WHAT APPEARS TO BE

Woodward Avenue runs through the middle of a northern Michigan town. The community has used it as the demarcation between two school districts – splitting the community in two. 70-year-old men wear opposing letter jackets around town, making their claim as to which side of the avenue “is the best.”

Does your organization have a Woodward Avenue? Are there barriers between people, teams and departments?

WHAT MIGHT BE

Unenlightened leaders place such a demand on results that they breed hostility amongst the troops. Fierce fighting rages for resources. Positioning is constant. Efforts are made to sabotage the successes of others. A “gotta get mine” mentality is worn like a badge, while secrets are whispered as people go underground to save themselves.

Competition is good, except when it’s ugly: When an organization cannibalizes itself everybody loses, including the customer.

WHAT CAN BE

Results are crucial; HOW we get results reveals the true leaders among us.

These are “tough times” in Michigan. Cuts, lay-offs, and bitter negotiations with unions are sending some deeper into their bunkers – but not in the town with Woodward Avenue. Here, there are a band of leaders on both sides of the street who are big enough to see today’s changes as a significant opportunity.

“We’re reaching out, sharing resources, and having conversations that we never had before,” says one of the superintendents. With “one community” guess who wins? (Hint: it’s an eight-letter word that begins with ‘C’.)

And what do those 70-year-old men wearing letter jackets think? One summed it up best: “It’s about time.”

Where’s your Woodward Avenue? Are you big enough to point at what we’re really competing against?

What is the difference between what “might be” and what “can be”?  You decide.

WHAT APPEARS TO BE

Do you have the guts to find out how good you are? Or do you put off the toughest part of your job (the conversations that require telling the truth or addressing the nasty problem that smells worse every day, etc.), and thus delay discovering your potential?

WHAT MIGHT BE

A friend shared: “If I would do the things I put off, I think I could grow exponentially the enjoyment I get from my job.”

How grossly is this person undermining his potential? What opportunities is he missing as he avoids what’s necessary?

Do people dodge “the tough stuff” because they don’t have the necessary leadership skills – or because they don’t want to be uncomfortable?

WHAT CAN BE

I recently took my 10-year-old daughter skiing for the third time. Barely able to navigate the green runs, she declared she wanted to “do those bumpy things.” Cautiously, I coached her as we neared the ominous terrain.

It takes guts to ski the bumps. They’re deep. They’re intimidating. Most people chicken out, and leave the mountain wondering, "What if?"

Within moments of approaching the obstacles, my daughter said, “Let’s go, Daddy!” and she was gone. 30 feet later she crashed, scattering both skis. But instantly, she stuck her head up and declared, “I’m okay!” Then, she snapped in her skis and started down again.

I could only stare and ask, ‘Am I that courageous?’

Finding out what you’re capable of means PROACTIVELY taking on the toughest parts of your job. Today, where will you assess what needs to be done – and then point your skis towards the bottom of the hill…and make it happen?

What is the difference between what “might be” and what “can be”?  You decide.

WHAT APPEARS TO BE

“SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE!” Remember those famous words from Gomer Pyle, the gas station attendant on The Andy Griffith Show? They cracked us up on the sit-com…but they’re not funny during business meetings.

Doing business today is like juggling 101 tennis balls – with one hand behind your back. When you throw a ball in the air you expect a ball to fall back into your hand, not an anvil.

What are you doing to eliminate the surprises in your office?

WHAT MIGHT BE

Here’s what most of your competition is doing: they’re TELLING others what to do (they think this is delegation), and then they’re “holding them accountable” by asking interrogating questions later.

• Did you get it done?
• What did it cost?
• Why didn’t you do it faster?
• (And the killer…) What went wrong?

Shockingly, these people are caught off guard when poor results surface. And SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE! They’ve got a “Gomer Pyle Moment.”

WHAT CAN BE

Gomer Pyle was a sweet man…but executing and delivering results is no laughing matter.

Here are the keys to eliminating Gomer Pyle Moments:

1. Be clear about the objective and why it’s important. (It’s best when this is co-created.)
2. Ask the execution questions up front – instead of at the end.

• What does success look like to you?
• What will be the key to efficiency?
• How will you allocate time for this on your to-do list?
• What benchmarks will you use to measure progress?

We can better predict the future when we eliminate the Gomer Pyle Moments in advance, so we’re not surprised, surprised, surprised later.

