Dare to Think Big
4. Breakthrough Thinking
I recently chatted with a female recruiting specialist
at one of the largest corporations in the United States.
Every year,
she spends four
to five months at universities looking for
and recruiting final year students who are about to graduate,
inviting them to participate in the company’s young managers training program.
One thing that is easily seen in the comments of the female expert is
that she felt completely disappointed
with the attitude of many of the students interviewed.
“Almost every day I have to exchange
about 8-12 final year students at the school.
They are all excellent students
and when they decided to participate in the interview,
they were certainly more
or less interested in our company.
One of the most important things we wanted
to learn through this preliminary interview
was the individual aspirations of each young person.
We want to see if he or she is the person
who in the next few years can run an entire project,
manage an entire representative office or a factory,
or somehow contribute, significant for the company?”
She continued:
“You will probably be surprised,
but I must confess that I am not really satisfied
with the goals of most young people.
They are only 22 years old.
Yet how many of you care only about retirement more
than anything else the company can offer.
Besides, there are some other issues that they are very interested in:
“Will I have to travel a lot?”
Most of them consider success
to be synonymous with stability and certainty.
Do you think,
can our company recklessly assign important management positions
to people who just want to settle down like that?
What I don’t understand is
why such young people have such conservative,
extreme,
and limited visions of the future.
Every day new opportunities open up more and more.
The country’s science and technology level is making great strides.
The population increased rapidly.
If I have to mention a period that witnessed the strongest development of the United States,
it is certainly this period!”
The tendency of most young people to settle down with small goals means
that the competitive pressure to get the dream job is decreasing.
Once success is the most important factor,
people will NOT judge a person by his appearance,
by his qualifications or his family’s social status,
but by his great desire to dare to reach.
How far we achieve our success depends largely on the goals set in the beginning.
Big goals bring big results,
and vice versa.
So let’s see how we dare to think big.
Have you ever asked yourself,
“What is my weakest point?”.
Perhaps, the weakest point of man is low self-esteem and self-deprecation.
That self-doubt manifests itself in a variety of ways.
John came across a job advertisement in the newspaper,
a job he had long loved.
But he did not dare to apply,
because he thought:
“Anyway,
I can’t afford to do that job,
there’s no point in trying”.
Or as another example,
Jim really wanted to date Joan,
but in the end he didn’t dare to call her
because he didn’t think he was worthy of Joan.
Tom saw Mr. Richards as a potential customer for his product,
but he had no intention of selling to him.
Tom thought that a man
as big as Richards would never want to meet a mean salesman like him.
Or like Peter,
when reading the question:
“What is your starting salary expectation?”
In his application form,
he only temporarily filled in a modest number
although the salary he wanted was much higher,
because Peter felt he did not deserve such a high salary.
For thousands of years,
philosophers have often advised us:
know yourself,
but many people often interpret this saying as:
look only at your weaknesses.
Therefore, when assessing themselves,
they often think of a series of their own mistakes,
weaknesses,
and incompetence.
Knowing our own weaknesses is a good thing,
because it helps us to see how we need to correct ourselves.
But if we are always anxious to cling to our weaknesses,
our focus,
our minds will soon be confused.
And the value of personality is also greatly reduced.
Here’s an exercise to help you gauge your true worth.
I have applied it in training courses for managers and salespeople.
Yes, very effective!
Find the five most your valuable aree ” your capitals”.
Then ask someone to give the most objective
and honest comments about those precious capitals.
That person could be your wife,
your boss,
or a professor you know.
(Those precious “capital resources” can be educational background, experience,
technology skills,
appearance,
harmonious family life,
attitude,
personality,
creative thinking.)
Then, for each of those precious qualities,
write down the names of three people
that you I know people
who have achieved great success
but are not superior to you in this quality.
After completing the exercise,
you will find that at least in some way,
you are better than many people
who have achieved success.
In the end,
there is only one conclusion you can draw:
You are worth a lot more than you think.
So think big things on par with your self-worth.
