work ethic | The Caleb Barney Collection

A “don’t” list of traits…

I think a lot about the traits I admire most – integrity, work ethic, respect, and positivity are just a few. But recently, I thought of the traits that “trigger” me the most. Not surprisingly, they are mostly opposites of what I look for.

For example, if someone is not honest or if they only tell half truths to mislead/deceive people, I immediately feel that I can’t trust them. How do I know they won’t cover up the actual truth just to look good? Or that they won’t tell me something so they can gain/profit from it?

When I see lazy people (employed or not), I don’t want to associate with them. Whether they are lazy when it comes to their work habits, taking care of themselves, etc…I often find that it carries over into other parts of their lives too.

When I see people who are consistently rude, I don’t want to associate with them. Often times they say it’s sarcasm or that they’re telling it like it is, but I feel that’s just an excuse. There’s usually a better way to get your point across.

And when I see people who are always negative, often they’ll call them realists. But what you think, your life will become. It’s almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy. You’re not even giving yourself a chance if you’re not optimistic/positive. A lot of people will think you’re crazy if you have high goals and high expectations. I think that maybe they just set the bar too low and settle for mediocrity.

What’s on your list of traits to avoid?

Lead measures and lag measures – you reap what you sow

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

There are lead measures and lag measures.

Lead measures are actions you should track to help you get to your goal (such as how many prospecting phone calls you made, deals you analyzed, days or minutes per week you exercised, or calories you consumed). Lead measures typically don’t get you too excited, but they are necessary for you to hit your goals. These are the seeds that you plant.

Lag measures are results-based. Examples of lag measures might be how many deals you closed, how much weight you gained/lost, hitting a PR in a specific exercise, etc. Lag measures are the end results. Their success depends on what you’re doing for your lead measures, therefore they are lagging behind. This is the harvest you reap.

Obviously, you don’t always want to only plant seeds and never receive the harvest. You need both to stay motivated and keep getting the results you desire. But don’t expect the harvest to always be there if you stop planting seeds daily/regularly.

What type of players do you have on your team?

What type of players do you have and your team? Grade each player/team member. Do you have A players, B players, C, D, or F? An A player has all the attributes you want. They have a good work ethic, are ambitious, speak and act with integrity, are always willing to help the team, have a good attitude, and are always looking to learn or improve. A B player might be missing one of those attributes or might have a lower level of several of those attributes. A C player will be missing multiple attributes. You should seriously consider whether or not to keep a C player on your team. Are they willing to work hard to become an A or B player? If not, better to cut the cord and let them go. D and F players should not be on your team, as they are just dragging everyone else down and making them work harder.

There is the saying that when a flower doesn’t bloom (or a tree doesn’t grow), it’s not the flower/tree’s fault, it’s the environment. That is true of flowers and also in business. You need to have the right environment around for your best players to blossom and to become the best versions of themselves. But at the same time, not every flower/tree/plant is meant to survive in every environment. For example, you aren’t going to see a cactus thrive in Alaska or a palm tree in Antarctica. Sometimes you cannot change the environment. Or at least, you shouldn’t change the environment to suit the needs of the extreme outliers in your company. Some people will succeed and others you may need to let go. Don’t change your environment for C, D, or F players. You will drive out your A and B players. Don’t cater to the weak spots on your team. They need to step up their game and take responsibility.

How to get ahead

Do you know how to get ahead? Here are a few tips:

1. Try your best in everything you do. Don’t half-ass anything. If you’re going to take the time to do something, you might as well do the best you can. The time is going to pass anyways, so why would you choose to do anything less than your best?

2. Be interested. The more curious you are, the more you’ll enjoy learning. If you’re interested in something, you can spark someone else’s interest as well and have friends take part in the activity too.

3. Don’t think that you’re above something. If you are asked to do something at your current job, then do it. You’re not entitled to anything. And if you don’t have a job but are offered something that most would consider being beneath you in the eyes of others, really weigh your options before saying no. If you need the money, take the job and keep looking for something better. Don’t rely on unemployment or your parents to take care of you when you’re fully capable of doing so yourself.

4. Have a great attitude. There are a lot of things you can’t control, but one thing you can control is your attitude. Choose to be happy. Choose to see the best in every situation and in everybody. Nobody likes being around a complainer.

5. Look for opportunities. Keep your eyes open. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Keep learning, planning, practicing, and taking action. Opportunities are all around us if we just look for them.

The overlooked predictor of success

What makes someone successful?

If you ask most people, they’ll usually say some combination of having natural ability, good work ethic, knowing the “right people,” having integrity, charm, and maybe even some good luck.

But there’s one thing that gets overlooked sometimes, yet I feel is just as important as the more popular answers…resilience.

Resilience is one of the best predictors of our future success, because at some point we will always encounter something difficult. Things won’t always go our way. Are we willing to keep going even when it’s tough? When the shiny object has disappeared and our initial interest has faded, do we stop chasing after that goal we were once excited about or do we have the determination to keep after it?

Are we strategic when we quit something? The saying “winners never quit,” isn’t true. Sometimes you have to know when to re-prioritize your goals or to tweak them, but you have to give it an honest effort. And when you do “quit,” are you just giving up or are you making adjustments before setting new goals?

Be tough. Be resilient. Bounce back after a loss. It’s the ones who keep coming back for more that will be successful. You can’t keep them down. Adapt and overcome and you will eventually be successful.