Damien B Education, General Life, Leadership, Team Building

A Culture of Ambition

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As a father of two, the quality of my children’s education both academically and socially is at the top of my priority list.  As I sit waiting on a flight, and begin reading Emily King’s book “Field Tested” I am reminded of a conversation I had with my wife.

After exiting the military and leaving Camp Pendleton and the accompanying Oceanside, CA public school system, my son began school in a NYC Public Elementary School in The Bronx, NY.  Needless to say, he immediately noticed a difference, and he was in the first grade.  We expected a culture change, and perhaps methodology, but I have begun to notice something else is not just different, but missing.

The Marine Corps is full of A-type, competitive personalities that enjoy pushing each other to be better.  Where one isn’t faulted for an inability, but if they aren’t in an active effort to be better.  That culture… a culture of ambition is translated to the children of service members – especially the children of Marines 😉  However, sadly enough, I don’t see that same culture of ambition in my son’s (and now daughter’s) elementary school. A culture of ambition is exactly what drives individuals to perform beyond expectations – in any setting, school, work, recreation or otherwise.

Usually I like to propose a solution before ending an article, but as I sit, awaiting my flight – this is something I need to think about more.  Where did the Culture of Ambition go?  More importantly, how does one, a team, or an organization develop, maintain and nourish a Culture of Ambition?

Your thoughts are encouraged!

Damien B Education, General Life, Leadership, Skill Building, Veterans Transition

Can I Ring Your Bell?

NYSE Euronext celebrates 2nd Annual Veteran Associates Program
NYSE Euronext celebrates 2nd Annual Veteran Associates Program – Photo Credit to Ben Hider at Ben Hider Photography

Through an initial vision, or a Call-to-Action of NYSE Euronext CEO, Duncan Niederauer – the NYSE developed the Veteran’s Associate Program.  After Niederauer’s idea was relayed to the Human Resources department, a program was developed from the ground up and implemented for the first time in June 2012.  The program offers a paid internship to Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces who are currently seeking or have recently received a degree.  It provides key exposure, education and experience in the corporate world to Veterans.  The Veterans, effectively demonstrate their value by demonstrating the high-value, highly sought after, intangible traits they have developed during their military careers.  These are the same traits that have made Veteran Specific recruitment a multi-million dollar industry for multiple agencies across the nation.

Now that there is some perspective, I wanted to boast a little bit about an amazing experience.  I also wanted to include the first ever, YouTube videos on LifebyDamien.com.  Below you will find the recordings of U.S. Military Veterans ringing the closing bell of the New York Stock Exchange.  You can find me in the July 5th closing, front and center as I push the button to ring the bell and my adjacent colleague strikes the gavel.

I have included all 3 closing bell ceremonies as participants of the 2013 Veteran Associate Program were part of, if not the entirety of each bell ringing.  Lastly, I have included a brief video documenting the 2012 Veteran Associate Program’s Inaugural class, and their closing bell ceremony.

Learn more about the Veteran Associate Program, and how to create a Value-driving program in your organization at the NYSE Veteran Programs and Initiatives page.

July 10th, 2013 – Celebrating the Veteran Associate Program 2013

July 5th, 2013 – Celebrating the Veteran Associate Program 2013

June 14th, 2013 – Celebrating the U.S. Army 238th Birthday with Members of the VAP 2013

As promised, Celebrating the Inaugural Veteran Associate Program, July 5th, 2012

Damien B Consulting, General Life, Leadership, Philanthropy, Veterans Transition

A New Approach to Veteran’s Transitions – Fire and Maneuver

Deltas Walking
My Last Day in Uniform along side my Transition Support Team.

While I decide on the next series of articles for LifebyDamien, I wanted to give an update on the world of Damien Bertolo as it will affect the focus of the next series of articles.

