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It was the best of times, and it was the worst of times is a famous line from a Tale of Two Cities that plays too true to businesses and how they perform. Over the past few years I have worked and consulted with dozens of companies, however there are two large companies that on the outside looked to be great organizations but when they were examined from the inside there were huge problems that the executive team did not see.
The list was long and dubious: morale was in the toilet, sales were slumping, people were looking over their backs waiting to see who would be the next to be let go, team meetings were a drudgery, and the employees were being asked to do things that did not match up with their personal morels. Anyone of these are recipe for disaster for a business that wants to grow and be successful. These problems originated from managers that had had power go to their heads and were not trained effectively on how to motivate the people that they oversaw. They managed diabolically, with whips and chains like Strombolli , and ultimately debasing their employees by pointing out their flaws to everyone and drilling them into the ground to show that in some way the manager was better than those that he managed. This may have worked in ancient times, or up into the mid twentieth century, but these tactics have lost their effectiveness. Very few people will ever respond positively to these types of harassment in their everyday responsibilies, in fact it will be like pulling on the bit in the mouth of a horse and sooner versus later they will buck back and become harder to manage and motivate. The cost to train new employees from the ones that left far outweighed the benefit of not caring about the employee individually, moreover it may give you a bad reputation that is difficult to repair. Another manager from one of these companies told his sales people they would lose their jobs if they were not greedy and took every penny from the customer or if the sales people did not tell the customers there were problems they did not have all to improve the company’s bottom line to stay in business. Oh the folly of these ill-born statements!!! Do they not realize that these customers may need their services in the future and they would remember how they were treated before? Do they not realize that these customers will share their experiences, good or bad; with other people and that these poor statements will actually cost them profits instead of the short term gains? Do they not realize that they are loosing the trust of those that they manage? These managers should have had training on how to work with the people that they managed by motivating the individual to achieve their personal best or to set goals that were achievable not inflated. They should be focusing on empowering their representatives to be great for the customer and because of that experience the customer will send more referrals. In addition they should be helping the individual grow instead of chopping every limb off. They truly needed the ABC’s of Business Survival, Revival, and Thrival to focus on their Airway or their pulse. The employees needed resuscitation for their breathing, and they needed to improve the circulation to the customers to continue to grow. Even though these two companies are instantly recognizable for their success they need major overhauls in the way they hire and train their managers if they will improve and retain the best talent. Until then they will continue to have high turnover and unrealistic expectations that will be impossible to achieve because of the managements lack of understanding and caring for their people they lead. Don't grow faster than you can manage. What is your company doing to provide training for their most important assets? Are your managers going to inspire your employees to perform at their best or chain them to bad practices? These questions and more will be solved through consulting and coaching sessions with Brandon Kelly and Eagle Consulting. Every second and every detail matters. The tougher you are when you practice and do regular even mundane activities, the better you will be when the results matter. The game or even your job may be on the line. Are you training like a champion, a competitor, or just a casual participant?
Michael Jordan practiced harder during practice, and longer than anyone else so that when he had to take the last second shot or make a game changing move he could be counted on. His six championship rings in eight years defends the intense practice, don’t you think? As you watch the extreme competiveness of the Olympic champions they are crowned not in feet, nor inches, but thousandths of a split second. Think about that for a minute. There are usually about 24-30 people that are considered to be the best in the world in their given sport or area of excellence. They fiercely train daily for four to eight years for the chance to get to the finals of their event where they strive for perfection with a medal. In the end the minor mistakes are measured by the width of a blade, the placement of shoe, or the outstretched hand. Every one of these athletes had focused on beating the world record for years, measuring every inch; watching countless hours of practice and other competitions seeing where they can make micro changes—adapting little changes and improvements to perform under pressure like a machine-- and most of them do come close to that record pace, but in the end only one of them gets their name in with the record next to it. They have coaches helping them from every detail and angle to push them beyond the limits they could have done on their own for a chance at glory. HOW EXCRUSIATING!!! To train for so long and so hard and to fall into history by thousandths Of a second! Who remembers the second place silver medalist? Most of us don't and the same goes true in business. In talking to my friend Brad Barton, the 2013 World Masters Champion in the Steeple Chase, and Worlds Fastest Masters Mile—he and his coach designed a training regimen that every time he practiced included trying to beat the world record. Not just hours and days before the event, but every practice. He had a clear picture in his mind of what success was. Every detail planned in the crispest detail. He trained his body, but more importantly he conditioned his mind that he would hold the world record in those events. (Ironically, he is now being inducted into his University’s Athlete Hall of Fame as this book goes to print, for his lifetime pursuits of achievement.) Do you know what you have to do to make it not just a win but a record? As you look back on your daily practice or actions throughout your career, how much time have you wasted or misused? What areas could you have performed better or faster? What would the result have been if you had gone above the radar instead of trying to navigate underneath it? Where would you be at in your career if only you had put in more effort than you