Inside Bruce's mind

Chances are if you know me, we met through sports. It might have been as a teammate, as an opponent, playing around during recess, in gym class or working together in sports. Aside from my immediate family, sports have been one of the most character defining instruments throughout my life. All the friendships, challenges, wins and losses have helped shape the man I am (Insert joke here). Many of us, we were very fortunate to have been able to register and play sports without hesitation or limitations.

I’ve been fortunate to develop so many friendships through all my years in sports beginning at 5 years old when I joined my first basketball league. From then I played all sports in elementary, junior high, high school, university and adult leagues. It has not always been about competition. Sports is also used as a social platform and even a form of freedom where I can put to side everything else going on and just play.

I’ve always looked for opportunities to help other athletes and kids experience sports the way I did. I’ve enjoyed refereeing, working as a sports camp councilor and event volunteer at multiple events. Throughout my professional work career, that passion has only been strengthened. My next adventure begins now as I join the Special Olympics Marathon of Sport event and committee.  

This is a day when teens and adults of all athletic ability get to spend the day playing together. As registered teams, you get to play versus other teams in many different sports all throughout the day on May 27th . What’s even better is every team gets one celebrity athlete from the special Olympics to BE A PART of their team for the day. So, what I ask from you is simple. If you can, show some support. I look forward to hearing from you, especially those I haven’t spoken to for a number of years. $100 donations open the door to your suggestions. Or, if you feel more comfortable this way, donate to Motionball .

It’s that time of year again, #Newyear #Newme, when you reflect on the last 365 days and try to decide what changes need to be made. Don’t make the same mistake you made every year by trying to change your life completely with unrealistic goals. Like that time you woke up with a massive hangover and said “I’m never drinking again”... good one. 

Nelson Mandela said the process of maturation is not changing who you are, but understanding who you are and learning to control it. This can be applicable to selecting and achieving your New Years Resolution. I want to be skinny or jacked and rich is not realistic.

Understand that process takes time. Have a plan and try your best to stay with it. Nobody knows you better than yourself (Well maybe google knows you better but that’s a whole other story). A few years back, I started really committing to small resolutions and have found some success. In 2013 I cut out drinking pop. In 2014 I decided I would learn to cook so I could make more meals (which I quite enjoy now). In 2015 I challenged myself to read more and last year to cut out snacks (chips, chocolate bars) and eat more Fruits which I now try to do every morning. Although I have to admit, I still eat about a box of chocolate chip cookies per week. I’m actually dunking cookies in milk right now. 

So, here are a couple of suggestions for 2017 in case you have not chosen one yet! Good luck!

Go to sleep earlier, wake up earlier (This is my 2017 resolution)

Ban Electronics from Bedroom (this will greatly help with your sleep)

Stay up to date with technology / Google (technology is going to make life easier for you, there’s some cool shit going on)

Focus on personal health (Eat well, sleep, minimize stress)

Volunteer time / Donate Money (If you’ve got the money, share it. You’ll feel better about yourself.

In my current role, I have the opportunity to manage co-workers and share some experience. One of our youngest employees, who was actually an intern in high school, approached me her second day in the office to ask for some advice. The first thought that came to mind was pride. I was proud to be in the position to start helping the company and this individual. More importantly, I was happy to offer my help because I was impressed with her determination. 

Throughout her internship I noticed the most improvement from her out of the whole team and I was even more quick to hand her assignment and challenges. This is when it dawned on me that I was once there, in her shoes. The same way the superiors I was approaching for advice were once in my shoes. She learned twice as much as the others over those months and I have no doubt she will progress more quickly than her colleagues wherever she lands.

I now have an intern who is breaking out of her comfort zone. She is typically shy and quiet but full of life. After every time she speaks with me and asks a question or proposes a suggestion which I advise against, she feels obligated to say sorry. I know this is typical Canadian behaviour but it is not necessary to say sorry when she is trying to help. After explaining my reasoning, I appreciate that she listens. When we finish talking, she tries to think of a new strategy. She will get an excellent referral from me any day. 