As those of you who follow are aware, I was working to build a Veteran Recruitment Division for a Staffing Agency in Manhattan.  While continuing on with that division is no longer in the immediate future plans for that agency, I have been debating the depth at which I will continue to move forward with it.  As it stands, I intend to work on two “fronts”.  First, I will focus my efforts, as an Independent Consultant, to help employers develop hiring, and on-boarding programs that will provide opportunities to Veterans. Second, I will use my own personal time, at no charge (in sort of an unofficial, self-funded NFP function) to aid Veterans who are transitioning out of the military.

Currently, I will be working for the New York Stock Exchange as in Independent Consultant, aiding (while also learning) in their Talent Acquisition of qualified candidates for needed roles.  I am very excited to be offered this opportunity as it provides benefits to me on MANY fronts!

To continue consulting additional organizations, I want to move away from Talent Acquisition, aka Recruiting, in an operational function.  Instead of giving employers “fish” when they are hungry, I want to give them the pole, line and tackle box.  From those I have talked to, it seems employers don’t have a solid grasp on how to identify the solid Veteran Talent, how to interview Combat Veterans, what to look for, what to dismiss, and what to keep.  I’d like to help employers develop their HR functions to be able to do all of the above, successfully.  This way they will see the direct, short and long-term value that the unique traits offered by Veterans provide to an organization.  Then they can continue with their efforts long after I am gone and WITHOUT having to pay a recruiter fee each time they are seeking a qualified Veteran to add to their organization.

As a Not-For-Profit function, I haven’t decided on a name, but I am thinking “DPB Transitions” might be it.  I have already done it before, and I’d like to position myself to do even more of it in an official capacity.  I want to help Veterans see the smoothest of transitions to the “civilian world” as possible.  In an effort to do so, I intend to offer my knowledge learned in HR, recruiting, and professional development to pass on to Vets, so they aren’t reinventing the wheel.  I will offer my help, and my network to any Vet transitioning.  This includes but is not limited to, Networking, Resume Construction (not just a template, but actually understanding the coded 8.5” x 11” grail), Interview Prep, Salary Negotiations, Professional Development, Life Coaching and any additional odds and ends that help the Veteran stay focused on a successful mission of transition.

Why do I think my two-laned approach will work?  Simple – this is Fire and Maneuver, not Attrition, nor Fire and Movement.  When a Recruiting Agency markets their military talent, they offer it one time, with one success per contract, and more importantly, one fee.  They will seek through as many candidates as possible until they find one that “makes it through the lines” and gets placed (Attrition, or maybe Fire and Movement if actually done well).

I will develop a sense of employers’ needs, through consulting and developing their HR functions with the ability to seek, screen and on-board Veterans. This gives me a look at the clients’ positions.  In Military tactics jargon – I’m turning the map around.  Then, I am in touch with Military Talent, Veterans eager to be of value to society.  I am able to help them, and guide them, with the insider’s view of the other side of the “battlefield”.  Then, Employers can trust I will refer quality talent to them, without any fees per hire.  I pin down the employers needs as a Consultant; and I aid the Veterans to move around and penetrate their lines (get hired) as a NPO – Fire and Maneuver.

Advice, support and resources to recommend are always appreciated!

Don’t forget, find me at: Damien B on LinkedIn or on Twitter @Mr_DamienB

Damien B General Life, Leadership, Marketing, Veterans Transition

My Personal Brand Part III (From a Brand You Are Given to a Brand You Will Name)

My Personal Brand Part III (Veterans transitioning; from a brand you are given to a Brand you will name)

To conclude my three-part series of “My Personal Brand”, let’s discuss how the dynamics of personal branding changes for U.S. Military Veterans – or at least from my experience.  In the “civilian world”, when it comes to Branding, differentiation is critical.  Without differentiation, your brand is weak and you are not much more than a commodity in your industry – just another number.  In the military, differentiation is largely frowned upon.  Members of the military are the epitome of conformity and uniformity. The only approved and sought after differentiation supported and condoned is that which is based on merit and performance.  It is okay to stand out because your performance is above that of your peers.  Beyond that – don’t try to be different.

