There once was a football coach who, every day he walked on the field, would clap his hands and exclaim, “It’s a great day to get better!”

How would you have felt if you had played for this coach, and instead of stating the above, he shouted, “It’s a great day to stay the same!” Or, “It’s a great day to just try and survive!”

There are not many people who would sign up to play for such a “status-quo” coach. Because at a deep level we all know: “It’s a great day to get better.”

Yet, have you ever heard someone succumbing to the pressures they face and state, “Mercy! I just hope I can make it to the end of the day!”

Or, do you know anyone who is:

• avoiding difficult conversations,
• delaying tough decisions,
• living to get to the weekend
• or believes they don’t have to improve today to win tomorrow?

These people are defenders of the status quo. A collection of too many such-minded people, and your company (or family) is at risk of sitting on a plateau – and falling into the abyss of irrelevance.

My friend, Dick Frisbie, is a leader within a company that develops status-quo slayers. “Continuous improvement” is an age-old idea that has lifted many organizations to the top. But when you’re at the top, how do you stay there? Dick’s team knows: You apply within. You apply within yourself and evolve the continuous improvement mindset to include…people.

With “continuous people improvement” every interaction of every day is a chance to get better. This means that as we interact with others we focus on three things:

1. What can I do or say that builds this person’s self-confidence and discipline?
2. What will I do to build a stronger relationship with this person?
3. How can I respond in a way to ensure the best long-term business results?

By applying our wisdom within, organizational improvement – and thus greater results – become the norm. Which means that today is…a great day to get better.

Vannoy and Ross

 

What’s the excuse uttered more often than any other? The answer is also a top reason mediocrity is delivered in the workplace – and at home. The answer is also one of the biggest tricks – the biggest lies – people use to fool…themselves.

What is this big blunder that chokes so many? See if you can decode these common statements:

1. “I couldn’t get to that project because I ran out of…time.”
2. “The scope of the work is too big. We don’t have enough…time.”
3. “I was going to lose weight this year, but when I get home I never have enough…time to exercise.”
4. “You can’t blame me for not getting it done. I had zero…time.”
5. “Focus on the customer’s needs? If we had more…time, maybe we could.”

Time. It’s a coveted resource, and perhaps that’s why it’s the number one “here’s-why-I-didn’t-get-it-done” excuse…ever. And here’s why: You always have enough time. What’s more: You have the same amount of time as your competition and your neighbor.

One of the biggest differences between mediocrity and greatness is not who has more time, but how you spend the time you have. The belief that we “didn’t have enough time” is an ‘elephant’ that is crushing the success of team’s and careers everywhere.

Want to see greater results via enhanced personal accountability? Take this challenge: Begin replacing “didn’t have enough time” with these words:

1. “I wasn’t able to finish the project because I spent my time with these priorities…”
2. “The scope of the work requires that we plan our time differently.”
3. “Tomorrow I will choose to spend my time in a way that ensures I get to exercise.”
4. “I didn’t use my time in a way to deliver on this work.”
5. “How do we get better at focusing on the customer ALL the time?”

Everyone get’s the same amount of time: 24 hours. Results are not a matter of how much time you have. It’s a matter of how you choose to spend the time you have.

Craig Ross and Steven Vannoy

Originally Run: July 21, 2007

Have you ever found yourself stuck in a conversation where the other person has nothing but “backward focused” things to say? Like a garbage collector they sift through the trash of the past, as if by turning it over they might find some hope.

Of course, the only hope you’re thinking about is “there must be some way out of this conversation.”

The average person, when in such a predicament, follows their focus (it’s what our minds naturally do). And as a result, they can quickly join in and become a thought-garbage collector themselves. Now it’s not a solo – where one person is singing the “what’s wrong with the world” song, it has become a choir, as an entire group of people are doing nothing but complaining.

When I find myself stuck in this mindset, I laugh at myself on the drive home. How dare I complain about how much I have to do, and how &%$#* my life is, when the truth is this: it was only I who didn’t have the discipline to step up and control my focus.

Stop the Garbage Collecting!

A man named Bob recently said, “When we find the conversation becoming negative there is something we can do.” We can stop the garbage collecting by “simply asking them, ‘What’s important?’ or ‘What do you want?’ And then, after that, we can ask them, ‘Why?’”

I know Bob and he’s not your average leader. He has delivered stellar results for his company for nearly 35 years. He said, “If we can get them focused forward, on what’s important and what they want, we can then begin to identify what they can do about it and how they can move forward. That’s the only way we’ll ever deliver solutions.”

Simple questions that help people out of the garbage: What do you want? What’s important to you? Why?

Know anybody that could use a lifeline?

 

 

 

Did you hear they are considering a new competition for future Olympics? This sport – one that occurs in offices around the world – has become so fashionable that the Olympic Committee can no longer refute its popularity: Communication Competition.

Colossal communication collapses take place every day due to one primary reason: People enter into conversations with the objective of winning, as if the person they are communicating with is their opponent. Communications become a sport – and quite dysfunctional – as participants in dialogues place an extra effort on proving they are superior.

