Owner: GottaGettaBlog! URL:http://www.ggci.com/blog Join Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2007 15:26:13 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: A life coach and leadership blog focused on helping you get more from your untapped potential - at work and in life. Plus news, notes, and (admittedly some) nonsense from ICF-Certified Master Coach Barry Zweibel and GottaGettaCoach!, Inc. Site statistics:Click here
In Lieu of Email Abandonment 2007-07-11 10:17:00 More and more, people are wanting to literally abandon their email inboxes. And increasingly, messages like this are wanting to be sent:"Sorry, but in my effort to catch up on my unread emails, I've "accidentally" deleted most everything in my inbox. If you've been patiently waiting for me to reply to something you sent - or waiting not-so-patiently, for that matter - please resend it at this time."If this feels like a breath of fresh air for you, maybe you need to start training your associates how to send better emails. Here are some suggestions:Inform others that each new topic within a given email is to be numbered and bolded to make identifying their segues not only possible, but easy.Inform others that email subject lines are to be used more meaningfully and to indicate more precisely what is to follow and what is expected from you - Approval Needed, Vacation Request, Policy Issue, Project Status, Critical Update, Some Good News, Yikes!, etc.Inform others that their FYI-type up Read more:Email
Leadership Move #13: Earn an Outstanding Performance Review 2007-07-09 08:19:00 A major determinant of your success as a leader is how much your staff wants to follow your lead. But another, often overlooked, component of your success as a leader is how much confidence your boss has in you. Anyone who's ever tried to get approval for a new initiative only to find that the boss needed "a more compelling justification" knows what this is about. It's amazing how much easier it is to get things done when your boss is squarely in your camp.Whether they realize it or not, bosses (and this includes YOU by the way) tend to be far more open to new ideas and counter intuitive approaches that come from their outstanding performers than from lesser-rated employees. Why? Think of it in terms of validating expectations - your boss already thinks you do really good work so whatever you do next will likely be seen in a more positive light than the work of someone who just scrapes by.But the value of earning an outstanding performance review goes beyond this benefit-of-the-doubt Read more:Leadership
, Performance
Keys to Personal and Professional Growth 2007-06-28 10:19:00 Consider how this works:If something is New Information AND Relevant, it's likely to be Important.If something is New Information AND Resonant, it's likely to be Meaningful.If something is Relevant AND Resonant, it's likely to be Memorable.And if something is Memorable, Meaningful, AND Important, it's likely to enable Growth
, on either a personal or professional level, yes? Read more:Personal
When the cat's away... 2007-06-25 12:36:00 What's it like when you return back from a conference or seminar or vacation? Are things running smoothly or are they coming apart at the seams. Which do you prefer? Regardless, each scenario says things about you as a leader - quite different things, actually:Things are a mess upon your return and you don't like it one, single, bit - Welcome back! And if every fiber in your being is trying to prevent yourself from screaming "Did you do anything right?" at your direct reports, the problem has probably a whole lot less to do with your team than you realize. Chances are that much of the angst can be traced back to you doing a very poor job in preparing them for your absence, or dealing with some long-standing performance issues. Grade: -10.Things are running smoothly and you don't like it - Welcome back! Your staff did a great job! Every thing's fine, except ... you're suddenly feeling like you're not as needed as you used to be. An extra cog in the wheel? Better off not even being
O + (N x S) + Cpm/T + He 2007-06-22 08:29:00 Back in January, in a post titled, [W + (D-d)] x TQM x NA, or not, I cited the work of Cliff, Arnall, a professor in Wales who 'mathematically' determined that January 22, 2007 would be "the most depressing day of the year." Here's how the formula formula worked:W: How bad the weather is at this time of year.D: Amount of debt accumulated over the holidays minus how much is paid off.T: The time since the holidays.Q: Amount of time passed since New Year’s resolutions have gone south.M: Our general motivation levels.NA: The need to take action.So that was the bad, or shall we say, depressing news.And now for the good news, that is, the happiest news.According to Arnall, today, June 22nd, is the happiest day of the year! Here's his formula for determine that:O + (N x S) + Cpm/T + He O: Being outdoors and outdoor activity.N: Nature.S: Social interaction.Cpm: Childhood summers and positive memories.T: Temperature.He: Holidays and looking forward to time off. So be happy, everyone. Beca
Leadership Move # 11: React Appropriately 2007-06-20 13:50:00 How you react to what just happened often determines what happens next. That being the case, you want to be sure that your reactions - whatever they are - are situationally meaningful, appropriate, and motivating.Yet all too often we react in ways that undermine these best intentions. Some of the more common ways we misstep, include:Overreacting - Like using a chainsaw to cut through butter, this is when we react in ways that are clearly excessive and uncalled for. Classic Example: Shooting the messenger who's just brought you some bad news.Under-Reacting - Like trying to knock down a wall with a feather, this is when we react in ways that, even under the best of circumstances, are woefully insufficient. Classic Example: Offering to meet with a direct report 'sometime tomorrow' when they really need your help right away. Belatedly Reacting - Like closing the barn door after the cows have escaped, this is when your response is too late in coming, and too little in value. Classic Exam Read more:Leadership
