Small Business Resources

Proven Tips and Tactics: How to get started learning CNC Programming « The CNC Project

noreply@blogger.com (CNC Book Author) — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 18:22:00 +0000

Proven Tips and Tactics: How to get started learning CNC Programming « The CNC Project

Why overtime is the opiate ineffective managers « The CNC Project

noreply@blogger.com (CNC Book Author) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:52:00 +0000

Why overtime is the opiate ineffective managers « The CNC Project

Proven Tips and Tactics: I, J and K Secrets to Programming Arcs « The CNC Project

noreply@blogger.com (CNC Book Author) — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 18:08:00 +0000

Proven Tips and Tactics: I, J and K Secrets to Programming Arcs « The CNC Project

How lessons learned from the Gulf Oil Disaster can Save your Company from financial ruin « trusted@dvisor

noreply@blogger.com (CNC Book Author) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 00:14:00 +0000

How lessons learned from the Gulf Oil Disaster can Save your Company from financial ruin « trusted@dvisor

Proven Tips, Tools and Tactics: Understanding G73 « The CNC Project

noreply@blogger.com (CNC Book Author) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 00:06:00 +0000

Proven Tips, Tools and Tactics: Understanding G73 « The CNC Project

Proven Tips, Tools and Tactics: Understanding G83 « The CNC Project

noreply@blogger.com (CNC Book Author) — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 03:16:00 +0000

Proven Tips, Tools and Tactics: Understanding G83 « The CNC Project

How to Finally get The Recognition YOU Deserve! « The CNC Project

noreply@blogger.com (CNC Book Author) — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 21:07:00 +0000

How to Finally get The Recognition YOU Deserve! « The CNC Project

Vanishing Technology: How to prevent your company from being destroyed when talented people leave - Biznik

noreply@blogger.com (CNC Book Author) — Sat, 29 May 2010 02:37:00 +0000

Vanishing Technology: How to prevent your company from being destroyed when talented people leave - Biznik

Supervisor: You can disagree with company policy and not destroy your career! « The CNC Project

noreply@blogger.com (CNC Book Author) — Sat, 15 May 2010 00:10:00 +0000

Supervisor: You can disagree with company policy and not destroy your career! « The CNC Project

The planning myth. Why traditional business often fail « The CNC Project

noreply@blogger.com (CNC Book Author) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0000

The planning myth. Why traditional business often fail « The CNC Project

The Digital Difference: How to Communicate with the Most Difficult People « Small Business Tips

noreply@blogger.com (CNC Book Author) — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 19:15:00 +0000

The Digital Difference: How to Communicate with the Most Difficult People « Small Business Tips

The Potential Problem Analysis: The prefect tool to prepare for the unexpected - Biznik

noreply@blogger.com (CNC Book Author) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 03:24:00 +0000

The Potential Problem Analysis: The prefect tool to prepare for the unexpected - Biznik

Why must you convince your employees you know less than they do? « The CNC Project

noreply@blogger.com (CNC Book Author) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 02:31:00 +0000

Why must you convince your employees you know less than they do? « The CNC Project

The Expectation Factor: Why you need it to raise employee productivity and morale « The CNC Project

noreply@blogger.com (CNC Book Author) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 02:29:00 +0000

The Expectation Factor: Why you need it to raise employee productivity and morale « The CNC Project

First Time Supervisors Beware, It’s NOT the Job You Think it Will Be « The CNC Project

noreply@blogger.com (CNC Book Author) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 01:18:00 +0000

First Time Supervisors Beware, It’s NOT the Job You Think it Will Be « The CNC Project

The CNC Project

noreply@blogger.com (CNC Book Author) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 01:18:00 +0000

The CNC Project

The Cat's Stare: Everything You Need to Know About Headlines - Biznik

noreply@blogger.com (CNC Book Author) — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 02:19:00 +0000

The Cat's Stare: Everything You Need to Know About Headlines - Biznik

Crimson Trace Application Guide

noreply@blogger.com (CNC Book Author) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:41:00 +0000

Crimson Trace Online Application Guide

1911
FULL-SIZE 1911 & COMMANDER I Single-Stack Only 1911 and 1991A1 full-size frames with grip screws measuring 3-1/16" apart on center
LG-401
LG-401-P1-Custom, Burlwood Finish

LG-401-P4 - Pro-Custom, Carbon Fiber Finish Rubber Overmold Wrap-Around, Front Activation*
LG-301 Rubber Overrnold, Dual-Side Activation*

COMPACT 1911 OFFICER'S AND DEFENDER
1911 and 1991A1 compact-size frames with grip screws measuring 2-11/16" apart on center
LG-404
LG-404-P1 - Pro-Custom, Burlwood Finish
LG-404-P4 - Pro-Custom, Carbon Fiber Finish Rubber Overmold Wrap-Around. Front Activation*
LG-304 Rubber Overmold. Dual-Side Activation*

*If pistol has ambidextrous safety, right-hand lever must be shortened to clear laser.

