Unleash Your Inner Superhero

When I was a kid, I loved superheroes. I know – funny thing for a girl to like – but I loved watching the Superfriends. Truth be known, Batman was and is my favorite. Batman is just a regular guy using his passion, his gifts, and awesome technology to make a difference. He is an extreme expression of a normal person. So what sets Batman apart from “regular Joes” like us? It’s not just the spandex. Batman uses his talents and resources exponentially.

You and I engage our gifts, passions, and technology every day. What if you could exponentially increase your productivity? What if you could become a superhero in your own office by dramatically increasing your effectiveness as a person and as an employee?

Recently, I had the opportunity to read Price Pritchett’s You². In this concise handbook, Mr. Pritchett details his “high velocity formula for multiplying your personal effectiveness in quantum leaps”. In short, he explains how you can take the leap from “you” to “you²”.

Mr Pritchett asserts that you can take a quantum leap into increased personal effectiveness. A quantum leap is an interesting thing. In layman’s terms, it’s when an atom makes an inexplicable jump from one place to another. No steps in between point A and point Z – just a leap. What if you could do that? What if you could just pick a spot and leap to a new place in your journey to personal effectiveness?

It sounds crazy, and Mr. Pritchett acknowledges that not everything is possible. However, he also addresses the fact that we rarely reach for the edge of the things that are indeed possible when it comes to personal achievement and productivity. He encourages us to let go of the status quo, embrace creativity and press relentlessly toward the quantum leap of faith and productive genius that lie within us. He challenges us to accept the uncomfortable nature of this quantum leap and take a brave trip from average to extraordinary. It’s not without risk, though. Any courageous jump has the potential to produce spectacular failure, but failure is, according to Mr. Pritchett, part of the process. He says, “Failure is a resource. It helps you find the edge of your capacities.”

Perhaps my favorite section of the handbook is the section on risk. Mr. Pritchett brings attention to the fact that everything is a risk. Whether you are plodding through normal procedure to expected goals or taking a quantum leap to new heights; you are taking a risk. Playing it safe doesn’t mean that you are safe, and making a quantum leap doesn’t mean you have to be reckless. He exhorts the reader to “Risk believing in yourself. Risk acting on the assumption that you can succeed in making a quantum leap. Otherwise, the risk is that you will settle for only a fraction of what life has to give you.”

Recently, I saw the need to acquire a new skill in my role here at Delta Dallas…to use ASAP! I called everyone I know that has this skill, and the consensus was that I am crazy. Most of my skilled acquaintances have worked for several months/years to acquire this skill, and I am considered a bit audacious to think that I can just pick it up like a fallen apple. So what. I’m doing it anyway. A leap is, after all, a leap…not a shuffle. Of course there is a price for this leap. Anything that is worthwhile comes with a price! I know, though, in the long run, it will be a positive leap for everyone involved. My leap is part of my future.

The good news is that not everyone has written me off as certifiable. My boss has vision and is supportive of this leap. He can see the other side of it. I also have a friend with this desired skill who is wise enough to acknowledge the challenge I am facing while offering wholehearted support. It’s helpful to have experienced advocates to talk to during your leap. They keep you sane.

You² is a perfect read for these times. A lot of companies are dealing with reduced staff and increased demands on individuals. It’s an opportune time for individual employees (whatever their rank) to reinforce their value to their employers. The age of intelligence has arrived, and we all need to press forward into a brave new world of increased creative effectiveness in order to be considered valuable.

Tabitha Woods is Marketing Coordinator for Delta Dallas. Reach her at twoods@deltadallas.com or 972-788-2300.

Be A Purple Cow

If we own a business today, we must find a way to stand out among the crowd.  We have to find a way to get noticed, discussed, and remembered.

Is “Good,” Good Enough?

Think of your last restaurant dining experience. Was the food good? Was the service good? Was the price good? Did you walk out and immediately call your friends? Of course not – good was expected! What if you went to a restaurant and the experience was so remarkable that you couldn’t wait to pick up the phone? What would you say?

You might say, “I just had an amazing dining experience! You need to visit this restaurant!” The word would spread, and the restaurant would have to work hard to keep up with the generated growth primarily from simple word of mouth.

I recently read Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable by Seth Godin. The basis of the book is simple – a field of brown cows is boring; a purple cow stands out. People will notice, discuss and remember a purple cow. They will tell their friends about the purple cow, who in turn will tell their friends about the purple cow. Soon, everyone will go to the field to see the purple cow.

Godin begins the book by discussing the dated principles of marketing: pricing, product, publicity, packaging, etc. He believes that these principles are part of the TV-industrial complex in which consumers learned about products from mass media. Companies spent huge amounts of money to tell consumers about their products, and it worked. Consumers bought the products.

In today’s fast-paced, attention-deficit world, consumers have everything they need; they probably even have everything they want. They don’t pay attention to an advertisement unless it is something that piques their interest.

What does this mean for marketing departments and product developers? It means that they must find a way to stand out in a crowd. They need to be remarkable. They need to be risky. They might even need to fail in order to learn what will ultimately make them remarkable. What is remarkable today might be boring next year. To be true purple cows, products need to be reinvented on a regular basis to avoid being “very good” or “safe.”

Godin gives examples of purple cows that include discount furniture retailers, high-end stereo systems, family restaurants and expensive cell phones. All of the examples, while very different products or services, have one thing in common: they have come up with a strategy or product that sets them apart from their competition. People talk about them to their friends, and excitement builds. Soon, those products and services are seen as leaders in the industry, and others are striving to catch up!

When I finished reading Purple Cow, I immediately tried thinking of purple cows that have touched my life, either personally or professionally. Two came immediately to mind…

• For my favorite personal purple cow, I thought of Papa Murphy’s – the new pizza restaurant that just opened in my neighborhood (www.papamurphys.com). I had actually eaten these pizzas while visiting family on the west coast, and hoped that one day I would be able to enjoy one in my own home. What is different about this pizza chain? They build the pizza in front of me, and I take it home and bake it when I am ready. They don’t deliver, but that’s ok! I know that I am getting fresh ingredients, and my house smells incredible while it’s baking. It is the best of both worlds – the ease of a frozen pizza, but the taste and quality of a restaurant pizza. They have made themselves remarkable!

• For my favorite professional purple cow, I thought of recently added services at Delta Dallas. We have many competitors in the Dallas area, and we are constantly trying to set ourselves apart from our competition with new products and services for our customers. We have implemented new programs that benefit both our paying clients (an On Call team that results in less downtime for our clients when they have immediate staffing needs), our candidates (training sessions on interviewing, resume writing and other subjects) or both (roundtable discussions about the entire job/candidate search process). Many of these services are free of charge, but we market them in the same manner that we market our core services.  We know our customers have multiple choices when it comes to staffing firms, so we are doing everything we can to go above and beyond their expectations.

What did you do today to set yourself apart from your competition? Did you follow the same path as yesterday hoping for different results, or did you create something new and exciting?

What is your purple cow?