The Death of Certainty: I Think…

The two weakest words in the American lexicon:

"I think…"

Is it just me or does nearly every expert commentary on any serious life altering issue now start with the words "I think?" I'm sick of it! I don't want to listen to anymore "I think," tell me what you KNOW! You're the expert!

I think we've reached a point where people are afraid to take a stand. What' wrong with really knowing something? You're a human being; you're entitled to express yourself knowingly based on your knowledge, expertise and personal experience. When you've got a solution, a nugget of useful information or a genuine opinion, just tell me what you know!

"I think the economy is still heading for serious trouble over the next few months…" Who cares? Tell me what you know about it; specifically! I think that "I think" has become a fail-safe for people who either don't really know what's happening but are still paid to talk about it. Nowhere has this been more apparent and dangerous than in economics. A couple of years ago most of the experts were saying "I think the economy is fundamentally strong." Now these same experts are saying they never saw this disaster coming and they don't really know if things are turning for the better or the worse! Vice-President Joe Biden just said that "NOBODY" saw this coming; if you didn't know which way the economy was going you should've kept your "I think" to yourself!

Honestly, I don't think I have the solution to the economic crises. I KNOW I have a technique that will help you make your point clear, believable and sincere whenever you need to express your opinion or share your knowledge. This technique works in a one-on-one sales call; it'll make your elevator speech more memorable; it'll make your next keynote powerful and position you as an expert in your field. It may even help you meet your next romantic partner!

…And it's simple!

When you're making a statement of fact, simply state the fact.

"I think we're heading for a new age of prosperity because I think the American Entrepreneur is the engineer of our future success!"

…or…

"We're heading for a new age of prosperity! The American Entrepreneur is the engineer of our future success!"

Just read these two lines and see which one feels more powerful. Power is your ability or capacity to perform or act effectively. One of the most important aspects of Black Belt Mindset is Confidence. People respond to authentic confidence and power; they're turned-off by weakness.

To really be effective, confidence has got to be authentic. Confidence has to be rooted in honesty and tempered by humility. Humility isn't weakness, it's simply acknowledging that no matter how confident you are, you're willing to learn, grow and adapt as you develop new knowledge, insight and wisdom. Just blowing your horn isn't an expression of confidence, that's just cocky!

Save "I think" to punctuate a sincere expression of personal opinion that sometimes transcends facts and data. It's OK to share a thought based more on feeling than pure rationale. It's an expression of weakness to use "I think" as a prefix or filler when you're not sincere or sure of your facts.

There's still an out if you're wrong! Believe or not from the dawn of humanity most people have been wrong once in a while. Being an expert doesn't mean you're right 100% of the time; it means you're willing to stand behind your statements and judgment based on the knowledge and experience you have at the time. If your perspective changes, then change your message; and be damn sure of yourself when you do! You're the expert!

I think this is enough ranting about "I think." I hope my argument will help erase "I think" from American public speech. "I think" is the weakest form of expression; I know that without it you'll express yourself with power and clarity.

Jim Bouchard is America's Black Belt POWERVATOR, speaker, coach & author of Dynamic Components of Personal POWER!

Think Like a Black Belt! Visit JimBouchard.org.

Book Jim for your next corporate event, conference or retreat! Call 800-786-8502!

Why do employees waste time at work?

That's the $5,700 question! According to an extensive survey by Salary.com the average American worker is wasting 2.09 hours a day; that means about $5,700 a year in wasted wages per employee. By any accounting measure, that sucks!

Where's the time going? The Top 4 answers include:

• Personal web surfing
  
• Socializing
  
• Conducting personal business at work
  
• Spacing out!
  

That's right, "spacing out" is the number 4 time waster at work!

WHY?

The number one reason given for wasting time at work is simply not having enough work to do. Next is the perception of being underpaid for the job followed by allowing other workers to distract you.

Not enough work to do? What's up with that one? Should most American companies simply put more people on the street? Assuming this is an accurate reason for wasting time, what can be done to fill this perceived void in the work day that would benefit both the employee and the company?

The most important concept in Black Belt Mindset ™ is:

"Perfection is not a destination, but a never-ending process!"

Personal and professional development is a key component in productivity, innovation and job satisfaction. Provide opportunities for employees to fill wasted time with developmental programs and resources. Invite speakers and trainers, develop in-house mentoring and utilize on-line and self-directed programs to help employees grow personally and professionally.

Let's do a little "Bizjutsu! ™" The first secret of the martial arts is practice. The second secret is more practice! Encourage employees to perfect job skills through interactive practice sessions. This is especially productive in sales, mentoring and leadership areas. Wasted time could also be directed toward peer mentoring, cross-training and innovation brainstorming sessions.

What if some of this wasted time was simply translated to wellness and personal development programs? Wellness programs reduce sick time, lower insurance premiums and claims and improve job performance. Personal development opportunities engender loyalty, strengthen team morale and develop talents and abilities that increase job performance.

The pro-active employer can do a lot to reduce wasted time. Still, if you're an employee it's ultimately your responsibility to use your time properly on the job! First of all, you are the only person responsible for your personal success & happiness. If you feel you're underpaid, then get a better job! If you've honestly outgrown your position, look somewhere else; on your own time! If your employer is paying you an agreed upon wage you're not underpaid. You accepted the deal. If you're worth more; prove it! If you're truly giving value beyond your compensation you will have no problem earning a good recommendation for your next position whether that happens with your current employer or somewhere else.

You don't need to wait for a corporate program to develop your talents and abilities. Use down time to improve yourself. If you don't really don't have enough work to do, ask your supervisor to allow you to utilize wasted time for professional development.

Letting other workers distract you? You need to invest some time to develop Black Belt Mindset ™! Get my first book: Dynamic Components of Personal POWER and study the section on "Focus!" Every minute on the job is valuable in creating your personal vision of success and happiness. Why let someone else screw it up for you? Learn how to apply focus to reduce distractions and improve your personal power, productivity and value.

There is one more alternative: start your own business. I guarantee you'll have an entirely new appreciation for the value of time on the job!

Communication between employers and employees can eliminate most of this lost and wasted time on the job. Find out specifically why people waste time in your organization and channel that wasted time to productive ends. The potential savings are immense; the potential for increased productivity and profitability is exponential. One study showed that an investing in an engaged workplace culture can increase productivity by more than 700% over companies who ignore or refuse to invest in employee engagement and motivation.

What's needed is simply a culture that encourages focus, discipline and constant attention to self-perfection at all levels. That's Black Belt Mindset ™!

Jim Bouchard is America's Black Belt POWERVATOR: speaker, coach & author of Dynamic Components of Personal POWER. Book Jim for your next corporate event or conference & bring Black Belt Mindset ™ to your organization!

Call 800-786-8502 and visit http://www.jimbouchard.org/!