27 May
[email protected] Decision Making

Do You Procrastinate?

If you put off everything till you’re sure of it, you’ll never get anything done.
— Norman Vincent Peale

We all suffer from procrastination at some time or another (some of us more frequently
than others). This basically means that we choose to postpone doing a task or action and instead make the decision to action low priority tasks, those that will take less time to complete, or those that we find enjoyable. 

Why?
Per Wiley Publishing’s “Time Mastery Profile”, the three major causes for not taking action are because:
We find things unpleasant
We find things difficult
We feel tough decisions are required and we may be indecisive

Tips that may help:

  • When procrastinating, the best thing you can do is to admit it.  Stop rationalizing and you’ll be more likely to act.
  • Analyze what causes you to put things off. Most of us tend to avoid things that are unpleasant, complex, or overwhelming.
  • Do the toughest tasks first.
  • Tackle unpleasant tasks in small pieces and short time segments.
  • Delegate the task to someone who may enjoy doing it. Others often enjoy what we don’t!
  • Don’t be a perfectionist and accept that some risk may exist.
  • Don’t wait for the right mood as it may be a long time coming.
  • Get started; keep going!

Addressing procrastination requires awareness. Reflect on your reasons why you postpone doing the task and commit to a daily review of what must be done

Make a plan, and then think in terms of Nike’s motto: Just do it!  

Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness, no laziness, no procrastination: never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.
— Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield

20 May
[email protected] Leadership

Employees, Leadership, and Loyalty

Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence.
—Colin Powell

Success in the workplace requires understanding your employees. Matter of fact, we’ll say that your employees are the biggest component of success, which means that without strong and effective leadership, and without feelings of loyalty, success will be lacking.

Ty Collins defines a loyal employee as: a person who has worked for your company and has always focused on the success of the company. This includes sacrificing their own time and interest to put more energy into the corporation. These selfless acts are measurable and done on a daily basis.

Loyalty is a two-way street. A company and its leaders must be loyal to their employees if they are to expect loyalty in return. John C. Maxwell feels loyalty boils down to COMPASSION.  His formula for achieving success is:

COMPASSION > COOPERATION > RELATIONSHIPS = RESULTS

As leaders, we must ensure employees understand the value they provide. Maxwell suggests we make it clear that our leader/employee relationship addresses the following:

DO YOU CARE FOR ME? 
Value your team as humans, not resources
People are more important than projects
Know what motivates each person
Share what you value most about each person

CAN YOU HELP ME?
Remember that it’s a two-way relationship
What can you do to help them grow and obtain their career desires?
Each person helps you and the organization most when you help them

CAN I TRUST YOU?
Keep your promises
Be consistent
Match your actions with your words

Achieving results is essential for growth and sustainability. As a leader, don’t lose sight on devoting time to your employees and building loyal relationships.

How do you view loyalty?  Is it a 2-way street?

Loyalty is a decision, a resolution of the soul.
—Pascal Mercier

13 May
[email protected] Success

Fear Is a Barrier For Success

Courage is resistance to fear and mastery of fear—not absence of fear.
–Mark Twain

We’ve worked with many leaders, teams and organizations over the past couple of decades and have observed commonly shared fears that impact effective leadership and one’s ability to succeed.

Here are 5 common fears that even the best leaders need to be able to recognize and master:

Fear #1 – Fear of documenting a Vision, Mission and Goals
Q. Even seasoned leaders may resist documenting these. Why?
A. There may be feelings of anxiousness when putting one’s thoughts on paper, sharing them with others, having them critiqued, supported, and actioned. There is a fear of trying something new and unknown and wondering if results will be obtained.

Fear #2 – Fear of Delegation and building a Collaborative Team
Q. Why don’t we act as a team?
A. Without shared and agreed upon vision, mission and goals, team members may not understand priorities and strategy and how they can collaborate to achieve even more successes. Delegation shows trust, and trust is the foundation for teamwork.

Fear #3 – Fear of accountability and following processes
Q. What happens if we aren’t accountable for our actions and processes?
A. There is a need to define processes and required roles  and assess what can be done to increase effectiveness. We need ownership and we need repeatable processes for growth to occur.

Fear #4 – Fear of failure
Q. Why do many leaders maintain a low profile and take minimal risks?
A. No one likes to fail or make mistakes so not taking action or any chances sometimes feels like the right thing to do. It isn’t!

Fear #5 – Fear of Success
Nelson Mandela said:
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant gorgeous, talented and fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be?

Good question! Do you have the courage to live your passion and influence others to learn and succeed? How are you contributing to the effectiveness of your team and business?

Don’t let fear be a barrier to success!

Being brave isn’t the absence of fear.
Being brave is having that fear but finding a way through it.
–Bear Grylls

 

06 May
[email protected] Change

Life Is Change – Growth Is Optional

The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.
–Albert Einstein

Living in times of change is a constant and because of this there are continued impacts to those we interact with in the workplace (as well as those we live with).

Some have adjusted easier than others, but regardless, what we once viewed as the status quo no longer exists and anxiety and uncertainty are ever present.

Principles of change

  • Change is an ongoing process rather than an event.
  • There is a progressive sequence of change behaviors that need to be experienced and mastered to effectively
  • manage change.
  • Denial, apprehension, anger and resistance are part of the change process.
  • The progression through the phases of change represents an opportunity for growth and responsible risk taking.

Leading through times of change includes:

  • Understanding the phases of change.
  • Pinpointing which stage you (and your team/colleagues) are in.
  • Inspiring yourself and your team to accept, understand, and assess the change(s).
  • Identify who/what will be impacted by the change.
  • View change as a need for growth and improvement vs. being an obstacle/hardship.
  • Understanding the change will help calm nerves and increase feelings of stability.

Since it’s natural to resist change, here are some questions to consider:

What is lost if I don’t support this change? Compared against:
What is gained if I accept the change and help others do the same?

Is my preferred style and behavior limiting me? Compared against:
By stepping out of my comfort zone what more could I accomplish?

What will I regret if I do not make a change? Compared against:
How might I grow personally and professionally by accepting the change?

Change is both a challenge and an opportunity. It requires courage and confidence, and can provide new and exciting opportunities! Learn, Grow, Transform, and Choose Wisely!

The most dangerous quote:
We’ve Always Done It This Way