“Effective” vs “Smart”

By Marshall Goldsmith

Reputation is an important element in establishing your Mojo. It’s where you add up who you are (your identity) with what you’ve done (your achievement) and toss the combined sum out into the world to see how people respond. It seems, however, that many of us neglect our reputation. It’s not that we don’t care; we care a lot. But we confuse our need to consider ourselves to be smart with our need to be considered effective by the world. The two are not the same thing, and one often overwhelms the other.

One of the most pernicious impulses among successful people is our overwhelming need to prove how smart we are. It’s drilled into us from our earliest school days, when we’re graded and ranked in a winnowing process that separates the average from the smart from the super-smart. It continues through high school, college and graduate school. And we continue this competition into the workplace, although our “report cards” now come in the form of promotions, paychecks and praise rather than test scores. We want our bosses and colleagues to admire our brainpower.

It’s pernicious because the need to be the “smartest person in the room” often leads to some incredibly stupid behavior. It leads to dumb arguments, in which we fight to prove that we’re right and someone else is wrong. It’s the reason we feel to need to tell someone who shares information with us that “we already knew that,” though it devalues them. It’s the reason we fight to the death to defend an opinion that has worn out its welcome.

Frankly, it’s the reason that so many of us are such poor listeners. We’re so invested in presenting ourselves as smart that we believe we don’t need to hear everything that people tell us. We think we’re so smart we can tune out people and still succeed.

Not everyone behaves like this. There are people who are willing to sacrifice the fleeting buzz of needing to be smart for the more valuable feeling of being effective: of delivering on time, of bringing out the best in others, of finding the simplest route to a solution.

To find out which side you fall on—smart or effective; consider this hypothetical Brain Pill Question:

You are offered a Brain Pill. If you swallow this pill, you will become 10 percent smarter than you currently are. However, to everyone you know and to those you meet in the future, you will seem 20 percent less intelligent. In other words, you will become smarter, but the rest of the world will see you as dumber. Do you take the pill?

Your answer says a lot about how you value your reputation. A lot of people would take the pill, happy to have the added smarts, and to hell with the world’s diminished opinion.

We’re often faced with this choice. Remember this the next time you face an important career decision. If we’re clueless about our reputation, we’re less likely to think about the long-term impact reputational impact of our choices. We’re often thinking short-term instead. Is this a decision that gets my boss off my back or brings in some quick cash, rather than enhance my reputation for being effective in the long term? These are entirely different measures. And from my experience, choosing to be effective rather than smart ultimately pays off in terms of our reputation, our achievement, and our Mojo.

Excerpted from Mojo: How to Get It, How to Keep It, and How to Get It Back When You Lose It!.

Dr. Marshall Goldsmith has authored 28 books including What Got You Here Won’t Get You There – a New York Times best-seller, Wall Street Journal #1 business book and Harold Longman Award winner for Business Book of the Year. Succession: Are You Ready? is the newest edition to the Harvard Business ‘Memo to the CEO’ series. Marshall’s latest book is Mojo: How to Get It, How to Keep It, and How to Get It Back When You Lose It!

You can’t fly with eagles when you keep walking with turkeys

Quote : Zig Ziglar

Here are some tips on how to keep people from scribbling on your dreams :

•Reality check! Know yourself – know what you’re good at and what you’re not. Know what drives you and what you’re passionate about. When you do what you’re passionate about, the sky’s the limit.

•Do your homework. Find out everything you can about your dream before your share it with the world. Visit the library. Scour the Internet. Ask people who are already doing it or have done it. Mind you, make sure they’ve been successful, otherwise they’re going to scribble all over your dream.

•Don’t walk with turkeys. There’s a saying “you can’t fly with eagles when you keep walking with turkeys”! People will always give you their two-cents worth, without realizing the effect their words have. Every negative word you hear has the potential to scribble its way into your subconscious. If you keep company with turkeys, your dreams are going to end up burnt to a crisp and served on the thanksgiving table.

•Fly with eagles. Keep company with eagles – people who know what it takes to make dreams come true, people who are positive! Keep your heart and mind fixed on your goal. If you’re sure a dream is workable, then find ways to work it! Seek guidance and support from the eagles in your life. Never be afraid to ask questions and seek help.

