By Noah St. John, Ph.D.
"Put a good person in a bad system, an d the system will win every time."
— W. Edwards Deming
Just like your house and your body are made of Systems, so too your life and your business are made up of Systems. These Systems must be operating properly for you to enjoy more success with less effort.
The main problem? Most people have no idea what these Systems ARE, let alone how to fix them!
Let's start with your People System. Why is your People System the most essential System of Support?
Because if your People System is not operating properly, nothing else matters. You simply won’t succeed to your full potential without installing your People System at its optimal level.
Why? Well, there are many reasons, but the bottom line is this:because people have everything you want!
For example, if you want to make more money, and humans aren't buying your stuff, I'm not exactly sure how you're going to make more money. Because as far as we know, dolphins, monkeys, and gorillas are NOT carrying credit cards. (And my name is Noah, so I should know these things!)
Remember this: $20 bills tend to NOT walk down the street, knock on your door and say, "Hey, can I come in?"
If they do where you live, I want to live where you do!
See, on the planet called Earth, money comes attached to these strange things called HUMAN BEINGS – and we have to do that annoying thing called WORK in order to have money be transferred from their wallet to yours.
Therefore, if you want to experience more of this thing called money, you'd better install your People System at higher levels.
Keep this in mind: You ALREADY have a People System! For example, if you're broke, working at a job you hate, and not living your dreams...
It means you have a faulty People System. It does NOT mean you don't have a People System. It means you need to install a BETTER one.
The 5 A's of Installing Your People System
There are five actions, that all happen to start with the letter A, that you must master to properly install your People System.
The 5 A's of Your People System are:
1. Acknowledge
2. Ask
3. Accept
4. Accountability
5. Afform
The first A of your People System is Acknowledge. Why is that the first A of your People System?
Because human beings (you know, those strange creaturs with all the money?) are starving for attention, appreciation, recognition andacknowledgement.
Research has shown that people will do more for acknowledgement than for money. Who would you rather work for: someone who pays you a million dollars a year but demeans, embarrasses, and humiliates you; or someone who pays you a hundred thousand a year but who praises, acknowledges and appreciates you?
Sure, you might work for the first boss for a while; but you'd look at that paycheck every month and ask yourself, "Is this really worth it?"
We humans are strange creatures. We think we want money (and we do); but many people are shackled by "the golden handcuffs" – being stuck in high-paying, low-fulfilling jobs.
There are dozens of ways to Acknowledge the people in your life, at work and at home. What it really comes down to, though, is YOUR WILLINGNESS to do so.
That's because every one of us is wearing an invisible sign that says, "Please make me feel important."
The problem is, YOU have that sign too!
That's why everyone is waiting for someone else to make them feel important first, before they're willing to do it for others.
If you can be that one person in a million (and this number is pretty accurate) who Acknowledges other people FIRST, you are well on your way to optimally installing your People System.
Here's a Simple 5-Minute Exercise to Acknowledge the People In Your Life...
1. Write a list of 10 people who have made a difference in your life.
These can be people who supported you, offered help or assistance, or who you wouldn't be the same if not for them.
2. Next to their name, write the last time you thanked them for their contribution to your life.
Was it a week ago... a month... a year... more?
3. Write a heartfelt THANK YOU to them for their contribution to your life.
This can be a card or hand-written note. NOT an email. We get hundreds of emails a day. Even if yours is really nice, it won't have the same effect as something they can hold in their hands.
4. Install a simple, effective System to keep in touch with the people who make a difference in your life.
If you don't currently have one, here's the one I use. It's awesome!
Remember, you already have a People System. It may not look the way you want it yet...
But it doesn't have to be hard and arduous to install a better one.
Next time... the next A in your People System!