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Design thinking builds a creative mindset that improves problem-solving skills and deepens communication and understanding between team members
As creatures of habit, we develop routine ways of completing tasks. After time has passed, a once efficient routine can sometimes become a relentless rut. Transition from routine to rut is gradual and sometimes we fail to notice when it happens until we’re stuck in an unproductive loop without recognizing our situation.
A rut leads nowhere. It’s cramped, uncomfortable, and even though it’s familiar, you start to feel bad about being there. Spending too much time stuck in a rut can lead to a negative outlook on life and poor performance at work.
In order to prevent yourself from falling into a rut you need a new toolbox: one that contains innovative and inspiring processes for solving problems. Design thinking is that toolbox. It’s a problem solving process initially created by designers who were tasked with creating solutions to complicated problems.
Design thinking requires that you access your imagination, intuition, logic, and reasoning. Your goal is to establish a new mindset for creating solutions to your problems. Use the following steps to craft a design thinking process that works for you.
Identify the Problem
You need to get your problem out of your head and into the world so you can look at it and begin your problem-solving process. Schedule a specific time to identify the problem. Give yourself 30 minutes to simply analyze the situation and identify the problem and how it impacts your process at work.
Think About the Problem
Don’t just do something—sit there. It’s time to stop using routine and unproductive approaches to problem solving. Engaging a design thinking mindset requires that you actually think about the problem. Do your research. Brainstorm with the team. Investigate possible causes and pain points.
Create a Problem Profile
Assemble your materials into a clear profile of the problem. The shape of the problem becomes clear when you list the negative impacts it has on your team, your department, and your company. We often fail when we try solving problems because we haven’t identified the actual problem, just its impact or symptoms.
Imagine Your Solutions
Review the material you have gathered and begin creating solutions to the problems. Consider the positive and negative impacts of each proposed solution. Identify the solutions that offer the best outcomes for your problem and company and make sure that they’re in alignment.
Make a Decision and Act On It
At some point you have to put your solution into action. Work with your team members and monitor the results of your solution. The powerful quality of design thinking is that it allows you to test and retest solutions. Observe how the new process works and make changes as required using your new design thinking mindset.
Build a Parking Lot
Using a parking lot of ideas allows you to save important ideas that may not be related to the problem you’re trying to solve but might have potential for solving other problems. Use a notebook, sticky notes, an idea board, or a spreadsheet. Consider keeping your parking lot in view. A glance at it while you’re pondering a problem might provide inspiration you need at that moment.
What approach do you use for problem solving? How does it impact your productivity at work? Your experience is important to us. Please comment or this page or tell your story on Twitter and follow us @Cydcor, and please share this article with your friends.
We are Cydcor, the recognized leader in outsourced sales services. From our humble beginnings as an independent sales company based in Canada, to garnering a reputation as the global leader in outsourced sales, Cydcor has come a long way. We’ve done this by having exceptional sales professionals and providing our clients with proven sales and marketing strategies that get results.
In order to shine bright as a star in your workplace, you must establish a set of goals and not only achieve them but exceed them. A star never lets obstacles get in their way.
The first step to stardom requires an attitude adjustment. Start by examining your outlook about work to see if you’re being influenced by negative thoughts. Rethink your negatives and turn them into positives. That’s how you ignite your spark and shine like the star. A star is rewarded with recognition not because they’re good at their job. A star earns recognition because they’re providing exceptional service to their company.
Here are some thoughtful methods for building recognition for your achievements:
Communicate Effectively
A star at work shines because coworkers talk about the unique qualities they saw in you. You need to be a good communicator in order to get people talking about your shining achievements. You don’t need to talk a lot; you need to provide information that matters.
Develop Valuable Skills
Recognition and awards are often given to people who have special skills or expertise in an area. Identify the skills most valuable to your company and become more skillful in those areas. These can range from soft skills like creative problem solving, writing, or negotiation to technical or computer skills.
