Coaching for Excellence

Coaching is helping individuals to source their own answers. It is helping the client to see the power of possibility. As an Executive Coach, it is important that I learn to ask powerful questions to direct the coachee inward, and recognize I do not have her/his answers.

We live in a culture where being right is very important. It is easy to fall into the trap of wanting to be more directive in my coaching approach. That is simply not my job. When I allow individuals to discover her/his answers it is so much more powerful and empowering!

There are so many great tools and techniques available for working with a coachee. Many of my favorites come from Learning Journeys The International Center of Coaching. Please check out their website at learningjourneys.net for a list of classes and certifications.

As I continue to coach executives, I will remind myself it is her/his journey and not mine.

Question for the week: How can you continue to increase your effectiveness as a coach?

Employee Re-engagement

Leigh Branham's third book, co-authored with Mark Hirschfeld, is called RE-ENGAGE. The book addresses the six rules of "re-engagement" for organizations, and is research based. It shows "how America's best places to work inspire extra effort in extraordinary times".

The six rules of re-engagment are as follows:

• Build Trust among workers, managers, and executives.
• Deal with problem employees and dysfunctional environments.
• Inspire teamwork that crosses generational lines and diversities.
• Promote excellence through training, rewards and benefits.
• Value the contributions of individuals and teams.
• Show employees that you genuinely care.

Each principle is supported by a company actually practicing it. Leigh also offers some practical suggestions for your employees.

Having known Leigh for a number of years, I know how passionate and knowledgeable he is about employee engagement. I suggest reading and keeping this book on your shelf as a reference guide.

Question for the week: How engaged are your employees?

Gratitude

As we begin the Holiday season, it is a time for reflection, introspection and gratitude for the year coming to a close. We reflect on our famiiy, friends and the myriad of good fortune we experienced throughout the year. However, how often do we practice gratitude at work? How often do we spend time expressing our appreciation to the co-worker who helped with the project? Or the boss that supported us? It is a simple concept, yet seldom practiced in our work environment.

Eileen Caddy once said, "Gratitude helps you to grow and expand, gratitude brings joy and laughter in to your life and into the lives of all those around you." Today as you think about the individuals and teams that have supported you, take a moment to express your gratitude and appreciation. It will go a long way towards creating a more harmonious and joyful work environment.

Today, who will be the recipient of your gratitude at work?

Happy Thanksgiving!

We are taking a break this week for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Remeber to count your blessings!

The Leadership Challenge

One of my favorite books is The Leadership Challenge by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner. It was written over 30 years ago and was updated in 2007. The book is a culmination of their ongoing research and demonstrates the five exemplary leadership practices. It is a must read for leaders at all levels of an organization. I highly recommend keeping a copy on your bookshelf.

The five practices are as follows:

1. Model the Way: Leaders create standards of excellence and then set an example for others to follow. They establish principles relating to the way people should be treated and goals pursued. Interim goals are set so people can achieve small wins on the way to larger objectives.
2. Inspire a Shared Vision: Leaders envision the future, creating an ideal of what the organization can become. They enlist others in their dreams, and get employees to see exciting possibilities.
3. Challenge the Process: Leaders look for ways to change the status quo. They experiment and take risks, and look for innovative ways to improve the organization. Leaders understand that risk taking involves mistakes and failures and are willing to use them as learning opportunities.
4. Enable Others to Act: Leaders build teams and foster collaboration. They understand the importance of mutual respect to achieve goals, and create an atmosphere of trust. Leaders involve and strengthen others.
5. Encourage the Heart: Leaders recognize and celebrate individual and team contributions. They make people feel like heroes.

Leadership is everyone's business. Practicing these five principles will lead to stronger more resilient organizations.

As you think about your situation, how well are these five practices demonstrated in your organization?

Change Management for Success

We currently are in a time of great change. How we perceive that change makes all the difference. Do we see it as an opportunity for greater growth and development moving us toward what we want, or is it something we repeatedly resist? The saying, "what I resist, persists" is so very true. In any given situation we have a choice.

