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Do you sometimes feel like you are working with a bunch of monkeys? Hilasrious video!!.....

Major dilemma? How To Make the Right Decision!

A few times in my life I have encountered a major personal dilemma.  In each case, I had to choose a path that would have a major impact on my future. 

I was lucky to receive some good advice that first time - a wise family friend told me:

 "Step 1:  Make a decision in your mind to choose Alternative A.  Walk around for a few days, paying attention to how your gut feels.  Assume that Alternative A is going to happen, imagine how that will play out for you.  Notice how good (or not so good) you feel.  Notice how well you sleep.  Notice what your thought patterns are."

This is the important part - tuning in to that inside gut instinct of "What feels right".  If the decision isn't clear yet, don't worry.  Just keep on with the process.  

"Step 2:  Flip your mind to assume your decision moves to choose Alternative B.  Now walk around for a few more days, paying attention to how your gut feels.  Assume that Alternative B is going to happen, imagine how that will play out for you.  Notice how good (or not so good) you feel.  Notice how well you sleep.  Notice what your thought patterns are."

By this point in the process, you should be leaning toward one choice or the other, and your inner voice should be helping you make a decision.  

"Step 3:  Ask your spouse for an opinion, or those who you trust to be fair and honest with you."

 

Often, the spouse or trusted friend/family member will confirm your instinctive choice.   I have recommended this strategy to friends and colleagues, and a few have even come back to me within 24 hours of our conversation with a clear decision and great sense of relief.  
  

Trust your inner voice, pay attention and let the "mulling" of the facts and options help you make your best choice!

Corporate Athletes - How Sports and Business are Alike

Corporate executives are very much like elite athletes.   Read the following points and consider how great business executives and  world-class athletes exhibit exactly the same traits: 

1) PERSONAL "DRIVE"  AND AMBITION

The business executive moves up the corporate ladder by channeling long hours of work and mental focus constantly on the business.  On an extreme scale, corporate work ethic can sometimes be reworded as "workaholic".  These corporate athletes retain and capitalize on their intense mental focus -- their desire to succeed never wanes.  

  

The sports athlete moves up to world class status by employing unwavering effort and thousands of hours of practice, through the appropriate channels in their own sport (leagues, tournaments, competitions).  Sports athletes have an unparalleled drive to achieve, whether at a professional, world-class or Olympic level . They do not let anything deflect them from their goals - they exhibit incredible work ethic, intense focus and a "never-give-up" attitude.

2) TRAINING AND PREPARATION

Business executives begin their careers with education in an area of expertise, then progress by gaining varied experience in higher and higher levels of business.  Business training and preparation is both formal and informal. Learning the politics of people, business deals and corporate culture is often as important as any technical education.  

 Sports training and preparation begins in a similar way, with technical skills development as the foundation, complemented by increasingly complex nuances of learning in a particular sport.  The right mix of training to enable athletes perform using both technical skills (the  "science") and natural talent/ability (the "art") is key to elite status.  

3) CROSS TRAINING

Broad-based expertise is a key ingredient for successful business leaders.  Decision-making requires expertise in multiple disciplines (marketing, financial, operational).  Mentorship and career development programs are a great way to focus on this broader range of skill building -  MBAs are an example of diversified training in the business world.  

In sports, the importance of sport-specific training is always present; however cross-training adds complementary strengths and skills to support an ahtlete's success in a variety of situations.  Yes, hockey players may employ strength/yoga/core training to complement their speed skating and puck-handling skills.  Bikers and runners will add upper body weight training as part of their overall training plans.

4) CONTINUOUS SKILLS / STRENGTH BUILDING OVER A LIFETIME

Executives and leaders never stop learning or building their business, it's a "compound effect".  Some leaders will never retire - their business has been continuous for decades and stopping or retiring is just inconceivable.  Success to these individuals is often as much the journey as the destination.  

Athletes parallel this attitude.  Physical training never stops - the invested effort to achieve peak physical conditioning and elite performance levels is so significant, athletes are usually reluctant to stop or take a break because the decline in performance takes too much effort to recover later.  Often, the psychology of sport is embedded in an athlete's persona; their love of hockey, basketball, etc is a lifetime passion.

