Take Control, Part Two

Control Consists of Three Parts: Start, Change and Stop

“Control consists entirely of starting, changing and stopping. There are no other factors in positive control. If one can start something, change its position in space or existence in time and stop it, all at will, he can be said to control it, whatever it may be. If one can barely manage to start something, can only with difficulty continue its change of position or existence in time and if one can only doubtfully stop something, he cannot be said to control it well, and for our purposes he would be said to be able to control it poorly or dangerously. If he cannot start something, if he cannot change its position in space, if he cannot stop something, then he is definitely not in control of it.” -- L. Ron Hubbard

Start

If you are a boss, a parent or a leader, you know how difficult it can be to control others. Yet when you control people properly, they like it!

People feel satisfied when you control them properly. You start them, allow them to make changes and then stop them when they are finished.

“Jill, please bring me the red pen . . .” (Start) “. . . and put it right there.” (Change) “Thank you very much.” (Stop)

People do not like you to control them when you mess up any of the three points.

For example, if a business does not start its employees by telling them when they should arrive for work, people just start work when they get around to it. The late starters irritate the prompt starters. Some might not start at all. The business is a messy confusion.

So if you want to control a group or an individual, you need to give a clean “START” and then let them get on with it. “Everyone must be here at 8:00 AM for staff meeting. Not 8:01! We will start the meeting at 8:00.” Of course, you then make sure the meeting starts exactly at 8:00.

Change

Once you start someone, you create problems if you prevent the change portion of the cycle. For example, you tell one of your staff members, “Dave, please sweep up this room.”

Just as he gets out the broom, you say, “Dave, you need to file these papers right now.”

After he files a few papers, you say, “Hurry Dave, go get me a box!”

You earn better cooperation if you let people complete the change without interruption.

“Dave, please sweep up this room.”

Stop

The final mistake you can make when controlling people is not stopping them. For example, you fail to notice they are done and do not acknowledge them for finishing. If you do not stop people, they may tend to keep working on the project indefinitely.

For example, you say, “You swept up the room very well.”

If you don't stop the cycle, you lose control. By cleanly stopping the cycle, you complete your control on that matter. People are now open to your next cycle of control. You are in charge.

When people discover that you cleanly start, change and stop them, you can ask and obtain more and more from them. You can give complicated instructions, long lists of tasks and major projects. They feel comfortable with your control as they know you will let them complete the work and acknowledge them when they are done.

Some people believe you need to use fear, force or threats to control people. The government and certain institutions get a bad reputation for using fear and threat. This type of control makes you feel like you are a slave.

A business manager runs into trouble when he tries the same type of control. His or her employees revolt!

Fortunately, you will find that using the information in this article will put you in much better control than fear, force or threats. Simply start, change and stop people, cheerfully, cleanly and consistently.

Exercise

1. Write down the name of someone you want to control.

2. Write what end result you want the person to accomplish.

3. Plan how you will:
A. Start him or her
B. Allow or direct the needed changes or activities
C. Bring him or her to a stop

4. Finally, follow the steps of your plan.

Example:

1. You want to control your 10-year-old son, Joey. He gets upset when you tell him to clean his room.

2. You want Joey to clean up his room when you ask and without any drama.

3. You work out your plan.
A. You get him to agree on a time to start. “Joey, in 10 minutes, I'd like you to start cleaning up your room.”
B. You will direct the change part of the cycle by watching and helping, as needed. “You're doing a good job Joey. Let's look under the bed now . . . “
C. You acknowledge his good work. “Joey, that is a really clean room! Good job!”

4. You then follow your plan. Joey calms down, cleans his room and feels proud of himself.

Example:

1. The only person who understands your computer is also a jerk. Russ is constantly complaining about your old equipment.

2. The end result that you want is that Russ does his job without complaining.

3. You work out your plan.
A. You decide on how to get Russ to start. “Russ, instead of just showing up this week, can you start at 10:30 on Wednesday? Great.”
B. You plan on how to change Russ. “Russ, I know our equipment is old which is why we need your help. Instead of complaining, it would be great if we could just make it work, okay?”
C. You plan on how to stop Russ. “Russ, you did a great job. I'll take it from here. Thanks.”