Leaders in organizations are also faced with this choice. How she/he thinks about change sets the tone for the rest of the organization. Change management begins with mindset, and then the changes must be implemented in a smart, thoughtful way. Manning and Curtis in their book, The Art of Leadership provide seven guidelines (pp.306-307) for implementing change. They are as follows:

1. Have a good reason for making the change. Will it support the organization's vision, values, missions, goals and objectives?
2. Personalize the change. Explain your commitment to the change, and let people know where you stand.
3. Implement change thoughtfully. Involve the people who are affected, allow people time to adjust (when possible), communicate regularly, and be available to discuss it.
4. Put a respected person in charge of the change. Let that individual tap the collective wisdom of the group or team to plan, coordinate and implement the change.
5. Tell the truth. Give the facts and rationale, not sugar coated pep talks.
6. Wait patiently for results (this is probably the most challenging part).
7. Acknowledge and reward people. Take the time to recognize and appreciate.

As you focus on what you want, and clearly see and communicate the change, you will move forward in ways that will increase the organization's success!

Are You Listening?

Recently while sitting in a meeting I observed the cross talk, side conversations and individual's reading their email. It dawned on me, do we really listen to one another any more? My contention is that if leaders would REALLY listen to their employees and ask powerful questions, we could dramatically improve organizational effectiveness.

There are three levels at which we listen as follows (Madelyn Burley-Allen, 14):

Level I: Empathetic Listening- At this level the listener attempts to see things from the other's point of view. It is both listening for content and context.

Level II: At this level the listener is hearing words and unable to hear the deeper meaning of what is being said. The listener is more concerned about content than feeling.

Level III: The listener is tuning in and out. Have you ever been in conversation with someone and realized you did not hear what he/she just said? I certainly have. The listener is more interested in talking than listening.

So, how do we become a better listener? Here are some helpful tips

1.Make a commitment to become a better listener. Throughout our lives we take alot of communication courses. Have you ever taken a listening course?
2. Stay present! It is easy to let the mind wander and think about the multiple projects and tasks at hand. Level I listening requires being present in the here and now.
3. Keep an open mind. Avoid listening from judgement, biases and preconceived notions.
4. Resist external distractions. Stay focused on the conversation.
5.When appropriate take notes. Particularly with clients, it is imperative I take notes during the conversation to insure uderstanding.
6. Ask open-ended questions for clarification. These include what, how, when and where, or statements such as "tell me more". I avoid using "why" as it tends to put the speaker on the defensive.
7. Use the communication skills of paraphrasing, summarizing, and reflecting (repeat what was said using the listener's words). It takes practice to become a Level I listener. However, the benefits well outweigh the effort. What can you do to improve your listening skills?

Conflict Resolution: Part IV

Sitting in Starbucks waiting for an appointment, I observed a mother and her three year old son. The little boy was exploring all aspects of the coffee shop. At one point, he stopped and yelled to his mother, "I see you" over and over and over again. He then moved to different parts of the room and continued his chorus of "I see you". After watching this for five minutes, I realized all he wanted was for his mother to say, "I see you!" She never did. In that moment the greater realization came that conflict resolution is really about seeing and hearing others' perspectives. It is saying, "I see you!"

As we conclude the four week series on conflict resolution, we are left with the question, "How do we resolve conflict?" The following steps will address this issue. Although these steps provide a foundation for resolution, it is the constant practice which brings great results.

These steps will provide a basis for dealing with conflict as follows:

1. Prepare
2. Set up a time to meet in a neutral environment. It prevents both individuals from feeling he/she has an advantage.
3. Establish some operating principles. These can include guidelines such as being respectful, listening and being open and honest.
4. Each participant shares her/his perspective.
5. Summarize after each participant has shared to ensure understanding.
6. Talk until a breakthrough occurs. This is evidenced by conciliatory gestures (Conflict Resolution by Dan Dana). Conciliatory gestures include apologizing, owning responsibility, conceding, self-disclosure, expressing positive feelings and initiating both gain (Dana, 71).
7. Utilize communication skills: listening, reflecting, paraphrasing, summarizing and asking open-ended questions.
8. Create a behaviorally specific agreement. It answers the question, "How will our behavior be different going forward?"
9. Schedule a follow up meeting.

