In the gym, I'm going through the weight routine that I can practically do in my sleep. Part of the formula is progression - that if I am working with 30 pound weights - then certainly 32 pounds is just a little bit better. Since I'm a fairly fit individual, I have very little reason to question the formula - in fact, just the opposite is true - the formula has worked for me.
The problem here is that I'm thinking in just one dimension of success - in this case, the successful repetition and progression of a certain activity. There are days, like yesterday, when my head told me that I had to do 15 reps - but by the 13th rep my muscles were aching and I could feel my shoulder start to strain. If I had dogmatically followed my formula, I would have kept going and perhaps injured myself. Instead, I stopped, recognizing that the formula for success must be met with the dimensionality of both brain and emotional intelligence.
Too often we are the victims of our own formula for success. That if something has worked well for us (and let's face it - we are chagrined to acknowledge that perhaps something hasn't worked well) that then we will just repeat. . .and the more we repeat the more successful we will be.
This isn't true. A formula for success is a guideline; it is meant to be tested by other factors. Has the work climate changed? What is going on with the competitive landscape? What has happened to the team composition? How is everyone (including yourself) feeling these days? If you don't exactly repeat what has been done in the past - what are the opportunities and challenges? Is what has been done in the past truly that effective currently?
Having one's pulse on the workplace and the teams that comprise the workplace is invaluable. It bring dimensionality to whatever formula you may be using. The consistent inquiry regarding formulas used is not heresy; instead, it avoids a dogma that can become deadly.
Formulas can be great - inquiry and emotional intelligence create dimensionality around those formulas - that, then, becomes a winning combination.
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My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.
Friday, March 30, 2018
Friday, March 23, 2018
The Very Definition of Winning
I'm afraid that reality television (and our current political climate) is twisting the meaning of what it is to win: they would have you believe that whatever means is necessary (bullying, name calling, deceitfulness) to obliterate the competition is warranted as long as one gets one's own way. And the singular is not a mistake - it seems that parallel to this is the thought that the fewer that "win" (top 1%?) the bigger the victory.
And it's wrong.
Let's talk about sportsmanship - and let's name it what it is - integrity. You want to win? Be honest, invest the hard work in thoughtfulness. . .be fair. Consistently conduct your business with integrity.
Let's talk about the value of the team. As much as many people think they can do it all by themselves - truth is - most can't. An even greater truth is that the solutions created and executed by dedicated, hard-working and honest teams are always more successful than the work of one. You want to win? Choose, embrace and support a great team.
Let's not confuse who the competition is. The competition is not someone on your team. Once while interviewing a potential employee from a competing retailer, he disclosed to me that the environment at his current store was "running gun battles in the hall." What a waste of time and resources. It wasn't long until this particular retailer declared bankruptcy. They mistakenly thought the competition was interior - the competition is truly exterior. You want to win? Be clear about who the competition really is.
Don't isolate yourself. Reach out to others for the very reason of building a better solution that will include as many people as possible. You want to win? Be inclusive.
The old adage of winning the battle and losing the war has merit. Winning through bullying, deceitfulness and no thought to integrity is only a temporary victory. We must believe that great teamwork, honesty, thoughtfulness, progressiveness combined with a true understanding of the goal is what ultimately wins.
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My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.
And it's wrong.
Let's talk about sportsmanship - and let's name it what it is - integrity. You want to win? Be honest, invest the hard work in thoughtfulness. . .be fair. Consistently conduct your business with integrity.
Let's talk about the value of the team. As much as many people think they can do it all by themselves - truth is - most can't. An even greater truth is that the solutions created and executed by dedicated, hard-working and honest teams are always more successful than the work of one. You want to win? Choose, embrace and support a great team.
Let's not confuse who the competition is. The competition is not someone on your team. Once while interviewing a potential employee from a competing retailer, he disclosed to me that the environment at his current store was "running gun battles in the hall." What a waste of time and resources. It wasn't long until this particular retailer declared bankruptcy. They mistakenly thought the competition was interior - the competition is truly exterior. You want to win? Be clear about who the competition really is.
Don't isolate yourself. Reach out to others for the very reason of building a better solution that will include as many people as possible. You want to win? Be inclusive.
The old adage of winning the battle and losing the war has merit. Winning through bullying, deceitfulness and no thought to integrity is only a temporary victory. We must believe that great teamwork, honesty, thoughtfulness, progressiveness combined with a true understanding of the goal is what ultimately wins.
Like it? Share it?
My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.
Friday, March 16, 2018
Grey matter on grey matters. . .
