Power to the People

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I finally figured out why they call our parliament the “House of Commons”. Its always seemed an ironic name to me. Watch even 20 minutes of Parliament on TV and you’ll soon realize our political parties share very little in common. But I’ve finally figured it out…
It turns out that the Conservatives, Liberals and NDP and their followers seem to share this one thing in common: a mistrust of BIG.
Canadians on the political left tend to have a mistrust or dislike of Big Business.
Canadians on the political right tend to have a mistrust or dislike of Big Government.
So no matter where you are on the political spectrum it is a great time to remind yourself of the power of one (one being you) in your relationship with Big.
Here are 4 fundamental truths regarding your relationship with BIG:
1) As Big Wins so do you.
2) As Big Loses so do you.
1 & 2 provide compelling reasons to give our best in each area of our life. Give your best to your company, your family, pay your fair share of taxes etc. You will never lose always committing your best.
3) As You Win so does Big.
4) As You Lose so does Big.
3 & 4 speak to the inherent interest BIG has in meeting your needs to keep you growing as a productive member of their “society/company”.
If you are giving your all to BIG and are unhappy about the environment they are providing, they need to know about it. You need to ask for what you need and what you want.
You’ll be shocked with how many times getting changes to make it a more fulfilling place to be is simply a matter of spitting it out, saying it, asking the question! If you don’t , if you keep it inside and grow an attitude of disgruntlement you are going to waste a whole bunch of your time and BIG loses as you lose the motivation to provide your best.
So.. what to do?:
1) If your government is not giving you what you need and want, be active in asking for change. Participate in democracy. If they don’t after that, use the power of your vote to elect someone else. (kick the bums out, as certain members of my family would say).
2) If your company is not giving you what you need and want, be active in asking for it. If they don’t after that, ask yourself a simple question:
Do I stay or Do I go?
If the issue is minor and you can honestly drop it without carrying a grudge. i.e you might say “If this is the worst thing about my job I LOVE where I work” .. then stay.
If you can’t drop it and are going to be fundamentally disgruntled then the best feedback they can receive are your heels leaving the door for an environment that will meet your needs.
Ultimately BIG draws it power from the power of its people.
Just like our country: Canada. Canada is BIG.
We have many strengths:
1) An abundance of Natural Resources
2) A variety of stunning landscapes
3) More fresh water than the rest of the world combined.
But for all the inherent strengths of the land in which we live, Canada’s biggest strength has been, is, and will always be its PEOPLE. That’s YOU and ME. We’re not BIG but we can be powerful.
My conclusion: BIG can be great, as long as each of us stands up for ourselves. After all, BIG is simply the sum total of a bunch of ones.
David Benjatschek is an award winning trainer/speaker in the areas of Leadership & Communication. Check out his website at www.marketbeamer.com or contact him by email: david@marketbeamer.com. Check out “Whats New” on the website for details of two powerful workshops hitting Canada later this summer & fall: 1) First Time Managers Two Day Boot Camp and 2) Prioritize and Organize for Success. Early bird rates for registrations by May 15th.

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David Benjatschek is a professional business speaker/trainer, motivating audiences across North America. His 15 year career in Oil & Gas primarily focused on the transportation sector. Also an accredited photographer, David is the driving force behind wowtrucks.com and the Wowtrucks® Calendar: Canada's Big Rig Calendar.


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