It takes practice and a willingness to resolve conflict. The greatest benefits are more innovative, and creative solutions occur when conflict is dealt with and resolved.

How do you deal with conflict now? How will you deal with it going forward?

Conflict Resolution: Part III

During my graduate work in conflict management and dispute resolution I took a class called Workplace Mediation with Judy Mares-Dixon of Mares-Dixon and Associates. It was a fabulous class and she was one of the best professors I had. She talked about the dynamics of conflict or as I like to call them, the sources of conflict. There are five: relationship problems, data problems, value differences, structural problems and interests. As we continue our discussion on conflict resolution, examining these five areas can help in identifying the root causes of current issues facing your organization.

Beginning with relationship problems let's explore these dynamics. There are times that a lack of trust and respect, style or communication differences can ignite or feed conflict. For example, in one organization in which I mediated, the two parties distrusted each other enormously. Until the parties could find some level of trust through communication, it would be difficult for them to move forward.

Data problems exist when there is inaccurate, incorrect or missing information. When employees do not receive the necessary data, they tend to interpret information through their own filters.

Conflict can also be caused by value differences. We know by observing behavior what people value. At one point in my career, I worked for an organization where there were huge value difference. My value of integrity was very different from how the owners conducted business. I was very conflicted inside. Over time my position was eliminated and I left the organization. I later realized the end result was inevitable due to those differences.

Structural problems exist within organizations. Have you ever worked for two bosses? Have you ever experienced a lack of clarity in your position? Have you ever lacked the necessary resources to do your job well? If you answered yes to any of these questions you are dealing with structural problems.

Last but not least are interests. In conflict resolution, part of the goal is to find common interests. Interests are the underlying reasons for what we want. For example, if Bill and Sue are working on a project together, they want it to be successful. However, their interests may be very different. Bill wants the project to be a success because he will look good and it will advance his career. Sue wants the project to be successful so that there will be repeat business and the company's reputation in the market place will grow.

When examining conflict, explore the dynamics of relationship problems, data problems, value differences, structural problems and interests. Often time, there may be more than one of these factors in play.

Which of these factor(s) do you most often see in your organization?

Conflict Resolution: Part II

Ghandi once said, "Conflict isn't necessarily bad because when you have conflict everybody learns something. Both sides learn something about themselves and each other. It becomes a learning and strengthening process". He understood the value of conflict to individuals and organizations.

What is conflict? We have defined it as, "the perceived and/or actual incompatibility of needs, interests and/or goals between two or more interdependent parties (Coltri)". Simply put, any relationship that depends on others where differences exist, could potentially become a conflict.

A Conflict may gradually develop over time. There are three levels of conflict as follows:

• Difference: A different perception on the same issue. Is usually not significant.


• Dispute: It is significant and usually a single issue that is driven and dealt with in the here and now.


• Conflict: Unresolved disputes that are highly complex and intensely identified on a personal level.

How often have you seen a difference eventually turn into a conflict? I worked with an Executive in an organization and one of his team members. The problems began with a difference. The team member made a simple request and the Executive discounted it. The individual was unwilling to address the issue at this level. A series of events happened that moved the difference to a dispute (she/he does not listen to me and value my input). Eventually it became a conflict with multiple issues to include; a lack of trust, respect, and honesty, and no clearly defined roles and responsibilities. A difference if not addressed may turn into a full blown conflict costing the organization time and money to resolve it.

Based on what we have been discussing, how often in your organization does a difference become a conflict? What is the cost to your organization?

Conflict Resolution: Part I

Recently while working with a group, I posed the question, "when you think of conflict what words come to mind?" Words like resentment, fear, challenge, stress and anger hit the flipchart immediately. It is no wonder that individuals tend to be conflict averse. However, there is another side to conflict. When conflict is managed and resolved it can create more innovative, creative, and synergistic solutions.

