Friday, April 24, 2015

Take Off the Training Wheels!

It is impossible to become successful while always playing it safe!  So why not challenge yourself to become more comfortable with risk? Not sure? Maybe these wise words will convince you…

“Pearls don’t lie on the seashore. If you want one you must dive for it”~ Chinese Proverb

“If things seem under control, you just are not going fast enough”~ Mario Andretti

“Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again.”~ Oprah Winfrey

“Go out on a limb, that’s where the fruit is”~ Jimmy Carter
“There is only one way to avoid criticism; do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing”~ Aristotle

“If you are offered a seat on a rocketship, you don’t ask what seat. You just get on!”~Sheryl Sandberg

“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are for”~ John A. Shedd

Taking calculated risks can bring previously unimaginable opportunities to both your career and your personal life. Okay, now that you are motivated, how exactly do you increase you comfort level with risk?

Acceptable Risk 

Consider the concept of “acceptable risks”.  Let’s face it, all risks are not “acceptable risks”.  So how do you decide? Hope is a great motivator but a lousy foundation for a strategy. You are much better off using a reality-based method to assess risk.  This is important when we face life’s decisions and in particular when we are assessing a financial commitment.

For decision-making, Consider 3 questions:
  1. What is the worst possible outcome of this risk?
  2. What will I do if that happens?
  3. Can I live with things turning out that way?

If you can readily answer question number two, you are probably considering an “acceptable risk”.  

For financial risk, 3 questions matter most:
  1. How much can you afford to bet or lose?
  2. What can I afford to spend?
  3. What am I willing to spend?

Don’t ever bet more than you can expect to gain in return on that expenditure. Keep in mind that any expenditure will change your ability to pursue other things.  This is where your willingness to spend should incorporate a broader perspective on the limitations that accompany the expenditure.

“Acceptable risk” will vary from person to person, but we can all benefit from pushing our boundaries from time to time.

I will leave you with a quote from the very recently departed Maya Angelou who said,

“I believe that the most important single thing, beyond discipline and creativity is daring to dare.” Maya Angelou

image credit: www.performancebike.com

Friday, April 17, 2015

Let's Get Ready to Humble!

Humility is perhaps the most overlooked and under rated of leadership traits.  And yet, when I went online in search of good information on the value of this value, I found such a wealth of great perspective! Although I support a gentle approach in most areas of leadership and communication, I found myself wondering why I hadn’t explored this area specifically before?  So, if you are like me and you have overlooked the power of humility here is some food for thought.., today I am serving humble pie… (Sorry, I couldn’t resist).

In case you need a working definition, the authors of a study published in Administrative Science Quarterly, describe this trait: “humility is manifested in self-awareness, openness to feedback, appreciation of others, low self-focus, and pursuit of self-transcendence. Humble people willingly seek accurate self-knowledge and accept their imperfections while remaining fully aware of their talents and abilities. They appreciate others' positive worth, strengths, and contributions and thus have no need for entitlement or dominance over others." The study I mentioned explored the importance of humility in effective team leadership in Chinese companies.  The results, published by PsyBlog, suggest that when it comes to high-functioning teams, humility of leaders is key. PsyBlog also stresses that earlier studies here in the U.S. uncovered the same thing. One study of Fortune 1000 executives found that one important factor which lifted leaders from 'good to great' was modesty, for instance.

John Baldoni, Inc.com contributor, describes the leadership challenge when it comes to humility in a recent post he wrote for Inc.com.. “What is important to understand is that very often leaders fear humility. I find this is especially true in autocracies where a leader is expected to 'know it all and do it all.' A leader who is not in total command of facts as well as the levers of power may be viewed as one not worthy of respect. So leaders who act with excessive bravado, even when in over their heads, are doing what is expected of them.

Sadly, they view humility as a sign of weakness. They fail to understand that the humble leader is one who can open the door to improved levels of followership. Humility is integral to 'Level 5' leadership, a term that Jim Collins uses in his seminal book, Good to Great, to describe those leaders who not only guide but inspire their organizations to achieve superior results.”  Baldoni goes on to say that “Humble leaders are those that others not only want to follow but enjoy following because of strong leadership as well as strong humanity.”