To the public eye, a Marine, in or out of uniform is first and foremost a Marine.  Your attributes, both good and bad are first accredited to the Marine Corps and THEN you are considered as a person.  In the Corporate World, an employee’s attributes are accredited FIRST to his personal brand and THEN to his organization.  This is a vital shift in perspective and dynamics that must be understood by Transitioning Veterans.  A Veteran can no longer assume that being part of a successful organization will result in the assumption that he or she is successful as a person.  Rather, an organization will look at your personal brand, and if your brand will contribute to the organization’s success.  From that point forward, your actions will define a brand that is associated with you.  Do you care about money? Do you care about philanthropy?  Can you be trusted? Are you good at your job? Are you dependable?  Anything you do will shape, mold and detail your brand both personally and professionally and you are the SOLE PROPRIETOR responsible for all operations, execution and public relations regarding “I Incorporated” branding.

Professionally, there are two major areas to develop in your brand: Skills and Traits.  This is an idea I came up with while building the Veteran’s Recruiting Division (an architecture I will be using to help Veterans transition).  Skills are those abilities that we can learn in class, through practice, and are taught – often in an academic environment.  One can be taught out to add, type, send emails, develop databases, etc.  There are MS Office skills, athletic skills, software development, writing code, completing a SWOT analysis, folding a t-shirt, etc.  Traits cannot be taught in a classroom.  Traits are embedded abilities, developed over time and speak to a person’s character.  These are abilities that have to be ingrained  trained over time and reinforced through habit and ultimately retained through confidence in their importance to the quality of one’s personal brand.  To give a specific example, the Marine Corps has what they call “14 Leadership Traits”:

–          Judgment

–          Justice

–          Dependability

–          Integrity

–          Decisiveness

–          Tact

–          Initiative

–          Endurance

–          Bearing

–          Unselfishness

–          Courage

–          Knowledge

–          Loyalty

–          Enthusiasm

Having favorable strength in these areas is not something one can build in a classroom.  Traits are force multipliers that vastly improve the efficacy of skill.  The fiscal investment needed to build or develop traits like those listed is far more extensive than any certificate course.  Traits are what Veterans bring to the table. Traits are what Veterans, and most Employers alike, don’t know how to translate in a resume.  It is these traits that will be the guide for Veterans to build their personal brands upon.  Understanding the traits and applying them accordingly is what will build the individual brands of Veterans.  These traits are differentiators.  These traits make skills much easier to acquire and to sharpen.

Skills may provide immediate benefit, and the first 90-days of a job opportunity, but TRAITS are what employers and organizations are truly betting on and will determine success beyond the short-term.  Skills are also the medium in which traits are demonstrated. So it is also important for anyone who is trying to display or build their brand to understand, you may have to invest in your own ability to translate your value through appropriate skills.

Veterans – please remember:  You went from being in a scenario where everything you did gave credit to a brand you were PART OF.  Now you are in a scenario where everything you do DEFINES the brand which YOU are.  Also, trust that the contributions you made to your Service Brand have developed the traits that now define YOUR brand.

Damien B General Life, Leadership, Marketing

My Personal Brand Part II (Live by the sword, die by the sword)

“My Personal Brand Part II – Live by the sword, die by the sword”… or do you?

When Marketers, Public Relations Professionals, and the entertainment and sales industry in general speak about brand, they speak about the image of any one entity. Don’t they?  Yes, yes they do – much as I described in Part I.  There are many things that go into building a brand, and actions of that entity is one of them.  Media, be it internet, television, print, or even word of mouth, is an major avenue – a super highway – for communicating actions to the public. Talent aside (and in many cases not even needed) for those in the entertainment industry, the media is also the vehicle to success.