Beretta
92/96 / M9 Beretta 92 and 96 large frame, including the Centurion, Elite II and Brigadier
LG-302 Rubber Overmold. Dual-Side Activation
LG-402M (MIL-STD-810F) Textured Polymer, Front Activation

VERTEC Beretta 92/96 Vertec including Elite IA
LG-312 Rubber Overmold. Dual-Side Activation

TOMCAT AND BOBCAT Excluding 3032 Tomcat lnox (stainless) models
LG-490 Polymer Grip With Overmolded Front Activation Pad

BERSA
Bersa Thunder .380 Series and Bersa Firestorm .380
LG-442 – NEW Polymer Grip With Overmolded Front Activation Pad

BROWNING
HI-POWER LG-309 Rubber Overmold, Dual-Side Activation

CZ
75B, BD and Kadet. except ambi-safety and stainless models LG-475 Rubber Overmolded Wrap-Around, Front Activation
P-01, 75D Compact and 40P LG-476 Rubber Overmolded Wrap-Around, Front Activation Will not flt if pistol has ambidextrous safety

CHARTER ARMS
.22, .32, .38 Special, .357 and .44 Cal - Except Dixie Derringer and South Paw
LG-325 Rubber Overmold, Front Activation

GLOCK
Glock 17/19,(22, 23) Gen 2 LG-417 – NEW Polymer Grip, Overmold Front Actlvation
Glock 19/26/36 (23, 25, 27, 28, 32, 33,38, 39) LG-436 - NEW Polymer Laserguard™ Overmolded Front Activation

G-Series, Hard Polymer, Rear Activation
Glock 17,17L, 22, 24, 31, 34, 35 and 37 LG-617
Glock 19,23,25,32 and 38 LG-619
Glock 26,27,28,33 and 39 LG-626
Glock 29 and 30 LG-629

KAHR
PM9, P9, PM40, P40, CW9 and CW40 LG-437 - Laserguard™ - NEW Overmolded Front Activation
K9 / K40 LG-460 Polymer Grip, Front Activation
MK9 / MK40 LG-461 Polymer Grip, Front Activation

KEL-TEC
P3AT and P32 Generations I & II LG-430 - Polymer Laserguard™ Overmolded Front Activation
PF9 LG-435 - NEW Polymer Laserguard™ Overmolded Front Activation

NAA NORTH AMERICAN ARMS
Guardian ,380 and .32NAA (Does not fit .32ACP) LG-441 Polymer Grip With Overmolded Front Activation

RUGER
GP100 AND SUPER REDHAWK LG-344 Rubber Overrnold, Front Activation
LCP LG-431 - Laserguard™ – NEW Polymer Laserguard™, Overmolded Front Actlvatlon
LCR LG-411 – NEW Rubber Overrnold. Front Activation

MK II AND Ill, KMK All steel frame KMK, Mark II and Mark Ill models excluding 22/45
LG-403 Rubber Overmold Wrap-Around, Front Activation
P-SERIES All metal-frame Ruger P-Series Pistols, including P-85, 89, 90, 91, 93, 94 and 944
LG-389 Rubber Overmold. Dual-Side Activation
SP-101 LG-111 – DEFENDER Polymer Grip, Front Activation
LG-303 - Rubber Overmold. Front Activation

SIG SAUER
P220 LG-320 Rubber Overrnold, Dual-Side Activation
P226 LG-326 Rubber Overmold, Dual-Side Activation
P228 / 229 LG-329 Rubber Overmold, Dual-Side Activation
P232 / P230 LG-432 Polymer Grip, Front Activation
Sig Pro, 2009, 2340 and 2022 LG-438 Polymer Grip With Overmolded Front Activation
P239 LG-439 Rubber Overmold Wrap-Around, Front Activation

SMITH & WESSON
3RD GENERATION, FULL-SIZE, DOUBLE-STACK 9mm and .40 cal. autos,
Models 4lO, 4lOS, 411, 910, 910S, 915, 4003, 4003TSW, 4006, 4006TSW, 4043, 4046, 5903, 5903TSW, 5906, 5906TSW, 4943 and 5946 LG-359 Rubber Overmold. Dual-Side Activation

J-FRAME ROUND BUTT
Airlight Airweight, Bodyguard, Chief's Special, Centennial, Ladysmith, Models 36, 37, 38, 49, 60, 63, 317, 331, 332, 337, 340, 342, 351, 360, 442, 637, 638, 640, 642, 649, 651 and 940
LG-105 – DEFENDER Polymer Grip, Front Activation
LG-305 - Rubber Overmold, Front Activation
LG-405 - Compact Grip Rubber Overmold, Front Activation

K AND L-FRAMES
Models 10 thru 19,48, 53, 56,64 thru 68, 242, 296, 386, 396, 547, 581, 586, 617, 647, 648, 686 and 696
LG-306 Rubber Overrnold, Front Activation. Round Butt
LG-307 – HogHunter™ Rubber Overmold. Front Activatlon. Square Butt
LG-308 – HogHunter™ Rubber Overmold, Front Actlvatlon, Round Butt

K, L and N-Frames
Models 10 thru 29, 48, 53, 56, 57, 58, 64 thru 68, 242, 329, 396, 520, 547, 581, 586, 610, 617, 624, 625, 627, 629, 648, 657,686 and 696
LG-207 Hard Polymer. Front Activation, Round And Square Butt
Models 20 thru 29, 57, 58, 325, 327, 329, 520, 610, 624, 625, 627, 629 and 657
LG-313 – HogHunter™ Overmolded Front Activation, Square Butt
LG-314 – HogHunter™ Overmolded Front Activation, Round Butt
M&P - FULL-SIZE (All Calibers)*
LG-660 Polymer Grlp, Rear Activation
M&P - COMPACT (All Calibers - Excluding M&P Compact .45 ACP)*
LG-661 Polymer Grlp, Rear Activation

*Except Ambidextrous Safety

SPRINGFIELD
XD .45 ACP - All Frames - Excludes Ambi-Safety LG-445 Polymer Grlp wlth Overmolded Front Actlvatlon
XD 9mm, S&W .40 and .45 GAP, .357 Sig -All Frames LG-446 Polymer Grlp wlth Overmolded Front Actlvatlon