Never, ever, never underestimate yourself!
You should also note this:
people who like to use big,
scientific words that listeners have to strain
to understand are often just empty,
boastful, boastful people who actually never dare to think big things.
The measure of a person’s vocabulary is not how many words he knows how to use,
but the only thing that matters is the influence of those words on his own thoughts
and feelings of the other people.
There is one very basic thing:
we do not think in words or words,
but in images.
Words are the very raw material of thought.
When we speak or listen,
the mind a wonderful tool automatically converts words into images.
Each word, each phrase will help us paint a different picture.
If someone says to you,
“Jim just bought a house near the ranch.”
The series of images of things that pop into our minds are drawn
from the very words we use to call and describe them.
Let’s look at things this way.
When you speak or write,
in a sense,
you are the one making the film
and projecting it into the minds of others.
The images you draw will determine the attitudes and reactions of others.
Suppose you say to a group of people,
“I regret to announce that we have failed”.
What will these people see?
Immediately,
in their mind,
all the boredom and disappointment that the word “failure” brings.
But if you say,
“There is another way that I think works,”
they will feel encouraged,
motivated, and ready to try again.
Let’s say you say “we are really facing a problem”
then you are painting a picture of a very difficult,
not easy to solve problem in people’s minds.
And if you say,
“we’re facing a challenge,”
you’ve created the picture of a very exciting,
exciting job for everyone to embark on.
Or when you say,
“we’re paying a big expense,”
people will worry about their money being lost.
That’s really not pleasant at all.
But if we say:
“we just made a big investment”,
people immediately think of a beautiful prospect,
an attractive picture
when that investment pays off later.
The bottom line is this:
big thinkers are experts at creating a positive,
pioneering image in the minds
of individuals and those around them.
To demonstrate thinking big,
we should use words that can create a positive,
optimistic image in our minds.
The table below summarizes two opposing ways of thinking
when faced with a particular situation.
The left column is the thoughts that often create small,
negative thoughts, and the right column is the words that create big,
positive meanings.
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FOUR WAYS TO DEVELOP THE VOCABULARY OF BIG THINKERS
Here are four ways to help you acquire the vocabulary of big thinkers:
• Use positive,
upbeat phrases to describe how you feel.
When someone asks
“How are you today?” If you answer,
“I’m so tired (I have a headache,
I wish it was Saturday,
I don’t feel so good),
you will only make yourself feel worse.
Let’s try to put it in other words,
it’s simple,
but it’s incredibly powerful.
Whenever someone asks “Are you crying?”
or ‘how are you feeling today?’,
reply with ‘great!
Thanks, how about banjthif?” either say “great”
or succinctly say “good”.
Always answer well in any situation,
and you will feel better.
Let everyone know you’re a fun,
laid-back person.
That will help you make more friends.
*******************
• Use bright phrases
when describing others.
Make it a rule to always use positive words about your friends and associates.
When you and someone else are talking about an absent third person be sure
to comment with phrases like “he really is a great colleague”
or they told me “have a good job”.
Be careful, avoid using petty words to demean the absent person.
Sooner or later that person will hear what you have to say,
and slandering if any will only bring you down.
*******************
• Use the most positive words to encourage others.
Praise someone personally at every opportunity.
Anyone loves compliments.
Say nice words to your partner every day.
Be considerate and praise your co-workers.
Sincere compliments help you get success.
Give compliments to everyone praise their work, their family,
their looks, and their accomplishments or “miracles.”
*******************
• Use encouraging words when making plans for others.
When people are told ‘there’s some good news here.
We have a great opportunity…”,
their minds will shine.
But if they hear things like,
“whether we want to or not,
we have to do this,”
the picture in their heads will be dull and bleak,
and they will react to that picture.
Make promises of victory to receive bright eyes full of hope and determination.
Make a promise of success, you will get support.
Build castles, never dig your own grave.
*******************
LOOK FOR THE FUTURE,
DO NOT LOOK AT WHAT’S IN THE NOW
Bold thinkers have the quality to see the future,
not just what is available in the present.