Hey, Your Shirt Just Texted Me! 2007-06-14 08:07:00 Okay, so I really get a kick out of this one - interactive t-shirts - or, as the folks at Reactee* say it, "shirts that text back"!Here's how it works:(1) someone sees my t-shirt - but it could just as easily be that someone sees your t-shirt - one that you go and create right after reading this post;(2) from their cell phone, they send a text message, to the t-shirt, by following the simple instructions on the t-shirt. With my t-shirt, they'd text the letters GGCI to phone number 41411;(3) the shirt automatically texts them back with an important (or not so important) message!Try it! (Standard text messaging charges apply.)Isn't this a hoot?! It is to me, anyway! Each t-shirt is fully-customizable (within the boundaries of good taste and available colors and sizes) and the message that gets texted back to people can be changed as often as you like. To create your own, just click on the link: http://reactee.com/114.html*. So what are you waiting for?!------* This is my affiliate lin Read more:Shirt
Making an Indelible Impression 2007-06-13 08:15:00 Hey, sports fans! While this is likely to be one potent double play combination, Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance it's certainly not.In a move that's even more bizarre than the way the team's been playing this year, the Chicago Cubs organization has announced that their Sunday, June 17th game vs. the San Diego Padres will be "Sharpie Day", during which, they'll happily be handing out permanent markers to the first 10,000 fans entering Wrigley Field.Now call me crazy, but have they gong completely nuts?! The question isn't IF the ballpark will be trashed - it's HOW. Will it be:(a) by bored kids or drunk adults?(b) on the seats in front of them or the people next to them?(c) by frustrated Cubs fans or elated Padres fans?(d) by an errant Sox fan or two? or(e) ALL of the Above?It'd be one thing if they were passing out water paints or hand soap - at least they'd spruce up the place. But indelible permanent markers?! Oh, brother.In an excellently-timed related story, Mayor Daley announced Read more:Impression
My Very Own Storm, "Barry" 2007-06-04 08:32:00 I've never had a storm named after me. And then came tropical storm "Barry
."Certainly not the biggest storm on record. And not the most horrifc, either. To the contrary, actually:According to the folks at AccuWeather, "Tropical Storm
Barry will be remembered as one of the most beneficial tropical systems to affect the United States in recent years." And according to Weather.com, "Barry's legacy will be welcomed rain in the South, where almost seven inches fell in West Palm Beach, Florida; eight inches fell in Mount Vernon, Georgia; over six inches fell in Hardeeville, South Carolina; and almost two and a half inches in New Bern, North Carolina."How nice. Good for me, I say! Okay, it was a bit Freudian that my storm chose Florida - were my mom lives! And now it's creating a bit of a mess in New Jersey, where my in-laws live! But hey, we storms do that sort of thing.The only bad thing - ever since Barry has been downgraded to a tropical depression, I've been feeling kind of sad! (Get
Practice 'Flexing' your Style 2007-05-30 09:04:00 We all have 'default' ways in which we respond to difficult situations at work. Some people react quite seriously - they default to an almost Zen-like belief that when we work we should work. Others default to a far more casual affect. 'Not to worry,' they say, before digging in to get things done.Even though our natural tendencies may suggest otherwise, there is no one right way to "be." Consider:Sometimes, people need a stern talking-to to get them going;Other times, they need support, encouragement, and a friendly smile more than anything else;And still other times, they don't need much of anything but to be left alone to do what they know they need to do!A range of possible scenarios implies a range of responses. So, when faced with a difficult situation at work, it is advisable to stop your 'default' reactions before they happen, and instead, purposefully choose a response that will best serve you - and those around you.Admittedly, such a 'flexing' of style takes a bit of Read more:Practice
, Style
Hobson's Choice and the Counteroffer 2007-05-25 08:16:00 Ever been in a situation where a boss has given you a choice between two or three equally UN-appealing alternatives? That's called a Hobson's Choice
, named after Thomas Hobson, (1544–1630), "a livery stable owner at Cambridge, England who, in order to rotate the use of his horses, offered customers the choice of either taking the horse in the stall nearest the door—or taking none at all." (source: Wikipedia.)If so, how do you handle it?Keep in mind that often times, a Hobson Choice is often less about reality than a lack of imagination, flexibility, and creativity. While, true, you may sometimes just have to comply, it's quite often possible that your boss would actually be open to another idea or suggestion - a counteroffer - from you.In the case of Hobson, himself, I could see you proposing a counteroffer whereby, for an additional fee that you'd be happy to pay, he'd send his apprentice to fetch you when your horse-of-choice is 'next up.' (Did you like how I used the word
