How To Win Playing Better Tennis?

“Win playing better tennis.” – Raj Gavurla

I really understood you had a tennis match after watching the NBA Playoffs last night.  How did it go?  My job is to performance consult and performance coach at the professional, college, academy, high school, and recreational levels. The main difference between them is better mental performance skills.  Most of the pros know how to hit the ball.  It’s bettering their mental performance skills to play better tennis they need to win more.

Yes, I also play tennis and I like playing with all levels because I approach each with a different frame of mind.  All levels of players pose a different challenge to me.  Recently, I’ve been playing with a group of recreational players. They see me warm up beforehand, bring my water, and my chair and watch me as I warm up and say “that’s what we need to do”.  Yet, week after week they come out and just start playing.  They warm up without practicing their volleys and overheads.  It’s as if they are enthralled with the baseline although they are playing doubles.  There is no serve and volley except me.

The wild thing is it is just as competitive as a Grand Slam Final with lesser mental performance skills and tennis skills.  Since I can help their mental performance skills, I do and they’ve wised up and some take lessons on tennis technique (how to hit the ball better).  They haven’t wised up yet to take mental performance coaching lessons.

While playing “my coach” (I call one of them that).  He tells me to “play with better players” and is very hard to please.  I can hit ten “nice” or “good” shots and he’ll point out the three I didn’t hit well.  He compares me to professional players like Federer and Nadal.  I’m honored by the comparison as he does know what he’s talking about when I’m not consistent or don’t move into the right position.  He says, “I watch them on T.V. and at live tournaments”.  Obviously, I’m not as robust of a tennis player as the pros.

Recently, we were closing out a match and he was telling me not to do this and that.  I called a mental performance skills coaching timeout.  I said, “all this negativity isn’t helping us”.  How about saying, “finish the match” or “see the ball”.  A week later we were in a similar situation, and he was encouraging and motivating and for a long period silent. After we won, he actually complimented me with “good”.  Wow!  Then he said “you need to win a Grand Slam”.  I wish he was around sooner in my tennis life.

I gave him an autographed copy of my Your Raise The Bar Primer: Mental Performance Skills workbook.   He looked at it and said “that takes commitment”.  My response, you can stay at status quo and go through the motions week after week or have fun and win more.  Which do you want?  My coach has been working on it.  I already see a difference in his ability on the court.  If you need cabinets installed that’s my coach’s real job.

Yes, I do need to play with better players but I enjoy playing with all levels and at the recreational level I’m able to work on shots that I’m not able to do so against better-skilled players without first honing it.  Some of the guys played in high school and one in college so it’s not as if they are beginners.

For those who still are working on technique, here are six videos to watch showing the legendary, Andre Agassi.  I myself am hitting better volleys, overheads, and serves after watching.  Remember, you also need to work on bettering your mental performance skills.  The combination helps you win playing better tennis.

“Children are wonderfully confident in their own imaginations.
Most of us lose this confidence as we grow up.” – Sir Ken Robinson

For programs and services, contact Raj at 864.569.2315 or raj@rajgavurla.com, LiiiVEN.

Performance and Entrepreneurial Leadership In Management Needed for Mental Health In Your Workplace

“Win your better outcomes: High Value and Valued ROI” – Raj Gavurla

Your valued employee is missing work more often and you can tell some things aren’t making sense.  As leadership and management, you think about what’s happening to them.  Then, your office manager or human resource person informs you they gave them the Employee Assistant Program (EAP) phone number.  Of course, something serious happened yet you’re still puzzled.  However, because you don’t know what to do or policy you don’t initiate to share authentic dialogue with your valued subordinate.

Your subordinate doesn’t know what’s happening as all they think is I’ve been having very unusual thoughts and not feeling well.  It’s as if the microprocessor (brain) in my computer (body) isn’t consistently functioning.  They really don’t know when told they have a mental health diagnosis what that means.  They just hope the doctor determines the right treatment to help/cure/exhibit teamwork to allow them to successfully continue working and living a robust life.  Sometimes for a percentage of workers, this happens and they continue successfully working and living a robust life.  Often times the facts are this doesn’t happen and your employee’s performance is valued for periods of time and then an episode or something happens and they miss work or they aren’t exhibiting their consistent valued performance.  A mental health challenge doesn’t discriminate based on socioeconomic or sociodemographic status.

