ELEPHANT ALERT!

Today, millions of people will vote. Ultimately, their vote will decide our future. “Change” has been the theme this year. The debate has centered on who will most effectively deliver transformation.

But the “know-it-alls” have it wrong. We’ll tell you who you should vote for. And if you want, you can steal the election right now.

Here’s the elephant in the office: It’s stunning how many companies beat their employees down, to the point where people have lost confidence in the one person – the only person – who can create change: themself. “Why even try?” and “I’m not very good at…” and “You don’t expect me to do the job, do you?” fill conversations in countless offices.

If that’s what people are saying aloud, imagine the destructive messages in their “self talk.” It’s like being a candidate in the most important race of your life…and voting against yourself.

STOMP THE ELEPHANT

Today, vote for yourself. You are the only person who can create the change you want to see in your career, relationships and life. If this sounds like a cliché, it’s because it is. And the reason it is: It’s true.

Take this challenge: Step into your own voting booth and determine the top three things you are most passionate about. Next, draw the curtain and take three steps. If you execute them you will deliver more change than you can imagine.

1. Commit to focusing on where you’ve successfully delivered in the past.
2. Generate innovative ideas to raise the bar.
3. Daily tap into your motivations on why this change is important to you.

You can’t win if you don’t vote for yourself. So start voting for the only person who can create change today.

Where will you lead – where will you stomp elephants – today?

ELEPHANT ALERT!

We’ve received further evidence that people don’t know what they don’t know. The response from viewers after being interviewed by the local network TV station has been enlightening. One email read, “I saw your interview…I dread going to work…and never thought to doing anything about it until now.”

And a neighbor shared that his boss, after seeing the news clip, wanted to purchase Stomp the Elephant in the Office. “I’ve talked to him for years about improving the organization,” he said. “Something clicked. Go figure.”

Here’s the elephant in the office: Millions of people go to work each day – and dread the experience. It’s alarming: They’ve succumbed to a belief system “that work sucks, and that’s just the way it is.”

The way it is doesn’t have to be the way it is.

STOMP THE ELEPHANT

A friend complained about a pain in his back. He said it had bothered him for years, and prevented him from fully participating in life. “Finally, I decided I’d had enough and got it treated. Best decision I ever made. I’m now pain free.”

Do you know someone who religiously complains about the relationship they have with one or more of their co-workers? Consider the possibility that they don’t know what they don’t know – that their work environment CAN be better.

You can help by asking:

1. Do you intend to function with this painful relationship forever?
2. What’s it costing you to be ‘disabled’ because of this relationship?
3. What role are you playing in this dysfunctional relationship?
4. What would it be worth if this relationship improved?
5. What are three things you’ll do to move this forward?

What are you ready to change about what you don’t know?

Where will you lead – where will you stomp elephants – today?

ELEPHANT ALERT!

Different leadership styles are necessary for different times. When your team is ahead in the game, the tone, approach, and techniques necessary to ensure victory are different than when you’re behind.

It’s stunning to observe some bosses blow it.

Here’s the elephant in the office: As stress increases, have you witnessed some bosses who move to a default setting of “command and control”? They make decisions behind closed doors; they assume they know the motivations of others; and they resort to the illogical “I’m-going-to-make-you-feel-bad-so-you-can-start-to-do-good” method of execution.

Consequently, the tough times are exacerbated as these bosses make bad results worse.

STOMP THE ELEPHANT

When times are tough decisive leadership action is a must. Regardless of the style that is needed, there are some elements of quality leadership that are consistent no matter what the situation.

• Fear is a motivator, but only for short bursts. Now more than ever, people are starving for confidence. A focus on what is working creates this needed element.
• Cultures of inclusion always out-perform cultures of exclusion. You might not always be able to include people’s ideas in WHAT needs to be done, but when you exclude them from HOW they need to get things done, you’re guaranteeing you’ll see bigger problems.
• Success is relative. Leaders who are beating their teams up for not delivering the same results they achieved under different market conditions are sowing the seeds of cancer within their team. The market is different, so success is different. Create a “we will persevere” mentality by celebrating the successes of today.

Are you adapting how you lead? And are you remaining consistent in the important ways that will allow your team to win?

Where will you lead – where will you stomp elephants – today?

ELEPHANT ALERT!

Times are tough. Resources are scarce. Stocks are down. Stress is high.

How is your team performing and responding to the pressure?

Here’s the elephant in the office: As work gets tougher many teams speed down the road to a dysfunctional state. They cultivate a culture of fear. Like leaves falling in autumn, excuses drop on why success can’t be reached. And CYA tactics permeate every meeting.

In the future, will your team be a memory – or become memorable?

STOMP THE ELEPHANT

“It’s easy when it’s easy,” says a friend named Kevin. “You set yourself apart when things are difficult.”

From Rudy to Apollo 13, Hollywood has provided an ample supply of “against all odds” success stories. Yet, just because your team doesn’t live in Hollywood, it doesn’t mean they can’t create their own Hollywood finish.