•Make your dreams real. The best way to do this is to write down every dream or idea you have. Writing them down makes your dreams something tangible you can see and work on. Vocalize your dream. Visualize you reaching your goal everyday. Keep them in your heart and make sure you jealously guard your dreams against the scribblers.

•Persistence and patience. If a dream is worth dreaming, it’s worth struggling for. Problems WILL arise. Take them in stride and keep your eyes fixed on your goal. Break every problem into smaller tasks and solve them one by one. Remember… “How do you move a mountain? One stone at a time, one rock at a time, one boulder at a time

Consistently Great

By Kathleen Gysemans, MD, CS, CPC
Business and Executive Coach and Consultant

1. Game of life
Februari 2007, Bill Gove Speech Workshop, Orlando, Keynote speaking.
First day of the speech workshop – First prepared story to tell. Very good performance. Second day of the speech workshop- Second story to tell. A Pharmaceutical Company Executive is asked her input on my speech. Hm. Yesterday’s performance was better. Great performers have one thing in common: Consistency.

Her words create deep reflection and create action. “Consistently great “ is my answer !

How can you make a game of life, of business ? Have fun ! It is good being prepared, however too much rehearsal leads to being “significant” . Can you imaging what this means to your speech ? It suffers.

2. What are your best talents ? Are you dedicated to them ?
Imagine that it’s the last day of your life. Are you happy with what you achieved or filled with regret about the things in life you did not do, that career option you did not explore ?

Might it be useful to challenge the nay-sayers ? They can be everywhere: your parents, family, boss, colleagues. Remember that you only can have success in life if you are good in the things you like and you are doing them well. If that activity makes you also money BINGO !

3. Structures
What is your vision for life ? How will your life look like within 6 months, 1 year, 5 years ?
Can you visualise it ? Then put these images concerning you career, relationship and family life, financial life, free time, spiritual and emotional life on your screen saver.
Consistent performers are those with a vision and action plan in place, they have a laser-like focus on the things that are important and are characterized by their speed of decision and execution. They also walk the talk.
Speed of decision and execution : move fast, get going. Be a magnet to opportunities. We will give credits for a person who does things for us fast, rather than for a person who does things for us slowly. Do it now ! What is the highest standard of quality that can be delivered in the shortest period of time ?“

4. Skills
Influencing: How can I give you what you want ?
Building bridges: Can we influence somebody if we are telling how smart we are ?
Persistence: Or another person jumps on the opportunity !

5. Energy and dynamism count today – it is not possible for you to be positive when you are tired. Regular rest and recreation give you the ability to bounce back when you face adversities.

I will end this overview of what “Consistently Great “ means for me with a quote of Mark Twain:
“ Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed
by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.
Sail away from the safe harbour.
Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream.”

Hot spots: people who glow in the workplace

By Lynda Gratton
Nine Facets of Glowing
1. People who glow have five daily habits of cooperation: they have realistic and positive expectations of others, they are prepared to share valuable information with others, they act with discretion, they use the language of cooperation, and they make and keep commitments.
2. People who Glow are able to bring emotional authenticity and analytical rigor to their conversations and use the art of great conversation as the bedrock of their cooperation with others.
3. People who glow are astute at acting on the ‘smell of the place’; they know the signs of the Big Freeze and how to avoid it.
4. People who Glow are skilled at increasing the value of their networks and at balancing their networks between people who are similar to them and people who are very different from them.
5. People who Glow are skilled at escaping the boundaries that constrain them; they allow for serendipity in their lives and are prepared to meet new people and take untrodden paths to broaden their experiences.
6. People who Glow are adept at finding and moving to ‘boudaryless’ places. They know how to escape from the Fortress and connect with teams and places that encourage them to grow by creating opportunities to jump across worlds.
7. People who Glow are adept at asking the big questions that spark energy, which requires courage and focus.
8. People who Glow are able to create a compelling vision that sparks energy and is so exciting and engaging that others are drawn to it.
9. People who Glow are able to craft meaningful and exciting work that stimulates them and others.

Lynda Gratton is a professor of Management Practice and Director of the Centre for Women in Business at London Business School. The author of Glow: How You Can Radiate Energy, Innovation and Success (Berrett Koehler, 2009) and Hot Spots: Why Some Teams, Workplaces and Organizations Buzz with Energy –and Others Don’t (Berrett Koehler, 2007), she is the second-highest-ranking woman (#18) on the current Thinkers 50 list of the world’s leading management thinkers.

