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That’s My Opinion By Ron Sturgeon


Positive Energy – The Way to the Top T


hose of you who know me know I live the positive energy mantra. What do I say when you ask me how I am doing? I say, “The best!” There is no other way to achieve maximum success in what can be the grueling drive to the top. “Positive thinking will let you do every- thing better than negative thinking will.” – Zig Ziglar


How can you practice positive energy and what will practicing it do for you? • Even in the middle of something negative, you can be positive. Look for that path, live it, breathe it, and evangelize it. Every- one around you will notice and positive energy makes whatever you are facing likely to come out better. An employee wrecked the delivery truck this morning? He’s ok, and we needed to replace that truck anyway. And now we can get the larger model, and aren’t we glad we had insurance! Rent a truck and move on. • Always be cheerful. My dad taught me that no one cares if your feet hurt, so why tell them. Being positive is infectious and appreciated by those around you most of the time. • Positive energy can get you and your team


through a rough spot; just keep it positive! Again, your team will notice and be more effective. • You can usually fi nd a positive result, even in a bad fi nancial report. You still have to work on the bad fundamentals, but approach them with a positive spin. In other articles I’ve talked about my old boss at Ford, Dixon Thayer, and his man- tra of positive dissatisfaction. Being posi- tive will bring better results; no one likes to have negative energy. • When presenting a negative, get to the posi- tive as soon as possible. In private meetings, even when admonishing employees, get past the admonishment as soon as possi- ble and focus on the path forward with a program to solve the issue and get to the result you both want. The employee wants to get through it more than you,


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and leaving it on a positive note can help the employee get over the negative feel- ings sooner. When you have to do one of those sessions, give the employee time and space to lick their wounds. • With vendors, bankers, and other stake- holders, you want to be the one they remember as always having positive energy. Be careful not to be unrealistically optimistic so that you can always under promise and over deliver. • Be positive 24/7. Use the same positive energy in your personal life will improve your home life and your relationship with your kids and spouse. Don’t confuse having positive energy with just sugar coating everything neg- ative. Not holding others or yourself accountable is not positive energy. Nor does positive energy mean you are un-


realistically optimistic. Just be happy and optimistic as you plow through the minu- tia of the grind to the top. And love what you do. You can’t fake positive energy for more than a short time; you have to adopt it, and be bought in and you must love what you do (most of the time). If you don’t love what you do, go fi nd some- thing else that you want to do enough to let the positive energy fl ow. 


Ron Sturgeon shares his expertise in strategic planning, capitalization, growing market share, and more in his signature plainspoken style, providing fi eld-proven, and high- profi t best practices well ahead of


the business news curve. He is the author of nine books, including How to Salvage More Millions from Your Small Business. He can be reached at (817) 834-3625, ext. 232 or email RonS@MrMissionPossible.com.


March-April 2018 • AUTOMOTIVE RECYCLING


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