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| CONTENTS: |
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| Section 1 |
- Topical Topics |
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The Leadership Crucible . . .
Now, there's a word we don't use every day - Crucible. What it means in this context is:
a place or situation in which concentrated forces interact
to cause or influence change or development
. . . and this is exactly right for the intended usage I have in mind. I'd like to offer a short discussion on how emerging leaders and managers can be identified, created and developed to serve both current and future organizational needs.
We need to grow . . .
As organizations, the choice is simple - flourish or perish! There's no middle ground, or if there is, it's just a form of 'slow death'! We must grow or die; develop or atrophy. The Law of Inertia will always prevail.
The choice is obvious, isn't it? "Of course!" you respond. If this is so, help me to understand why more than 85% of both organizations and individuals today - faced with radically changing markets for their contributions - decline to make the changes required for survival and/or success.
"Incredible!" you say? Just take a look around you - starting within your present organization. When was the last time you experienced major change. Compare / contrast this with what is currently being demanded by external factors like customers, suppliers, technological shifts, regulatory pressures, and similar.
Really grow . . .
Consider, just for one moment:
- Failure to respond to needed change leads to only one possible outcome - oblivion - sooner or later, but inevitable;
- The 'taps on the head' that signal the need for change will continue to occur until you either respond or die.
Leaders, as individuals or teams, will encounter these signals periodically and must address the need to embrace 'deep change'. This is a fundamental refocusing and revitalizing process which can be uncomfortable and even painful. Whatever, it's better than the alternative - that of slow death.
Most will not face the issue or take on the challenge, so sadly, will perish. Change, for persons and groups such as these, has to be incremental, safe and comfortable. Their 'watchword' is 'Take it slowly and gently; do not risk losing what we currently have'.
This isn't real change! There's a false security in such seamless, progressive and continuous evolution. While the risks are indeed minimized and controlled, and risk exposure is limited, so are the prospects for a successful outcome. We are deluding ourselves.
The way is clear . . .
Individuals within organizations are the raw material, feedstock and unrefined ore from which leaders and managers can be developed. The first need is for refinement - hence the crucible.
To uncover the pure, the essential metal (or mettle) a progression of smelting, separation and consolidation is required. In this process some transmutation or fundamental change is unavoidable. Leadership / management talent can be identified and refined in the same way.
Consider also the 'natural process' of development as presented in this matrix:
Let's see how our perspectives and roles alter as the demands placed upon us increase.
Here's the map . . .
We begin as technical / specialist contributors where our role is focused upon analyzing, understanding and mastering knowledge, skills and aptitudes - lower left quadrant. Our primary motivations are centered on personal survival and self expression and, since we view the organization as a 'technical system', our attitude towards change is very rational. We tend to use reasoned arguments to create change and when it is not successful we're frustrated. It seems that only growing awareness and/or acceptance relieves this condition.
In the next role, task master - where we are directing and/or supervising the work of others, our focus changes to encompass powers of influence and persuasion - lower right quadrant. Basic motivations are still centered on personal survival but are now augmented by increasing self interest. We see the organization more as a 'political system', with exchange, barter and maneuvering taking place, and our perception of change is that it's a dynamic and ongoing process. To avoid any possible loss of power, leverage and influence we're prepared to re-position ourselves as the situation demands - within reason, of course.
Both of these perceptions/roles are based on transaction. At this 'transactional' level, stability, preservation of the status quo is paramount. The emphasis is on control, predictability and meeting expectations. When we're 'positioned' here, we do not seek radical or deep change - we're in the conservation business. For deep and meaningful change, we would need to cross that horizontal line to the 'transformative' level.
The problem is that, from where we're sitting, we can't see the need for change with clarity. Also, it's hard to appreciate the substantive value of visionary change. Since our focus, as supervisors, is external, should we sense any need for deeper change we'll naturally seek to initiate it in the behaviours of others - through motivation, incentives, coercion, and perhaps even by means of manipulation - whatever might work! The trouble is this doesn't work!
The destination is at hand . . .
What we need to do is to take a journey - an inward journey, deep into ourselves. Gandhi said it so succinctly: "Be the change you wish to see in the world". What this means is that we have to stop searching for the problems 'out there' because, even if we do find evidence to support our contentions, there's little or nothing we can do to cause real change in others.
Once we've located the real source of the problem 'in here' we're presented with an opportunity to stimulate a totally different response on the part of others. To do this, though, we have to provoke a change in the perceptions and responses of others by creating alternative behaviours in ourselves.
