Images

Imagine a good outcome for two

August 15, 2010 By Jan Richards Leave a Comment

Farmers Market Negotiations
Originally uploaded by jcgr

Man can only receive what he sees himself receiving.
Florence Scovel Shinn

The buyer in this farmer’s market scene clearly sees herself going home with a bundle of beautiful, fresh peppers.

The seller sees himself making a beautiful, healthy profit.

Whether she goes home pepper-fulfilled and he goes home profit-fulfilled depends on whether they can find a meeting point between their individual visions visions of success.

The same thing happens in any negotiation, and many different types of interactions.

Think back on a time when you found a good solution between what may have been two very different original visions of success.

Let that experience guide you to fresh success with a negotiating challenge ahead.

Share and Enjoy:

Filed Under: Business Results, Customer Focus, Images, People at Work, Quotes

If there have to be holes in the cookies…

August 6, 2010 By Jan Richards Leave a Comment

If there have to be holes in the cookies…
Originally uploaded by jcgr

I couldn’t have baked this heart shape into the cookie if I’d tried.

But there it was, a heart-shaped error in the middle of a home baked biscotti, cooling and nearly ready to be packed into a gift basket.

It made me pause, and then made me smile.

Perfection or imperfection? I’ll let you decide.

And as you do, consider mistakes of various types from times past in your life.

Perhaps they weren’t really errors or imperfections, at all, so much as your own special touch.

Or perhaps it was the serendipitous move that led you to much bigger discoveries that you might have missed if everything had gone “perfectly right.”

Share and Enjoy:

Filed Under: Customer Focus, Images, Musings, Serendipity

Taking a big risk

July 18, 2010 By Jan Richards Leave a Comment

28/52 summer evenings with Cisco
Originally uploaded by Ciscolo

Sometimes there’s a risk you’re not quite ready for, even as your excitement grows about the challenge just ahead.

In this scene, a golden retriever puppy seems to see the top of the hay bale as a safe place to pause before taking on that next big step.

What was the latest experience you had like that?

It was a time when you paused for just a bit and excitement built, soon overtaking any fear you had about that next big step.

Let the lessons of that experience help you now if you’re facing the challenge of a soon-to-be-taken big and unfamiliar step.

Share and Enjoy:

Filed Under: Images, Musings, People watching

Thinking spot

July 5, 2010 By Jan Richards Leave a Comment

Thinking spot
Originally uploaded by jcgr

You’ve probably heard the brainstorming exercise where you imagine being in one of your favorite places in the world to get great new ideas.

Well, whether it’s real or virtual, the beach in Carmel is one of the places I go for good thinking time.

A little beautiful blue scenery, the sounds and fragrance of the ocean, a little sand between my toes, finding a pretty shell or two…for me, it’s a spot of heaven on earth.

On this day, I’d taken a sandwich, coffee, and a book I’m in the final stages of writing so I could do a little work oceanside.

Somehow, it always works.

Where’s your favorite, accessible, it-always-works-somehow thinking spot?

Share and Enjoy:

Filed Under: Images, People at Work, Serendipity

The power of a fresh perspective

July 4, 2010 By Jan Richards Leave a Comment

Bokeh Bokeh
Originally uploaded by Matt-Richards

Sometimes all it takes is a slight shift in perspective to see the beauty of the moment, a new idea, or have a fresh appreciation of what you have before it goes away.

Here the lights of the gathering night reflect off a windshield and sparkle in the distance of the waning day.

What fresh perspective could help you see something in a new and, perhaps, better way?

Share and Enjoy:

Filed Under: Images, Musings, People at Work, Serendipity

Stay and enjoy the good work nature has done

June 29, 2010 By Jan Richards Leave a Comment

Waterfront way station
Originally uploaded by jcgr

I smiled when I saw this well-designed spot, perfect for pausing, seeing, thinking, reflecting.

Nature had really taken care of almost all of it: creating this beautiful blue place in the beautiful city of San Francisco, CA.

And a few wise people added tables, chairs and benches, making it possible for visitors to stop and fully enjoy the beautiful work nature has already done for them.

Share and Enjoy: