You're Right

Good morning,

Happy Friday! Golf anyone? Historically I haven’t been a very good putter but last weekend I delightfully sank the longest putt of my life. Then the crazy part was that a few holes later I did it again! Of course today’s sunny note isn’t about golf, it’s about what we believe we’re capable of and how that belief shapes our achievements. Quite simply, to achieve more:

Think bigger.

We’re each capable of so much more than we currently believe is possible, we just have to expand our thinking. This applies to every area of our lives, not just on the golf course where my recent improvement came about after playing with a friend earlier this spring who kept saying “you can make that,” as I faced lengthy putts that I used to assume were impossible.

In business, at home and on the golf course, let’s set our sights higher – and have a sunny day!

Clarity

"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't – you're right." Henry Ford.

P.P.S. To receive Sunny Notes each Friday morning in your email, simply Visit This Link to sign up.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com

Well Done

Good morning,

Happy Labor Day! I hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend. Have you heard of the Lake Wobegone Effect - everyone’s above average? Unfortunately, we all tend to think we’re smarter than we are and organizations tend to think their customer service is better than it is. But every once in a while there really is a company whose service is exceptionally good, and this week I was surprised and delighted to have that experience.

From the moment they first answered my call to our last interaction at their office, Collex Collision on Merriman Road in Livonia got it 100% right. The delightful woman on the phone assured me I’d called the right place, affirmed that their technicians are excellent and they’d get me taken care of right away. It was old school sales translated beautifully into customer service.

When I arrived (how could I say no?), the place was clean, organized and efficient. They were as friendly in person as on the phone and I left my vehicle with them to repair the paint for an agreed upon price. They provided a website where I could view photos of my vehicle during the repair process and when it was ready, they even offered to come pick me up. I arrived expecting to be disappointed by a bill slightly above estimate (taxes, right?) but no, it was under! And they detailed my car and I could go on and on.

Do I want to damage my car again just so I can get service from Collex? Not really! But it was almost that good.

Let’s all try to shine like the team on Merriman Road - and have a sunny day!

Clarity

“Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends.” Walt Disney

P.P.S. To receive Sunny Notes each Friday morning in your email, simply Visit This Link to sign up.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com

Finish Line

Good morning,

Happy Friday! Did this feel like a marathon week? I'm reminded that life itself is a marathon. At home and at work, anyone can sprint at the beginning of an exciting new project or opportunity. It's easier when we're inspired. However, to be successful we need the ability to "stick with it" long after the initial excitement wears off and the inspiration fades.

Persevere.

Don't get distracted. Personally, I have to admit that sorting my inbox often seems more urgent once tasks I'm working on lose their appeal, but those are the times when it's critical to stay focused regardless of whether or not it’s fun anytime. The results of persevering beyond the point where others might quit, can be simply amazing.

Let’s make it to the finish line - and have a sunny day!

Clarity

“Energy and persistence conquer all things.” Benjamin Franklin

P.P.S. To receive Sunny Notes each Friday morning in your email, simply Visit This Link to sign up.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com

Fired Up

Good morning,

Hurray for Friday! This week I managed to get in a little shopping and I was struck by how unenthusiastic some people are about the products they’re selling. I found myself thinking, if you don’t care about this product, why should I? It was a good reminder that when we’re selling something it’s very important to…

Show enthusiasm!

At a recent Yes! Network seminar titled “Moments of Magic: Ten Strategies to Create an Awesome Customer Experience” Shep Hyken put it this way. “To create an awesome customer experience, you have to be excited about what you do. Believe it or not, enthusiasm is contagious.”

Smile (it’s contagious too) - and have a sunny day!

Clarity

P.S. “Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes shine to the stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait. The grip of your hand, the irresistible surge of will and energy to execute your ideas.” Henry Ford

Or how about this one! “If you aren't fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm.” Vince Lombardi

P.P.S. To receive Sunny Notes each Friday morning in your email, simply Visit This Link to sign up.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com

Upward Bound

Good morning,

Happy Friday! It looks like it's going to be a beautiful summer day here in Michigan. This morning I'm reflecting on a recent conversation with colleagues about what holds people back from achieving greater success. While there are lots of factors, the big one is fear. The solution?

Change perspective.

Here's an interesting example. Rather than fearing someone coming up through the ranks who might take our job, we can change our perspective on "being replaced" and intentionally teach them our role so we can advance to something even better.