Leadership Move #6: Encourage Intelligent Debate 2007-05-24 14:37:00 As a leader, there's real pressure to know all the answers. Yet this Boss-as-Expert approach to leadership has some significant, and, lasting limitations:you miss out on all sorts of great ideas that you didn't happen to come up with yourselfyou discourage others from sharing their good - and potentially great - ideas with youyou end up training your staff to wait for you to be the hero, for you to have all the answers you never learn to truly leverage the power of delegationyou tend to under-utilize your staffyou likely become frustrated by the fact that you're seemingly the only one on your team that's doing any of the 'heavy lifting' you wind up with far too many tactical responsibilities to lead boldly and/or think strategicallyA simple antidote to the Boss-as-Expert syndrome is in encouraging your staff to engage in an IntelligentDebate
about things, which we'll define as the discussion of, and brainstorming on, important topics in such a way that it encourages increasingl Read more:Leadership
Leadership Move #8: Have the Right Conversations 2007-05-16 08:03:00 When it comes to talking with your staff about what they can do better, there can be a real mismatch between the conversation you may want to have with them, and the one they may want to have with you.The conversation you may want to have with them typically has squared-off corners, meaningful depth and breadth, incredible insight, and maybe a few handles to grab hold of to make it easier to pick it up and carry its contents back to their desks with them.In contrast, the conversation they may want to have with you, is not. Instead, it's likely to be a more 'roundish' sort of thing, with no real beginning or end - stuffed with a lot of circular and blurry logic. Typically, this 'fuzzy' conversation comes in two distinct 'textures': Soft/Furry; and Sharp/Scratchy:The Soft/Furry conversation is one where the employee proceeds as if you're not even in the room there with them as they insist that "all is well" and any ideas to the contrary must be a result of some misunderstanding s Read more:Leadership
, Right
Use Your Resources 2007-05-15 12:23:00 One of the main ways people become successful is by doing what they do really, really, well. That often leads to them being promoted, which is generally a step in the right direction. But one of the main ways people fail to remain successful is by continuing to do what they did really, really, well in their prior position, in their new one.Classic Example: The analyst who's promoted, but acts more like the work group's super-analyst than its supervisor.(Surely you know someone like that. Odds are you've been someone like that - I know I have!!)It's not easy to let others do what you know you can do so much better yourself ... if you only had the time to do it yourself. But therein lies the rub because you don't have the time to do it yourself. It's likely that you barely have the time if someone does it all for you!No, relying on others isn't always easy. But it is important. And as we move up-the-chain, it becomes increasingly imperative - not just advisable or desirable, but i Read more:Resources
What Next? By When? 2007-05-11 13:40:00 "I'm in a real backlog situation, Barry. How can I dig out?"Although it may seem a bit odd to phrase it this way, the problem here isn't so much that there's too much to do as much as it is that not enough is getting done soon enough.Phrasing it in terms of having too much to do can actually slow you down. Why? Because the time spent thinking about how much there is to do is time no longer available to get 'er done.Conversely, phrasing it in terms of not enough getting done soon enough begs the question "What Next?" which is the key to moving things meaningfully forward. Many (most?) managers have a pretty clear sense of what needs to be done, but far fewer really grasp what needs to be done ... next. Starting there is always a good idea.A corollary of the "What Next?" question is "By When?" You don't leave for work in the morning without any sense of when you'll get there, do you? You didn't do your taxes without any sense of when the 15th was, did you? But you probably do assi
Procrastination DNA 2007-05-07 16:08:00 Last week I wrote about using the T-O-P-3 approach to priority management. If you haven't tried it yet, I strongly suggest you do. Why do we get so distracted from our priorities, though? (Embarrassing Disclosure: I'm writing this blog now instead of working on one of my so-called priorities!)I think the answer is typically one of three:Procrastination
Trap #1 - Distractions - Best intentions aside, we keep getting caught up in other things. So, we basically forget it ... and time passes.Procrastination Trap #2 - Nonconcurrence - We reject the very notion that this particular task really is a priority - or believe that working it will result in something bad instead. So, we basically dispute it ... and time passes.Procrastination Trap #3 - Avoidance - We just don't like to do what we don't want to do, or are too uncomfortable with doing to do it. So, we basically ignore it, hoping it goes away ... and time passes.I suppose we could call these traps Procrastination DNA (Distractions
Always Complete Your "T-O-P-3" 2007-05-04 08:27:00 We all have to-do lists. But sometimes (often?) the things on our lists never seem to get off our lists. That's where the "T-O-P-3" comes in.The way it works is this:Identify three of Today's Overriding Priorities - that is, your T-O-P-3 things to complete today, no ifs, ands, or buts. Don't end your workday until you do complete them.Can it get any simpler than that?! Each morning (or the night before) write down your T-O-P-3 for the coming day. Then, go do them. No excuses, justifications, or rationalizations allowed. No complications, turn-of-events, or surprises matter. Notwithstanding anything else that does or does not happen - or anything else that you do, or do not, do - these are Today's Overriding Priorities. Period. Paragraph. Post.