How easy it seems to be able to see matters in the simplistic terms of either black or white.
Here's what strikes me; black and white photography is really not about those two extremes - but it is the shades of grey that provide the true picture. It is not simply the black or simply the white. . .but it is the complications in between that make it so rewarding.
I believe the same is true in life and work. . .it is not the "yes" and "no" of seeming black and white decision making. . .it is understanding the complexity, the emotional comprehension, the intellect utilized that makes the greys of work and life so rewarding.
Face it. . .it is easy to be dogmatic. It is reassuring even to claim that things are either this way or that. It doesn't really require any emotional commitment to the subject at hand. . .it eschews inquiry or multi-dimensional thought.
Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie's somewhat persnickety sleuth, often referred to the little grey cells: using one's brain. Often I find that in popular culture we neglect using our own grey matter, choosing instead for the easy way out - the quick flight to either black or white.
Ultimately, however, one does not win this way. We win through inquiry. We win by being willing to be wrong - and then figuring out what it takes to be right. We win through the utilization of emotional intelligence. We win by using our brain. . .and heart.
Black and white thinking really does very little of this - it's vend-a-decision - and it's a waste. Utilizing the resources we've been given to be thoughtful, to be strong. . .that is what allows us to explore the greys of an issue. And that is what enables us to bring a decision to life.
"It is the brain, the little grey cells on which one must rely. One must seek the truth within - not without." - Hercule Poirot
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My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.
Here's what strikes me; black and white photography is really not about those two extremes - but it is the shades of grey that provide the true picture. It is not simply the black or simply the white. . .but it is the complications in between that make it so rewarding.
I believe the same is true in life and work. . .it is not the "yes" and "no" of seeming black and white decision making. . .it is understanding the complexity, the emotional comprehension, the intellect utilized that makes the greys of work and life so rewarding.
Face it. . .it is easy to be dogmatic. It is reassuring even to claim that things are either this way or that. It doesn't really require any emotional commitment to the subject at hand. . .it eschews inquiry or multi-dimensional thought.
Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie's somewhat persnickety sleuth, often referred to the little grey cells: using one's brain. Often I find that in popular culture we neglect using our own grey matter, choosing instead for the easy way out - the quick flight to either black or white.
Ultimately, however, one does not win this way. We win through inquiry. We win by being willing to be wrong - and then figuring out what it takes to be right. We win through the utilization of emotional intelligence. We win by using our brain. . .and heart.
Black and white thinking really does very little of this - it's vend-a-decision - and it's a waste. Utilizing the resources we've been given to be thoughtful, to be strong. . .that is what allows us to explore the greys of an issue. And that is what enables us to bring a decision to life.
"It is the brain, the little grey cells on which one must rely. One must seek the truth within - not without." - Hercule Poirot
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My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.
Friday, March 9, 2018
What Do People Want to Do For You?
So, here's the thing. We, every one of us, are much more likely to do things (and to do a better job of things) that we like to do . . .that we want to do.
So, what do you want people to do for you? And do you position yourself so that people want to do what you want them to do?
I think of this even as I order my latte in the morning. I want a great cup of coffee. . .I want my coffee cake. . .and I want it all in a reasonable amount of time and in a pleasant fashion. So, you know what? I approach the barista positively and pleasantly. I do this first and foremost because it is the right thing to do. . .but the result, far more often than not, is that the positivity is returned to me in the form of getting what I want.
The same is true in the workplace. I create a solid vision of what I want. . .and then I treat people so that they will want to do this. And again, let's be clear. . .the primary reason to do this is because we want to treat people right. . .but it is a huge benefit if they are engaged and really want to do what is requested.
If the team or peers are following your directions as if they are hauling around a heavy weight, you are losing a whole lot of efficiency as well as intellectual capital. People who don't want to do what they are doing seldom optimize the task. They are not happy and it is a heavy contributor to team dysfunction.
Often to "get people on board" requires even more than a great attitude and good interpersonal skills. It requires explaining the rationale that is driving the request. It requires the investment of time in conversation with the team to discuss pros and cons. . .to genuinely seek and respect feedback. It requires praise and gratitude upon completion.
If you are feeling defensive - let it go - people seldom want to follow a defensive leader.
If you feel it's not your job to be liked - let it go. People want to do things for people they like.
If you conduct your business and life with integrity and thoughtfulness and kindness. . .you are in the right lane. . .and yes, people will want to follow you.
Like it? Share it!
My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.