did? What if you had taken your spare time and developed another skill or sharpened a key tool? I know that it is hard to swallow or too review in your mind but there is light at the end of the tunnel and it is not the train that most people think of, and that is, NOW is the time to make the change and commit yourself to winning at the little things so that you will have the chance win on the big stage that is before you. NOW is the time to make a decision that you too deserve to be remembered and it up to you and how your plan every moment of everyday to make that difference that is needed to stand out and stand above everyone else. Now is your moment, just like the one that I had earlier in the High Jump that changed the course and outcome of my life, your time to start to run faster, jump higher, and compete against the greatest competitor in the world…You! You deserve to be the best and it is never too late to switch to a better path. You don’t have to worry or be scared about competing against others around you, just start by keeping track of the activities that you do every day and try to better the next day. And keep repeating the pattern until you have perfected it! What are you going to change? How are you going to make a difference NOW? Now I want you to spend a few moments and transform yourself. I want you to think like both Michaels and Brad Barton and focus on seeing every detail of that Gold Medal Podium experience. You are standing on the top tier of the Podium with your arms waving around to the crowd cheering your success while you glance at the video monitor portraying the new record! Now they are placing the heavy gold medal around your neck and the chairman is congratulating on your effort while he shakes your hand! You are speechless, near tears as you realize all of that effort was worth it. Then the crowd is asked to stand and salute you as your anthem is played as the victor. You are the champion and now you have a rightful place in history as one who dug in to win and have your name associated with the greats of all time! Then the surprise comes, you get summoned into the chairman’s office and there he presents you with the added bonus of a fat check and a promotion. All because you choose to make a difference in your own life and not to give up, all because you believed that you could make the difference and you did! How did that exercise feel? It was amazing, yet there are countless stories of successful athletes, professionals, and other successful people that do that exercise every morning in front of the mirror and they end up triumphing just as they had seen in the mirror or their minds eye. Once you have mastered one skill or pattern, add another skill to your resume, and then another. Before you know it you will have a multitude of champion skills and be renowned in your sphere of influence all from making a choice that your life depends on NOW. Humans are the only creatures on earth that can change the outcome or the experience if they are not happy with the current situation. No other creature can change its stripes, or in our case become something that we have not yet been! See yourself doing it, Be the champion at it, now go Achieve it! You can do it! (If you are thinking yah right that will never be me—then go back a few paragraphs and reread it until you believe that you can win.) I know that we each can win our own race we just need to decide to get in the game.  Distinction is the ability to instantly be recognized for your achievements, training, background, expertise, or perseverance. For instance a Five Star General is recognized as a leader of the military that has risen to the top of their command through training and top notch performance. In the Hospitality world there is a standard that each location strives for and is graded upon based on 5 stars. Those that go above and beyond stretch further then their competitors to provide the very best in all they do. Additionally, some resorts have raised the stakes and now grade it on a 5 diamond scale where things have to be perfect and precise. And then there is the Burj Al Arab of Dubai that built a manmade island to house the only seven diamond resort setting the world standard by creating the world’s only 7 diamond experience! Every view must be exquisite; every room must have the finest furnishings, every meal prepared by a renowned chef, and every employee focused on delivering anything you request! This is true distinction. Not just everyday do they strive to do their best in all they do, they emphasize that every minute has to be distinctive for their guests. Can you imagine? That means that they are pushing for excellence nearly 3000 times for each guest on the average stay at this resort. Once one experiences this type of service and keen awareness for attention to the details, they never forget it. More importantly, everything that they experience for the rest of their life is measured to that degree of precision and excellence. What are you and each part of your business doing to be Distinctive and the World’s best at what you do? How are you going to contribute and inspire to greater success? What systems are you using to become world class? Watermarks If you look at any water source, whether it be the ocean, a lake, river, stream or even a dried up water source, you will be able to notice that there are several watermarks along the banks showing the lows and highs of history. The first is the current mark where the water is. And as you examine the high and low tides, as well as the past years of deposits, you will find the clues to the height that water retained at much greater levels that reveals what history has done. So it is with the human race. We can use these high tides of history to propel us past records and leave the watermark higher for all to see. The beauty of this type of watermark is also that it leaves a path upward for all to follow and see where and how they can leave their crest on society. I once climbed and toured the Na'Pali Coast in Kauai and realized the magnificent beauty of the beaches where the tide marks gave way to the rugged cliff line and noticed that there were marks where the typhoons and tsunamis had left a trail hundreds of feet higher to follow. As I climbed that trail looking for what was left I found this was like the journey in life and the higher we climbed the harder it became, but the abundance of beautiful gifts were up where the trails ended and the dreams began. The same is true with any record worth holding. It takes attention to the details, training, effort, and the ability to rise above others and the current situation to stretch and grow to a new generation of records. Often times you need to blaze new trails, find new methods for operating, and a desire to inspire all of those around you to see above the mark! If you want to find out more about how the DISTINCTIVE WATERMARK PRINCIPLES can help you or your organization be more productive and pursue excellence than give Dr. Brandon Kelly at call!