5)  NATURAL TALENT / ABILITY ACCELERATES LEVEL OF SUCCESS

Natural business leaders with an instinct for making deals or obtaining innovative results will achieve greater levels of business success.  

The same principle applies for athletes - those with natural ability will excel because they have found their "niche" talent and are tapping it.

6)   PERFORMANCE UNDER PRESSURE

Imagine running a multi-million dollar company with thousands of jobs depending on you and competitors trying to cut you off at the knees on every deal you make.  Hundreds of daily decisions are necessary, each with big risks in terms of money, jobs or the business's reputation - and the days are  always 12-18 hours long.  

Athletes experience comparable pressure.  Mental focus and concentration culminates in competition; sometimes years of investment riding on one moment or one event.  Consider what goes through the mind of a golfer in the Masters Tournament, or how a hockey player handles overtime playoffs in the Stanley Cup.  

The key to reaching elite status, whether in business or in sport, is the combination of all the above factors:  preparation, hard work, mental focus and life experience all contribute to hone the capabilities and potential of each individual. 


Find your passion, then pursue it with determination and planned action!

Travel Tips - How To Stay Caught Up on the Road

Business travel - why does it take so long to "catch up" at the office when returning from a business trip?   Try tips in these three areas to avoid buildup of workload:


1) Delegate Email:

Delegate emails to one or more subordinates or peers in your "away from office" wizard so that routine issues can be resolved in your absence.  Studies show that up to 60% of emails can be delegated and dealt with by staff at home while you are on the road.  

Don't be afraid to delegate.  Sometimes the biggest hurdle is giving up control to others, or taking the time to train others to handle your work.  Try delegating on shorter trips and in smaller amounts at first if you are wary of giving up too much too soon.

2) Clean your office/ in-basket before you travel:

If you can clear your in-basket before traveling, you will reduce the odds of being overloaded upon your return.  

Where possible, schedule several hours in the week before leaving to clear up outstanding items and clutter in your office.

Delegate currently outstanding issues to peers or subordinates (before you leave) to ensure that work continues without interruption in your absence.  Think about it: what a great way to clean up your office!

Assign staff to review your in-basket while you are away, with instructions to pass through routine items to appropriate personnel for handling in your absence.

3) Bring work with you when traveling: 

Sometimes road trips are the most productive - it's easier to complete projects without constant interruptions.  Mix up the work  you bring; take easier reading as well as more complex items.  Then, when you need a break from intense work concentration, you will have a variety of items to choose from.

4) Schedule exercise while on the road:

If you can plan just 30 minutes daily at the hotel gym, or plan a brisk walk in your locale, you will keep your energy up and your mind fresh.  Find the time that works best for you - I prefer early morning or just before dinner because changes in meeting times can tend to override priorities by middle of the day.

5) Strategize to deal with jetlag:

Key tips to manage your body clock while traveling include avoiding alcohol on travel days, making sure your body stays hydrated, using melatonin to support sleep as needed, and taking short catnaps in early days in a new time zone.  

 

If you are sleepless in Timbuktu, catch up on some of the work you brought with you until the melatonin kicks in.

Above all, use your common sense - plan ahead, delegate before and during your travels and maintain a healthy lifestyle while on the road.  These are your tools to keep ahead of the business travel exhaustion vortex! 

Work problems? The answer = just be a Duck!

Feel overwhelmed with work, pressure, politics, hassle at work?  Sometimes life or work is akin to a storm that continues whirling around you and there is no way to escape. 

My advice to my peers and colleagues:  "Just be a duck.  Let the rain from the storm wash over your back and off your feathers.  You will survive this and the craziness will pass."  


Nature has designed the duck's feathers to repel water, and sometimes we ourselves need to mentally repel the negativity or chaos of our own situations.  The goal is find ways to "center" our focus and remain calm - that enables us to think more clearly to deal with the problems at hand.


Use this mental "self defense" strategy next time you are in the middle of a stormy situation - repel the external negativity and refocus yourself on what is important!