There is a highly customized fluid solution for your valued subordinate.  An example is:

1.  You (Boss) initiating and sharing private authentic dialogue with your employee.  It takes research better outcomes, preparation, interaction, and communication to deliver better outcomes for your subordinate (employee).

2.  Understanding what his or her treatment plan is and the teamwork needed.

3.  Forming a “small individual/personal matters team/group” to help your subordinate by involving a select group of trained employees as this employee’s support system in your workplace.

4.  Understanding the high-value importance/urgency of their family, work, and financial sustainability to your subordinate’s wellness is essential.  Their family is experiencing similar uncertainty as you about the well-being of your employee.

5.  By taking the initiative and being proactive with a process your employee becomes better and your costs tremendously decrease because your employee is still able to work although it might be scaled back and is given the review and evaluation of their work during this time to continue being a forward performing valued successful employee.

Yes, taking these steps are asking for more effort on your part as Boss and employer.  However, the following are some of the better outcomes (results) from taking initiative:

1.  I know as employer, Boss, team, and employee each is doing everything they can to see each other succeed and your clients succeed.   As an employer, you don’t have to do the bare minimum to be in compliance.  There are value-add resources that can help you.  As a strong mental health advocate, performance consultant/coach, and entrepreneurial leadership expert, my services might be a value-add to your current protocol for this situation.

2.  Donating to charity is important and I encourage you to continue doing so to make your business and community stronger.  However, a lot of times companies donate to non-profits (a humanitarian cause/need) without knowing the person they are helping to receive support services.  By allocating funds for mental health in your company, you are essentially creating “charity in the workplace” and seeing your dollars actually being put to use for your valued employee and receive quality work completed for your efforts.

3.  The sensation of having this humanitarian lens is very fulfilling, highly satisfying, and delivers a win for all (your business and community).  Businesses are here to contribute to family and societal progress.  Being a humanitarian to me means more than “spiritual brothers and sisters have to eat”. Being a humanitarian means “spiritual brothers and sisters have to thrive”. We are very capable of this mission and aspiration being a reality because of the forward progress we consistently make in employer/employee relationships and societal progress.

4.  Most likely your employee becomes more loyal and continues to make forward progress in your company.  Also, you now have an employee with high-value empathy skills and is part of your succession planning for your “small personal matters team(s)/group(s).  Although most of your employees don’t have a mental health diagnosis, they do have mental health challenges whether spurred from a workplace issue or life issue that sharing authentic dialogue with select people in a “small personal matters team/group” would greatly benefit your business.

5.   Mental health is our current major employer/social health challenge to the robust viability of our workplace we have to triumph along with cancer (you could imagine this affects a person’s mental health).

6.   I’ve heard too many personal stories of talented, skilled, and educated people who are underemployed and not doing meaningful work.  Because of this, there might be relationship problems because of the stigma associated with mental health and the individual might lose hope.

Sports often is at the forefront of employer and societal progress.  An example is Lebron James addressing the Cavaliers in the locker room, welcoming, and helping Larry Sanders (mental health challenge) join the team and continue to progress in his NBA career.  Yes, there are a lot of small business owners who are also helping and supporting individuals with a mental health challenge.  How about your Fortune 500, mid-size, or over 50 employees small business?

Remember, being a humanitarian is more than “spiritual brothers and sisters have to eat”.  Being a humanitarian is “spiritual brothers and sisters have to thrive”.  It’s a win for all.  It’s worth it!

If you are an executive, in management, or are a workplace leader, who is challenged by mental health in your business, please contact me to share authentic dialogue.  Your leadership is needed and wanted.

“One’s destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things.” Henry Miller 

For programs and services, contact Raj at 864.569.2315, raj@rajgavurla.com, LiiiVEN.

You Don’t Need To Live A Double Life In Your Workplace

“You Don’t Need To Live A Double Life In Your Workplace.” – Raj Gavurla

Do you come to your job or the playing field leading a double life?  You don’t need to.  How is this possible?  I’m there to work (complete tasks, etc.).  That’s what they pay me to do.  Years ago there was a job I inquired about with someone who worked for the company.  He proceeded to tell me “you have to set up equipment”.  I waited to see if he had more to say.  He didn’t.  I wasn’t interested in the job. Why?  Because work is more to me than completing tasks (it’s part of the job) and receiving benefits.   I understand you have family and friends outside of work you have fun, rewarding, and enjoyable camaraderie with.  How about having fun, rewarding, and enjoyable camaraderie with your colleagues or teammates?