If you’re the type of person who wakes each morning with determination and a desire for development, find those who will help you progress. Open the blinds so the sun shines early, make your bed and go get better at life.  Or get a dog that’ll force you to get up.

A recent study by Harvard Business Review (click here) shows that those who do ask for advice actually come across as more intelligent. It is very rare the superior will think less of the employee or colleague. It is also encouraging for the superior to see, not to mention flattering as well. The way I see it now, is if you are not seeking advice you are missing a huge opportunities.

Five years ago, when completing university, my brother said to sit down with one of his superiors. My immediate reaction was that she wouldn’t want to waste time with me. When I asked, to my surprise she was very enthusiastic to meet. I sat down with her. At the time she was a senior employee at Canada Olympic Park, in Calgary, Alberta. When she asked what I wanted to discuss, I quickly replied with “my career!”. I wanted to learn how to get to the top as quickly as possible.

That day I left our meeting with the same problem that I had going into it. I had no idea where to start or how to get the ball rolling.  I did however leave with a valuable piece of information which I’ve kept in my pocket every day since. She told me that my career would take unpredictable twists and turns but to try and keep the end goal in mind along the way. Whatever that big dream is of yours, even if it seems impossible, HOLD ON TO IT! This was my first experience in my career where I reached out to a superior. It was the first piece of the puzzle I collected in my career. She even connected me with some of her friends in the sports industry to see if there were any opportunities. Thanks J.K.

Now, with that being said. Do not ask for their advice than ignore it. Many people reject advice from others. This characteristic is referred to as “egocentric bias”, which means the person thinks they know more than others. In business, like in sports, it is important to digest the advice given then make an educated choice whether or not to utilize it. If Joakim Noah was teaching me how to shoot a basketball, I’d probably discard what he taught me. However, if Ray Allen gave me some shooting tips, I would likely repeat it until it was second nature. Not all advice is good, but if you are asking a respected, successful senior in your company or field who you admire than the advice is likely valuable.

Each day presents the opportunity to grow and learn something new. It is common in the early stage of your career to fail to take advantage of these opportunities. I certainly took some time to realize this. The reason for this is because we are afraid to approach our superiors in the fear of appearing incompetent. This inkling is actually false.

In a way, I was introduced to this “fear” at an early stage of my career. I worked in a sales role where I was selling large sporting hospitality deals for North Americas largest sporting events to CEO’s and C level executives of major companies. It was not a very successful role and turnover rates were high. Most of the days consisted of being hung up on 15 seconds into a rehearsed pitch. This only made the mental perception of senior employees more frightening.

A couple of years ago I recognized the opportunity and decided to challenge this fear. I even looked for opportunities to step out of this comfort zone and sit down with directors and VP’s. After the first few meetings which were mostly filled with nervousness and anxiety, I began feeling more confident with it. Then, it transitioned to feeling on a high after shaking hands and parting ways. 

My objective was to get an answer for my question but also walk away with a new piece of advice. Once again I became a student. I wanted to learn why they gave me the answer they did. I studied how they handled the question. Did they cut me off and immediately give me a short answer? Did they let me complete the question, give it some thought and reply with a calculated response? Did they make sure it was properly discussed and explained so I wouldn’t have to ask them again? Did they offer me a suggestion or give me an order? Most importantly, did they try to enforce their seniority on me or treat me as an equal. Side note: I always worked harder for those who genuinely seemed to want to help.

The first step is to identify your immediate network and who might be potential mentors. It is key to identify the resources that surround you. Any chance to grow your network with established and experienced professionals should be taken without hesitation. Have you ever whispered to yourself, I wish I had known that 5 years ago, or I wish someone had told me that. Here is your chance. Carpe diem!