Today are we facing challenges or opportunities? We get to decide - and have a sunny day!

Clarity

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see." Henry David Thoreau

P.P.S. To receive Sunny Notes each Friday morning in your email, simply Visit This Link to sign up.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com

Water Works

Good morning,

Happy Friday! Today I’m thinking about water and not just the kind my lawn needs after all the hot weather. It’s on my mind because of a fun little article I read on the CBS Business Network site last night and I loved this piece of advice.

“Be like water - it will find its way no matter how big an obstacle is placed in front of it.”

The article is a brief summary of “best business advice” tips and you can ready the whole thing here: http://www.bnet.com/blog/ceo/top-10-best-business-advice-youve-ever-gotten/2757

Let no obstacle block the way – and have a sunny day!

Clarity

“Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” Michael Jordan

P.P.S. To receive Sunny Notes each Friday morning in your email, simply Visit This Link to sign up.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com

Cheerleaders

Good morning,

It's Friday! Earlier this week I was talking with a friend of mine who is job hunting. He was telling me he'd found a posting for the perfect position for him. Then he added, but they probably won't think I'm qualified. Have you ever done this? Let self-doubt talk you out of something before you even start?

Believe in yourself!

Many of us are our own harshest critic when we need to be our own biggest cheerleader and encourager. Confidence is believing in yourself and then acting accordingly, without waiting around for someone else to say "you can do it."

The best part is that it's a self-fulfilling prophecy, the more you believe, the more you can achieve.

Let's go for it - and have a sunny day!

P.S. "The way to develop self-confidence is to do the thing you fear and get a record of successful experiences behind you. Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved." William Jennings Bryan

P.P.S. To receive Sunny Notes each Friday morning in your email, simply Visit This Link to sign up.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com

Endurance

Good morning,

Happy Friday! There are many attributes that contribute to a person's success. But one that doesn't get talked about as much as more glamorous attributes like talent is endurance. In other words, the sheer tenacity to:

See it through.

In the words of James Arthur Baldwin, “Beyond talent lie all the usual words: discipline, love, luck -- but, most of all, endurance." A little bit of talent can go a long way if it's backed by a sufficient amount of endurance.

Let's be strong - and have a sunny day!

Clarity

P.S. “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” Thomas Alva Edison

P.P.S. Please help spread the sunshine. New readers can Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly from me by email each Friday.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com

Path Finding

Good morning,

It’s Friday and finally feels like summer in Michigan! This week I’ve been reflecting on the power each of us has to choose our own path. Even when we feel stuck, if we look closely at a situation there’s almost always more than one option. However, it’s up to us to:

Use the power to choose.

"If you have a choice but you don't make use of it, that's as good as not having one," says success coach Jonathan Sprinkles, who spoke at a recent Yes! Network event. Figuring out our options and making tough choices are often daunting, but always worth it, in order for us to actively guide the direction of our own lives.

This morning let's choose to have a sunny day!

Clarity

P.S. “We choose our joys and sorrows long before we experience them.” Khalil Gibran

P.P.S. Please help spread the sunshine. New readers can Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly from me by email each Friday.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com

Fool's Gold

Good morning,

Happy Friday! A friend shared a Chinese Proverb with me that I found especially relevant this week. “He who asks a question may be a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever.”

What great advice, especially in the business world where inaccurate assumptions can cause major consequences. So today’s Sunny Note is simply a word of encouragement to take responsibility for asking questions instead of assuming answers. This kind of foolishness can really pay off!

Let’s be the “five minute fool” – and have a sunny day!

Clarity

P.S. “Never assume the obvious is true.” William Safire

P.P.S. I always enjoy hearing from you and I thank you for sharing Sunny Notes with others. New readers can Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly from me by email each Friday.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com

Extreme Productivity

Good morning,

It's Friday! In today's busy world most of us are continually seeking ways to be more productive. This month's Harvard Business Review has an interesting article that offers six principals to help us achieve "extreme productivity," including this advice.

"Think First, Read or Write Second."

Making time to think is a highly essential and often neglected key to productivity. As the article's author Robert C. Pozen points out, "many people feel overwhelmed by the huge volume of reading and writing they have to do for their business. They don't realize that the key to faster and more effective reading and writing is more rigorous thinking in advance."

