The Three R’s of Success

We can create what we want, and this is evidenced by the
unprecidented number of people who are starting their own
businesses. How do these people do it? How are so many
people finding success today? They pracrtice the three R’s.

Any endeavor you would begin starts with a question: “What
do I want to come of this? What is my intent?” The first R
for success is RESULTS. What results do you want? When you
are starting a business or a project, clarify what you
want. If you are already leading a department or an
organization, clarify what you want.

Most people in the world do not know what they want. They
know what they don’t want, and so they spend most of their
time thinking about what they don’t want. People complain,
worry, and criticize. None of these actions create what you
want.

It begins with a dream, a thought of creating something
meaningful.  As leaders and entrepreneurs we must move
beyond merely dreaming and clarify what results we want to
produce. The key piece is feelings. How would success feel?
The reason people do anything is based on how they think
they will feel. Words like joy, fulfillment, delight,
making a contribution, gratitude, meaning, and love come to
mind. It is this feeling that creates the  passion and
drive that will have you doing what it takes to create your
successful business.

Whenever people start telling me about how much money I can
make in their business opportunity I tend to hang up,
delete, or say “no thanks”. Money is great, and it usually
isn’t enough of a motivator by itself. It is important to
enjoy what you are doing. Money and business success  may
make you feel good. It is more likely that feeling good
will help you make money and success. In other words, our
ability to feel successful right now helps us to create the
results we want. Success is created from the inside out.

Your vision for success is something you begin to live
right now. Think, feel, walk, talk, and act like a
successful person. Never say you are “trying to start a
business.” You are either starting one or you aren’t!

Once you start you need to clarify your identity. What is
your mission? The mission involves what you do, who you
serve, and why it is important. What are your values?
Values involve how you do business and how you treat
people. Clarity about who you are and where you are going
will lead to the results you want.

The second R is RESPONSIBILITY. Responsibility is your
ability to respond. It means that you move beyond blaming
and recognize that you create your experience, therefore it
is you who must respond. Businesses will always have ups
and downs and problems to solve. You can spend your energy
focusing what you don’t want (the problem), or you can
spend your energy focusing on what you do want (solutions).

As an executive coach I have seen so much waste and stress
created by people blaming, being defensive, denying
responsibility, and avoiding problems. At the same time I
have seen businesses where people communicate openly and
honestly, and consciously align their thoughts and behavior
with the results they want to produce.

Responsibility doesn’t mean that we never blame or
complain. It means that we catch ourselves doing it and
move toward resolution.  When we find ourselves complaining
we can ask “What do I want?”, and we can act on it.

The third R is RESPONSIVENESS. Responsiveness is about
being in the moment with other people. It means that my
customers, my coworkers, and others are real people with
real needs and concerns. In business people get so focused
on task they forget about people. People are treated as
objects. A complaining customer becomes an inconvenience.
An unhappy employee becomes a problem. The result in these
cases is the inconvenience  and the unhappiness are
increased.

We need to envision every person wearing a little sign that
says: “Please remember to treat me as important.” We need
to listen, to acknowledge, to respond, and to help people
meet their needs. Most people want to be taken seriously
and not dismissed. If we can be responsive to our employees
and customers, they will want to work with us. Ultimately
the value we create is found in the value we offer to
others. Success is about meeting the needs of those you
serve. If you can do that, you will produce the results you
intend.

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William Frank Diedrich is a speaker, executive coach, and
the author of Beyond Blaming: Unleashing Power and Passion
in People and Organizations. William offers keynotes and
workshops on leadership and moving beyond blaming. William
also offers an inexpensive, yet powerful online leadership
class, The Leaders’ Edge, and a free e-newsletter,
Transformation Times. Learn more about William at
http://noblaming.com