The expected adaptation process is actually reversed - problems out there are not fixed by generating solutions in here to apply out there; problems have to be defined in here, and the potential solutions out there are stimulated by changes in here! Please pause and think about that! Simple, eh?
Using this process, those who aspire to true leadership are able to make the dimensional shifts from transactional to transformative impacts, and to do so at will. The pathway is Analyzer to Task Master, then to Visionary and finally to Motivator. When the necessary change has been implemented through others, we can retire safely to the transactional side once again - to consolidate and secure the change.
It isn't plain sailing . . .
There are some barriers along the way, of course, but they're not insurmountable. The first is 'organizational culture' which acts like the keel of a sailboat to resist changes in organizational impetus. We'll take a look at influencing corporate culture in our next issue. Secondly, there's 'embedded conflict' between individuals and also between organizational elements. Lastly there're shortages of 'required resources' - especially time and personal energies. More will follow on these topics too.
These forces do not act in isolation, but rather as a composite whole. The meta-solution is to become the change you are seeking, to stand alone until others deign to join with you, and if necessary - and this is the toughest of all - to sacrifice yourself for the change. Those who are true Visionaries will have no issue with this. Become a role model - talk the talk; walk the walk until the change has become the new reality. If it costs you - so be it. Vision rules!
So, where are you?
Where is your organization? Do you really know?
The journey towards success begins with an honest appraisal of where you are now. Are you ready for the truth? Are you prepared to explore the challenges of deep change? Is this the time for you as an individual and for you as an organization?
We offer the Leadership Crucible - a penetrating, constructive workshop centered on proven leadership competencies - which will inspire and assist you to navigate the developmental challenges you're facing - individually and collectively. It isn't easy and it will cost you some, but it's a journey we all need to take, at least once - if we intend to survive and succeed.
Let's be clear, you do not have to do this. In fact it would be safer and more comfortable not to do it. Without the experience though, nothing significant will change, including your eventual demise. The reward, should you do it, is that you will break free of 'slow death'.
If you do take the plunge, you'll have better than a fighting chance - especially if you do it as a team. When considered against this potential outcome the price of one day of your time and a few hundred dollars may well be a sound investment.
This is a tap on your head. Should we be talking?
A Note to our Readers . . .
Previous series of articles on the topics of
- Leadership Characteristics,
- Succession Planning, and
- Managing Change
have been designed as discussion guides for those who lead and manage through mentoring and coaching. If you would like to secure a copy for your own use, please contact us.
It is a pleasure to share ideas with you and we'd welcome your questions, suggestions and comments. They'll assist us to refine and expand the essential value of these initiatives.
Thanks in anticipation for your participation.
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Timely Insights . . .
The World is Flat . . .
On the very topical topic of 'transformation' (see previous article - this has to be one of the 'sexiest' issues in business today) and while I've not yet read Thomas Friedman's book "The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century" I do like his concept of three great eras of global transformation:
Globalization 1.0 (1492 - 1800) - driven by countries and empires
Globalization 2.0 (1800 - 2000) - driven by multi-national companies
Globalization 3.0 (2000 - ?) - driven by individuals
The concept has a great deal of relevance for today's leaders and managers. We're all trying to go somewhere but without the security of knowing where this is precisely. The one solace we could have in this realm of uncertainty is to know where it is that we've come from. You'll enjoy reading a brief critical summary of the book, I know. You'll find it at http://innovationcommons.blogspot.com/
Traits that Triumph . . .
Why do some companies fail while others succeed? Brian Scudamore, founder of 1-800-GOT-JUNK, a Canadian success story, is claiming that it can all be boiled down to three simple characteristics - Focus; Faith, and Effort.
For focus, he suggests the laser beam which is so focused it can cut through steel. Focus in business, he says, has similar powers: it can bring you ever closer to perfecting your business and the product/service you provide.
Faith is the unwavering belief in your business and in your decisions. It's the underlying confidence that will motivate your team and attract people to do business with you.
As for Effort, he says that good, old-fashioned hard work, applied consistently, is the sine qua non. He has much more to say that is valuable.
As I contemplated his practical wisdom, I couldn't help but compare it with the three pivotal outcomes of the Polaris Program - Focus; Confidence; and Resilience. Perhaps that's why it appeals - great minds think alike! For more on Brian's insights, go to http://www.profitguide.com/
People of the Lie . . .
