212 – The Extra Degree is one of my favorite books. It makes a simple point. At 211 degrees Fahrenheit water is just hot water. At 212 degrees it boils.
The authors, Sam Parker and Mac Anderson, say…
“Raising the temperature of water by one extra degree means the difference between something that is very hot and something that generates enough force to power a machine…It reminds us that seemingly small things can make tremendous differences.”
Sam Parker has written a new book, Smile and Move. I love everything about this book – from the title on. “Smile and move,” are two great ideas for becoming interpersonally competent.
I blog about interpersonal competence on Fridays. Interpersonal competence is one of the keys to success that I discuss in Straight Talk for Success. If you want to become interpersonally competent, you need to do three things: 1) get to know yourself, use this self knowledge to better understand others; 2) Build solid, long lasting, mutually beneficial relationships with the important people in your life; and 3) learn how to resolve conflict in a positive manner.
Smile and Move presents some great advice on interpersonal competence. It shows you “five ways to smile” and “four ways to move” to be of better service to others. Service to others is at the core of interpersonal competence. Sam Parker says he wants to start a movement where we all happily serve on another. He says there has never been a better time for this movement. I agree.
Here are Sam’s ideas on five ways to smile and four ways to move…
Smile – Be Happy
• Wake up – Show others you care by giving attention to their needs.
• Be thankful – The opportunity to serve is a gift…not an entitlement.
• Be approachable – We’re at each other’s service, and contact is where it starts.
• Complain less – We’ve got work to do.
• Smile. Really. – It’s where pleasantness begins.Move – Do Something
• Start early and go long – Get lost in your service to others.
• Exceed expectations – Dismiss mediocrity. Expect more from yourself.
• Have a sense of urgency – Predict and pre-sweat the details for others.
• Be resourceful and resilient – Service is about giving someone what they need…no matter what.
There is even a kid’s version of Smile and Move. While I think that interpersonal competence is important for success as an adult, I think it is a very important skill for children to develop. Sam Parker has hit a home run – no, make that a grand slam – with this book. I’ve purchased a couple as Christmas gifts and know I’ll be buying and giving away more in 2009.
The common sense point here is simple. Successful people are interpersonally competent. Sam Parker’s new book Smile and Move makes some great points about how to become more interpersonally competent: smile, be happy; and move, do something. You can read the book online in about 20 minutes. I’ve already read it twice, and will read it again as soon as I finish writing this post. This is my final post of 2008. Smile and Move is my holiday personalised christmas stockings gift. Check it out online. I think you’ll find that it’s a great book that is full of good ideas for 2009 resolutions. In 2009, I resolve to: wake up, be thankful, be approachable, complain less, smile more, start early and go long, exceed expectations, have a sense of urgency and to be resourceful and resilient. I’ll be blogging about my experiences as I go forward. Happy holidays to you and your family. I hope that 2009 brings you peace, love, health, happiness and prosperity. Thanks for taking the time to read my thoughts this year. I am looking forward to further exploring personal and professional success with you next year.
Bud
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