Here are four illustrative examples:
• What gives real estate value?
My friend,
a real estate agent in the countryside.
He said each of us can do great things,
if we train ourselves to see the future from very small things
or even nothing in the present.
My friend began:
“A lot of real estate in rural America is being forgotten.
They are no longer attractive to investors.
But I still succeed
because I don’t sell the client a farm as it is.
When implementing plans,
I always aim for a single goal,
which is to show customers the benefits that the farm will bring in the future.
If only a simple and general introduction like
“The farm has XX acres of lowland land,
XX acres of forest land and only XX miles
from town” customers will not be interested to invest.
Therefore, they will have no incentive to buy it.
But if you give them a specific plan to develop the farm,
they will be convinced in no time.
Here! Let me make it more clear to you!”
He pulled out a file and said,
“This farm just got listed.
Like so many other farms,
it is nearly 43 miles from the city center,
the house is extremely dilapidated,
the land has also been abandoned for several years.
See what I did!
Last week I spent two full days on site
to observe and study the farm thoroughly.
I have looked around the land many times,
and at the same time observed the surrounding farms.
I also researched the location of the farm,
taking note of existing highways and planned roads.
I wondered:
“So what is this farm suitable for?”.
I thought of three possibilities.
“Here, let me see!”
Each plan is typed very carefully,
thoughtfully.
The first plan considered the possibility of turning the farm into a racecourse.
In that plan,
he meticulously analyzed
and evaluated the feasibility of the project:
the city is growing,
the number of people
who love outdoor sports is increasing
and they are also ready to spend their income for entertainment,
in addition, the road is also convenient.
In addition,
he also mentioned how to raise
and preserve a significant herd of horses,
nightly revenue from races.
The whole idea of a racecourse is so perfect and possible.
The plan was so clearly drawn up,
so convincing that I could “see” the horses racing through the trees.
Similarly, this enterprising broker has a concrete plan for two other ideas.
One is to turn the land into a tree farm,
and the other idea is to turn it into a farm
that combines planting trees and raising poultry.
“When talking to clients I never tell them
to buy the farm they see in front of them.
I help them see the future of a money-making farm,
after which only the necessary changes are made.
Not only did I sell the farms in a short time,
the prospective sales method also enabled me
to sell them at a higher price than the competition.
Of course, compared to just getting a piece of land,
customers will be willing to pay a lot of money
to buy land with an innovative idea.
Because of that, more and more people want
to send their farms for me to sell
and my commission in each transaction also increases.”
The lesson here is:
don’t see things as they are,
but as it will-be in the future.
The ability to plan for the future makes everything more valuable.
A person who dares to think big will always envision what the future holds.
He never falters in the face of current obstacles.
• How much is a customer worth?
In a conference of business managers,
the director of a department store said:
“You may call me old-fashioned,
but I always agree with those who believe
that the best way to pull customers back
to your store is the polite,
friendly,
and dedicated service attitude of the staff.
One day while walking through the stalls,
I overheard one of my employees shouting at customers.
The guest immediately left angrily.
Later, I heard this guy say to another employee at the counter:
“He only has a few dollars and wants me
to rummage through the counter to find what he wants.
I have nothing to do with that.
He doesn’t deserve me!”
The next manager:
“I walked away, but I kept thinking about the story I just heard.
The problem is really serious
when my salesperson thinks the customer is only worth a few dollars.
Immediately,
I decided to find a way to change this perception.
Back in the office,
I called the director of research and asked him
to find out how much the average customer spent last year buying from us.
His figure surprised even me.
According to the research director’s very careful calculations,
the average customer spends $362 per year on in-store purchases.
After that,
I quickly convened a meeting of all the staff in charge of the booths,
told them what happened as well as the information I investigated.
I show them how much each customer really is.
Once I help the staff understand
that customers cannot be judged by a single purchase,
but by the amount of money they spend in the store for the whole year,
the quality of customer service will certainly increase. “
What the director mentioned is true of any other business.
