Bridging the gap between your reality and your dream

Most of us have dreams, whether it’s something lofty or down-to-earth. And much of the time, our reality is far different from that dream.

But there may be some ways that you can bridge that gap and bring at least a touch of your dream into your world now.

As we’ve talked about setting goals in the Ready, Aim series (click here for Part 1 and Part 2), it’s important to build at least one or two goals related to your dreams.

But I guess the first question to ask is, “you have identified your dreams, haven’t you?”

I think for many of us, the reality of family, work, financial and other obligations tends to obscure our dreams or cause them to fade. We may not allow ourselves to even consider them since there are so many other urgent issues vying for our attention. It feels selfish and we tend to put our dreams in the trunk while we travel along the road of the everyday.

But what if you allowed yourself to dream just a little? Would that make a difference in your quality of life?

My friend Lily Kreitinger wrote last week about “Do You Want To Be You?” in which she asks an important question of whether she should listen to her “self-talk” which tells her to focus on her duties as wife, mom and employee and suppress those things that give her joy, like blogging, teaching, or making jewelry. But she wouldn’t be happy ignoring those things that are her dreams. Would you?

I think there’s a way to bridge that gap between the things that we HAVE to do and the things that make us SOAR. If we don’t, we lose a piece of ourselves, and we are less invested in the things that we must do.

By indulging our dream even just a little bit, it makes us more valuable to the people we love and impact every day.

For me, I have discovered that writing is my passion, so I have started getting up a little earlier in the morning to allow myself time to write every day. Makes it much easier to face the challenges of the day when I have allowed myself a little time for me.

The trick is in finding the balance. Here are some steps to take to get you started:

• Identify your dream – for some of us, we are so outwardly focused on others that we’ve lost touch with what our dreams are. Spend some time with yourself, either journaling, meditating, mind mapping or just quietly thinking about the thing or things that truly light your fire. It might be writing, painting, scrapbooking, making jewelry, singing, speaking publicly, or any number of things. Pinpoint what it is and accept that. Proclaim to yourself your new identity.
• Share it with your family or close friends. Let those who are closest to you know that this is your passion and what makes you happy. Ask them to support you in exploring your dream.
• Find a way to indulge your dream at least every once in a while. Maybe look at your schedule and set aside a couple of hours on a weekend or evening to spend time alone pursuing your dream activity. Get up a little bit early a couple days a week. Carve out a little time for yourself.
• Don’t feel guilty. You have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others. You will be more content and less distracted if you have allowed yourself a little time.

While you may not be able to pursue your dream full-time, by allowing yourself even an hour or two each week or a couple of times a month, you are nurturing  an important part of yourself. You’ll become happier and more satisfied and your family and those close to you will see a change. It’s a win-win situation!

What is your dream, and how can you take a step toward it?

 

Fill me with your spirit, Lord

The phrase “Fill me with your spirit, Lord” popped into my head while I was running this morning, and kept repeating, almost like a mantra. At my church women’s retreat yesterday, we had the discussion that sometimes repetitive exercise, like running, can have the benefits of meditation – point made today.

As I let the experience wash over me, almost like God’s spirit was filling me and splashing out, I felt so grateful. For the beautiful fiery sunrise. For my family and friends. For my church family. For my work and my writing. For my faithful Lord.

I was almost in tears with the emotions I felt as I ran along just breathing in the spirit. Thank you Lord for all my blessings. Help me to be a blessing today.

 

Are you on a direct path or are you a hopeless wanderer? Ready, aim (part 2)

I find that when I am not moving steadily toward a goal, but simply following the next new shiny thing, I just end up wandering in circles. Have you experienced this as well?

In part 1 of this 2-part series called “Ready, Aim,” we looked at some of the reasons you may be floundering, and in part 2 we’re going to explore ways to advance on your way to success.

Most of us have too much going on in our lives to be able to wholeheartedly pursue a big goal, but there are ways we can break that goal into smaller parts, and work toward it a little bit at a time. In fact, I have found it more useful to target smaller goals in various areas of my life so that I’m more rounded and stable.

In his book and training called EntreLeadership, author and radio personality Dave Ramsey details the idea of setting goals in different areas of your life or the “wheel of life” as outlined by Zig Ziglar. Ramsey says, “for our lives to be successful as a whole we must address each area. The spokes of goal setting are: career, financial, spiritual, physical, intellectual, family, social.”

He goes on to say that if you only focus on some of these areas, you will have, in essence, “a flat tire.”

One of the things I struggle with the most is balancing the areas of my life, so I end up spending more time on career, physical and intellectual pursuits and neglect other areas, especially family and social. Because my “big 3” areas come easier for me, that’s what I focus on and end up procrastinating on planning for the other areas. I’m learning to set more practical goals in each of the areas, with steps that are reasonable and measurable so I can see my progress.

Once you have SET your goals, the next step is to start making progress toward accomplishing them. I have found a secret though – break those goals down into manageable bites. The following steps can help make the process less overwhelming:

• Focus on one or two areas each week: don’t set yourself up for failure by trying to accomplish all of your goals at once. Take it slow and focus on one or two “spokes” at a time. Maybe this week you aim to work on physical (maybe walking for 30 minutes two days) and social (meet a friend for coffee). Ease into it.
• Determine specific next actions: if you are like me, seeing something like “Sally’s birthday” on my to-do list makes my eyes glaze over and I skip it altogether. But if I decide what the next action is to move it forward, I am more likely to make time to work on it. For instance, the first step might be to “talk to Sally to pick a date for the celebration.” That’s probably a phone call, so that’s something concrete I can work into my week. Be sure to determine next actions for each of your goals.
• Use your calendar: I don’t know about you, but I am much more likely to pay attention to items on my calendar than things on a lengthy to-do list. So make it simple and add the action step to your calendar. Sculpt time to accomplish that next step. One of my goals is to read and study one business book each month. I have limited time to read, often at night before bed, when I tend to fall asleep in the book and then have to reread the next night. Not very conducive to great study.  So I have started blocking out a couple of hours on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon to read with a reminder on my computer, so that my time does not slip away. That chime of the reminder helps me stay on track.
• Start some good habits: Try setting your alarm 15 or 30 minutes earlier in the morning, and use that extra time to exercise, or pray and study the Bible, if those are some of your goals. If you are consistent, then before long, you won’t even be tempted to hit snooze because you will find yourself feeling better because you see progress.
• Celebrate progress: When you do make significant progress on your goals, take a few minutes to rejoice in that. Share your success with your accountability partner or family. Don’t get lazy though – be happy that you are moving in the right direction and get back to work on that next step!

By taking small steps in the right direction, you will start making visible progress on a particular goal, which will spur progress on other goals. Just think what you can accomplish as you stop wandering and head on a straight path!

What small steps can you take now to get you back on track for your larger goals?

 

What is stopping you from achieving your goals? Ready, aim (part 1)

I find it scary how fast time seems to go by these days. It seems like it was just the beginning of summer, and here it is almost Thanksgiving!

With the end of the year so close, it’s time to evaluate your progress on your goals for this year, and start thinking about goals and dreams for next year. In part 1 of this 2-part series called “Ready, Aim,” we will look at some of the reasons you may be floundering, and in part 2 on Friday, explore ways to advance on your way to success.

Some of the biggest roadblocks to achieving goals include:

• Unreasonable goals. I frequently have grand ideas of what I want to accomplish, but then the nitty gritty of every day keeps me sidetracked, and suddenly that goal seems unreachable.
• Uncertainty about how to proceed. Some goals can be intimidating, and you find yourself stumbling over what the next step should be. That can lead to procrastination because it seems too difficult to figure out or deal with.
• Someone else’s goals. Be honest here, how many times have you set goals because family or friends encouraged (ok, pushed) you to – but you weren’t 100% sold on the idea yourself? It is hard to buy into a goal about which you are not passionate.
• Vague results. Goals must be clear and measurable. You’ve heard this before – don’t set a goal like “lose weight” – because how will you ever know when you have succeeded? You will be more likely to achieve success if you set a reasonable goal like “lose 10 pounds by X date.”

For me, goals help me manage my life, so my life doesn’t manage me. When I set sensible goals with realistic results, the outcome is much more satisfying.

The problem comes when I haven’t set proper goals to begin with. Then they become just another obligation to avoid, and it ends up being detrimental to my peace and contentment.

To counteract these problems, here are some down-to-earth tactics that will help you meet your goals:

• Set reasonable goals. It’s ok to dream about owning the company, but if you are just getting started, it’s probably not a realistic goal for next year. Start with achievable goals that move you in the right direction. You might strive to “take # classes to build leadership skills” or “train X team members to take on X responsibility.”
• Break the goal down into steps. You aren’t going to reach your goal in one leap, so don’t set yourself up for failure by stating it that way. Spend some time planning what action steps it will take to reach that lofty goal. If your goal is to run a 10K in 6 months, but you haven’t exercised in years, the first step would be to walk a mile 3 times a week. Then plan to walk a longer distance more often. Then add running.
• Set goals for you. Decide what you need to accomplish for you and set goals around that. Don’t be influenced by others here – you have to be passionate about what you want to achieve or you will not make progress.
• State what “wildly successful” looks like. How will you know when you’ve reached your goal if you haven’t stated what finished is?
• Share your goal. That’s right – don’t keep it to yourself. State it out loud to someone you trust and who can encourage you. Even better, challenge a friend or family member to help hold you accountable by asking about your progress periodically.

