Dear Readers,
I hope you enjoyed my posts on this blog. I've decided to concentrate on myprogramidea.blogspot.com. I will post regularly there, and will also incorporate the star in your life material. Look forward to seeing you there.
Peter
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Mother's Day
Today I'm sure you did your best to make your mother feel special. You sent her a card, with presents. Maybe even flowers. You may have made her breakfast in bed, and cleaned the toast crumbs off the sheets. Perhaps you took her out to brunch, or dinner. At the very least, you wished her a Happy Mother's Day. You made your mother feel like a star!
What about the rest of the year? What do you do to show appreciation to the people in your life? I'm sure you don't give them presents every day, but do you even say thank you? People are hungry for appreciation. You'll be amazed at the results you can achieve simply by thanking people for what they do.
My first job in professional theatre was as assistant director to Ed Sherin on a production of A Streetcar Named Desire. The great Shirley Knight starred as Blanche. I didn't do much during the production -- just followed along on the script and ran errands for Ed -- but to this day I can quote large pieces of dialogue from the play.
On opening night, Shirley gave gifts to everyone who worked on the play, including the stage crew, prop manager, lighting board operator -- and me. She gave me a small children's book, The Story of Ginger and Pickles, signed her name and wrote 'thank you.' I still have that book. It may not have meant that much to her, but it meant the world to me. I felt that my contribution, small as it was, had some value to her. That's how a great star behaves.
Our paths have not crossed since, but if I ever had a chance to do something for her, do you think I would hesitate? All because she took the time to thank a lowly assistant director many years ago. Most of the time, we never know how our behavior affects others. But our behavior can have a powerful effect, for good or bad. If you want to be a star, treat others like stars -- not just on special days, but every day.
What about the rest of the year? What do you do to show appreciation to the people in your life? I'm sure you don't give them presents every day, but do you even say thank you? People are hungry for appreciation. You'll be amazed at the results you can achieve simply by thanking people for what they do.
My first job in professional theatre was as assistant director to Ed Sherin on a production of A Streetcar Named Desire. The great Shirley Knight starred as Blanche. I didn't do much during the production -- just followed along on the script and ran errands for Ed -- but to this day I can quote large pieces of dialogue from the play.
On opening night, Shirley gave gifts to everyone who worked on the play, including the stage crew, prop manager, lighting board operator -- and me. She gave me a small children's book, The Story of Ginger and Pickles, signed her name and wrote 'thank you.' I still have that book. It may not have meant that much to her, but it meant the world to me. I felt that my contribution, small as it was, had some value to her. That's how a great star behaves.
Our paths have not crossed since, but if I ever had a chance to do something for her, do you think I would hesitate? All because she took the time to thank a lowly assistant director many years ago. Most of the time, we never know how our behavior affects others. But our behavior can have a powerful effect, for good or bad. If you want to be a star, treat others like stars -- not just on special days, but every day.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Make Yourself Essential
That's the key to stardom. Movie companies don't hire stars because they like them -- although executives will often boast of the close personal relationship they enjoy with Leo, or Tom, or Katy. They hire stars because they open. That is, a movie with a star in it will generally earn more money in its first weekend than a movie without stars.
Movie companies consider stars essential to their success. That's why they keep paying them millions of dollars even in a recession. What about your job? Are you essential to your company's success? If so, what are you doing to demonstrate that? Are you bringing in revenue? Do you have an essential operating responsibility? Do employees outside your department know who you are?
By the way, these days, even having an important role is no guarantee you'll continue working at the same company. But a star at one company can usually find a job with another company. If Warner Brothers doesn't want Leonardo DiCaprio for their current project, Paramount will be happy to sign him for theirs.
So what are you doing to make yourself essential? Are you paying more attention at work? Are you taking the extra steps needed to make your work better? Are you taking time to talk to your colleagues and learn how to make their work easier? If you've been reading this blog for awhile, you should have started doing all of that and more by now.