How can we demonstrate this important trait more often?  Here are six great ideas thanks to John Dame and Jeffrey Gedmin, taken from an article they wrote for Harvard Business Review:

Know what you don’t know.

Resist “master of the universe” impulses. You may yourself excel in an area, but as a leader you are, by definition, a generalist. Rely on those who have relevant qualification and expertise. Know when to defer and delegate.
Resist falling for your own publicity.

We all do it! Whether we’re writing a press release or a self-appraisal, we put the best spin on our success — and then conveniently forget that the reality wasn’t as flawless. Drinking in the glory of a triumph can be energizing. Too big a drink is intoxicating. It blurs vision and impairs judgment.

Never underestimate the competition.

You may be brilliant, ambitious, and audacious, but the world is filled with other hard-working, high-IQ, and creative professionals. Don’t kid yourself that they and their innovations aren’t a serious threat.

Embrace and promote a spirit of service.

Employees quickly figure out which leaders are dedicated to helping them succeed, and which are scrambling for personal success at their expense. Customers do too.

Listen, even (no, especially) to the weird ideas.

Only when you are not convinced that your idea is or will be better than someone else’s do you really open your ears to what they are saying. But there is ample evidence that you should. The most imaginative and valuable ideas tend to come from left field, from some associate who seems a little offbeat, and may not hold an exalted position in the organization.

Be passionately curious.

Constantly welcome and seek out new knowledge and insist on curiosity from those around you. Research has found linkages between curiosity and many positive leadership attributes (including emotional and social intelligence). Take it from Einstein. “I have no special talent,” he claimed. “I am only passionately curious.”

So, let’s get ready to humble!  And to wrap this up, I will quote C.S. Lewis who said: 

“True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.”  C.S. Lewis

imagecredit: baneofyourresistance.com

Friday, April 10, 2015

You Blew It... Now What?

Mistakes! We all make them. And as much as every good leader will tell you that mistakes are learning opportunities, you can watch even the most professional leaders head for the hills when things start to unravel.
We all want to create an environment where freethinking can breed innovation, but we get tripped up in our quest for accountability. This buzz around accountability is really our lack of tolerance for complacency. If we could lose our concern for accountability for even a moment, we might realize that encouraging and cultivating passion would leave us with the most genuinely engaged organization. You cannot be complacent and passionate. Anyway, enough on that.
So perhaps you took a risk. Maybe your overwhelming workload stress finally got the best of you and you missed something, skipped a step, left someone important out of the communication loop. It happens. So, how do you recover?  What can you do?
I’ve coached many a penitent professional through the ugly aftermath of a professional mistake. I know it isn’t easy to keep a brave face but you can get past most gaffes and (generally speaking) your reputation can recover too. Here are some tips for cleaning up a mess.
Show Humility

Humility isn’t weakness. In fact, I think it takes more guts to humble yourself than it does to defend yourself. Let me be clear, humbling yourself doesn’t mean groveling or articulating self-doubt. Humility requires you acknowledge the error, take responsibility and express that you regret that it happened the way it did.
Demonstrate Your Concern

Trying to minimize your concern for the error by describing why it isn’t really so bad or why it may actually have some silver lining is a big mistake. You can, however, talk through a perspective that might include vocabulary like “damage control” or “minimizing the impact”.
Respond Sooner Rather Than Later

The best way to demonstrate genuine concern is to respond quickly. Not in a rash or overly reactive way, but you should be deliberate and timely. Waiting too long starts to look like another mistake. We can all identify celebrities and politicians who chose to remain silent when issues escalate. The lack of response can draw increased attention. 

Explain, Don’t Defend

Offering an explanation or back story is important. It shows that you are plugged in and know how the problem happened. You don’t want to seem like you have no control or idea what is going on. Feigning disbelief or outrage will only make the situation worse. If you have a set of assumptions that you still feel you need to articulate, then share them. Don’t be pigheaded about your position, and don’t deny that the outcome is less than favorable. A thoughtful error in judgement is better than a careless error, but sometime careless errors happen and a sincere apology is all you can offer as explanation.
Always Offer Bulletproof Problem Solving

Offer a concise description of how you will ensure that a similar error will never happen again. Include safeguards and express them with confidence. Offer this shift only after you have taken responsibility and expressed your concern. If you move too quickly to problem solving, it can seem like you are trying to avoid taking responsibility.
Forgive Yourself

Don’t beat yourself up. This will not be your last mistake, be focused and be deliberate! Don’t allow your errors to make you reluctant or cautious. Use your experience to develop your tolerance and empathy for others who make mistakes in the future; and be a role model for grace under pressure.

