Hey Team, sorry for the late post. I've been struggling with what to post out here. Someone sent me this today from Pat Williams (NBA General Manager and VP). I thought it as worth sharing and honestly, good lessons in life as well as in business.
Author: Pat Williams (NBA General Manager and Vice President)
Title: Winners Vs Losers
When a winner makes a mistake, he says, "I was wrong;"
When a loser makes a mistake, he says, "It wasn't my fault."
A winner works harder than a loser and has more time;
A loser is always "too busy" to do what is necessary.
A winner goes through a problem;
A loser goes around it, and never gets past it.
A winner makes commitments;
A loser makes promises.
A winner says, "I'm good, but not as good as I ought to be:"
A loser says, "I'm not as bad as a lot of other people."
A winner listens;
A loser just waits until it's his turn to talk.
A winner respects those who are superior to him and tries to learn something from them;
A loser resents those who are superior to him and tries to find chinks in their armor.
A winner feels responsible for more than his job;
A loser says, "I only work here."
A winner says, "There ought to be a better way to do it;"
A loser says, "That's the way it's always been done here"
Do you keep this stuff in mind as you go about your day? Making decisions that are best for you or for the business?
On a personal note, I really like the, "I only work here" phrase!
Have a good one,
Joe
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8 comments:
Joe;
A great article! I am going to post it in my staff areas. It will be interesting to see the "written" comments that it gets.
Anyway; the "it's the way we have always done it" statement is something that absolutely drives me crazy...Change is scary for so many people; but even thinking about the possibility of a different way to do something and it can send some people into absolute orbit!
So to be a little creative,
I will ad my own statement to this: "a winner seeks innovative thinkers and surrounds themselves with them; a loser ridicules and looks upon those who are creative with disdain and mistrust".
These sayings are very positive to keep in the work place and should be kept in mind as we make decisions on a daily basis. I think we as employees don’t keep these things in mind enough, and we are happy to just get through the day. I think these types of mantras need to be committed to by both employees and the organization as well.
As employees we should commit to excellence, and treat the job with more than an “I only work here” mentality. Organizations need to meet employees half way though and create an environment with a compelling direction, supportive structure, with expert coaching, and create an expectation that excellence is expected daily.
My personal favorite from the list is “A winner respects those who are superior to him and tries to learn something from them; A loser resents those who are superior to him and tries to find chinks in their armor,” because each of us brings some unique talents to work, and to truly become a great team we need to tap into each of those talents and use them to achieve maximum performance.
Chris
Excellent...I believe most would do well to adopt the "winner" mentaliity depicted in the post.
As a form of self assessment, it wmight be interesting to ask ourselves how many of the "loser" thought we each fell prey to recently...not just at work, but at home, school, etc.
Leadership is many things including attitude...striving to carry a "winning" attitude in all facets of our lives would surely make impact!
Melissa
Melissa, you are so right. I'm reading the book "God is my CEO". It is so awsome. I've had to ask myself "Do I do that"?
We are so involved in the bottom line we lose focus of what is really important and what guides us to be great leaders and winners.
Thanks Joe! "That's my partner"
Mariann
Wow, I really didnt expect positive feedback from my post. Glad you all took something away from it. Melissa mentioned how much of the loser "mentality" we have recently fell prey to. When I first read the Winner vs Loser poem I could certainly identify with some of the loser actions. So I printed it out and posted it above my phone on the wall. A good reminder to keep close to me.
-Joe
Excellent Joe.
These are definitely life lessons, and not just business ones. I am going to send this to the Executive Management at my company, and other managers, as well.
Melissa's point is well taken. Self assessment is a necessity if we want to improve.
Mariann, I like your choice of books. Sounds like an interesting read. May I borrow it when you're done?
John
Good stuff Joe. The one that seems to be most prevalent these days is "It's not my fault" Too many people don't take responsibility for their actions and try to blame someone else or something else. Also, a winner can see a problem as an opportunity; a loser tries to ignore it and hope it will go away.
Gary
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