Life Lessons - Steve Jobs Commencement Speech to Stanford U in 2005

Olny Srmat Poelpe Can Raed Tihs - See Why!

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaeonmneal pweor of the huamn mnid, aoccrdnig to rsreeach at Cmabirgde Uinervtisy, it deons’t mttaer in waht oedrr the ltteers in the word are, the only ipmrontat tnhig is the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit palce. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can siltl raed wouthit a pbrloem.

Tihs is bceasue the hmuan mnid deos not raed ervey lteter bu isltef but the wrod as a wlohe. Azmanig! So who thhguout sleilpng was iprontmat. If you can raed tish, psas the lnik on to your fdrenids.

Performance Discipline - 7 tips for Winning Results

Managing people is usually the difficult part of a job - human interaction leaves much open to interpretation.  When an employee is not performing, there are many variables that contribute to the problem:

   - personal issues (these can cloud an empoyee's judgement or capability)

  - unclear expectations (ever try to do a job when you aren't sure WHAT to the job is?)

  - lack of job training (impacts capability)

The key question to ask:  "Is this employee trainable / salvagable to eventually perform the required job?" 

When your answer is "yes", the solution is usually added training or clarified expectations.  When your answer is "no", it's time for employee performance discipline.  Okay, so it's time for discipline.  Some hints:
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1)  Determine the specific expectations required on the job. 
Make sure there is a clear, written job description (this is the minimum performance delivery required for the employee to keep his/her job).  Review expectations with the employee - use examples to clarify how the job duties are to be performed or delivered.

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2)  Work with the employee to establish agreed upon standards for performance. 
These standards may include timeliness (ie. meeting deadlines), accuracy or quality levels, and completeness of job duties.  Often, employees, when asked what is a reasonable job standard, will commit to a higher level than the supervisor expects.  Make sure there are clear measures of these agreed standards so that the employee can self-monitor results and report back on a regular basis.

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3)  Follow up daily, weekly or monthly on measurement of standards. 
Frequency of meeting will depend on the degree of supervision appropriate to the situation.  Where results are below standard, identify solutions that both employer and employee can participate in (i.e. job-specific training by employer, self-study or extra care by employee)

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4)  When continued efforts to improve performance are not successful, written discipline is the next step. 
Before meeting, write down a specific list of performance deficiencies including specific examples of each deficiency.  When you are ready for the discipline meeting, keep this list handy and quietly (subtly) "tick off" each item on the list as you discuss with the employee.  This list will help keep you on track, ensure you don't forget anything and will also become your HR documentation if needed later.

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5)  Buy a box of tissues 
Keep them handy in case the employer/employee meeting becomes emotional.  If the employee cries, hand out the tissue(s) and wait......   resume the meeting and complete discussion of the deficiencies when the employee is composed.  


If you cancel the rest of the meeting once crying commences, you will have to redo the discipline discussion all over again at a later time -- it's better to complete all of the issues in one meeting and get the pain over with. 

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6)  Conclude the meeting with a solution and action plan with dates for followup. 
This is usually a list of performance standards to remain employed (stated to the employee in a letter).  

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7)  Have a Plan B in the back of your mind, in case an employee is beligerent or insubordinate. 
There will be situations where an employee will never admit performance problems or who, by the end of the meeting, you will realize they are "unsalvageable" in terms of ever getting to required performance levels.  In these more severe cases, having a more serious discussion about termination or resignation can be appropriate.  You may also keep a termination letter handy (with researched severance options etc), to be presented only in a worst case scenario - this can save you the difficulty of rescheduling a separate termination meeting later. 

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Where possible, work on training, clear expectations and ways to salvage employees - this is the mark of true leadership!

Leading Quietly - guest post by Jim Estill

One of the books I read on the weekend was – Leading Quietly – An unorthodox Guide to Doing the Right Thing by Joseph Badaracco. 

The book is more about the subtitle “An unorthodox Guide to Doing the Right Thing” than the title – “Leading Quietly”. It did make a valid point that often the best leaders are not the loud stars that the press talks about all the time. Often the best leaders are the quiet plodders that create value over a long period of time.

