Print Solutions Magazine, May 2005 -- President's Message

What do successful people do? They're action-oriented. The one thing that separates winners from losers more than anything else is that winners take action.

Successful people realize that failure is an important part of the learning process. We learn through trial and error, and it's through our mistakes that we hear feedback, make corrections and move forward. Think of mistakes as opportunities for learning something new.

We also must confront our fears. Fear is natural. Starting something new or trying a new approach often creates fear. Successful people feel fear just like the rest of us, but it doesn't stop them from doing what they have to do. They understand that fear is to be acknowledged and experienced. They have fear, but they aren't frozen by it.

To make fear disappear, focus on feelings you would like to experience. New experiences may be a little scary, but that's the way it works. Every time you face a fear and do it anyway, you build more confidence in your abilities. The things that cause the most fear provide the greatest opportunities for growth.

Successful people who are willing to take chances trust their intuition. Progress involves risk. Perseverance and persistence are the most common qualities of high achievers. They refuse to give up. Former Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson said, "Do you want to be safe and good, or do you want to take a chance and be great?" You must stay positive and not get upset when things don't happen as you hoped. Instead, ask yourself what other possibilities exist.

Everyone who has ever made it to the top has had to endure rejection. In l998, the co-founders of Google approached Yahoo! to suggest a merger. Yahoo rejected them as high-school hacks. Five years later, Google's capitalization exceeded $20 billion.

Rejection is really a myth. Just because we are rejected, our lives don't get worse; they simply stay the same. You haven't really lost anything, because you never had it to lose. And there is something possibly to gain. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

Always ask for feedback. It's good information. Think of it as "correctional guidance," not criticism. People don't voluntarily give this guidance because they don't want to hurt our feelings, or be negative, but the two most important questions to ask are:

1. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the quality of our relationship?

2. What would it take to make it a 10?

Whenever you make a call, ask your customer those two questions. Be grateful for the feedback you get, and don't be defensive.

Improving ourselves is a natural and necessary part of growth and survival. When we improve our skills, it changes our behavior and gives us a chance at long-term success. Major improvements take time, but if we make the commitment to get better each day, we'll enjoy the feelings of increased self-esteem and self-confidence that come with self-improvement. Remember, we are all about being the "Best We Can Be!"

Jeff Long is director of manufacturer Graphic Dimensions Inc., based in Atlanta, and president of DMIA.