TAURUS
SMALL FRAME REVOLVERS Models 85, 94, 605, 650CIA, 651 CIA, 731, 850 CIA, 905 and 941
LG-185 – DEFENDER Polymer Grip Front Activation
LG-385 - Rubber Overmold, Front Activation
JUDGE / TRACKER
LG-375 – NEW Polymer Grip With Overmolded Front Activation

WALTHER
PP and PPKlS - (will not fit PPK) LG-480 Polymer Grip With Overmolded Front Activation

LONG GUN LASER GRIPS
AR-15 I M-16, A1 and A2 only (will NOT fit rifles with removable carry-handle) LG-525 Rubber Overmold. Front Activation

RAIL MOUNT
Vertical Foregrip for all Picatinny (1913) rails VF-302 Rubber Overmold. Dual-Side Activation Modular Vertical Foregrip Laser I Light MVF-515 – NEW Rubber Overmold, Dual-Side Activation

BOWTECH & DIAMOND
LG-653 Hard Polymer Grlp, Rear Activation

The Sinister Simplicity of Silent Evidence

noreply@blogger.com (CNC Book Author) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:54:00 +0000

Epistemology. What a great word. I interpret it to mean “How do you know that you know?”
We are sure of so much, but how do we really know?

As I have discussed in previous articles, our maps of the world are largely made up of distortions, deletions and generalizations. This article will discuss what we delete from our maps and how that can really hurt our business.

The sinister simplicity of silent evidence is this; the silent evidence we ignore may in fact be the most important information.

An Error in Our Thinking
A quick scan of the news will tell us, The current unemployment rate is 8.9%. GM and Chrysler are bankruptcy and massive layoffs are eminent. The economy is collapsing around us. Banks and businesses are failing at an alarming rate.

Definitely the stuff of headlines. Are we to assume that breadlines are in our future? Certainly there appears to be a preponderance of evidence that the economic end is near. But is it really?
This is a classical error in our thinking. Think of it as a signal-to-noise ratio. There is all this information around us (call that noise) but the focus and emphasis is on the economy (the signal). In this case the signal to noise ratio is very high and we can’t seem to ignore the bad economy. Because of the strong signal (bad economy) we filter out all the noise (other news, facts, possible opportunities).

When it comes to good news, opportunities and rational thought, the silence is deafening. So as our heads get filled with gloom and doom, our maps change. We stop seeing opportunities. Our cynicism clouds our judgment of opportunities that do present themselves.

Personal Anecdotes are More Powerful Than Statistics

Interestingly, personal anecdotes tend to cloud our perspective more than facts. Someone who has a close friend or family member that has lost a job, will “feel” the economy is worse than someone who has no such influence. If you explain, that 91% of the people are employed, that does little to raise their view of the economy.

Imagine you are talking to a friend about a new restaurant you want to try. Your friends tried them once and were dissatisfied or someone got sick. Now, what means more to you, your friends experience or reading a review that 88% of customers are satisfied with XYZ restaurant?
Or think about applying for a job or trying to attract new business; how many times are we rejected, not because of what we do say, but because of what we left out. Since the employer / customer did not see it in our presentation, they assumed it (whatever that is) does not exist.

How the Silence can Hurt Our Businesses

Our own tendency to ignore the silent can hurt us in many ways. This often manifests in the “I doubt this will ever happen to me” syndrome. For example, “I’ve never been sick therefore I am healthy.”

Here is one example from our files. We kept telling one of our customers that their hard drive was about to fail. We even provided the data. But the IT manager was busy and felt the hard drive had been reliable, so it could wait. Less than a week later it failed.

Here is another example of expensive silence. Often managers assume their networks are backed up and have strong security just because they do not hear otherwise from the IT department.

Is that always true? Maybe. Maybe not.

Recently a disgruntled ex employee reported their company for using unlicensed software. It was a huge expense for the company to pay the penalties and come into compliance. All of which the CEO could have avoided if he had regular, independent reports showing the health and compliance of his network.

So what are your stories? How have your customers benefited from doing business with you? Those are the anecdotes that will be more persuasive than generic business or marketing statistics. Do you have true stories about customers that suffered because they chose another vendor?

To succeed, you need to increase the signal to noise ratio of your message and that requires a couple of things.

First, you have to know the emotional drivers for your customers. What events, actions or circumstances are a threat to them? Will a business process failure ruin their business or cost the job of the person responsible? Speak to those issues, and your signal gets much stronger.
Remember, decisions ultimately involve emotions. Data and statistics only serve to justify the decision. Appeal to your prospects emotions, then give them all the data they need to support choosing you as the solution.

As I mentioned in previous articles. People don’t care what a product or service is. What they do care about is how does that product or service satisfies an emotional need. People don’t buy marketing services just for fun. And, they don’t care what method you use . . . they just want more customers or a better business image.

We’ve all heard benefits are more important than features. Features are noise, benefits are signal.

But this goes beyond that. This is about understanding the desired result, independent of the method. For example, people generally own cars to facilitate transportation because that is the common solution. But if you were selling futuristic matter transporters that could get someone from point A to point B in a fraction of a second at the same cost, do you think they would choose the automobile?

Tips for improving your signal to noise ratio.

Know what is important to your customer on an emotional level for the decision maker.
If what you are saying is not effective, what should you be saying?
Identify what you assume your customer already knows, then make some effort to state/reinforce the obviously important.
Ask the customer to explain their business goals, needs and wants. Engage them on their turf. Let them explain to you their excitement and worries about being in business.
Don’t let the customer’s silence about problems or needs convince you they don’t have any. Draw them out.
Don’t allow yourself to shrink into irrelevant background noise by selling when you should be listening.
Lower your personal signal to noise reception. Don’t increase your buying or rejection signals by assuming you fully understand what your customer is saying. Ask clarifying questions.

