Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

When you say or hear a negative statement, add “up until now” to erase the negative.

These magic words come from author and consultant Jerry Weinberg. They are great erasers.

Here are some examples:

• I am not a good writer…up until now
• I stutter when I speak in front of people…up until now
• I eat too much…up until now
• I don’t practice enough…up until now

And here are some examples of what to say when you hear a negative statement:

• We don’t follow our employees’ careers enough…up until now
• We don’t talk to people enough…up until now
• We don’t advertise well…up until now
• We don’t care…up until now

You could become a hero be tossing in these magic words in meetings.

One more thing. Funny, the negative statements tell us what to do. They are the solutions to our problems. Think about it.