Students Of Success

You’ve spent the last 12 years riding your technical skills up the corporate ladder.

Now the payoff — you’re a manager.

Congratulations.

You get the perks: Big title. Big paycheck. Big office.

Big people problems!

People problems, you think? Ha, no issue.

You’re the best in the department. You know every piece of equipment. You know business.

And, you are motivated. You work hard. You are committed to excellence. People problems…no issue.

But…the Sales manager frustrates you because she “never gets all the details.” And…the administrative assistant irritates you by talking on the phone about personal issues? Well…the customer service people…they cost your department lots of money because they just don’t know how to say no? Hmmm, maybe there are some people issues out there.

What you see may well be a case of “dueling paradigms” — a problem that could poison your team.

Your paradigm — your viewpoint — is how you see the world. Sounds obvious…and it is…but very often, good people don’t see the real problem until they have made many costly mistakes.

To some extent, we all interpret other people’s words and actions through our own paradigm. But other people act on their paradigm, not ours. The problem comes when we assume they have our paradigm…and they assume we have theirs.

Fortunately, there is hope. Even though most of us have different paradigms, there is a way to get past the differences and build stronger teams.

People tend to approach everything they do — from how they solve problems at work to how they drive a car — based on their personality style. Their personality style forms the basis for their paradigm about what is “right” or “wrong” with people, procedures, situations, etc.

For example, technical people tend to have a very analytical, task-oriented approach to life. We see life as a collection of problems that we need to solve or as disorder that we need organize.

Other equally intelligent and capable people see the world in terms of personal relationships and fun. Remember the Sales manager? She doesn’t act like she does to give the technically oriented manager a stroke. Most likely, she just sees the world differently. She has a different paradigm.

We can explain these different paradigms with what many people know as the DISC Model of Human Behavior.

Years ago, Harvard psychologist Dr. William Moulton Marston developed a theory that people tend to develop a self-concept based on one of four factors – Dominance, Inducement, Steadiness, or Compliance. This theory forms the basis of the DISC Model. Through the years, other psychologists and behavioral analysts have developed a variety of practical tools to apply his theory.

One of my mentors, Dr. Robert Rohm (Personality Insights, Inc.) has developed, what I believe to be, the best practical application tools based on the DISC model. Through his work, his publications, and a network of Human Behavioral consultants he has helped millions of people around the world.

Let’s briefly explore the model.

If you’ve got a piece of paper handy, draw a circle on it. If not, picture a circle in your mind. This circle represents the full range of personalities (temperaments, paradigms, etc.) of the people in your life.

Now, divide the circle in half horizontally. The upper-half represents outgoing or fast-paced individuals. The lower half represents reserved or slower-paced people. Outgoing people tend to move faster, talk faster, be more expressive, and speak more loudly than reserved people. Neither style is right or wrong — just different.

Now divide the circle in half vertically. The left half represents task-oriented people. The right half represents people-oriented people. Task-oriented people tend to focus on doing things while people-oriented people tend to focus on interacting with or caring for other people. Again, neither style is right or wrong — just different.

When you combine these viewpoints, you get a circle with four quadrants. The four quadrants represent the four basic personality styles. All of us are a blend, to a greater or lesser degree, of all four behavioral tendencies. However, we will tend to have predominant traits from one or two quadrants that reflect our primary drives and needs.

“D” type individuals are outgoing and task-oriented. They are dominant, determined, decisive, and diligent. They need choice, challenge, and control.

“I” type individuals are outgoing and people-oriented. They are inspiring, interesting, interested in people, and influencing. They need popularity, approval, and recognition.

“S” type individuals are reserved and people-oriented. They are supportive, steady, stable, and shy. They need appreciation, affirmation, and security.

“C” type individuals are reserved and task-oriented. They are cautious, calculating, contemplative, and careful. They need quality answers, value, and excellence.

Develop the ability to look past behaviors to focus on the needs and drives of individuals you interact with; and you will reduce conflict, improve communication, and build greater trust.

For example, I am mostly reserved and task-oriented (High-C or Cautious). When working with an outgoing, task-oriented (High-D or Dominant) person, I could look at specific behaviors (bottom-line focus, direct and abrupt conversational style, and action-oriented thinking) and call them “rude.” Or, I can recognize that they like to solve problems and are driven by a need for choices and control. Taking the second perspective; I now value their focus on results, get past my perception of them, and understand rather than label them. Once I understand them, I work with them more effectively because I don’t let our “dueling paradigms” control the relationship.

Manager, entrepreneur, sales rep, or parent; it really doesn’t matter. Seeing people for who they are and valuing their contribution to the team forms the basis for establishing a relationship that gets results, has room for fun, supports each individual, and produces high-quality work.

Guy Harris is a Relationship Repairman and People-Process Integrator. His background includes service as a US Navy Submarine Officer, functional management with major multi-national corporations, and senior management in an international chemical business. As the owner of Principle Driven Consulting, he helps entrepreneurs, business managers, and other organizational leaders improve team performance by applying the principles of human behavior.

Guy co-authored “The Behavior Bucks System(tm)” to help parents reduce stress and conflict with their children by effectively applying behavioral principles in the home. Learn more about this book at http://www.behaviorbucks.com

Learn more about Guy at http://www.principledriven.com

Do you really think that somebody who is in the grips of
making a decision about a major purchase, with all the
emotional turmoil and all the question and uncertainty they
have, with all the stress and anxiety over spending, do you
really think that your one-page flyer that says, “We care,”
is going to interest that prospect enough to want to do
business with you, as opposed to the ten million other
businesses in their area?