Document Your Wins
No one else is going to remember what you’ve done. You’re not necessarily on your own but you’re part of a large system where everyone has their own goals and achievements on their minds. Make a record of your star-making achievements. It’s the hard proof you need to show your supervisor that you’re valuable to the company and deserving of recognition and advancement.
Do More
Once your work is done, your job is just beginning. You must regularly ace your everyday assignments and then provide your company with the innovation that makes you a visible and valuable member of the organization. If there is an opportunity to take on a new assignment, take that opportunity. Before saying yes be certain that you have the time to excel at star level tasks.
Create a Network
Review your list of contacts and identify their areas of expertise. Figure out how you can help them and identify possible solutions you might be able to provide. These people are your allies and will help you to build a reputation that leads to recognition and awards.
Always Be Willing to Help
A star is humble and always willing to pitch in when help is required. You’re ready to listen to other people and aren’t defensive when you’re given an assignment. A star focuses on what needs to get done and gets it done.
It’s time for you to shine. Your colleagues, team members, and supervisors are committed to the success of the company and, therefore, they’re committed to your success as well. It’s a win-win situation. So, what are you waiting for?
What’s your strategy for earning recognition at work? Your experience is important to us. Please comment on this page or tell your story on Twitter and follow @Cydcor, and please share this article with your friends.
We are Cydcor, the recognized leader in outsourced sales services. From our humble beginnings as an independent sales company based in Canada, to garnering a reputation as the global leader in outsourced sales, Cydcor has come a long way. We’ve done this by having exceptional sales professionals and providing our clients with proven sales and marketing strategies that get results.
Don't forget to follow Cydcor's channel on YouTube for our latest company videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/Cydcor
Some people believe that a great salesperson is born, not made: that the ability to close a sale is a gift that one must be blessed with at birth. Well, those people are wrong.
Certain people might have an outgoing personality that gives them a bit of an advantage when it comes to networking or closing a deal but the true qualities of a great salesperson aren’t genetic—they’re learned and improved upon with practice.
What qualities does a great salesperson possess? A great salesperson looks just like you. But in order to release the successful salesperson within, you need to identify the qualities a good salesperson must possess in order to achieve success.
As you review this list of qualities a great salesperson must possess begin to make a list of the qualities that you believe you lack or need to develop. Be honest in your self-assessment. If possible, get input from your team, supervisor or sales manager.
Doing this exercise on your own is a powerful technique for improving your sales skills. Including your team members or manager in this process lets them know that you’re motivated and committed to continuous improvement.
You need a plan if you are going to succeed in sales. A great salesperson identifies their goals and keep them in the center of their vision: obstacles never sidetrack them.
You’re not just interested in making a sale. You’re building a long-term relationship with your colleagues and clients. A great salesperson cares about the person as well as the sale.
You always make a great first impression and you enjoy meeting people and hearing about their job, the obstacles they face, and the values that are important to them. A great salesperson listens and remembers.
You know that you have the skills required to get the job done. If you encounter rejection you keep moving forward, understanding that it’s part of the process. A great salesperson never gives up.
You have all of your materials ready whenever you need them. You have internalized your company’s message and methodology. A great salesperson provides solutions for all of their clients’ pain points.
You build your interactions with your customers by developing positive interrogative engagement. Questions are specialized tools you use to identify your customers’ obstacles and objectives. A great salesperson is curious and insightful.
You have a friendly personality and you bring positive energy to all of your encounters. Your customers look forward to working with you because you leave a positive impression upon them. A great salesperson leaves people smiling.
You must get the job done. You understand that making a sale is an urgent problem and that it needs to be solved in a timely manner. Nothing will get in your way because you’re determined to solve the problem in front of you. A great salesperson gets results.
You might hear a no but you don’t accept no as an answer. You’re equipped with the ability to control conversations and will not give up on your pitch. A great salesperson is a gifted storyteller who engages his or her audience.
You understand that success in sales is not won; it’s earned through hard work. You recognize the importance of competition and know that you have to seek opportunities—they won’t come to you. A great salesperson shows up and does their job every day, despite disruptions and without delays.
