30 April 2007

Just Beta


Just has a lot of meanings. It can be positive, neutral and negative.

Just means now, very soon, or very recently. It also means exactly, or equally. Sometimes, it is used to make a statement stronger, but it is also used to reduce the force of a statement in order to suggest that it is not very important. It means only, but it also means almost. It means fair, and morally correct.

When to use which just? It really depends, but the general rule of thumb is to use the Power Just!

What is the Power Just!?

JUST DO IT, as long as the bottom line is clearly defined. But again, how bottom should the bottom be? If it is not life or death, then why cares? Even if it goes beyond the bottom, so what? Death is inevitable. Everyone lives once. Opportunities are limited. If the opportunity is not cherished by the time it is given, then don't complain in the future that there are not enough opportunities.

Positive touchpoint experience is about improvement, and improvement comes after enough trial and error. Trial and error won't happen if nothing is being done... so don't think twice. Just do it!

27 April 2007

Impossible? Beta

"Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything." George Bernard Shaw

Everything is possible, so nothing is impossible.

Everything is possible when people stop giving themselves excuses. People have to buy in before they can sell to others. If they do not believe themselves in anything, how can they convince others to believe? When there is no alignment, right things won't get done right. Even if they are forced to get things done, there is no passion. Without passion, possible becomes impossible. Excuses are the biggest obstacles in making impossible possible. Excuses are negative self-talk.

Everything is impossible when the word impossible is in the dictionary. Impossible is possible because there is possible. It is about relativity. Every coin has two sides. Each side is neither possible nor impossible. It is simply neutral. If one side of the coin is possible, then the flip side of the coin is usually impossible. However, every coin is still a coin.

When tossing a coin, what is the possibility that the coin will land on its circumferential edge? Is that impossible?

Just try. Try harder. That's all people need to do to make impossible nothing. It is always easy to make something impossible, but it is easier to say no to impossible by just doing it.

21 April 2007

Cheese Beta

"The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese." Jon Hammond

It is not always good to be the first. Wanting to be the first is the right attitude, but being there sometimes is not a good idea. Being there enjoys nothing but fame and only fame. Fame, in return, poses an unseen danger to those being high up above all in achievement. Everyone sees the first as his or her only enemy, and will do everything to surpass anyone ahead of himself or herself, so he or she will be the first instead. Conflicts arise between the first and the rest. The root of conflict is comparison. When everything is equal, comparison is impossible, and conflict won't exist.

However, winning brings praise, and praise brings laughter, and laughter brings happiness. Nobody wants tears on the pillow.

There are two types of smile. One is from the heart, and the other is from the head.

Cheese is related to fake smile, or smile from the head. When cheese is said, the cheeks tend to lift, the corners of the mouth tend to turn up, and the teeth tend to show. It is a smile put on the face! True smile does not require the use of "cheese!" It is laughing from the heart caused by a laughing heart.

People always look better when smiling. Cheese at least forces the face into a smile. Cheese also gives consistency, as everyone in the group will smile at the same time when taking photos.

Smile... smile... smile...

Say "cheese!"

19 April 2007


WIIFM stands for "What's In It For Me."

That is the one question everyone needs to answer in order to successfully deliver positive touchpoint experience. Nobody will proceed with anything if that something offers nothing to anyone. This is a simple fact, but almost everyone ignores. Everyone is too busy figuring out what-is-in-it-for-me instead of answering others' WIIFM. Win-win is the best solution, but the first win is win for oneself, then the second win is win for others. Nobody is willing to do anything if he or she has no benefits in the first place. That is the rule - I win first, then you win.

If people have the WIIFM mindset, so that the deliverables produced can answer WIIFM, then the deliverables will provide positive touchpoint experience. Else, they either deliver neutral or negative experience, which won't result in win-win outcome.

Salespeople usually sell for themselves. They have long forgotten that people like to buy, but don't like to be sold. Buying is actually a questioning process initiated by the buyer, whereas selling is a talking skill used by the seller. If buyer does not have the need to buy, no matter what the seller says, the buyer still won't buy. If the buyer has the need to buy, even if the seller does not know how to sell, it will still result in win-win outcome.