It starts with belief. Do you see conflict as something to be avoided or something to be embraced? Do you see it as a setback or a normal part of everyday interactions? The choice is yours. The more you embrace conflict, the more willing you are to address it.

In this four part series on conflict resolution, let us begin by defining the word. My favorite textbook definition comes from Conflict Diagnosis and Alternative Dispute Resolution by Lauri S. Coltri. She defines conflict as follows:

"The percieved and/or actual incompatibility of needs, interests and/or goals between two or more interdependent parties."

It is easy to see from this definition how conflict can occur in organizations on a day-to-day basis.

There is also the impact ongoing conflict has in organizations. Psychometrics Canada surveyed 350 Human Resources Professionals. The survey found the following:

• 43% have witnessed someone being fired as a result of conflict
• 81% of those surveyed have seen conflict lead to someone leaving the organization
• 77% have seen it result in sickness or absence

The replacement cost of individuals alone is expensive for organizations. Additional research demonstrates the cost of conflict as follows:

• Watson and Hoffman in an early study found that practicing managers spend 42% of their time reaching agreement with others when conflict occurred.
• Estimates are the 65% of performance problems result from strained relationships with co-workers (MTI)
• According to a Fortune Magazine survey, resolution of employee disputes consumes 20% of a top executive's time.

For these, and many other reasons, we will be discussing conflict. What it is, and how to resolve it. We welcome your discussion and feedback over the next month as we delve into this topic. So how does conflict impact your organization?

High Performance Teams: Part III

I recently had the opportunity to facilitate a workshop on "Creating a High Performance Team". The foundation of the workshop was the book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. It was mentioned in an earlier blog. Accountability seemed to be an issue for a number of participants in the room.

Accountability as defined by Lencioni is "The willingness of team members to remind one another when they are not living up to the performance standards of the group" (Field Guide, 61). How many of us are willing to do that in our organizations?

Lencioni does offer some practical suggestions for ensuring accountability:

1. Team Effectiveness Exercise: Each participants receives feedback from his/her peers and manager. Each team members provide one strength and one area that he/she must improve or eliminate for the good of the team. The leader receives the information first.
2. Publication of goals and standards: Be clear about what you are trying to accomplish.
3. Simple and regular progress reviews: Hold monthly,or at least quarterly reviews for the goals and standards that have been set.
4. Team Rewards: Recognize the team for a job well done.

These simple steps can make a huge difference for your organization.

We have talked about high performance teams over the last three weeks. How do you create a high performing team?

High Performance Teams: Part II

Previously we discussed the four stages of team development; forming, storming, norming and performing. As I thought about the last stage, I wondered how do teams become high performing? How do they run like a well-oiled machine?

One of my favorite business books is the Five Dysfunctions of a Team. It answers the question as to how a team becomes high performing. Patrick Lencioni examines what causes dysfunctional teams. He lists five as follows:

Absence of trust

Fear of conflict

Lack of commitment

Avoidance of accountability

Inattention to results

Trust is the foundation of a high performing team. If trust can be developed, it will pave the way for greater conflict resolution, team commitment, accountability and results. Trust is the foundation of all successful relationships. Trust involves vulnerability.

How do we develop trust? Hyley Bracey in his book, Building Trust; How to Get It! How to Keep it! provides insight. His five step model utilizes the acronym TRUST:

T means be transparent

R means be responsive

U means use caring

S means be sincere

T means be trustworthy

Although this is one model, what has worked for you in building trust to create high performing teams?

High Performance Teams

Facilitating team process is one of my favorite consulting assignments. Each team has its own "culture" and way of operating. Michael Jordan once said, "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships". The next several blogs will be devoted to discussing high performance teams.

Understanding the stages of team development is critical when building a high performance team. In my opinion, the best model comes from research done by Bruce Tuckman. He currently directs the Academic Learning Lab at Ohio State University.

With a PhD in Psychology, Bruce wrote an article in 1965 entitled, Developmental Sequence in Small Groups. He describes the four stages of team development as forming, storming, norming and performing. In 1977 he added a stage called adjourning.

