Anyone who tells you to have a 3-5 year plan set in stone, is completely nuts…

Returning to the office after having 3 weeks vacation is a little difficult, yet organizing and strategically planning for the year ahead is somewhat stressing. Being in the event industry for a few years now, I have had many discussions with clients about speakers that they invite – particularly economist & futurists. They always say the same thing to me, they specifically look for speakers that are optimistic about the future and speak positively about tomorrow.

Yet, the reality of it all is that many signs are showing that Europe is facing its worst year in recent years, India and China are slowing down and predicting their worst year in a decade, and America faces another year of uncertainty. So the only ‘known’ is not looking good.

Recently I was trying to find out what the differences are between pessimists and optimists. I came up with this formula:

“Pessimists get it right more often because they can see the world in its current form. Optimists can see the world the way it can become. So, pessimists will never change the world, only optimists can”

The world is changing so fast and you need a map that can guide you and give you the flexibility of change. We need to speak into the uncertainty of today and change our pessimistic view to an optimistic one of positive future growth.

Below are 5 pillars to start 2012 optimistically.

Anticipation – knowing what’s coming so you can take advantage of it…
Reacting – Building systems for stronger resilience and better crisis management
Product – Continuous improvement strategies in service and product
Marketing – World class marketing and leveraging off industry best practice
Innovation – Being ahead of the rest and creating encouraging environments insures a sustainable future.

I’m excited and optimistic about 2012 and know that teams of optimistic people will ensure long term growth, greater productivity and will prove that together, optimistically, we can change the world.

The 3 Pillars guaranteeing a successful year!!!

Welcome to a new financial year.

We all feel the pressures and stress of finishing a financial year and bouncing forward into a new financial year yet with an all time high of workers being unhappy in their current job, and an all time high rates of depression, the pressures continue to increase.

45% of workers are currently unhappy in their jobs

Depression rates today are 10X greater as what they were in the great depression

The mean on-set age of depression 35years ago was 29yo, today it’s 14 years old

Coming into the new financial year we need answers to address this, so I’ve developed 3 pillars that will help you and your teams to bounce forward to create the new financial year you want.

Pillar 1: Leveraging Positivity that fuels success

All the latest research and studies show that when we are positive, this fuels greater productivity, performance and optimum levels. We also have less sick days, become depressed or even quit.

Recent research shows that Positive sales people out perform their peers by 56%

Coal miners that are positive show 45% greater productivity and performance

Happy Doctors perform better diagnosis then unhappy doctors by up to 50%

If we are not priming out employees to think positive and raise their levels of happiness, we are handicapping them in regards to their performance, productivity and results by up to 50%

Pillar 2: Altruism ignites high performance

When we perform good deeds, we experience a myriad of physiological benefits from feeling more calm and peaceful, to overcoming depression, to better recovery from heart attacks and even increased longevity.

When we started a foundation recently helping the true poorest of the poor which are the children living with a disability, we had no idea how much we would get out of helping others. Recently helping a 14yo kids that has no schooling because he was born with a physical disability, but now helping him with a wheelchair and seeing him wheel to school makes me feel awesome!

A necessity in our workplaces is cultivating altruistic acts within out teams. Shouting someone for lunch, encouraging voluntarism or just donating money to a charity.

Pillar 3: Creating collaborative environments

Workplace communication and collaboration is important for growth & results. When we provide inclusive environments to allow for open communication channels, we empower our teams to bounce forward into the new financial year.

While many fortune 500 companies where laying off and going through massive changes at the start of the Global Financial Meltdown, PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi decided to do something different. She travelled around the world boosting her employee’s morale and encouraging them to see the good in every bad situation. This action had a profound impact on the company and also her as a leader. In fact Fortune Magazine named her the most powerful woman in the world in 2009.

Creating collaborative environments and opening the lines of communication within our teams is the secret recipe for bouncing forward into the new financial year.

So to recap, the 3 Pillars to help you and your team to bouncing into the new financial year are: Leveraging Positivity that fuels success: Altruism Ignites High Performance & Creating Collaborative Environments

I hope you have a sensational start to your new financial year!!!