There are times in our lives that the sun blocks our vision. This happens to major league baseball and football players. They can’t control the sun but they adapt to it with those sunglasses and visor shields.

If you can’t see what’s ahead of you because something is blinding your vision, find your own way to block the sun so you will see the challenges coming your way.

If you don’t figure out how to do that, you will drop the ball.

How many times has a dealership adopted a new technology that involves salespeople (or even management) to use it properly in order to maximize its value? Quite often is what I’ve heard in my career.

Inevitably, the techonology gets cut because nobody is using it as it designed to be. Is that the technology’s fault? or the dealership’s?

Putting processes in place are only as effective as buy-in and adoption throughout the dealership.

“This doesn’t work” is an excuse.

Don’t accept excuses. Rather, ensure that processes are being followed and, eventually, once staff sees that process is effective and that both they and the dealership benefit…

They will believe and follow it.

In a perfect world, leaders would encourage other leaders in an organization to perform. We don’t live in a perfect world, however.

I remember working for someone for a company I loved to work for. At one point, I made a comment that I would eventually be the VP of the company. That comment got back to the owner and I was promptly let go (I don’t know if being a contractor whose contract was terminated is considered being “fired” but it felt like it.)

I couldn’t understand why being ambitious, loyal and wanting to grow within an organization was a “bad” thing. Now I do.

Some leaders are threatened by other leaders taking their jobs or making them obsolete.

Don’t stop. Keep moving forward. If this is the situation that you find yourself in, then you’re working for either the wrong leader or company.

That’s what only you can decide.

Have you ever had a stapler thrown at your head by a boss? I have.

If that happens, you have three choices. One, duck, cover and leave. Two, duck, cover and don’t leave. Three, duck and go UFC on the boss.

Choose the first if you don’t really like where you’re working and/or who you are working for. Choose the second, if you love your job, love your team and, most of the time, love your boss (except that stapler throwing business.) Choose the third, you’re out of a job and probably go to jail.

Choose your own adventure.

Let’s talk promotion in a career. You can kick @ss at every level, Your bosses are thrilled. You keep making more money, There is no ceiling. You’re on the way to top and nothing can stop you! The memes on Facebook encourage you. The books you read inspire you. But then, there is reality…

People get promoted to the point of their incompetence.

What does that mean? It means that you can kick @ass in every position BUT, at some point, you get to a position that you are… meh, mediocre at or even suck at.

All of a sudden, managers aren’t as excited with you. And you get stuck.

Sure, you can Google “How do I do X.” Just like, seeing as it took place in a galaxy far far away, Stormtroopers could have Googled (notice how Google has become so ingrained in us that their company name has become a verb,) “Where are the droids we are looking for.) I mean, they could go into hyperspace and all so they must have had some form of internet.

A long time ago in this galaxy, someone (talking about a friend) was asked to do a task that they had no knowledge about. Rather than say OK. That person (who I have no idea who it is…oh, wait… a friend) were honest and said that they could certainly learn how to do it but (seeing it involved ad spend) they, the friend (wait, did I say friend?) wouldn’t feel that it was right learning how to do it on their dime.

An example of NOT letting yourself be promoted because of incompetence.

If you’re not ready, stay the rockstar that you already.

Work your way up the right way. Learn what you need to in order to ascend to your next level of competence. And so on. And so on.

You’ll have a more successful career and not get stuck because of incompetence.

Have you ever been so stressed or frustrated that you want to beat your head against a wall? It could be anything… finances, arguments, work-related.

Don’t stop trying. I don’t know who, but someone wiser than me said that you have to fail in order to succeed.

So, go on, keep doing your thing. If you feel like you can succeed at it, there is no reason not to try. Worst case, you grow.

All that matters is that you are passionate and you tried with all of your heart.

At times, everyone experiences turmoil in their career. Anything can be a catalyst for it. A new job. A new boss. New co-workers. You name it.

Then sh@t happens. And, many people blame themselves and think that they failed.

It’s actually quite the opposite. There is no “who is to blame” or “who did what wrong.” Just tell yourself that you aren’t for everyone and everyone isn’t for you.

You’ll find a home that you ARE for everyone. Just like dating, it may be hard to do. You may be swiping right and left a lot. But that’s where the work comes in.

Find a place that accepts you for who you are. That you can accept who they are. And you’ll find the place where you love to work at and they love you to work for them.

If you’re on Facebook, it will always ask YOU to ask your friends to donate money to your favorite charity before your birthday. Same goes for many other platforms. I certainly think that it is a great gesture for that person to choose to ask and I certainly think it is a great thing for anyone to actually do. Have you ever wondered why they (Big Tech) started encouraging, asking and making it so darn easy?

Here’s the reason. Contributions to 401 (c) (3) organizations are tax-deducible. Great. Yet, many retailers ask you to “donate” to different organizations. Most, you get to pick. I’m sure all of the donations go to those organizations.

My point is that WHO is getting that tax-deduction? I’m pretty sure that Facebook isn’t sending donations that include individual donor’s information so that they can write that tax-deductible donation off. No. They are sending what is probably millions to various organizations then THEY get the tax write off.

Makes sense to me while they (or any other company – think “round up”) would ask you to… consistently… to do so.

Maybe I’m just a crazy conspiracy theorist. This has nothing to do with the philanthropic actions that someone’s birthday prompts or the people that actually contribute. I’m pretty sure that the organizations get the donations.

But, I’ll take a $200 million charitable donation to add to my tax return all day.

Something to think about.

I remember when I was a green pea salesperson (literally my first job in car sales.) Didn’t know squat. The sales managers kept pushing me to close a deal with a particular set of customers… and gave me a ridiculous pencil. That being said, I kept at it. I didn’t know sh@t from Shinola.

After 2 hours, I inevitably was able to close them at the last pencil that they gave me. I went into the sales office full of the feeling of victory. Then, the sales manager said that they couldn’t do the deal at that price because the payment was too high and they couldn’t get it financed. I asked them “Then why did you send me out there to beat up the customers for 2 hours to get it?”

I was so pissed off, I left the sales office. Left the building. And went on to the lot to cool off. To this day, I don’t even know if the customers ever ended up buying the car. I just needed a moment to breathe.

The next day, I was came in to the manager’s office and was fired for insubordination for questioning my managers. My reply? “I did what you asked me to do and then you told me that you couldn’t deliver.”

Long story short, at the point I knew that they couldn’t send the deal into finance at that payment yet pushed me to close the deal anyways, I felt like they made me play a game that I couldn’t win. Yeah, I could have went back and looked like a hero telling the customer that I/we were able to reduce their payment by $200/mo.

But I didn’t.

I was outside thinking about why a boss would tell me to dig a 20-foot ditch then get mad at me because I accomplished it when they really only needed a 10-foot ditch… so fill it back up.

We’ve all been with someone at one point in our lives that is singing a song… and screwing up the lyrics. They aren’t doing it on purpose. They are just in the moment and enjoying the song. And being happy.

While it is easy to be critical and judgmental because someone isn’t doing something the way that you like (or not perfect) rather than be judgmental & let your brain focus on what they are doing wrong, share the happiness that they are feeling.

It’s much more pleasant.