4. You implement your plan with Russ. At first, he is resistive to your control. But you persist and gain small pieces of control until you are successfully starting, changing and stopping Russ. You are soon in control of the relationship.

So starting with step 1, who would you like to control?

Provided by TipsForSuccess.org as a public service to introduce the technology of L. Ron Hubbard to you.

Take Control, Part One

Like money or nuclear power, control can be used for good or evil. You can use it to harm, suppress or destroy lives. Or you can use it to help people, increase your income and improve the world around you.

Negative, destructive control gives control a bad name. Yet positive, constructive control is essential to successful living. No control over your job, family or life leads to failure.

When you are not in control of your sphere of operation, you feel stress, fear and frustration.

When you are in control, you make progress, enjoy your work and achieve success.

Taking better control of yourself, your time, career, business, equipment, computers, marriage, family, personal property, bad habits and so on, is much easier when you understand and apply these five facts about control.

1. Control is the biggest difference between success and failure.

2. Control consists of three parts: Start, Change and Stop.

3. Your control problems are based on your weaknesses with starting or changing or stopping.

4. If you try to control people or things outside your sphere of operation, you fail.

5. To succeed, you must let others control you.

In this first of five articles, we cover the first fact.

1. Control Is the Difference Between Success and Failure

“What is control?

“Whether one handles a machine of the size of a car or as small as a typewriter or even an accounting pen, one is faced with the problems of control. An object is of no use to anyone if it cannot be controlled. Just as a dancer must be able to control his body, so must a worker in an office or a factory be able to control his body, the machines of his work and, to some degree, the environment around him.

“The primary difference between ‘the worker' in an office or a factory and an executive is that the executive controls minds, bodies and the placement of communications, raw materials and products, the worker controls, in the main, his immediate tools.” -- L. Ron Hubbard (The Problems of Work)

Consider two different restaurant owners.

Steve owns an Italian restaurant and Kate owns a French restaurant. Steve loves to chat with customers while Kate loves to improve her operations.

Steve hires an accountant to handle his bookkeeping while Kate stays late to figure out how to do her own books. Steve hires an attorney to write the employee policies and keep him out of legal trouble. Kate goes to a labor law seminar, writes her own employee policies and has a lawyer check it over.

Steve believes his personality will keep people coming back while Kate decides good food and well-trained servers will keep people coming back.

Steve has no idea how to cook, clean the kitchen or balance the books. He can only hire experienced people to do these jobs. He must bend over backwards to keep them on the job, despite their bad attitudes.

Kate and her cooks invent their own recipes and keep them in a book. Kate establishes checklists for the staff for setting up tables, cleaning and so on. She also enjoys training inexperienced cooks, servers and other staff.

Who is in better control? Who is making a better profit? If Steve's top people quit working for him, what will happen to his restaurant? If Kate's top people quit, what will happen to her restaurant?

Another Example
Two medical transcribers, Jill and Sue, are hired by a large hospital on the same day. They are expected to type medical reports explaining the patients' treatment so the hospital can collect its fee from insurance companies.

Jill decides to be a robot and simply type whatever is in front of her. One day, her computer goes down. She calls the technician and paints her fingernails until the computer is fixed. She has no idea what she is typing as she cannot understand the medical terms. She decides to just pretend it is a foreign language. She types every word placed in front of her without using the computer shortcuts. She produces 20 reports per day.

Sue wants more control of her position. As well as typing the reports, she learns about the computer. She reads the help screens to learn shortcuts in the program. She learns to copy and paste large sections of text and other time-saving actions. She produces 30 reports per day.

When the computer goes down, Sue carefully watches the technician and asks questions so she knows what to do next time.

Sue finds a medical dictionary in the storage room and starts to look up the terms in her reports. She buys lunch for a nurse so she can ask about medical procedures. She even listens to tapes about insurance code rules.

Who is in better control of her job? Of her career?