For example, when writing an article, compose an outline first with just the key points and a few subpoints under each. "After writing an outline, write the concluding paragraph," suggests Pozen. "That will tell you whether you really know where your article or memo is going."

Let's think first - and have a sunny day!

Clarity

P.S. "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." Benjamin Franklin

P.P.S. I always enjoy hearing from you and I thank you for sharing Sunny Notes with others. New readers can Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly from me by email each Friday.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Good morning,

Happy Friday! Have you ever gotten a new car and then suddenly you see the same model everywhere? Last time I bought a car it seemed like everybody followed my example and got the same one in the same color no less. Of course what really happened is this.

We find what we’re looking for.

This is true in pretty much all areas of our lives and when it comes to managing employees, apparently it’s been scientifically proven, according to an article in yesterday’s Science Daily.

“How leaders view their employees tends to become a self-fulfilling prophecy,” according to Thomas Sy, assistant professor of psychology at UC Riverside and a longtime business leadership consultant. In what he describes as the first study to examine leaders' conceptions of followers, the psychologist found that "if managers view followers positively -- that they are good citizens, industrious, enthusiastic -- they will treat their employees positively. If they think of their employees negatively -- that they are conforming, insubordinate and incompetent -- they will treat them that way," he said. "Manager beliefs about employees impact organizational outcomes."

This study is an interesting reinforcement of an important piece of common sense, that having positive expectations increases the likelihood of positive results.

Let’s stay positive – and have a sunny day!

Clarity

P.S. "Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you help them to become what they are capable of being." Goethe

P.P.S. I always enjoy hearing from you and I thank you for sharing Sunny Notes with others. New readers can Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly from me by email each Friday.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com

Perpetual Motion

Good Friday,

Happy Morning! Yesterday I had the opportunity to hear retired Ford Motor Company executive Andy Acho deliver a keynote speech on Practical Sustainability during an Earth Day event at the DIA hosted by Grand River Printing & Imaging. One of my favorite pieces of advice from Andy applies not only to environmental initiatives but also to life in general.

"Don't confuse motion with action."

This is so important to keep in mind because rushing around and spinning our wheels are counter productive to accomplishing goals and making progress.

Let's replace motion with action - and have a sunny Earth Day!

Clarity

P.S. "You see, in life, lots of people know what to do, but few people actually do what they know. Knowing is not enough! You must take action." Anthony Robbins

P.P.S. Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly from me by email each Friday.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
www.SunnyMediaGroup.com
313-268-6810

Special Delivery

Good morning,

Happy Friday! In a world of rising expectations and "need it yesterday" requests, we must be able to deliver on the commitments we make. Others are counting on us, and we're counting on others, so...

Don't over promise.

Helpful people risk falling into the dangerous trap of saying "yes" to everything. It's better to do more than we promise than to promise more than we do.

Remember that "yes" is not always the right answer - and have a sunny.

Clarity

P.S. "He who is most slow in making a promise is the most faithful in performance of it." Jean-Jacques Rousseau

P.P.S. I always enjoy hearing from you and I thank you for sharing A Sunny Note with others. New readers can Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly from me by email each Friday.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com

Go Team

Good morning,

Hurray - we made it to Friday! Looking back at this week, the word that describes it best is teamwork. So many things I'm proud to say got accomplished and not one of them by me alone. Today's sunny tip is simply this.

Work together.

Business is a team sport. Yet so many of us who care passionately about our work are at risk of trying to do it all ourselves. That's just not possible and if we try that approach we limit or diminish the results.

Instead, look for ways to effectively collaborate. One of the keys is to ask for help or involve other people BEFORE the crisis point...you know, that moment when you discover you can't do it alone and now it's a crisis because you didn't anticipate the need and involve someone else earlier in the process...

Instead of trying to avoid the need for help, let's anticipate it - and have a sunny day.

Clarity

P.S. "The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime." Babe Ruth

P.P.S. I always enjoy hearing from you and I thank you for sharing A Sunny Note with others. New readers can Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly from me by email each Friday.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com

Front Page

Good morning,

Happy Friday! Here’s some food for thought. Imagine that every email you sent yesterday just got published on the front page of today’s newspaper.

No problem? Great! Because although that scenario might sound farfetched, in today’s electronic world it’s not just celebrities and politicians, whose texts and emails can bounce back to bite them. In the business world, it’s just as easy for emails to get accidentally or maliciously sent to unintended recipients, wreaking havoc on businesses and individuals. We can help protect ourselves with this simple tip.