Much of the book talked about making decisions in uncertain circumstances. Much of leadership involves decision making. And most decisions are not clear. The mark of a good leader is one who is willing to make the decisions quickly. Good leaders know when enough information is enough (some people will not make decisions because they want more information even though the probability of that information changing the decision is negligible). As Badaracco says “the courage to prudently tackle tough situations”.

Good leaders do not balk at making decisions even though there is risk involved. Usually there is greater risk in not making the decision.

Much of good decision making is about identifying the problem and simplifying it. Einstein said “Everything should be as simple as possible and no simpler”.

On statement that rang true to me “leadership is hard work”. I guess I never really thought about it but at the time I was reading it, I was struggling with many issues and juggling many balls so it hit home. It also talked about tenacity. This is a trait that I try hard to have. When I do not get the answer I want, I try to figure other approaches to make the sale (and most things are sales even if they involve selling internally or selling someone in a negotiation).

Good book.

Posted by Jim Estill http://www.jimestill.com/

How to make progress - even when overwhelmed with stress

"You eat the elephant one bite at a time" -- sounds a bit yucky, eating elephants, but that saying has been a strategy to maintain solid progress at work during times of crazy overload and stress.

When there are 15 projects going on simultaneously, hundreds of emails and calls piled up (unanswered) and a constant lineup of people in the office doorway (where's the "take a number" system when you need it!?) it's easy to want to shrivel up and crawl under the floor.  Progress seems overwhelming and impossible!

How to make real progress, then?

1)  Pick one task that is relatively easy to accomplish and JUST DO IT.  It doesn't matter how small the task is, doing something is progress.  Progress, however small, is success.  

2)  Once you have gained momentum by finishing one task, pick another one and JUST DO IT again.... and again.   After many tiny steps, you will eventually see noticeable progress. 

3)  Break very large projects down into smaller steps.  Create several "milestones" or mini-accomplishments, maybe 5 to 10 of them.   Then put milestones in sequential order and start working on the first one.  Viewing big projects in smaller chunks makes them seem more feasible and less overwhelming. 

4)  If you are still feeling overwhelmed, try offloading strategies:
          - delegate smaller parts of the job to others
          - create a list and sort into A, B, C priority (always do A priorities first)
          - apply the 30-second rule:  if you can finish something in 30 seconds, JUST DO IT

5)  Find and maintain support systems:
          - utilize a work buddy where you can ask for help or with whom you can bounce ideas around,

          - find someone to help review/reprioritize your total workload strategically at the "50,000 foot level"

          - exercise regularly (walk, run, do yoga, play sports) to offload the mental stress

Progress will come in waves -- it will seem like nothing happens for days or weeks, but you may be surprised at the traction and progress when you look back over a period of time.  

Don't forget what you have already accomplished -- shift your expectations to smaller chunks of achievement, and you will be more positively motivated toward future success! 



5 Key Ingredients for Success -- in Sports and Business

The following tips come from a sports coach at Shelby High School in Montana, Ray Wanty.  Ray distilled his learning and coaching of successful athletes into 5 key elements.  I think these 5 key elements apply equally to business, and even to overall personal success.  Consider them and see if you agree:

The Level of  Our Success is Dependent on…

1. The Daily Habits We Create
     - am I creating good habits? 
     - am I getting rid of bad habits?
     - do I add new habits regularly that keep me growing and developing?
     ... my daily habits become the core expression of who I am

2. Our Most Dominant Thoughts
     - my thoughts drive my feelings, which drive my behavior
     - positive thoughts will keep me upbeat
     - I need to control and focus the "channels" in my brain
     ... my thoughts eventually become my beliefs and my behavior and my destiny

3. How Well We Serve Others
     - my interaction with others builds my own network and support system
     - my service to others builds my esteem and credibility
     ... my behavior in my community establishes my reputation and esteem

4. The Amount of Sincere Gratitude You Show
     - my sincerity and gratitude provide opportunity for leadership
     - my sincerity and gratitude allow me to fully enjoy my successes
     ... my sincerity and gratitude will build and strengthen my relationships

5. The Level of Commitment Towards Your Passion (Singleness of Purpose)
     - Commitment to my passion helps me remain focused on the end goal
     - Commitment to my passion heps me fend of distractions
     - Commitment to my passion increases my speed of success
     ... Commitment and Singleness of Purpose is the ingredient that links my thoughts, behaviors, support systems and relationships together to attain success

Learn as you go - funny video

"Can't" is a four letter word! 4 Tips to break through barriers....