Did you ever read M. Scott Peck - the celebrated psychiatrist and author of "The Road Less Travelled"? His death last month was an unpleasant shock for all those who have found his insights and guidance to be 'life-saving'. It's claimed that this book is outsold only by the Bible. I believe this; he definitely influenced me, and at some crucial points in my life too. I shall be forever grateful to him.
You may not know that he wrote another high-impact book, "People of the Lie". This is a work on narcissism - a pervasive condition which has a profound effect on many business as well as personal relationships. It is an emerging trend among some CEOs these days.
Narcissism is the pattern of thinking and behaviours which involves obsession and infatuation with one's self to the exclusion of others. It's often confused with simple sociopathy, particularly in those cases where senior business leaders are involved.
A better understanding of the issues and options would be immensely helpful for those who are affected. The ideas are indeed disturbing, but they're also enlightening. For more information, visit http://www.gurteen.com/
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Enthusiasm . . .
Enthusiastic employees out-produce and out-perform all others. They step up to the plate and attempt the impossible. They become their own cheerleaders when the going gets tough. They persist and prevail when others have long since given up and gone home. They are valued above all others.
Where are they to be found? They are everyone that you've ever recruited for your team. On the first day of their engagement they were so enthusiastic it was almost embarrassing. Perhaps this wonderful condition prevailed for a few short days, weeks or months, and then it evaporated - just like the morning mists. What happened here?
Did you ever feel as enthused yourself? What happened to change this delightful and energizing condition in you? You didn't change fundamentally - you simply 'adjusted to reality' - as did they! So what is this depressing reality? It's 'management'!
As managers, we don't 'shoot ourselves in the foot' deliberately. Our intentions are the best and, as individuals, we're authentic and well-intentioned. The problem lies not in us but elsewhere - in the climate, the culture and/or the system we both create and sustain without consciously recognizing that we are doing it.
Think about the model in our lead article for a minute. We operate, for the majority of the time, at a transactional level - stability, status quo and control are the hallmarks. Now this does lend a degree of security, it's true, and it is also very comfortable - but it isn't 'living'!
We all know intuitively that if we're not growing, we're dying. How comforting is that? When, as individuals we arrive at the conclusion that we're being slowly choked, suffocated and stultified, we'll choose to leave the environment we're in. We'll seek out and embrace risk and uncertainty - all for the sake of 'growth opportunities'. Nothing, it seems, can restrain us.
The latent enthusiasm within, impels us to a fresh environment, a new challenge, a growth opportunity. We arrive with the highest expectations, only to discover, after a few short weeks, that it's the same as before.
As individuals we must grow! We need room to spread our wings and to soar to new heights. We need a safe arena in which we can experiment and discover our hidden abilities. Our people are the same. Enthusiasm is the propellant that fuels our engine; that helps us to fly. If we run out of gas, we'll crash and nothing will save us.
So, each and every day, your one essential task as a manager, is to make your people want to come back to work with you tomorrow. Fill up their individual fuel tanks before they leave. With what? A question, a challenge, an opportunity, a new experience, a fresh environment, a sharing of issues, a search for innovation, an exciting or unusual idea - none of which are expensive or embarrassing, but all of which offer a chance to grow and an opening for enthusiasm.
What do you intend to do about this?
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| Section 2 |
- Talk Back |
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Coach's Corner . . .
A selection of frequently-asked questions.
Dear Coach:
I've been reading your newsletter for a while now, and I really enjoy hearing about the strange situations others find themselves in, and I've benefited from some of your 'snappy' answers. But my question is this, Why would I need a coach?
I'm sure the right combination of education and experience is going to help me deal with the issues successfully. What value is there in having to brief someone else on a problem, to have to consider alternative solutions only to learn that I knew what to do already?
Response:
Let's begin with the notion that there are many different types of coach. There are executive coaches, life/career coaches and business coaches. In addition, you'll also find professional mentors and consultants who offer coaching. Then, of course, there are performance coaches which include the original sporting types.
Who needs a coach? There's an infinite variety of reasons but these can be distilled into two major scenarios; significant transitions or personal perception/performance issues. In the first case, the need is for navigation and in the second, it's closer to a 'shock and awe' situation. The value is in offering a reference point and/or a point of leverage to assist with a needed change.
