Great Throughts Treasury

"Trust is the fabric that binds us together, creating an orderly civilized society from chaos and anarchy… Trust must be carefully constructed, vigorously nurtured, and constantly reinforced."

"They should follow the rules. Not me. They should help the needy. Not me. They should take a pay cut. Not me. They should compromise. Not me. They should listen more. Not me. They should walk their talk. Not me. They should pay more taxes. Not me. They should wait their turn. Not me. They should clean up after themselves. Not me. They should finish what they start. Not me. They should watch their kids. Not me. They should play fair. Not me. They should change their attitude. Not me. They should save more. Not me. They should contribute their fair share. Not me. They should say they’re sorry. Not me. They should watch their temper. Not me. They should be more objective. Not me. They should keep in contact. Not me. They should do their job. Not me. They should think before they speak. Not me. They should forgive and forget. Not me. They should be more considerate. Not me. They should treat others with respect. Not me. They should get their act together. Not me. They should take better care of themselves. Not me. They should watch their language. Not me. They should be better role models. Not me. They should be more open minded. Not me. They should put up or shut up. Not me. They should think long term. Not me. They should pay their dues. Not me. They should take one for the team. Not me."

"In order to be successful, an organization must focus its efforts on those factors that are critical to its success. If you randomly select 50 people in your organization and ask them basic questions about the direction and priorities of the company, how similar would their answers be? When employees don’t know where the company is heading, they can’t be expected to sacrifice themselves for the benefit of the organization. They won’t get excited about what they’re doing, or put down their swords and stop the political bickering, and they won’t be passionate about their careers or the future of the organization. Unless you get common answers to the most basic questions, you foster waste, redundancies, inefficiencies, confusion, and anxiety."

"Everyone talks about sticking to their knitting, but many companies don’t know what their knitting is. According to a Fortune magazine article, “Focus means figuring out, and building on, what the company does best. It means identifying the evolving needs of your customers, then developing the key skills—often called core competencies—critical to serving them. It means setting a clear, realistic mission and then working tirelessly to make sure everyone—from the chairman to the middle manager to the hourly employee understands it.”"

"Each day is a gift for you to carefully unwrap. What happens next is up to you. You can cherish every second that you’re given or let time slip between your fingers. You can live every day with gusto and make every moment matter or you can be fearful and worry about what tomorrow will bring. You can reach out and make a difference in someone’s life or focus on more ways to better your own. You can pursue new ways to grow as a person or wait to see if the world stops changing. You can reach for things that’ll make you happy or you can be content with what you already have"

"Now, I know that you lead a hectic life and that you’re getting pulled in a million different directions. The truth is, it’s not that you don’t have enough time to devote to things that matter to you — but rather, the time needed was spent doing something else. It goes without saying that every time you decide to focus on one thing in your life, you’ve also decided not to spend that time on something else. Unfortunately, once opportunities are lost, they’re often lost forever — life doesn’t come with a dress rehearsal. So, if you think you may regret the path you’re on, it may be time to change course. Here are some guideposts to point you in the right direction: Priorities. Have you ever stopped to think about what matters most to you? Do you spend the majority of your time in those areas? Or do trivial issues sidetrack you from doing the things that you should care about the most? Agenda. Do you let other people control your agenda? How much time do you spend reacting to fire drills versus doing things that matter? Are you asking your loved ones to do all of the accommodating, while allowing others free rein over your priorities? Time management. How much of your day is spent on autopilot? Do you devote more time to thinking about what you’re going to do, or to doing it? When was the last time you identified and eliminated wasteful tasks and routines? Quality. How much of your day is spent worrying about problems versus appreciating the moment? What percentage of your time do you spend being physically present, but mentally absent? Does multitasking damage your ability to give your undivided attention? Inner peace. Do you care more about what you want out of life or about what others think? Do you value creating wonderful memories as much as you value material rewards? Are you investing in your family and friends, or taking them for granted? When was the last time you felt comfortable with yourself?"

"Many people find routines irritating because they stifle creativity and create inflexibility, but they can also be time-saving devices that minimize mistakes. For example, doctors use diagnostic routines for their patients, and airline pilots go through checklists prior to takeoff. Edward de Bono explains in Six Action Shoes that “in some ways routines provide freedom. If we had to think about every action we take, then life would be very slow and very complicated. Following a routine actually frees us to attend to matters that really need our attention. . . . Instead of having to analyze each new experience, we simply recognize the situation by using a perceptual pattern"

"One of the most destructive forces in a company is caused by fear. Just as pollution damages the environment, fear is toxic to companies. Fear destroys creativity, shatters loyalty, and discourages people who want to “do what’s right.” While some managers use fear to stop an activity, this tactic never inspires anyone to perform at their best. When people believe they lack control, they become fearful –– even if imagined. Fears arise over things that are concrete and immediate, such as loss of a job, as well as over things that are more ephemeral and long term, such as embarrassment or damage to one’s career."

"It’s time to get focused. Everyone talks about sticking to their knitting, but many companies don’t know what their knitting is. According to a Fortune magazine article, “Focus means figuring out, and building on, what the company does best. It means identifying the evolving needs of your customers, then developing the key skills—often called core competencies—critical to serving them. It means setting a clear, realistic mission and then working tirelessly to make sure everyone—from the chairman to the middle manager to the hourly employee understands it.” In order to be successful, an organization must focus its efforts on those factors that are critical to its success."

"Rewarding today’s new breed of employee. For today’s employee, being part of something special and making a difference in the world, is much more important than the rewards sought by yesterday’s “me” generation. The new breed of employee wants to work for an organization that they can feel proud of––one that contributes back to society; an organization that has values and viewpoints compatible with their own; an organization that is oriented toward the long haul, working toward the prevention of ills, not just curing the symptoms; an organization that cares about morals and ethics and doing what is in the best interests of its customers; an organization that doesn’t dominate their lives and allows them ample time to spend with their families; and one that cares"

"Who cares about customers? Customers must not be viewed as isolated transactions but rather as the potential lifelong relationship that they represent. Every customer deserves to be treated as your organization’s only customer. Companies cannot afford to spend the time and effort that it takes to develop new business only to lose customers shortly thereafter. In fact, companies should be so outraged when they lose an existing customer that they immediately search for ways to improve themselves so that it never happens again. Think about the effort of bringing in new customers; the way they are courted; how you accommodate their every whim. Then, when they become customers, the honeymoon ends."

"Trust is the fabric that binds us together, creating an orderly, civilized society from chaos and anarchy. Trust is not an abstract, theoretical, idealistic goal forever beyond our reach. Trust –– or lack of it –– is inherent in every action that we take and affects everything that we do. Trust is the cement that binds relationships, keeping spouses together, business deals intact, and political systems stable. Without trust, marriages fails, voters become apathetic, and organizations flounder. Without trust, no company can ever hope for excellence. Understanding the meaning of trust allows you to work toward being a trusted and trusting person. The truth is that trust is never guaranteed, and it can’t be won overnight."

"When you look at successful small corporations today, many of them have something in common. People have a common sense of purpose, and believe in the founder’s vision. They maintain their individuality, but strive for team gain. People care more about the organization winning than about who gets the next promotion, and they know that resources are limited, so they concentrate them on critical areas rather than squander them. It’s time to get focused."