Life

Stress-free Parents of Teens!

Do you believe it’s possible to be stress-free while living with teenagers? The title of this Wisdom seems a little like an oxymoron. I don’t know about you, but don’t you get a little frustrated when you come across a family filled with teens and everyone seems to be getting along just fine?! It’s through my journey with my own teenager as well as the self-education I’ve done along the way that I’ve discovered something. You see, teens take a secret oath when they turn 13: “What I say I don’t mean, and what I mean I won’t say.”

Want to understand your teenager? I am holding a small group huddle-up here at my office on Broadway. We are taking the first 12 people who respond. We are looking at having a Stress-free Parents of Teens Bootcamp. Don’t bother bringing your teen. They probably won’t want to come. We are looking for stories of how our About Me Teen program brings parents and teens together to create understanding and harmony.

The New Age of communication has arrived and I will share it with you. The session will be in March and those who respond to this Wisdom on Wednesday will be notified first.

Yes, there is hope! I’m realizing it with my teen and you can do the same with yours.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Respond back today to joek@prophitmarketing.com . Information to follow!

Not All People Are Created Equal!

This great Wisdom on Wednesday comes from Vince Lombardi, who once said, “Not all people are created equal. Some have abundant talents and some have few. It’s not about the talents you were born with. It’s what you do with the talents you’ve been given that matters.” Have you ever heard of someone who has a beautiful voice but has no desire to sing? Or someone who is great at math but has no desire to be a mathematician? There is no mystery as to why these people are often frustrated: They can’t find their purpose in life.

Your purpose in life is directly tied to your God-given talents along with a current and relevant need. That need usually has a little pain inside you that you use to comfort those in need. We all have a purpose inside us. Find that purpose and learn what it is to be free!

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Take the time to reflect on your life talents and purpose!

The Heart of a Champion!

I don’t know how I could allow this Wisdom to go out without writing about my World Champion Green Bay Packers! Wow, Super Bowl championships don’t happen very often—it’s been some 14 years since our last one. After all, we had the world’s greatest quarterback in NFL history who was only able to come away with one Super Bowl victory. But hey, we’ll take it! The difference with this win is back in ‘97 we had dominating players who were strong and healthy. The Packers this year were hit with one injury after another.

But as you know, our team rose above them. What they showed the world was one thing: belief! They believed in the rookies. They believed in the practice squad players starting their first NFL games. It’s amazing how believing in people can raise their game. I know I need to work harder to show my kids and work family that I believe in them. I need to take a personal assessment of how I show or don’t show my pride and adoration for their unique abilities. I invite you to do the same with the people in your life.

I have an idea and would love some feedback. I would like to hold an event where parents, teens and business leaders can come together and learn how to support each other using an About Me Card. It would start by creating an About Me Card, and then I would hold a free event where people can come to learn how to use this card to support the unique and precious people in their care. Would you be interested? If so, please e-mail me at joek@prophitmarketing.com  We have created a new way of communicating and I want to share it with you. I guarantee it will enrich your relationships at home and at work.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Please show me your interest in this important mission of enriching your relationships.

Are you appreciating your kids?

I had a powerful conversation with my 14-year-old teenager last night. He was clearly frustrated with mom and I, so I asked him, “What are three things we can do to be better parents?” He had a few more than three. Danica and I feel we always encourage our kids to be their best. We feel like we recognize each of our unique children’s achievements and help raise them up. Using our words and our optimistic style, we do encourage. However, Alex doesn’t like the way we praise him. He feels it’s insincere and not honest. Using his About Me Card, he was able to express how he interprets our praise in the manner that we choose to express it. He prefers us not to be overly enthusiastic when he’s having a bad day. It shuts him down and gets him upset.

While the details of this conversation are between our teenager and us, the lesson is clear. Many times you think you are showing appreciation when in fact you are doing the opposite. We all interpret words and actions differently. It’s important to have a sit down with your kids and at least ask the question: What are three things I can do differently to be a better parent? If they‘re not ready to provide that answer right away, ask them to think about it and get back to you.

Communication is never easy. However, by understanding what motivates your children, you can learn how to build them up and coach them to be better citizens in the future. How would you like to understand your teenager in 60 seconds for less than $15? Contact me and I’ll show you how!

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Ask the question!

Why Did He Do That?!

Ah, motivations make the world go around! Understand a person’s motivations and you can create permanent change. Have you ever worked with someone who did something that truly puzzled you? You saw it as weird, inconsistent or untrustworthy? The truth is we have a bundle of nerves in our brains that we inherited from our parents. With our most intimate relationships, these nerves can sometimes kick into gear when we are stressed out or tired. Have you ever seen your boyfriend, girlfriend or spouse freak out at times? Do something that just isn’t them? Creepy!

Don’t fear … we all have our quirks. That’s the name society has given to explain these odd and unexpected behaviors. I call our key motivations “our kids.” We carry them with us wherever we go. We take them on vacation, to work and out to eat with friends. They never leave us. When others support these kids of ours, we like them. When someone violates or upsets one of our kids, we push away. I’ve discovered a way for all of us to show each other our kids. After all, just like you’re proud to show off your real children, wouldn’t it be cool to share with someone your motivational kids? That’s the About Me Card! I discovered it quite accidentally. Usually it takes several years to understand what motivates a person—now you can find out in 60 seconds! Check it out at www.aboutmecard.com

Are you a motivator? Do you want to be?