What could you reasonably expect from coaching? In short, you should expect personal mastery or success. This is not created by the coach any more than a midwife produces babies. The effective coach finds the solutions in the person, and gently teases them to the surface where they can be made manifest. The world is a very different place after the coaching experience - because a transformation has taken place.
Can you do it alone? Of course, but this isn't always as easy as it seems. In many of life's experiences, we need objectivity, options, confirmations, methodologies, critically unbiased evaluations, insights and incentives that are simply beyond our personal reach. If the question centers on what could be done then mentoring is the tool. When it's a question of how to accomplish some outcome, then coaching is the catalyst.
Does it really work? Not always. It is fundamentally a trust relationship. If trust is in short supply then the coaching potential is severely restricted. Paradoxically, if there's too much trust (and insufficient substance) the coaching can fail. Initial scepticism, such as you are presenting, is healthy. If a prospective coach cannot handle your scepticism, by all means, throw them out.
Do you need a coach? Probably not yet. When the day arrives, I hope you are open enough to consider the many advantages the profession has to offer.
Dear Coach:
My problem may be similar to other problems that you have covered but it's a big problem for me. I have a lot of trouble keeping my interest and attention up with certain persons. I find that I will 'drift off' while they are talking and then I'm embarrassed because I can't remember or decide what their issue might be.
I think a lot of it revolves around the fact that their problems are often so simple, that it's hard for me to stay interested. What is the right way for me to deal with this?
Response:
There are two responses to this - one for you as a leader and the other as a manager. I'll start with the critical one - the leadership perspective.
To be a good leader you absolutely have to be a good listener. A leader is one who focuses the desire for change in others and who creates a new reality. Implicit in this definition is the idea that the 'authority' for any change lies within the follower. It's not the leader imposing his or her will upon others but rather liberating the required action from the dreams, aspirations, hopes and needs of others. You simply have to get it right. To do this, you have to really listen and respond to what is being communicated.
As a manager, your role is to get results through other people by making them successful. Good listening habits will assist you here without doubt, but they are somewhat less critical than for leadership roles. You can promote, induce and sustain success in others in a number of ways, some formal direction and others informal suasion. If you listen well, it certainly enhances the relationship and creates a better interface for influence.
Here are eight elements that, when combined, result in a sound and resilient listening climate. Consider them as guidelines rather than techniques; this will help you to internalize them - make them an integral part of you rather than add-on capabilities.
- Don't talk, don't plan to talk, and don't even think about talking when you are listening. The pattern should be that the other person speaks and you listen with the objective of understanding. Then you either ask questions for clarification, restate what you think you heard, and/or summarize the main points being made. At this time, you can start to plan your response - not before.
- Avoid assumptions, conclusions and judgments before the other person has finished speaking. This is one very safe way to preserve the relationship, keep the process effective and efficient, and to avoid costly misunderstandings. Also, your reputation as an authentic person will be enhanced by not falling into the common trap - assumption.
- Keep your mind open. Remember that two persons can never see the same issue in precisely the same way - so there is the potential of 'added value' in even minor differences in perception. Once discovered, these can be secured and retained with the bonus of increasing mutual respect.
- Listen between the lines. There's often more meaning / intelligence in what is not being said than in what is actually articulated. Use open-ended probing questions to bring inferences and omissions into the light where both parties can profit by them. Use your eyes as well as your ears to 'hear' every word and gesture and thereby to completely gain the intended meaning.
- Constructive questions will guide and solidify meaning and intention. The meaning of any communication is in the response it elicits. Questions are the check-in-balance that will keep you together and on track. However, questions should not threaten so avoid the use of the word "Why?" ("Help me to understand . . ." works much better).
- Don't let the speaker's mannerisms deflect you. Let's recall that words carry only a very small part of the total message, tone of voice carries more, but non-verbal / body language carries most of it. Allowing any single aspect to dominate or distract though, is simply not productive. Treat the experience as an integrated whole.
- Stay focused by using conversation dynamics to your advantage. We listen faster than people speak - by a factor of four, and we think faster than we listen - by a factor of forty! Allow your mind to chase off in many directions but, like the dog being walked across an open field, keep returning to the main line of meaning. Make sure you're sensing and processing all the information, auditory and visual.
- Give continuous feedback and reinforcement. Start with eye contact (between 40 and 60 percent of the time), and use gestures (nods, smiles, raised eyebrows, pursed lips, body orientations, etc.) to communicate understanding, agreement, collaboration, and/or commitment. Finally, reaffirming phrases are always beneficial as the communication roles are exchanged.