Read more: http://business.in.com/interview/rotman/lynda-gratton-glow-at-work/15652/1?CC=TLS10-EM17#ixzz112sgSG5Z

Good vs Great

March 15th, 2010
Good vs Great
Written by Christine Kane

One of my coaching clients – I’ll call her Bonnie – is really good at what she does. REALLY good. She had some idea of her skills – but it came fully equipped with all the usual doubts and concerns.

Many of us can relate. We’re so steeped in our world and all of its assumptions that we think everyone knows what we know. That we’re not all that special.

Well, Bonnie has been putting herself “out there” bit by bit. She’s been facing her fears and stepping into the spotlight. Suddenly, opportunities are pouring in. They’re good opportunities. She has taken lots of them just to get some experience.

And now, they keep coming. Every single week.

The price of these opportunities is Bonnie’s time and energy. Her vision for herself is greater than these good opportunities, but she feels torn. She’s at a critical point.

It’s called: Saying NO to the GOOD so you can say YES to the GREAT!

Saying NO to the good means getting clear and committed to your dream and standing by that clarity with your own strong decision. (Yikes!)

Can you relate? It’s easy to continue saying Yes to the good stuff that costs only your time and energy. (Even if it’s the very time and energy you need in order to create the GREAT thing you’ve been talking about forever.) After all, an opportunity is an opportunity, isn’t it? I mean, in these “hard economic times” aren’t you supposed to be grateful for anything you can get?

Well, it depends.

Do you want to live in the “at least I have something” mindset? Or do you want to create the thing that could potentially bring in your most authentic success?

Do you want to Live Reactive? (“This is a good opportunity, even if it’s not exactly where I want to go.”) Or do you want to Live Creative? (“Time to site down and write my outline for this book and put in the time to make it come alive.”)

Either choice is fine, of course.

But only one requires creating your YES by saying a NO.

Tagged as: christine kane, how to be creative, say no to the good say yes to the great

Office Productivity: Making No Mean No

By Laura Stack, MBA, CSP

http://www.theproductivitypro.com/

Learn to say ‘no’ to the good so you can say ‘yes’ to the best. — John C. Maxwell (author, speaker, and pastor).
In Oklahoma!, the befuddled Ado Annie Carnes sings,

I’m just a girl who cain’t say no,
I’m in a terrible fix
I always say “come on, let’s go!”
Jist when I orta say nix…

Ever find yourself in Annie’s situation? Are you a people pleaser? Do you have trouble turning down new tasks, even when you’re drowning in work? Does everyone turn to helpful ol’ you when they need something done? Is your schedule packed until the turn of the century?

Sounds like you need to learn to say no graciously—and make it stick.

Many of us have been conditioned by society to say “yes” to any reasonable request. It’s as if the word “no” is a four-letter word, even when you’ve got all you can handle on your plate. Well, get over it. That kind of thinking leads to nothing but confusion, overwork, irritability, and breakdown.

What Part of No Don’t You Understand?
Think quickly: what’s your scarcest, most important resource?

Flog yourself with a wet noodle if you didn’t immediately answer Time. Office supplies, equipment, money, and even coffee can be restocked with relative ease. Not so with time. We all get the same 1,440 minutes in our day, and once it’s used up, there’s no going back to restock it.

So until we figure out a way to drastically lengthen our lives, we’d better get as much done as we can in the time we have. Which means that in order to actually enjoy life instead of simply enduring (and to maintain your sanity), you absolutely must learn to say “no” when necessary.

You don’t have to be rude about it; you just have to make it clear and make it stick. Depending on the personality of the person you’re dealing with, a gracious “no” accompanied with an explanation of what you’re already saying “yes” to may be fine.
Otherwise, just be simple and direct, and don’t feel obligated to explain if you don’t want to. Try one these statements:

• “Sorry, my schedule is full.”
• “Not right now.”
• “Let me see if I can find someone who can help you.”
• “I don’t like to take on anything I can’t fully commit to.”
• “I’m not comfortable with that.”
• “I’m not qualified.”
• “I’m sure you’ll do a wonderful job on your own!”

Unfortunately, in some cases, a more firm rejection may be necessary. If, for example, someone refuses to take no for an answer, you may very well need to be rude. I don’t recommend it if you can avoid it, though.

