's USA. As COO and executive vice president, she oversees more than 800,000 employees at more than 13,700 restaurants, and at a time when the chain is rolling out its most ambitious addition in years - adding a broad beverage lineup, including espresso, sweet tea, smoothies and bottled soft drinks.

Fortune calls her one of the 50 most powerful women in business. Forbes ranked her among the world's 100 most powerful women, period. Fields describes herself as "amazed" by how far she's come.

"I never thought that I would be here," says straight-talker Fields, 53, who lives in the Chicago area with her husband and serves on the boards of Monsanto Company, United Cerebral Palsy and the Chicago Urban League. "It was kind of an interesting beginning, but one I am certainly proud of and love to share with people because I think there are certain stigmas attached to certain jobs or entry-level positions and the notion of minimum-wage or 'dead-end' things. At least at McDonald's it certainly isn't true."

Forty percent of top management at McDonald's, including CEO Jim Skinner, started out flipping burgers or filling other crew roles at the seemingly ubiquitous restaurants. What McDonald's defines as career workers - those staying three years or longer - account for 354,000 of its jobs. But in 2007, Crain's Chicago Business called Fields one of 25 women to watch because if she succeeds at keeping sales growing, "she could be the strongest female contender yet for McDonald's CEO spot."

Fields is always mindful of how she started out, and treats everyone within the company with equal respect. "I think that they, in turn, will do anything for you." She also realizes she still can learn from others, no matter their position or their age. She regularly solicits advice and input from front line staff at a McDonald's restaurant next to her corporate office.

After starting in a part-time position, Fields moved quickly to full time, from making fries to filling almost every restaurant-level position. She managed a restaurant for more than two years in Dayton. She moved up, managed multiple restaurants and went into supervision. A few years ago, her job as president of McDonald's Central Division entailed visiting fast-food eateries in almost half of the United States to ensure quality service. She kept a stopwatch in the car (and still does) to time drive-through lines to make sure they're consistently moving. "It isn't necessarily about the time, per se," she says. "It's how you might be feeling sitting in your car. So if somebody isn't moving, their perception could be it's 10 minutes, when it might have only been two."

At each position along the way, Fields clung to her philosophy: Stay focused on the current job and don't worry about promotions. "If you really focus on your existing job, and do it the best you can and do it better than anybody else, your next position will come a lot easier," she says. "You will be recognised and, in McDonald's, you will be rewarded. My career success has been based on doing every job that I've done exceptionally well and not worrying about the next job."

Now one of six executive vice presidents, Fields says she never wasted time thinking about limitations or obstacles. Growing up with five brothers helped foster a can-do spirit. "In McDonald's, we're all competitive - man or woman. I obviously spent more time focusing on my job than I did on those obstacles," she says.

"You know, I've never let things get in my way and get sidetracked. One other philosophy I've always had: Never quit over one person or one thing, and I tell that in speeches all the time," she says. "Stay focused on the job you have, not on all the peripheral things going on around you. I think it's served me well."

She also makes sure credit is shared for any progress, claiming every effort is broad-based and results from input from many staffers, as well as customers. So while Forbes wrote "Big Mac's sales have been up since Fields was made chief operating officer in 2006," and she "championed the idea of serving specialty coffee," Fields refuses to look at these things as her accomplishments.

Along with the hard work over the years, Fields has had fun. She keeps a quote from poet E.E. Cummings in a silver frame on her desk. It reads: "The most wasted of all days is one without laughter." She heeds the advice. "I laugh a lot, and I smile a lot and I think it puts everyone around you in that mood," she says. "Whatever behaviors the boss has, people tend to emulate."

Fields says she is happy about the way her life has turned out. "I still feel like I have an awful lot to offer, both in McDonald's and outside," she says. Her volunteer efforts including chairing the board of advisors for Catalyst, a New-York based women's organization primarily focused on research. "I am very committed to how we give back," she says. "Given the abundance of success and good fortune that I've had, I'm a believer in giving back."

Looking back at her career, she likens it to building a house. She got a strong foundation because she spent a lot of time in the restaurants, so she truly understands the core business.

"I would tell everyone that I believe you can accomplish anything that you set your mind to do, but just do it a step at a time," she says. "People have to recognize that the road is long and far, and you're not going to get there overnight. A lot of young people today want to start at the top. It just doesn't work that way. The skills that you learn as you're going through at lower levels are what make you successful when you do get to the top."