When you use a vehicle to get to work, and you are dependent on that vehicle to get you there – aren’t you also responsible for the maintenance and less glorified aspects of vehicle ownership?  Are you exempt from the oil changes?  Getting Gas?  Getting it washed?  What about getting a flat tire – as inconvenient as it might be, do you not still have to change it or call a tow?  Of course, we have to – it’s our vehicle to well-being, allows up to put food on the table and gets us to where we need to be in order to do our job successfully.  Does anyone ever look down on you for taking care of your vehicle?  Are you less successful because you had a flat tire?  I’ve never heard someone lose credibility for taking care of their vehicle.  I’ve never heard of anyone losing credibility because they had to take on the expenses of their vehicle for the sake of the benefits.  I have however seen people lose credibility because they felt they should be exempt for the expenses and deserved to still have the benefits.  If you stop putting oil in your car’s engine – no matter how great you are at your job, your vehicle will stop, and will not get you to work.

Case in point: Beyoncé.  She is an entertainer; media is her vehicle to success.  Media is not her job, rather singing and dancing is.  Through media, her vehicle, she has developed a brand which has allowed her to do additional branding and expand her brand and credibility.  She can definitely sing, and I haven’t heard an argument that could prove otherwise.

Round 1. – At the inauguration, she lip-synced the national anthem.  Be the circumstances what they were, I am not arguing whether that was smart or not.  However, when she chose not to address the allegations, and initially tried to pull it off allowing others to assume she sang live – she was neglecting her vehicle.  Had she tended to her vehicle immediately, it would not have been nearly the story.  But she didn’t, and like a tire low on air, it only gets worse.  She finally addressed it, but by the time she did, it was like changing a tire on the side of the road, when all she would have needed if done promptly, was put air in the tire.

Round 2. – Beyonce put on a great show at the Super Bowl half-time show.  After the Super Bowl was done and passed, a rather unflattering photo of her started to grow presence on the internet.  Again, Media, being her vehicle to success was in need of maintenance.  It’s fair to say, anyone who is in entertainment has had less than flattering pictures published, and they continue on. Especially of entertainers in the midst of a performance – it happens.  And there is nothing wrong with it.  It is a cost of maintaining the vehicle.  In this instance, Beyoncé (as has been rumored to happen in the past) went on a PR campaign to ask and persuade any website from hosting the picture.  In this, Beyoncé did not feel she was subject to the same costs of her vehicle, and that she shouldn’t have to bare it. She wanted someone else to do it. She wanted those who use the internet and ratings to take a hit on THEIR behalf for the sake of her benefit.  Sure, we’ve all asked for a ride from friends to get to work.  But how does it look when you have to ask for a colleague to drive you to work and drive out of their way – just because you don’t want to drive your car in the rain?

If you expect to reap the benefits of something, you have to accept the costs and responsibilities.  The moment you feel that you should be exempt from those responsibilities – you will start a slow deterioration of your brand – er… vehicle.  I think it would have come off better if Beyonce just made fun of her own picture – much the way Gov. Chris Christie ate a jelly filled donut on Letterman’s show.  Do I think her asking to have the picture taken down makes her any less talented? No.  But do I think it showed neglect and disrespect for her vehicle – same vehicle that has allowed her become the brand she has? Absolutely.

Know your brand, and respect the vehicles that have built it for you.  As soon as you lose respect for the vehicles you travel in, and the paths you’ve had to travel them on, you will lose credibility in your brand – don’t leave you brand counting on the jump-start of a passer-by.

 

Thoughts?

Stay tuned next week for Part III – Veterans transitioning; From a Brand You are Given, to a Brand You Will Name)

Damien B General Life, Leadership, Marketing, Skill Building

“I Incorporated” – What’s Your Brand?

My personal Brand Part I (Part I – of a three part series)

I was introduced to a concept called “I Incorporated” during my final year of college by one of my business professors, David Bennett.  It was mentioned often in our Career Development class.  Now, I had a concept of what it was before he mentioned it, but I didn’t have a title or a real grasp of it until then.  Since, I have found myself to be a very conscious purveyor of personal branding, or what “I Inc.” is referring to.

