Our lives are filled with a steady flow of human interactions.  Whether it is personal or business, the human condition calls for people to communicate.  This basic human function requires us to interpret language and physical cues to help us understand the other person. 

Empathy according to Wikipedia is defined as, “the intellectual identification of thoughts, feelings, or state of another person.”  It’s also defined as “capacity to understand another person’s point of view or the result of such understanding.”

There are a multitude of theorists and a variety of definitions of empathy.  My career training in professional sales introduced me early on to the importance of empathy.  Almost every great trainer and motivational speaker has touched on the subject.  What’s most interesting to me is that every human being sees things through their perspective, their frame of reference.  Our individuality is as different as the shoes we wear each day.

In my work, I come into contact with many different types of people from all walks of life.  My mentors taught me to keep my eyes open along my life’s journey so I can recognize the little angels that present themselves along the way.  Having a strong sense of empathy is the key to developing a better understanding of ‘what’s in it for me’ relating to the other person. What does the other person want?  What does your client want?  What does your clients customers want?  What do your employees want?

The ability to ask and answer these questions can help you develop your empathy skills.  Having a clear understanding of empathy and being very good at empathizing with others is a master skill you’ll want to focus on as you begin your quest to creating your own high performance professional development program.

Having just returned from 4 days in the Wisconsin north woods to participate in the annual deer hunt, time spent in the forest brings the opportunity to reflect and clear the mind.  For me the highest quality thinking time requires a sense of solitude and quiet while observing the natural order.

Traditional Wisconsin deer camps are steeped in tradition with a strong connection to family bonding ever strengthening our allure with the North Country and our family cultures.   Stories and legends of trophy bucks and tags filled over the past decades connect generations and the commitment between grandfathers and grandsons form the familial bonds that make these tribal gatherings required seasonal events.

Over huge meals of wild game and all the comfort foods you could imagine, plans are made, pecking orders are reviewed and confirmed while tomorrows hunt gets planned.

After dinner deer camp members wander down country and forest roads to visit neighbors to talk about deer sightings, bucks that got away and stories of misses.

On Thanksgiving Day, we celebrate our culture and our traditions as well as all the friends and family that are woven together to make up our lives.  Each family has its’ own traditions for the annual celebration and recognition of our appreciation for each other.

What cultures and traditions exist within your business?

November and December are critical months for sales people and companies in terms of conducting a business review.  This real-time post performance analysis also begins the process and sets the tone for planning for the New Year.  Do you recall the goals you set for yourself or your company for the current year?  Did you write them down and organize your business plan so you could review progress to goals monthly, quarterly and now annually?

If you feel remiss in tracking your progress to goal for the year, now is a great time to review your achievements this year.  Many professionals set deadlines for achieving goals and there are times when specific and measurable goal setting is required.  If you’ve failed to achieve your goal within the timeline you set, reset your timeline.  You only fail if you judge your performance based on whether or not you completed the goal by a specific date.  Change the date and revitalize your commitment to reaching your goal.  Every time you progress towards your goal, you achieve milestones, each step leading you closer to your achievement.

There are different perspectives on annual reviews and evaluating progress to goals.  I believe that even incremental movement daily keeps you on your way to your goal.  Keep your commitment alive and watch the passion to reinvigorate yourself come alive.

If you need some assistance getting on track towards reviewing your progress to goal and resetting your action plan, give me a call or drop me an email and we’ll get you moving in the right direction.

Starting a new company is a fascinating experience that only entrepreneurs can understand.  The business may start with a deep seated passion to accomplish something better, something more meaningful that will free you from the constraints of working for a company and an employer.  Your passion is driven to achieve more, to deliver better outcomes to fill a niche that you believe has room for your ideas and your commitment.

Depending on your business model, you may be a sole proprietor or you may have a small group of employees, or if you’re like The Business Source LLC, you work independently as a business consultant and surround yourself with the best experts you can find to create a team that in many cases can operate and function smarter, better and faster than any company with four walls.

Today I am proud to say I experienced the true essence of team work.  Both in supporting one another and having others support me.  I’m proud to work with my team and be a part of their team.

I find it interesting that after being in sales, sales management and sales training, the essential aspects of successful selling really never change.  Great trainers and training is everywhere on the web, blogs, in-office, networking groups and the list of resources goes on and on.  One thing all sales people understand is the race never ends.  We celebrate victories along the way, only to restart the process again and again.  The fundamentals never change, although we learn new ways to think about sales and selling every day.  I find particularly valuable insights from Jeffrey Gitomer and Jill Konrath.  Two very accomplished trainers with quite different selling styles.  Their weekly e-newsletters provide great value and perspective to all sales people.

The number one requirement for any successful sales person is belief.  Do you believe in what you sell?  Is your conviction strong enough to withstand the mountain of obstacles you face every day?

Let’s start there.