Here are the tell-tale signs of communication competition:

1. When one person is more interested in proving the other wrong…rather than working together to evolve a mutually identified idea.
2. When people have a tone or use words that communicate to others “You’re an idiot”…rather than operating with the wisdom that no perspective (even their own) is ever complete.
3. When the mantra of “the customer is first” means we must bludgeon each other with commands…versus ensuring we are serving each other and making our team stronger – so that we can serve the customer in extraordinary ways.
4. When we fool ourselves by sending emails thinking the electronic format provides a defense from which we can fire missiles…rather than picking up the phone or walking down the hallway to demonstrate our maturity.
5. When we split the room in two while arguing with one-another by using words like “I disagree/agree”…instead of using words like, “from our perspective,” or “let’s continue to explore this thought,” to debate an idea and achieve alignment.

When you communicate, what are you saying about yourself? What are you telling others is your highest priority?

Wellness Culture leaders, those who lead high-performing workplaces, are only interested in winning as an organization. Their words and emails consistently inform the team: We want the same thing – success. Therefore, communications need not be competitions, but the primary vehicle to move people and results forward faster.

 

Leaders everywhere are begging for higher performance from their teams. And yet, would it surprise you to learn that many leaders are sabotaging their team’s performance with their current methods?

Somewhere, somehow, bosses learned that in an effort to get people to improve they should: 1) Point out what others are doing wrong, and 2) Provide specific feedback only in the annual performance review.

It’s crazy: Imagine you are a parent: How much sense would it make if you only provided your children feedback once a year? And, when you did provide them such information you focused on everything they were doing wrong.

What would you expect for behavior from children exposed to such an approach? Would you volunteer to babysit them?

The brain is a brain, whether it’s in a child or an adult. This means you can guarantee: It goes towards its focus. This is why legendary football coach, Paul “Bear” Bryant, would rarely stop the game film when his players were making mistakes. He reasoned: Why program their minds to reinforce what you don’t want to have happen? Instead, his players could count on watching (and watching again) those moments when their performance was strong.

Additionally, timely feedback is crucial. “In the moment” feedback propels performance forward immediately. For example, “John, by delivering the project today instead of tomorrow, you put us on a pace to hit our Q1 target. Thank you.”

When feedback is sincere (your mean it), specific (focused on the details of excellence), and selective (timely), every day is filled with powerful performance enhancer moments. (From our book, Stomp the Elephant in the Office)

The question is: Are you willing to seize those moments…or do you just want to talk about it at the end of the year?

 

Fact: Being “positive” and being forward focused are two different things. Yet, it is alarming: when someone receives bad news, others will often attempt to assist those in need by encouraging them to “be positive.”

Depending on the state of mind of the person in need, those around him might be cautious; such a coaching approach is likely to backfire – and make matters worse. Why? Because there’s not a lot that is positive, for instance, about firing people, cutting budgets, and missing your child’s ball game because you have to meet with a client.

Most certainly, those who extend the “be positive” proclamation should not be blamed; they are attempting to help. And, consider that you can increase the awareness of such well-intended colleagues by assuring others understand how “being positive” falls short of living and leading in a forward focused manner.

By definition, being positive includes hope, and it has the essence of rhetoric. Forward focus is biased towards action, and has the essence of discipline – which results in greater hope for tomorrow. Being positive means being nice; alternatively, forward focus has, among other things, three important components. It means that in interactions you work to develop:

• the person,
• the relationship,
• and results.

Of course, in some interactions you may only achieve one of the three elements above. But any approach that does not consistently strive to accomplish all three cannot be sustained – and is disastrous in the long term.

The three components of being forward focused can have a positive effect. It can feel good. But, unlike “the positive approach,” the forward focus approach can also be used during “negative” events. In such situations, people don’t necessarily feel good, but they know what must be done to build people, relationships and results long term.

And that’s a good thing.

 Vannoy & Ross

 

It’s never been this bad. According to 22 years of polling by The Conference Board, job satisfaction has declined to 45%. And those who find their job interesting are a measly 51%. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34691428/ns/business-careers/from/ET

Ironically, in an era when bosses have to do more with less, when companies are scurrying to differentiate themselves… how effective can they be when half of their employees don’t care?

This situation is akin to a parent trying to get their teenager to do their homework on a Friday night. The parent demands, threatens, incentivizes – but the child just doesn’t want to be there. They’re not interested, yet they’re forced to deliver results.

There are a lot of variables when considering the causes for the poor numbers. Unquestionably, the employee is responsible. It’s up to you and your focus to determine whether you find anything interesting.

The distressing trend also proves that a “let management do the thinking – you do the working” mentality persists. Undoubtedly, there are organizations today who are taking advantage of the unemployment rate; who is going to leave their job when their neighbors are unemployed?

But this approach defies logic. Why would any leader pay someone a wage and then lead them in a manner where they get “homework on a Friday night” sorts of results?

