Audio-Only Link (MP3): Are You Irreplaceable? by Dave Crenshaw

Text transcript:

Recently my publisher, Jossey-Bass, made an offer on my second book.  They were the ones who published The Myth of Multitasking and we expect that the second book will probably be released in spring of 2010.  So, I am very excited about it.

The book deals with one question.  I want to give you a little sneak peek and also give you an opportunity to participate in the development of this book.  The question is “Are You Irreplaceable?”

If you are an employee the question is,  ”are you irreplaceable to your boss or company?” Or, if you are a business owner, “is your product or service irreplaceable in the mind of the customer?”

It may surprise you that I am talking about this, but understand this question has everything to do with your time management and everything to do with your productivity. When you focus on your most valuable activities you make yourself more and more irreplaceable in the marketplace.

Think about the top performers in any field.  I am going to pick an easy example … let’s pick Tiger Woods.  Tiger Woods has made himself irreplaceable as a professional golfer.  Whether or not you like golf, you can get this principle because if Tiger Woods isn’t able to participate in a major tournament, for whatever reason, instantly he has devalued that tournament. Even though there are other outstanding golfers in the marketplace, he has made himself irreplaceable.  He has made himself someone that other people just have to watch because he is unique.

I want to get your responses about what you think it takes to make yourself irreplaceable to your boss or if you are a business owner, I would like to hear what you think it takes for your employees to make themselves irreplaceable to you.  You are welcome to respond to the blog.

You can also send me an e-mail directly at askdave@davecrenshaw.com.

If you are new to this video, I invite you to go to http://video.davecrenshaw.com right now and sign up for free video training.

Audio-Only Link (MP3): Conditioning for Success by Dave Crenshaw

Text transcript:

One comment I hear from people occasionally is, “Dave, you must just have an incredible amount of discipline to be able to follow through with all this stuff.” My response I think surprises them a lot of times.  I tell them that the reason why I stick to this program and the reason why the clients that I work with are still living it two to three years down the road isn’t because of discipline. It is because of conditioning.

Conditioning means that we give a consistent response in certain situations.  For instance, when an e-mail comes in, do you have a consistent response to it?  When someone hands you a business card, what is your set of responses that you have developed over time?

To praise someone for having discipline with time management is a bit like praising a basketball player who makes a free throw and saying he has really good discipline.

Discipline has nothing to do with it.  He had to have discipline to practice, but the reason why he makes the free throw in the game situation is because he is conditioned to behave in a certain way the moment he steps to that free throw line.  Now that doesn’t mean that he has turned into a robot by doing that.  It means that he doesn’t have to worry about the things that he shouldn’t have to worry about.

You shouldn’t have to reinvent the wheel every time an e-mail comes in.  You shouldn’t have to come up with a new system or strategy every time a phone call comes in.  It should be consistent and automatic so that you can focus 100% on the person that’s talking to you.

The strategy that I use in working with my clients has three main points: systems, accountability, and motivation.

Systems are processes and procedures that are documented and every business needs to have systems in order for them to give a consistent experience for the customers, but each employee and each of us individually need to have personal systems, the way in which we handle all of the flows of information into our life.

Second, accountability. Accountability is someone outside of you.  It has to be someone who is focused on your success in that thing.  I have taken golf lessons before and there was so much power in having someone outside of you who is a trained professional who can see what you do.  I provide that accountability for my clients, but I have even hired my coach to make me accountable for my own system because no one is immune to accountability

Number three, motivation.  Motivation is not Chris Farley saying, “I am a motivational speaker and I lived in a van down by the river,” at least it isn’t to me. I believe motivation is what drives you and the reason you have to be more successful.  In the context of time management, what reasons do you have to be able to have extra time every day and be more productive?  Most of the people that I work with want to spend more time on the things that matter most to them, such as spending time with family or loved ones.

When you can tie systems and accountability and motivation together, then you create an atmosphere where you become conditioned to be successful.

If you want more insight go to http://www.TimeBootCamp.com and learn more about my Get Time coaching program.