If customers come back to shop again and again,
they will generate profits for you.
Usually in the first sales,
you will not make a profit.
But what you pay attention to consider is the potential consumption of customers,
not just what they buy today.
Respecting customers is the secret for them to become generous,
loyal customers of the store.
Conversely, underestimating customers will cause them to never return.
One of my students told of a similar situation that happened
to him at a buffet restaurant,
explaining why he never went back to that cafeteria again.
He began:
“One day,
I decided to try dining at a restaurant
that had only been open for a few weeks.
Honestly, when I measured it,
I didn’t have much,
so I had to calculate it carefully before deciding to choose the dish.
When I went through the butcher area,
I saw a good turkey for only 39 cents,
so I decided to buy it.
When I got to the counter,
the waitress looked at my food tray and said ‘1 coin 9 cents’.
I politely asked her to double check,
because according to my mental calculation,
the price of all the items I took was only 99 cents.
She looked at me scornfully and reluctantly checked again.
Turns out that 10 cents extra was on the turkey.
She charged it for 49 cents instead of 39 cents.
It drove her crazy,
“I don’t care what that sign says.
It costs 49 cents.
Look, here’s today’s price list.
Someone must have made a mistake.
You have to pay 49 cents!”.
I tried to explain to her that the only reason
I chose the turkey was because it cost 39 cents.
If it said 49 cents, I would have taken another one.
She replied,
“I don’t care!
You have to pay 49 cents,
that’s all!”
In the end, I paid the full amount
because I didn’t want to continue arguing with her.
I swear I will never go back there again.
On average,
I spend about $250 a year on lunch,
but that store won’t get a dime of it.”
That’s a small example of what I said above.
The employee saw only a tiny ten-cent difference
and didn’t see the full potential of $250.
• The story of the short-sighted milk delivery guy.
It’s strange that there’s a guy
who doesn’t have any vision at all.
A few years ago, one day a milk delivery guy knocked on my door,
begging me to buy his milk.
I tried to explain that I ordered milk from a home delivery company
and we had no complaints about the service.
I suggested he go to the neighbor’s house to convince the lady.
He replied,
“I have talked to her already,
but her needs are too few.
They’ve only used up a liter of milk in two days,
so it’s not worth the trouble to stop and ask her to buy something.”
“Perhaps so,” I said.
“But when you talked to her,
did you know that their demand
for milk will increase significantly in the next month?
Their family will have more new members,
their consumption demand will be greater.”
The young man froze for a moment
as if someone had hit him in the head.
Then he said,
“How can I be so short-sighted?”
Now that two day one liter family buys more than four liters of milk a day,
from a visionary milk delivery man.
The eldest son of that family now has two younger brothers,
a little sister and I heard they’re about to welcome a new member.
You see, how short-sighted we can be?
Learn to see future possibilities,
not just what is in the present.
At school,
Jimi was a child who was not only slow to understand,
but also rude,
rude,
and grumpy.
If the teachers only saw a difficult Jimi to teach,
they would certainly not help the boy’s development at all.
But if they realize that Jimi can still change,
become a good citizen later,
they will surely find a way to teach him to make progress.
Likewise, when most people drive past slums,
they only see delinquents,
dangerous,
drug addicts.
But some positive rich people realize many positive things,
they have a different perspective,
they will help the people here have a better life.
Because of that positive prospect,
many benefactors have stepped in
to help many less fortunate people successfully reintegrate into the community.
• What determines your value as a person?
A few weeks ago after I finished my lecture,
a guy came up to me and asked to talk to me for a few minutes.
The guy is about 26 years old,
having experienced an unhappy childhood.
Not only that,
in his early years of adulthood,
he also encountered mountains of bad luck.
Even so, he is trying his best for a better future.
I’m quickly “catching the pulse” of his problem.
The conversation turned to the topic:
how people with few assets should look to the future.
And what he tells is the most direct,
clear answer to this question.