Use these ideas to examine and reshape your role in the communication. Add other concepts that make sense for you. Develop a comprehensive philosophy and strategy, one that you can call your own, and you'll likely not experience the difficulties again.
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Commentary . . .
Are you an "exclusionist"? . . .
The story goes that a businessman and his son were involved in a serious car accident. The young boy was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition. The attending surgeon took one look at the boy and his injuries and stated, "I can't operate on this person; he's my son!" How could this be? The simple explanation is that the surgeon was the boy's mother.
It's hard to believe that there are people today who pause or stumble over this apparent conundrum. Also, there are persons in high places who are committing social gaffes by asserting that the differences between males and females may have specific relevance when it comes to innate competencies. Why would an otherwise intelligent and socially adept person make such an error?
Of course men and women are different. We continue to discover significant physiological and psychological differences. On top of this we acculturate boys and girls using markedly different agenda and standards. Society is rife with segregated expectations when it comes to roles and privileges, and we are of one species divided by a common language.
The fact that we are different should not be a problem. From the dawn of time mankind has learned that there's strength to be found in differences. This led to tribal bonding, role differentiation and the division of labor for communal benefit. We are stronger and more enduring when we collaborate and share our differences. E Pluribus Unum!
My contention is that the differences, for all their impact and glory, are more to do with style than with competence. Simply stated, women perceive and do things differently than men. This is not a problem - it's an advantage. How much more depth can be appreciated when both eyes are used versus just the one.
So why is there still a "glass ceiling"? Let's face the realities of today's organizational condition. We need leaders and managers in our organization - desperately! There are far too few to meet the challenges we face. While there are increasing numbers of women being admitted to such roles, we're clearly reluctant to exploit the full talent pool available.
Most senior persons in our organizations are not openly sexist. Gender bias is not generally tolerated. However, it's hard to ignore the fact that women are the majority in our colleges, universities, service industries and not-for-profit enterprises. Yet female CEOs / COOs are still an exception, and there's a noticeable imbalance at the VP / Director level. Why is this so?
Those currently 'in power' - mostly of the masculine persuasion - still have a profound discomfort regarding the stylistic differences between men and women. It's neither conscious nor deliberate, but it is the initial differentiator in any organization. We have all kinds of preconceived ideas about what it is that men and women can do. What is worse, we - both genders - are substantially invested in these preconceptions.
What we believe is expected of a leader is not at all consistent with our image of a woman. We require that our leaders be 'strong', 'assertive' 'aggressive', 'commanding' and similar. These are not traits that we readily or comfortably identify with the 'fair sex'. Those women who do demonstrate such traits are stigmatized as 'hard', 'ungracious', 'bullies' and 'bitches'. This is not only a double standard, unfair and unwarranted, it's also ludicrous!
The problem lies in our deep-seated convictions which support our beliefs beyond the point of rationality and practicality. We are sufficiently astute to mask these foundational beliefs in a 'more enlightened society' but they still drive our assumptions and perceptions. We either do not have the courage or we do not take the time and effort to challenge our assumptions - the problem remains with us.
The essential questions are:
- What do we believe are the differences between men and women?
- Which of our assumptions are based on erroneous or out-dated beliefs and therefore should be challenged and changed?
Then,
- What positive differences do gender differences contribute to our mutual welfare?
- How can we improve our strategies by employing the full range of the traits and talents available to us?
There's compelling evidence in recent studies that gender diversity actually contributes to corporate profitability. This means that it can increase value, market acceptance, resiliency, social impact and image. Mind you, hard evidence is not always an effective argument against deep-seated assumptions which may be anchored in fear.
However, let's be pragmatic about this. If we're faced with drawing on a smaller pool of people by excluding women as candidates for leadership roles, then we're deliberately limiting the pool of talent, the scope of our possible strategic responses and the richer quality that diversity can offer.
This reflects very poor leadership indeed. Think about it!
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A Point of View . . .
This section is a Guest Column.
Those with different and interesting
viewpoints are invited to state a case on a related topic.
Articles are welcome – up to 250 words, please. Let’s hear from you!
Out of the Closet . . .
I have the bona fides to be a manager (controller, chief financial officer, director) who focuses principally on the hard stuff: a manager who is highly skeptical of the so-called soft stuff.