If you stopped going to work tomorrow, how many people would notice? Would they be able to go on without you? If your answer to the second question is "yes," then you haven't gone too far along the path to stardom yet. Resolve to improve one thing about your job performance tomorrow. Then two days later change something else. Keep that up for two months. In six months, you'll be amazed at the positive impact you've made on your workplace. You'll be well on your way to starring in your own life.
Movie companies consider stars essential to their success. That's why they keep paying them millions of dollars even in a recession. What about your job? Are you essential to your company's success? If so, what are you doing to demonstrate that? Are you bringing in revenue? Do you have an essential operating responsibility? Do employees outside your department know who you are?
By the way, these days, even having an important role is no guarantee you'll continue working at the same company. But a star at one company can usually find a job with another company. If Warner Brothers doesn't want Leonardo DiCaprio for their current project, Paramount will be happy to sign him for theirs.
So what are you doing to make yourself essential? Are you paying more attention at work? Are you taking the extra steps needed to make your work better? Are you taking time to talk to your colleagues and learn how to make their work easier? If you've been reading this blog for awhile, you should have started doing all of that and more by now.
If you stopped going to work tomorrow, how many people would notice? Would they be able to go on without you? If your answer to the second question is "yes," then you haven't gone too far along the path to stardom yet. Resolve to improve one thing about your job performance tomorrow. Then two days later change something else. Keep that up for two months. In six months, you'll be amazed at the positive impact you've made on your workplace. You'll be well on your way to starring in your own life.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Combatting Shyness
Are you afraid to call attention to yourself? You'd like to be a star, but you feel shy. I have a simple piece of advice for you:
GET OVER IT!
Of course I know it may not be that simple for you. It's difficult to overcome a lifetime of shyness. That's why I encourage you to make small changes in your behavior to start. But you have to start. The key is to take action. Stars may feel shy, but they don't act shy. Nor should you.
Here's one way to overcome shyness: Start a conversation with a person by asking about them. Most people want to talk about themselves. Ask them about their families, their jobs, or their hobbies. You'll find that many people will talk about these things with very little prompting. You don't need to talk about yourself. I will bet that at the end of that conversation the person talking to you will have formed a very favorable impression of you. Try it on one or two people to start. You'll be amazed at the results.
After awhile, people will begin to seek you out so they can tell you the latest thing that's happened to them. You'll be the center of attention. You'll be a star.
GET OVER IT!
Of course I know it may not be that simple for you. It's difficult to overcome a lifetime of shyness. That's why I encourage you to make small changes in your behavior to start. But you have to start. The key is to take action. Stars may feel shy, but they don't act shy. Nor should you.
Here's one way to overcome shyness: Start a conversation with a person by asking about them. Most people want to talk about themselves. Ask them about their families, their jobs, or their hobbies. You'll find that many people will talk about these things with very little prompting. You don't need to talk about yourself. I will bet that at the end of that conversation the person talking to you will have formed a very favorable impression of you. Try it on one or two people to start. You'll be amazed at the results.
After awhile, people will begin to seek you out so they can tell you the latest thing that's happened to them. You'll be the center of attention. You'll be a star.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Take stock on Sundays
Today is Easter Sunday. For Christians, it's a day of celebration and reflection -- a day to take stock of their spiritual lives.
Don't wait a year before reviewing the success of your transformation into a star. Review your progress at least once a week. What actions did you take last week to achieve your objective? What obstacles remain in your path? What do you intend to do in this coming week to achieve your goals?
Write these things down. Review your lists from the previous weeks. Make sure you're making progress. If you're not making progress, take a long, hard look at yourself. Have you put these principles into practice? Or are you just dreaming, without doing?
Make a weekly review a regular part of your routine. As Will Rogers said, "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."
Don't wait a year before reviewing the success of your transformation into a star. Review your progress at least once a week. What actions did you take last week to achieve your objective? What obstacles remain in your path? What do you intend to do in this coming week to achieve your goals?