What's on your BIWI Fun List? 2007-05-03 10:00:00 BIWI, as in, "Becasue I Want It."Fun, as in, well, fun!And List, as in, go ahead and list some things out. I'll wait! Now go do some of them. Or at least make plans to do.
Leadership Move #27: Let Them Lead You 2007-04-30 07:23:00 We can pretend it's not true, but there's a real ego component to being a leader. It comes with the territory of having the authority to to tell people to stop what they're doing and work, instead, on what we want them to. Careful not to push that button too hard or too often, though, or you'll likely find trouble ahead.That's why it's important to remember that it's good for a leader to not call the shots all the time. That's why encouraging staff to lead us from time to time can be a very strong leadership move on our part. Yes, that does sound a bit obtuse, but here's the classic example:An employee has an idea for something and is willing to put in the time and energy to bring it to fruition. Your move? To get out of the way and let him/her go for it. It almost doesn't matter if you think the idea is any good or not. Why? Because if it's not, your employee will likely not get the support s/he needs from other people to implement it. And if it is, it's win/win.Obviously Read more:Leadership
Upended Pareto 2007-04-26 09:31:00 You're probably already familiar with the Pareto principle, or 80/20 Rule, as it's also called, which suggests that 80% of your results come from from 20% of your efforts, or words to that effect. Well here's a variation on the theme, one that I call, the Upended Pareto:"Eighty percent of whatever's wrong with a situation doesn't really matter." Your job is to identify the 20% that does matter ... and work exclusively on that.So pick a situation you're dealing with and ask yourself, "What is the 20% that does matter?"Start there and see if you're not better off for doing so.
"How to Succeed Like a Workaholic" 2007-04-20 15:41:00 Well this is something fun: I did an interview with careerbuilder.com a while back for a piece on what we can learn from "workaholics" and to my surprise and delight, it's instead been published on at jobs.aol.com - on Page One ... and above the fold, no less! [4/23/7: at least it was through Sunday!]Here's an excerpt:If you want to have the success of a workaholic and still have your down time, Zweibel offers five strategies you can employ.1. Put in the hours at the right time. "There is a benefit to being seen in an organization," says Zweibel. If you are working late or are in on the weekend, pass by your boss's office for some face time. Not only will you get kudos for the extra effort, but you might get the opportunity for valuable one-on-one time.2. Pay attention to time stamps. If you are sending an assignment to your boss via e-mail after hours, the e-mail will indicate the extra time you are spending. Pay attention to when you are sending these messages -- they could demons
Leadership Move #12: Adroitly Handle Difficult Coversations 2007-04-18 08:28:00 Definitionally, a 'difficult' conversation is one where someone you need to talk to about something is likely to either initially disagree with, or be dissatisfied by, what you have to say. Or, according to Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Sheila Heen, authors of Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss what Matters Most: Anytime we feel vulnerable or our self-esteem is implicated, when the issues at stake are important and the outcome uncertain, when we care deeply about what is being discussed or about the people with whom we are discussing it, there is potential for us to experience the conversation as difficult.Bosses have to have difficult conversations all the time:"You're being written up for a performance lapse..." "You're getting less of a raise and/or bonus than you probably expected...""You didn't get the promotion...""You cannot have that day off...""Your request has been denied...""Your project was not approved..."What many bosses don't seem to realize, though, is tha Read more:Leadership
, Handle
You May Be Happier Than You Think 2007-04-17 07:12:00 According to a study by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, and as reported in the Chicago Tribune today, money really can't buy happiness - when it comes to work.The top occupations in job satisfaction?clergyphysical therapistsfirefighterseducation administratorspainters/sculptorsThe bottom occupations in job satisfaction?rooferswaiters/serverslaborers (not construction)bartendershand packers/packagersBut the bigger part of the story, I think, is this: 47% of all workers surveyed said they were "very satisfied" with their work and 33% of all workers reported being "very happy." What that means is this: If the person next to you isn't "very satisfied," or the two people on either side of you aren't "very happy," chances are that you are!And isn't that a nice thing to realize?!
