Continental Who's Who

Success Planning 101

Breaking down barriers to help you find your own process for success.

More than 20 years ago, as a student in the architecture department of the college of Environmental Design at Cal Poly Pomona, I recall my professor, Richard Chylinski, wrapping an important question into a brief little story. He tells of an architect who decided to introduce himself to Frank Lloyd Wright. This young architect said, “Hello Mr. Wright, I’m an architect....” and before he could say anything more the legendary architect interrupts him by asking, “Are you?”

There was probably more to the story that Mr. Chylinski wanted me to “get,” but this question of “What is an architect, really?” has stayed with me as my career has progressed over the last couple of decades. Artist, Designer, Technical Writer, Master Builder, Administrator, Diplomat, Craftsman, Detailer, these are all terms that I have seen used to describe an architect. The impression that I received from Mr. Wright’s comment is that in order to be a ‘real’ architect you should be able to fill all of these roles throughout the life of any given project. If not, your usefulness is diminished and in his estimation your title of architect is called into question.

Many years later while seeking greater understanding & overall professional exposure I was asked by the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects if I would give a talk on Profitability and what we termed “Out-Thinking.” While preparing for my presentation I took a big step toward answering that question. Really, what is an Architect? More importantly, what is the value added by a skilled architect? Can an architect add value to any team, or are they only useful in the built environment? Every industry has a unique set of skills that each person seeking to join that workforce must learn and of course as an architect I am intimately familiar with the built environment. However, as I have wrestled with my professor’s question over the last couple of decades, I have come to realize that what’s needed when we are confronted with life’s challenges is not another fancy building or well designed shopping experience, but rather a Creative Specialist with the talent to bring out the visionary artist hiding inside each and every one of us. Clearly if you are a property owner who has been told time and again that your property cannot be developed, or if you are a church Pastor and/or Elders board responding to what God has laid on your heart; that it’s time to believe in a revival at your church and that more chairs just aren’t going to fill the need this time, or if you are a homeowner swimming in ideas with no clear direction, then I’m the guy to help with the next step or two or ten. But what if you are an accountant that wants to expand your service offering, or an executive looking to increase profitability, or a Real Estate agent wondering how to expand your referral rate? This article will help to eliminate much of the rubbish that prevents us from discovering the prosperous results we seek. In a down economy few things are more valuable than inventive marketing, visionary transactions, creative planning, imaginative responses, enterprising efforts, innovative merchandising, original ideas, inspired attitudes, or resourceful alliances.

Indeed a business that operated in this manner would be a dream come true regardless of the economic outlook. The first step that must be taken in order to bring about these results is to identify any unperceived barriers and to establish clear objectives. Unperceived barriers are often times self imposed limitations resulting form a well-established perspective (the filter through which you view things), faulty thinking, ignorance, or perhaps a simple misunderstanding. Robin Williams plays the roll of a new professor in the movie Dead Poets Society. He begins the process of trying to expand his students thinking by asking everyone to stand on their desks, which alters their perspective and the way in which they view their surroundings. Another example of unperceived barriers can be found in this classic illustration. What do you see? Nine dots? Three vertical lines or three horizontal lines? Three diagonal lines? A square with a dot in the middle? What ever you see will influence how you answer the typical riddle that usually accompanies this diagram: Connect the nine dots using four lines, or less, without lifting your pen from the page. There is one rule made up of 16 words and yet some folks struggle with this puzzle because they unknowingly add their own set of boundaries.

You see there are actually several solutions to this puzzle. The intended solution involves drawing lines that extend beyond the implied boundary created by the layout of the dots and this is where the expression thinking “outside the box” is derived. However, there is another level of creativity that can be applied. How do you define “pen” or what could be done to the page that might provide more solutions. What if the “pen” was actually a wide brush? What if you folded the paper or tore out the dots before you started drawing?

Another potential barrier that some face involves the dimensional nature of their thinking. If you are the type of person that must have all of your ducks in a row before action can be taken, then you may be vary linear in your thoughts or one-dimensional. Someone else might be able to delegate or multi-task

giving them a two-dimensional approach. Of course the built environment and some of the latest TV sets are 3-D. Now factor in time and you’ve moved into the 4th dimension and there are those proposing 5-D and even 6-D processes. It is essential that you understand how your thinking and perspective affect your results. Without this understanding the changes necessary to bring about your desired outcome will remain a mystery.