One day, Jill types a report about a one-year-old receiving treatment for Alzheimer's disease. She types it exactly and sends it to the insurance company. That same day, Sue is typing a report for a eighty-year-old man's immunization shot for chicken pox. She knows this is a mistake and sends it back to the nurse. The nurse realizes the patient names were switched.

Another day, Jill's computer goes down. She learns the computer technician is unavailable and asks to go home. Sue overhears the request and offers to fix the computer, which she does.

Who is the more valuable employee? Who should get the next promotion? If business slows down, who will keep her job?

Certain symptoms show how well you control your job.
10 Signs You Are Not in Control of Your Work
Easily fatigued or exhausted
Work area is messy and disorganized
Job is not interesting
Easily stressed
Need constant help
See no way to improve performance
Easily confused by others while on the job
Frequently think of quitting
Frantically react to emergencies
You cannot conceive of greater productivity

10 Signs You Are in Control of Your Work
Energized, motivated
Work area is neat and organized
Work is interesting and enjoyable
Feel challenged, not stressed
Effectively supervise self
Constantly looking for ways to improve
Rarely confused while on the job
Frequently thinking of more responsibility
Rationally respond to emergencies
You have good ideas for increasing productivity

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being in full control, how well do you control of your job? Your home life? Your possessions? Your personal habits? Your success?

Recommendations

1. Make a list of all your duties, responsibilities and areas of your life.

2. Rate your control of each on a scale of 1 to 10.

3. Work out a plan to take a little more control of each.

Provided by TipsForSuccess.org as a public service to introduce the technology of L. Ron Hubbard to you.

Provid

The Interview That'll Bag a Job

by Sarah E. Needleman
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
provided by Wall Street Journal

In recent weeks, recruiters for Consolidated Container Co. have seen job candidates arrive up to an hour early for interviews. Other candidates have alluded to financial hardships while in the hot seat, and one person even distributed bound copies of documents describing projects he completed for past employers.
These sorts of tactics aren't exactly winners.
In today's ultracompetitive job market, even getting an interview is a feat. Yet recruiters and hiring managers say many unemployed candidates blow the opportunity by appearing desperate or bitter about their situations — often without realizing it.
"People are becoming a lot more aggressive," says Julie Loubaton, director of recruiting and talent management for Atlanta-based Consolidated Container. "They often wind up hurting themselves."
At an interview, you want to stand out for the right reasons. To do so, you'll need to leave your baggage and anxiety at the door. For starters, wait until 10 minutes before your scheduled interview time to announce yourself. Arriving any sooner "shows that you're not respectful of the time the hiring manager put aside for you," says Ms. Loubaton, adding that a candidate who arrived an hour early made workers uncomfortable. "Companies really don't want someone camped out in their lobby."
Signal confidence by offering a firm handshake, adds Wendy Alfus Rothman, president of Wenroth Consulting Inc., an executive coaching firm in New York. Focus your attention on the interviewer. Avoid looking around the room, tapping your fingers, or other nervous movements.
No matter how you're feeling, keep your personal woes out of the interview process, asserts Ms. Alfus Rothman. Instead, always exude an upbeat attitude. For example, if you were laid off, instead of lamenting the situation, you might say the experience prompted you to reassess your skills, and that's what led you here. "You want to demonstrate resilience in the face of unpredictable obstacles," she says.
Meanwhile, show you've done your homework on the company by explaining how your background and track record relates to its current needs, adds Deborah Markus, founder of Columbus Advisors LLC, an executive-search firm in New York. This is particularly important if the firm is in a different industry than the one you worked in before. To stand out, you'll need to look up more than just basics on company leadership and core businesses. You'll also need to find out — and understand — how recent changes in the marketplace have affected the firm, its competitors and industry overall. Read recent company press releases, annual reports, media coverage and industry blogs, and consult with trusted members of your network. "Companies that may have been performing well just a few months ago might be in survival mode now," says Ms. Markus. "You want to understand how [they're] positioned today."
Also, be sure to show you're a strong fit for the particular position you're seeking, adds Kathy Marsico, senior vice president of human resources at PDI Inc., a Saddle River, N.J., provider of sales and marketing services for pharmaceutical companies. Offer examples of past accomplishments — not just responsibilities you've held — and describe how they're relevant to the opportunity. "You must differentiate yourself like never before," she says. "You need to customize yourself and make yourself memorable."
Sherry R. Brickman, a partner at executive-search firm Martin Partners LLC, says a candidate recently impressed her with this sort of preparation. "He knew the company's product line and what markets it was already in," she says of the man, who was interviewing for an executive post at a midsize industrial manufacturer. "He clearly and effectively explained how he could cut costs, increase sales and expand market share based on what he'd done in his current job." The candidate was hired.
Be careful not to go too far, though, in your quest to stand out. For example, it may be tempting to offer to work temporarily for free or to take a lesser salary than what a job pays. But experts say such bold moves often backfire on candidates. "Employers want value," says Lee Miller, author of Get More Money on Your Next Job ... In Any Economy. "They don't want cheap."
Your best bet is to wait until you're extended a job offer before talking pay. "In a recession, employers are going to be very price sensitive," says Mr. Miller. "The salary you ask for may impact their decision to move forward." Come prepared having researched the average pay range for a position in case you're pressured to name your price, he adds. You might say, for example, that money isn't a primary concern for you and that you're just looking for something fair, suggests Mr. Miller. You can try turning the tables by asking interviewers what the company has budgeted for the position.
In some cases, you may be looking just for a job to get you through so you might consider a less-than-perfect fit. But if you aren't really excited about an opportunity, keep it to yourself, warns David Gaspin, director of human resources at 5W Public Relations in New York. "I've had times where people come in and it's clear that if they really had their preference, they'd be doing something different," he says. "You don't want to put that out on the table. Nobody wants to hire someone who's going to run for the door when times get better."
After an interview, take caution with your follow-up. If you're in the running for multiple jobs at once, make sure to address thank-yous to the right people, career experts advise. Also look closely for spelling and grammatical errors. In a competitive job market, employers have the luxury of choice, and even a minor faux pas can hurt your chances.
If all has gone well, don't stalk the interviewer. Wait at least a week before checking on your candidacy, adds Jose Tamez, managing partner at Austin-Michael LP, an executive-search firm in Golden, Colo. Call recruiters only at their office, even if their business card lists a home or cell number. Leave a message if you get voicemail. These days, recruiters typically have caller ID and can tell if you've tried reaching them multiple times without leaving a voicemail. "There's a fine line between enthusiasm and overenthusiasm," he says.