When in doubt leave it out.

Email is not the place for venting, reprimanding or transmitting sensitive information. If it’s genuinely confidential, or if we’d simply feel ashamed to see our choice words published on the front page, then put down the mouse and slowly back away from the keyboard. If it still needs to be said, then fortunately there are other more appropriate, more sensitive and/or more secure ways of communicating those types of messages.

Let’s “think first” – and have a sunny day.

Clarity

P.S. “If we could measure the damage to corporations from gossip, it might be more than the GNP of the Third World.” Harvey Mackay, New York Times Bestselling Author

P.P.S. I always enjoy hearing from you and I thank you for sharing Sunny Notes with others. New readers can Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly from me by email each Friday.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com

Believe It

Good morning,

It was great hearing news reports this week about Michigan organizations planning to expand their workforces. This raises the question, what traits are employers looking for when hiring?

When asked this question, a business owner conducting a recent seminar replied, “Confidence, above anything else.” So today's sunny note is a reminder to...

Believe in yourself.

When you have confidence that you can accomplish anything, anything can be accomplished. The world needs what you have to offer.

Believe it - and have a sunny day.

Clarity

P.S. "As is our confidence, so is our capacity." William Hazlitt

P.P.S. I always enjoy hearing from you and I thank you for sharing Sunny Notes with others. New readers can Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly from me by email each Friday.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com

Cut Your Losses

Good morning,

Happy Friday! Sometimes in business you can "stay the course" and in time you’ll reach your goal. But what do you do when you discover you’re going the wrong way?

Change direction.

Too often we’re afraid to admit we’ve made a mistake and take corrective action. Once we’ve invested our time, money or ego we’re reluctant to give up on those investments. But when we find ourselves on the wrong path a willingness to accept losses and change direction can enable us to avoid even greater losses later.

Lester Thurow reminds us that sometimes, “A competitive world offers two possibilities. You can lose. Or, if you want to win, you can change.”

Let’s make the right call - and have a sunny day!

Clarity

P.S. “When you're finished changing, you're finished.” Benjamin Franklin

P.P.S. I always enjoy hearing from you and I thank you for sharing Sunny Notes with others. New readers can Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly from me by email each Friday.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com

Cutting Edge

Good Morning,

Aren’t Fridays grand! I don’t know about you, but for me this week has been all about learning new software. Powerful programs that will help our business do wonderful things…but only if we know how to use them.

Some people’s tools includes knives that can be sharpened, other people’s include computer programs that can be learned. Whatever you use, today’s note is a red-alert to:

Sharpen your tools.

It’s the only way to be cutting edge. I recently heard productivity expert and best-selling author Laura Stack tell a related story about her grandfather who made a living for his family chopping wood. They were paid by the amount they chopped and his team always earned more team than the other teams. Their secret? Every day they took 20 minutes for lunch. But while they were taking lunch, they were actually sharpening their tools.

Sadly, Laura reported that most of us only employ abut 20% of the capabilities of our computer programs because we haven’t learned how to use them.

Let’s brush up – and have a sunny day!

P.S. Did you know...you can save an Outlook email into a regular folder on your computer, just by selecting Save As and choosing *.msg as the file type. Then you can open the message, with its attachments, anytime in the future simply by double-clicking on it. Thanks for the tip Laura! You can read my review of Laura's entire seminar by visiting this link.

P.P.S. Thank you for sharing Sunny Notes with others. New readers can Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly from me by email each Friday.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com

Too Obvious

Good morning,

Hurray for Friday! Remember the days of taking multiple choice tests in school and avoiding the obvious answers because you knew they were there just to mislead you? Life is like that. The obvious answer is frequently not the correct one.

“Never assume the obvious is true.”

These are wise words from William Safire, because we’re all at risk of making erroneous assumptions, especially about other people. Today’s note is a simple reminder to look closer, investigate further and make sure we understand the situation or the person before drawing conclusions.

Watch out for “multiple choice” moments - and have a sunny day!

Clarity

P.S. “Most of our assumptions have outlived their uselessness.” Marshall McLuhan

P.P.S. Thank you for sharing Sunny Notes with others. New readers can Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly from me by email each Friday.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
www.SunnyMediaGroup.com