Be Positive

Some food for thought regarding business failure rates around The Great Depression.

1% business failure during prosperous pre-depression years 1925-1929
1.3% business failure during deep depression years 1930-1933
.2% averagebusiness failure during the 1940’s
.4% -.5% during the 1950’s
(Source http://ingrimayne.com/econ/EconomicCatastrophe/GreatDepression.html)

There was roughly 1% difference in business failure rates between the height of the depression and the recovery in the 1940’s.

The media signal says everything is bad. . . The silence tells a different story

When the Right Words Fail – The Unavoidable Truth About Distortion, Deletion and Generalization

noreply@blogger.com (CNC Book Author) — Tue, 26 May 2009 01:22:00 +0000

Introduction
The side effects of Distortion Deletion & Generalization are everywhere. They involve communication of people at all levels in government and of all ages. Improper understanding of the influence of DD&G has ruined lives, destroyed companies and resulted in death.

But have you ever heard of them?

Did you even know they exist?

Three Key Brain Functions
Our brains do many things consciously and unconsciously. With respect to day to day operations and guidance, our brains rely on three key functions:
Distortions
Deletions
Generalizations

The rest of this article will discuss each or these functions. You will learn why they are important and how they influence your actions. And you will learn how to use this understanding to improve your communication skills.

Deletions

Imagine you are late for work, fighting your way through traffic and rehearsing your presentation for the quarterly marketing meeting. You probably don’t even notice a little bit of dust on the dashboard. Your eyes see it; your brain notices it and quickly filters it out as being irrelevant. That bit of dust simply is not important.

Depending on what is going on at any given point in our lives, our brain seeks relevance, and filters out that which is not.

Suppose, you are driving the CEO to the airport . . . suddenly, that dust becomes relevant.
Our state of mind determines our perceptual filters. Circumstances change our filters.
We all have perceptual filters.

Think about the last time you bought a new car, dress, or electronic gadget. Didn’t you suddenly become aware of every car, dress or gadget that is similar to yours?

If you really need a customer to sign a contract but are convinced they won’t, it is likely you’ll filter out buying signals and only hear the rejection.

For example, your prospect may ask questions about price but yours are high.

Do you immediately assume defeat?

Or, do you see the questions as a signal that they want you to build more value into your proposition?

Effective communicators take responsibility for their filters. Here is one way:

Stop, relax and take a breath before assuming anything or responding.

Ask yourself

What am I missing here?o Do I have all the facts?
What more do I need to know?
What if I am wrong?
What else could this mean?
Is this really important with respect to my larger goal?

If you are missing key pieces of information, ask the other party more questions.

Realize you may not have a complete picture and be open to new information.

Distortions

Our daily pressures and desires distort the way we perceive what is going on around us. These distortions affect the way we respond. Here is an early example from my childhood.

The last day of 6th grade I was walking with my girl friend and best friend Rich.
As we were walking, I kicked a rock.

Rich playfully shoved me exclaiming “you kicked my rock.”

In my 13 year old insecure and distorted view of the world, Rich was making me look bad in front of my girl friend. So, I did the only thing that made sense, I took a poke at him. ere is what my distortions kept me from seeing:

My girl friend could have cared less.
Rich was just having fun.
Rich was an aspiring Golden Gloves boxer, I was a geek.

How do you think that distortion ended? Imagine a young boy flying backwards over the hood of a 1957 Ford Fairlane.

Distortions can be a problem.

How many times has a customer told you “maybe, let me get back with you on that?” And you waited. You assumed “I think it is going to work out.”

And you wait. You make projections based on pure non-sense. And you wait.

How much time, money and opportunity is wasted when distortions lead down the wrong path?

We can’t avoid distortion. When we take millions of bits of data from our senses, mix them with our fears, hopes and desires and sprinkle in massive amounts of deletion, things get distorted.

Knowing our distorted map of the world is not reality gives us opportunities to improve our communication. We can evaluate circumstances and decide which parts of the map are appropriate, need updated or changed and where crucial information is missing.

To develop more useful maps try the following:

Realize you are responding to your interpretation of reality and interpretations may or may not be correct.
Question the fundamental assumptions of the map. For example:
- Is this about me?
- How did I think this was going to work out?
- What did I miss or ignore that led me to think this would be different?
- How was I predisposed to think about this before I started?
- Did I think this would go well?
- Did expect to fail?
- At the end of the day, does this really matter?
- Where is my focus?
On myself?
On My Client?
On the “big picture?”
On the minutia?
-Am I too close or too emotionally invested in this? Why? How does that affect my perspective?

Generalizations

When something happens we notice. When something similar happens, we begin to “see” a pattern. As this goes on we make generalizations about meaning, cause and effect.

A door is a perfect example. We generalize about how doors, knobs and locks work. This saves us time. If we had to relearn the concept of doors every time we encountered one, we would still be living in caves, if we survived at all.

Generalizations can also be detrimental to our success. Have you ever assumed “those people would never need my product?”

Probably the most famous example of a business defeating assumption was made by Ken Olsen of Digital Equipment. Mr. Olsen said, “There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home.”

Consider the following statements and ask yourself which one is true.

He loved his job. He murdered everyone in his building.
He loved working at the post office. He murdered everyone in the building.

If you are like most people, the second statement seems true. Our preconceived notions and generalizations about “going postal” define our map. Now step away from your map and you will see the serious flaw in logic.

The first sentence encompasses far more. It could include any “he” in any occupation in any building.