Understanding the four stages offers great insights to both the team members and its leader. Our starting point begins with examining each stage in greater detail;

• Forming: Excitement is high. It is new and fun and no one is really clear what they are doing. In fact, team members may be on their best behavior. It is a time of orientation.


• Storming: This is a normal part of the team development process. Roles are assigned, and personalities and egos begin to show. Team members may not feel safe to be open and honest. There is conflict and polarization around interpersonal issues. Individuals may confront and challenge one another.


• Norming: At this stage, there is greater role clarity and cohesiveness beginning to develop. New standards begin to evolve. The team is beginning to jell as a unit. Confidence improves, relationships strengthen and differences of opinion are respected.


• Performing: The team has become a well-oiled machine. They are able to share leadership, delegate assignments and work autonomously. Goals and targets are reached regularly and effectively. Structural issues have been resolved.


• Adjourning: There are times when a team has been assembled for a particular task or initiative. When the assignment is completed the team is most often disbanded. This can be very difficult for team members, particularly if individuals have worked well together.

When a new member joins the team, the stages of development may begin again. In addition, teams may move in and out of the stages. With the norming and performing stages, the need for formal leadership diminishes.

Recently I worked with an organization that merged two cultures. Team members self-identified as operating between the forming and storming stages. This information provided them the opportunity to strategize ways to more effectively navigate through the storming phase and move closer to becoming a high performance team.

Armed with this information, your team can identify ways to become more effective. The end result is a higher functioning team!!!

When you think about your team, what stage of development fits?

Listening: The Heart of the Matter

Recently while sitting in a meeting I observed cross talk, side conversations, and individuals reading email. I wondered if we really listen to one another any more. My hypothesis is that if leaders would ask great questions and REALLY listen to the answer, we could dramatically improve organizational effectiveness. Today we will address the area of listening.

There are three listening levels as follows(Madelyn Burley-Allen):

Level I: The listener attempts to see things from the speaker's point of view. It is listening for content and context. As Stephen Covey said, "Seek ye first to understand and then be understood". This is called empathetic listening.

Level II: The listener is hearing words and unable to hear the deeper meaning of what is being said. She/he is more concerned about content than feeling.

Level III: The listener is tuning in and out. She/he is more interested in talking than listening.

So, how do we become a better listener?

1. Make a commitment to become a better listener.

2. Stay present! It is easy to let the mind wander and think about multiple tasks at hand. Level I listening is being present in the here and now.

3. Keep an open mind. Avoid listening from judgement, biases, and preconceived notions.

4. Resist external distractions. Stay focused on the conversation.

5. When appropriate take notes. It is particularly important when talking with clients.

6. Ask open-ended questions for clarification. These include what, how, when and where questions. Avoid using "why" as it puts the speaker on the defensive.

7. Use the communication skills of paraphrasing, summarizing and reflecting (repeat what was said using the listener's words.

It takes practice to become a Level I listener. However, the benefits well outweigh the effort. What can you do to improve your listening skills?

Do You Know Where You Are Going???

The story of Alice-in-Wonderland encountering the Cheshire Cat is so poignant to individuals and organizations today. The conversation goes as follows:

Alice:"Which road do I take?"
Cheshire Cat: "Where do you want to go?"
"I don't know Alice answered."
"Then said the Cat, it doesn't matter. If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there." (Alice In Wonderland)

There are times when organizations are unclear about their direction and what they really, really want. Much like Alice-in-Wonderland, they may take multiple, unrelated roads that end up in a circular motion. It can impact their decision making, the customers and employees when confusion exists around company direction.

To insure you have a roadmap that will get you the result you want, here are some questions to ask:

-Do you have a clearly articulated, documented and communicated vision and mission?
-What are your three to five core values that guide the decision-making in the organization?
-What specifically do you want to accomplish over the next one, three or five years?
-How will you ensure that happens?
-How will you be accountable?