High performance racecar drivers and pilots overcome obstacle courses with an interesting technique. They visualize the "path around" any obstacle or barrier in their way.  

One professional pilot described the risks very succinctly:  "If you look at the barrier, you will most likely hit it.  If you look at the path around the barrier, you will be successful and maintain your momentum."

How often do we focus on the negative barriers or obstacles in our own work or personal situations?  

- I have watched teams implode because polarized groups took sides; each focused on negative aspects of the other position. 

- I have watched marriages falter because one or both parties focused on the negatives and irritations of the other partner. 

- I have watched business ventures fail because partners lost trust in each other and each "dug in" to a position that they could not work through to a resolution.

The secret?  Creative thinking, using "outside the box" analysis with the goal of creating a unified "new approach" to an agreed upon end solution.  

Ha!  Easy to say, but how does one actually accomplish this?

1) Agree on a common vision or end result; get everyone on the same page.   Restating your end result as a "vision statement" can be helpful:

2) Use  creative thinking techniques to brainstorm alternative solutions (remember: ignore the barriers and negatives, focus only on new, innovative alternatives) 

3) Filter your list of brainstormed alternatives into an agreed ranking of highest to lowest priority.  If necessary, you may have to agree first on the criteria to be applied to  calculate the ranking.  For example, must be a) within current budget, b) feasible with  existing staff resources, c) leaves no department at a significant market disadvantage, etc.

4) Remember the "people" side of these issues -- rebuild trust between polarized groups.  A great book that I have used is The Speed of Trust by Steven M. R. Covey. 




If you can break out of the downward spiral of negative emotion, you have a good chance of eliminating that 4-letter word, "can't" from the vocabulary of your business.  

It's all about focus  -- concentrate on the end vision to drive your success!

Social Media explained in 2 minutes - guest post from bitrebels.com

posted by bitrebels.com
http://www.bitrebels.com/geek/social-media-explained-in-2-minutes-10-key-facts/

Leaders Cannot Be Blamers: 3 Things - guest post by QAspire

The true test of a leader is when things don’t go as planned. Worst yet, when things fail.

In an organizational context, I have seen so many leaders who drive the project/initiative right from the beginning – yet when the project fails, they blame others. They blame senior management, the organization culture, their own team members and sometimes even the customers. It tells me something – if you decide that you want to blame “others”, you will invariably find those “others”. That is an easy choice, and the one that puts everyone down.

When leaders indulge into the blame game, they lose respect because they throw a negative vibe around. This vibe is powerful (and sometimes even viral), because it comes from someone who is supposed to be a leader. It spreads fast, harms reputation of leader and culture of the organization on a longer run.

If you are a leader at any level, here are three things worth noting:

• Blaming is easy but taking responsibility, learning from mistakes and implementing those lessons to improve constantly is difficult. It is these difficult things that makes a real leader. Similarly, for an organization, building a culture where people are not afraid of taking responsibility is critical.
• Leaders need to watch and choose their words. Every conversation with others is an opportunity to make a difference. When you talk negative, focus too much on problems and blame others, you are missing the opportunity.
• Leadership is about using “we” language more than “I versus them”, and that kind of leadership owns the failures as much as they own their successes. It is about celebrating the contributions from each team member when team succeeds, and take collective ownership of failures, learn from them and improve. It is also about knowing when to step up and take the lead, versus when to step down and let people perform.

Bottom line:

Leadership is not just about enjoying the fruits of success. It comes with a fair share of failures as well. We cannot be the leaders who blame others.

   
http://qaspire.com/blog/2011/03/07/leaders-cannot-be-blamers-3-things/      posted Mar 6.2011

Is your work chaotic? Try herding cats! (this video is an oldie but still funny)

CEO Blog - getting a good sleep (guest blog by Jim Estill)

Great advice on dealing with the stresses of life and business....... thanks to Jim Estill for his blog update:

CEO Blog - Time Leadership

Nightmare team projects - tips to "turnaround" into success

My worst team project ever turned into my most successful accomplishment.  How?  By rebuilding the group into a great team! 

