Formula for Success...

The more desire you have to improve some part of yourself, the more successful you'll become.

After every basketball game, a high school teacher coach watches the videotape and analyses what the team did so he can reinforce the things the team did well and suggest ways to improve the things they didn't do well.

Just as the coach reviews the team's performance after every game so he can suggest ways to keep them in the win column, you should review your performance at work and develop a winning game plan. Actually, you can use the same strategy as the high school basketball coach. Here's the coach's winning formula:

Goals: First and foremost, you have to know what you're shooting for. In the team's case, it is to win. What are your goals at work? To be the best in your area or department? To get a promotion? To reduce the number of errors in your department? To increase productivity?

Skills: Once you have a goal, you must have the skills to be able to reach your goal. If you don't have them, you have to acquire them. If you want to be a computer programmer for instance, then you must learn their langauge, Whatever you decide you want to do, you must learn and develop the skills necessary to put in a top performance every day.

Execution: Now, just having the skills doesn't mean you can use them well. You must be able to perform them to perfection. That means practice, practice, practice.

Support: We all need to work together to reach our goals. No one member of the basketball team can win the game alone. Players need one another and rely on one another to get the job done. The same apllies at work (and at home too).

Leadership: The team has a captain or co-captains--leaders--to ensure the team executes the coaches game plan. Companies need leaders who direct their efforts toward profitable endeavours.

Desire: Last, but by far not least, you must have the burning desire to reach your goal -- whatever the goal may be. You can possess the sharpest skills, execute them perfectly, and have the most support and the best leadership-- but if you don't care, chances are good you'll still fall short. You must WANT it. And that's what it takes to win. You can have anything you want if you want it desperately enough!!

Good Luck!
Anne