Camaraderie is one of the keys that keeps employees performing, retains, and recruits. It also plays a major role in wellness (well-being), motivation, inspiration, engagement, a positive attitude, leadership, and execution.

What’s a solution to nurture camaraderie in the workplace?  By using a small group personal team matters approach. Do you have thousands, hundreds, less than fifty, ten to twenty, five or fewer employees or teammates?  The larger the business, organization, or team the harder it is to have camaraderie with everyone.  Regardless of size test the following:

Break up into “small personal teams”.  A “small personal team” is a group that discusses (has dialogue) about personal matters not directly related to your job.  For example, your family, what you’re doing this weekend, what you did this past weekend, your health, nutrition, fitness, your parents, kids aspirations, your non-work challenges, crisis, someone passing, accident, hobbies, movie, best place to get something, book you’re reading, mountains, sports, festivals, etc. Apply the learning.

A Customized Structure Might Look Like:

1.  Ask people to participate sharing why.  Do not require them to participate.

2.  For those who join a personal matters team, make what’s discussed confidential. That doesn’t mean you can’t share your situation with someone outside of your group.  Use your discretion.

3.  Meet once a week for 45 minutes to an hour in a quiet place (conference room, courtyard, etc.)

4.  Talk about and share personal matters important to each group member

5.   Close the meeting

Use Metrics and Collect Data On The Outcomes:

Are employees mentally performing better?

Is employee retention increasing?

Is it easier to recruit?

What effect does it have on wellness (well-being), motivation, and inspiration?

What effect does it have on engagement, a positive attitude, leadership, and execution?

Small Personal Matters Team Examples:

Look at an amazing family

Look at a business team.  One of the things employees, athletes, investors, donors, and philanthropists look at is the teamwork exhibited.

Look at our military.  They have tremendous camaraderie protecting each other, to survive, and protect us.  They know each other and have nicknames for each other making it easier to accomplish their mission.

Look at a sports team and you hear athletes talk about the camaraderie or if retired the camaraderie is what they miss.

I remember from reading Oscar Robertson’s biography he worked with people of a different skin color and they never had time for camaraderie.  Just do the work because in those times that’s how it was.  People didn’t know each other at work and never met outside of work with people of a different skin color.  He said, “that hurt”.  I’m sure some people of the other skin color had the same thought and feeling, “that hurt”.  Thankfully, we the people have made tremendous cultural and societal progress.

Another example, I went to college to graduate/get an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering.  That was the main goal.  It’s the camaraderie with a few friends I remember and miss most.  Although we don’t talk often or see each other as often I know, feel, sense, and believe we are connected forever.

My final example are my friends from Leadership Greenville.  I shared with a small personal matters group my mom had a stroke.  One told me his dad passed away from a stroke and another told me they had a family member who had a stroke and it’s a slow process.  People get better. Until the emergency personnel told me your mom had a stroke, I’ve heard of the word stroke but knew nothing about it.  Learning about a stroke and talking with my small personal matters team gave me lived experience insights I couldn’t get from a textbook that helped me to mentally perform to be a caregiver for my mom to make her well.  She is talking better and she needs and wants to walk better and drive a car.

Implementing small personal matters teams in your businesses, organizations, and teams might transform the narratives, conversations, and outcomes.  It should be helpful too and take pressure off and inhibit the performance anxiety your employees, team leaders, supervisors, managers, bosses, management, executives, and owners are experiencing. Yes, conventions, conferences, and special events are still needed and wanted for all your employees or sports team to participate in.

“A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.” 

– Bruce Lee

For programs and services, contact Raj at 864.569.2315, raj@rajgavurla.com

Win: A Sense of Respect Should Be Automatic, Not Earned

“A sense of respect should be automatic, not earned.” – Raj Gavurla

“If you set your goals ridiculously high and it’s a failure, you will fail above everyone else’s success.” – James Cameron

For programs and services, contact Raj at 864.569.2315, raj@rajgavurla.com

Preview Video: Transform Your Performance & Leadership

“Transform your performance and entrepreneurial leadership in business, work, sports, and life.”