That said, honestly, I've always been a closet fan of the soft stuff. Practical experience built over the years has taught me that individuals do their very best in the right environment. Actually, I've found they will often do more than even an unreasonable manager would demand. People in the right position are able to do amazing things, again and again.
Daniel Goleman writing in "Working with Emotional Intelligence" writes that his studies of 181 different positions in 121 companies worldwide indicated that 67% of the "abilities deemed essential for effective performance were emotional competencies" (31).
Other writers (Gallup Organization, Martin E.P. Seligman, Mihaly Csikszentimihalyi, and Robert E. Quinn, among others) are advocating a working environment wherein individuals are managed consistently from the vantage points of their strengths.
Gallup's research using meta-analyses indicates that strength-based workplaces with high levels of employee engagement produce more of the good stuff (profitability, productivity, safety, customer loyalty, life satisfaction, sales) and less of the bad stuff (theft, employee turnover, stress, absenteeism).
So, with the science emerging all around me, I'm proud to say that I'm no longer a closet fan of the soft stuff. I'm a true believer with the facts to support it.
Indeed, I'd say that the soft stuff is the new hard stuff, the real stuff of which future competitive advantage will be made.
Let's hear it for the positive workplace! Well, that's my opinion anyway.
Jocelyn Davis,
Principal, Nelson Hart LLC
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| Section 3 |
- On the Horizon |
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The Passive-Aggressive Organization . . .
By Gary L. Neilson, Bruce A. Pasternack, and Karen E. Van Nuys
Healthy companies are hard to mistake. Their managers have access to timely information, the authority to make decisions, and the incentives to act on behalf of the organization. The organization, in turn, carries out those decisions. We call these organizations 'resilient', because they can react nimbly to challenges and respond quickly to those they can't dodge.
Unfortunately, most companies are not resilient: Fewer than 20 percent of the 30,000 individuals who responded to a Booz Allen Hamilton survey describe their organizations that way. By contrast, more than a quarter of the companies in our survey suffer from a cluster of pathologies we place under the label 'passive-aggressive'.
The passive-aggressive organization displays a quiet but tenacious resistance to corporate directives, even when they are aligned with obvious strategic or competitive advantage. People pay those directives lip service but put in only enough effort to appear compliant; and 'nothing ever changes around here'.
Further developing the theory of organizational DNA, introduced two years ago in strategy+business, Gary Neilson, Bruce Pasternack, and Karen Van Nuys examine why such an astonishing number of organizations fall prey to the passive-aggressive pathology. Their article appears in Harvard Business Review and is adapted from the forthcoming book "RESULTS: Keep What's Good, Fix What's Wrong, and Unlock Great Performance" (Crown Business, 2005).
To download a complimentary copy of the full article:
http://custom.hbsp.com
And to learn more about "RESULTS: Keep What's Good, Fix What's Wrong, and Unlock Great Performance", visit http://orgdna.com/book.cfm.
From Resilience Report - a monthly update on business complexity and strategy-based transformation. An exclusive service for readers of strategy+business, it offers original research, case studies, and other intellectual capital from s+b and Booz Allen Hamilton.
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Selecting the Best . . .
Have you ever made a 'less-than-optimal' selection decision?
Jim Collins speaks of 'getting the right people on the bus'. Agreed - the destination is not nearly as important as traveling with those we like and trust - but how can we 'know' them?
Selecting the right persons for our organizational team is the critical first step towards success - yet so few of us do this well. Is personnel selection art or science? Well, we contend that it's a blend of both, and readily learned with the right approach.
That's precisely what we shall deliver in our popular one-hour webinar
"Selecting the Best"
Tuesday, November 1st at 10am - 11 am (EST).
This is a practical 'how-to' session for leaders / managers who need to make the right personnel choices the first time. It will benefit those who are new to the challenge. It will also benefit those who're already adept yet seeking refinement - that 'winning edge'.
The session will be facilitated by Amanda Levy and the webinar leader is author, speaker and executive coach David E C Huggins, President, Andros Consultants Limited.
Participants will enjoy and profit from a comprehensive explanation and demonstration of behavioural interviewing within the context of an integrated selection system. We'll include all the strategies and techniques to improve and shorten invested time and effort as well as establish all guidelines and proven effective practices.
There'll be complimentary hand-outs, valuable materials designed to enhance your selection process. In addition, those participating will be offered the authoritative e-book, "Selecting the Best - the Primer on Hiring" by David E C Huggins, at the special value price of just US $15.00 (including taxes).