Everyone knows this: There will be organizations that come out of this “mess” victorious. And equally amazing: Even though this trek down a darker road may be new, you already know why select organizations will succeed. Among other steps, they’ll:

1. Master their focus. Instead of lamenting what they can’t control, they will consistently focus on solutions;
2. Create a culture of inclusion rather than exclusion. No one person has the answer to this riddle. It will only be revealed through collaboration; and
3. They’ll have leveraged their greatest strengths by focusing on what’s already working rather than what’s not. 

Have you ever had the desire to see your team demonstrate their greatness in a way that is recognized by posterity? Then you’ve never had a moment like now.

Is this your time? The answer is yours.

Where will you lead – where will you stomp elephants – today?

ELEPHANT ALERT!

Alarming news: “On your next flight your plane will be on target – it will have its nose directly in line with your destination – less than 5% of the time,” a participant recently shared.

Even with a clear vision, strong execution and determination, there will be moments when we are not on target. How leaders respond in such moments determines their results.

Here’s the elephant in the office: Some people spend hours focusing on, ridiculing and criticizing those who are off target. Somehow, these bosses believe that by making people feel bad, stupid or incompetent, that off-target people will respond in a healthy way.

Yet, how excited do you get about changing when you feel like gum on the sole of a shoe? This approach exacerbates errors. Conversely, people change when they feel good about themselves.

STOMP THE ELEPHANT

Imagine if every time your flight was off course you went to the cockpit and yelled, “Hey pilot, you’re an idiot! We’re off course. You’re not flying this tin can the right way!” This seems ludicrous. Yet, have you observed others who use this approach when giving others feedback?

This doesn’t mean we should tolerate being “off target.” The key is: As a leader, how quickly can you get yourself and others back on target? Two course-correcting steps achieve this:

1. Provide a statement of affirmation that builds confidence. For example, “It’s clear you are passionate about delivering excellence.”
2. Ask a question that allows the pilot to self-correct. “What will be your next steps to ensuring greater quality?” Or, “What does your completed objective look like now?”

We go in the direction of our focus. Today, help two people course correct: another person – and yourself.

Where will you lead – where will you stomp elephants – today?

ELEPHANT ALERT!

Changing behavior means doing something you didn’t do before. To be successful requires discipline and effective leadership tools. While we make these efforts, something else proves priceless: supportive people around us.

Few cultures like this exist.

Here’s the elephant in the office: It’s ironic: Everyone wants everyone else to change – and then when people attempt to change they are often criticized! Have you seen such bloodsuckers in your organization? They crawl around and say, “That person isn’t being authentic.” Or, “That person isn’t sincere in their efforts.”

Without blood, we die. In those cultures where sincerity bloodsuckers thrive, the weak quickly retreat. And nothing changes.

STOMP THE ELEPHANT

I used to be a sincerity bloodsucker. That is, until I discovered I was telling the world “Anybody who does something I wouldn’t or does it in a way that doesn’t seem natural, isn’t sincere.” This is when I realized I’m not helping anything; in fact, I’m diminishing our prospects for greatness. Not very bright, especially when you consider that because we’re on the same team, my success is dependent on their success.

Perfecting new behaviors – change – takes practice. And logically initial efforts won’t seem natural at first. Yet, does this mean someone is not sincere?

A group in Ohio calls themselves The Rolling Along team. And rolling they are: their company is delivering unprecedented results. What is one of their keys for success? Instead of sucking the life out of each other’s change efforts, they, like select other teams, support each other. They coach each other. They believe that, like themselves, others want to be great. And thus, they are.

Look closely: today, who around you is stepping out and trying something new? And how will you respond?

Where will you lead – where will you stomp elephants – today?

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.

WHAT APPEARS TO BE

Have you ever experienced a problem-solving meeting like this: good ideas are in ample supply and momentum and enthusiasm are building. The answers are in sight! Then, right at the end, the bomb falls when someone asks, “Okay. That was great. Now, how do we sell this to everyone else?”

Ernst and Young reported that over 66% of corporate strategies are never executed. Most ideas die prematurely because the people who created the solutions in seclusion attempt to create “buy-in” instead of “ownership” in those for whom they are responsible.

WHAT MIGHT BE

The exhausted boss, the bewildered teacher, the fatigued manager, the tired trainer often have a couple of things in common: they are the content experts in their area, and they also have an additional full-time job – salesperson.

The vast majority of people approach change efforts by assuming they have the one-and-only solution. Through persuasion, the hard-sell, leading questions, and even low-road tactics like smear campaigns, these people exert tremendous energy attempting to convince others of “what is right.”

Research says that most people aren’t buyin’ it. Why? Think of the last time you were at a used-car lot and were approached by the salesman. How did you respond?

WHAT CAN BE

What’s the difference between buy-in and ownership? There are many special traits, the vast majority of which can be summed up by one word: inclusion. When people are included in the creation of ideas, when their motivations are honored, no one has to buy anything – because they already own it.

What percentage of time are you included in the solution-generating process? Perhaps a more important question: what percentage of the time are you selling – or creating ownership from your position?

They following questions (and others like them) have been around for years, yet few have mastered them:

• What do you think we can do to improve this?
• Why do you think we should improve this?

Last week a friend, who runs a mechanical company, told me, “When you include people, when they own the process, your biggest challenge is getting out of the way.” 

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