Branding is largely what differentiates products that would be commodities based on the consumers experience with that brand.  Or is it that unique experiences received by consumers through actively differentiating products that would be otherwise be commodities is “Branding”?  Maybe it works both ways.  For the sake of this article, the most important concept of branding in the larger sense is that Companies…ahem… successful companies, actively seek to provide their consumers with unique experiences through the companies’ products as an act of branding, in order to garner product and further, brand loyalty. The difficult thing about Personal Branding is regardless of what you say, your actions will constantly provide your audience data/information that will be used to make a conclusion about YOUR brand.

Jim Joseph, a Finalist for the 2013 PR News Social Media Icon of the Year Award, has a great series of books known as, “The Experience Effect” (you can see them listed here under Recommended Reading).  I believe a 3rd part to the series will be out soon enough.  Joseph starts the series with The Experience Effect with large scale branding.  The Experience Effect for Small Businesses is, well, self-explanatory.  The third – as I anticipate will follow the trend – and is sure to give great input on “I Incorporated”.

With this I ask: What do YOU want to be remembered for?  That is part of a brand isn’t it?  When you think of a brand, you don’t think of what they DO; you recall what you REMEMBER them for!

Let’s try it:

BP?…

Xyience?…

Exxon-Valdez?…

Coca-Cola?…

FEMA? …

Johnny Knoxville? …

Alright, the first things I recall: BP – Gulf Oil Spill, gas & snacks; Xyience – UFC, working out; Exxon-Valdez – Oil Spill in Alaska, Questionable drilling practices in South America; Coca-Cola – Caravan of lit-up Coca-Cola trucks, Polar bears, Christmas and great with Rum; FEMA – Have they ever figured out how to do their job? & Katrina; Johnny Knoxville – Jackass.

You might have had different experiences, so the brand associated with each figure or name may be different.  I venture to say that the more successful companies are both better at translating the same brand experience consistently AND better at making each individual experience unique – but still consistent with the branding they desire.

A Brand can have a positive or negative effect.  Clearly, when thinking of personal branding, we cannot afford a negative effect.  This is something I think about in my daily activities, my projects, my efforts, and my goals.  What am I doing that I can influence that is will build my brand?  Well, a good solid base is something I and my peers like to call, “being a good dude”.  Now, what do I want to be known for? Well – reliability, determination, drive…

I know that my brand will be incorporated in anything I do, and it drives me to do even better.  Every person I meet, every interaction I have, and most importantly every action or inaction I take and whether it coincides with what I say, is a reflection of my brand.  What will people remember of me? What do they recall when they think of LifebyDamien.com?  What feelings does my name provoke in others?  How am I, and how WILL I be remembered?  Needless to say, I have a lot of personal branding to do – and it is never over.

I look forward to building the Veteran Recruitment Division at Creative Solutions Services, and I know its brand, as a tool for Veterans and Corporations alike will be based largely, on the my personal brand – until it takes on a brand of its own.  I am leveraging my own brand, to gain initial support for this new product, this new brand.  My leverage will only go so far.  Even more so, if the VRD brand does not prove successful, my personal brand will take a hit.  If the VRD brand does grow to be successful, as will my personal brand grow in reliability.

Stay tuned for “My Personal Brand Part II” as we discuss “intent vs. result” and examine choices some have made to protect their brand and how the efforts turned out.   Then to conclude, “My Personal Brand Part III” as we discuss the conflict and what Veterans Need to be aware of as the dynamics of “I Inc.” change upon leaving the Military.

Damien B General Life, Leadership, Marketing

My Next Big Project – Veteran Recruitment Division

***UPDATE 3/18 *** There has been a major change.  However, I do not want to “change history” so to speak. So my original article will remain as is.  I will simply provide an update here.  After completing the Business Architecture for the Veteran Recruitment Division at CSS, the company made the decision not to invest in the expansion, and has ceased it’s formal Veteran Recruiting initiatives. With that, I am no longer working with the organization.  It may have not been the right time – and luckily for the Veterans I have been working with, we were able to identify that early in the process.  The good news is:  I will continue with the architecture I have built and use it to work with Veterans, and feverishly offer my consultation services to employers seeking to develop Veterans on-boarding programs.  With that, if you are struggling in your transition or know a Vet who is, please do not hesitate to direct them here and have them reach out!