As you review this list of qualities that make a good salesperson you may identify areas for improvement. Recognizing the need to improve is not a sign of failure. It’s an indicator that you have what it takes to succeed as a salesperson. Are you ready to become the best salesperson you can be?
What qualities make you a great at your job? Did we leave anything out of this list? We want to learn from your experience. Please share your thoughts on our Facebook page and post this article on your social media. Let’s start a great conversation.
We are Cydcor, the recognized leader in outsourced sales services. From our humble beginnings as an independent sales company based in Canada, to garnering a reputation as the global leader in outsourced sales, Cydcor has come a long way. We've done this by having exceptional sales professionals and providing our clients with proven sales and marketing strategies that get results.
“Most people live and die with their music still unplayed. They never dare to try.”
– Mary Kay Ash, Sales Leader and Founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics
Initially, an entrepreneur was a confident man or woman with a deep vision of business. They were convinced that their idea was going to be the solution thousands of customers needed. That’s still a valid definition of the word today or, at least, up to a point.
You know this type of entrepreneur if you’ve ever watched the television program Shark Tank. On each episode intrepid innovators make the pitch of their lifetime to a group of business experts—the sharks. Sometimes an idea that sounds a bit whacky when you first hear about it actually makes sense during the pitch. At other times a sensible idea falls apart fast when the people making the presentation haven’t done their homework.
But these entrepreneurs have an impulse: they want to do or make something better. They have professional insight that makes them believe in their ideas.
Learn more about Cydcor on our business profile on D&B's Hoovers.
Entrepreneurial spirit isn’t limited to billion dollar startups or someone working in their garage on the next-big-digital-thing. It’s possible to embrace an entrepreneurial spirit while you’re working just about anywhere. The key to developing one is to be open-minded, curious, and committed.
Developing your entrepreneurial spirit requires the correct mental motivation. You have to bring the right attitude to your work in order to develop the ability to see opportunity instead of obstacles.
Entrepreneurs work in a competitive space that requires courage. Many people are afraid of competing in business, but don’t back away from a struggle. Use the fear as a catalyst to awaken and engage your inner entrepreneur.
Here are some tips to help you find your entrepreneurial spirit:
You Get Things Done
An entrepreneur tests ideas and learns from the feedback. Act on your inspiration. Make a presentation that explains a new process. Share it with your team or your supervisor. If there is an extra assignment available take it on: an entrepreneur has the drive required to get it done, no matter what the obstacles may be.
You Take Thoughtful Risks
You’ve nurtured the ability to be agile and adaptable. You’re able to produce as part of a team but can also work on a project by yourself and frequently make strategic decisions. Understand that taking risks delivers rewards if you’re successful, but there could be problems if you fail. You’ve developed ease with risk because you’ve done the research. You don’t guess. You make thoughtful decisions that are integrated into your plan.
You Always Ask Questions
You’re uncomfortable with the status quo. There is always a way to improve processes and methods for doing routine things more effectively. You question accepted wisdom and aren’t afraid to speak out against the traditional way of doing things because your ideas will improve the process.
You Emphasize the Positive
You get excited when you face a challenge and enjoy pushing boundaries when you’re in pursuit of a goal. You never think about what you can’t do. You focus on the positive and get other people who work with you excited, too. If one approach doesn’t work, you have another option to try. You don’t find blame—you find solutions.
You Give Voice to Your Passion
Your enthusiasm for your work is captivating. It reveals your passion and the depth of your commitment to reaching your goals. You have a deep understanding of your industry and bring your energy and expertise to all phases of problem solving. When in doubt, remember these powerful words from Warren Buffet: “Without passion you don’t have energy. Without energy, you have nothing.”
Go ahead. Embrace the entrepreneur within. It’s time you did.
How have you developed your inner entrepreneur? What strategies do you use when you decide to turn obstacles into opportunities? We would love to hear your thoughts about this topic. Please comment on our Facebook page and share this article on your social media.