Could you imagine a bigger waste of time than planting a bunch of seeds and then never tending to them or watering them? I just finished reading the book UnMarketing by Scott Stratten and I will say it was a great investment of my time. The book goes into detail about proper ways to grow a business and how to use modern platforms effectively.  In his words “stop ineffective marketing and put relationships first, then reap the long term, high quality growth that follows”.

I work in sales. When most people hear that they think of manipulative, tricky, untrustworthy and many other negative adjectives. The truth of the matter is I love socializing and engaging. I have always found satisfaction in building relationships with all types of people. These qualities have given me more success in sales than the assumed salesman qualities.

The author begins by tackling the big mistake a lot of companies make. They confuse goals and results. He explains there should be a goal which would be to build relationships and results which would be growth and sales through those relationships.

Building relationships is all about engaging with people. The beautiful thing of many modern platforms is that this is so easy now. This is also an area that most companies fail and largely because they do not know how to do this properly.

One of the chapters ends with Scott saying; “If I offered you a tool 10 years ago that allowed you to listen and respond to the casual conversations of your potential, current and past customers, you would have paid me $20,000 a month for this eighth wonder of the world”. Today we call that the internet.

I was speaking with my uncle last week and I told him I was working from home for the day. The idea baffled him that I didn’t need to report to an office or, go door to door like he did as a salesman in the 70’s. His day consisted of starting when the sun came up and knocking on as many doors as possible selling encyclopedias until the sun dropped. A good day would be about 70 doors and 1 sale. I doubt you will have much success trying to convincing a 23-year old fresh out of school to do that these days.

If a company has 1,000 followers on Twitter, that might not seem like very much. This is because we are so immune to hearing big numbers every day. Scott describes having this many followers on any platform is the equivalent to standing on a small stage with 1,000 interested potential investors.  Failing to engage with them, would be the same as standing up on stage and not speaking, then just walking around the room as they all discuss between themselves. It’s time to speak up!

He touches on the success of an event known as Cirque de Soleil. Heard of them? Going to one of their shows is one of my clearest childhood memories and not just because I won a sweet bike at it. From the moment you step in the show the engagement by all employees is top notch. Their employees are happy to be there and make you feel right at home. When you leave (after the amazing performance) you always want to go back. When was the last time you felt like that from a retail store or a trade show booth?

At last, I leave you with a quote from the “President to be”.

“I’m a creative genius and there’s no other way to word it”

                                                                                          -Kanye West.

No, I don’t mean standing tall and showing a sideways pattern in the pants gentlemen. I mean standing up and moving during the work shift. A lunch hour break to get up and walk around really doesn’t count as “daily exercise”, especially when you are going to buy your healthy fast food that was made in 48 seconds.

This inactive lifestyle applies more to the office workers who spend 9-5 sitting at a desk and sliding down their chair as the day goes on. This, my friends, is not going to do you any favours during your retired days. As a business professional in the sports industry I noticed myself sitting at a desk all day while discussing the importance of being active. I felt a hypocrite every single day. NO MORE!

Recently I have noticed entrepreneurs trying to solve this issue. It began a few months back when I noticed a funny looking desktop office piece in my new office. I had to find out its purpose. Since then I have been using a varidesk which was created by Fitter First. It is one of many office supplies designed to increase movement while in the office.

From day one with my new desk we have gotten along. I find myself standing for at least half of the day while working. It also fulfills my unconscious desire to be a DJ as I often find myself standing and jamming. Next I came across a few newer ideas such as balance boards and treadmill desks. Yes, it’s exactly what you think it is. My most recent discovery is an article on LinkedIn written by James Brigg who is a reporter for The Indianapolis Star, about a company known as InMovement that is releasing desks that face each other so that meetings can be done face to face on the move.  Seems really awkward when you first think about it. I guess it’s a true test to see if people react better on their feet.

Since most of this is still relatively new to me and I am still in the “honeymoon phase” with my discoveries I am wondering if it is going to be something that becomes a trend in office spaces. Do you think it is something you would invest in? Will these ideas be forgotten in a couple of years or is it just the beginning?