Once you have answered those questions successfully, how will you then communicate to the entire organization the direction of the company?

This doesn't have to be a complicated process and it should have some degree of fluidity. I worked with an organization that developed a "roadmap" for the business. After the first year, the company experienced an increase in both revenue and profit margin. It really does work!

As you think about your organization, what is its roadmap?

Trust

Trust must exist at all levels and is critical for a successful organization. Recently I had the opportunity to hear Dave Horsager who has written a book entitled, The Trust Edge. He states, "everything of value is built on trust, from financial systems to relationships".

Dave offers the following eight pillars of trust:
1. Clarity
2. Compassion
3. Character
4. Competency
5. Commitment
6. Connection
7. Contribution
8. Consistency

If we continue to sharpen our trust edge, organizations, institutions, and homes will be transformed.

As you think about this topic, where can you sharpen your trust edge?

LinkedIn as a Garden

This week our Guest Blogger is Dan Olson of Star Collaborative. He is a master at working with LinkedIn and his business has experienced much success as a result of it.

Linked In as a Garden
The old adage ‘You can’t fake a crop’ is the main thought here. The most successful networkers I have encountered view LinkedIn as a garden that requires frequent care and feeding. Just like a gardener that constantly waters or weeds their plants, LinkedIn has a multitude of activities that require your attention before you can harvest something from it.

To increase adoption, and to make it more palatable, I suggest the following approach to tending to your LinkedIn garden: Plan on spending three sessions a week with your LinkedIn profile, for no more than ten minutes each time. A Monday - Wednesday – Friday rhythm has proven to be most effective, and helps keep you top of mind with your connected network.

Mondays: Write a recommendation for someone you know that has done exemplary work and is deserving of praise. Be genuine in your writing, specific in your comments, and choose people who have made a significant difference. Write the recommendation in Word so that you benefit from its grammar and spell check features, then cut and paste it into LinkedIn. Shoot for a 5 to 7 sentence write up.

I recommend that you write at least ten recommendations for others before asking someone to write one for you (pay it forward). In fact, I have seen many people who make a ten week commitment to this approach get spontaneous recommendations written for them by week four or five. People take notice of such activities and feel motivated to respond in kind. Posting recommendations is a great way to help people in your network get credit for the things that they have done, and helps them build their online brand.

Wednesdays: Post a book recommendation to your profile using the Amazon Reads module. You do not need to add any commentary, simply chose one business book that you think your network will be interested in or gain some special insight from. Since this takes only a minute, also post an interesting article to your status. Pick something that relates to your career brand or area of specialty (project management, logistics, marketing, etc.). Make sure you are posting something that has value and is interesting or provocative.

Fridays: Since you are undoubtedly always working on your resume, chose one interesting factoid or sentence from your resume and add it to your LinkedIn profile. Don’t fall into the trap that you need to spend eight hours perfecting your profile in one fell swoop. Most people who attempt this get burnt out by the activity, get frustrated with LinkedIn’s poor user interface, or loose enthusiasm for the work. Again, if you are viewing this as a long-term project, give yourself ten or more weeks before you see significant improvements or changes to your profile.
Since this cut and paste will take you mere moments, use Fridays as a day to find a group or forum on LinkedIn that relates to your career interests. Once you find an interesting group, join it so it is listed on your profile, and start interacting with the people there. Within your budgeted ten minutes of activity, you should be able to read the postings of others, answer a few questions, and ask a few of your own. This is a great way for you to help others, learn new ideas, and to further substantiate your online presence.

LinkedIn is a journey
So, what’s the net effect of this LinkedIn interaction regime?

1) It’s a great way to pay it forward and help others: Writing recommendations, posting interesting articles and books, as well as helping others in groups all contributes to good karma. Have an abundance mentality first when it comes to networking. It is the right thing to do.

2) It keeps you top of mind: Each time you do something to your LinkedIn profile, it sends a notice out to everyone in your network and shows up in their newsfeed and daily summary e-mails. I have found that people who show up three times a week are more likely to get attention and responses from people in their network. Those who show up more often get ignored as spammers, those who post less frequently are easily forgotten.