This week, be a trend breaker. Regardless of your position, begin to make the workplace more interesting by doubling the amount of questions you ask. The allure of joining the chorus of those who want to spout their opinions is strong. (Visualize ten people in a meeting, all taking turns sharing how bad they think things are.)

Break the status quo by asking questions such as:

• What do you think we could do differently?
• If you could paint the perfect scenario here, what would it be?
• Why is it important for us to do our best here?

The mindset one chooses is dramatically affected by the environment around them.  Make that environment more interesting today.

 

 

I asked him, “Why not?”

“Because they never work.”

Did you catch it? This man is at risk of making a crucial error in judgment – and it may cost him dearly in the year ahead. The error isn’t that he didn’t create a New Year’s resolution; his error is that he doesn’t believe he can change.

Immeasurable human potential will be lost in 2010 because too many people won’t even try to change. How will you ensure that 2010 is not a repeat of 2009 for you? Beware of these three obstacles, and when you encounter them blow through them.

1. The “Mis-Identification” Obstacle: Too many people identify themselves with the results they create. This ensures future paralysis as you eventually will deliver sub-par performance – meaning YOU are sub-par. (Really? - Not.) Dissolve this obstacle by positioning all outcomes as fodder for the hungry person you are.
2. The “I Don’t Really Care” Obstacle: This is a silly game we all play with ourselves. When you try something new and don’t succeed your defense is to fool yourself into believing you don’t care. Dissolve this obstacle by memorizing this question – and answering it frequently: Why do I care?
3. The “Query Quandary” Obstacle: It’s a fact that questions trigger the mind. Yet, when most people trip while attempting to achieve, they ask the wrong question: “What am I doing wrong?” This puts them in a quandary: by answering this question they become experts at failure. (And thus, fail more.) Dissolve this obstacle by asking forward focus questions such as, “What will I do better next time?”

 

Don’t kill the messenger: A new year is here. Change efforts – be it resolutions or otherwise – do work if the change technology you’re using is effective.

Here’s to blowing through obstacles in the months ahead.

December 14, 2009

5 Common Leadership Errors that Ruin the Holidays

Vannoy and Ross

Think you’re ready for the Holidays? Your travel plans are ready; the gifts are nearly purchased and wrapped; the house is cleaned and decorated; and you’ve been starving yourself so you can eat as much of your mother’s cookies as you want.

Yet, even with all the preparation, if we’re not ready to lead ourselves – lead our focus and behaviors – the Holidays can be a complete flop. As so many Pathways to Leadership graduates know, it’s vital that your leadership increases as you go home. This holds especially true during this important time of the year.

Here are the five most common errors of personal leadership during the Holidays – and what you can do to create greater results.

 1. Insist on getting everything done on your “to-do” list during your “time off.” Instead: Identify the kind of experiences you want to have during this time and act in a way that creates those experiences.

2. Prior to visiting your relatives, articulate all the things you can’t stand about them. Instead: Identify the top three things you  most appreciate about your relatives - and relentlessly focus on those elements.

3. Focus on all the places you’re overeating. Instead: Celebrate every ounce of discipline you demonstrate.

4. Lament all the things you didn’t achieve in 2009. Instead: Celebrate what you and your family have done in the last year.

 5. Discuss how bad the unemployment rate, the economy, and your boss will be in 2010. Instead: Determine the behaviors and mindset (both of which are in your control) that you will live by in the months ahead to ensure the direction you go is productive.

Rest, joy, gratitude, and abundance… the things you crave for the Holidays - are always available to you.

Uh-Oh: Is It Too Late To Be Good?

Kids everywhere are chewing their fingernails and looking over their shoulders. If it’s true, they wonder, that Santa is “making a list and checking it twice, going to find out who’s naughty or nice,” then – given all my sins of the past year – do I have any chance of getting that present I wish for?

It’s the same for adults, of course. Have you noticed those around you who are limping to 2009’s finish line? They’ve bagged the year. They’ve given up on others – and themselves. “I’m done,” is spoken everywhere.

And why not give up on 2009? After all, it’s too difficult too care – to be good – anymore, isn’t it? With the shape the economy is in, with “we-have-to-do-more-with-less” bosses everywhere, and a body that’s rounder and softer than 12 months ago, there probably won’t be the wished-for present under the tree for you this year, will there.

It’s Not Too Late!

Don’t believe the illusion for a second. It’s not too late. Santa doesn’t care about what you did and didn’t do in the past – he cares about right now. What happens if Santa is as forward-focused as you want to be? Because he’s in your corner, all he cares about is you picking yourself up, dusting off the crumbs of 2009, and preparing for the opportunities of tomorrow.

Sound like rhetoric to you? Perhaps, but we should remind ourselves that momentum is an invaluable resource. Therefore, what happens if your success in 2010 depends on your finish to 2009?

Besides, the only difference between 2009 and 2010 is the tick of a clock – the same sort of tick that’s been ticking, well, your entire life.

It’s not too late to be good. In fact, now’s the perfect time.