See, they want to understand what’s going on. They want to
understand why you’re the one who can help them. And, as
long as it takes to do that - is as long as it takes!

Are your prospective clients any different from you? Do you
really think that for big decisions about major purchases
or investments, they want some short, sweet thing? No. What
they want is someone they can trust. In order to develop a
trust, you have to make an emotional connection with them -
to the heart.

In order to make that connection, you have to talk to them
in a way they understand; in a way that makes them feel
that you have empathy and that you can solve their problems
or give them the best product or service. All that can not
be done in one page!

I don’t have a rigid answer for how long the copy should
be. In ads and postcards, you’re limited by size, so you
don’t have as much room. Sometimes it’s very difficult to
cut copy down to make it fit on one page. I know! But, when
it comes to sales letters, you have as much room as it
takes. I promise you - people will read it if they are
interested. So, write for interested people.

You cannot trick people who are not interested into
becoming interested. And people who are interested want to
know everything before deciding who they’re going to do
business with.

So, again, who should you write for? The majority of the
people who aren’t interested, and try to trick them into
becoming interested? Or, for people who are interested, who
want as much information as they possibly can have before
they make a decision? Or, at least, for people curious
enough to want to know more and to respond to you?

When you think about it this way, it makes a lot of sense.
If you were a sales person, you’d go nuts if your boss told
you that you only had one minute to close a sale. You
should go just as nuts if somebody says your copy should be
“short and sweet.”

See, we’re not fans of long copy because we’re fans of long
copy. If we could market to people in one page, we’d do it.
It’s cheaper and easier to do. Unfortunately, though, what
marketers “like” has nothing to do with what prospects love!

Keep in mind that the best marketing is marketing that
works! Not marketing that fits into a certain size
envelope, or that has lots of white space or whatever.

The only issue is what works. And if it takes long copy to
make it work, then that’s what you write because you are
interested only in finding out what works.

Now, if you test something, and it works in one page, more
power to you! Because I’m not saying you should always do
things one way or another.

No. What I’m saying is that you should, always do what
works. And if you can make something work in one page,
GREAT! BUT, I am going to tell you that, in most cases,
what usually works is longer copy.

So, don’t leave this secret with a predetermined notion on
exactly how long something should be. The only way to
really know is through testing.

You should know, though, that going “as long as it takes”
may move you out of your comfort zone when you first get
started.

Try to have faith in what I’m talking about. It makes
sense, and it’s right. Not because I say so, but because
it’s been proven through years of testing. Long copy
outpulls short copy if it is interesting and relevant to
the reader, and it tells the whole story.

When you start getting customers responding to you because
of the long copy that you are using, you’ll quickly give up
your preconceived notions about “short and sweet.”

You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter on
your web site as long as the byline is included and the
article is included in it’s entirety. I also ask that you
activate any html links found in the article and in the
byline. Please send a courtesy link or email where you
publish to: support@multiplestreammktg.com

Copyright 2006

The Bent-Over Lateral Raise is one of the most common exercises used for working the rear or posterior deltoids. For most trainers, it can be difficult to really feel the rear delts working during this movement as the larger, stronger muscles of the back have a tendency to take over.

To really get the most out of this exercise, you need to remove the back muscles from the equation. This can be easily accomplished with a simple technique.

How to Do It:

First, get yourself into position for the Bent-Over Lateral Raise. This can either be standing, seated or with your chest on an incline bench. The same technique applies to all variations.

Your arms should be hanging straight down in the start position.

Now, drop your shoulders down towards the ground without moving your torso. You will be keeping them down throughout the exercise. This forces the back muscles into a stretched position, thereby reducing their involvement in the exercise.

Once your shoulders are dropped, start the movement by doing a reverse wrist curl with the dumbells. This means simply bending your wrists back and up and holding them there.

Now squeeze the weights up to the top position of the lateral so that they are in line with your head at the top and squeeze hard at the top.

Here is an excellent tip for the way up: as you raise the dumbells, imagine as though you are trying to wrap the backs of your arms around a tree. You’ve often heard that you should try to wrap your arms around a tree for dumbell flyes, now apply it to this movement.

Also, try to force your hands into as wide of an arc as possible and keep the dumbells as far away from your body as possible. This technique will help you to keep your shoulders down as you lift the weights.

What all these tips accomplish is to reduce the ability of the stronger back muscles to contract during the exercise, forcing the rear delt muscles to “shoulder” the burden of the exercise.

The keys to remember are:

1. Shoulders down throughout the movement.

2. Do a reverse wrist curl at the start.

3. Wrap your arms around a tree on the way up.

4. Raise the dumbells up in line with your head.

Incorporating these tips into the bent-over lateral movement will target your rear delts like a laser beam!

For pictures on how to execute this technique go the following URL: http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue10-delt-tip.htm

About The Author

Nick Nilsson is Vice President of BetterU, Inc., an online exercise, fitness, and personal training company. Check out his latest eBook “The Best Exercises You’ve Never Heard Of” at http://www.thebestexercises.com or visit http://www.fitstep.com. You can contact him at betteru@fitstep.com or subscribe to BetterU News, his fitness newsletter at betterunews@fitstep.com.