– Raj Gavurla

“The way you tell your story to yourself matters.” Amy Cuddy

For programs and services, contact Raj at 864.569.2315, raj@rajgavurla.com

CHANGE ISN’T A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE: WHAT IS?

“Fortunately world-class business occurs with preparation and communication.” – Raj Gavurla

Since change isn’t a competitive advantage, how are businesses, organizations, and teams solving their need(s) for performing (high value/value add) better results (better ROI/higher margins) in a faster time?

Answer: Transform Performance

Examples:

1. Most organization development shows a top-down flow. Whether their competitive advantage starts at the top (trickle down) to the bottom or from the bottom (grassroots) to the top. How about transforming your performance lens to organization development showing forward performance (—–> timeline fashion): Founder-Board-President/CEO – Each Colleague (Teammate) – Business Unit – Division – Department – etc. as they came into existence in a win forward performance for your competitive advantage? Forward performance mentality is essential to living (doing) for each person to thrive.

2. Sometimes when I shoot baskets kids are also shooting on the same basket. When they make a shot and I grab the rebound they are quick to say “change” meaning they want me to pass them the ball as a return for making their shot. Since I’m also a performance consultant and private performance mental skills coach, I want to tell them “Change isn’t a competitive advantage. I would have thrown the ball to you without you saying change.” Instead, they need to shoot the ball from the same spot the same way (“repetitions – keep going to the well”). If an adult paid my fee, the kids win forward performance.

3.  The better tennis player you are the more mental tennis is.  What differentiates the number one players and teams in men’s and women’s tennis is their mentality.  What are you doing to work on your private performance mental skills so you consistently become a better tennis player.

4. In business, work, sports, and life identify your need(s) to win forward performance whether experiencing success (fun) or negativity. Most likely you know what to live (do) and/or you might need to pay for support service(s) to work with you to solve your need(s) to win forward performance.

5. How do you accomplish any endeavor in life (i.e. your dreams, vision, goals, and/or mission)? By living (doing) it.

“You cannot start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one.”

– Michael McMillan

For programs and services, contact Raj at 864.569.2315, raj@rajgavurla.com

Learn The Habits of Win Forward Performance

“Learn the habits of win forward performance.” – Raj Gavurla

I was featured on this tennis blog talk radio show as a substitute for Allen Fox.  It’s for tennis players, coaches, fans, and enthusiasts, Coach Danise’s Blog Talk Radio program is forward performing. I’m glad to create and share my expertise inspiring dialogue with Coach Danise.

For those who want to contact me for Performance Coaching & Consulting or for me to deliver a Keynote & Workshop visit: http://www.rajgavurla.com/privatementalperformance.html

For those who want to buy my workbook, Your Raise The Bar Primer: Mental Performance Tools mentioned in the radio program for all levels of play visit: http://rajgavurla.com/tennisworkbooksandprograms.html

Click Here To Learn From The Radio Program:  

Learn The Habits of Win Forward Performance

“Your value doesn’t decrease based on someone’s inability to see your worth.” – Unknown

For programs and services, contact Raj at 864.569.2315, raj@rajgavurla.com

THE NEW TALENT POOL: WORKFORCE FOR HUMANITY

“Do prosperity work: create inspiring authentic dialogue.

Be a good listener:  Personally, we the people (everyone), want each person to thrive.”

– Raj Gavurla

Where is the new talent pool?  It’s within you!  Take a look at these professions:

Engineer, Entrepreneur, Public Service, Doctor, Writer, Professional Speaker, Professional Athlete, Actor, Model, Musician, Professor, and add any profession(s) to your liking.

Is it within you?  Be and/or become any of the professions of your liking and you will be able to forward practical perform winning valued money doing so.  For example, you might work for a few minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, quarters, seasonally, or years doing one or any combination of the profession(s).

Your reply to “what do you do?” might be, “I’m an entrepreneur, engineer, professional speaker, writer, professional athlete, politician, doctor, actor, consultant, and coach.”  They might give you an uncertain look.  You reply, “I’m paid (valued money) doing each”.