The second statement refers to a very small subset “he” working the post offices.

There are many more chances for the first statement to be true than the latter. Our first blush however was naturally to generalize about the perceived stress of being a postal worker.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself to keep your generalizations in check:

What were my assumptions before I ever got into this situation?
What evidence is there to support my assumptions?
How does this situation differ from my preconceptions?
How effective was I last time I was in this situation?
Do I need a new strategy?
How much did it have to delete or distort to make this “just like before?”

The key to effective communication is understanding the structure of communication. What gets communicated is always a bi-product of the Deletions, Distortions and Generalizations.

When Things Go Bump In the Economy

noreply@blogger.com (CNC Book Author) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:18:00 +0000

Perhaps Sir Winston Churchill said it best, “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”

As you look around you, think about your friends, family and colleagues, are you seeing the enthusiasm and leadership it is going to take to thrive in this economy?

When things go bump in the economy, do you pull the covers over your head or grab the flashlight and seek answers?

I don’t know about you, but never in my life did improvement come from lack of action. This economy, our personal economies, will not improve if we don’t act.

Just before writing this article, I happened to view Susan Boyle’s performance on Britian’s Got Talent http://biznik.com/click?u=http%3A//www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D9lp0IWv8QZY&t=http%3A//www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D9lp0IWv8QZY I highly recommend you take a few minutes to view this video.

Wow, here is an unemployed, 47 something, British woman that took action. I have little doubt; her actions have changed her life forever. Whether or not she becomes a “rock star,” so to speak, remains to be seen. But having taken a huge risk and putting herself out there for all to see and judge, has got to be a game changer.

So what are you doing to break away from the pack of naysayers that are convinced that breadlines are in your future?

When things are going well, the problem is often keeping focus, staying on track and delivering on promises. When things are tough, it is even more imperative keep focused. I have found it very useful to fall back on my early NLP training; in particular developing a well-formed outcome.

Clearly it is not enough to simply want or wish for something. In the case of Susan Boyle, you know she did not hide in a closet wishing and hoping someone would find her and drag her onto that stage. She had a plan, took steps, probably ran into challenges along the way, modified her plan, kept her eye on the prize and the rest is history.
So how do you develop an outcome that is well-formed and will energize you to take action? Read on.

A key aspect of a well-formed outcome is that it is stated in the positive. As cybernetic tools, our brains are drawn towards the object of their attention. Race car drivers are hyperaware of this aspect of human reaction. If they want to avoid hitting a wall or another vehicle, they concentrate on where they want to go, not the wall or car in front of them.

If a goal is about avoidance, for example “I don’t want to fail”, etc. the brain must first make a representation of failure and then somehow negate the thought. Since the original representation is of failure, the end result is the cybernetic brain is drawn towards failure. Hence, an outcome like “I will succeed” gives the brain an opportunity to focus on and direct itself towards success.

Obviously, “I will succeed” is not a useful outcome. It lacks meaning. Succeed at what? How specifically?

The second key aspect of a well-formed outcome is that it, in NLP jargon, is sensory specific. Sensory specific means that the outcome is defined and measured in terms of your physical senses. A well defined goal will fully describe how you will know if you achieved your goal. You will know what it looks like, sounds like, feels like and etc. to achieve your goal.

I can imagine Ms. Boyle could imagine in great detail the crowd responding to her performance, the sights and sounds. She could probably imagine how she would feel after completing her performance and hearing the roar of the crowd.

So what is your goal for surviving this economy?
Who will your customers be?
What exact steps will you take to attract customers?
How will you know you have reached them?
How much will they spend with your company?
What products or services will they buy?
What will your profit margins be?
What will your bank statements look like when you achieve your goal?
How many customers will there be?
What will people say to you when they realize how successful?
For you, what will success taste like?

Sound a bit like creating your business plan doesn’t it.

With respect to achieving personal goals, it is important that the outcome you choose is initiated and controlled by self. In other words, “I will make the world love me” is not a useful outcome. You simply cannot control the actions and feelings of others. But what you can control your actions.

More useful would be “I will do ‘X’ daily until I achieve my goal or find a more useful ‘X’.” Just as important as the actions you take is your ability to recognize when those actions are not effective. If your actions are not taking you towards your goal, you must tweak them until they do.

When a ship travels across the ocean, the captain can’t just point the rudder and forget it. 99% of the trip is process of self-correction. As the currents and eddies of life play havoc with your plans, like the captain, you must make corrections.

The caveat here is to not be erratic or over-react. It is often said that good leaders make decisions quickly and change them slowly. Poor leaders make decisions slowly and change them quickly.

A useful planning technique is to imagine having already achieved your goal. Then map your way back in time and actions to your current situation. What was the action you took just before achieving the outcome? What was the significant action you took just before that? How did you recognize problems and what actions did you take to overcome them?

Once an outcome has been mapped back from successful achievement back to the starting point, you have an outline of how to proceed. But just as important, you have broken the outcome down into manageable sized chunks.

The fourth critical aspect of a well-formed outcome is that it is appropriately sized. If you have very few financial resources, buying a successful company, may be out of reach. But, if you set your intermediate goals to attracting investors looking for an investment opportunity, you are far more likely to succeed.

Finally, a well-formed outcome will be ecological. In NLP speak, ecological does not mean ecological in the current context of the “green” movement or saving the planet.

An ecological outcome is one that is a) worth having once you achieve it, and b) worth the effort it takes to achieve it. For example, if the outcome requires that you put your children up for adoption so you can have the time and money to achieve your goal; that would not be ecological.
Similarly, if you follow Bernie Madoff's example, that would not be ecological.