That's why managing the sales cycle is meaningless, but managing the buying cycle is meaningful. Although it won't guarantee success, it at least is the right direction.

How to answer WIIFM? Is there a winning formula? Try WCIDFY!

17 April 2007

Self-Talk Beta

"Relentless, repetitive self talk is what changes our self-image." Denis Waitley

Two-way communication is always prefer to one-way. Two-way is about mutual respect. It is achieved by listening. Everyone can hear, but not everyone is willing to listen. Listening is actually the willingness to hear. When both parties are willing to listen, two-way communication is formed. Else, it is only one-way communication.

In one-way communication, the sender talks, and the receiver listens. This is not communication at all. The sender does not need to listen, because he or she does not want to listen. The sender enjoys talking so much that the receiver's feedback is usually being ignored. The sender can talk a lot without saying anything. Same applies to the receiver. He or she can hear everything but listen nothing. When there is no balance in communication, it produces negative touchpoint experience.

There is perhaps one kind of one-way talk that delivers positive touchpoint experience, and it is positive self-talk.

Self-talk is an internal dialogue, which influences one's touchpoints with others, thereby determining the quality of one's experience. Self-talk happens unconsciously. Nobody knows why and when it happens. If self-talk is negative, it drives negative thinking. When negative thinking dominates, everything delivered becomes negative. When negative touchpoint experience becomes routine, lose-lose outcome is inevitable. Positive self-talk helps people stay away from negative, and gear towards positive by giving them the power to handle adversity.

Life is and should be full of both ups and downs. Life without both is lifeless. People have no problems with ups. Positive self-talk is meaningless during ups. People are lost during downs. Positive self-talk neutralizes negative experience, and reverses pessimistic to optimistic.

Stay positive. Stay downside up.

13 April 2007

Cold War Beta

"The Cold War is over but Cold War thinking survives." Joseph Rotblat

War is an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political communities. In diplomatic terms, there are three types of war.

Hot War is about actual warfare. All talks have failed and the armies are fighting.

Warm War is where talks are still going on, and there would always be a chance of a peaceful outcome. However, armies are being fully mobilised, and war plans are being put into operation ready for the command to fight.

Cold War is when both sides are afraid of fighting each other directly. Instead, they fight each other indirectly. They support conflicts in different parts of the world. They use words as weapons. They threaten and denounce each other. They try to make each other look foolish.

War brings peace eventually. War itself is definitely negative touchpoint experience, but the aftermath of war is positive touchpoint experience. Everything is given the opportunity to start from scratch again. Both parties learn from mistakes, and strive to do better in the future.

In individual terms, cold war happens between family members, friends, and especially lovers. Hot war is unusual, and warm war is rare.

Cold war hurts personal relationships permanently. People are not like countries. Once they are hurt, it becomes difficult for them to start all over again. It is not about forgive and forget. It is about an emotional scar.

The heart is like a mirror, once broken it can never be mended to be the way it was before. Even after it is mended, the crack is still visible. A broken heart cannot be ever made anew...

War is never the answer, for only love can conquer hate.


12 April 2007

Vocabulary Beta

"The two most misused words in the entire English vocabulary are love and friendship. A true friend would die for you, so when you start trying to count them on one hand, you don't need any fingers." Larry Flynt

Simple is good. However, if simple is good, then why vocabulary?

Embroil? Meaning to cause someone to become involved in an argument or a difficult situation. Example: The latest row is typical of how helmsmen of the board are suddenly embroiled in controversy.

Grandiose? Meaning larger and containing more detail than necessary, or intended to seem important or splendid. Example: Grandiose offices do not produce better governance.

Ostentatious? Meaning too obviously showing your money, possessions or power, in an attempt to make other people notice and admire you. Example: Ostentatious facilities are seldom a positive sign of modesty and efficiency.

Pallid? Meaning very pale, in a way that looks unattractive and unhealthy. Example: The local reaction was pallid.

Pompous? Meaning too serious and full of importance. Example: She can sometimes sound a bit pompous when she talks about music.

People like to use difficult words. Will that help understanding? No! Then why?

Information experience is negative when the message is difficult to understand.

Try this.

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe can.