We are Cydcor, the recognized leader in outsourced sales services. From our humble beginnings as an independent sales company based in Canada, to garnering a reputation as the global leader in outsourced sales, Cydcor has come a long way. We've done this by having exceptional sales professionals and providing our clients with proven sales and marketing strategies that get results.
We reward Olympic athletes with gold medals for setting records. We value the person who is able to compete and win on their own terms. But athletes don’t win races on their own: these exceptional people train every day and work with coaches who teach them how to perform under pressure.
Think of yourself as an athlete in your own life. When you’re entering a time of increased pressure you need to continue to train. You also need to share what’s going on with your team at work and your family and friends.
As we take on more assignments we begin to feel pressure, and that pressure brings on stress that’s bad for your health, destructive to your productivity, and complicates your personal life. Here are some strategies for handling pressure at work and at home from Cydcor. Experiment with these tips, and over time, you will develop your ability to achieve success under pressure.
Cydcor is hiring! Head over to CareerBuilder to learn how you can join the Cydcor team today.
Be a Good Communicator
Alert your supervisor when you’re entering a stressful time. If you decide that you’ll have a problem completing your assignments you must inform your supervisor. If you’re unsure about getting something done you need to be responsible and professional enough to ask for help. Be proactive and raise a red flag when you see trouble on the horizon—not when your ship has started to sink.
Control Your Emotions
Problems will arise and pressure will grow depending on time, resources, and the difficulty of the assignment. We often react emotionally when we start to experience pressure at work. Some of us perceive pressure as a challenge while others might experience it as a threat. While emotions make it hard to think clearly and limit your ability to solve problems, know that it’s okay to feel the emotions. Transform them into the energy required to complete the task.
Make a Plan
Climbing a mountain seems impossible, but taking one-step forward is a much more manageable goal. Get the pressure you’re feeling out of your head and onto paper. Break it down into smaller tasks. Be specific. Assign a time frame for each of the steps. If possible, delegate tasks. Make notes about the process once the task is complete so you’ll have an even better plan the next time a similar situation occurs.
Cultivate Bravery
Sometimes, pressure appears seemingly out of nowhere. When something goes wrong you need to be brave. It’s time to change your thinking. Instead of choosing panic, recognize the problem and then tell yourself, “Well, that’s inconvenient, so it’s a good thing I have my notes and I’ve practiced for this situation.” Bravery comes from practice and experience. Imagine what could go wrong and develop some possible responses. Write them down. Visualize yourself completing the tasks in a calm and relaxed manner.
Take Care of Yourself
During times of high pressure it’s easy to get distracted and forget to take care of yourself. It’s at these times that you need to be most aware of your health. Avoid fast foods or unhealthy comfort foods. Eat a balanced diet, drink lots of water, schedule short breaks during the day, get plenty of sleep, and try to get some type of exercise everyday. It relieves stress, lowers your blood pressure, and improves your mood.
Check out other blogs full of business advice from Cydcor, including Building and Maintaining Customer Relationships.
Learn more about Cydcor by connecting to us on LinkedIn! https://www.linkedin.com/company/cydcor
Every morning as you prepare for the day you face a simple choice: how are you going to accept the big and the small obstacles that you encounter during the day? Will you let these challenges become impossible obstacles or will you think like an optimist and turn them into opportunities?
Optimism is the tool you need, and the good news is that it can be developed. To engage your optimism, you need to mature the ability to pause for a moment when you encounter an obstacle. During that pause, begin to reframe what you’re seeing. Learn how to see an obstacle as an opportunity. Optimism isn’t a gift you’re born with—you develop it with practice and eventually you will become an authentic optimist, ready for any opportunity.
Consider these 5 ways an optimistic attitude will create positive results in your life. Try one at a time. Remember that becoming an expert with a new tool takes practice.
Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance. - Eckhart Tolle
It feels good to start your day with a grateful attitude. Your attention moves from the negative to the positive. Consider the good things in your life and your successes; even the small things are important. At the end of the day, before you fall asleep, think of five things that you’re grateful for and feel the happiness they bring to your life.