While this has been brief, the elements for creating well-formed outcomes have been outlined. In review, the keys to setting an achievable goal or outcome are:

State the goal in the positive.
Imagine and describe the outcome in sensory specific terminology.
Make sure the outcome is initiated and managed by self.
Make sure the goal is of an appropriate size for the resources you have, if not break the outcome down into sub-goals that are of an appropriate size.
Review and evaluate the end goal and what it takes to get there and decide if the goal is ecological. If not, what needs changed or how can you make so that it is?

It takes a little time to map out goals and outcomes, but how much time are you really saving if you avoid the process?

Can you imagine the time wasted if you are in a huge unfamiliar city but just don’t want to take the time to look at a map?

These Steps Will Help You Plan for and Appropriately Respond to Potential Problems

noreply@blogger.com (CNC Book Author) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 18:03:00 +0000

I can still imagine Bugs Bunny walking off into the distance singing “You never know where you are going till you get there.” Amusing, but not a good for running a business, a department or project.

When you envision your goals for your business, put plans into action, doesn’t it frustrate you when you get blindsided by unforeseen expenses? Particularly with our current economy, any unforeseen expense, equipment failure or productivity slow down can send us scrambling.

A very useful tool for managing problems is the Kepner-Trego potential problem analysis. (outlined below). By anticipating potential problems, understanding their potential impact and planning avoidance / reaction strategies, leaders greatly improve their chances for success.

To successfully lead our companies we need clarity. We need to see where the problems lie. And, we need to understand our resources and how they provide solutions. Further, we need to see how the pieces fit together, which pieces are performing, which are not.

Just as important we need departmental transparency. Without it, how do we know if the departments goals align with the corporate goals? How do we identify conflicting departmental goals? Clearly two departments can have goals that align with the corporate goals, but are in conflict with each other.

Common causes of unforeseen expense and low productivity are the hidden agendas and unresolved interdepartmental conflicts. As Tom Peters might say, ‘walk around, you will be surprised at what you learn.’

Kepner-Tregoe Potential Problem Analysis

The KT Potential Problem Analysis, it quite simple in it’s structure, but don’t take that simplicity for granted. It is a powerful tool and should be a part of any investment, project or plan that can have significant financial impact.

Either by yourself or, better yet with a small team fill out the following form. This is a form I put together for a project some years ago and it has served me well. Feel free to expand it or change it to meet your needs.

Typically this form would be laid out horizontally across six columns. To adapt to this format I have listed the the sample in a vertical format going down 6 rows.

Potential Problems - Widgets are not good

Significance - High cost, scrap and rework, unhappy
customers. Lost business and revenue.

Warning Signs - Poor inspection results, scrap rates high,
complaints from customers, warranty
replacements

Probable Causes - Need better training
- Machine defective
- Raw materials defective

Preventative Actions - Train /test operators
- PM inspections
-Incoming inspections of raw materials

Contingency Plan - Beef up training
-Engage machine builder
-work with raw materials manufacturers to
improve compatibility of materials

Clearly this would go on until you identified the all potential problems.

An important thing to add to this table is a table of responsibilities. Put someone in charge of monitoring the warning signs. That person will have a call list of people to engage to initiate the contingency plans.

Then review contingency actions and modify the preventative actions.

These Mind Juggling Techniques Will Reduce Your Anxiety, Help You Solve Problems and Enhance Your Creativity

noreply@blogger.com (CNC Book Author) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 21:47:00 +0000

Have you ever had an anxiety attack? Has the prospect of some future event made you anxious?

Would you like to have more access to your whole brain for problem solving and creativity?

We all experience varying degrees of anxiety throughout our lives. For some people, their lives are dominated by anxiety. Some suffer frequent panic attacks every day.

In 1984 Nelson Zink and others launched a 2 year study to find the underlying causes of anxiety. After some time, they had come to the conclusion that anxiety resulted when there was functional imbalance between the right and left hemispheres of the brain.

The March 1985 issue of Scientific American published an article that confirmed their theory. Accompanying the article on page 72 was a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan picture taken while a person was experiencing a panic attack. As Zink expected, the picture showed a significant imbalance in the flow of blood the right and left hemispheres of the brain.

Zink wanted to develop an easy, dynamic technique people could use to rebalance the hemispheric activity of the brain. Meditation and other mental exercises he felt lacked a vehicle for immediate feedback. And in the case of some meditation techniques, anxiety may increase because people worry if they are “doing it right.”

The end result is what Zink calls Mind Juggling. It is very simple and when you do it you actively engage both hemispheres of the brain.

The steps of mind juggling are:

If you prefer to stand, spread your feet apart to shoulder width.

You can also do this sitting in an armless, straight-back chair.
With your elbows at 90 degrees, rest the ball in the palm of one hand with the palm of the other hand facing up as well.
With your eyes open, slowly toss the ball back and forth from hand to hand. Maintain a rhythm of about 1 toss per second, and toss the ball about 4-6 inches above the resting palms.
As you keep tossing the ball, slowly move your head and eyes up to focus on the ceiling.
Keep tossing the ball while you close your eyes and slowly return your head to a forward looking position.
Continue this exercise for 10-20 minutes. Dropping the ball is part of the process so when you drop it, just pick it up and continue . . . it’s all good.
Keep your brain learning. If you master the exercise, make it more difficult by tossing the ball higher and/or moving you hands farther apart.

The great thing about this exercise is that there are only three rules:

Maintain a nice slow tossing rhythm
Keep your closed eyes
When you drop the ball, pick it up

I have shared this technique with numerous people over the years and everyone of them that used it has commented that they received some benefit.