Goals are worthless if you aren’t making progress toward them, and determining the barriers is only part of the challenge. In part 2 of the series “Ready, Aim,” we will explore the process of setting up better goals to help you reach your dreams.

What excuses are keeping you from accomplishing your goals?

 

Learning lessons from my car

Photo courtesy of Sean MacEntee (Creative Commons)

Yesterday morning I was driving to church and looked down to check my speed. The speedometer said 61 – but it felt like I was going my normal 40 along that street. My heart stopped – I took my foot off the gas.

It made me feel totally disoriented, and I almost pulled over because I didn’t even know how fast to go anymore. Then I finally drew myself together enough to realize that the speedometer was set for kilometers rather than miles per hour – so I had evidently pushed something I shouldn’t have when I set the clock back for daylight savings time.

Crisis averted. Deep breath.

What I realized is that I didn’t react very well when I was bewildered. Instead of thinking clearly, I froze up. That was not something I was prepared to encounter, and I did not have a game plan. That was not a comfortable place to be.

This experience made me wonder is how I would react in a true crisis situation. Would I freeze like I did, or would I be able to calmly discover a solution?

One of my strengths is strategic planning and thinking through the steps or solutions to a problem to arrive at a successful solution. But my strength would be my downfall in a crisis because I need time to deliberate and plan that solution.

How will I learn from this experience? By deliberately putting myself in situations where I am not completely in control so I can get better at reacting more spontaneously. Not that I will seek out a crisis to practice on, but I will more attune to situations that are not in my comfort zone.

Believe it or not, one way I do that is by commenting on other blogs and entering online conversations around writing and leadership. It helps me improve my thinking on my feet (or at my fingertips), and causes me to react quickly and not take a lot of time to formulate a response. I need more of that practice in other venues as well.

How have you learned from situations when you reacted inappropriately?

 

Unexpected Benefits

When I decided to participate in Chris Brogan’s three-word challenge last December, I had no idea of the impact it would have on my life. I chose my three words, CONNECT, TRAIN, ENJOY, as areas of my life that I felt needed some improvement, but underestimated the power of focus that I’ve rarely experienced with other kinds of goal-setting.

The idea of choosing three words is that while resolutions are usually forgotten by the end of January, your three words become the lens through which you view your activities and focus throughout the whole year. For me, it has been like a touchstone that keeps me grounded as I plan and schedule and make decisions.

For instance, I have been very intentional about connecting with people with similar interests and activities, and in addition to new connections through my work and church, I am now part of several online communities which provide great support and encouragement in not just leadership and writing, but in spiritual matters as well.

With a focus on training to improve my writing skills, I am participating in Chris Brogan’s Blog Topics Master Class, which has stretched and challenged me for several months, and helped me expand my skills and comfort zone. Plus, the benefits of this learning will continue as classmates and I pursue some ongoing projects.

Learning to enjoy has been my biggest challenge of the three words. I’m not sure what I envisioned when I chose the word – certainly not long vacations or pricey excursions.

What I have discovered is that I’m more aware of what brings me joy and I seek opportunities to experience it. My time spent writing and running each morning, curling up with a good book with one of my cats in my lap, or a conversation with family or a friend. These are joyful times within the grind of the every day, and I’m much more in tune so I can take advantage of those moments.

As I consider my three words for 2013, I have been much more cognizant of the power of this kind of focus. In looking back at my success for 2012, I am amazed at the power of three little words. It is very important to choose the right ones.

What will your three words be for 2013?

 

Are you hiding behind a mask?

Photo courtesy of Bunches and Bits {Karina} (Creative Commons)

Happy Halloween everyone! What does your costume look like?

I have to admit that Halloween is one of my least favorite holidays, mostly because I’m not good at coming up with costume ideas. But I do find it interesting because so many people hide behind their masks. Have you noticed how many timid people dress up as a superhero and become bold and brave for the day?

Could there be benefits to wearing a mask, figuratively speaking?

When I managed a bookstore, we adopted the ideas of “Be our Guest” from Disney, and focused on creating a positive “guest experience” for each of our guests (customers). There were days when that meant putting on the “mask” of the great salesperson even when I was tired or overloaded.

My friend Matt McWilliams wrote a post this week about The Happiness-Success Paradox in which he suggests that if you “proactively choose happiness,” you will be on the road to success.

So at his challenge, I have tried to “choose happiness” this week, and basically put on a “mask” of cheerfulness. I admit I’ve had mixed results.

It’s been a difficult, frustrating week for me, but I am trying to remain upbeat. One thing I am more conscious of is stopping when I find myself sinking into negative thoughts or making a negative comment. Awareness is half the battle, right?

What I have discovered is that while I can’t claim that I’m gleeful this week, I am at least more outwardly focused, and that is leading to contentment.

I have smiled at people, even in the midst of a mental rant over something that just happened. They might be struggling with greater hardships than I can imagine, and it flips a switch for me to smile at someone else – kind of turns the focus away from me long enough to reset the glare or frown I had before. See, the mask has its advantages.

I’ve made a conscious effort to write encouraging comments for friends on Facebook or in email. I know how uplifting it is when people reach out to me, so I’m returning the favor when I can.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 2 Corinthians 1.3-4 (NLT)

There seems to be such hardship and sadness this week – from Hurricane Sandy, to illness, to disappointments, to grief. I want to be at least a small comfort to others who are going through so much, instead of dwelling on me, whether that is through a smile, a kind word, or a note that I’m thinking of and praying for them. I guess the mask helps me as much as anyone else.

So I challenge you today. What mask will you put on?

 

Are you swayed by the crowd?

Photo courtesy of Karen_O’D (Creative Commons)

It is tempting as a leader to make choices and decisions based on what your team, clients or customers want most. But that’s not always what is best for your company or organization.

Whether you are considering changing your hours, altering your process, or adding a new product line, it is important to that you evaluate all of your options instead of listening to the loudest and most urgent voices. The following steps may help you determine the best path in those situations:

• Input from different areas – Be sure to talk not to just the most vocal group wanting the change, but talk to each department or segment affected. Find out how the change will impact their area, whether that is an increase in phone calls or changes in how they will have to process. Ask a lot of questions!
• Consider all sides – Look at pros and cons for each option, and consider not just the immediate need, but what is currently working and what is frustrating those affected.
• Look at long term – Don’t just look for a quick fix. Be sure to look at long term affects, including cycles or seasons, and how the change will play out over months or years.
• Don’t be influenced by personalities – Remember that it’s business, not personal, so don’t let the characters involved be part of your decision.
• Take your time – Actually, take the time appropriate to the magnitude of the decision.  Don’t be rushed or drag your feet.

As a leader, you must be intentional in making those big decisions. While it is tempting to go with the requests of the majority, consideration must be given to all sides of the issue and all parties involved. Yes, change is difficult, but changing back is harder!

What decision have you made because of the crowd that you regretted later?

 

How do you handle those challenging days?

Every have one of those days (or weeks) when you just cannot stay focused to accomplish anything? And it’s a day (or week) when you NEED to get a lot done? How do you handle that?

I have to rely on discipline. Through the last few months, I’m learning the value of putting habits in place and sticking with them. Sure, you cut yourself a little slack every once in a while, but there is great value in creating solid habits to move you toward your goals, even when you can’t seem to focus on them.

For me, that means getting up early and setting aside time to write and run, every day. Even weekends. Even the days when I really want to stay in bed. Even the days when it’s cold outside, and I just want to curl up and hide.

But the benefit of that discipline is that later in the day, I can be satisfied with the knowledge that yes, I exercised both my mind and my body. I did get my blog written (or at least drafted) and I did run my miles.

And in the long run, having accomplished both of those things makes me happier and more effective in other areas of my life. (And less crabby as a general rule.)

The beauty of discipline is that when those habits are in place, there’s less consideration of IF I will do this. Autopilot kicks in and I just find myself DOING it. It’s time to write, so I sit down and write. Time to go run, and I just head out. No thinking about it, just do it. And once I go ahead and get started, I find that it is usually the best part of my day.

The rewards are great. The rest of my day tends to be more effective because I’ve gotten started on the right track.

What disciplines do you have in place and how are you rewarded by them?

 

Making the most of time

I know I am not the only one who has way too much to do right now, so let me ask, how do you get it all done?

I’ll be honest, I have been overwhelmed for several months now – with commitments, meetings, projects – the list goes on and on. My days keep my head spinning, and when I get home, I’m tired, my brain feels like mush, and I stare at the computer for a little while, then give up and go to bed.

As I have struggled to figure out how to eke more productivity out of my day, I’ve realized being more intentional in my planning is the way to make progress.