What matters most is not what these obstacles are but how we see them, how we react to them, and whether we keep our composure.- Ryan Holiday
If you identify something as an obstacle, your mind will respond with ways to make repairs; That means your energy is heading in the wrong direction- toward the negative. When you correctly identify a task, assignment, or a deadline as an opportunity, you begin to activate your optimism and align your skills toward a positive outcome.
Learn more about what Cydcor does for clients and team members by watching our latest video on YouTube.
You do not need to be a victim of worry. Reduced to its simplest form, what is worry? It is simply an unhealthy and destructive mental habit. -Norman Vincent Peale
Low optimism is evident when you’re confronting feelings of anxiety and fear about the future, which often leads to rumination, a negative type of self-talk that imagines everything that could go wrong. An alternative to ruminating is imagining the positive. Create a movie in your head that visualizes your confident self, feeling powerful and achieving success.
People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude.- John C. Maxwell
Language defines our emotional state and creates the space in which we respond to a challenge. Instead of saying, “it’s impossible,” say, “it’s a challenge.” Shift your “no” toward “yes”. Stop complaining about personal problems and things that are getting you down. Greet the people you encounter with an optimistic response. If someone asks, “How are you?” Your response will be, “I’m doing great today.” Optimism is powerfully contagious and will make a great impression on the people you meet.
No one knows more about optimism than a Cubs fan. After waiting 104 years, it's our optimism, and not the winning, that binds us together. We really do believe the next year will be the year. -Grant DePorter
Begin to pay attention to sources of negativity in your life. Does listening to the nightly news lead you to feeling sad? Then find a commentator or writer who answers despair with hope and celebrates positive stories. Volunteer your time working on a cause that helps others. Cydcor provides employees with an opportunity to support Operation Smile. Joining a group that’s doing good means you’re making the choice to be around optimistic people. Eventually, their optimistic view of things will contribute to your success as your optimism also grows.
Cydcor is dedicated to helping business professionals take the next step in their careers. For additional blogs regarding business, leadership, and sales advice, head over to https://www.cydcor.com/media.
Sales professionals have a natural impulse to focus attention on developing new customer relationships in order to land new accounts. It’s a good impulse, but it’s one that you need to manage in order to maintain existing customer relationships.
At Cydcor, we’re interested in pursuing new opportunities, but we also understand that you can’t forget current customers in the pursuit of new possibilities. Customer relationships aren’t over once you close the sale. It’s the start of a long-term partnership that will benefit your company and your customer.
Here are some strategies for building—and maintaining—great customer relationships.
Remember Their Names
Whether you’re working with a small company or a large corporation you’ll be working with an individual—a person. He or she has a family, a birthday, a new child, or a feisty puppy. Get to know your customer. Include a few notes in your contact management system to help you remember personal details that distinguish them. Personal knowledge provides a way to start a sales conversation. Reach out on your customers’ special days and they’ll remember that you made an extra effort when they have to make purchasing decision.
Become a Solution Center
Offer your customers the resources they need to stay informed about changes, improvements, and up-dates in the service you provide. If your company offers a newsletter make sure that your customer knows about it. When you find articles, books, or webinars that might be useful to your customer remember to share them. Call out the information that will be valuable to them and their particular problems. They’ll appreciate that you personalized the information for them.
Monitor Customer Relationships with Social Media
Research by Zendesk says that 45% of customers shared bad customer experiences and only 30% shared good customer experiences on social media. This information is an important tool for building customer relationships. Follow your customers’ social media accounts on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Listen to what they’re saying and you’ll be able to fix any issues if they happen.
Customers Are Team Members
Include your customers in events that matter to them, to your company, and his or her company. If your department is hosting a networking event or is launching a new service make certain that your customer hears about it. When you’re working on improving your team’s internal processes get your customers’ feedback. Show them that you value their business and their professional expertise.
Keep up with the latest updates from Cydcor by following us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cydcor
A mentor is a guide and counselor who provides career advice and support. This relationship—also a process—often involves a younger person seeking out the guidance of a more experienced employee or supervisor.
