Through the years I have compiled a list of what I consider to be the many keys for success. Here are just a few that I wanted to share with you. Make them a part of your daily routine and you will be better at what you do.

...................................................Emphasize Teamwork

Teamwork is so much more than just working together. Everyone has the ability to be a team player, every moment of every day. It is defined by the extent to which all actions, decisions and behavior contribute to the organization as a whole. Teamwork is a state of mind, an attitude and a conscious decision .  You will make hundreds of decisions every week that will define you as being a team player. You must fully understand your role as a team player and be one hundred percent committed to your organization.  The bottom line is, we are stronger collectively than we are as individuals.

.......................................................Communication

It involves everything we do, requires give-and-take and allows for
feedback and questioning by all parties. You create an atmosphere in which
open and honest discussion is welcomed or inhibited. I firmly believe we were given two ears and one mouth for a reason. Use them in proportion and listen twice as much as you talk.  If you think you're a great communicator, try describing the color blue to a person who has never had the gift of sight.

.........................................Encourage and Reward Innovation

I think innovation is the coolest word in the English language. The restless drive to improve and the consistent desire to then push harder. The Japanese call this kaizen or continuous improvement. To be innovative means you must be willing to fail and accept failure as one step closer to success and greatness. It shows that at least you tried and the reality is there is not much you can do that can't be undone. It's only another opportunity to succeed. As Charles Brewer (founder of Mindspring now EarthLink) states as one of his core values, "...there is a huge difference between good mistakes (best effort, bad results) and bad mistakes (sloppiness or lack of effort)." Successful companies encourage honest failure.

...................................Reduce and Simplify Internal Bureaucracy

Because it has always been done "that way." is a poor excuse in the attempt to define who you are as company. Trash your bureaucratic policies and re-define them in terms of what the internal and external customers needs and expectations are. Make your company an easy place in which to do business.

....................................................Always Be Honest

If you have bad news give it to the customer before they have to call you. If you have good news, give it to the customer first. Mistakes will always cost the company money. The longer mistakes go undetected or unsolved, the more it will cost. The sooner you are honest, the better off you will be and you will build customer loyalty as well. Don't forget employees are customers too.

.................................................Devotion to Urgency

You will never have a second chance to take care of the customer right the first time. Remember Murphy's Law, "Anything that can happen will happen". Live for the moment and think hours ahead. Always be pro-active and think now, now, now!

................................................Be A Person of Integrity

We all desire to be known as people of integrity, however, have you ever thought about what it really means? I looked it up for you in the Random House dictionary which defines integrity as, "...adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty...a sound, unimpaired, or a perfect condition." Practice it, demand it and live it.

................................................Be Positive at All Times

Positive attitudes rub off on people as do negative attitudes and your attitude affects everyone you work with. Always greet the customer with a smile so wide that you could eat a banana sideways. Remember that it takes seventy-two facial muscles to frown and only fourteen to smile. Unfortunately, we can all think of someone who can brighten up a room just by leaving it.

........................................Involve Everyone in Everything

Studies suggest that sixty-one percent of all employees say that they don't get enough information about the direction their company is headed. Having a clear understanding of the goals and the culture of the company is essential. I believe in the adage, " Tell me and I will forget, show me and I might remember, involve me and I will understand".

........................................Train, Train, Train, and Re-train

Training is not a one-time shot. If you examine successful companies, you will find that training is an on-going process in which all members of the organization are responsible for. There is only one thing worse than a trained employee who quits, and that is an untrained employee who stays.

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