Master Your Mindset

What’s the biggest difference between those who succeed and those who don’t? Mindset.
–Karima Mariama-Arthur

To say that 2020 has been an interesting year is an under-statement. We‘ve all experienced change, and for some, challenges. How successful have you been at maintaining a positive mindset? Have you been able to achieve what you desire? Has your ability to stay on track and assess your progress been successful, or have you encountered (or created) barriers? As the quote at the top of the page says,  our mind-set creates the biggest difference.

6 Essential Mindset Principles that will help (excerpts from Julian Hayes)

1. Keep your word to yourself.
This builds self-respect and a positive identity. Successful people understand that every time you break the promises you make to yourself, you feed your identity as an impostor and weaken your self-confidence as a person of action.

2. Use envy to your advantage.
Successful people understand that beneath the layers of envy lies a core need they desire. Ask yourself why you feel envy. Once you know the root cause, you can address ways to gain the things you want, like time and freedom, right now while building your dream.

3. Have no self-pity.
One of the big differentiators between those who stay the course along the journey of personal growth compared to those who get off track lies within the ability to rebound quickly from setbacks. Successful people understand that wallowing and making excuses for themselves only zaps their personal power. When you blame external circumstances, you’re effectively giving your personal power away.

4. Understand that ‘failure’ is feedback.
Failure is about perspective; there is no such thing unless you deem it that. Successful people understand that failure is an illusion created inside their minds, and they perform mental alchemy to construct an empowering reality instead.

5. Operate with an investor’s mentality.
Like investments, your personal journey will experience its peaks and valleys. Successful people understand that emotions and outcomes rise and fall along the way. The key is to stay the course and view the journey as a marathon, not a sprint. Operate with an investor’s mentality and delay gratification today for something great tomorrow.

6. Fixate on the vision but be flexible on the details.
Think of your goals as the destination and the various actions, habits, and strategies as your vehicles. Numerous potential vehicles can help you arrive at your desired destination; the key lies in finding the right ones uniquely suited to you. Successful people are stubborn with what they want, but they understand that arriving at the end destination will involve detours and unexpected side roads to explore.

Have you successfully mastered your mind-set? Do you need to look at things from a different perspective? Be aware that “gremlins” sometime get in the way; when you’re prepared for possible barriers or obstacles, you’re better positioned to overcome them.

Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.
– Napoleon Hill

Inclusiveness Is A Major Factor

Many employees do not feel fully included at work and want their organizations to do more to advance inclusion and diversity.
–McKinsey & Company

It’s probably no surprise that the feeling of inclusiveness in the workplace impacts employee engagement, productivity, relationships and the commitment to support organizational goals. A study by McKinsey & Company says:

  • many employees have considered organizations’ inclusiveness while making career decisions, yet almost half of all respondents do not feel very included at their organizations
  • 39% of all respondents say they have turned down or decided not to pursue a job because of a perceived lack of inclusion at an organization.

This study also found that respondents from ALL backgrounds experienced some kind of issue with inclusiveness, and the issues increased for women, ethnic and racial minorities, and those with alternative gender identities.

The Top 4 Factors For Feelings of Inclusiveness

1.Diverse, Inclusive Leadership
Having a diverse leadership team helps, but even if the leader is not part of a minority group, building cohesive and collaborative teams helps, as does having a leader that truly cares about ALL their workers.

2.Meritocracy and Initiatives to Increase Fairness in Performance Evaluations
A culture based on merit increases feelings of inclusion, but gender does play a role:
-40% of men say meritocracy has boosted their careers
-Less than one-third of women say the same

3. Sponsorship
Having a sponsor (or mentor) aids career advancement, and those with multiple supporters experience an increased feeling of inclusiveness

4. Substantive Access to Senior Leaders
The ability to have meaningful interactions with Senior Leaders increased feelings of inclusiveness, but once again gender was an issue. 57% of males reported that interacting with senior leaders helped their career growth, but that number was reduced to 45% for women.

So what can a leader do? Start by displaying inclusive behaviors. Next, make an effort to build relationships with ALL colleagues and team members, and become a sponsor/mentor for a variety of people. Also, commit to continual learning which includes keeping current with diversity and inclusion issues.

Make a difference!

A diverse mix of voices leads to better discussions, decisions,
and outcomes for everyone.
— Sundar Pichai

Colleagues You Want Around

Never lose sight of the fact that the most important yardstick of your success
will be how you treat people – your family, friends, and coworkers,
and even strangers you meet along the way.
–Barbara Bush

What type of co-workers do you like to surround yourself with? Probably those who have the necessary skills to contribute to goal attainment, but what else? Common desired skills include the ability to trust, the desire for results, being accountable, but there’s more.

What about someone that is just fun to be around and has an upbeat personality?

Here are excerpts from Travis Bradberry’s 11 Secrets of Irresistible People:

1.They treat EVERYONE with respect.
Irresistible people treat everyone with respect because they
believe they’re no better than anyone else.

2.They follow the Platinum Rule.
Not the Golden Rule, rather it’s treating others as they want to be treated

3.They ditch the small talk.
Irresistible people create connections and find depth even in short, everyday conversations

4.They focus on people more than anything else.
Irresistible people possess an authentic interest in those around them

5.They don’t try too hard.
Irresistible people don’t make it all about them

6.They recognize the difference between fact and opinion.
Irresistible people recognize that people may see things
differently

7.They are authentic.
They know that no one likes a fake

8.They have integrity.
They avoid talking bad about other people, and they do the right thing

9.They smile.
Smiling during conversations will likely have the other person do the same

10.They make an effort to look their best.
Looking your best is a sign of respect for those you interact with

11.They find reasons to love life.
They approach problems as temporary obstacles, not inescapable fate

Are you the type of colleague you’d want to surround yourself with? Is there anything you’d like to change?

Work joyfully and peacefully, knowing that right thoughts and right efforts
will inevitably bring about right results.
—James Allen

Thinking Strategically

If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.
–George S. Patton

As leaders we make decisions every day that are critical to the success of our work culture. Why not have a course of action that aligns with your overall workplace strategy?

Here’s a 7 Step Process outlined by the Harvard Business Press:

1.   See the big picture
2.   Articulate Strategic Objectives- Smart Goals
3.   Identify Relationships, Patterns and Trends
4.   Get Creative
5.   Analyze Information
6.   Prioritize Your Actions
7.   Make Trade-Offs

What’s your Big Picture? Where do you want to take your organization in the next 3-5 years? Link and support this vision by including the following key processes:

Hiring – What’s required to strengthen the workplace? (Skill-set as well as leadership and collaborative behaviors).

Training and Development – Is any up-skilling required? What about Technical or Leadership bench-strength?

Rewards – Do you consistently appreciate and recognize when value has been added?

Communication – Has the Vision been shared? Are meaningful updates provided?

Change/Conflict – Decisions are costly and can help or hurt the bottom line; don’t disregard differing opinions and immediately address opposing actions.

The intent is to have your team align and collaborate for the attainment of desired results. Success occurs when all colleagues understand how the processes and critical behaviors align with the strategy.

How does your workplace and leadership team support Strategic Thinking?

Strategic thinking rarely occurs spontaneously.
—Michael Porter