TipsForSuccess: Flowing Power

TipsForSuccess: Flowing Power
 
 

 


Flowing Power

To succeed you need power.

What do we mean by power? It can include the amount of money and property you control. The number of people who you influence. The groups or businesses you control. The number of people in positions of power who listen to you. The size of your game.

So how do you get more power? In most cases, you have to get your power from others. And how you treat them determines the amount of power you get.

For example, Mr. Green is the CEO of a successful book publishing company in New York City. He is retiring and needs to recommend a new CEO to the Board of Directors. Mr. Green's two best managers are Steve, who runs the printing division, and Melissa, who runs the editing division.

Steve has wanted to run the company for years. He tells his staff, "Someday, I'll be running things and we'll come out of the dark ages. Mr. Green's a nice guy and all that, but he's old."

Melissa is also interested in the CEO job. She tells her staff, "Mr. Green is an outstanding leader. He's taught me a great deal. If I run things, I'll try to be like Mr. Green."

Steve likes to disagree with Mr. Green. "You don't want me to be a yes-man do you Mr. Green? We can't always do things your way. I have better ideas."

Melissa prefers to support Mr. Green. "Tell me what you want done and I'll take care of it for you."

Steve is shocked when Mr. Green recommends Melissa for the CEO position.

Your Powers

Who are your "powers"? Who do you depend on for your success? Certainly your boss, but also your customers, colleagues, advisors, leaders of other groups you belong to, influential friends or others.

Everyone depends on others for their power. Bosses depend on their staff. Fathers and children depend on mothers. Young politicians depend on senior politicians as well as voters and financial contributors.

Make a list of those who you depend on for your success. People who can help you or hurt you. These are your "powers."

Now examine how you treat these powers. Do you build them up or drag them down? Do you make them more powerful or less powerful. Do you give them ease or give them stress?

How you treat people on whose power you depend may have more to do with your success than you realize.

Pushing Power

"Always push power in the direction of anyone on whose power you depend. It may be more money for the power or more ease or a snarling defense of the power to a critic."

"If you work like that and the power you are near or depend upon is a power that has at least some inkling* about how to be one and if you make others work like that, then the power-factor expands and expands and expands and you too acquire a sphere of power bigger than you would have if you worked alone."
- L. Ron Hubbard
(*inkling: a slight idea)

Some movie actors find it hard to share the spotlight. They think they will get ahead if they criticize others. When talking about a movie director, they say things like, "He was the toughest director I've ever worked for" or "She and I had artistic differences." These actors are often out of work.

When John Travolta was promoting his movie Pulp Fiction, he spent most of his time complimenting and thanking writer/director, Quentin Tarantino. John praised Quentin during hundreds of interviews. Who was John flowing power to? What happened to John's career? It exploded! He became one of the busiest, best-paid actors in history.

Have you heard about assistants, secretaries and clerks who become millionaires? These workers flowed power to their bosses. These powers hit it big. Since most bosses have an "inkling" of how to be a power, they share their success with those who help them succeed.

Employees who bite the hand that feeds them are soon looking for work. Staff who do not defend their bosses when their bosses are attacked often see their workplace become stressful and unpleasant. Managers who do nothing while their company's owners have financial problems can forget their bonuses and job security.

On the other hand, if you flow power to your powers, you make them happier and more successful. These powers then have the means and desire to help you. They can give you promotions, raises, freedom, responsibilities and opportunities you would not otherwise receive. They can help you succeed in more ways than anyone else you know.

Ten Suggestions for Flowing Power to Your Powers

1. Do a better job for your power than he or she expects. Surprise him or her with fast completions, incredible production and amazing results.

2. Support the power's ideas and requests as much as possible.

3. When the power offers you more responsibility, grab it. Do not hesitate or worry about the pay.

4. Give your powers the information they need. Hide bad news you are sure they don't need to know. If you need to tell the power about a problem, include a solution as well. Better yet, solve the problem so you can relay the problem and the fact that it is now solved.

5. If you see your power is making a mistake, help him or her. Give him or her the key information along with suggestions and solutions.

6. Never miss a chance to make a gesture of support. For example, insist on paying for the meal you share with a power, even if he or she is wealthier than you. Never forget the power's birthday. Be generous with your time and favors.

7. If you hear criticism about one of your powers, jump in and defend him or her. Change negative attitudes and encourage others to support your power.

8. If your power is under stress, do what you can to reduce that stress. Help him or her become cheerful and optimistic.

9. If one of your powers is being attacked, take some of the heat. Get in front of your power and fight back.

10. If one of your powers does not have an inkling of how to be a power, find another power to support.

If you work like this, sooner or later, you will find you are a bigger power than ever before.


Provided by TipsForSuccess.org as a public service to introduce you to the technology of L. Ron Hubbard.