Handling Your Mistakes 2007-07-16 07:18:00 It's often said that if you're not making mistakes, you're not learning. But in that mistakes can sometimes be messy, how you clean them up after them is an important skill to learn.Respond quickly. Once you realize you've made a mistake, deal with it sooner rather than later - even if what happened was completely unintentional, or not entirely your fault. Apologize, thoroughly. Don't just regret that you did something wrong; apologize sincerely for what you did wrong - even if it resulted from the best of intentions. Take responsibility. Sure there were probably mitigating circumstances, but in most cases, they're irrelevant. These situations are often more about insuring that whatever you let happen (or failed to make happen) doesn't happen again. Resist the urge to blame others or wiggle out of things. That rarely works as well as you think it might.Check in. See if your apology was received as complete and sufficient. Remember, while it starts with how you clean up after you Read more:Handling
Networking Mnemonic 2007-07-18 08:04:00 Ever not sure how to keep a conversation going when networking?Here's an easy-to-remember acronym attributed to Dexter Yager by Bob Burg in his book, Winning Without Intimidation (subtitled: How to Master the Art of Positive Persuasion in Today's Real World in Order to Get What You Want, When You Want It, and from Whom You Want It - Including the Difficult People You Come Across Everyday!) - The F.O.R.M. method of asking questions:F stands for a question about their Family.O stands for a question about their Occupation.R stands for a question about their favorite types of Recreation.M stands for a question about their Message, or what they want you to know about them.* Should you find yourself in one of those Awkward Silence moments with someone you don't really know, ask a F-O-R-M question. In other words, ask a question about their Family. Or ask a question about their Occupation. Or ask a question about their favorite types of Recreation. Or ask a question about their Message. An
Maximizing the Probabilities of Agreement 2007-07-23 12:35:00 I was going through some old papers last night and came upon an article I saved from the August 2005 issue of Business 2.0 magazine. Titled "This is Your Brain on Advertising," it offered a three-step process for "deliver[ing] the right sensory elements, at just the right time, to maximize the impact" of what you have to say:Establish the Mood Build the Tension Deliver the Message Yet while these three steps (in this particular order) have worked very well in B-to-C (Businesses selling to Consumers) communiques, don't automatically assume that they're the solution for B-to-B-type communications - like when you're trying to sell your boss or coworkers or customers on a new idea or creative solution.My suspicion ... the steps to take, and order to take them in, are decidedly different for such B-to-B interactions. If so, how? Read more:Agreement
Goals, Priorities, Procrastination, and Deadlines 2007-07-25 14:59:00 According to Dictionary.com, the word goal was coined in 1275. (I actually thought it would have been penned earlier than that. You, too?) In contrast, the word procrastination didn't get formalized until the mid-to-late 1500's.So it sure must've been a particularly productive 300 intervening years, don't you think?!Or maybe, just maybe, they had the word procrastination all ready to go, but just kept putting it off, day after day, until someone finally put their foot down and made it a priority. (The word priority was formally recognized sometime between 1350-1400, placing it after the goal was established - and after it was probably due - but before anyone really got around to working it!)So let's review:Goals
were established in the late 1200's.Some 75 years later they were made into priorities. About 150 years later people started to admit that, yes, maybe there was a bit of procrastination going on. And 450 years after that, the boss got totally fed up and invented the word, Read more:Procrastination
The F-L-I-G-H-T of On-Site Executive Coaching 2007-07-30 08:14:00 While the vast majority of my work is done by telephone, I've been doing more in-person/on-site work this year, shadowing, observing, debriefing, and coaching my executive clients as they do whatever it is they they have to do on a given day. It's a fascinating, informative, enlightening, fun - yes fun -, intense, different, and often quite powerful day-in-the-life for both me and the individual executive I'm working with that day.With this, a fair amount of air travel has come, which I've found to be pretty okay, actually - certainly far better than I first expected. I dunno. I guess you could say that there's just something about the flight that I've really come to enjoy:F - Figuring out what to pack, bring, etc. to look and feel my bestL - Letting check-in and security personnel do their thing without affecting my moodI - In the air with my thoughts, a good book, some new tunes, or just some pleasant conversation with a fellow passengerG - Getting ready for a full-day of shado Read more:Executive
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