What combination will you use to thrive?

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” – Maya Angelou

Situational Mindset: Difference Between Better Outcomes, Performance, Production, Successes, Fun, Enjoyment, Celebration

A situational mindset is a skill you use to fully engage yourself in a process and culture. Whether one person, two, a group, or many stakeholders, there are diverse people with personalities, perspectives, agendas, pressures, and what’s important to them. Examples are: Your mom needs emergency surgery. Your situational mindset is serious and prayerful, the doctor reports she was able to remove all of the clot (your situational mindset is thankful), you visit your mom (your situational mindset is loving, positive and encouraging), your mom comes home (your situational mindset is helping her get better), during this time of recovery (your situational mindset varies from loving, serious, fun, funny, success, enjoyment, relief, prayerful, progress, frustration, stress, hope, caring, and sharing).

In your business, organization, and team you also encounter the above situational mindsets in a different context.
For clarity and preparedness let’s look at a process and culture for you to succeed:

Better Outcomes

Yes, you need to know what is your dream, vision, goal(s), mission, motivation, inspire yourself, and incentive(s).
So the dream is about how the fulfillment of better outcomes will enable you to dream more? Vision is the leadership and buy-in to get there, goal(s) are the milestones in your journey, and your mission is waking up daily to motivate and inspire your successes. Motivation is your fuel. Inspire yourself to consistently do better. Incentive(s) is everything expected and unexpected that goes along with pursuing your situational better outcomes mindset. What are your better outcomes? Capitalize on the learning.  It takes sharing inspiring authentic dialog.

How To Consistently Perform Better?

This essentially is “how do I consistently perform better?” You need to remove some things or habits and continue building and growing your mental performance skills. When on a team, ask “how do we consistently perform better”?

In an organization, ask “how does the organization consistently perform better?” For me, after completing the better outcomes section I constantly am looking for ways to consistently perform better. In this changing, diverse, and financially outdated system the forces of democracy, innovation and entrepreneurial vigor, and a spirited beacon of hope consistently creates a better life, better living, and better future. It’s a new way of thinking for some people. In a situational performance mindset more organizations, teams, and individuals need to spend more time in the situational performance mindset. The reason is illustrated in the next section. Yes, you want to earn more wins and more income. Now that’s established learn how to learn to consistently perform better and the more wins and more income come to you. You don’t need to chase it.

Do Your Best Production

Before management, people were working on their own to feed and clothe them self and their family. As the concept of management came into existence from Frederick Taylor to Peter Drucker management has learned their people, partnerships, and relationships are what makes the difference in their successes. The creative, innovative, and invention of technology, machines, and robots are handling things you no longer need to do. For example, agriculture has advanced, manufacturing plants are cleaner and less manual labor is being done, and mobility is delivering solutions when needed without delay.

More and more we are advancing from a situational production mindset to a situational performance mindset. Companies are realizing to succeed management doesn’t need to do all the situational performance mindset work while non-management does the situational production mindset work. It puts too much pressure on management’s situational performance mindset. Instead of fully engaging employees in the process and culture, it puts too much uncertainty on employees’ situational production mindset.

Successes, Fun, Enjoyment, and Celebration

The solution(s) which is implemented to varying degrees based on an inordinate number of criteria, wants, and needs are to fully engage your organization and personnel in better outcomes and situational performance mindset and spend less time in the situational production mindset. Then how does anything get done? “We are about doing you say.” Here’s how: You work on creating, innovating, inventing, and invest in the right service(s), product(s), technology, machines, and robots to develop and grow your business and clientele.

You invest in support services such as professional speaker(s), coach(es), consultant(s), and trainer(s) service(s) and product(s), who have a solution and then fully engage them to help you consistently perform better. In my speaking, coaching, and consulting, my clients need help in one or more of the four situational mindsets. Over the years having seen this need in companies of all sizes, different types of teams, and industries, I created, innovated, and invented to put together an intervention package. It consists of the Your Raise The Bar Primer: Mental Performance Tools workbook for your situational performance mindset, highly customized individual or team coaching, a customized team workshop, and performance consulting. From using my workbook you’ll realize not only how to accomplish your list, you’ll also realize how to put a lens on it for better outcomes. Currently, businesses and athletes are using it to make good progress. You don’t need to struggle, live in apathy, or suffer.