A little disclaimer here – this list is mostly for me, as a reminder of what I need to be doing, and I hope that it benefits you as well! So here are some of the things I’m doing to be more productive:

• Take 15 minutes at the end of your day to plan the next day – ok, this one is tough. By the end of the day, I’m just ready to go home! But what I have discovered is that taking the time to jot down the few most important things I need to tackle the next day – and even leave a stack with notes to myself on my desk – helps me hit the ground running in the morning.
• Schedule an appointment on your calendar to get projects done – my days tend to be so full of interruptions and “putting out of fires,” that sometimes the only way for me to get some projects done is to block out a few hours on my calendar. It helps me to be intentional with my focus during that time, and I’m much more likely to actually hunker down and do the work, instead of continually pushing it to “later.” I’ve been trying to get changes made on a training handbook, and it took the appointment WITH the reminder for me to spend the time to finish it. Feels great to have it out for review now.
• Don’t seek perfection – sometimes you have to be willing for something to be “good enough” so you can move on to more critical things. And usually, “good enough” is just fine!
• What can you delegate? This one is hard for me, but there are times that I am not the best person to do things, or the only person who can do things. I need to be more willing to delegate some tasks so that I can focus on what only I can do.
• What can you let go of? Some of the things on my plate may need to be moved to a “someday/maybe” category, or let go of completely.
• Don’t put off – dreading may be worse than doing. How much mental energy are you spending worrying about that task that then grows in your mind to an all-day thing? Just go ahead and get it done – I bet it won’t be NEARLY as bad as your mind built it up to be. Then you free up that mental energy to focus on more worthwhile things!
• Batch jobs – this is another one that’s hard for me. Some days I flit from task to task – email, small change on the website, data entry for a bit, then on to something else. I’m much more effective if I group like things together – all the changes on the website at once, respond to email all at once instead of throughout the day, etc.

Taking time to plan may be your most effective use of time today.  Being more intentional in managing your day instead of letting it manage you, should help you get more done and allow you to carve out time for you. How nice to be able to let work go at the end of the day and enjoy spending time with your family.

How can you utilize your time more efficiently?

 

Nourishment of the mind and soul

What are you reading lately? Do you have a stack on your bedside table?

One of the most important things a leader can do is read to stay stimulated, keep a sharp mind and improve their leadership skills.  I know from my own experience that many times a business book will present material I’ve seen before, but it does so in a way that strikes a chord and makes a difference in my leadership or productivity now. That’s right – it makes sense now when it didn’t on previous encounters with the same information. Bingo – inspiration!

So here’s what I’m reading and why:

• The Impact Equation by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith (release date 10/25/12 – if you haven’t already pre-ordered, I highly recommend it. I originally requested a preview copy so I could write a review, since I’m taking the Blog Topics Master Class with Chris Brogan. But what I’ve discovered is that there is so much information about getting your message out that I have highlights and post-its on practically every page and am having to read slowly to absorb it all! This will definitely be a book I revisit often.
• How to Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere by Larry King – this was homework for Blog Topics Master Class, but has turned into a nice little read. Larry King has a delightfully casual style of writing, so it feels like we’re sitting down with a cup of coffee for a chat. I’m learning all sorts of ways to be a better conversationalist.
• Love Works by Joel Manby – interviewed by Chris LoCurto for the EntreLeadership podcast, I cannot wait to dig into this material which promotes values like patience and empowerment in the workplace.
• God’s Promises for You by Max Lucado – a friend lent me this tiny volume that is jam packed with scripture and commentary broken down into different topics like praise, trust and grace.

Your turn, what are you reading and why?

 

Categorizing when you defy categories

How do you describe yourself? Your leadership? Your skills?

It is natural to try to fit people into categories, and especially the folks you work with – they are great with numbers, or she’s an artist, or he gives terrific presentations. There are personality profiles such as the DISC profile, which will define you as dominant, influencing, steady or consistent or Meyers-Briggs, that will refine your style to things like introvert/extrovert, thinking/feeling, etc.

But do you discount or overlook a person’s other skills or talents because you have tucked them into a particular pigeon-hole?

For instance, I am a high high C on the DISC profile and an ESTJ on Meyer’s-Briggs, which means that I am highly analytical and detail oriented. I fit very neatly in that category and thrive in very structured environments creating lots of plans, lists and guidelines.

And yet, I have an artistic side with my writing and graphic design. What wildness is this? Maybe I don’t fit so neatly in that structured category after all.

Have you done that with your team members?

Don’t get me wrong – I definitely agree with working within someone’s dominant personality style, but I think it’s important to remember that they may have other qualities as well. And we shouldn’t just assume they are only what they project most often.

Here are some ways to explore your team members’ strengths and better utilize their skill sets:

• Evaluate – find out what your team members’ strength areas are and under what conditions they work best. But also look at what their secondary areas of strength and interest. Ideally, this should have been determined before you put them in their position, but at least make sure they are in a suitable work situation.
• Talk – ask what parts of their job your team members enjoy the most, and what other areas they might like to explore.
• Observe – when does your team member excel, but also, when does she light up? What really brings a smile?
• Challenge – challenge your team member to find ways to utilize their other strengths. Are there other areas of your business or organization that could benefit from even a short term project using their other strengths?

The best leaders don’t just rely on the primary strength areas of their team members, but know them well enough to develop their other areas of passion as well. Imagine how much more successful your team would be if team members contributed all of their assets. And how much happier!

How can you expand the effectiveness of your team by using all of their strengths?

 

Keeping up when you’re in front of the fire hose

Photo courtesy of Swift Benjamin (Creative Commons)

Picture flashing red lights and alarms blaring and a deep voice saying “caution, caution” – that is my brain on overload! I love to learn, and I will seek out books, conferences and conversations where I can absorb new information to make myself a better leader and a better person.

I have a huge pile of books (both literally and “stacked” in my Kindle Fire) that I want to read. Most are business/leadership books, like The Impact Equation by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith, How To Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere by Larry King, Love Works by Joel Manby and The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. On top of that, I’ve been to 3 different conferences in the last couple of months.

Lately, I feel like I’ve been blasted by a fire hose of inspiration!

I have struggled with how to use all that information in the best way, and not be so overwhelmed that I let it all slip away. I’ve discovered a few tactics to help process and use all that  information effectively:

• Take notes – your brain can’t possibly remember all that you heard or read, so notes, even references to page numbers, highlights or snippets of information can remind you later on.
• Process – set aside some time a day or two after your finish the conference, book, etc. and think about and jot down what your biggest takeaway ideas were. What impressed you?  What made you say “aha”?
• Share – if possible, talk with someone else, whether or not they were at the same conference or read the same book. Sometimes verbalizing your impressions causes you to remember things that would otherwise have stayed hidden. And if that person shared the experience, they might remind you of points you missed.
• Decide next steps –what are the next steps you need to implement based on what you learned? Don’t hope that you get it done, write it down and add it to your calendar or task list right now so you will see it and DO IT.
• Revisit – after a week or two, revisit your notes and next steps. Have you accomplished what you noted? What additional steps or tasks do you need to make progress? Are there additional resources you could seek to progress more?

It’s so exciting to come out of a conference fired up by the speakers and the new ideas, or finish that book with conviction of how you will improve. But we both know that when the routine and demands of your work and life press in, you slip back into old habits. By taking a few simple steps, you can keep the new information fresh, prolong that inspiration and stay motivated to make the changes you desire.

How do you take in and process a flood of new information and motivation?

 

A party of one – being happy by yourself

Do you thrive on being surrounded by people and feeding on their energy, or do you crave time spent alone?

Most of us are with people throughout the day at work, at home, maybe a carpool, school sports or activities if you have kids, then there’s your Facebook community, email, Twitter. There is such richness in community, when you can share ideas, support each other and enjoy just being together.

One of my three words this year has been CONNECT – and I have sought out ways to connect with people, both physically and virtually. But as much as I enjoy and learn from conversations in person and online and being a part of the party, there are times when it becomes overwhelming and I need to retreat.

Interacting is treasured, but I find equal value in solitary pursuits, even if it is just for short blocks of time, snatched here and there.

With our overbooked lives, it may be difficult to find solitude, but it can be a critical tool in helping you cope with the busyness. Whether you get up a little early, find a quiet moment after dinner or before bed, or simply unhook from social media for a block of time, you will benefit from time spent alone to:

• Plan your day – let’s face it, most of the time, our days get away from us, but taking a few minutes at the beginning of the day to plan a few things you need to accomplish helps you be more intentional. Update your task list, calendar or notepad, and keep your two or three main responsibilities front and center to help you stay more focused all day.
• Be creative – whether you write, paint, sew or scrapbook, feeding your inner artist will release energy and clarity that will invigorate you and change your mood. You’ll have to be intentional to find a longer block of time for this, but it will help you enjoy the other parts of your life even more!
• Quiet and center your mind – the chatter of the world can be disorienting and distracting. A short time spent in silence, either in meditation, prayer or just doing nothing can quiet the noise and allow for better concentration and calm. Even just a few deep breaths with eyes closed can do wonders!
• Process your day – take a few minutes at the end of your day to celebrate your accomplishments and be thankful. Writing in a journal is a great way to record your thoughts and unpack your day. When you are journaling for your eyes only, you can contemplate events or feelings without fear of judgment or criticism. Amazing ideas and solutions may emerge.

Extended periods of time alone won’t happen often for many of us, but even just 5 or 10 minutes of intentional solitude during your day can lead to more focus and motivation. I challenge you to seek some time to yourself.

And when you do, how will you thrive during your solitary time?

 

Where do you get your ideas?

I’ve got a question for the bloggers out there. How do you consistently come up with topics for your blogs? Especially if you blog more than a couple of times a week, where do your ideas come from? Do you worry about running out of ideas?

I struggle each month when I create my editorial calendar of about a dozen blogs a month. Sure, with a good brainstorming session I can come up with 8 or 9 ideas, but what about those last few. I really hate leaving it up to “same day inspiration” because that puts way too much pressure on my creative juices.

One thing that I have discovered that helps is the weekly Blog Topics newsletter (affiliate link) from Chris Brogan. He doesn’t just hand me a list of topics to use, but gives guidance on some ways to approach my blog, including different styles of writing, and even some suggestions to generate more comments.

