The compounding benefit of improvement
Every year I invest in my own professional development. Coaching, mentoring or learning from experts who can help me become better than I was yesterday, last week and last year. One of my resources is US consultant Alan Weiss (www.alanweiss.com). I’ve invested in attending several of his programs in Australia and the US as well as purchasing books and access to many of his resources. Alan’s The Tools for Change:1% Solution® says that if you improve by 1% a day, in 70 days you are twice as good. I was working with a CEO of a machinery rental company when …
Choice – The Lens of Decision Making
We often find we are in a situation where we simply don’t know what to do. We may ask colleagues for input and ideas which we may take on board or disregard. In his book the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, former administrative assistant and renowned Leadership Development Expert Stephen Covey suggests start with the end in mind. Considering decision making as a choice made through the lens of “the end we have in mind” can help create clarity in the process. Questioning does the decision to do, or not do, move you towards or away from the end …
Time for Thinking
There are points where organizations tend to take time to reflect on the past and the future. Traditionally these are at the end of the calendar and/or fiscal year. But reality is, regular thinking time is great for productivity. Management guru Peter Drucker once said “Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection, will come even more effective action.” In a world of 24/7 ON, we often make the time to reflect and observe our experiences, decisions and interactions. We are too busy moving onto the next item on our to do list. It’s very easy to be …
It’s not a miracle, it’s doing the work!
When I speak with prospective clients about programs they want to conduct, many think it is a matter of simply coming in, delivering some skills and walking out the door. That somehow the result will be a miraculously regenerated team who are excited and engaged and will never require training again! Unfortunately, I don’t perform miracles. Rather when I present, I educate, motivate and inspire participants and their teams to look at what and how they can work differently to reduce stress and risk and make life easier. It’s easy to be engaged in the moment, but the real work …
The Freddie Mercury Legacy
Returning from lunch at a conference recently, Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody played. It snapped the participants from their ‘food coma’ into a state of readiness for learning. It got me thinking about the legacy Queen’ lead singer Freddie Mercury left behind when he passed away in 1991. The music of Queen has been revived through the blockbuster movie We Will Rock You and the global tour of Queen with US American Idol runner up Adam Lambert as front man. It lives on despite it being twenty years since Freddie’s passing purely because Brian May and Rodger Taylor saw an opportunity to …
Are You Getting Better?
The promise of technology was that it was supposed to make our lives easier and simpler, but reality is it appears to have created more work and is changing at a pace at a speed we never anticipated. When I start work with a new client, we explore the outcomes they want to achieve for themselves or their team. Some want to analyse data faster, some want to create more sophisticated charts, others want to learn to automate common processes. However, these are all activities. What every single client wants for themselves and their teams is more time! One of …
Who says ideas don’t come cheap?
The iconic Nike swish symbol is said to have cost only US$35 yet it’s contemporary concept has delivered value globally for years for the brand. Whilst this is a rare example, I believe most organisations expect that to achieve spectacular results requires significant investment. Depending on the circumstances and the outcome you are seeking, that may be true, but in many cases ideas can and DO come cheap, it’s just human nature is that we tend to overlook the obvious. When working with clients, one of the early things I show them is how to leverage ‘Find and Select’ in …
What’s your release valve?
Sometimes it feels like we could work 24/7 and still not catch up! Whilst working long hours may be necessary in the short term to meet deadlines, in the long term losing the balance of having life outside of work can be damaging to product as well as our physical and mental health. Having a release valve, an activity that releases stress and frustration is vital to enable you to recharge and bring you back to a productive state. It could be as simple as time with family, walking your dog, or a boxing class. Whatever allows you to get …
Ask for Help
I started a conversation with Sarah, a woman I was sitting next to at an event last week. She told me a little about her job and the fact that she loved to help others but didn’t like to receive or ask for help back. When I asked her why, she said it was because it didn’t feel right to take from others. I asked her how it felt when she gave someone help. She said, it feels wonderful. It makes me feel like I am contributing and am needed. It’s like giving a gift. It was something I could relate …
Letting Go of Control
I like to control my workflow, my environment and my day. However, for many people, it can be a challenge each day, week or month to sit down and consider what you need to do. Rather than think about what tasks, projects and goals will you be undertaking in the upcoming period, what resources you need and then allocating realistic timeframes to complete them, it can be easy to simply go with the flow. Then before you realise it, here comes performance review time and you haven’t met your business milestones! It can be particularly challenging if you are relying …