GOAL

At this point you may be tempted to think that this is just one more in a long line of articles and books written on the subjects of positive attitudes and goal setting. While I have read many of the classics on these topics I can assure you that I have no interest in adding to the collective noise that has been unleashed over the years. Having taken the time to read this far I want you to know that this article has been written to provide you, the reader, with some very practical steps that can be taken to increase your sense of both freedom and control no matter what circumstances you face.

However, because of recent experience, I can state with all certainty that it would be a huge mistake to simply ignore or gloss over the effect that goals and attitude (discussed later) have on our thinking and performance. You see several years ago I forgot about these key ingredients. As the economy went downhill, my lack of direction allowed me to be swept up with everyone else and I had to endure a ton of drama and turmoil. Recovery has been both slow and painful due to the compounding influences of an unguarded attitude. In fact, clear objectives are so important that I included them above as part of the first step. This is due to the fact that our goals, whether new or well established, are often times the catalyst necessary for us to recognize those barriers preventing us from achieving the outcomes we desire most.

You have most likely heard that “success is a process and not a destination”. Well the most important part of this process has to be writing down your goals. Why you ask? Because obstacles are those terrible things you see when you take your eyes off your goals. This part of the process should never end. I have many years worth of notes and “to-dos” and for a long time I thought they were just helping me juggle the many projects that I was working on. When I had no more projects to work on I stopped making lists. Without the regular exposure to my tasks and goals for the day, week, and month, I quickly became overwhelmed by my state of affairs and began acting out of panic instead of taking steps filled with purpose and direction.

To identify goals answer some important questions starting with your vocation. In my case, What is an Architect? How much are you worth? What value and skill do you have to offer? What kind of life do you want to live? Visualize what you want by starting with the end in mind. Practice “Free Thinking!” Close your eyes, forget about what you do, forget about where you are, forget about what you think is possible and answer this question: What is your Dream, your burning desire? As a way of helping you answer that question fill in these blanks: If I had ____________, I would ____________. What controls the size and scope of your thinking? It has been said that when your dream is big enough, the facts don’t count.

Also, Benjamin Franklin is reported to have said that “most people die at age 22. Sadly they are not buried until 67.” Free Thinking is extremely beneficial because when the brain dies all the body does is wait to go into the hole. Now that you have some ideas about what you want and where you’re headed, the next step is to “define the Box.” This may seem a bit counter intuitive, however this is a critical aspect of what it means to start with the end in mind. This step could also be referred to as establishing a vision, which is a much written about subject. I prefer “define the Box” because it immediately sets you off on the path of visualization. Don’t get me wrong, having a vision is vital, and while that is indeed what I am talking about, that word does not do a very good job of painting a picture for visual folks such as myself. This is the point at which we begin to design our future and breathe life into our surroundings.

It has been said, “Good things come to those who wait, but only what was left by those who took action.” By defining “the Box” or establishing a vision, what you will begin to do is experience progressive realization of a worthwhile dream or goal. And the actions necessary to do this are

1 Write it down.

2 Vividly imagine it.

3 Enthusiastically talk about it.

4 Believe in it with all your heart.

5 It’s do or die.

There has to be a since of urgency. Apathy has killed countless ideas and destroyed Trillions dollars in profit potential. It’s in this stage that you must observe the masses and do the opposite. Eliminate Criticism if you want new ideas to grow. This is also a time when “Free Thinking,” or possibility thinking, can be especially useful. You need to remember that conventional wisdom produces conventional results. Now take some time to answer this question: What if you knew you could not fail?

Tools

We have identified barriers, set objectives, and decided that it’s time to define a new “Box” for ourselves, but what are the tools and resources needed to be sure that our new design would stand the test of time? I’ll begin with the assertion of someone that has had a lasting impact on our society. Albert Einstein is quoted as having said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” With that in mind we must remember that ideas are the spark plugs of success. Now don’t go trying to convince me or anyone else that you have no imagination just because you may not be artistic or working in a field that calls for creativity. The truth is that we all have an incredible capacity for imagination, the unfortunate reality is that, just as I have been recently, we spend most of our time misusing this God given ability. Everyone deals with some level of guilt, and at one time or another we all seem to be worried about something. It is estimated that 70% of our waking hours are spent in our thoughts and because most of us have no discipline in this area, much of our creative energies are spent dwelling on all manner of make believe, misusing this key resource. Take the time to vividly imagine what you want. We are drawn to whatever we focus on.