The thing that I like best about the format of these newsletters is that his prompts get me thinking in new directions, which creates even more ideas. That’s what you want as a blogger, right?

So now let me ask the bloggers out there – why haven’t you signed up yet? Just click the blue banner and you can be on your way!

 

We are not in control

Photo courtesy of Elsa Blaine (Creative Commons)

Listening to a rumbling thunderstorm this morning, I realize how little we control in life. This thought comes as I sit here missing the beauty and wonder of the storm, and instead am stressing over the fact that the rain might interfere with my run today.

I can be so dense that I have to hear a message on multiple fronts to get it, but what I’ve been hearing and reading in devotions, blogs, conversations, and sermons, is that I need to realize that God is God and I am not.

God is in control and has a plan. I need to quit thinking that I can do anything by myself, and lean on Him for my strength and guidance.

But that is so hard to do! And there are so many ways I defy His desire to lead me.

I am a planner, so I tend to plan my day and then get upset when things happen to derail me – but what God appointments am I missing?

I let myself get overwhelmed by busyness, and then end up hurrying through things I should be taking more time to read carefully or pay attention to. What messages am I not receiving?

I become so focused on my next task, that I often am not aware of those around me and don’t even see people passing me. What child of God am I overlooking?

So as I sit here knowing I don’t have it all figured out, I pray that God will quiet the voices in my head other than His, calm the urges to do it all myself, and ease my extreme distraction by all the “stuff to do.”

I want to walk with my Lord today and follow His lead. And accept that I can do nothing without Him.

How will you walk with God today?

 

Blending old and new – how do you find balance?

I grew up in Huntsville, Alabama, a city that is a mix of rich history and cutting edge technology.

Yes, it is called the “Rocket City” and is home of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. But it also boasts a vibrant historic district with an emphasis on protecting the heritage.

I recently visited my mom and did my morning run through the Twickenham and Old Town districts. As I jogged past homes with historic markers from the late 1700’s and 1800’s, some with huge white columns, sweet front porches, and quaint gardens, I thought about the history behind those walls. But I also wondered what high tech wonders were hidden behind there as well.

In any business or organization, it is important to find a balance between “this is how we’ve always done it” and “jump on the bandwagon of the latest craze.” The challenge is to make sure you are keeping the best of the old, while blending the right amount of new. How do you keep it fresh yet functional?

• Keep what works – determine those processes that have worked well in your industry, business or organization. Protect those. No sense in changing something that is working well, unless you can make it better.
• Respect your customer base (or donor base or volunteer base) – it’s great to move into social media or other technology, but if you have an older customer base unfamiliar with computers or email, don’t do away with other forms of communication and leave them out. Find a way to continue to serve them.
• Stay on the cutting edge within reason – while it’s exciting to try out every new technological toy, be reasonable and upgrade when you need to and can afford it.
• Create excitement around your changes – when you do decide to add new features or processes, communicate it effectively. Give plenty of notice, and explain that “we’re improving your experience” so people get excited about the new and don’t feel a sense of dread.
• Test, test, and test some more – be sure your new process or technology will work without a glitch before rolling it out. There’s nothing worse than having to apologize because you moved too quickly. You will lose the trust of those you serve if you don’t do your due diligence.
• Honor your past – the past is what got you where you are, so don’t discard it. Find a way to value the people and processes that led to your success.

Your organization will stagnate and fail if you don’t continue to find better ways to do business. As fast as the world is changing, leaders must be able to keep up. The challenge is to advance at the right speed and in the right areas to continue our success.

How do you blend the old and new for your business?

 

Finding strength in your weaknesses

Let’s be honest – you’ve probably lost count of how many times you have had a performance review, and your boss goes through all the things you do well, and then there’s a pause. For effect. And then you have to listen to him tell you about your “areas of opportunity” and how you need to improve your performance in those areas.

We hear so much these days about working in your strengths. Author Tom Rath’s book Strengthsfinder 2.0 as well as author Marcus Buckingham’s books Now, Discover Your Strengths, Go Put Your Strengths To Work, and Standout, all encourage us to identify our assets and utilize them more effectively.

Yet as a leader, you probably will have responsibility for areas that are not your strengths. So how do you work around that and still help your team succeed?

One of my “areas of opportunity” is public speaking. As a high C on the DISC profile, I am all about details, planning, and strategies. Give me a big problem and I can break it down into smaller pieces and get those organized into a logical progression to get to the solution.

But tell me I have to present that solution to a group of people (more than maybe 5), and I freeze up and start looking for excuses why someone else should do it.

Over the years, I have discovered some strategies to cope with my areas of weakness, that may help you become more effective in your leadership:

• Partner– combine efforts with someone who is strong in the area(s) you are not, and share the responsibility.
• Train – learn how to do it – take classes, do exercises, work with someone – you may never consider it a strength, but at least you can improve.
• Practice – make time to work on that area so that you are more comfortable with the tools, skills or process.
• Write it out – write down what you hope to accomplish, whether that’s the outcome of a project or situation, so you can gain confidence. Seeing what “successfully finished” looks like can help you see alternatives to getting there.
• Discipline – just buckle down and do it. Thinking about it is often worse than just doing it.

While a good leader works within his strength areas to excel with his team, a great leader does not shrink back from finding ways to overcome his weaknesses. The key is to find the strategies to work through  the weakness and still accomplish the goal.

As a leader, what do you do to overcome your weaknesses?

 

Dive in, the water’s fine (or do you make decisions too slowly?)

Photo courtesy of Easylocum (Creative Commons)

When I was on the swim team as a teenager, there were a lot of morning practices when the water was COLD, but we still had to get in and do our laps. There was one girl who would dangle her feet for a while, and then slide in up to her stomach, and then eventually, dip her shoulders in.

I found that instead of trying to get used to it a little at a time, it was best to just dive in and get that shock over with. Then for the rest of the practice, the water felt fine.

I have to admit that in many decisions I face in life, I act like that other girl and test the water by inching in when I should just take the plunge and jump – times when I delay instead of moving ahead.

I am a planner, so I tend to make sure everything is in place before I move on things, and that can mean missed opportunities. Plus, I prolong the discomfort by agonizing over a decision for a long period of time. I am amazed at the sense of relief when I have made a quick decision.

As a leader on your work team or in your family, you owe it to those you lead to be decisive. I have learned a few actions that can help you move your team forward:

• Worry doesn’t work: “dangling” too long causes us to become frozen by the indecision, and that can influence other decisions. We also paralyze our team because they cannot move forward.
• Determine your options: gather “enough” information to have several options. It doesn’t have to be exhaustive since seeking too many options can just be procrastination.
• Consider worst case scenarios: consider the worst that can happen with each option, and also with no decision. Not as bad as you thought, right?
• Make the decision: pick an option and go for it. Even if it’s not ideal, you are moving forward and can adjust from there.

As you get more comfortable with the decision-making process, the timeframe for gathering your options and looking at the worst case will shorten, so your resolution speed will increase.

On an individual level, you will be more productive and less agitated by indecision hanging over you.

On a work or group level, you can get your team involved by asking them to bring you the options for a decision, and asking their input. What a trust building exercise that would be, especially as you teach them what you consider before making a decision.

In what area(s) of your life do you need to dive in and make quicker decisions?

 

Are you misjudging my intentions?

Photo courtesy of Doug Hay (Creative Commons)

It’s so easy to misinterpret others’ actions and intentions.

Unfortunately, we usually read negativity into those intentions, rather than staying positive.

Earlier this summer at about the same time every day, a robin flew to the top of a light pole just outside my porch. He would puff out his chest and look around like he was saying, “hey world, look at me!”

Then he would hop down and find a worm and go back to that light pole – proud and cocky with the worm hanging out of his beak, saying “Look how great I am, I got a big fat worm!”

I imagined that he was showing off for all the other birds.

Then one day, I noticed a baby robin below the light pole, and he (well, maybe she) feeding that worm to the baby. So now, maybe the conversation should have been, “I’m checking to make sure it’s safe before I take this big fat worm to my baby.”

How many times do we wrongly assume things about others’ intentions and cause unnecessary conflict?

Have you thought (or even said), “Sally did that on purpose just to annoy me,” when Sally had no idea you would even be affected by her actions? Or “Joe walked right past without acknowledging me,” when Joe was focused on something else and didn’t see you. Or maybe he didn’t have his glasses on. And yet you reacted angrily.

What if we focus on consistently assuming the best in people and reacting in a positive way?

Victim thinking such as “she hates me so that’s why she did that,” or “he’s a jerk because he did that to me” gets us nowhere. We can confront that person, or react negatively, or we can just let it go and stay above the fray.

How different your world would look if you thought the best of your team. Or your customers or clients. Or your family. It might it have a compounding effect on subsequent reactions to them.

In the case of that robin, I saw arrogance instead of caring. When have I made that same mistake with my team members?

How can you avoid misjudging peoples’ motives? How could that improve your interactions today?

 

My 3-word update for October

Instead of New Year’s resolutions this year, I chose three words to keep me focused during the year based on the recommendation of Chris Brogan, New York Times bestselling author and master blogger.

My words this year are CONNECT, TRAIN, and ENJOY. You can read more about how I chose those words here. Surprisingly, seeing everything through the lens of these words has been much more beneficial than a resolution since all areas of my  life are impacted. And really, how often have you actually accomplished your resolutions? Don’t you spend the year avoiding them and then feeling guilty?

