THE ACHIEVEMENT DIGEST "TAD"
A Unique Newsletter For Leaders
August 2004
Gene Griessman, Ph.D. Editor 404-256-5927
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WHAT'S IN THIS ISSUE?
I. Personal Productivity--Bad Ideas, Lessons From History
II. Lincoln’s Log
III. Quotable Quotes
IV. Travel Notes From A Road Warrior--Akron,
Ohio and Jacksonville, Florida
V. Feedback
I. PERSONAL PRODUCTIVITY
Bad Ideas
Here's an excerpt from a short piece on bad ideas that was sent to me by a
reader.
The tribal wisdom of the Dakota Indians says that when you discover that you are
riding a dead horse, dismount. However, in government and in business, more
advanced tactics are often employed, such as:
1. Buying a stronger whip;
2. Changing riders;
3. Appointing a committee to study the horse;
4. Arranging to visit other countries to see how people in other lands ride
horses;
5. Lowering the standards so that dead horses can be included;
6. Reclassifying the dead horse as "living-impaired";
7. Hiring outside contractors to ride the dead horse;
8. Harnessing several dead horses together to increase speed;
9. Providing additional funding and/or training to increase the dead horse's
performance;
10. Doing a productivity study to see if lighter riders would improve the dead
horse's performance;
11. Declaring that because the dead horse does not have to be fed, it is less
costly, and carries lower overhead, it contributes more to the bottom line than
do other horses.
I once asked Nobel laureate
Linus Pauling what is the most important characteristic of a good researcher.
Linus replied, "The ability to spot a bad idea. You can waste a lot of time
following up a bad idea.".
Here's the rule to follow: "If a thing's not
worth doing, be sure not to do it."
An entire section of "Time Tactics of Very
Successful People" is devoted to the danger of wasting time on bad ideas. To
obtain your autographed copy, click here:
http://www.achievementdigest.com/ProductOrderForm.html)
LESSONS FROM HISTORY: LESSON TWO
There Is Magic In Thinking Big.
Ted Turner is the biggest-thinking individual I have ever known personally. He
literally changed the world with CNN. Changing the world is exactly what he
intended to do. I was an on-air host and producer at TBS when CNN was being
planned. I had no idea how big Ted was thinking.
And where did Ted Turner get his
inspiration? From history. One of Turner's favorite characters as a youth was
Alexander the Great, who is reported to have wept because there were no more
worlds left for him to conquer.
An in-depth study of history can raise your aspirations. When you discover
what others have been able to accomplish under adverse conditions and often with
few advantages, you may hear a voice inside that says to you, "I can do
something significant too."
The next issue of The Achievement Digest will
contain another lesson from history.
II. LINCOLN'S LOG
Lincoln is generally thought of as a politician, which he was, but his vocation
was the law. He served about 1500 days as President and 23 years as a lawyer.
During that time he tried approximately 5000 cases, an average of about 200 a
year. In the huge Eight Judicial Circuit of Central Illinois, Lincoln had the
largest single caseload.
During his career, Lincoln was involved in 15
murder cases. Of those, four men were found not guilty (one by reason of
insanity), two were indicted but not prosecuted, one escaped during trial, six
were convicted on the lesser charge of manslaughter, and only two were found
guilty and sentenced to hang. (Lincoln Legal Briefs, July-September 1996, No.
39)
A quaint note has survived from one of Lincoln's
civil cases in the 1850s. "If you settle I will charge nothing for what I have
done, and thank you to boot. By settling you will likely get your money sooner,
and with much less trouble and expense." (Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Assn.,
Vol 16, No. 2, pp. 4, 5)
Lincoln understood that compromise is necessary
in everyday life. "Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can," he
wrote in a lecture for lawyers. "Point out to them how the nominal
winner is often a real loser--in fees, and expenses, and waste of time."
Learn about how Lincoln communicated in "The Words Lincoln Lived By." Order your
own autographed copy by clicking below: (http://www.achievementdigest.com/ProductOrderForm.html).
Quantity prices are available. One of our readers ordered 200 copies to give to
customers and prospects.
III. QUOTABLE QUOTES
"Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood." Daniel H.
Burnham Here's a thumbnail sketch of the man behind the quote. Burnham, who's
the subject of Erik Larson's beautifully written new book "The Devil In The
White City," was the man who made the Chicago World's Fair happen. He was
Director of Works, World's Columbian Exposition, 1893. Burnham and his partner
John Wellborn Root designed some of Chicago's earliest skyscrapers. His plan
for Chicago was used for many years, and is considered a classic example of city
planning.
"The value of life lies not in the length of
days, but in the use we make of them; a man may live long, yet get little from
life. Whether you find satisfaction in life depends not on your tale of years,
but on your will." Montaigne
"A prince…must imitate the fox and the lion, for
the lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself
from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to
frighten wolves." Niccolo Machiavelli
Bumper Stickers: "My road to success is under
construction." "He who laughs last thinks slowest."
Puns: "A hangover is the wrath of grapes." "A
plateau is a high form of flattery."
IV. TRAVEL NOTES FROM A ROAD WARRIOR
Jacksonville, Florida
Bistro Aix. Combine a celebrity chef--Thomas Gray--with a handsome bistro-like
atmosphere and an imaginative menu. Add a wood-burning pasta oven, and what do
you get? A destination. My favorite was the grilled center cut pork loin on
parsnip puree with watercress tossed in white truffle vinaigrette. 1440 San
Marco Boulevard, 32207; 904-398-1949
Akron, Ohio
Ken Stewart's Grill. Good food; popular with the locals; winner of Wine
Spectator Magazine's Award of Excellence for its wine list. I liked the
horseradish- crusted salmon with Miso sauce, 1970 W. Market Street, Akron Ohio
330-867-2555
dinnerbroker.com
An innovative, easy-to-use website that permits you to pick a city and select a
participating restaurant. (There are some excellent ones to choose from.) If
you select an off-peak time, the site tells you the discount that will be
deducted from your bill. No need to confirm by phone. Make your reservation
on-line. Then, just show up and order your meal. No coupons to clip or print or
cards to punch for your discount.
V. FEEDBACK
"I use the Futch Maneuver when I make airline
reservations. If I get someone who tells me I can't do something that I know
should be possible, I hang up and call back 'till I get someone who is able to
do it." Mark Mayberry
"Ken's principle (the Futch Maneuver) has played
a big role in keeping me in business for 22 years. I call it "finding a
champion" at an organization--a person who believes in what you have to offer as
much as you do." Dick Biggs
" Gene Griessman is the most genuine and gifted
speaker I have ever heard. Those who hear him emerge from the event better
people than when they came in." Comment about Dr. Griessman's recent
presentation, "Lessons From Legends" by Mike Simpson, Executive Director,
Atlanta Airport Area Chamber of Commerce
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Click below for:
Time
Management: How To Create A Time-Effective Organization
Abraham Lincoln: quotes
More
About Abraham Lincoln: Resources For Further Study
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt quotes and commentary on
leadership style
The
Lincoln-Roosevelt Connection
War quotes
Ronald Reagan quotes; exclusive
interview: his big break
"The Diversity Creed";
Why I Wrote "The Diversity Creed"
Remarkable Similarities Between
President Abraham Lincoln And Benjamin Franklin
Civil War Quotes: U.S. Grant's Leadership Style
How To Do
Business With Americans: Forgive Their Blunders
The Americans: Who Are They
And How Did They Get This Way?
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