A DAUNTING TASK +  IMMOVABLE DEADLINE



Here was the recipe we started with:

- a daunting task never-before accomplished in our business or industry,

- an immovable deadline (failure could sink the business),

- a team of intense, diverse individuals who fought, stormed and drove each other crazy.  

Imagine the following individuals (identities have been changed to protect privacy):

Chris - a.k.a. "Eeyore", the gloom and doom guy.  Slow but thorough in his work.  Knows operational issues within the company better than most.



Sandy - a.k.a. "Gerbil on speed" - talks forty miles a minute, thinks even faster.  Easily annoyed by people who cannot keep up to her trail of thought.  New to the company but quick to understand and improve processes.

Jerry - a.k.a. The Comic with a strange, warped sense of humor.  Giggles  and offers humorous (or not so humorous) commentary without mercy until the group cannot stand it.  Very high technical skills, can troubleshoot anything in the business.

Alex - Social butterfly.  Loves coming to work, but gets little done because of time spent walking around and chatting.  Good understanding of market issues which could impact the project.

Ryan - Control freek.  Project leader in charge of making the objectives on a very tight deadline with the above individuals, who are the only "experts" in the particular areas needed on the project.



Month 1 - the group worked on this project 50% of their time.  They spent every afternoon in month 1 formulating a critical path timeline with key milestones.   Ryan (the leader) was late to most meetings, building resentment in the group for wasting their time.  Within 2 weeks, every individual had complained about other team members to anyone in the company who would listen.

.......time for group dynamics review: 

1) admit breakdown within the group

 - gain acknowledgement from all group members of frustration

 - identify key frustrations and areas of breakdown

 - group identified frustrations into "themes"

2) review end vision and goals to ensure all group members agree

- identify "gaps" in vision

- brainstorm solutions to gaps

- conclude with all group member on the same page for the "final vision"

3) have the group set its own ground rules of behavior

      - attend meetings on time - personal commitment

      - come prepared with all relevant materials

      - don't commit to more than you can deliver

      - acknowledge the others' contributions

      - agrue respectfully if you disagree with an approach

      - bring solutions not complaints to the group

      - MRI (most respectful interpretation) used at all times

4) identify group members' strengths and contributions

     - senior leaders regrouped with the team in a teambuilding setting

     - senior leaders identified each group member's unique contribution to the team

     - team members each acknowledged their own individual styles and the advantages of the group's diversity

This DISC evaluation process helped "restart" the project - members refocused on the end goal, learned to appreciate team members' differences and were able to gain traction in their execution of the project plan.  
Bottom line: don't forget to deal with the people issues on your project - they are the key to your eventual success!

Innovation - where good ideas come from

Business Introductions - add value to your own business network

Building a network of business contacts takes time and patience.  One great way to expand your network is to add "introductions" to your regular routine. 

1) Utilize business cards - when you meet someone interesting, ask for their card and jot a comment or two on the back regarding the conversation / issue / opportunity:

 

USE BUSINESS CARDS TO STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS



2) expand your electronic contact list, add new business cards into natural groupings (by interest, business opportunity, etc).  Make notes of issues, interests and possible introductions where possible

3) use a business card scanner to easily enter your business contact information electronically.  Technology has made these card readers easily accessible and useable for very reasonable prices at office supply stores.

4) when you meet someone who would benefit from an introduction to another contact, ask their permission to provide an introduction -- note the "introduction" opportunity on the back of their business card to jog your memory later.