What is the difference between what “might be” and what “can be”?  You decide.

WHAT APPEARS TO BE

So you’re “bringing home the bacon” for your family. But is the bacon lean and full of protein – or fatty and unhealthy?

Imagine working your tail off for an income that provides a wonderful life for your family…only to bring home the “toxic” news from each day. What good does the “nice income” do when everyone at home is unhappy?

WHAT MIGHT BE

A friend, Mike, from a company based in Atlanta, offers the rest of us this test: tonight, ask your significant other to write down their perspective of the company you work for. Their words will reveal the quality of the bacon you’ve been bringing home – the type of focus and energy with which you walk through the door each night. (This test may be particularly revealing with children.)

WHAT CAN BE

Will you pass your “bacon test”? To improve your score in the future, consider: If you do have a challenging job, how much sense does it make to bring home the toxic junk – only to demoralize your companions, your primary support? What good will they do you if they’re as upset, as disappointed, as angry as you are?

This isn’t about deceiving loved ones.

• It’s about understanding the power of focus.
• It’s about positioning things and discussing “issues” in the spirit of discovery while looking for solutions.
• It’s about celebrating what you have at work – and at home.
• It’s about caring enough about the mind-state of those you love that you carefully choose your focus before you even open the door.

Congratulations on bringing home the bacon – and passing the test.

What is the difference between what “might be” and what “can be”?  You decide.

WHAT APPEARS TO BE

They say ignorance is bliss. But what sort of bliss are they after?

If it’s “bliss” not to comprehend what’s happening, then we can deduce that poor results and fractured relationships are blissful as well.

If bliss is knowing you’ve done you’re best as a leader, then there’s work to do.

WHAT MIGHT BE

“You can’t handle the truth!” said Jack on the big screen. There are some bosses who thought Jack was talking to them. They blissfully move through the year riding an ass(umption) that “no news is good news.” They assume that their smiling colleagues are satisfied. (Little do they know their peers are smiling because of the animal that’s being ridden.)

What’s really going on? What we don’t know will hurt us – and sadly those around us, too…because we can’t act if we don’t have information.

WHAT CAN BE

How well do you comprehend what’s going on around you? Are you regularly asking questions like those that follow to ensure that you’re tuned in vs. blissfully unaware?

• Why is your work so important to you?
• What are you enjoying most while working on this project?
• If you could eliminate any roadblocks, what would they be?
• When are you most jazzed during the day?
• What’s the most satisfying part of your work?

These sound like performance review questions, don’t they? And yet, as my friend Doug Reeves asks, what good does it do to perform an autopsy at the end of the year – when we can conduct regular physicals and do something with the information?

What’s your bliss? Being unaware, or choosing to cultivate the truth in all conversations – so you can lead?

What is the difference between what “might be” and what “can be”?  You decide.

WHAT APPEARS TO BE

My wife came up with the title above. Which, of course, means she’s right…and which provides me with an age-old reminder, and one that always proves valuable.

Am I more interested in being “right” than I am in moving things forward? Than having harmonious relationships with others? Than creating the synergies with others that will propel us to future success?

WHAT MIGHT BE

Too often my ego demands that I inform others that I’m the smartest person in the room. This “inform”-ation manifests itself in my talking too much; in selling my ideas to others (because, of course, my ideas are brilliant); in getting defensive when someone disagrees with me; in claiming ownership of every successful scheme that exists; and whispering “see, I told you so” when a plan fails.

Is it possible that when I impose my will on others it reveals my incompetence as a leader?

WHAT CAN BE

A friend vows that in ’08 he’ll keep his mouth shut more often in meetings. He’s one of the most talented individuals I know. He’s not keeping his mouth shut so as to withhold information; he’s shutting up so he can lead more effectively.

I have another friend who carries a cork in his pocket. It’s a reminder that his words are not like wine: they don’t get better with time. Quantity is not quality.

That’s why, when my wife and I travel, I’m letting her drive. Who cares if she chooses a different lane than I would, we take a different route, or she doesn’t shift gears when I would. I’m more interested in our healthy relationship than being the only driver in the family.

Who’s the driver when you’re around? And where are you driving people?

What is the difference between what “might be” and what “can be”?  You decide.

WHAT APPEARS TO BE

In 1987, 61% of workers said they were satisfied with their jobs. In 2006 that number was down to 47%. (Conference Board) See a trend?