***Original article below***

 

So… I want to take a turn from the regular.

Appropriately so... Consider this your Warning Order.
Appropriately so… Consider this your Warning Order.

I want to take a moment to make an update on what I am working on.  I am very excited about it, and I am happy to be in a position where I will be pushed, urged and encouraged to continuously make it better. What is “it”?

I am responsible for developing the Veteran Recruitment Division at the Executive Search and Placement firm, Creative Solutions Services, LLC.  I will be continuously building relationships, my own personal knowledge base, and opportunities for U.S. Military Veterans.  I will be doing so, by developing programs and events that help Veterans make the transition into the Corporate world and at the same time, helping large corporations and small companies understand the vast array of talents and unique skills offered by U.S. Veterans.  But, I’ll be the first to call it out… there are TONS of organizations that do this, and transitioning is still dreaded… isn’t it?  I think it is.  Do I think I will be THE solution? No.. probably not.  But, I will be at least A solution, at least A spoke in the wheel.

So, here are some of the things I will be working on:

–          A NON-Hiring Mixer.  Yes, a non-hiring mixer.  This will likely be one of the first events I put on, sponsored by CSS, LLC.  I will organize HR managers and members from companies from the NYC Metro area with hiring authority, along with skilled Vets, who are transitioning, recently transitioned, and either will, or are looking to start their careers or career paths.  The event will be an informal, social event with a brief introduction, an open script.  The plan is to give HR managers and Veterans a chance to view the battlefield from the other-side, or as many military planners might say “Turn the map around”.  This will be a chance for Vets and Civilian employers to see what creates the “translation gap” as I call it; make connections; ask questions and get, not answers, but insight!

–          Skills Translation & resume FunShop – Add fundamentals and workshop, and you get a FunShop!  This will be geared towards Veterans seeking employment and guidance in their career track.  We will take information continuously gained by my firm from hiring managers.  Then, instructed by myself, a Veteran, with the possibility of additional guest speakers.  We will be taking a sample of common Military Occupational Specialties and translating their skills, into the proper verbiage that hiring managers understand.  We will discuss just what gets a resume “flagged” in a good way, and what gets it just looked right past.

–          Additional feedback and Skills translation seminars for hiring managers will be offered with Corporations and companies looking to capitalize on the benefits of Veteran experience in the workplace.

–          Even more events will be planned in coordinated efforts with strategic partners in the education track, employment track, skilled trades, professional track, and continuing/higher education programs.

Whether you were a Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine – your training did not end after boot camp or basic training.  So why should your training…better yet, education for being successful as a productive citizen end after a two week crash course?  It doesn’t have to – and I, with the support and encouragement of Creative Solutions Services, LLC and its partners will be doing all that I can to ensure it won’t be.

Damien B General Life, Leadership, Skill Building

Join In! The Game Plan 2013: Plan for an Improved Life

The New Game Plan 2013

Feb 1 – May 1, 2013

“The Game Plan 2013” is motivated by the Sarrano Kelley book, The Game: Win Your Life in 90 Days.  I have played it once before and it was a GREAT tool to help me focus on personal goals.  It helped me focus on making my goals S.M.A.R.T. and also to keep me on track when things were VERY hectic for me at the time.

You choose 3-6 games to play to improve your life.  They are all covered in the book, and here is a list:

The Game List

–          Balance

–          My Body and Health

–          My Money

–          My Relationships

–          My Spiritual Life

–          My Mind

–          My Tools

–          My Environment

–          My Education

–          My Family

–          My Work

–          My Charities

–          My Hobbies, Interests and Art

 

I HIGHLY encourage as many as are willing to join in The Game Plan 2013 and grow with me!