Why is writing stuff down so important? If you do not write down the things you want and your goals, you automatically program yourself to visualize failure, which is the very thing you do not want. Having something written down acts as a reminder of where we want to go and makes it possible for us to maintain the focus needed to produce the life we want instead of simply existing and being taken wherever the world decides to deliver us. Add experimentation to imagination and eliminate the fear of failure. Most of us have a distorted view of mistakes and or failure. The truth is that the person who never made a mistake, never made anything, and what some call failure is really the foundation for success. What is this thing that some call failure? It is nothing more than results. If you are willing to take some time what you will find is that there is always something good to be found. Going back to the example of the nine dots, picking up the paper and folding it or tearing out the dots would be an example of experimenting with what you are given in order to gain a different perspective or find previously undiscovered solutions. Did you know that you could program your subconscious mind? The particulars of this are beyond the scope of this article, however if you begin using these tools and take control of your habits before they take over your life, then you will be well on your way to tapping  into this dormant power just waiting to be put to work in your life and business. If you have identified your dream or desire you will need to combine these tools with determination, discipline, and dedication, but without practice, practice, practice, you will experience far more regret than is really necessary. Earlier I mentioned the vital roll that attitude plays in this creative process. Over the last couple of years my family and I have been subjected to the torturous effects of an attitude left unchecked. Now I ask you, what’s your attitude like? Are you able to “Shake it off” and take another step, or does your guilt, and worries paralyze you with fear?

How would you complete this expression? Sometimes you win and sometimes you _____? This is not a trick question but simply an example of what following the crowd produces. If you finished it with sometimes you loose then you would have lots of company. If on the other hand you decided to complete it with sometimes you learn, then you would be well on your way to realizing that in life it’s not what happens to you, but how you look at it that will have the greatest impact on your attitude. As a side note, a positive attitude will not only help your creativity, but also help to delay the ageing process as revealed by studies at the University of Texas and reported back in 2004.

Profit

Let’s begin this section with something that at least appears simple on the surface: do what others are unwilling to do. With each passing day I am more and more convinced that we will alleviate more than half of our problems if we would merely be willing to go through the effort. What effort you ask? THE EFFORT, any

effort in most cases. There is an epidemic that has been slowly taking over our culture in the last several decades. The “Buy now, pay later” mind set has produced an attitude of entitlement that produces lots of consumers yet creates an environment that is toxic to producers. In light of this, virtually anyone who is willing to exert just a bit more effort than his or her competition will likely experience tremendous benefit.

Not unlike the somewhat intangible effect that attitude can have, expectation has a dramatic impact on your bottom line. The question is, are you aware of what your expectations are and are they supporting your efforts? To be clear, my assumption here is that your first priority is to provide benefit to your customers and not just wring out their wallets. Expectations should be established with knowledge of what motivates people. First they are motivated by fear of loss and second to gain a benefit and that’s it. So, in addition to benefits what are you doing to protect your customers from loss? Also, because expectation is unseen, we must not overlook how your position within a company affects this essential element.

This aspect can be best understood in the context of education versus practice. Company owners often complain that graduates are ill-equipped and unprepared for practice and this shines a light on their ignorance of the essential function that expectation fulfills. What graduates are unprepared for is the realization that the only thing they were taught was how to go out and support the goals and desires of the owners. When expectations are not met it opens the door to our competition and to many destructive thought processes.

Effective planning can mitigate much of these issues and this is where a good Mission Statement will prove to be invaluable. Do you have a plan? If you don’t take the time to define what success will mean or does mean to you – you will never know if you have achieved it. How many of us don’t really know what it is that we want and yet are killing ourselves to get it? Having a plan or mission allows us to get into a “choose to/ want to” state. We reach this state by eliminating the following words from our internal vocabulary; have to, can’t, must (not), ought (not), should (not) and replacing them with, want to, get to, intend to, decide to, and going to. Creativity is about making choices and not about waiting to see what falls into our lap. Without question the single greatest determining factor of our earnings is the quality of our relationships. Have you heard the expression, “It’s not what you know, but who you know that makes a difference”? This is the most valuable place to invest. This is where going the extra mile  will make or break your business. This is where you’ll learn that the greatest leader will be the one who is the greatest servant. How do you make people feel is the key. What does this have to do with creativity?

