Lots of good news around at the moment, both nationally and locally. Inflation levels are down a little, the economy appears to be growing a bit faster than originally predicted, and various financial gurus are actually supporting the strategy being employed by the UK to work its way out of the long-term rut we have been stuck in. Of course there are still plenty of commentators in the BBC determined to talk it all down, but even they cannot deny that positive change is in the air.

On a more local level, I am hearing more and more positive comments every time I go networking. Even architects and builders are beginning to sound more upbeat, and any number of other businesses keep saying they are rushed off their feet. In fact two people said they were having to turn away business which is a first for some time!

Most of my clients are thriving also, at the very least they are holding steady, but the majority are increasing their sales and profits, and a number are starting to employ new staff. Two businesses I worked with a while ago have come back to me in the last week saying they want to do more coaching again, as new things and new challenges are coming their way, and therefore need someone to hold them accountable to push them forward once more.

So all in all good news abounds. We need to feed on others successes, celebrate their achievements, and aspire to better things ourselves.

For those you who are regular readers of my blog you will have seen previous references to Victors and Victims. By this I mean that some people are always willing to put themselves forward, and be prepared to be held responsible and accountable, whilst others tend to wait for others, and hold back frightened that they might be found wanting. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they are not capable of doing things, or that they don’t want to take on these roles, but they do need to be pushed so they can realise their true potential.

I saw this exact scenario with my 17 year old son, over the weekend, when we got into an argument over something which matters a lot to him. He wanted to take on a role in his school, but as is his character he wasn’t prepared to put himself forward. He had given himself the excuse that he assumed that people must know he wanted it, and therefore there was no need to tell people and thereby risk people saying he isn’t up to it. This attitude has meant that he has been overlooked on a number of occasions for things he is more than capable of doing, but he just allows himself to become the “Victim” yet again, claiming that the world is against him. As his parents, whilst the easy path would be to agree with him that it is just bad luck and to let him off the hook, it is important that we challenged him, and got him to therefore see that he would have to do something that made him very uncomfortable if he really wants this role.

The same thing applies in business coaching and for business owners. We need to recognise those people who need to be pushed, and get them out of their comfort zone, so that we can help the more retiring and shyer people to reach the levels that they are eminently capable of.

Have you ever noticed that how you treat people or how you deal with them, tends to be reflected right back at you. If you are polite and show respect, on the whole people will treat you in the same way.

The same principle also seems to manifest itself in your actions. If you turn up on time, or you always return phone calls when you say you will, or you reply to e-mails and read direct mail letters, then these things will more than likely be reciprocated. The things is, if you believe that this is the way to conduct business then people you deal with will quickly pick this up, and will mirror the way you behave. Of course sometimes you may never have met the people you are trying to contact, but if, as I do, you answer the phone to cold callers, and read the unsolicited e-mails or direct mailers sent, then there is far more chance that your target markets will respond to the marketing you aim at them.

First impressions are everything, and the way people meet and greet you will say a lot about them, and the way they perceive themselves and others. Sometimes I find people like to keep me waiting, and sometimes they are not even there, claiming something called them away at the last moment. I am prepared to give people one chance if they seem genuine enough, but I am always wary of such people thereafter. The thing is these sorts of people often find that their suppliers or customers let them down in one way or another, and they will complain avidly about this behaviour. However, they should only have to look at the way they do things to understand why it happens to them.

Treat people with respect, be positive and do good things for others, and the mirror will make sure that you get lots of good things back