In some cases, a mentor provides this service as way to do good or “pay it forward.” Perhaps someone in their past took the time to help them out in their career development, and to honor the kindness and help they received, they seek to share their abilities with someone new.
Some schools, companies, and social organizations may have formal mentorship programs that match a more experienced person with a less experienced person.
One of the keys to a successful mentor and mentee relationship is enthusiasm. You should only pursue start the process if you’re honestly interested in developing your professional skills and committed to paying attention to the lessons a mentor has to offer. Before you seek out a mentor, review your goals and expectations.
A Mentorship Self Review
What do you want to learn from a mentor?
A mentor could teach you about the qualities required to be a good leader. A mentor might also teach you a technical skill—how to master a piece of sophisticated software—that will also take time to learn. A mentor could coach you on professional skills related to sales and business. Before you approach a potential mentor you need to know what you expect to learn and communicate those expectations to your mentor.
Are you ready to go back to “school”?
Finding a mentor and improving your professional skills is a great idea. You need to listen to what your mentor says and do what they tell you to do. It’s a bit like being back in school because you must be willing to follow their orders. You have to do your “homework” or you’re wasting your time and—even worse—your mentor’s time.
Do you have the time to commit to learning something new right now? Calculate the amount of time you’ll work with your mentor weekly. Figure out how much time you’ll need to study and practice your new skills. You’re going to need to schedule time for reading and studying. To sum it all up—do you have time to work with a mentor and commit to learning a new skill?
Important Qualities to Look for in a Mentor
Wisdom This quality covers a lot of ground. You want to find someone with experience that relates to your career path. But, more than that, you want someone who has the ability to review their own experience and pick out lessons that are important to share. The mentor needs to be able to identify key lessons insights that you will be able to learn from.
Authentic Working with a mentor involves an honest exchange of information, questions and answers, and sharing experiences. You’ll learn about your mentor. Your mentor will learn about you. He or she should be interested in hearing about your experiences, interests, and questions. If your potential mentor is only interested in telling stories about their success, you won’t have an authentic experience. It’s a waste of your time.
Trustworthy Asking someone to become your mentor can be risky. You might approach someone who you’ve worked with closely in the past and whose character you understand. You may also recognize that there is a colleague from another department or someone you know from your professional community. Working with them in an honest way may require that you confide in them and share some of your professional ideas and work experiences. Is the mentor you have in mind worthy of your trust?
Engaged You’re selecting a mentor based on their knowledge and experience. You’ll benefit most from a mentor whose experience is informed by a complete understanding of past and current practices in your industry. You want to improve your skills and build your mastery of a skill or process. This isn’t a history lesson. Your mentor must be engaged, open-minded, and love learning just as much as you do.
Learn more about Cydcor and what we do by checking out our latest videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Cydcor
Recent research has revealed that people perform better at work and in life if we practice strategic renewal. If you’re rundown you’re more susceptible to getting sick and miss days from work.
You need to get more sleep during the week, scheduling daytime workouts, eat healthy foods, and enjoy rest and relaxation away from the office with your team members whenever possible.
These simple changes in behavior are guaranteed to improve your attitude about work your performance at work—and maybe even your beach volleyball skills.
Humans aren’t designed to run on high level without having a period of rest and relaxation. You need a time for renewal. It allows you to relax and rejuvenate your mind and body.
That’s why Cydcor’s R&R Cancun 2015 is such an important event. It celebrates your accomplishments and reminds us all that we need to take a moment to stop and smell the frangipani.
Here are some of the specific benefits of rest and relaxation whether you’re on the beach or in your own backyard:
Restores your energy: You need to recharge you batteries in order perform at peak effectiveness throughout the day. Rest and relaxation is part of your work cycle and taking advantage of it whenever possible will improve your productivity.
Repairs your body: Our bodies repair themselves from daily wear and tear when we rest. Rest and relaxation reduces stress and improves overall health. You’ll be able to easily work a full day.