So, what do you want people to do for you? And do you position yourself so that people want to do what you want them to do?
I think of this even as I order my latte in the morning. I want a great cup of coffee. . .I want my coffee cake. . .and I want it all in a reasonable amount of time and in a pleasant fashion. So, you know what? I approach the barista positively and pleasantly. I do this first and foremost because it is the right thing to do. . .but the result, far more often than not, is that the positivity is returned to me in the form of getting what I want.
The same is true in the workplace. I create a solid vision of what I want. . .and then I treat people so that they will want to do this. And again, let's be clear. . .the primary reason to do this is because we want to treat people right. . .but it is a huge benefit if they are engaged and really want to do what is requested.
If the team or peers are following your directions as if they are hauling around a heavy weight, you are losing a whole lot of efficiency as well as intellectual capital. People who don't want to do what they are doing seldom optimize the task. They are not happy and it is a heavy contributor to team dysfunction.
Often to "get people on board" requires even more than a great attitude and good interpersonal skills. It requires explaining the rationale that is driving the request. It requires the investment of time in conversation with the team to discuss pros and cons. . .to genuinely seek and respect feedback. It requires praise and gratitude upon completion.
If you are feeling defensive - let it go - people seldom want to follow a defensive leader.
If you feel it's not your job to be liked - let it go. People want to do things for people they like.
If you conduct your business and life with integrity and thoughtfulness and kindness. . .you are in the right lane. . .and yes, people will want to follow you.
Like it? Share it!
My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.
Friday, March 2, 2018
Praise. Pure and Simple.
Imagine getting a present. It is beautifully wrapped. You open it and find a much-wanted/needed gift inside - and attached to the gift is a list of chores that the giver believes you should be doing. . . like, right now.
Or attached to your bonus check is a performance improvement document from your boss.
Kind of deflating - right? Yet, this is how leaders often deliver praise in the workplace: "Thank you for doing a great job - but I really need you to pay more attention to your payroll." Is the praise heard? No.
It's kind of this crazy thing that a) we consider ourselves so time deprived that we have to hit all communication points in one shot, or b) God forbid that we actually let our team be praised without giving them something else "to aim for."
There is a caveat; if the goal is to counsel for performance improvement, often the message is better received if a multi-dimensional view of the receiver's performance is achieved. This means that the leader is acknowledging the strong points of the work as well as addressing that which is challenging.
There is a different purpose for praise; it is to offer gratitude for a great job performance. It should be special. It should stand alone.
Consider that much of the work force is more finely attuned to criticism vs. praise. They are conditioned to hear about the things that need improvement. If a message of praise is mixed with one of "and you can do this better" it is the latter statement that will be louder.
Often we consider offering praise and gratitude as just a nice little icing on the cake. A special treat that we occasionally do. That's wrong. Praise, the recognition of how we want things done, should be an extremely powerful tool. It points people in the right direction - it says "let's do this again and again and again." Praise leads someplace positive.
If we want positive feedback to hit its mark, separate it from all other messages. Don't tag it on anything else. Recognize people and thank people. . .pure and simple.
Like it? Share it!
My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.
Or attached to your bonus check is a performance improvement document from your boss.
Kind of deflating - right? Yet, this is how leaders often deliver praise in the workplace: "Thank you for doing a great job - but I really need you to pay more attention to your payroll." Is the praise heard? No.
It's kind of this crazy thing that a) we consider ourselves so time deprived that we have to hit all communication points in one shot, or b) God forbid that we actually let our team be praised without giving them something else "to aim for."
There is a caveat; if the goal is to counsel for performance improvement, often the message is better received if a multi-dimensional view of the receiver's performance is achieved. This means that the leader is acknowledging the strong points of the work as well as addressing that which is challenging.
There is a different purpose for praise; it is to offer gratitude for a great job performance. It should be special. It should stand alone.
Consider that much of the work force is more finely attuned to criticism vs. praise. They are conditioned to hear about the things that need improvement. If a message of praise is mixed with one of "and you can do this better" it is the latter statement that will be louder.
Often we consider offering praise and gratitude as just a nice little icing on the cake. A special treat that we occasionally do. That's wrong. Praise, the recognition of how we want things done, should be an extremely powerful tool. It points people in the right direction - it says "let's do this again and again and again." Praise leads someplace positive.
If we want positive feedback to hit its mark, separate it from all other messages. Don't tag it on anything else. Recognize people and thank people. . .pure and simple.
Like it? Share it!
My book "Courageous Questions, Confident Leaders" is available on Amazon Kindle.
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