Dear e-WOW! Fan,

We all love winners!! In your November e-WOW! Newsletter we’ll examine characteristics of winners, determination, and key components to high performing teams.

Speaking of winners: Barbara Claiborne won last months FREE “Get Away” Vacation package give away. Congratulations Barbara!

November is an important month around our household. It’s an opportunity to call time out and focus on the “giving of thanks” during this holiday season. Our family has been abundantly blessed during 2002. We’ve had some challenges, struggles and heartaches but we’ve come out the better and count the challenges among our many blessings.

 

I encourage you to build in time for the “giving of thanks” and offer a special moment of gratitude to those important to you.

 

Have an AWE-filled Thanksgiving season!

Featured Article

"Everyone Loves a Winner!"

by Mark Rosenberger, CSP

I have a confession. I’m not necessarily an Anaheim Angels fan. Granted I live in Southern California and enjoyed rooting for my neighbors, but deep inside, I still think the Padres will win the pennant soon. (I’ve been saying that for 32 years.)

I am, however, a fan of winners. I love reading, watching and hearing about people who over came the odds, surmounted huge adversity to accomplish a goal and stared defeat in the eyes only to “take a long sip on the sweet urn of victory.” (A famous quote from my high school football coach.)

Baseball fan or not, if you watched what was unfolding in Anaheim, you saw the magic of a high performing team.

They put a rookie on the mound to start game 7 of the World Series. How gutsy is that? One of the stars stands only 5’6” in a game dominated by the big boys. Shortstop Eckstein, the 5-foot-6 former college walk-on had a special message for kids in the victory party crowd: "When someone says you can't do something, you don't listen to them," Eckstein said. "If you believe in yourself, anything is possible for you. That's why I'm here right now."  How GREAT is that? I love this stuff—these guys overcame in ways we can only imagine.

By all counts, the Angels should have thrown in the towel after game five. They lost in humiliating fashion, 16-4. Late in game six they were behind 5 to zip. By my calculation, that’s 21 points for San Francisco and 4 points for the Halo’s.  But these guys never quit, never said die and never threw in the towel. Although I’m not a big Angel’s fan, I did cheer to see their heart and determination.

Watching the World Series and re-reading, “When Teams Work Best: 6,000 Team Members and Leaders Tell What It Takes to Succeed," by Frank LaFasto & Carl Larson, I was reminded of two components of high performing teams and how they apply to you and me on the job. (There are 10 key components but I will only discuss two in this column.)

Key Component One: Belief in the Team’s Ability to Succeed. Thoughts:  There is a strong belief in the team’s skills and it’s ability to achieve what it sets out to accomplish. The designated team leader must believe in the “team” concept. A cohesive team can consistently outperform a collection of talented individuals.

Key Component Two: Problem Solving and Conflict Management.  Thoughts: The team has an effective model in place to address problems and conflicts. Team members handle conflicts/problems on an on-going basis and do so in an open and honest manner. The reasons for disagreement are carefully examined, and the team continues to work toward a resolution until all members are satisfied.

Can you imagine the Angel’s locker room after the game 5, 16-4 blow out? Somehow, I think they spent less time pointing the finger of blame and pointed their determination toward the World Champion prize. Why? Because they have belief in the team.

I love watching winners. I get goose bumps when people accomplish what they once thought was the impossible. I get inspired when I see someone who has a dream and is willing to work to make the dream come true. 

It was a hoot watching the Angel’s celebration from Main Street USA, Disneyland. In the immortal words of Walt Disney himself: "If you can dream it, you can do it." They dreamed it, and they did it!

Make this an awesome month with your team!

P.S. Do you think the Padres will ever win the World Series?

Lessons of the Trapeze

Trapeze Buddy Success Characteristic:
WIN-WIN-WIN Mentality

Look at top performing Trapeze Buddies and you’ll see them playing for win-win-win solutions. Winners realize they are not an island and success means counting on others to come through on a consistent basis. Trapeze Buddies are looking for ways customers, vendors, the company and themselves can win in any given situation.

The win-win-win mentality is the long term perspective of success. It sets people up to win on a daily basis so that people can win for years to come.

A Win-Win-Win approach sees the abundances available and knows there is plenty for everyone. Their glass is always half full vs. half empty.