I have knocked CONNECT out of the park! Not only have I connected more with people at work and church, but I am now part of several online communities, one of which has become like a family, praying and caring for each other and even meeting in person despite living in spots all over the country. Surprisingly, all four online communities were made possible through my writing.

On a physical level, I am doing great with TRAIN, doing longer runs more consistently and continuing my yoga practice daily. As far as reading and “training” my mind, I have challenged myself with more books than I can even count lately. Inspiration has come from attending 3 recent conferences for leadership and goal setting. A work goal of conducting more training has not been met with much success, so need to continue working on that front. I am also taking an online blogging class to improve my writing skills.

Now, for the word that is the greatest challenge: ENJOY. Yes, I have “enjoyed” the writing, reading, connecting and training. But I need to continue to seek activities that are purely for enjoyment – like a free afternoon spent with friends or … There is the problem – I don’t even know what else to suggest! Definitely need to work on that.

Now, for next year, I’m already considering what words to choose. In what areas do I need to grow? What skills do I need to practice? It is still early, so this may change, but I’m thinking FOCUS, DELIVER, APPRECIATE – at least for now.

I challenge you now to start thinking – what will your 3 words be for 2013?

 

Is it time for a checkup?

Photo courtesy of Jacob Metcalf (Creative Commons)

I had my yearly physical yesterday, and it made me think of other areas of my life that probably need to have a regular checkup. Yet I neglect those areas because I’m too busy right now, or not in the right frame of mind, or think I have it all figured out already. But do I really?

To be truly happy, you need to balance the different areas of your life. In rereading Dave Ramsey’s EntreLeadership book, I am reminded of the “wheel of life” that  he describes from Zig Ziglar. “The wheel has spokes that represent each area of our lives, and for our lives to be successful as a whole we must address each area. The spokes of goal setting are: career, financial, spiritual, physical, intellectual, family, social.”

My “wheel of life” tends to not be round, what about yours? I freely admit that I am a workaholic, so my career and intellectual spokes tend to get the bulk of my focus, while I neglect other areas.

I suggest a regular time to do a “checkup,” whether that is yearly, quarterly or even monthly, so you can get back on track before you’ve veered too far off the road. The following steps can help you balance your “wheel of life”:

• Review – schedule a block of uninterrupted time to take a hard look at the last few weeks or months of your tasks and your calendar to see where you have been spending your energy. Just be honest in looking at your appointments and commitments to see what you spend your time on. This is not time to kick yourself for spending your time on the wrong areas, just an assessment of what you have been doing.
• Refocus – consider your “wheel of life” goals (or jot some down if you haven’t done that before). What are your goals in the different areas of your life (career, financial, spiritual, physical, intellectual, family, social)? What do you hope to accomplish or emphasize in each of those areas over the next few weeks and months?
• Realign – is one area of the “wheel of life” getting more attention than the others? There may be seasons when you focus more on a particular area, such as work, but be sure to balance that with the other areas or you risk burnout and frustration. Write down a new goal in each of your life areas for the coming months (writing makes it harder to ignore – just be sure to keep those written goals visible!).
• Renew – make some pledges to yourself (and maybe to your family too) to be more accountable for your new goals. Place your written goals on your desk, in your calendar, or somewhere that you will see them frequently.

By doing a regular goal checkup, you can adjust your priorities and even out your “wheel of life,” which will lead to greater satisfaction in all the areas of your life. Even if there is an area that will continue to need more focus in the next few weeks, be intentional in your goals for the other areas and you won’t lose that balance.

How round is your “wheel of life” and what do you need to do to even it out?

 

What does this word “NO” mean?

Photo courtesy of Horia Varlan (Creative Commons)

I am not well-acquainted with the word “no.” Anyone else have that problem?

It’s not always a bad thing, because people know they can ask me to do something, and most of the time, I will agree. Being dependable is a good thing, right?

And many times, even if the thing I have said yes to is a stretch, I feel like I’ve grown a bit once I’ve successfully completed the task or activity. Growing is good.

But being constantly busy can have its drawbacks. I write this after several weeks when I have had hardly a moment to myself, and had to schedule my days solid in order to prepare for the commitments I had made.  My recent activities have been exciting, fulfilling, and satisfying – just too many all together! I am exhausted and have had little time for me.

So how can you be more intentional in your busyness? Consider the following steps before saying YES to any new commitment – large or small:

• Pause – instead of an automatic “yes,” respond with “let me consider this and get back to you.” Then go through the rest of these steps.
• Pray – for guidance and knowledge that this new activity or request is part of God’s plan for you
• Plan – look at your calendar and/or your Life Plan and long term goals to make sure this new activity fits and does not conflict with a prior commitment (depending, of course, on the size of the obligation – an afternoon picnic is a little different than joining a new committee).
• Prepare – make sure to build in time for preparation for the obligation, whether that means preparing the food for the picnic or doing the background reading, writing the agenda, etc.
• Protect – “you” time. Michael Hyatt has written about “margin” (read his post here) and his “ideal week” in terms of protecting time spent with family and personal development. Look through the lens of your “ideal week” before committing to new things so that you can protect that margin time. It’s hard to be effective when you are overly tired or distracted by the next thing.

How different would your life be if you followed these steps before saying “yes”? Imagine how effective your meetings would be if you were more prepared. Your children would benefit from your complete focus and not a distracted or rushed parent. You could spend time on your own goals for fitness, health or learning.

How do you say “no” so that you can say “yes” better?

 

When mind and heart are full

I am still feeling the effects of conference afterglow. You’ve felt it right? That kind of “let’s go out and conquer the world and slay all my dragons” gung ho attitude at the same time as the “my brain is going to explode with all the new information” limpness.

First let me say that attending the EntreLeadership 1-Day event on Friday was pretty awesome. I have attended EntreLeadership before, but listening to amazing leadership information from Dave Ramsey, Chris LoCurto and Jon Acuff with my team refreshed me and reinforced the keys to being a good leader.

Coupled with that, I attended the Quitter Conference with Jon Acuff. That’s right – I spent two full days learning and being inspired.

At Quitter, we learned how to identify our dream, battle the fears that hold us back, and move toward living our dreams. What an amazing experience it was to meet people and ask “what is your dream?” instead of asking “what do you do?” as the opening question. Pretty powerful.

We explored building platforms, creating tribes, and developing a community. We compared notes on the negative voices in our heads telling us why we won’t succeed and received validation that pursuing our dreams will be fulfilling.

I am both exhausted and exhilarated by the confirmations, overwhelmed and excited about the possibilities, humbled and psyched at the new connections.

Now the challenge is to act on the things that I’ve learned, and not let them just sit on my desk in the workbooks. Instead of diving back into my world as it was, I need to quit making up excuses and get over the fear of pursuing my dream of writing. I need to make sure to stick with some of the habits I’ve already begun in order to carve out time to practice.  And I need to “choose to delight” both myself and you, my readers.

As Jon says, “A Quitter for me is someone who quits average. People who refuse to accept common and instead dare to live out the talents and gifts they’ve been given.”

So my question to you is – are you a Quitter? Will you dare to live out your dream?

 

How I planned my week like a hummingbird

Last week was especially busy, with meetings related to different areas of interest and responsibility, and hardly a moment to focus on anything. As I sat on the porch last night, first night without an outside commitment, I watched a hummingbird’s single minded attention to the feeder, and wondered if I need to adopt his attitude.

While it was satisfying to make progress on several fronts last week, ranging from work projects to responsibilities at church to homework for Blog Topics Master Class, I felt scattered and nervous. I didn’t sleep well, and I didn’t feel like I had accomplished much, even though in reality, I did. Small progress on several projects is somehow less satisfying than large progress on one project. Because I haven’t “finished” anything, I still feel like I am completely overwhelmed.

I kept thinking about that little hummingbird. The whole time I was on the porch, he kept coming back for nectar, sitting on the feeder and drinking and drinking. If I had that kind of focus, imagine the amount of progress I could make. And the difference it would make at my nonprofit and at my church.

I realized there are several principles I need to keep in mind to be more effective:

• Focus on one project at a time, and make sure I am moving that forward.
• Remember that multi-tasking is not an effective way to work. Working on several things means that none of them will be done well.
• Minimize distractions. I need to clear my desk of everything but the materials for that particular project, turn off email and social media alerts and do what is necessary to signal to others that I’m busy (close the door, plug into music, etc.).
• Keep coming back. When I get interrupted, the temptation is to move on to something else, but I need to come right back to that one project.
• Schedule more effectively. Try not to have meetings about several different projects on the same day so my attention isn’t split.

Even being chased away by another hummingbird didn’t stop that little guy from coming back again and again. Determination and focus got the job done and got his tummy filled.

How do you narrow your focus to accomplish more?

 

Can you maintain your routine without being disrupted by change?

Photo courtesy of mksystem (Creative Commons)

It actually feels like fall in Tennessee today – there’s a chill in the air, the leaves are just starting to turn, and I could see my breath as I ran. Over the last few weeks, life has been changing, and it’s an adjustment that’s a little unsettling.

Routines are comfortable, and changing seasons can bring unwelcomed interference with normal schedules and priorities. As summer ends and school starts, I find I am impacted by the changes, even though I don’t have school-age children.

One of the most obvious differences is an extreme increase in the amount of traffic when I run in the mornings. Many days I wonder why on earth so many people are out and about so early!

There are also all sorts of new programs on the calendar at work and church, so becoming overbooked is a real possibility.