Improves your focus: An active mind gets tired just like an active body. Including time to quiet your thoughts and letting your mind rest is part of the healing process. You’ll improve your ability to concentrate and problem solve at work.
Improves your mood: Relaxation makes you feel happier. When you choose to think about things that make you feel good, you’ll discover that you actually feel more positive about the challenges you face at work. You’ll begin to see obstacles as opportunities.
Increases your creativity: Too much stress and activity often disconnect you from your creative potential. Rest and relaxation will allow you to regenerate as an individual and as a team. Your ability to create and innovate as a team member and as a cohesive group will be improved when you return to work.
Keep up with the latest posts from R&R 2015 by following Cydcor on Instagram! https://instagram.com/cydcor/
Is your glass half full, or is it half empty?
Before you answer this question, take a moment to think about what you’re being asked. The standard response from a traditional optimist is that the glass is half full.
Pessimists also provide an expected answer and observe that the glass is half empty. But an authentic optimist, one who’s been improving his or her performance at work and in life, will simply say, “I’m thankful that I have a glass.”
You see, the authentic optimist has developed the ability to see the details in the situations and challenges the encounter every day. They have learned to recognize opportunity and respond with originality tempered with a bit of audacity. Optimism has a lot of benefits—one of them is original thinking.
Optimism isn’t a trick. It’s not a gift, either. It’s something you can learn. It’s a skill you must learn if you want to develop your career and build success. At its best, optimism is a way of life. Are you ready to embrace it fully?
You may have been taught that to be an optimistic person you must “hope for the best.” Actually, those are two different things. Hoping for the best leads to passive decision making - you will sit where you are until something good happens. But you may be sitting in the wrong place. When something good happens on the next street over, you’ll miss it entirely because you misunderstood optimism.
Optimism is a state of mind, a decision, and a daily practice. As you begin to cultivate your own personal optimism you’ll begin to see that it’s not a magic bean or a book of spells. Optimism is a point of view. It’s learning how to see that each challenge you face at work, on the road, on the phone, and at home, presents you with an invitation and an opportunity to achieve your goals.
Now, it’s easy to see bad news and difficulty. Even some optimistic people may see that the glass is half empty. But authentic optimistic people have developed their skills to achieve and expect success. They never stop looking once they notice that the glass is half empty. An optimist sees that there are choices to be made and opportunities to be considered.
Even if you’ve been born with a friendly personality, you may find yourself stuck when you’re in a situation that requires you to start a casual conversation. If you’re a naturally quiet person, these social situations might be uncomfortable experiences. When you’re nervous you lose your confidence and find it difficult to focus. Follow these suggestions and learn how to turn small talk into a new skill!
Don’t Just Say Hello!
Saying hello is a standard introduction during a social encounter. It works, but it leaves the conversation with no place to go. Instead, get the conversation rolling with adding open-ended questions.
Small Talks Needs a Big Brain and a Big Attentions Span
Once you’ve asked an open-ended question, pay attention to what the person is saying. At the same time, think of one or two follow up questions based on what the speaker says. Pay attention to their eyes and facial expressions. You can nod your head to show that you’re listening. It’s okay to smile, laugh, or become serious depending on the conversation. When there’s a natural pause in the conversation, make a comment and ask another leading question. If you get nervous, just take deep breaths and try again.
Common Interests Build Common Ground
As you continue your conversation, you’ll discover shared professional interests and concerns, which will help you build a conversational connection. If you’re attending a business conference, you have the topics related to your business in common. This can be a great confidence builder when it comes to improving your casual conversation skills.
Know When It’s Time to Go
After a certain amount of time, you will know that you’ve reached the end of your conversation. At that time, let your contact know that you have other people to speak to. Simply say, “I’ve really enjoyed speaking to you, and I appreciate all the information you shared and getting to know more about your business. Here’s my card. Can I have your business card too?”
If you say that you’re going to follow up or provide some kind of information—do it. That’s how you turn small talk into big success—one conversation at a time.