This extensive guide to effective selection techniques contains substantial examples, detailed checklists and many other significant, original resource materials that will make the selection process considerably more secure and efficient in your hands.
Contact us today for registration details. Please note that space will be restricted to ensure optimal learning opportunities for participants.
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Way to Coach - three routes up the mountain . . .
Discover the secrets of liberating the fullest potentials and competencies of your key people. There are different strategies and techniques for coaching people through the career challenges they face - as their leader and manager, be their guide!
In this one-hour web-based seminar, you will discover the ways to assist them to
· Resolve problems and performance issues
· Stimulate and sustain effective, focused growth, and
· Collaborate in high performance, spontaneous teams.
Based on the highly informative and compelling book "Way to Coach - a practical guide for those who believe in creating success through other people" author David Huggins will develop the proven strategies that lead people to their personal summits. Join us for
"Way to Coach - 3 ways to the summit"
Tuesday, November 15th at 1pm - 2 pm (EST).
This is a practical 'how-to' session for leaders / managers who face the challenge of getting substantially improved performance from their people.
The session will be facilitated by Amanda Levy and the webinar leader is author, speaker and executive coach David E C Huggins, President, Andros Consultants Limited.
There'll be valuable hand-outs designed to enhance your coaching processes. In addition, those participating will be offered the stimulating and resourceful core e-book at the special value price of just US$20.00 (including taxes). http://www.ebooks4business.ca/way_to_coach/
This extensive and very detailed guide to effective coaching strategies and techniques contains substantial examples, detailed checklists and many other significant, original resource materials that will make the coaching process considerably more effective and efficient in your hands.
Contact us today for registration details. Please note that space will be restricted to ensure optimal learning opportunities for participants.
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Opportunities & Challenges . . .
Imagination > Motivation > Achievement . . .
One of the wonderful aspects about human imagination is that it can see things not as they are now, but as they can be; it can foretell the future, based upon our beliefs and expectations, in an almost uncanny way; it can draw the colorful mental images that we hope someday to turn into reality. Imagination is the beginning of creation.
Dr. David McClelland of Harvard University demonstrated this through a series of "projective tests." In these tests, McClelland used photographs or drawings depicting basic scenes. For instance, in one photograph, a man was lying in bed with his eyes closed. His hand was raised and extended over an alarm clock on the table next to the bed. A window in the background was bright with the rays of early morning sunlight. McClelland asked his subjects to either describe the scene or tell a story about the person in the picture. To be sure that the responses were solely a function of motivational levels, the subjects for each test were people of the same sex, age, social background, and level of education.
This was McClelland's hypothesis: Since all motivation comes from internal images, the subjects in the study who demonstrated the highest and most active levels of imaginative power would become the most successful in achieving their personal goals. He called these people "highly motivated achievers."
His experiments confirmed his hypothesis. He found that highly motivated achievers told action-filled, goal-oriented stories about the scenes. People with a lower motivational level generally gave bland, passive descriptions of the images.
For example, after viewing the photo of the man in bed holding out his hand toward the clock, a highly motivated achiever might describe a man who has to wake up early and get back to work on an important project that kept him up late the night before. They would even describe details of the project.
On the other hand, McClelland's less motivated subjects tended toward a passive interpretation of the scene. Many described a sleeping man who is reaching to turn off the alarm because it's Saturday and he doesn't have to go to work.
McClelland was not content to accept the results of the first study at face value. He continued to ask himself the following question: What if individuals don't start off with a vivid imagination, but their professional position demands a vivid imagination? If, in fact, highly motivated achievers developed their imaginative abilities in response to their jobs, it would mean that their imaginative powers might not have played a role in motivating them to their level of extraordinary success.
In other words, how could McClelland be certain that the vivid imagination of these individuals was a cause of success and not a result of it?
He solved the problem by devising a second study that took 14 years to complete. For four years, he gave his projective test to college students. After giving the last projective test, he compiled the results and divided the students into two groups. The first group comprised those who showed the same traits as the highly motivated achievers of his earlier study, and the second group included those who were of average motivation.
McClelland then waited 10 years before he could complete his study, giving the students time to establish careers. He knew that if those with the most vivid imaginations were the same ones who had advanced furthest up the corporate ladder, he would have proof that vivid imaginations played a key role in helping people advance the furthest in life. He would have proof that a vivid, action-oriented imagination was a cause, a prerequisite in maintaining a highly motivated state, not just a result of success.