You will need:

–          Sarrano Kelley’s Book, The Game.

–          A WordPress Account

–          Email Account

–          The Will to be Better!

For all who participate, I already have a Private, Invitation only WordPress Blog set up.  There, we will make daily blog entries where we can hold each other accountable to our goals, and to encourage, and seek encouragement to reach our goals.  The goals can be as simple as saving for the weekend vacation, or losing a couple of percent of body fat.  The blog, again, is already set up, and you will only be able to access it if you are invited.  This is why you will need a WordPress account. (It’s free, just sign up already!)

I am making the announcement now so you have time to prepare.  Prepare by ordering the book on Amazon, and begin reading it. I suggest giving it a good read at the intro, scan the games sections, and really read the conclusions.  Then, decide on your games, reread those sections, and take note of the tools and suggestions/tables, etc that are offered!  I can even start a book discussion thread on The Game Plan 2013 Blog (that is the name of the invitation only blog).  You also need to make your WordPress account and give me your email to send you the invite!

Before The Game Plan 2013 begins on 1 Feb, Everyone should have some sort of template, or blog journal/statement of Games, Goals and Objectives listed that each person wants to be held accountable for.  Email this to me in a doc/docx format and I will start a new thread with it. That will become your progress thread, where we can see what you want to be held accountable for.

This is a “Game” about positive growth, support, accountability and working for improved life!  I have high hopes and hope to have as many on board as possible!  NOBODY is TOO BUSY for this!  IS your life perfect? If it is, congratulations and please join to help guide the rest of us!  If it is not, please join us and know you are helping to build your life and obtain your goals!

Please, do not hesitate to send me any questions, comments, or concerns. I look forward to an Amazing Game Plan 2013!

Damien B General Life, Leadership, Skill Building

6 Points to Positive People – Ready for 2013!

More on Being Positive!

The Chicken or the Egg?  Are positive people successful or are successful people positive?

2012-11-12_17-50-57_HDRToo much too fast? Ok, I’ll slow it down and just say it, all in one!  People with positive attitudes are successful people!  Or, perhaps it is more accurate to say:  People with a positive (yet realistic) attitude and outlook are more likely to achieve success than those who have a negative outlook on things.  This positive attitude and general happy demeanor comes before the success, and then only feeds the success in a great, success & positivity circle!

I really wanted to pull up some measurable and relatable statistics that correlate a defined “positive attitude” or at least a defined list of behaviors that can be described as those exhibited by one with a positive attitude – and their correlation to benefits.  Well – Being as I am a full time Real Estate agent in my first year, I am too cheap to pay for the access of the scholarly articles that will display any of that information.  So, for the most part, any of my statements in this article are some sort of loosely-tied, personally bought-into ideas between my personal experiences, observations, and the thoughts and theories I’ve read in a myriad of books on business and psychology.

Short Answer – Positive People do more; thus creating more positive; thus getting more out of life.

–          Positive people do things for others.  There is nothing better about being in a good mood than sharing the good mood with others and seeing positivity passed on.  Think about it, when you get good news and are smiling ear-to-ear, how hard is it NOT to tell someone and NOT expect to see them smile and excited for you?  We WANT to pass on the positive feelings!

–          Positive people set goals.  We’ve all heard or even said “I feel like I could take on the world right now!”  It’s a perfect example of how a positive attitude will influence someone to reach for a goal that he would otherwise not have the motivation to WORK towards!

–          Positive people have less negative self-talk.  Forgive the lack of citations, but feel free to google all the articles on Self-Talk. Negative self-talk is the top inhibitor of ambition!  Positive people reword their self-talk, taking the same could-be negative experiences and turning them into a positive opportunity. (e.g. Negative: “I’ve never done this before” => ‘I don’t wanna’ v. Positive “What an opportunity to try something new!” => ‘Let’s do this’)

–          Positive people have an internal locus of control.  Positive people take responsibility for their influence on life and their own actions.  They more often see consequences as a result of their own influences on the situation and that they had an impact in how a situation turned out. (e.g. Neg: “That was just a bad recipe, IT made the cookies too crisp” V. Pos: “I think I cooked them too long; I can check on them sooner next time, but this batch will be GREAT with ice cream”).