“I have less than $200 saved in the bank.
The job of a tax officer is not very demanding,
and does not bring me much money.
I have had a car for 4 years now,
and my wife and I live in a cramped,
cramped second-floor apartment.
But, professor.
I decided that I would never let those things stand in my way of success.”
That is a very interesting statement,
which makes me curious.
I asked him to explain more clearly.
He replied,
“Recently, I researched and analyzed the people around me quite carefully
and realized that people with few assets often only see what they currently have.
They do not know the future,
but only see their miserable present.
My neighbors for example.
He’s constantly whining about his smoky job,
about smelly pipes,
about the good fortune others have,
even about the routine medical bills piling up in the house.
He kept saying to himself ‘I’m miserable’.
The thought haunted him to the point of despair,
and he insisted that his life would be miserable forever.
He acts like he’s been “sentenced”
to stay in that squalid apartment for the rest of his life.
The young man spoke very honestly,
and after pausing to think for a moment,
he said:
“If I also see myself as I am right now,
it would be impossible not to be disappointed
An old car,
a meager salary,
a shabby apartment,
and bad food.
All I’m seeing is a mediocre me,
and if I lose my mind,
I’ll just be a mediocre
for the rest of my life.
But I decided to look at what I could achieve in the next few years.
I feel that I am not really an ordinary employee
but can become a successful director.
My present shabby apartment will have to end,
and I will have a nice house in the suburbs.
When I see myself that way,
when I see myself that way,
I become more confident and think bigger.
You know,
I’ve been through a lot of challenges
that prove how bold thinking can work.”
Isn’t that a great way to add value to a person?
This young man is on his way towards a really good life.
He has grasped a fundamental principle of success:
it is not a matter of what we have now,
but more important of what we want and will achieve in the future.
How people judge us depends on the value we perceive in ourselves.
Here are ways to help you develop your ability to see future prospects,
not just what’s available in the present.
I call them “value-adding skills” exercises.
• Practice skills to add value to everything.
Recall the real estate example.
Ask yourself:
“What can I do to ‘add value’ to this room,
to this house or to this business?”.
Look for ideas to make things more valuable.
Anything whether a piece of wasteland,
a house,
or a company has a value compatible with the ideas of its use.
• Practice skills that add value to everyone.
When you reach you become more and more successful in your career,
you will have to pay more attention to “people development”.
Ask yourself:
“what can I do” to add value to my employees?
How to help them work more efficiently?”.
Remember:
in order to bring out the best in someone,
you need to see their greatest strengths.
• Practice skills to add value to yourself.
Talk to yourself every day.
Ask yourself,
“What can I do to make myself more valuable?”.
Think about what you can achieve in the future,
not what you have in the present.
You will soon find a way to unleash your full potential.
Try it and you will immediately see the effect.
I have a friend who used to be the manager
of a printing factory with 60 workers.
He is now retired.
Once, he recounted how he had found his successor.
My friend started:
“Five years ago,
I needed to hire an employee in charge of accounting
and office work at the company.
I have chosen Harry.
Although he is only 26 years old
and has no business experience in the printing industry,
Harry’s records show that he is a good accountant.
When I retired a year and a half ago,
I appointed him president and general manager of the factory.
Every time I look back,
I see that Harry is superior to everyone in one point.
That is, he does not stop at the job of an accountant to check or store data,
but always actively participates in everything
of the company with great enthusiasm and sincerity.
Whenever there is an opportunity to help other colleagues,
he does not hesitate to do so.
During Harry’s first year with me,
a few employees left.
One day, he came to me,
presented his plan
to increase the allowance for employees with the promise
that the expenditure would not reduce the company’s revenue.
And that plan worked.
Harry helps people throughout the company,
not just his department.
Harry did a detailed study of the cost of production,
then convinced me to spend $30,000 on a new line of equipment which,
according to Harry, would be a good investment.
Once, when we were having a hard time in business,
Harry went to each of the sales managers and said,
“I don’t know much about the company’s sales,
but allow me to figure it out.”