In one case, a friend who experienced occasional but severe panic attacks experienced immediate relief. Interestingly, she got to a point to where all she had to do was think about mind juggling, and her attacks would subside.

I too have had very good luck using this exercise and have found it to be very useful for problem solving and enhancing creativity, and a host of other things.

Having written this article, I realize I need to get back to spending at least 10 minutes a day mind juggling. It is very calming.

Cybersecurity Act of 2009 Gives President Power to Shutdown Your Access to the Internet!

noreply@blogger.com (CNC Book Author) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 22:44:00 +0000

Proposed Senate Bills 773 and 778 aka the Cybersecurity Act of 2009 gives broad sweeping powers to the office of the President. One of which is the ability to shutdown the Internet.

The President, according to a working draft of the bill
Sec.18, paragraph (2)
may declare a cybersecurity emergency and
order the limitation or shutdown of Internet traffic
to and from any compromised Federal government
or United States critical infrastructure information
system or network;

I don't know about you but in my mind, giving any President that power is insane. Imagine you are in the “I hate Bush” camp. Would you want future presidents that are similarly inclined to have the power to instantly silence your voice?

Or, if you are in the “Obama is driving us to our destruction” crowd, do you want him to have the power to silence the Internet when disagreements with his policies imply a cybersecurity emergency?”

We live in a world where Twitter, Digg, FaceBook, LinkedIn and numerous other social networking websites allow us to instantly know the dissenting opinions of our fellow citizens.

What if the ability to get the message out were suddenly shut down because the President doesn't like what you have to say?

By its very nature, government is diametrically opposed to entropy. Government exists to centralize things. With that centralization comes the power. The more centralized, the more power.

When the printing press was first invented it became a powerful tool for governments and individuals that could afford them. Owning a printing press meant the owner had the power not only to control what was said and how it was said, but to control what was not said.

For a long time high cost involved in owing and operating a printing press gave a small minority the power to communicate ideas to the masses. Then the printing press became more affordable.

Once again governments were fearful of decentralized information.

King Henry VIII was so threatened by the ability to print and distribute information, he decreed that all content had to be approved by the government before distribution. Permission to publish information criticizing him or undermining his position of authority was steadfastly refused.

But the power of the free press persisted. And that power contributed significantly to the success of the American and French Revolutions.

In the 20th century radio and television took center stage. Again, due barriers to entry, the power to communicate via TV or broadcast radio is concentrated into the hands of a small elite minority. Because the government controls the licensing of broadcast stations, basically the ability to control the medium ultimately rests in the hands of the government.

Centralized communication returned.

Let's not be deceived here. Just because there is more swearing, violence and nudity on TV does not mean the government does not maintain tight controls.

The very fact that there is a strong push to silence Conservative Talk Radio should be a red flag to all Americans. It makes no difference whether or not you are a Conservative, Liberal , Socialist or whatever.

Just the fact that the legislature even feels comfortable pushing agendas to shut down any voice should scare the pants off of you.

Fortunately, now we have the Internet. By communication standards, it is the wild west. No Holds Barred.

But you must remember, nothing is more frightening to any government than the degree to which the Internet decentralizes communication.

Communist China aggressively monitors and limits the Internet content available on their networks. As does North Korea.

Freedom of Speech is at its apex. Good, bad, indifferent, illegal, stupid, brilliant, it's all out there for anyone to see. Never before has the ability to know so much about any issue been so readily available. All it takes is a little effort.

The bad news is you are about to lose control of the Internet as a medium of free expression. Don't believe me? Read on.

Imagine you are a frightened government leader, ask yourself, how would you regain control of the flow of communication it the age of the Internet? Well, it only takes 4 simple steps.

First, you need a crisis or the warning of a crisis to frighten people into believing they are unsafe and need protected.

Section (2) of the Bill titled “Findings” is all about fear. It is filled with uncontested dire warnings, presented without context for the sole purpose of creating a vision of an eminent threat to our way of life. In paragraph (6) the Bill builds a vision of catastrophe by proposing we are on the verge of a “cyber-Katrina.”
Second you take advantage of the media you do control and release stories of fear until there is a cry for the government to protect its citizens.

When is the last time you turned on a TV and did not hear a dramatic story about cyber-crime or a cyber-attack?
Third, You would write a bill with a “for the good of the people” slant.

Here is the summary in this Bill:

[To ensure the continued free flow of commerce
within the United States and with its global trading
partners through secure cyber communications,
to provide for the continued development and
exploitation of the Internet and intranet communications
for such purposes, to provide for the development of a
cadre of information technology specialists to improve
and maintain effective cyber security defenses against
disruption, and for other purposes.]

Don't you feel safer just knowing how our government is looking out for us?
Fourth, you, or in this case Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.V, would quietly present this “well intended” bill a Senate body that is consumed by more immediate distractions.

Let them read the first paragraph and sign off. Who has time to weed through 55 pages of funding and cross references to a half dozen other bills.

This is not speculation. This has all happened right under your nose.

The draft of this bill that I downloaded from the Center for Democracy and Technology http://www.cdt.org/ is dated March 31, 2009.

We have a brief window to expose and prevent this unprecedented assignment of power to the President.

So, if you agree, please take a moment and forward this article to your friends, colleagues, reporters, and social media.

David S. Hayden is the founder and operator of the Conservative Business Network http://www.conservativebusinessnetwork.com/.

References:
WorldNetDaily http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=93966
Center for Democracy and Technology http://cdt.org/
The draft of Cybersecurity Act of 2009 http://cdt.org/security/CYBERSEC4.pdf

8 Simple Steps to Becoming a Successful Author, and Why you Should Start NOW!

noreply@blogger.com (CNC Book Author) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:31:00 +0000

From as far back as the 6th grade I have wanted to be an author. Before I knew it, I was in my late 30's and had not written a word other than term papers and business reports.