Yesterday, September 28, 2013 I was coming back from a neighborhood fathers and sons camp out 75 miles away and suddenly I had a strong desire to stop in at Smith and Edwards, a local army surplus store, and there did some shopping for a wedding present. (Yes I know that is a strange place for wedding presents but I got a great gift for the couple!)
In the process I ran into Terry Allen, my Order of the Arrow-BSA National Honor Society- Lodge Advisor when I was in leadership as a youth. I was able to introduce my boys to him who are both now in the OA and couldn’t be prouder that I had represented him 20 years later. Terry is one of three people that I consider my most powerful mentors in my younger life, and he helped me through the toughest times growing up and challenged me to always practice and perform perfectly! I can truly say had it not been for Terry, I would not have ended up on top without his guidance. Terry also helped me to prepare for the worst in every scenario and deliver better than your best in everything you do. He saw the greatness in me when others only saw my misdirection’s. I have gone on teaching hundreds of thousands those same skills and how they can impact your future. Thanks Terry, I still look up to your example and hope to be half as impactful as you were to me! He is now a school principal in Morgan, Utah. May we all serve the up and coming generation with distinction and foresight like he did!
 Brandon With Dan Clark There are times in life that we take unexpected turns and they end up being what we need in that moment of life. As we progress down that path, and commit to it’s way of life we start to recognize that we need more tutelage, direction, and advice from those that have been down that road; then we seek out those that are top in that particular field to mentor us. They need to know how to be successful, identify our weaknesses to strengthen your abilities, and share the skills to win. I wanted to give shout outs to my mentors, especially those that have mentored me in the speaking profession who have exceeded these criteria and then some. In the world of motivational speaking I first was able to meet Jason Hewlett, who took the time to meet with me and hear my many stories and helped me hone in on the best ones. He is a great performer and even came to a Scouting/Order of the Arrow event that I was helping out at and blew the socks off with his over the top message of Finding Your Signature Move. It was then that I knew I needed to connect with the audience and help them with hurdles. Those that you work with, call on, and ultimately serve—need you to help them get over their hurdles with your product or service. Next is an all-time Master Presenter and Hall of Fame Speaker Dan Clark. His larger than life stature and humble approach to life with one story at a time, is the measurement for success. He encouraged me to be Significant to others and that each of us becomes more significant with each one that we help out; not put down. We have been able to share a few dinners and realize the power that comes from within. He also taught that you have to relentlessly practice your craft, and be prepared for all of the options that may arise. What can I say about Kathy Loveless? Not only does she have a great coaching and mentoring program, but she takes personal interest in each of her students, their families, and the specific success that you are focusing and helps to bring it to the most polished gem to earn from. She is just that gem and ever the Miss America Contestant. Running your business with the right systems, and having systems for every aspect of what you do ensures your success as well as the bottom line. Having an understanding of your clients and taking an interest in knowing them will help you to improve. Lastly Ty Bennett the 20 million dollar man. At my first event he associated with me and helped me to understand that each of us has a book and subsequent story that must be told, and that through purposeful leadership we can empower others. Every story has to have engaging characters that meet some sort of struggle, overcome, and ultimately learn from it. We too must learn to use the struggle to build us up and strengthen our resolve as we strive to fulfill our destiny. I have been extremely blessed to have mentors that are the best in the business, but that means that we as mentors have a lantern that must shine brightly for others to come to. It means that everyone needs to feel connected and that they are part of the positive solution. We need to take the personal interest in each success mile post and be significant to the process. And we need to understand the characters of the story and how each is affected by the outcome of our product. Only then can we be effective in the twists and turns of life. If you don’t have a mentor and want to unlock the higher success that is within you, I would urge you to seek out the type of mentor that will challenge you while standing behind what they teach. Brandon is the CEO of Eagle Consulting and regularly mentors businesses, sales forces, and leaders. To see if you qualify visit www.theBrandonKelly.com    Jason Hewlett Kathy Loveless Brandon with Ty Bennett
www.jasonhewlett.com www.lovelessenterprises.com www.leadershipinc.com Just a quick update about our boys saving their sister from the bear...today we found out that they have been nominated for the BSA's Lifesaving award, and we have had calls from the Steve Harvey show interested in interviewing them about being a hero. Even though we have to wait for several months to find out what happens next, we are still proud of Baden and Logan for their actions no matter what the outcome.
