I've noticed an interesting phenomenon with people....

When you tell them repeatedly something about themselves for long enough, they will start to believe it.

If you tell someone that you think they are dumb, stupid, or lazy, after a while - they'll start to believe that they are dumb, stupid, or lazy. Sometimes, parents say these things to their kids, and then when their kids turn out that way, the parents think to themselves, "See, I was right all along."

However, if on the other hand, you tell someone that they are good with people, or that they are smart, or that they are creative - they'll start to believe that they are good with people, smart, or creative. You'll see their attitude perk up, they'll be more confident. In the long run, they'll be more successful. Their different attitude will make them successes, as we'll see below.

Parents who tell their kids these things, tend to have kids who achieve success. If a child does badly on a test, one parent will tell the child "you're an idiot." But another parent will say, "you're smart, you just didn't work hard enough." There's a world of difference between these two statements.... The second statement assumes the child has the *ability* to do better if they put in more effort, while the first statement does not. A child who is told "you're an idiot" will stop trying, as they'll think, "why should I bother, since I'm an idiot?"

Here's what one personnel director in an appliance manufacturing company said.... Although these comments are about job success, these points count doubly for entrepreneurial and business success. Note what he says makes for success in a job....

He says...

"We have about 800 non-production people. Under our personnel audit system, an assistant and I interview each employee every six months. Our purpose is simple. We want to learn how we can help him in his job. We think this is a good practice because each person working with us is important, else he wouldn't be on the payroll.

"We are careful not to ask the employees any point-blank questions. Instead, we encourage him to talk about whatever he wants to. We aim to get his honest impressions. After each interview we fill out a rating form on the employee's attitudes toward specific aspects of his job.

"Now here's something I've learned. Our employees fit into one of two categories, group A and group B, on the basis of how they think towards their jobs.

"The persons in group B talk mainly about security, company retirement plans, sick leave policy, extra time off, what we're doing to improve the insurance program, and if they will be asked to work overtime next March as they were last March. They also talk a lot about disagreeable features of their job, things they don't like in fellow-workers, and so on. People in group B - and they include close to 80 per cent of all non-production personnel - view their jobs as a sort of necessary evil.

"The group A fellow sees his job through different glasses. He is concerned about his future and wants concrete suggestions on what he can do to make faster progress. He doesn't expect us to give him anything except a chance. The group A people think on a broader scale. They make suggestions for improving the business. They regard these interviews in my office as constructive. But the group B people often feel our personnel audit system is just a brainwashing affair, and they're glad to get it over with.

"Now there's a way I check attitudes and what they mean to job success. All recommendations for promotions, pay increases, and special privileges are channeled to me by the employee's immediate supervisor. Almost invariably, it's a group A person who was recommended. And again almost without exception, problems come from the group B category.

"The biggest challenge in my job is to try and help people move from group B to group A. It's not easy, though, because until a person thinks his job is important and thinks positively about it, he can't be helped."

Now think.... In your own attitudes, are you in group A or group B? A person in group B can change his or her attitude to become more of a go-getter and increase their success!

Here's another story.... There were three brick-layers at work. One person asked each of them, "What are you doing?"

The first brick-layer answered, "I'm laying a brick."

The second answered, "I'm making $10 an hour."

And the third answered, "Me? Why, I'm building the world's greatest cathedral."

Which brick-layer found the most success in his life?

Probably the first two just trudged along in their lives, perhaps complaining about their "bad luck" on how they never get promoted.

But the third bricklayer.... he was probably promoted well ahead of the other two. Perhaps he went on to start his own building company. The sky was his limit....

That's the attitude needed to find success!

Hope you enjoyed the post.... Now, you can apply this too, as I will as well. :)

- Dien Rice