He came up with many ideas to make things run more smoothly.
Every time a new employee comes in,
he is always ready to help them feel more comfortable.
Harry really cares about every department,
every person at the factory.
So, understandably,
he’s the only one who can take over for me when I retire.”
“But don’t get me wrong,”
my friend continued.
“Harry didn’t show himself to me at all.
He’s not a slut, he gets in the way of anything.
He doesn’t argue with a negative attitude,
doesn’t talk bad behind his back,
and never shows a “five-fingered” attitude to others.
He simply wants to help people,
just wants to do his best,
so everything at the company has a profound impact on him.
Harry made everything at the company his own.”
We can all learn a lot from Harry’s story.
The notion “I’m doing my job,
and that’s enough” reveals a very petty,
negative mindset.
On the contrary,
those who dare to think big always blend in with the group.
Whether it succeeds or fails,
it is the result of the whole team, not just one person.
They help others in any way they can,
even if they are not rewarded or paid at all.
A person who is always indifferent
to what happens outside of his department,
with the argument “Ah,
that’s not my business,
let someone else handle it”
that person will never have the quality of life,
that people at the top should have.
Train to be an enterprising person.
Treat the company’s interests as your own.
There may be only a few people in large companies
who are sincerely and unselfishly attached
to everything that goes on in their company.
But also because of that,
only a few of these people are considered to be big thinkers.
In the end,
it is they who receive the most worthy reward:
the job with the highest responsibility,
which means the highest salary.
To think big,
you need to let go of the little things that don’t matter.
There have been many,
many people with great potential for success
but are dominated by a narrow,
narrow way of thinking that hinders their progress to success.
Use these three methods to remind yourself,
every time you run into small things:
• Always focus on the most important goal.
Perhaps many times we have also acted like an incompetent salesperson,
when not selling the goods,
trying to make excuses:
“Yes, but the fault is with the customer,
I tried to do everything is.”
In sales,
main goal is to sell goods,
not to argue who is right and who is wrong.
Like marriage,
the primary goal is harmony,
happiness, and peace,
not trying to win at all costs in arguments and then regret:
“You should have said it,
like that with you”.
In relationships with employees,
the top goal of managers is to unleash their full potential,
not to consider small,
everyday mistakes.
In neighborly relations,
the primary goal is mutual respect and lasting affection,
not waiting for an opportunity to lock up his dog
because it barks loudly at night. night.
In military terms,
it is much better to lose a small battle
but win the whole war than to win a small battle but lose the whole thing.
Always direct your mind to the big, ultimate goals.
• Ask yourself:
“Is it really that serious?”.
Before getting angry,
grumpy,
ask yourself:
“Is it so serious that I have to make such a fuss?”
This is the best way to help you avoid disappointment with the small,
unsatisfactory things in life 90% of quarrels
and conflicts will not happen
if we know how to ask a series of unpleasant situations
“Is it really serious?”
• Don’t fall into the vicious circle of mediocrity.
While giving a speech,
solving a problem
or exchanging business with employees,
think about the important things that make a difference.
Don’t get overwhelmed by trivial, trivial things.
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THE FOLLOWING THINGS CAN HELP YOU DARE TO THINK BIG
Focus only on the most important things.
Be great by thinking big!
Don’t lower yourself.
Strive to overcome inferiority complex.
Appreciate your precious qualities.
You are worth a lot more than you think.
Use big thinkers’ words.
Always use bright,
encouraging,
strong words of encouragement.
Use words that promise victory,
hope,
happiness,
dreams,
stay away from words that bring a negative image,
failure,
suffering.
Expand your horizons.
Look out for future prospects.
Practice ways to add value to things,
people,
and yourself.
Have an optimistic view of your current job.
Think and believe that your current job is important.
Your next promotion depends largely on how you think about your current job.
Let’s ignore the trivial little things.
Focus your attention on big goals.
Whenever you get caught up in narrow thoughts,
ask yourself,
“Is this really that serious?”