Have you decided if you’ll be satisfied with your job in 2008?

WHAT MIGHT BE

It’s crazy: countless people have already decided they won’t like their job in 2008. Like a computer that has a default setting, these people have programmed themselves with a “work sucks” attitude.

And because our vision creates our perspective, and perspective is reality, work sucks for these people.

Do you enjoy throwing away 250 days each year – before they even happen?

WHAT CAN BE

Spread the word: work doesn’t have to suck. If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you are a part of the minority that realizes a person doesn’t have to allow the circumstances in their life to determine the quality of their life. Which means, of course, that you’re more effective at changing the circumstances in your life.

Here’s a wild idea:

1. Make a prediction of how many “on-a-roll” days you will have at work – the days you will be satisfied with your job.
2. Tell a close friend your goal.
3. Create a plan to operate on-a-roll while at work. (Hint: powerful questions are key.)
4. Strategically place a note pad in your car. At the end of the workday assess whether you were on-a-roll that day or not.
5. On December 31, 2008, celebrate your success.

Deliver on the idea above, and be assured of this: you will become more effective at EVERYTHING you do.

In advance, congratulations from The Tall Guys for making 2008 the year people discover the greater you.

What is the difference between what “might be” and what “can be”?  You decide.

WHAT APPEARS TO BE

For many, the end of the calendar year is a favorite time of year. Words like peace, joy, renewal and gratitude abound. And for many there’s a “calm.”

WHAT MIGHT BE

But lurking just beyond those days of respite is 2008. And with it, the promise of greater intensity, increased competition, and a faster pace.

All too often the “Holiday Spirit” is a one-week pit stop on a 52-week speedway. As a result, peace, joy, renewal and gratitude are experienced only once a year.

Is it possible that by experiencing these qualities only when the conditions are right – once a year – that we’re forfeiting our life?

WHAT CAN BE

Every person reading this knows the circumstances in our life do not determine our attitude, our spirit. The magic lies in our response. This means that regardless of the intensity and pressures inherent in the days ahead, we can still choose to have any spirit we want.

What is your Holiday Spirit? And what would it be worth if you could feel it every day?

Take the “Holiday Spirit Challenge” and watch what happens to your control. Paste these questions strategically in your 2008 calendar – perhaps each month. 

1. How effectively am I determining my own spirit?
2. What are some examples where I’ve remained bigger than the circumstances in life and determined my own spirit?
3. What can I focus on that will assist me in feeling greater peace, joy, renewal and gratitude?
4. What are the greatest rewards I receive by sustaining a year-round ‘Holiday Spirit’?

We’re not proposing you dress up like Santa in June. But consider the gift you’ll give yourself as 2008 reveals itself as the year you mastered your attitude.

And Happy Holi-year from The Tall Guys.

What is the difference between what “might be” and what “can be”?  You decide.

WHAT APPEARS TO BE

A friend’s not making a New Year’s resolution “because they never work. Why get yourself excited about changing your life if nothing’s really going to change?”

Does this mean that we can’t take advantage of the turning calendar to raise the quality of our life?

WHAT MIGHT BE

Most resolutions do fail. Here’s the biggest reason why: while working toward an objective the majority of people measure all the places they’re failing. These people keep track of where “they’ve fallen off the wagon,” and the moments they ate the extra cookie. This is a focus that makes them feel like dog do-do.

When you don’t feel good about yourself, when you’re beating yourself up, when you don’t sense forward momentum, how likely is it that your New Year’s resolution will become a reality? Answer: slim and none, and slim’s about to walk out the door.

WHAT CAN BE

To make permanent changes we must feel good about ourselves; we must have momentum on our side. Those individuals who successfully change habits create momentum in their lives. Here’s how to do it.

1. They religiously focus on the progress they are making. This builds their confidence.
2. They ask questions that move results forward. Instead of “Why can’t I get this right?” they ask, “What can I do better when I’m in the same situation?”
3. They tap into their motivation. They have a clear and consistent picture of why something’s important to them.

Achieving your New Year’s resolution is not about fixing yourself. It’s about creating a daily experience where healthy life-choices are easy to make. In 2008, focus on creating forward momentum, and consider that you could achieve more than your New Year’s resolution.

What is the difference between what “might be” and what “can be”?  You decide.