There are more successes, fun, enjoyment, and celebrations for you to partake in. When’s the next banquet, corporate party, convention, cookout, conference, cruise, or parade? It’s an endless fully engaging process and culture. I’m looking forward to seeing you more successful (practical forward mobility) as that’s my job and in my mission statement.

“Success isn’t about being the best. It’s about always getting better.” Behance 99U

For programs and services, contact Raj at 864.569.2315, raj@rajgavurla.com.

“Get The Gunk Out”: All Forms of Negativity

“You want something(s) that works or is working!” – Raj Gavurla

In talking with Jerry he told me his people work too much.  For some reason, people are equating the amount of time with better outcomes.  Of course, no one will accomplish anything professionally without putting in their time. However, do you maximize your better results with the time you put in?

In my work with clients, I discover one or more of the following three mental skills needing sprucing and honing:

1.  They aren’t rewarding themselves mentally.

2.  They are being too hard on themselves.

3.  They need to “get the gunk out” (get rid of all negativity)

They aren’t rewarding themselves mentally

You want a robust life, better living, and better future.  Yes, someone might think someone doesn’t want that that’s why they are where they are. Non-sense!  Since you are a robust being a combination of activities interact so you can shine brighter.  To reward yourself categorize them and after achieving them reward yourself with mental points.  It can be 1, 1,000, 5,000, 10,000 or any number for the accomplishment of each category. Only reward yourself with the points after it’s completed.  For example, your categories could be:

1.  Woke up looking forward to the day.  Attack the day. (1,000 points)

2.  Did my mental performance routine(s), stretching exercises, and ate breakfast with appreciation? (1,000 points)

3.  Got the kids ready. (1,000 points)

4.  Did work.  (1,000 points)

5.  Inspire yourself through the negative thoughts (1,000 points)

6.  Took a break (1,000 points)

7.  Ate lunch with appreciation (1,000 points)

8.  Did work (1,000 points)

9.  Went for a run (7 points (1 for each segment))

10.  Plan something to look forward to in the evening (0 points)

11. Took a tea break (1,000 points)

12. Ate dinner with appreciation (1,000 points)

13. Inspire yourself through the craving (1,000 points)

14. Something relaxing (talking with family) and fun (watching a game, reading, playing tennis or basketball) in the evening (1,000 points)

Remember to reward yourself with points after completing each category.  Then, add up the points.  If you aren’t hitting your target number then either you are doing too much as in Jerry’s case or too little.  Test it. Consistently do it for one week.  What do you think?  Win is in the fun!

They are being too hard on themselves

Yes, your children can make robust A’s, you can be more successful in your profession, and you’re able to win more tennis matches.  How do you plan to make a robust A by attending class and taking notes without reading the material?  Do you think by reading the material and at intervals asking yourself questions about the material so you can recall it and apply the learning makes sense?

In your profession, what are you doing to work on better interaction and communication skills, your presentation skills, better education (learn how to learn), better relationships, better results, participating in events to grow/build/develop for a better living, robust life, a better future, and better outcomes?  Without having a support system (family, friends, spiritual growth/building/development), support services (coach(es), mentor(s), advisor(s)) it’s almost impossible.  Look at any highly successful person.  They have a support system and support services/products. The good news is there are so many options available and it’s up to you to research the best one(s) for your situation.

They need to “get the gunk out” (get rid of all negativity)

For your higher performance, “get the gunk out”.  Stop trying to analyze your thoughts.  Just think, “get the gunk out”!  Then you can connect with patience to inspire your higher performance.  Test it!  When you think or say “get the gunk out”, a void needs to be filled.  It’s your job to fill it with anything inspiring for your higher performance (shine brighter). Listen to motivating and inspiring videos, attend events, read motivating and inspiring books, and stop uselessly browsing the web clogging your mind with useless information overload.  Only view, attend, read, and browse sites applicable to your situation.  You’re a star, shine brighter.

“Love everything you do. Better outcomes with consistent positive work (practice) and “the zone” repetitions.” – Raj Gavurla

For programs and services, contact Raj at 864.569.2315, raj@rajgavurla.com.