5) link up two or more individuals who may have a mutual benefit by email:

   "Joe, I met Suzie Cue, who is an entrepreneur in the same business you are.  She has some interesting marketing ideas that you might also benefit from.  Suzie, I have known Joe Shmoe for 10 years and he runs a great small business in XYZ community.  I think you two would enjoy meeting over coffee to discuss common business interests.  Please consider this an introduction to both of you.  your emails are as follows:

    joeshmoe@anyweb.com   suziecue@bizzness.com "

I have made an effort to facilitate at least 2 or 3 introduction per month.  Over the years, I have had many thank you's from those folks I have introduced - and some great stories of new opportunities and alliances formed.   What a great feeling to know you have positively impacted other businesses in your circle of colleagues!

Listening - the lost art that improves results

Smart people talk fast and think fast.  Often, they struggle to "slow down" and LISTEN.

A wise CEO once told me that enthusiastic employees (especially smart ones) are often so busy thinking forward to plan a response that they are not hearing the conversation of the moment, and miss key points or issues in a given situation. 

How does one stay "in the moment" and really hear the full conversation?  This is a skill that can be practiced. 

1) Prepare your mind ahead of time, stop all non-relevant activities before your conversation begins.

2) Mentally review the topic or subject matter beforehand -- also consider your audience - who are you listening to?  do you know the details or background of the issue at hand?

3) Maintain eye contact at all times, try to focus on the key points of the conversation - show the speaker that you are sincerely interested and fully engaged in the conversation

4) When your mind wanders, gently bring it back to the present moment, to the key points of conversation.  Keep repeating this behavior and you will improve your concentration ability

5) Avoid distractions - position yourself away from noisy areas and known distractions

6) Acknowledge any emotional reactions from the speaker - anger, sadness etc. 

7) Remain calm yourself, particularly if you are emotional about the topic.  One trick?  Breathe slowly and focus on calm, slow breaths as you watch your speaker.  Remember that you are there to listen and understand, not to respond emotionally.

8) Repeat back the essential points of the discussion - the speaker will feel "heard" and "listened to".    Difficult situations can be diffused simply by allowing the speaker to vent and be acknowledged.

9) Use non-verbal signals to acknowledge your speaker (nod your head, lean forward, smile, etc)

10) Stay neutral - try not to formulate a "position" that agrees or disagrees - simply encourage the full exploration of the issue / train of thought

Amazing technology tidbits video - Did you know?

Creating Accountability at work - 3 ways to engage your team

A manager said an interesting thing in my office the other day, "I have plausible deniability if this projects goes wrong."   I was a little taken aback -- what exactly does that mean?  If a project goes great, I'll take the credit -- but if it crashes, then I have a great excuse?  ....where is accountability in business? 

As a leader, how do we build accountability in our people?  in our organization?

One way is to embed accountability everywhere we can in our systems and procedures: 

a) Action Log:  a colleague of mine uses an "action log" to hold her team accountable.  She has designed a spreadsheet, listing all the team's tasks in rows and using right hand columns to track "Who" is accountable, by "When", followed by comments on "How" (that is, the details or expectations within that task process) or "Why" (context or strategic reasons). The current date column is conditionally formatted to be red, yellow or green based on the deadline date compared to the current date.  That is, as the deadline looms closer, the cell turns to yellow and then red. 

At regular staff meetings (these can be weekly or daily) the list is reviewed by the whole group, and each person on the "who" list is accountable publicly to the team for their tasks. My friend noted that at the first few meetings there was "squirming" as Action Log deadlines were not met, but eventually the staff fell into a focused routine.

The added benefit?  There is a permanent documented list of accomplishments for the group to look back on - positive reinforcement! 

b) Transparency Reporting:  Build reporting capability in your department or company that publishes results -- good or bad -- regularly to all stakeholders.   What reports to use?  Measure those things you want accountability on, and ask those who are accountable to "own the report" and present it to their peers and/or management.  Ownership of the issues increases accountability.

c) Team Dynamics - Add a Personal Accountability Buddy:  google accountability and you'll find lots of information on using an "accountability buddy".  This can be on a personal level (i.e. to help you work out/lose weight) or a business level (i.e. a business or life coach).  The principle here is to create an atmosphere where employees are engaged, where they have a high level of trust and can support each other to constantly improve a situation or meet specific goals.

Whether you use a systemic approach or encourage a "team culture", increased accountability will build business credibility and increase customer confidence in your group's results.