I just couldn't figure out what I wanted to write.

Then I read a great book by Robert Prisig titled, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

About the middle of this fascinating book, Prisig describes difficulty he had with one of his students. It seems she had an essay to write and was stuck. She could not think of a thing to say.

The student wanted to write a 500 word essay on the United States and could not think of a thing to say.

So Prisig had her narrow down her topic to Main Street in Bozeman.

Still she could not think of a thing to say.

Finally he narrowed down her topic to the front of the Opera House and to start with the upper left-hand brick.

The student showed up at the next class with a 5000 word essay on the Boseman Opera House starting with the upper left brick.

I immediately realized, my problem was not one of having nothing to say but rather one of having too much to say. I needed a smaller topic.

I decided to get really granular. I picked out one of the smallest things in my life about which I was fairly knowledgeable.

I wrote my first book, 7 Easy Steps to CNC Programming . . . A Beginner's Guide.

While you have probably never heard of my little book, it has been very successful.

It has sold over 6000 copies in 6 countries and 50 states.

This little obscure book, paid off my school loans, paid for my Master's Degree and supports my various hobbies.

But that is not all. Having written that book and three others since, has opened up doors for me that I could never imagine.

So when I talk about being a successful author, I am defining success in terms of the benefits it brings into your life. Not whether or not it hits the New York Times Best Seller's list.

So have you considered writing a book or becoming an author?

Would you be interested in learning a few tricks to get you started?

First, I want to define some terms as I use them.

A Writer is a person who actually writes the book

An Author can be anyone with a book idea who commits to getting the book written. They may write it themselves or they might hire a ghostwriter to do the job.

A Publisher is the person or company that takes responsibility for getting the book printed, promoted, distributed and hopefully sold.

In my case, I do all three. I envisioned the book, wrote it, and have all the responsibility for printing, promotion, distribution and sales.

How you choose to Author, write and publish a book is up to you. Just know that each choice along the way has its pluses and minuses, so look at all your options.

Here are some tips should you decide to self publish.

To get started writing a book, probably the hardest thing is to pick a topic you are interested in and narrowing it down.

A key point to remember here is to identify your audience. If you expect to have any commercial success with your book, you need to know who is likely to buy your book and why.

I can tell you from experience, your chances for immediate success are much higher if you can identify a tightly focused niche market. Here's what I learned the hard way.

After having great success with my first book on CNC programming, I decided to write a book called the PC Easy Reader: Because you are NOT a Dummy or an Idiot.

I thought this was a great idea. Give people a very easy book on PCs without implying they are dummies.

The problem with my idea was that, everybody in the world has written an introductory book on computers. Not only was the competition extremely high, but I couldn't possibly afford to play in such a large market space.

The CNC books by contrast have a very narrowly defined market. I can find my market, appeal to them and afford to market to them.

With all of this in mind, here are some ideas to help you pick a topic.

Make a list of all the ways you help people? Most people have developed some expertise that others admire and continually ask them about. If you are a Realtor, it maybe about doing a market analysis.

List the subjects that you are interested in but have a hard time finding books and information you need.

Research libraries and the Internet on some subject that interests you. Use Wikipidia, Google answers and blogs to gather as much information as you care to about your topic.

When you think you have enough information to inspire you and get you started, write the back cover of the book first.

This is very important. A well written back cover is like a mission statement. It is the promise to the reader of how you are going to inform or entertain them.

With the back cover in mind, outline your topic.

Think in terms of flow. Identify what a person needs to learn to understand the next step. Continuity is very important, especially with fiction.

Fill in your outline with the text to refine and support each thought.

Read you manuscript out loud to a friend, spouse, child or just yourself.

You will be amazed how much editing you can do on your own by just reading the words aloud. Poorly written sentences tend to really stand out when you read them aloud.

Turn your manuscript over to an editor or person you know well that is brutally honest and is more interested in helping you improve than stroke your ego.

Choose a title and design or hire a graphic artist to design your book cover.You have to be a little careful here. Book covers are very important. An unattractive cover will turn potential readers away.

Also, just because a person is a good graphic artist, that does not mean they can design a compelling book cover.

Go to a bookstore. Look at all the best selling books on your topic. What do they have in common? What makes their titles compelling?

Come up with a number of mock up book covers and do some testing. Give a person a choice between two covers and ask them which one of these would you be most willing to pay $10 for? << (insert your price)

Continually test covers against each other until you find the one that pulls the highest response.

With your best cover and well edited manuscript - select a printer or printing method that best suits your budget and marketing plan.

Obviously I have left out a lot of details. But the point I really want to stress is that writing and self publishing a book is not that hard.

One thing people tell me all the time is, "boy I wish I had your talent, I have always wanted to write a book."

I always tell them the same thing.

The only difference between me and everyone else that has ever wanted to write a book is, I just did it. I committed an hour or two a day until I was done.

It is a lot more about discipline than talent.

There are so many reasons why you should start writing a book right now. Even if you never make a dime off your book,

you will earn considerable respect from your friends and family.
As a calling card, your book can set you apart as an expert in your field.
If you do find a good niche, you can make a lot of money.
The discipline of writing a book will forever change the way you approach other challenges.
Your writing in general will become much easier and much better.
Your book can open up speaking opportunities that may otherwise have been unavailable to you.

But the single, most important benefit of writing a book is the incredible self esteem and sense of accomplishment you get from doing what most other people only dream about doing.

So pick up a pen (keyboard) and change your life.