Meeting Others Halfway
I realize that it may not always be possible to say no, especially in the workplace. Fortunately, there are ways of saying turning someone down without actually saying “no.” Try a mix of these:

Negotiate. Don’t assume a deadline. When someone asks you to do something, ask them if they need it now, or if you can get it to them later.

Communicate. Instead of trying to juggle a dozen tasks all due immediately, ask your boss or coworkers to prioritize them so you’ll know which is of utmost importance.

Reduce Quality. Often, good enough is good enough. Whoever’s asking for the task may not expect an exceptional level of quality; they may just want it done. So find out exactly what they want.

Streamline. If they want something huge, ask if they really need it that big. They may be just as happy with a slimmed-down version.

Eliminate. Rebuild your personal and departmental boundaries so that certain tasks are no longer your ambit. Then look at every task remaining and ask yourself if anyone would notice it if you stopped doing it. If not, stop!
Get Creative. Take stock of your situation, look closely at your systems and processes, and redesign what you can to make yourself more productive.

Partial Delivery. If you just can’t do it all but have to turn in something, ask if you can turn it in piecemeal.

All these are effective ways of keeping yourself from being overwhelmed, even when the fat’s in the fire and you’ve got no choice but to accept work you don’t really need. Put them in play, see how they work for you, and refine them as you go.

Better coach

By Marshall Goldsmith

In my work with leaders, I find that one common complaint of direct reports is that their leaders do a poor job of coaching. Yes, executives tend to be poor coaches.

They often neglect to schedule coaching time, and some leaders fear that coaching will come across as negative, alienating direct reports.

I suggest that you use an effective, time-efficient, six-question coaching process. Schedule a one-on-one, 30- minute dialogue with each direct report once a quarter. You and they are asked to: 1) make each question a dialogue, not a dictate, 2) focus on the future, not the past, and 3) listen to the other person’s ideas, try to implement what you can–and not try to prove the other person is wrong.

1. Where are we going? The first question deals with the big picture. You outline the larger organization’s direction, vision, goals and priorities, and then ask direct reports where they think the organization should be going. This question builds alignment and commitment to the vision.

2. Where are you going? This question surfaces the direct reports’ vision, goals, and priorities. Executives share their views as well. By the end of this discussion, the vision, goals and priorities of the direct reports should be aligned with the executive’s vision, and the goals and priorities of executives and direct reports should be aligned.

3. What is going well? Great coaches provide positive recognition for achievement. Assess what the direct reports and their teams are doing well, and ask, ‘What do you think that you and your team are doing well?’ Direct reports may feel under-appreciated because you don’t recognize their achievements.

In many cases, you would recognize these achievements if you knew what they were! By asking this question, you can celebrate performance wins that you may otherwise miss.

4. What are key suggestions for improvement? Here leaders begin by giving direct reports constructive suggestions for the future. These suggestions should be limited to key opportunities for improvement. Giving too many suggestions is almost as bad as giving none. Direct reports should listen to the suggestions with a focus on understanding, not judging what is said. Executives should come across as trying to help. Next, executives should ask, ‘If you were your own coach, what suggestions would you have for yourself?’ Then modify the areas of focus and attention as needed.

5. How can I help? After asking this question, listen to the suggestions! You can also participate in the dialogue by suggesting approaches and then asking, ‘Do you feel this approach will help you become more effective?’ The key to helping others improve is not to do more coaching, but to provide coaching to the right people on the right topics.

By asking this question, you can make more effective use of your time.

6. What suggestions do you have for me? This question changes the dynamics of the coaching process from a one-way monologue that focuses on, ‘Let me tell you what you can do to improve’ to a two-way dialogue: ‘Let’s try to help each other.’ Your reports are more willing to be coached by you if you are willing to be coached by them! In fact, by asking for suggestions, focusing on improving one or two key behaviors, and following up quarterly, you will be seen as dramatically increasing your leadership effectiveness.

Arrange for follow-up between sessions. At the end of each session, you might say, ‘I’ll have a dialogue with you once each quarter. I’ll cover what I think is most important and get your suggestions on what you think is most important. Please contact me at any time you need my help. I can’t promise I’ll be immediately available, but I promise to make your request a top priority.’ Great coaching happens within an agreement of mutual responsibility.