Since many of my friends and colleagues have wondered if the 11 year old boy, Baden Kelly, is related to me and if he was the one that saved his sister from a bear, Yes, it is my youngest son, they were very brave and heroic and fortunately everyone is OK. Here is the rest of the story. We took our oldest son, Logan, to camp New Fork Wyoming, to work there this summer on staff, and we were there for Father's Day. We decided to camp by the lake and furthest away from the Lodge so that Logan could settle in. We made pancakes and bacon for Brandon and my dad so they could get the father's day experience. We thought we did a pretty good job cleaning up, and wiped down the grill so that we could deep clean it after the church service. After church Logan, Baden, and Mariah went back to camp without telling us that they had left or where they were headed. Soon my wife’s parents, Aspen, and Kamila were going to camp site, when staffers came running toward us yelling that there was a bear in camp and had chased some kids. I told them that my kids were in that direction, so they turned around to go look for them. That's when we found out that we were the only ones with kids in the camp and our hearts sank and ran with emotion. At the lodge Brandon had jumped unto a four wheeler to look for them. There Kamila waited not knowing if the kids were safe or how I was doing. After about 30 minutes Mariah and the staffers came in. She jumped into Kamila’s arms and soberly said "Baden and Logan saved my life." Just then the boys came in. What happened was they were going to camp, Logan went to his cabin, Baden and Mariah continued to camp. Baden was going to go to the bathroom when a thought came to him to "stay with your sister". Just as they approached the trailer, Baden spotted the bear at the other end. He yelled "bear" and told Mariah to run, she didn't, so he carried her until she did. By then the bear was chasing them. A man stepped in and blocked the bear. Logan then picked up Mariah and took her to his cabin and told her to stay. Then the boys and the man chased the bear away. Brandon was in our camp cleaning up/fixing the bear mess. He walked away from camp then turned and that's when he saw the bear in the tree he had just been working under. It turns out that this bear had been terrorizing camps for weeks so they had to put it down. Baden is sad about that, but I'm grateful I still have all my children and husband. The bear came into our campsite as it was the first and closest to the lake, and tried to get into our water coolers that we in the shade to stay cool. Opposed to the presentation on the news, our kids ran off without telling us and we lingered behind at the church service. Upon entering the camp the youngest two ran into the bear and it started to chase them after a brief moment for about 100 feet or so. Baden threw a rock to divert the bear and grabbed his sister like a football and began to run away with her. The bear pursued and my older son Logan came from a staff cabin and did his best to distract and cut off the bear for his siblings to escape where he hid them in his cabin until other staffers could take them to safety. When my kids were still missing after the first 3 minutes of finding out about the bear, I left the lock down area in pursuit of finding my kids and ran into the bear at our site. The stand off was more than 30 minutes in our campsite, and the ordeal lasted about 3 hours before all of us were reunited. A truck came by my site and I sent a doll, games, and medicine back to the lodge to let them know that I was safe. The staffer that I was with chased the bear out of camp and I stayed there to protect the entrance to other camps so it would not double back. I then had to identify the bear once it had been dealt with and file the reports, and that is why it took so long. Not that I was scared or negligent as media would have you believe. And as Bob Harvey would say, now you know the rest of the story. Happy reading. By Brandon and Kamila Kelly Top Topics What the Audience Gets Contact us Blog Meet Brandon Speaking Locations Testimonials Consulting |