3) It keeps you engaged: As you work on these activities, with this frequency, it is easily absorbed into your daily routine, and will soon become a habit. It will also help you in your face-to-face networking since you will have more knowledge of the person in question through your LinkedIn interactions. Like Facebook, LinkedIn will allow you to monitor your colleagues’ work lives and interact with them constantly.

4) It builds your online brand: Linked In is the virtual storefront of your brand. Make sure that you are creating a compelling an accurate value prop for people to see and respond to. These activities will help build out a robust picture of who you are, making you a more valuable resource to the people in your network.

To me, LinkedIn is a journey, not a destination. You will never complete editing your profile or finding something new and interesting to add to it. There will always be another connection to make, recommendation to write, or question to post. If you use a pay-it-forward mentality, you can significantly help your colleagues in their career endeavors while making deposits on a karma bank account. If you help others via this tool, you will get back as much as you give.

Are you LinkedIn?

DoesYour Organization Have an Abundance Mentality?

"You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want."
-Zig Ziglar

Zig Ziglar was one of the best known motivational speakers of the 20th Century. He truly believed in helping others become successful. He practiced what I call an abundance mentality. It was not surprising he experienced a high level of success throughout his life.

In my almost 20 years as a coach and consultant, I have worked in a myriad of organizations. Sadly, seldom few subscribe to this abundance mentality or really practice this principle in their day to day culture. However, recently I was introduced to Dan Olson and Katie Frank. Dan is a Founding Partner and Co-Owner of STAR Collaborative (http://www.starcollaborative.com/), along with Ed Lefkow. Katie Frank is the Director of Collaboration.

STAR Collaborative provides staff augmentation services to help clients flex their project resources as needed. They supply organizations with experienced consultants that possess the right skills and abilities. Their focus includes variable resource management, project management, transformational change management and leadership development.

Within minutes of meeting Dan, he talked about having an abundance mentality. At STAR Collaborative they not only want to help their clients grow and succeed, but also help their cadre of consultants become more successful. Dan believes there is enough for everyone.

Dan shared several example that illustrate the company's abundance mentality. Recently he helped place an individual in a full time position. He intuitively knew it was a great match, and was not looking for any type of compensation. Their non compete agreement when a consultant leaves the organization is one day. Furthermore, I experienced Dan's abundance mentality when he sat down with me last week and shared a process for successfully utilizing social media as a marketing tool.

As I have thought about STAR Collaborative over the last week and their abundance mentality it raised the following questions:

• Do I believe there is enough for everyone?
• Is my business about competition and profit first, or doing what is in the best interest of the stakeholders (internal and external)?
• Is my organization truly client-focused?
• Do I engage, empower, and encourage employees to greater levels of success?
• Are information and other resources freely shared among team members?

As I answer these questions for myself, I encourage you to do the same for your organization. As is the case with STAR Collaborative, those organizations that listen, heed and practice Zig Ziglar's words will continue to experience high levels of success!

What is your commitment to practicing and living an abundance mentality?

Successfully Navigating Change

"The Universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it."

-Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

Organizations and individuals respond to change differently. Some individuals and organizations embrace and are even stimulated by change. Others work hard to keep the status quo in place, and resist change at every juncture. Whatever approach to change you take, how we think about change is critical to successfully navigating through it.

Case in point is my recent relocation to Minneapolis, Minnesota after many years in Kansas City. Early in the summer of 2010, I made the decision to return to Minneapolis to help care for my aging mother. Not only was I uprooting my life, and consulting practice, but also building a new professional network in Minneapolis. Additionally, I was co-chairing a September fundraiser and preparing for the physical move. I had two choices at this point. I could focus on all there was to do and become overwhelmed or I could see the change full of possibilities. I chose the latter. As a result, I navigated the many changes with a degree of peace and serenity.

How do you think about change in your life? How do you think about change in your organization? Do you resist it or embrace it? The thoughts we think will determine how successfully we navigate through it.

How do you navigate through change?