YOU CREATE YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE

“This life is worth living, we can say,
since it is what we make it.”
-by William James

What you are about to learn is that your entire experience in the world determined solely by how you engage the world. The way everyone reacts to you - from friends to parents to strangers – is due to the way you present yourself. It’s due to the way you create yourself – image.

Tony was bigger and stronger than most people in our class and he loved acting macho. He wouldn’t just walk up to a group. He’d flex and pose as he came toward you, then he’d grab you and brag about how strong and tough he was. He obviously did this because it was the one thing that he felt distinguished himself in the crowd. He thought it impressed people, when in fact; everyone just rolled their eyes and mimicked him behind his back.

Lindsey was just as bad. When you would talk with her she was incredibly nice, but it didn’t take long to realize that she was the world’s worst gossip. She wouldn’t just pass on the truth; she would make stuff up as she went along. She was horrible and two weeks into the years, nobody would even come near her.

Why, instead of growing in popularity, did Tony and Lindsey each become more and more of a loser? Because they refused to pay attention to the way they created their own experience. Or to put it another way, they did nothing to change the way people experienced them. The point is that you control the world responds to you by the way you conduct yourself. When I talk about creating your own experience, I’m talking about the statement you make to the world through your attitude and appearance and the world’s response to you.

The good news is that you decide which role you want to play and thus, you decide which response you want to receive from the world. You decide because you choose the behaviors that put you in each of these roles. You choose: how to dress, how you talk, what kind of friends you have, who you date, where you hang out, whether or not you respect your elders, whether or not you break the law, whether or not you do drugs or drink, what kind of friend you are, what kind of work ethic you have, whether your word is good or not, whether you are a giver or a taker, whether you are a male, female, or homosexual.