Copyright © 2004 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard.

For books by L. Ron Hubbard, additional articles or information about TipsForSuccess.org, click here.

To contact us, click here.

TipsForSuccess: What To Do When You Feel Outraged

TipsForSuccess: What To Do When You Feel Outraged
 

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What to Do When You Feel Outraged

Getting angry is the correct response in some situations. Yet blowing up and overreacting can ruin your relationships and future success.

"WHY ARE YOU TELLING EVERYONE THAT I'M UNFAIR!"

"WHO STOLE MY PEN!"

"YOU DID WHAT? WHAT? WHAT?"

Some people hide their anger, but eventually explode. "He makes me mad every day, but I never say anything. Then today he called my mother a cow and I happened to have a pipe in my hand and . . . "

Jumping to the wrong conclusion can also hurt your future success. "She never called me back so I guess she doesn't want to do our deal. SHE'S AN IDIOT!! I WON'T EVER WORK WITH HER AGAIN!!"

Great Advice for Anger

"Listen and question before you decide you're outraged." -- L. Ron Hubbard

By listening and questioning, you find the correct problem and see a better solution. For example, "You missed our meeting because your car broke down? Sorry to hear that. My husband happens to sells cars and can help you . . ."

By listening and questioning, you get angry at the person who deserves it, not everyone in the vicinity. "Has anyone seen my laptop? Joe took it? Okay, thanks."

Give it a try!

 


Provided by TipsForSuccess.org as a public service to introduce you to the technology of L. Ron Hubbard.

Copyright © 2004 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard.

For books by L. Ron Hubbard, additional articles or information about TipsForSuccess.org, click here.

 

TipsForSuccess: The Need for Speed

TipsForSuccess: The Need for Speed

Blog Archive


The Need for Speed

How long do you wait for a haircut? For a table at a restaurant? For your car to be repaired?

How long does it take before you get irritated?

How do you feel when you receive instant service?

"You want your kitchen remodeled? We can finish by next week."

"Hello! You don't have time to sit as the doctor is ready to see you now."

"You need a new driver's license? Okay. Stand here for your photo. Here's your license. Have a nice day!"

One of the worst things you can do to people is make them wait. After five minutes they become uncomfortable. In ten minutes they are unhappy. In fifteen they are irritable. After twenty, they decide to leave.

There is no benefit in making people wait. They do not think, "Boy, Robbie is really important, really busy, really in demand!" Instead, they think, "Robbie isn't very organized. Or maybe Robbie doesn't think I'm very important."

"To prosper, service must be as close to instant as possible."

"Anything which stops or delays the flows of a business or delays or puts a customer or product on WAIT is an enemy of that business."
-- L. Ron Hubbard

Any business that delivers fast service, or can quickly make products, takes over the industry. For example, McDonalds gives you hot food in one minute, Jiffy Lube changes your car oil in ten minutes and Lenscrafters makes your glasses in an hour. All three companies have made their owners and executives wealthy because they give fast service.

The same principle works for you. Whenever you make a customer wait, your boss wait or even a coworker wait, you are hurting your income.

For example, a lazy waiter makes a hungry customer wait for ten minutes before taking his order and gets a $1 tip. The same customer gives a $5 tip to a waitress who takes his order within thirty seconds. With 40 customers per day, the fast waitress earns $800 more in tips each week because she gives very fast service. The restaurant also makes more money as customers use a table for 45 minutes instead of 60 minutes meaning more customers can be served each week.

You open a small print shop, but cannot get enough work to pay your bills. So you use this principle about speed and advertise, "We will finish any print job in 24 hours." Within a week, you have ten new jobs. Even though you work all night, you steal the competitor's business and take over the field. You can soon charge extra fees for your 24-hour service.

Your boss asks you and two of your coworkers to gather your statistics for the past six months. You bring it to your boss in an hour. One of your coworkers brings it by the end of the week and the other coworker forgets about it. If you are consistently fast, who will the boss want to give more responsibility and pay? Who might get laid off?

If you wish to succeed and prosper, you must be fast!

Five Planning Steps

Ask yourself these questions to create your plan of action.

1. Exactly what do you do or produce to earn money? If you run a business, how does the business make its money?

2. List every step of the process you use. Look for every delay. Where does the flow slow down?

3. How can you speed up these points? How can you achieve nearly instant service or delivery?

4. Who is waiting for you? Of these people, who has any influence over your success?

5. How can you break all speed records and give these people what they need instantly?
 


Provided by TipsForSuccess.org as a public service to introduce you to the technology of L. Ron Hubbard.

Copyright © 2004 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard.

For books by L. Ron Hubbard, additional articles or information about TipsForSuccess.org, click here.