Quote for the Day

Occassionally a powerful quote can say more than a well written blog. There is a quote by Benjamin Disraeli that reminds me to be vigilant in my thinking as follows:

"Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go higher than you think."

What thoughts are preventing you from developing your full potential?

Leadership and Planning

In the early months of a new year, new resolutions, intentions and plans are initiated. For many individuals and organizations a new year represents a time of renewed hope. As I think about organizations this time of year, I wonder how many well prepared plans are implemented? Or, how many plans sit on the shelf until the next planning process?

During a recent conversation with a CEO, he told me that as long as the vision and mission are clearly articulated and everyone is on board, he has no real need for a formal strategic planning process. There are pros and cons to both sides of the planning debate.

There are however, visionary companies that have habits or practices that prosper them over long periods of time even with the many changes in their business life cycle. Companies such as 3M, American Express, General Electric and others create a core ideology while balancing that with an envisioned future. According to the research done by James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras in Built to Last, the following process leads to long term success:

• Have a clearly defined set of core values. Core values are the organizations's essential and enduring tenets (Collins and Porras, 73) They suggest only three to five values.
• Have a clearly articulated purpose. This is the fundamental reason for a company's existence beyond just making money (76).
• Create BHAGs (big hairy audacious goals) as a way to stimulate progress. As Collins and Porras point out, a BHAG engages people. It reaches out and grabs them in the gut. It is tangible, energizing and highly focused. People "get it" right away and it takes little or no explanation (94). It is a clear and compelling goal that is understood by those internal to the organization.
• Create vivid descriptions of the BHAGs. This will allow the individuals within the organization to clearly visualize the end result.

Both authors emphasize the importance of maintaing the core ideology while striving for progress. Although there are many ways to maintain and sustain long term success, as a leader you must decide what is best for your organization.

Dynamic Dialogue

One of my favorite tools is "Dynamic Dialogue". It is an excellent decision making and problem solving process that can be utilized with individuals and teams. With the Dynamic Dialogue, model, multiple aspects of an issue are examined. At the heart of its success is clear definition of the problem or situation to be resolved.

A manufacturing client of mine had been struggling for five years as to whether or not to add a third shift. After spending an afternoon working through the model, the leadership team was able to make a decision.

An overview of the Dynamic Dialogue process is as follows:

1. Clearly describe the situation.
2. Feelings: How do you feel? Feelings often drive us whether we are consciously aware of them or not. It is important to allow expression of the feelings connected to the given situation or problem.
3. Facts/Data: What happened? These are the concrete, objective facts of the situation, and include the history, concrete experiences, and past actions.
4. Thoughts: What do you think it means? These include our conclusions, opinions, beliefs, assumptions, interpretations, explanations and theories. There are times when people turn their thoughts into the facts.For example,I was working with leaders across an organization. One individual was describing an employee as "lazy" and considered that a fact.When I asked the question what made you think that the employee was lazy, she then began to describe the facts. Lazy was her conclusion about the employee.
5. Goals: What do you want to have happen? These are intentions, values, dreams, desires, and ideals. In most cases there are always common goals to be found.
6. Ways/Means: How are you going to do it? This includes plans, actions, methods, tools, strategies, resources and timelines.
   

A team can choose to begin anywhere in the process. It is not necessary to dialogue in a certain order. Dynamic Dialogue is one more tool for leaders throughout organizations. How will Dynamic Dialogue help your organization?

Extreme Mind Makeover Edition

Mahatma Gandhi said, "a man is but the products of his thoughts. What he thinks, he bocomes". Whether we care to admit it or not, our thoughts and beliefs impact our experience.

We think 40,000 to 50,000 thoughts per day. How we feel is indicative of the types of thoughts we think. Do you feel joy and excitement in your life or are you feeling fatique? Do you see the glass as half empty or have full? The better we feel the more optimistically we are thinking.

So what do we do in those situations when we are focused on what is not working or what we do not want? There are simples techniques that we can use as follows:
1. Listen to your language: What are you saying to yourself and others?

2. Visualization: Mentally picture what you want in your mind and feel it.

3. Pivoting: When you are focused on what you do not want,ask yourself, "what do I really, really want. Take a belief and try it.

4. Scripting: It is writing about what you want as if it has already happened. Write it in the present tense with as much detail as possible.

All of these techniques can change your thinking. As Norman Vincent Peale believed, "Change your thoughts, and you change your world"?

Do you need an extreme mind makeover today?

Thought for the Day

Sometimes a simple thought for the day can be more profound than an entire blog. As you move through this upcoming week think of the Gandhi quote, "We must be the change we wish to see in the world".

What change do you want to make in your life that will make the world a better place?

The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive

One of my favorite authors is Patrick Lencioni. His leadership ideas are simple but powerful. The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive is no exception.

In this book he begins with two fictitious companies. One exemplifies a healthy organization and the other does not. The story showcases how an organization becomes healthy. A healthy organization is defined as having less politics, and confusion, higher morale and productivity, lower unwanted turnover, and lower recruiting costs than an unhealthy one (Lencioni, 140).

The following are Lencioni's four disciplines of a healthy organization (141):
1. Build and maintain a cohesive leadership team. This is the most critical and
enables the other three.
2. Create organizational clarity. It is agreeing to the fundamental concepts
that drive an organization.
3. Over-communicate organizational clarity. With this principle, employees at
all levels and in all departments understand what the organization is about
and how they contribute to its success.
4. Reinforce organizational clarity through human systems. Systems and processes that drive human behavior must be clear.

The end result of practicing these principles is a healthier, happier and more productive organization.

As you think about these principles, which ones are currently active in your organization.

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?