The Story of Life

Sometimes people come into your life
And you know right away that they were meant to be there.
To serve some sort of purpose,
To teach you a lesson,
Or to help you figure out who you are,
Or who you want to become.
You never know who these people may be
(Possible your roommate, neighbor, co-worker, long lost friend, lover or even a complete stranger)

But when you lock your eyes with them,
You know that at that very moment they will affect your life in some profound way,
And sometimes things happened to you
That may seem horrible, painful, and unfair at first,
But in reflection, you find that without overcoming those obstacles,
You will never have realized your potential,
Strength, will power, of heart

Everything happens to you for a reason,
Nothing happens by chance or by means of good luck
Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness,
And sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul,
Without these small tests, whatever they may be,
Life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere,
It would be safe and comfortable,
But dull and utterly pointless,

The people you meet who affects your life
And the success and downfalls you experienced,
Help to create who you are and who you become
Even the bad experiences can be learn from, in fact,
They are probably the most poignant and important ones,
If someone hurts you, betrays you, or broke your heart,
Forgive them
For they have help you to learn about trust,
And the importance of being cautious when you open your heart

If someone loves you,
Love them back unconditionally,
Not only because they love you
But because in a way,
They are teaching you to love
And how to open your heart and eyes to things.

Make everyday count,
Appreciate every moment
And take from those moments
Everything that you possibly can
For you may never be able to experience it again,

Talk to people that you have never talked to before
And actually listen,
Let yourself fall in love,
Break free,
And set your sights high,

Hold your head up because you have every right to
Tell yourself you are a great individual
And believe in yourself,
For if you don’t believe in your self,
It would be hard for others to believe in you

You can make your life anything you wish,
Create you own life,
And then go out and live it with absolutely no regrets,

Most importantly,
If you love someone,
Tell him or her
For you never know what tomorrow may have in store,
And learn a lesson in life each day that you live.

That’s the STORY OF LIFE.

by Anonymous

Feel Happier Right Now

What makes you satisfied and content? Why do you get bored? Where is the joy in life?

“Happiness could be defined as the emotion of progress toward desirable goals. There is an instant of contemplation* of the last goal in which one is content. But contentment becomes boredom immediately that new goals do not come to view. There is no more unhappy thing than a man who has accomplished all his ends in life.” -- L. Ron Hubbard (*contemplation = thoughtful observation; meditation)

Let's examine three parts of this definition.

1. “There is an instant of contemplation of the last goal in which one is content.”

Think of goals you have reached in the past. How did you feel right after your wedding? When you got your first job? When you graduated from school?

Take a fast second to contemplate the last goal you reached. Perhaps you now feel content?

2. “But contentment becomes boredom immediately that new goals do not come to view.”

For example, planning a vacation is exciting. But toward the end of a vacation many people are bored as they no longer have a goal.

Arguments during honeymoons are common, if the newlyweds do not set goals for their marriage.

Planning your retirement and the first day of retirement is a thrill. But the joy of freedom quickly turns to boredom and early death if you do not work on new goals.

“There is no more unhappy thing than a man who has accomplished all his ends in life.”

Think of a time you were very bored. Had you completed a major goal without starting a new one?

3. “Happiness could be defined as the emotion of progress toward desirable goals.”

We can use this definition to understand unhappiness as well. When were you last unhappy?

In each case, you probably 1) had no goal, 2) were trying to reach an undesirable goal, or 3) you were making no progress toward a goal.

Making yourself happy is not difficult. Simply chose desirable goals and make progress toward them!

Three Steps to Feeling Happier Right Now

1. Select a desirable goal. If you don't have a desirable goal, make one up. What do you really desire?

2. Write down ONE SINGLE THING you can do right now toward this goal. It has to be an action step. Not thinking about it or talking about it. Actual physical motion.

3. Do it! Take that one step right now. Make some small, but real progress. You might be surprised at how easy it is.

Finally, notice if making this little bit of progress makes you happier.

Provided by TipsForSuccess.org as a public service to introduce the technology of L. Ron Hubbard to you.