Eric Albertson's

www.SucceedingInBusiness.com

Success Tips Newsletter - October 11, 2007

In this issue: Too much change can kill results

by Eric Albertson

Word Count: 1045

Time to read: 4-5 minutes

Human beings both love and hate change at the same time. And for good reason.

The problem

Either too much change or too little change can kill results (and damage careers and life, itself).

Ultimate outcome

A happy and rewarding career and life.

The Story

I had lunch yesterday at St. Honore Bakery in the town of Lake Oswego, Oregon. They have a counter where you can watch the bakers perform their tasks. While I was speaking with one of the bakers, he told me that, while he was already a master baker, his task at this bakery was different from any other in his career. His task was to be a fast master baker. He said that he had thought that he worked as fast as was possible until, five months earlier, he had arrived at St. Honore.

A gracious ballet

This bakery or "boulangerie," as it is called, produces some of the best baked goods that I have ever tasted. And they do it fast. All of the employees seem to be operating in a relaxed and gracious ballet of movement.

Adapt or depart: getting twice as much done…with grace

The baker I was speaking to said that the bakers at St. Honore were so graceful and efficient that they got twice as much done as he did when he first arrived. He had had to adapt or depart. He was working very hard to adapt because he loves being associated with such a fine organization that produces such a fine product.

The art of no change and little changes

The baker was finding that he had to not change the basic task of baking each day because customers would be coming to buy their bread. At the same time, he found that he had to constantly tweak his approach to the details so that he could adapt to the ballet-like speed and grace of the other master bakers.

Magic insight on the timing of change

Educators and some scientists have observed that people's brains seem to integrate new information at three-, five-, and 11-month intervals, give or take a few days. Struggle, struggle, struggle, and then, no more struggles. You've made the change.

Like a thief in the night

Sometimes you work hard, but it feels like you are not making the progress you would like. All of a sudden, it all seems to come together and you are operating at a new plateau. Life is good again, sales happen, targets respond and so on.

The confidence of knowing the pattern

Not being aware of this aspect of how your brain works can cause someone to do two things: quit too soon, and not change often enough.

The key is changing in the right place

Here is what I mean. Pick a goal or direction that aligns with your commitments in life. Know that it will take time. Innovate and test change within the theme and the basic tasks like crazy. At the same time, hold true to the overall theme long enough to allow your brain and normal experience to evolve to make life easier and better performance possible.

Getting it wrong is potential career disaster

Changing the big things too often, and failing to keep innovating in the little things, is usually a recipe for career and income disaster.

Excellence or mediocrity: the brain doesn't care

Like the baker, we may think we are masters until we are really just comfortable with mediocrity. The new performance demand may come from a job you take, or a goal you set. Regardless of where you are today, there is another level out there if you are so inclined. If you can tolerate the transition, you can be as comfortable with excellence as with mediocrity. Your brain doesn't care either way; it will adjust to anything.

The magic trick is knowing about the plateaus

Watch for those plateau's at three, five and 11 months. Often you will be in your most frustrated and irritated states just before you break out onto the plateau.

My hope for you

It is my hope for you that having this knowledge will help you know what is going on. That it will give you the faith, hope and confidence to hang on long enough for the predictable breakthrough to happen. Stay the course where you should(for stability), and change where you should(for joy, performance, delight and life).

Making more, while working less

This is the path to making more, while working less. The baker is going to produce more in a place he loves, while he works about the same number of hours. You probably have the opportunity in your life to make vastly more, while working less. As always the choice is 100 percent yours.

Call to action

Reread this article and consider buying a book to enhance your ability to step up your game. Here is a link where you can check out Working Less While Making More, and a number of other books my catalog that might help you on your way to your dreams in this short life.

All the best,

Eric

PS: Of course you noticed the format change today. I know how pressed for time you are, and I respect that. I am taking a page from a great copywriter named Gary Halbert and testing a dual reading path. Essentially, if I do it right you can skim the headlines and dip into the copy for more when you want to. Certainly you can read every word. I hope most of you do. If pressed, you can just read the headlines.

I will give myself a little time to get good at this. I think it is a way that I can deliver more value to you in less time, so that I can deliver on my promise to help you make more, while working less.

PPS: I am moving this newsletter to a newer, more modern technology platform. It will allow me to do many things to better serve my subscribers. If you subscribed to this newsletter prior to October 2007, I need you to go to the home page at www.succeedinginbusiness.com and re-subscribe to the New Success In Business Newsletter.

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About Eric Albertson
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Eric Albertson helps business owners, corporate executives and sales professionals set their priorities, get focused, and achieve their goals so they can grow their business, get ahead in life, and live their dreams.

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