Tuesday after a long weekend, and I hope today, all is well. One of the more interesting things about long weekends (besides the copious amounts of food!) is that it allows most of us to hit the cosmic "reset" button and re-focus the way we approach work. Simply having a couple of extra days to mentally work through your problems, especially now that we are moving into the Christmas period, allows for a re-dedication of both mind and body to simply...Being The BEST!!

You will notice at the top of the page there are two particular words- Response and Ability. Put together they make a third term- Responsibility; and that is something each of us swear by with each and every completed project. Has anyone ever looked at things in this light? Why not try for a few minutes- Think about your job, career or livelihood, and try to think of one reason why you are doing it (and presumably well) instead of someone else, or another team of like minded individuals?

Ability outlines what you possess to get both the job done; and done correctly. Your eye for detail is impeccable and your ability to deliver the goods seems natural. This is the part of your inner-self which is the most natural to train. How many seminars, books, videos or trade-shows have you attended to arrive where you are; with the talent to complete even the most difficult of tasks with ease. You pay close attention to those working around you; you stay up on all the latest trends; you are not afraid to try something new or untested; and you settle for nothing short of the best results. To gain ability one must first admit that they have none. They are a blank slate to the employer. and with their instructions, demonstrations, giving you the 'okay' to apprentice under senior talent; slowly the skills come to the top. Most employers are happy to see that their diverse workforce "buy into" the blueprint of success, and are more than happy to reward such efforts. Easy to say, but not so easy to accomplish. You can have all the mentoring and training in the world; and read a vast library of 'How-to' books, but without anything to base the learning on, or base the new skills toward; then the effort will not truly be appreciated.

Ability is an invisible attribute. It is also something you either have, or you don't. That is one of the reasons why there is such a vast workforce now, to try and accompany all the creators and innovators in our society. Not everyone will ever be good at all tasks; some will have to be given away, hopefully landing on the lap of another skilled professional who will simply take the ball; make a couple unique changes, then score the touchdown. This to me is an important aspect of teamwork: the humbling ability to realize that sometimes you need help; because you just cannot be all things for all clients.

 You wish to follow the company culture and be able to accomplish what needs to be done. Should there be any question, ask someone!! Better to get two heads involved if one isn't supplying the answer.

Response (or in this case Responsible) is the ability to make each task yours! Simply put, the blame or the credit for any task should go to the person with the most time spent on the job. Know when you should step-up and take credit. Equally important is being able to share the glory with the others involved in the job. Meet the criteria laid out for each and every task; try to give just that little bit extra (whether its finishing early; or adding something creative to the finished project that makes it yours). Whenever you think the job is outside your professional realm, look at it from all sides before turning it down, most employers like people who attempt new and exciting things, provided they also know when to hand over a badly-wound project.

Up top is a graphic which features four good codes of Responsibility. After reading them through a few times, I cannot find fault in any of them. Provide the best service you can, in a timely manner, with all the skills at your fingertips; and don't be afraid to ever place your name to a project. Each one is as unique as you are; use that to your advantage.

This week for most is four days long. Ramp it up and reach for the brass ring repeatedly. Should you fall short- simply dust off and try again.

See you in Seven, Time to tune up the cow-bell....

What do you feel is an important facet of Success? Leave a comment below and lets talk it over? Do you thing the ability to study or possessing the skills are more important? Let me know; this could well be Something to Think About!