Recognize Stress

Stress is not what happens to us. It’s our response To what happens. And response is something we can choose.
–Maureen Killoran

RECOGNIZE STRESS

This time of year we frequently feel we’re on “overload” and as a result may experience stress. For some, stress is a motivator, for others it’s debilitating. The key is to recognize when we’re being stimulated and challenged, versus being overwhelmed and non-productive.

Be aware of how you’re feeling! Then take action to choose positive behaviors to help you achieve those remaining goals. Look for stress relieving tips in Thursday’s update.

Work With Purpose and Passion

“Chase your passion, not your pension.”
–Denis Waitley

Career passion and purpose . . .

Why is it so important that we are passionate about everything we do? We all know deep inside that when we are lacking passion we aren’t the best we can be.

I know I’ve been in jobs and assignments I didn’t really relate to, or feel a strong need for accomplishment. The results were clear; they could have been better and the people involved could have seen a better me.

So can we be passionate about something we don’t love to do? My answer is yes, as long as we’ve discovered our leadership purpose and linked it to all we do. We have to determine what our purpose is, and ensure our external behaviors support that purpose.

That sums up passion in a nutshell. If we believe we are just robots in assignments for monetary gain, that’s what we’ll get – a pay check. For us to be outstanding, motivating and inspiring leaders, we must be passionate in everything we do, and demonstrate that passion across the workplace.

So take that first step and find your passion. Second, determine how you can bring that passion to every assignment. I guarantee you will take your leadership to a higher level!

8 Tips For Success – Make Them A Habit

“The individual who wants to reach the top in business must appreciate the might of force and habit.  He must be quick to break those habits that can break him – and hasten to adopt those practices that will become the habits that help him achieve the success he desires.”
— J. Paul Getty

For the past couple of weeks we’ve shared thoughts about leadership habits; both those that add value, and those that may not always serve us well. One of our customers provided us with a great article written by Jack Welch with Suzy Welch. You may want to consider making those tips a habit!

Below are Jack Welch’s 8 tips, with excerpts from his verbiage.

#1 LEADERS RELENTLESSLY UPGRADE THEIR TEAM, USING EVERY ENCOUNTER AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EVALUATE, COACH AND BUILD SELF-CONFIDENCE

You need to invest the vast majority of your time and energy as a leader in three activities:  You have to evaluate, you have to coach, and you have to build self-confidence.

#2 LEADERS MAKE SURE PEOPLE NOT ONLY SEE THE VISION, THEY LIVE AND BREATHE IT.

Leaders have to set the team’s vision and make it come alive. You have to talk about vision constantly, to everyone.

#3 LEADERS GET INTO EVERYONE’S SKIN, EXUDING POSITIVE ENERGY AND OPTIMISM

An upbeat manager with a positive outlook somehow ends up running a team or organization filled with… well, upbeat people with positive outlooks.

#4 LEADERS ESTABLISH TRUST WITH CANDOR, TRANSPARENCY AND CREDIT

Your people should always know where they stand. They have to know how the business is doing. And sometimes the news is not good–such as imminent layoffs–and any normal person would rather avoid delivering it. But you have to fight the impulse to pad hard messages or you’ll pay with your team’s confidence and energy.

#5 LEADERS HAVE THE COURAGE TO MAKE UNPOPULAR DECISIONS AND GUT CALLS

There are times you have to make hard decisions–let people go, cut funding to a project, or close a plant. Your job is to listen and explain yourself clearly but move forward. You are not a leader to win a popularity contest–you are a leader to lead.

#6 LEADERS PROBE AND PUSH WITH A CURIOSITY THAT BORDERS ON SKEPTICISM, MAKING SURE THEIR QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED WITH ACTION

Every conversation you have about a decision, a proposal, or a piece of market information has to be filled with you saying, “What if?” and “Why not?” and “How come?”  You have to make sure your questions unleash debate and raise issues that get action.

#7 LEADERS INSPIRE RISK TAKING AND LEARNING BY SETTING THE EXAMPLE

Too many managers urge their people to try new things and then whack them in the head when they fail. If you want your people to experiment, set the example yourself.

#8 LEADERS CELEBRATE

Celebrating creates an atmosphere of recognition and positive energy. Work is too much a part of life not to recognize moments of achievement. Make a big deal out of them.

Ben Franklin sums up habits in the following way:

 “Your net worth to the world is usually determined by what remains after your bad habits are subtracted from your good ones.”

What changes would you like to make to increase your net worth?

Habits – Good vs. Detrimental

Habits are either the best of servants or the worst of masters”.
 –Nathaniel Emmons

Our habits impact our lives and careers both negatively and positively.  We need to objectively assess which are impeding our ability to succeed, from those which keep us on track for realizing our goals and dreams.

If you’ve graduated from PeopleTek’s Leadership Journey™ program, you know that once you identify a habit or behavior that is not working for you, you must replace it with one that will provide you with positive results.  (This keeps us from regressing back to what is familiar to us, even when we know it’s counterproductive!).

Habits allow us to save time; we don’t need to think about what we’re doing, we merely “do it”.  But does this serve us well?  Not always. As a result we need to consciously decide what to change to become more disciplined and focused, and not be on “automatic pilot”.

Some common unproductive habits include:

  • Procrastination
  • Ignoring conflict
  • Consistently being late
  • Interrupting instead of listening
  • Multi-tasking when full focus is required
  • Ignoring life / work balance
  • Failure to set goals (or not making them your priority)
  • Allowing phone calls and emails to divert your attention
  • Not returning phone calls
  • Disregarding commitments
  • Not sleeping enough

So what can you do?  Start replacing your non productive behaviors with those that will help you achieve the results you desire.

If you’re consistently late for meetings set an alarm on your laptop, watch, phone, etc.

Post notes in your office reminding you of what TO do.

Block out time in your daily calendar and use that time to return phone calls and emails.

Use your goals to set priorities.

Organize your day; determine what must get done and abide by your task list.

Add your personal tasks to your calendar.   Ex. Gym time, calls home, family events, dinner appointments, volunteer commitments, etc

Ultimately what you need to do is identify which habits work for you, replace those that aren’t working, and commit to making positive changes that will position you for success!