Write these things down. Review your lists from the previous weeks. Make sure you're making progress. If you're not making progress, take a long, hard look at yourself. Have you put these principles into practice? Or are you just dreaming, without doing?
Make a weekly review a regular part of your routine. As Will Rogers said, "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Clarify Your Intent
While I was in LA I also got to sit on set and watch the filming of one of the top television dramas. I watched them take two hours to film two pages of dialogue involving three actors.
Writers of one hour dramas can be paid six figures for a single script. In the scene, one character was supposed to convey anxiety about an upcoming event, and the other character reassured him that everything would be fine. The actors rehearsed the scene and ran the lines, but they just couldn't say the lines as written. Yet they filmed the scene anyway. Why?
Because the actors clearly conveyed the intent of the scene. After all, the point of acting is to get the actions right. The meaning is in the doing. The actors prepared properly; they knew the intent of the scene.
We've talked about overall objectives. But you achieve your overall objective through your day to day actions. Do you know what you need from each interaction in your day. Are you sure of your intentions before you walk into a meeting at work? If not, get clear. Know what you want to achieve in each meeting, each phone call, each hallway encounter. How can you expect other people to help you get what you want if you don't know?
Writers of one hour dramas can be paid six figures for a single script. In the scene, one character was supposed to convey anxiety about an upcoming event, and the other character reassured him that everything would be fine. The actors rehearsed the scene and ran the lines, but they just couldn't say the lines as written. Yet they filmed the scene anyway. Why?
Because the actors clearly conveyed the intent of the scene. After all, the point of acting is to get the actions right. The meaning is in the doing. The actors prepared properly; they knew the intent of the scene.
We've talked about overall objectives. But you achieve your overall objective through your day to day actions. Do you know what you need from each interaction in your day. Are you sure of your intentions before you walk into a meeting at work? If not, get clear. Know what you want to achieve in each meeting, each phone call, each hallway encounter. How can you expect other people to help you get what you want if you don't know?
Monday, March 15, 2010
Keep those projects rolling
This past weekend I attended an entertainment industry conference in Los Angeles. I saw panels and presentations from some of the most accomplished people in the business and some people just starting out. They all agreed on one thing -- the key to success is to have several projects moving forward at the same time, because you can't be sure what will work until you make your project.
The Vice President of Production for Summit Entertainment (studio for the Twilight Films) said when they optioned the first book in the series it had only sold 100,000 copies. They cast it with actors who were not stars at the time because that's all they could afford. Of course, the novels and films have enjoyed tremendous success, but the people at Summit knew the film might not work. So they had several scripts and films in development at the same time.
How does that news help you star in your own life? Apply these three principals.
1. Work on multiple projects to improve yourself. If you want to learn Spanish and equipment maintenance, great. Work on both at the same time. Don't want to learn one and then try the other.
2. Give everything your full effort. You never know which project at work will be brought to the boss' attention.
3. Have positive interactions with everyone at your company, from security guards and receptionists to the company President. You never know which person will be able to help you, whether at your company or at another.
Start doing this today.
The Vice President of Production for Summit Entertainment (studio for the Twilight Films) said when they optioned the first book in the series it had only sold 100,000 copies. They cast it with actors who were not stars at the time because that's all they could afford. Of course, the novels and films have enjoyed tremendous success, but the people at Summit knew the film might not work. So they had several scripts and films in development at the same time.
How does that news help you star in your own life? Apply these three principals.
1. Work on multiple projects to improve yourself. If you want to learn Spanish and equipment maintenance, great. Work on both at the same time. Don't want to learn one and then try the other.
2. Give everything your full effort. You never know which project at work will be brought to the boss' attention.
3. Have positive interactions with everyone at your company, from security guards and receptionists to the company President. You never know which person will be able to help you, whether at your company or at another.
Start doing this today.
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