Volkmar Völzke's BLOG

Yes, you need your daily dose!

What am I talking about? That you want to become better, no matter with what. 

If you want to become healthier, slimmer, fitter or whatever, you must do something about it every day. It is simply not enough to eat healthy food once a week and otherwise stuff junk food into oneself. Or just brushing your teeth once a month and relying on the forces of nature. 

Here is the exciting thing: When it comes to mental fitness and a strong mindset (i. e. what we need in every team to achieve outstanding success), most people think it's done with an annual workshop. 

For a strong mindset and mental fitness, you must do something every day. As a team leader or CEO, it is your job to work continuously with your team on these topics. 

Here are three powerful areas (from a variety of others) that you have to train every day: 

1. Objectives. Set goals every day (in writing!) and work consistently to achieve them. Attention: Goals are NOT tasks...

"Great new ideas are ridiculed at first, then resisted, then admired, and lastly applied by all." 

I have to keep thinking of that old wisdom when it comes to new technologies and approaches. 

"Siri? I tried it and it did not understand my question. Forget it!" 

"iPhone? It’s only an extended MP3 player. Business people will never use that! " 

"Online Language Translation by Google? That's just nonsense! " 

Stop! Do you notice something? Yesterday I had a complete presentation translated by Google online from German into English (for free by the way). The result: 95% correct and meaningful content, even with content that is not easy to interpret. It needed the odd improvement here and there, but that's it. Fast and cheap. When did you last try it? 

Watch out, and beware of premature judgments. Just because something did not work a year ago, does not mean that it still does not work now.

My questions to you: 

1. What are your (hidden)...

The year is now a bit more than four weeks old, and many people are already getting exhausted. Not you? That’s great! 

Because today I have an important tip for you in my series "how to make 2018 outstanding". 

This is it: spread high energy! As a leader, this is one of your most important tasks. Unfortunately, I often see the opposite. 

What do I mean by that?

Here are three examples of how, where, and why you should (better: MUST!) radiate high energy: 

1. For yourself. Yes, you can always put yourself on a higher energy level. Why is that important? Because you are not only much less productive with low energy, but also lack joy. Did you know that in positive states you ALWAYS have high energy levels?
2. For your team and your colleagues. It works like this: great leaders exude high energy. The reverse applies as well. Start every morning full of energy, even in meetings. Your team needs to feel your positive vibes when they are nearby!
3. For your...

The new year just started 19 days ago, and here's an important tip at the beginning - take your foot off the brake!

From my observation, there are 3 groups of behaviors in the new year: 

1. You just keep on going as before, with the result that 2018 will be worse or only marginally better than last year. That's the biggest group of people.
2. You set big goals, inspiring yourself and others and take some action. With a bit of luck and perseverance, you can increase your success in 2018. Maybe half of the business leaders are acting this way.
3. You do everything as in point 2, plus: you release the brakes that have kept you and your team from achieving greater success so far. That is what few people do. What do I mean by this?

Your brakes consist of mindset, habits, and fears. In other words, it's your mindsets and habits, as well as your fears (yes, we all have them!) that keep you and your colleagues from achieving outstanding results. 

If you and your people are on the brakes...

There is a common cause for both growing success and greater fulfilment and enthusiasm in life. Can you guess what it is? Yes: the speed and clarity with which you decide and then implement those decisions. 

Asked the other way around: Do you know someone who decides and implements quickly - and at the same time is unhappy and unsuccessful? Probably not! 

Conversely, the conclusion also applies: If you want to achieve more results quickly and feel happy about it, then you need to decide faster and ensure swift implementation. 

"Yeah, but ..." you may think now, "it's not always that easy!" No, it's not! Because what's in our way is our mindset.

However, we can train our decision-making speed. Here are three ideas: 

1. Become aware that most decisions do not get better if you wait longer. On the contrary! There is an optimal point of decision, and that is almost always earlier than when most decisions are made. Try it!
2. Become aware of your fears. Indeed, what...

Do you want to have a strong idea at the beginning of the year of how to immediately increase your good influence, increase the productivity of your team and act as a role model? 

Well, here's the solution: Answer inquiries from customers, colleagues and other people in your area quickly and clearly. If you sometimes (or often) simply procrastinate on answers (or observe this behaviour from people around you), then here is the key to how you can (and must) change this NOW! 

Let’s not fool ourselves: Bad response behaviour has substantial collateral damage, such as double work, lower productivity, frustration, lost customers, decreasing reputation and much more.

Rule of thumb: If you do not respond to normal inquiries within 24 hours (even if only with a confirmation), you have a problem - and your environment with you!

And “busyness" is not an excuse! I know extremely productive and successful people who always respond swiftly, while others do not respond even...

CLICK HERE to register for the FREE LIVE ONLINE WORKSHOP on January 16th, 2012 at 5:00 pm CET "How to make 2018 your best year ever". 

Regardless of whether you read this post at the end of 2017 or the beginning of 2018, this is the ideal time to set things straight for the next 12 months. Let’s keep this one short and crisp.

Here are three ideas to make 2018 an outstanding experience: 

1. Set ONE audacious key goal or guiding star for 2018. What MUST happen in your life, business, or career? What is your key desire you want to go after? Put it in one crisp statement and place it everywhere in sight for the next 12 months. Share it with friends.
2. What mindsets and habits do you need to change to support this key goal? This is the root of all your success. If you keep the same mindset, behaviours, and habits as last year, you will most likely get similar (or worse) results. Find up to three items you want to change for yourself.
3. Set up and start a personal...

The Christmas Season is traditionally a time of reflection and conclusions.

In this somewhat unusual video I explain three important thoughts that we keep forgetting, but which are extremely important in order to have a positive effect on others and their success and happiness.

I also read a short text that is not just a little journey into ourselves (and our barriers), but also opens our eyes to what's really important.

I wish you and your loved ones Happy Holidays,

Volkmar Voelzke

P.S. CLICK HERE to register for the FREE LIVE ONLINE WORKSHOP on January 16th, 2012 at 5:00 pm CET "How to make 2018 your best year ever".

Places are limited! More details in the video.

“Your world is what you perceive it to be and how you interpret this perception." This insight was not invented by me, but verifiable psychology knowledge. 

Unfortunately, we often forget (including seasoned leaders) that the principles of success in this world do not always coincide with our perception. 

If you want to be more successful in the long term (for yourself, your team or your company), you have to change your perception and your interpretations ("stories”). If it were easier, you would already be where you want to. 

The key insight: If you want to become more successful, you MUST change your interpretation of reality and success. This is exhausting, highly uncomfortable and almost always needs external help. That is why only a few (just the outstandingly successful ones) do it. 

Study the following examples from my practice and ask yourself whether you fall into the same trap of perception: 

1. Question: "Which is currently the most...

Did you see Elon Musk's presentation on the new Tesla Truck? Click here to watch a summary: https://youtu.be/1AwKmUH9wIg?t=13s 

What do you think is special about this product introduction? The presentation in Steve Jobs’ style? That Elon Musk radiates pride? The innovative truck? 

No, the truly special thing is that a pure B2B product is marketed entirely through emotions. And Elon is pulling all registers! You can almost imagine that CEOs of freight forwarders and other transport companies will camp overnight in front of the delivery site to get the first Tesla truck - just like the iPhone. 

What can you learn from this, especially if you are selling products not to consumers but to other companies? Here are three ideas: 

1. What is really special about your products, that triggers emotions in the mind of your customer? Not by chance, Elon Musk shows the acceleration first, a factually rather insignificant feature in my view - but very important...