Jim Fannin Blog

What a concert!  I had waited weeks to see Earth Wind & Fire and Chicago in person.  At the Allstate Arena in Chicago legends from decades ago combined forces to rock the house.  The crowd was alive and in the moment.  With center seats in the second row I could see champions of music get in the Zone as they performed hit after hit.

 As the concert neared its finale, ushers let fans move toward the stage.  There… a man with graying hair moved with the beat with his young daughter in his arms.  He helped her onto his shoulders and the sax player from Chicago grasped her tiny hand while flickering a welcoming smile.  I barely noticed. “Nothing out of the ordinary,” I thought.

 However, this father was different. He was overly attentive to his daughter’s every need.  He stroked her hair.  He looked into her eyes. It was obvious now that he was here just for her. Then he sat down in the front row and rubbed her aching legs.  Cerebral Palsy had crippled this young fan of rock but it did not take her spirit away.  She smiled as her father picked her back up and they continued dancing to every beat. 

 Suddenly this proud papa turned around and our eyes met.  I lip-synched, “you are a great father.”  A quick tear came to his eye and he nodded, “thank you.”

 True champions are amongst us.  They remain alone in the crowds.  These are great fathers, mothers, friends, soul mates and siblings.  They soar higher than the greatest athletes and business icons. They balance life’s many arenas.  The price is never too high. They go above and beyond the normal in all they do.

 It was difficult for this father to maneuver the crowd with a handicapped child.  You could tell he had done this many times before.  He has made up his mind that nothing would stand in the way of his daughter’s passion for living.  Nothing.

 The concert was awesome!  But not as awesome as witnessing a true champion in the crowd.

 Sixteen years of formal education are now under your belt. Thousands of hours of homework, tests, projects and tons of fun are all behind you. Now that you’ve climbed the sixteen stories of formal education, you are standing outside the building with your feet on the ledge looking out over a world of opportunity. When you jump, will you fly? Will you soar? Or will you plummet into a job of futility and mediocrity? Never before in our history has the world looked so bleak from college graduate’s eyes. 

Here are 13 lessons that you’ll need to learn swiftly in order to soar above the crowd.

1. Harness your ego: There are 2 performance mentalities: ego-based and growth-based. Ego-based leaders and workers have a sense of entitlement. They judge and compare. Improvement is moderate at best with this type of mentality. Growth-based minds improve daily. They have eliminated jealousy and the role of the victim. This mentality has a thirst for learning. They only have one motto: “I’m improving… everyday.”
2. Look the part: Take every dime you have and invest in a success wardrobe. The last thing that you want to look like is a college student. Seek guidance from an expert. You don’t need to dress where the CEO dresses, but you need to come close. Purchase shoes that the CEO would wear. You’re not trying to look cool; you’re trying to look polished, savvy and ambitious. Let your wardrobe reflect self-discipline, concentration, optimism, relaxation and enjoyment. Stand out with your mind, not your wardrobe. I think every graduation gift should be cash and clothing gift certificates. The more you dress up the more you will take yourself seriously. Remember: you’re not trying to get a job- you’re trying to get a career.
3. Dress rehearse every day: “I’ve never had a day that I haven’t already had.” Make that quote your new motto. Plan by relaxing and quieting your mind the night before. Mentally create a short, macro-movie of the next day. See three items you will accomplish. See them in finished state, using all your faculties of sight, touch, smell, taste and feel to help create a realistic movie. See it as it will be.
4. Work backwards: See the end result first. Then illuminate a reverse pathway from B to A. Now walk on the pathway as if it’s so. If you get off track at any point, you will now have a path to find your way back. This is where you must be relentless and persistent in moving towards your vision of a successful career.
5. Influence minds: What do you want the interviewer to think when you walk away from the office? Understand that your thoughts influence his or hers. What do you want your boss to think every day about you when you’ve left the job? What these people think about you when you’re not there is your biggest quest. You need to be inquisitive and interview the interviewer about his/her company. In addition, ask your superior questions about how he/she makes money.
Understand how you’re an integral part of something greater than yourself. Being inquisitive in a positive way will set you apart from the rest. Take notes wherever possible. Journal each day you had at the workplace as well as your interviews. With this mindset, you will begin to influence the thoughts of the people that can make a difference in your career.
6. Respect: Earning respect takes a long time. Losing it can occur within a second. But the best way to garner respect in the workplace is to give respect to the people who came before you. Understand the history and traditions of the company. Be respectful of the processes that are in place- do not take them for granted. And do not judge them without contemplation. Be mindful of manners and protocol. It’s little things that earn respect. Stand up when someone enters your work space. Look people in the eye within the first 90 seconds that you greet them. Listen without interrupting. Nod in understanding their point of view; you may not agree, but acknowledge that you understand. When you increase your respect within a company, your paycheck will rise proportionately.
7. Pay attention to detail: Be the MVP of the office by making everyone better. It’s ok to let others have the credit.
8. Become an expert: We’re still in a supply and demand world. Volunteer for every project in a company. Learn everything from top to bottom. When your passion is ignited, you may have found your path of expertise. This is where you hone your skills.
9. Do your homework: When the work day is finished, your job has just begun. Research everything about the competition, the company, its history, its customers. Do your due diligence. Study. Study. Study. This is how you short-cut the need for experience.
10. Launch your network: Memorialize everyone you meet in the workplace. Keep great records of everyone you meet in interviews, your parents’ friends, your teachers’ recommendations, class project group members and anyone else that’s already in the business world. This will be your gold mine during the next 20 years. Stake your claim to each of these contacts and find a reason to get in touch with them on a regular basis.
11. Beware of Social Media: Yes it’s the new form of communication and you are one of its experts. However, for every buddy or friend that goes to your page, a vice president or CEO can equally do the same. You’re not in college any more. Avoid the obvious: profanity, off-color innuendos and pictures of you in a sombrero with four semi-nude babes from Cabo.
12. Balance your life: All work and no play will make you a dull person. And all play will put a ceiling on your success in the workplace. Segregate your life into stand alone arenas or containers. Have a vision, goals and corresponding tasks for each. Spend time with family, friends, co-workers and not least importantly, yourself. Take time just for you. Treat yourself like a champion with regular exercise, good nutrition and a lot more rest than you received in college.
13. Keep your chin up: Try this exercise. Shut your eyes and think of a negative thought as you drop your head to your chest. (Throughout the exercise your eyes will be shut.) With a negative thought still in your mind, raise your head to the ceiling. Now drop your head back down to your chest. Repeat one more time.
75% of everyone who has tried this exercise has reported that when their head went up, either the negative thought went away or you had to reconfigure it to make it clear. However, when your head dropped, the negative thought was very robust, clear and vibrant. If you experienced this, understand that Mom and Dad were right: Keep your chin up. By starting at the bottom of the rung within any company, you will be hit with negatives on a regular basis: poor management, confusing communication, lack of clarity, over-zealous and pompous bosses, tyrannical managers and a ridiculously low paycheck coupled with a monstrous workload. To survive the rough seas of a workplace, keep your chin up. For every negative that hits you, your knee-jerk reaction should be to raise your chin.

When times are tough and thoughts proportionately increase, many of us go into fetal position in order to sequester ourselves against any hardship. This defensive state may protect a few assets, but in the long run it will lead to your demise. Without being foolish, realize that good fortune favors the bold.