In the words of entrepreneur Darren Hardy; “ Doubt and fear steal more dreams than failure does”.

image credit: hereisthecity.com

Friday, April 3, 2015

25 Ways to REFRESH Your Outlook This Spring!

Spring is the perfect time to “refresh”.  Like a mental spring cleaning, take some time to give your professional energy a boost.  Below are 25 great ideas.  Try one or two from each category and enjoy the booster shot of fresh perspective!

Work space
  • If you are lucky enough to have a window in your work space, open the blinds and enjoy the natural extended spring daylight.
  • Bring fresh flowers into your work space.
  • Clean your desk. Spend 15 minutes each morning organizing your work space before you get started.  Set a timer and don't take longer than 15 minutes.
  • Clean telephones and keyboards with antibacterial wipes to keep your work space germ-free.
  • Try playing music on a low volume in your office, especially when you are doing routine tasks. Wear earbuds if you work in a shared space.
  • Keep healthy snacks in your desk for when you get hungry. Skipping meals leads to low blood sugar and mental "fog".
Organization
  • Before you leave your work space for the day, organize your calendar and your "to do" list for the next morning.
  • Come in early or leave late one day and efolder all those emails in your inbox.  Then make a commitment to keep up the organization.  Asked to be removed from unnecessary distribution lists. What a relief to see that tiny number in your inbox!
  • Buy yourself some colorful file folders and Post-it notes. And use them!
  • Keep an empty box in the corner of your office.  As you come across files, notes or papers you don't need or want throw them in the shredder box. Eliminating the worry about tossing confidential information allows us to purge more freely. 
Relationship/ Networking
  • Create a Linkedin profile or update your profile.  Take a few minutes each week to “like” a connection's posting, or to endorse their skills.
  • Each day, replace one followup email with a "walk over visit" or a phone call if the person is not nearby.
  • Buy a box of thank you notes and keep them in your desk drawer.  If you are a leader, make a commitment to send out one per week thanking someone for their contributions.
  • Invite someone to lunch once a week.
  • Each week, send one "hello" email to a colleague you haven't seen in a while. Tell them you were thinking of them and wanted to reach out to catch up. You will stay better apprised of what is going on in rest of the world, and your network will stay strong for times when you may need it.
  • Put your cell phone away when you are walking to meetings or to your work space and practice making eye contact and small talk with those you may see in passing.
Personal Development
  • Choose an influencer on linkedin and follow them.  You can also choose to follow editorial contributors on forbes.com, fastcompany.com, or inc.com. When their articles hit your email box print them out and place them in a reading folder. Once per week, spend the first 30 minutes of your day (somewhere other than your desk) with your coffee, reading an article. When you are finished, forward the article to a friend. Share everything you read with at least one other person.
  • Purchase an audio book. Use your commute time or lunch break to listen to something you are interested in. 
Relaxation/Motivation
  • Look for breathing meditations on Youtube, there are many.  Download a few to your phone or tablet. Take a 15 minute break and practice deep breathing once each day.
  • Start dressing up for work again! Forget the business casual a couple days a week.
  • Get up from your desk and stretch your arms, shoulders, back and neck at least every 90 minutes.
  • To allow your eyes to recover, take regular breaks from looking at the computer screen. Optometrists suggest the 20/20/20 rule, that is, after 20 minutes of computer use, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
  • Keep a great smelling hand lotion on your desk and massage your hands pressing your thumbs into your palms when you are using the keyboard all day (bonus aromatherapy).
  • Buy yourself a beautiful journal at the office supply store or book store and keep it on the corner of your desk to capture great ideas.
  • Bring in a small memento, photo or souvenir from a favorite vacation spot and mentally visit that memory when your creativity feels blocked.
As you shut down your workday, take a deep breath and think about one good thing in the day you just completed.  Be grateful for the opportunity to grow and to contribute. Acknowledge your challenges as opportunities to learn and your successes as evidence of your personal progress!  Congratulate yourself for who you are and who you are becoming!

image credit: Fotosearch.com