I have found a few ways to counteract the new busyness and still maintain my routine:

• Balancing – as new activities start up, I’m paying attention to my schedule and making sure to balance time engaged with others with my time for personal development, reading and study.
• Embracing – instead of staying focused on the bad things (I cringe as I drive through a school zone), I’m embracing the good (hearing the marching band practice after school stirs my soul).
• Maintaining – instead of adjusting the time or distance I run in the mornings, I’m just fine-tuning my route to less busy roads.
• Protecting – I am carefully protecting the most vital parts of my routine, like my morning writing and running time, and reading time in the evening.

While I cherish the time spent at home during the summer, it is exciting to be involved in new activities to learn, serve and enjoy. Supplementing my normal routine with a few additional activities helps keep me fresh without disrupting completely.

How do you preserve your routine in the face of change?

 

What are you letting get in your way?

Photo by amslerPIX (Creative Commons)

I ran in the rain this morning. It wasn’t a downpour, and it wasn’t thundering, but it was definitely raining. I still managed 5 miles.

On the way back, I started asking myself was I just crazy to be out there, or very resolute in pursuing my fitness goals? How do you tell the difference?

I thought about what I’m letting get in the way of accomplishing my work goals. Interruptions, mini-crises, and mind-numbing busywork take up a lot of my time lately. Maybe it’s time to rethink how I approach my work day. I’m tired of making excuses for why some of my projects aren’t finished. It’s time to stay on task and get things done.

What about you? When you face road blocks, do you seek a way around them so you can continue to succeed, or do you abandon the goal when faced with adversity? Have you settled for a mediocre job because you were turned down too many times in a job search? Have you just accepted that weight is a problem because you fell off your diet goals over the weekend? Are you enduring a frustrating situation because your Plan A didn’t work?

As we start a new week, let’s consider these questions. What do you need to address and/or put in place to make sure you stay on track with your goals for work? For your personal life?

What road block are you letting stop you from reaching your goals?

 

It’s Showtime: How I took my store to #4 (Part 5)

At its core, leadership is about inspiring people to do their best. Several years ago, I took over a broken bookstore (near the bottom of rankings in a major chain), and in a little over a year, brought it back to 4^th in the company out of hundreds of stores, based on metrics including sales, customer satisfaction, profitability, etc.

This is Part 5 of a 5-part series (Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4) in which I share leadership basics which can inspire your team to greatness. Even though I am no longer in the bookselling business, these principles are transferable to any leadership situation.

Photo courtesy of ClaraDon (Creative Commons)

Actors are not at the top of their game all the time, but when they are “on stage,” they become their character. We can improve our performance by designating “on stage” and “backstage” areas in our work and life and being sure to “act” any time we are on stage.

On Stage
When we are “on stage” with customers (guests) or co-workers, we are focused on doing what it takes to win with them. We put on the persona of the confident salesperson or the friendly customer service rep. We may not always feel confident, but we project confidence when we are on stage.

Backstage
“Backstage” is a different matter altogether. We can express our doubt, frustration, fatigue, or fear backstage, either alone or with co-workers. We can let off steam and be ourselves, knowing backstage is safe. There were many shifts during the busy Christmas season that I would have to go backstage to clear my head or risk handling a situation wrong because I was tired and cranky!

As a team, we even let each other know if we needed to go “backstage” for a moment after a difficult interaction or long shift. As a leader, I’ve told team members to take it backstage if they need to cool off. Backstage gives you a chance to take a deep breath and collect yourself before putting on your persona and heading on stage again.

It’s Showtime!
Before opening the store each day, we declared, “It’s showtime!” That let everyone know to put on their costume and perform.

The distinction of “on stage” and “backstage” was a key part of our success because it gave the team the confidence to perform all out and know they could go backstage to cool off and rest.

The leadership principles shared in this series are basic, down-to-earth practices that are easy to implement, and one or two of these ideas may lead to moderate wins for your team. What we found, however, was that the combination of a strong team, a high level of communication, and a strong culture was the key that led to extreme success for our team.

The best part was that not only did we excel as a store, but my leaders went on to other opportunities and took this legacy and learning with them to strengthen other teams. It was a win all the way around!

What would change in your workplace if you implemented some of these leadership basics?

 

Communication isn’t just talk: How I took my store to #4 (Part 4)

At its core, leadership is about inspiring people to do their best. Several years ago, I took over a broken bookstore (near the bottom of rankings in a major chain), and in a little over a year, brought it back to 4^th in the company out of hundreds of stores, based on metrics including sales, customer satisfaction, profitability, etc.

This is Part 4 of a 5-part series (Read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3) in which I will share leadership basics which can inspire your team to greatness. Even though I am no longer in the bookselling business, these principles are transferable to any leadership situation.

Photo courtesy of Tatiana12 (Creative Commons)

If everyone is not on the same wavelength, then any plan you develop is doomed. You must ensure that everyone on your team understands your culture, your core values, and what winning looks like.

In my store, we talked about how to serve our guests at every opportunity, and shared stats and stories at every shift meeting so that each team member knew where we stood, and what was expected of them. And we opened the store each day with the words, “It’s showtime!”

Share the Good and the Bad
We shared the positive customer satisfaction reports as well as the negative ones. If we received an unsatisfactory report, we would discuss remedies at a shift meeting to avoid that situation in the future.

Communicate Early and Often
When interviewing potential team members, we talked about the guest culture and the importance of that mindset. As a team member came on board in training, the concepts had already been introduced and were reinforced.

One of our team members was an artist, so he created signs with Disney characters and phrases that were posted near the door to the back office and the back storage room to remind the team of our principles. If someone had a less than guest-like interaction, the leader on duty would suggest they “go backstage” to regroup, and would cover for them, if necessary.

By sharing sales and customer satisfaction numbers with the team, they became invested in keeping those numbers strong. We celebrated as our ranking increased through the company. The credit was also shared with the entire team.

Know What Is Important
New releases were pointed out and team members were challenged to stay abreast of where titles were displayed and shelved. How much better was it when we could just walk a guest to the front table and hand them the book, rather than take the time to look it up and head to the section? And we frequently tag-teamed – if you overheard a request and you knew where it was, you just took the guest there and let the other team member help someone else.

We also created a list of the strengths and interests of each team member, so if a guest was asking about science fiction, but that wasn’t what you read, you could call on your co-worker who was an avid sci fi fan for advice.

Photo courtesy of Sean MacEntee (Creative Commons)

Lead by Example Every Day
Leadership and a winning culture do not thrive by being presented once and then put aside. Culture must be modeled by everyone every day, especially you as a leader. It must be discussed constantly. Each encounter should be an opportunity to reinforce those ideas and concepts.

If a team member slipped and referred to a customer, they were gently reminded to say guest. The terminology infiltrated every part of what we did. We even incorporated the word guest into our closing announcements!

When have you succeeded because your communication was so strong?

Read the conclusion, Part 5, “It’s Showtime.”  Thanks for reading!

 

What winning culture looks like: How I took my store to #4 (Part 3)

At its core, leadership is about inspiring people to do their best. Several years ago, I took over a broken bookstore (near the bottom of rankings in a major chain), and in a little over a year, brought it back to 4^th in the company out of hundreds of stores, based on metrics including sales, customer satisfaction, profitability, etc.

This is Part 3 of a 5-part series (Read Part 1 and Part 2) in which I will share leadership basics which can inspire your team to greatness. Even though I am no longer in the bookselling business, these principles are transferable to any leadership situation.

Photo courtesy of Julie Rybarczyk (Creative Commons)

The culture of your organization is probably the most important aspect of your winning plan. At the bookstore, we built a culture of excellence by treating our customers like guests. Based on the ideas of Disney, and the book, Be Our Guest, we translated everything into terms of welcoming guests into our home, the store. And we interpreted that on every level from answering the phone to greeting people at the registers.

Keep It Simple
By boiling the principles down to 3 main ideas, we were able to instill the principles in every team member:

• Treat everyone like a guest
• Leave it better than you found it
• Exceed expectations

Communicate Culture At Every Level
These simple concepts modeled and repeated by the leadership team, filtered down the ranks to every team member. We communicated with each other as well as with every guest (customer) who came in the store with respect, kindness and generosity.

Treat Everyone Like a Guest
We greeted each guest who came in the store to make them feel welcome, and offered assistance without being pushy.

The team was challenged to be creative in interpreting what “be my guest” looked like, so it was fun to see how each person excelled. It could be making recommendations of additional titles, a fun way to answer the phone, or interesting conversations during the checkout.

Leave It Better Than You Found It
We focused on keeping the store neat and orderly, from the shelving standards to cleanliness.  Team members had section assignments, and were expected to check the order of the shelving periodically and if there were problems, they could request help to get the order corrected, whether that was a block of time for themselves or a team to help reorganize.

Sharing new release titles was part of the morning routine before the store opened, as well as during the day as new team members began their shift. We talked about what we were reading or listening to in order to be knowledgeable when recommending titles to our guests. Inventory levels were monitored closely so we could reorder titles quickly.

Neatness of the store was valued, so we were always picking up, straightening and restocking. To this day, I cannot go into a bookstore without straightening the stacks of books!

Exceed Expectations
No matter what the situation, we encouraged team members to exceed the expectations of our guests.

If we did not have the book or music a guest was seeking, we offered several options for finding it, from ordering it to checking another store (even a competitor).