–          Positive people seek due credit given to those around them, not for themselves.  Positive people are confident with their self and are always looking to grow and bring others with them.  Not to mention, a good leader is more focused on those she can develop, not how to simply excel herself. A positive person is more likely to deflect a compliment for a professional accomplishment toward the team’s actions.  Not only is it a sign of confidence, but also a sign that the person will more than likely have others around when he needs them – reciprocity is a great thing!

–          Positive people are magnets for other successful people.  Positive people like to be challenged, grow, and all the while enjoy the synergetic power of other positive people where 1+1=10 (See Stephen Covey’s The 3rd Alternative).  It’s like going to the gym with a work out partner that is just as excited to see you push your limits as you are to see him do the same.  You just work harder – again reaching new levels of performance that you are consequently HAPPY about!

I hope you have enjoyed this year’s entries and ideas from LifeByDamien.com.  It was my first year, and a complete year of running my own blog.  Needless to say, I have lots to learn.  Reflecting, I have found myself to be more productive and more active in my blog when I am reading more often.  Perhaps that will be something I contribute to my “Game Plan” that I will be pursuing at the beginning of 2013.

I hope you have been able to take away value from what you have found here – be you a repeated visitor, or this being your first read.  Whether you agree or disagree – I consider it a success if anything you read hear at least provoked thought and hopefully some sort of action in your life – it certainly has for mine!

Damien B General Life, Leadership, Marketing, Skill Building

What do Grandma’s fridge and your Facebook account have in common?

My Wife says I’m insensitive… I say it’s not my fault my grandmother had a refrigerator!

Beach BBQ 2007
Fighting Fifth Marine Rgt – Beach BBQ 2007

To please my on-going fascination with behavioral psychology & general interest into why people behave the way they do and further to find out what motivates the behavior, I have recently grown more attentive to the conversations that hide in plain sight – Body Language.  I have found it very interesting and have read a couple of books on the topic.  The Definitive Book of Body Language by Allan and Barbara Pease, and What Every BODY is Saying by Joe Navarro.  I suppose my curiosity to human behavior, the motivators, and how to read it might be tied to my love for understanding consumer trends, and for leading others.  Being able to accurately read what people are saying without words is a vital skill to social life – and perhaps survival in general.

This skill to communicate through the understanding of the body language we display and receive is not anything new to us, as humans or even as mammals.  I’ve seen it referred to as implicit communication, emotional intelligence, interpersonal skills (a new HR/recruiting hot-term), social skills, etc.  There is much to be said on the topic, and I by no means am a professional or expert.  However, I do feel I have noticed a trend – the greater “Social” media has become a part of our lives, the greater the focus on “Emotional Intelligence” and “Interpersonal Skills” in the work-force.  I have to wonder if it is looked for with more ferocity now because we, as developing and technologically advanced people, are less frequently able to apply interpersonal skills – in person.  Do we over-interact virtually, and under-interact face-to-face?

I have no hard evidence, nor am I in a University Laboratory and able to spend the time and resources to gather the data and write a scholarly article to say one way or another.  I can say, that since Sears-Roebuck made home deliveries possible thanks to the railroad, and shortly after refrigerators became a household product in the 1920s and 1930s, our social interaction became limited by design. We no longer had to make daily trips for perishables from a market where we interacted, face-to-face.  Nor did we need help to haul large items because they could be delivered from catalog.  Recently, since Facebook, and Myspace were launched in 2004, and the ever growing online forums and communities, not only do we not have to go out for necessities that limits our chances to interact, we don’t even have to go out to “interact”!

Could this be why we now need so much instruction to understand “Emotional Intelligence”, or why we have to be educated on “Interpersonal Skills”?