The Conference Coach™

Carolyn Bradfield

This is the most important blog post I’m going to write, so pay attention closely.  It’s the end of the year and naturally we all look back to assess where we’ve been and how we’ve done.  Part of that ritual is to create New Year’s resolutions that will guide us to improve ourselves.  I did a little research and here’s what seems to be a consensus of the top 10:

1. Stop smoking
2. Get fit
3. Lose weight
4. Enjoy life more
5. Quit drinking
6. Get organized
7. Learn something new
8. Get out of debt
9. Spend more time with the family
10. Help others

Most resolutions are never kept and if you look at the ones on the list closely, maybe you can see why.  Other than #9 and #10, all of them are pretty inwardly focused.  I generally believe that most people are not at their best when they create goals that only serve themselves without attaching those goals to how they can serve others.

I spent part of my holidays visiting someone very close to me who is in a drug and alcohol program.  On the surface it would seem as if he’s destroyed most of his life…..broke, alienated from family, no job, health issues – tough to look in the mirror and come to that realization.   He’s struggling with the 12 Steps to recovery, particularly the one that deals with finding a “higher power.”  When I left there, I had an epiphany about his situation.  He needs to find a higher power to help him recover, but then also a “higher purpose” that makes the hard road after treatment worth the fight.

A higher purpose is quite simple – it is what you are meant to do that is of greater importance than yourself.  This simple principle can be applied to you as an individual, to a group, or even to a company.  Take Copper Conferencing as an example.  Everyone knows we sell audio and web conferencing.  Yet, we have a higher purpose.

• Copper Conferencing increases people’s self worth and satisfaction because someone is now asking for their ideas and input on those conference calls.
• Copper gives people a sense of control because they are pulled into the decision process.
• Copper gives back time to those who would otherwise have to call their team one at a time or jump on an airplane to get business done.
• Copper lets companies tap into the collective wisdom of their people.
• Copper helps people hold onto their jobs because their companies can save money by not having so many on site meetings or in-person sales calls.
• Copper gives its people a chance to grow, develop, learn something and succeed.

All of you and even your companies have a higher purpose.  Instead of making a New Year’s resolution that you will likely break, consider only one goal – identify and begin to tap into what your higher purpose is.  Struggling to see how to do that?  Here are some ideas:

• Consider being the person who gets involved to help someone when it’s inconvenient or seems too hard.  It’s not hard to make a profound difference in just one person’s life.
• Don’t open your checkbook; rather invest your time in someone else, or a cause you believe in.
• Consider it your responsibility to reduce healthcare cost.  Put a simple idea into practice and then tell everyone else you know what you did.
• Ask your parents or grandparents to tell you about a moment in their lives that was meaningful.  Listen carefully, process what you hear and learn from it.
• Think about how your company can give back to your employees to make their lives more productive.
• Do something to set an example for your kids, your co-workers or your friends to follow.

The New Year is upon us all.  Let’s break out of the cliché of resolutions and think deeper.  You’ve all got a higher purpose, whether that purpose is simple or grandiose.  Your job in 2010 is to find that purpose and start acting on it.

To learn more about what’s new at Copper and how audio conferencing and web conferencing services can help you improve your business and cut costs, contact a Conference Coach today.