Customer satisfaction levels skyrocketed as we focused on guest service. Team members from other stores requested transfers because they heard that our store was the “jewel in the crown” of the stores in the area.

What does a winning culture look like at your company?

Read Part 4, “Communication isn’t just talk.”  Thanks for reading!

 

Play your first string: How I took my store to #4 (Part 2)

At its core, leadership is about inspiring people to do their best. Several years ago, I took over a broken bookstore (near the bottom of rankings in a major chain), and in a little over a year, brought it back to 4^th in the company out of hundreds of stores, based on metrics including sales, customer satisfaction, profitability, etc.

This is Part 2 of a 5-part series (Read Part 1) in which I will share leadership basics which can inspire your team to greatness. Even though I am no longer in the bookselling business, these principles are transferable to any leadership situation.

Photo courtesy of Anne Rossley (Creative Commons)

A strong leadership team is one of the most critical components of winning. Your team multiplies your efforts and expands your influence. Like the first string on a football team, they have the skills and finesse to lead the rest of the team to success.

I arrived at the store following the firing of the General Manager and several other leaders. A new merchandising manager came on board with me, and the inventory manager remained for a couple of weeks before I had to replace him too.

With a broken store and poisonous culture, I needed to put the right leaders in place to partner with me. I sought hard workers, but also leaders who were passionate about books and about upholding standards.

Multiply Yourself
I needed leaders eager to train others so they could expand their reach. It is important to be sure you are doing the right things, but even more important to coach and train your team members so that everyone models the same behaviors. How frustrating is it when you have to constantly redo things because someone does it differently?

The key action is to train your team to the standards so everyone plays by the same rules.

Coach Instead of Punish
I encouraged my leaders to pay attention to the team to ensure compliance, but since the remaining team members were wounded by the former leaders, gentle corrections were needed rather than heavy handed punishment.

By leading from a humble place and coaching constantly, I started solidifying the leadership team and setting the groundwork for improvement. Each new leader brought a positive attitude and uplifting spirit that spread through the entire team.

Praise Publicly
As our sales and customer satisfaction numbers started to rise, it was important to praise the team publicly. We started choosing an “Employee of the Month” and posting the framed certificates in the hallway, so everyone coming in the store saw who had done well. At morning meetings, we celebrated the folks who had great customer satisfaction reports. We cheered when we saw a team member do something great, whether that was to finish shelving their section in record time or find that obscure title for a customer. By recognizing the good behavior, we encouraged more of it.

When has your team been the key to winning?

Read Part 3, “What winning culture looks like.”  Thanks for reading!

 

Stripped to the studs: How I took my store to #4 (Part 1)

At its core, leadership is about inspiring people to do their best. Several years ago, I took over a broken bookstore (near the bottom of rankings in a major chain), and in a little over a year, brought it back to 4th in the company out of hundreds of stores, based on metrics including sales, customer satisfaction, profitability, etc.

This is Part 1 of a 5-part series in which I will share leadership basics which can inspire your team to greatness. Even though I am no longer in the bookselling business, these principles are transferable to any leadership situation.

Photo courtesy of Giles Douglas (Creative Commons)

What does it take to move from failing to winning? In some situations, the first step has to be stripping away the parts that are rotten in order to expose the basic studs that are sound. When I took over a failing bookstore, we did exactly that – took away all the practices that worked against us, and started from the basics of bookselling and customer service.

After several years of poor leadership, the team’s bad attitudes and poor habits were rampant. The former leadership in the store had not stayed current with company initiatives, and seemed to even have done the opposite in some cases. Training, procedures, inventory controls and even the shelving order were not consistent with the overall company norms. Customer service was poor, and sales were dismal.

Build Trust
The first action had to be to start building trust with the remaining team. Having been through such a tumultuous change, those who were left needed to know that I was steady and interested in doing things the right way for them and the store.

Coaching and praise were two important elements of building their trust. One of the biggest differences between me and their former leader was that I was present. They saw me shelving, helping at the information desk, ringing people at the registers, and merchandising front tables pretty much every day. They were beginning to understand that I was not just the leader of their team; I was a part of the team.

Maintain Standards
Many of the standards of good customer service are simple acts of focus and attention. I modeled things like speaking to people as I moved through the store and walking a customer to a section when they asked for a title, and my team began to do the same things. Paying attention to how they were shelving or setting up displays and gently correcting as necessary helped them understand the standards and the importance of adhering to them.

Practice Consistency
I repeated myself – I repeated myself A LOT. Slowly the trust level rose, and the whole atmosphere began to improve. My team began to have a more positive attitude, and the store conditions began to improve. Customers were being served better and finding what they needed more often. Smiles became more frequent on the faces of my team as well as the customers. Sales slowly began to improve.

When have you had to go back to the basics to improve a situation?

Read Part 2, “Play your first string.”  Thanks for reading!

 

What do you need to hand off to accomplish more?

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I struggle with delegation. As a high C on the DISC profile, I tend to obsess over details and having things perfect, which means it is difficult to hand off tasks and responsibilities to others. But I can’t do it all! Like runners on a relay team, I can accomplish more if I hand off the baton and not try to run the whole race myself.

In re-reading and studying Dave Ramsey’s book EntreLeadership with our management team, I am reminded of the fact that I can get caught up spending time on tasks that are urgent but not important, rather than the other way around. I sometimes spend the entire day just entering information in the database or doing other routine things that are urgent (sometimes only because it means one less pile on my desk) but do not help me accomplish any larger goals or finish a bigger project.

If I am not consistent in planning my days, it’s easy to let the important items slip down the list. As a leader, I need to be more focused on accomplishing the important things that only I can do, rather than spending my day doing routine things with which others can help.

I see the solution as having several parts, which must be done consistently and together to be effective.

1. Set your goals. It’s important to articulate what your larger goals and projects are and what successful completion looks like. I use the 4×4 initiatives which I’ve written about (click here for previous post) to create 4 areas of focus for the next 4 weeks.
2. Intentionally schedule blocks of time (energy bursts) during your week to focus on your goals or 4×4’s so the less important things won’t consume all of your time.
3. Review the previous day (or week) to see what tasks or time-wasters kept you from moving ahead on your 4×4’s and help you refine your schedule to accomplish more.
4. DELEGATE the tasks that you can. This is the hard one. In my case, I need to be more proactive in scheduling volunteers from my data entry team all week to free me up from spending so much time entering information in the database.
5. Share your progress. Communicate your progress with your team and celebrate moving your 4×4’s ahead. Sharing also gives you accountability to continue moving ahead on your goals, and a feeling of accomplishment when you make progress!

Delegating is the most effective way to allow you to focus on the critical components of your goals, whether for work or personal life. Visualize what you could accomplish if you hand off some of those less important tasks and focus on what you do best as a leader.

What will you let go of today in order to move your goals forward?

 

Is appreciation a forgotten art?

Photo courtesy of woodleywonderworks (Creative Commons)

It is very satisfying when someone notices the work you did and thanks you for doing it, isn’t it?

Makes me realize how many times I neglect to give feedback to my team and how that makes them feel like I’m not paying attention.

In his book EntreLeadership, Dave Ramsey suggests that you “recognize people in writing” by doing handwritten thank you notes. You know how much more it means to you when someone takes the time to write a note to you, especially for something unexpected. And to do it in writing, not just an email dashed off or a verbal thanks as you pass in the hallway.

If you are a leader, a side benefit with your team is that when you recognize and reward the good behavior of your team, they will most likely repeat it.

A few weeks ago, I gave this idea a try, and wrote several thank you notes to people I work with, and saw amazing results! One volunteer told me she had tears as she read my note (it was just a few lines telling her what a difference she makes and thanking her for her service.) I noticed another co-worker had posted her note on the bulletin board over her desk.

It was a tangible and lasting way to show my appreciation for the people who make a difference in my life. By writing a note, I let people know that the work they were doing was meaningful and significant. So why didn’t I keep that up?

There are the usual excuses:

• I got busy.
• Deadlines crowded in.
• A day off put me behind.
• There’s not time in the day to get everything done.
• It fell from the top of my to do list.

A note takes a couple of minutes to write, less time than getting another cup of coffee, really. So why do I not do it consistently?

I can’t answer that suitably. So this week, I will remedy that situation. I am stating this publicly so that I have accountability:

• I will notice the people I work with and pay attention to the good work they are doing.
• I will write at least 3 notes a week to thank people around me for what they do.
• I will continue to notice and not just do this for a week or two.

There’s my pledge. What about you?

How will you show your appreciation to the people you work with?

 

Do you coast to the win?

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My beloved Alabama Crimson Tide took to the college football field this weekend in the season opener against Michigan and came away with a very big win. Roll Tide!

But the thing that I noticed toward the end of the game, when we were up by something like nearly 30 points, was that Coach Nick Saban did not let up. He was just as focused and intense with his guys as at the start of the game.  He could have let his team just run out the time and coast through the last 5-10 minutes of game time, but that’s not what winners do.

So my question is “do you coast?”

In your business projects, do you start out with intensity and then wind down slowly, having lost interest?

Do you celebrate too early, before you’ve actually finished the project or closed the sale? We’ve all laughed at the players who start their victory dance before the end zone and then get tackled from behind before actually making the touchdown. We’ve seen the race car driver who is in the lead at the finish but runs out of fuel in the final stretch, only to watch everyone zoom past him.