This part can not be over stated: Read, and associate wisely. The person you will be five years from now depends in no small part on the books you read and the people with whom you associate. Abraham Lincoln is quoted “I will study and prepare myself, and someday my time will come.” In this success process your greatest tool is your mind and regular learning coupled with consistent sharpening will keep it vibrant and alive. Remember that you are the one responsible for shaping your own habits and if your habits are not filled with purpose they will shape you into someone likely to experience more disappointment than fulfillment. Your mind is your most powerful muscle. Do you exercise it regularly? It takes the right kind of people along with exposure to new ideas and information to take your creativity and profitability to the next level.

Since we started off with the importance of identifying barriers I should point out the one barrier that some have called the greatest fear of man; the fear of change. Nevertheless, we have to realize that if we want different results we have to be willing to change. This fear usually stems from our desire for comfort and our “normalcy bias.” People tend to want things to be “normal” and we are all in the process of building or maintaining our comfort zone, and this is a big creativity killer. While humans are more intelligent than other animals we are just as apt to be conditioned. Dreamers, folks who are willing to put their imagination to purposeful use, bring about changes in our world – they leave the world a better place by challenging the status quo. You can see how change and status quo are bitter enemies.

Conclusion

Vince Lombardi said it best, “The quality of a person’s life is in direct prop ortion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their field of endeavor.” This is a classic example of “easier said than done,” primarily due to the fact that excellence is utterly impossible without commitment. This is the catalyst necessary to bring all of these items together. In fact, even if you’ve eliminated barriers, identified objectives, defined your box, and gathered your tools, without commitment the rest is an exercise in futility.

Enthusiasm – the more worthy and desirable your objective, the more dedicated and enthusiastic you will become. Salesmanship is really the unsung hero here. In many situations you are the expert to those around you. Are you “sold” on the fact that you are the specialist, you are the authority? Feelings, mood, and emotions will follow actions. Don’t pretend to be something you are not, but definitely take action and be sure to share your passion. When you do you won’t have to engage in any “hard sell” stunts, others will be swept up by your energy and drawn to your whole-heartedness. I must once again reiterate the importance of mentorship and association. Through my struggles in the last couple of years I have found that it really is true that life without a coach or mentor, is like diarrhea without toilet paper. Forgive me for being so graphic, I just want you to avoid some of the pitfalls I have faced and hopefully this kind of negative association will help you to steer clear of the thought that you can do this all on your own. Those you spend your time with will determine your level of success.

Hopefully the time you have invested in this article will yield fruit in the form of greater freedom and a more creative view of your environment. We can go crazy hoping for change while we doggedly engage in the same activities and thinking that got us where we are. Be willing to discipline yourself. Do something everyday that helps you to take one more step forward. Take advantage of our free enterprise system and be sure that the job you are doing is providing you an acceptable amount of control over your own time and money. Leaders and mentors empower those around them, which multiply our creativity and effectiveness. Bosses tend to focus on the rules and ignore the potential in others in favor of maintaining the status quo. Beware of shortcuts, more often than not it will turn out to be the longest distance between where you are now and where you want to be. Once you accept a hand out you have begun the process of allowing others to take control of you and your business.

Avoid Apathy. All it takes for the forces of evil to win is for enough good people to do nothing. Do not accept restrictions. Overcome limitations. You are free… and freedom is the raw material that makes love and prosperity possible. This provides the conditions necessary for the spontaneous flow of creativity and advantage. Now take responsibility for that which you have been freely given. Value your time and remember that your efforts today are very important. After all you will be exchanging a full day of your life for the result. We all get the same 24-hours each day. Are you just too busy? Was that your goal? Life will consistently bring an endless variety of competing desires and requirements. Winning solutions are just waiting to be discovered by the “creative specialist” within each one of us. ICE

Cl ient s who have employed the services of 137 workshop and Timothy F. White, join organi zat ions like ContinentalWhosWho.com in recognizing and reaping the benefits of more than 25-years of experience in the design and construction industry. That experience began with industrial arts projects, and various drafting assignments. Later, in 1985, he began his construction training as a par t of the Naval Construction Battalion or SeaBees.