Wisdom on Wednesday » Positivity

Where are they now?

admin — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:28:20 +0000

Where is that man who, when I was five, picked me up when I hit loose gravel on my bike, cleaned and bandaged my leg, and sent me on my way?

Where is the girl who picked me out of a crowd and gave me a lollipop and a smile? Where is that person who helped my mother when I was born? The one who calmed and cared for me and my mom?

Where is the nice lady who helped me get into the moving traffic lane when my lane had stopped?

All of these people being kind and then where do they go? How many people wonder where you are? The nice person who held the door, raised the money, showed up to care? Be that person today. Be aware of how it makes others feel and you will be well taken care of yourself.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Be THAT person—the Servant Leader.

The Power of Words

admin — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:36:08 +0000

Monday we held our Servant Leaders of Wisconsin (Fox Valley Group) quarterly meeting. Our guest speaker was Tom Thibodeau from Viterbo University in La Crosse. Tom is the Director of the Masters in Servant Leadership Program at Viterbo. He spoke for about an hour and part of his focus was helping us realize the power of words. He explained that when you say something to another person you feel that those words are dead. They are out of your mouth and they are dead. However, to another person they become alive. If your words are kind, they hold on to that person like a best friend. If your words are harmful, they remain with the person like a bad nightmare.

The words you use define you. Do you appreciate and compliment the people in your life that you come across every day? Such as the paper carrier, mail carrier, hair dresser or parking lot attendant? I’m certainly not perfect but I’m getting better. While driving to Disney with my family, I decided to compliment and thank every toll booth attendant in the state of Florida. I thanked each one for coming to work and gave each a sincere compliment of what I observed in the 20 seconds or so that we were together. I gave compliments like: “I love your hairdo,” “Great shirt or tie,” or “Wow, you have a wonderful smile.”

Guess what? They all smiled and the words I planted began to grow within them. I felt great and so did they. Begin planting some words this week that help you build up and appreciate others. You‘ll be amazed at how it will make you feel!

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: You know what to do!

It takes great leaders to help us raise our kids!

admin — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:29:31 +0000

My son, Alex, recently started his first job as a bagger at Festival Foods. His leader, Mary Kay, just held a three-month review on his performance. When Alex told me he had a three-month review, I thought, Already? His review lasted about 15 minutes and afterward he found me in the store doing some shopping. He had a smile that said “CONFIDENCE.” I asked him how it went. He said, “I’m a rock star!” and then gave me a broad smile. Later he told me how Mary Kay pointed out specific things he was doing right. She even gave examples from other leaders who noticed positive behavior. After building Alex up, she asked him a very powerful question: “What can I do to help make your employment here more enjoyable?”

This gave Alex an open door to share with Mary Kay how he likes variety and would be interested in learning how to be a cart runner and to be able to do both duties for a healthy variety. Mary Kay said, “I can do that.” She also asked him, “Where do you see where you can improve?” Alex shared his thoughts and Mary Kay made him feel that it was OK to make mistakes as long as we learn from them. I’ve been telling him that for years, but it took Mary Kay to remind him as his leader and direct him on how to improve for it to sink in.

Thank you to all leaders like Mary Kay who not only take the time to coach but take the time to listen. The leaders who have the guts to ask the most powerful Servant Leadership question, “What is it that I can do to help you?” Parents like me are depending on you to join our village and help our teenagers transition into becoming responsible adults.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Seek the feedback you need to help others you care about!

How Do You Make Your Money?

admin — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 14:45:48 +0000

Danica and I went out for dinner the other night and at the restaurant we met a gentleman who cleans company parking lots. He explained that the waste that is generated from people parking in the lots goes straight to the rivers through the storm sewers. His company cleans parking lots every day to make sure all waste is disposed of properly. Furthermore, he explained that the parking lot is your first impression of a business. I agreed it certainly was!

I am simply amazed at how people make a living. Danica and I started looking at other items we use and take for granted: shoe laces, awnings, street lamps, concrete sales, or how about golf tees! I heard that there are only three golf tee manufacturers in the world. One is located in Florence County. Hey, someone’s got to do it! I take nothing for granted. Thank you to all of you whose jobs may be overlooked or misunderstood. Thank you for showing up and serving our needs—whether we realize those needs or just take them for granted!

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Take nobody for granted today!

Not All People Are Created Equal!

admin — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 14:19:37 +0000

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!

admin — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 14:33:16 +0000

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?

admin — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 14:22:00 +0000

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?!

admin — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:38:22 +0000

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.

You ARE in control!

admin — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 14:39:57 +0000

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!

admin — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 14:36:55 +0000

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.