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Download our About Me Card white paper at www.aboutmecard.com! Chat soon.

Did you notice that?

There is something unusual about this Wisdom wouldn’t you say? What is it? How many of you took notice? It’s Thursday! Today you are receiving Wisdom on Thursday. No, this is not a publicity stunt—I simply goofed up. However, this does have a lesson involved regarding consistency. Some of you (perhaps most) knew right away that there was an inconsistency with the timing of this message. There is a double-edged sword here when it comes to consistency. There is the rule of thumb that says, “If you’re going to serve a bad cup of coffee, always serve a bad cup of coffee. Because as soon as you serve a good cup, people will notice a difference.” Then there is the camp that says, “It’s OK to surprise them once in awhile.” Which camp do you prefer? Perhaps it all depends on the situation.

I’ve heard of the Four Seasons hotels switching it up for their customers. The first time you visit, they ask what you prefer to drink after a day of travel: water, soda, diet soda, what brand, and so on. Then, a few minutes after you arrive, they deliver your beverage to your room on ice. They keep your choice on record so the drink will be waiting for you in your room the next time you visit.

For frequent visitors, the Four Seasons has a system where it intentionally leaves the wrong soda behind. Ten minutes after arriving, these frequent guests hear a knock on the door. Each guest opens the door to find a staff member holding a bucket of ice with that guest’s preferred soda . The staff member then apologizes for the “error” and leaves.

The Four Seasons’ strategy is to make sure the guest doesn’t take the soda for granted. What do you think? Is this smart or is it insincere? Regardless, one thing is for sure: Consistency is king with everything from marketing to relationships to raising kids.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Where do you need more consistency in your life?

You ARE in control!

I’ve realized that when you surrender to events and situations that are not necessarily in your control it actually puts you in control. The feeling of control is simply a control of your emotions. When you get frustrated, you feel out of control. When you feel relaxed and focused, you feel in control. It is strange that by surrendering to situations you actually feel more in control about them.

Let’s try something. Find a sheet of paper. On the left side, write five disappointments that you had in 2010. Then write down some of the achievements that you experienced on the right side. Take a look at each group and draw a line or connect the disappointments to the achievements. You should see direct correlations. For example, you may have noted something like “I’m disappointed that I was ignored for that home mortgage.” However, a positive was finding a gain in the market with the money you were going to use as a down payment for the home.

Write these down and see how your disappointments actually are a part of the journey for your successes.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Pull out the paper!

Merry Christmas to all of my supportive readers!

What a year! When I look at some of the archived Wisdoms this past year, I see a change toward caring. I met a lot of people and invested a lot of time in exploring happiness, joy, respect and caring. This is what it’s all about. I’ve been affected positively by my wonderful family and friends and by all of your feedback throughout the year. Notice I didn’t add business colleagues. I don’t feel right calling my friends colleagues. It’s just that simple. We do business with friends, not colleagues. Friendship is what helps fuel our imaginations and aspirations.

Friendship is so often downplayed in business. We do business with people we like, and the people we like naturally turn into friends.

Merry Christmas to all of you, my friends!

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Soak it all in. Life is good.

Where do you relate?

Our new About Me Card system is up and running, and the feedback we’ve been given is fantastic. The About Me Card is powered by respect. It gives you, in 11 simple statements, the rules for how to treat a person. If you would like to be sent an About Me Card request, simply send an email to INFO@ABOUTMECARD.COM  The system has a feature that reveals information about what makes you great.

We all have talents that make us great. We also have rules of how we like to be treated when interacting with others. The About Me Card reveals these talents and rules. When we are supported with these motivations, we are empowered to do great things! There are four rules of thought on how we think. I will explain them, and I want you to consider how you might relate to them.

1 – The WHAT people. These are folks who drive initiatives and keep asking what’s next or “What are we going to accomplish?”

2 – The HOW people. These folks are wonderful at detail and they complement the WHAT people by being able to show how to do something.

3 – The WHY people. These people are wonderful at taking the HOW people’s plan and finding efficiencies to make it run more smoothly.

4 – The WHY NOT people. They are free spirited in throwing themselves into projects that many might think “can’t be done” and they respond with WHY NOT?

Have a great week and remember to focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Please reach out for a chance to try our new About Me Card program powered by RESPECT!

The Magic of Belief

Our kids introduced us to a new tradition this year: St. Nick’s. It all started when our seven-year-old daughter came home from school and told us about a tradition that her friend’s family does every St. Nick’s night. She heard that if you put a shoe outside your bedroom door and a stocking by the fireplace that St. Nick will fill them with candy. I couldn’t believe it. My wife was sure it was simply a hoax or an old wives’ tale. Well, sure enough, on the morning of St. Nick’s Day three little shoes were filled with candy right outside their respective doors. Who knew!?

Believing without seeing is so healthy for a child’s development. It teaches faith and hope. Believing without seeing is also at the heart of purpose. What’s my purpose? We humans debate this constantly. Our drive is the hope that our efforts will make some sort of difference. It’s what we can’t see but can see in our mind’s eye. This sense of purpose is crucial for associates to grow and become great. Do you have a shared vision in your organization? What is your organization’s purpose? What is your purpose?

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Plan with purpose today.