Ultimately, McClelland's findings confirmed his expectations. The highly motivated achievers, those students who told the most vivid, action-oriented stories in the projective tests, had most often chosen entrepreneurial careers involving a large amount of personal responsibility, initiative, and personal risk. The other students gravitated to non-entrepreneurial fields that required much less personal initiative. From the 14-year study, McClelland concluded that highly motivated achievers find the strength of their motivation in the power of their imagination.
McClelland's research may seem complex, but there's one principle woven throughout all his studies: The more vivid and real the image that motivates you, the stronger the motivation.
As we hold a picture in the hands of our imagination, the enormous power of our minds is set on achieving it. Soon, depending upon the difficulty and complexity of the image, it is ours ... it is a reality, where before it was only a picture in our imagination.
Source: Psychology of Motivation by Dr. Denis Waitley.
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A Challenge
- Are You ready for the Crucible . . .
There comes a time in our lives when we need to face our self. We all are exposed to roles and responsibilities that can stretch our self perceptions and perhaps our self confidence.
Many, if not most of us can recall, all too vividly, the transition from being a sole practitioner - the technical / specialist role - to becoming responsible for the contributions of others. We had to reform ourselves, to embrace a different set of perspectives and to make a whole lot of new assumptions. It was a 'make-over'.
This was not an entirely comfortable experience and, while we didn't have to surrender our previously held convictions completely, we felt strangely dislocated through the process. The new 'transactional' world was difficult to understand, the political 'realities' hard to master, and the insecurities and unpredictabilities of new relationships were challenging to accept.
Eventually we adjusted, compromised and found consensus - the transactional role became the 'norm'. Yet we could sense that there's something more. There's another transition in the offing, one which, unlike before, is not an expansion of present realities. In effect it's a 'dimensional shift', a whole new world.
None of the rules of the current world make practical sense in this new dimension. Our expectations and anticipations are seldom met. There's little that conforms to what we know, the standards that we've embraced, or that predicts future outcomes. Nothing we do seems to make a real difference. We're sensing the 'transformative' world.
Can we make the shift? Certainly we don't want to let go of that which we now accept, and yet we have to be able to respond to challenges and issues in a totally fresh way from time-to-time. How can we embrace this new reality when we're not sure that we can even see it leave alone grasp its demands?
We must 'map' the new territory so that we can go there without fear or uncertainty. We need to have enough confidence in ourselves that we will encourage others to make the journey along with us. We must learn to become the change we want to see in the world around us. Our desire, and our goal, is to become a transformative leader.
So, take stock, define your vision and assess the value that you can commit to delivering. Draw others into the dream, to the 'brave new world' that you can define. Take the plunge!
What are you waiting for?
Perhaps a little help would be welcome?
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Please contact us for details.
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Reach Out!
Harness the power of a sparkling new thought every week. By subscribing to our "Reach Out" service you'll receive a short, high impact, motivating and often provocative quotation every Tuesday morning. It will lend focus to your week, stimulation for your thinking, insights into your whole life and perhaps even solace for your soul.
Best of all, it's free! Take a moment for yourself and make room for a little refreshment.
http://www.reachoutdirectory.com
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- Secure Site |
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Polaris Participants
Review Sessions . . .
Polaris members are invited to visit http://www.polarisprogram.com/members.php to
review the modules
for Work Out 1:
- Operating Strategically - Understanding Strategy
- Operating Strategically - Analytical-Logical Approaches
- Influencing Others - Understanding Differences
for Work Out 10:
- Implementation - Decisions & Monitoring
- Building Relationships -Networks & Alliances
- Beyond Self - High Potential Characteristics
Preparatory assignments . . .
Work Out 2
(November 8th) is available on the web site and should be accessed no later than October 21st. An e-mail reminder will be sent to all by this date. Our topics will be:
- Operating Strategically - Levels & Quadrants
- Influencing Others - Understanding Differences II
- Focusing Principles - Self regard & Awareness
Work Out 10
(October 26th) is also posted on the web site - see agenda above.
Work Out 11
(November 30th) will be announced by e-mail shortly.
Please set time aside for your preparatory work, and call your coach with any questions and comments. Use your RED time well!
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Be kind to yourself - and to someone else! |
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Stay well, live long and prosper.
David Huggins and Amanda Levy
Andros Consultants Limited
http://www.andros.org
Helping individuals and organizations be their best
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