Use this six-question approach to become a more effective coach. Cover the most important topics regularly, and be available for each other for special situations. Few people need or want more coaching than this. This process provides you with a simple discipline to give people what they need, and receive what you need, in a way that respects your time and theirs.

Pay for ResultsAs an executive coach, I have a unique compensation system–I only get paid if my clients get better, meaning they achieve positive, measurable change in behavior, as judged by their key stakeholders. This process usually takes about 18 months and involves an average of 16 stakeholders.

Marshall Goldsmith is co-founder of Marshall Goldsmith Partners and author of What Got You Here Won’t Get You There. Visit MarshallGoldsmithLibrary.com or bigspeak.com.

Supercompetent

By Laura Stack, MBA, CSP

http://www.supercompetentbook.com/

In SuperCompetent, productivity expert Laura Stack identifies the behaviors that build leadership skills, boost organizational efficiency, and blast high-potential producers to the top of their fields. With Stack’s Six Keys, you’ll be able to consistently improve your performance, develop the confidence that will propel you forward, and achieve breakthrough results in your career:

1.Activity: the value and importance you place on your tasks
2.Availability: your mastery of your schedule
3.Attention: the capacity to focus intently and concentrate on your work
4.Accessibility: the ability to organize the inputs and outputs in your life
5.Accountability: the extent to which you take personal responsibility for your actions and outcomes
6.Attitude: your motivation, drive, and proactiveness
SuperCompetent will give you proven methods to reach your maximum potential and achieve breakthrough results.

Behaviours that create or break trust

Dennis and Michelle Reina, founders of the Reina Trust Building Institute and the authors of “Trust and Betrayal in the Workplace”, discussed in the article titled “Building Sustainable Trust” (pdf) the behaviours of people we are and are not inclined to trust.

We are inclined to trust people who…

■Are self-aware.
■Take responsibility for their role in the relationship.
■Demonstrate that they consider the best interests of others rather than just themselves.
■Do what they say they will do.
■Practice the values they tell us are important to them.
■Are willing to recognize and consider both sides of the story.
■Listen and respond to our needs and interests.
■Are willing to think about what they have to give as well as what they hope to receive.
We are NOT inclined to trust people who…

■We experience as selfish and self-absorbed.
■Do not demonstrate an interest in the needs of others.
■Are not willing to accept responsibility for their actions.
■Gossip/talk about others behind their back.
■Blame others without looking at their role in the experience.
■Make snap judgments and draw conclusions before hearing all the information.
■Are not open and receptive to the ideas and views of others.
■Change the rules all the time.
■Are inconsistent in their behavior so we don’t know what to expect from one interaction to the next.
■Distort the truth by omitting information for their own purposes.

Considering your behaviour over the past week, are you someone who can be trusted?

Delegating

http://www.thepracticeofleadership.net/2008/07/20/how-to-effectively-delegate-tasks/

by George Ambler on Sunday, July 20, 2008

Effective leaders delegate tasks to others, this allows them to work of more important concerns and to help develop other people around them. However, the reality is that you can only delegate work, not responsibility, if it’s your accountability it remains your accountability no matter who does the work. This means that when you delegate a task, you need to make sure that you delegate in way that ensures you get the right outcome. David Maister has an great post on his blog on how to effectively delegate a task and provides the following pointers:

The context of the assignment – ‘Please could you tell me what you are going to do with this when I get it done, tell me who is it for, and where does it fit with other things going on?’
Deadline – When would you like it, and when is it really due?
Scope – Would you like me to do the thorough job and take a little longer, or the quick and dirty version?
Format – How would you like to see the output of my work presented? What would make your life easier?
Time budget – Roughly how long would you expect this to take (so I can tell whether I’m on track or not?)
Relative priority – What’s the importance of this task relative to the other things you have asked me to do?
Available resources – Is there anything available to help me get the job done? For example, have we done one of these before?
Success criteria – How will the work be judged? Is it more important to be fast, cheap or perfect?
Monitoring and scheduled check points – Can we, please, schedule now a meeting, say, halfway through so I can show you what I’ve got and ensure that I’m on track for your needs?
Understanding – can I just read back to you what you’ve asked me to do, to confirm that I got it down right?
Concerns – before I get started can I just share with you any concerns about getting this done (e.g., other demands on my time) so that I don’t surprise you later?

This is a great way to delegate and ensure that you achieve the desired outcomes.