Where do you find wisdom?

Sadly, I recently had to un-hire someone recently.

As a manager, my role is to lead, direct, teach, inspire, set parameters, hire and fire, plus a few more words.

Anytime we let someone go, it is painful. Not just to the employee that has to tell their family that they lost their job, but to the manager too. When I invest time, energy and training into someone, I wish with all my heart that they would succeed beyond their expectations. Unfortunately, there is a time line in sales and there are times when we have to cut our losses, if we do not see the return on our investment.

When my daughter was in car sales, I learned how quickly things can go sour. She went from Salesperson of the month, to looking for a new job within a couple of months. At our company, we know there is a learning curve, so we must do everything we can to help our sales people grow as quickly as possible and be aware of the obstacles so we can help guide them through the maze.

So where do you find wisdom to succeed? It has to come from within. Curiosity. Passion to learn and help people. And the Guts to take BIG Steps and Risks.

21 years ago I moved my pregnant wife and two kids to Detroit, after my wife said, "anywhere BUT Detroit". The radio station I worked for had some training, but it fueled a desire for me to learn more. Now with the internet, there is too much information out there it seems. But here are my favorites and why:

Harvey Mackay. He wrote how to swim with the sharks without being eaten alive. Great book, from a guy who knows from experience how to succeed. Go to: www.harveymackay.com and be sure to get his MacKay 66. Use it!

Not related to Harvey is Chuck McKay. I found his stuff about 18 months ago. I read it faithfully, share it with others and you should too! www.fishingforcustomers.blogspot.com

http://www.meisenheimer.com is a web site that has links to a blog and free resources such as a weekly newsletter. (Chuck and Harvey have free newsletters too)

Here's the only catch. You have to spend to get. If you don't have the money, at least spend your time. I have done both.

The wisdom is all around you too. Find a mentor. I found a friend about 4 years ago that is about 15 years my senior and we got to work together for a couple of years too. We help keep each other sharp.

By the way, when I moved from Detroit after 8 years, I threw away a lot of the company training materials I had collected week after week. That was a big mistake. But now with computers and the internet and blogs, it is possible to store material for future reference, which is how this blog got started a few years ago! Start your own and tell me about it!

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