I’m guilty of coasting through the end of a couple of projects. Sometimes I have trouble finishing one because I’m pulled in a different direction and it gets put on a back burner. Yet it still needs to be finished – and I still need to aim for a wildly successful outcome. If it was important enough to start, then I need to finish strong.

One thing that I think will help keep me focused was introduced by Bill Hybels at the Global Leadership Summit last month. He recommends practicing 4×4 initiatives (he suggested 6×6 but I’m scaling it down a bit for manageability).

Pick 4 areas of your work or personal life that you will move forward in the next 4 weeks. Write them down on an index card so you can refer to it often. Communicate it to someone else to make yourself accountable. Schedule time each week to spend on each of these areas. As Hybels describes it, use “energy bursts” to make progress on your initiatives.

By the end of the 4 weeks, you should have completed, or at least moved ahead on each of those areas. So then what?

You guessed it, pick 4 more initiatives for the next 4 weeks.

Imagine what you could accomplish by staying intense and focused on your initiatives in this way throughout the year. It is much easier to stay focused and not coast for blocks of 4 weeks at a time. Your productivity will soar!

How do you finish strong? What would your 4×4 initiatives be?

 

Do you consider yourself a sower of seeds?

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When I hear that expression “sower of seeds,” I think of a gardener, who grows beautiful flowers or has a prolific vegetable garden, or someone like a pastor, who plants seeds of God’s word within people each Sunday at church. I’m not sure I’d consider myself as a sower of seeds.

But after hearing the Parable of the Sower (Luke 8: 4-15) twice in the last few weeks, I’m beginning to change my thinking and also realize I need to pay attention.

In the parable, Jesus describes the farmer who spreads seeds on the path, the rocks, the thorns and the good soil. As he explains to his disciples what that means, he describes the types of people who hear the Word: for some it is quickly taken away (path); others hear it with joy but fall away quickly (rocks); still others accept the Word and it starts to take root but is choked by other cares and desires (thorns); and finally those within whom the Word sprouts and produces fruit.

Bill Hybels discussed that parable at the Global Leadership Summit, in broad terms of sowing seeds by developing programs within the church to attract more potential members. My own pastor, Chris Joiner, told the parable to the 6th graders in our Confirmation Class, in terms of their own faith journey. He told how we might be all 4 kinds of soil throughout the day, and if we produce fruit, then we have seeds within us to sow in others.

As I ponder these ideas more, I see many applications in my own life:
• In terms of my work at a nonprofit, encouraging our volunteers to see our clients where they are as they seek physical assistance, but also planting seeds of faith by praying with them and boosting their spirits.I also must be looking to recognize those God-appointments as they happen.
• In working with my 6th grade Covenant Partner in the Confirmation Class, guiding her and watering those seeds of faith through our journey to confirmation next year. I fully believe I will learn as much as she does.
• In my own faith journey, seeking instruction so that I am open to learning and sharing, whether that is through my quiet time in the mornings, formal worship on Sundays, or in conversation with others, online and in person throughout the week.
• With my writing, sharing openly my struggles and triumphs to hopefully encourage others and plant some seeds of hope.

We all have the potential to be the sower as well as the ground. I believe our humility allows us to be ready in those situations whether we are the seed or the soil. Keep your eyes open for opportunities!

How are you cultivating your heart and mind so you can produce more fruit?

 

Discover when tightening the rules can give you freedom

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As leaders, how we empower our teams can make the difference between accomplishing great things or sinking into a broiling mess of mundane details and frustrations. Especially at a nonprofit organization utilizing hundreds of volunteers, lack of communication and empowerment can hold the agency back from helping many of the people it is intended to assist.

At the recent Global Leadership Summit, and in his book The Advantage, Patrick Lencioni shares the importance of educating and inspiring your team through the clear communication of your core values and your strategic anchors.

Without guidelines such as these, people will be hesitant to make decisions on their own and your office will have a revolving door as people continually come to you for guidance, even on simple things.

In my mind, the strategic anchors are like the fence around the playground. They are the boundaries within which your team can feel comfortable making choices. They are the criteria that guide all decisions throughout the organization at every level.

The example Lencioni gives is Southwest Airlines, whose strategic anchors are so well communicated throughout the company, that even a clerk at the ticket counter can make a decision if it meets all 3 of the criteria, saving the customer time and frustration of having to wait on a supervisor, explaining their situation again, etc. etc.

That’s one of the reasons Southwest Airlines continues to gain such high marks for customer satisfaction.

The first priority is to establish the strategic anchors for your organization, which can be a sloppy exercise. My team is currently working to identify our core values and strategic anchors and the difficulty is narrowing the scope to the two or three things that absolutely must be true for any major decision. What are the deal-breakers? What is at the core of our organization?

Once you determine the anchors, the process cannot stop there. Those anchors won’t help anyone make a decision if they are written down and tucked away in a file. You and your leadership team must clearly communicate (and OVER communicate) – to everyone in the organization, what those anchors are so that team members understand the significance.

One-on-one coaching will be important as your team begins to understand that they are empowered to make decisions within the guidelines of those anchors. Most team members will be new to the idea of permission, so as your leaders work with them, they must be clear and consistent on the significance of those strategic anchors.

But imagine the results. What a boost to morale and to productivity throughout your organization when people are comfortable making decisions within the boundaries of those anchors. You will be freed up to do the kind of high level thinking and planning that can only come when you aren’t mired up in daily details, and your team might surprise you by raising the bar with even better ideas, solutions and decisions. Your customers or clients will experience better service. A win-win-win!

How have you as a leader empowered your team members to make decisions?

 

The enemies of discipline

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Procrastination. Resistance. Laziness.

These are the adversaries I fight against almost every morning. I get up early, grab my coffee, and sit down at my computer to write. I assure myself that I have discipline because I’m up early. Don’t you agree?

But then Resistance rears his ugly head by getting me distracted from writing. The inbox is full, so I go through it to reduce the distraction, but not completely, debate on paying some bills, go through old mail. Basically, I start and stop a bunch of things, none of which is urgent and none of which involves writing.

Ok, back to writing. I open my browser, since I might need to look something up online, I’m tempted to check Facebook, just for a minute. You do it too, don’t you?  Ten minutes later, I shake off that feeling of lethargy and refocus on my document. After all, I’m disciplined and ready to write.

I hear a little voice wondering if any urgent emails came in during the night – oh, right, I need to just make sure. So I launch Outlook and take a peek. Then I get a refill on my coffee.

There has been plenty written on discipline and combating procrastination and what author Steven Pressfield calls “Resistance” (with a capital “R”) in his books The War of Art and Turning Pro. Unfortunately, there is not a long-term fix, as each day brings a new battle.

Writing is work, and I can’t wait on some fluffy perfect stimulus or flash of insight. Writing is hard work, plain and simple. There are cues and habits I can develop, but it all boils down to the fact that I have to show up and do it. Every day. No exceptions.

And whether you work at writing or another kind of project, I have found a few tricks that help me stay focused:

• Set a goal – whether that is to write a certain number of words or to complete a specific portion of a project.
• Remove distractions – you’ve heard this before, but turn off email notifications, disable your Twitter or Facebook alerts, and close the door.
• Don’t kick yourself – if you do get sidetracked, don’t berate yourself. Just refocus and try again.
• Do it again – once you have hunkered down and accomplished your goal, set another goal and keep moving forward (of course, maybe celebrate a little bit first…)

How do you combat these “enemies” of productivity?

 

Stretch your boundaries and leap out of your comfort zones

What have you done lately that helped you grow? Have you challenged yourself to do something outside your usual skill level?

I always admired people who were fearless, and constantly dared to try new things to follow their dreams. I wonder how many opportunities I’ve missed because I have been timid, reserved and stayed within my comfortable boundaries.

But that is changing now. Lately, I have been intentional about doing things that might be scary at first, but that help me improve, both physically and mentally. And may I say, the payoff has been incredible?

I have added longer runs that push my physical limits but are so exhilarating. In the process, I have lost weight and feel better about myself.

By commenting more on other blogs, I have discovered an online community that teaches new leadership and life skills every day.

Starting this blog was a giant step that has helped me rediscover my dream of writing.

In pursuing that dream, the most crucial step I’ve taken is to sign up for the Blog Topics Master Class with Chris Brogan. After only a few weeks, I’m learning about creating good habits and disciplines for writing, finding my voice, writing better headlines, and being more deliberate in choosing my topics.

Through a private Facebook group, those of us taking the class encourage each other and give feedback. That community of students adds another level of learning in addition to the material from Chris. The exercises, advice and community are invaluable!

Honestly, I never thought I’d be doing homework again, and getting so much out of it. And like with the running, I have gained more confidence and feel better about myself.

 

Blurring the lines between physical and spiritual training

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Running each morning is an act of worship as much as exercise.

Yes, it’s a habit. Yes, it has become part of my morning routine. Yes, I feel incomplete without it.

But digging down deeper, I’ve realized there is more to the practice than just an endorphin rush. With each step, as my breathing settles into a rhythm, my mind begins to clear and a sort of peace settles in. Most days anyway. A song starts in my head, keeping time with my footsteps. I pray. I dream.

The route is decided before I head out, so there’s only enough alertness needed to watch for cars or creatures (like the skunk I’ve seen a couple of times). Running in the dark is preferable because it feels like a protective cover that increases the sense of peace.

The most satisfying runs result in extreme clarity of thought –ideas start flooding in and I fill the voice recorder capturing them – blog ideas, the solution to a problem at work, phrases to use in writing.

Normally a clock-watcher, the time seems to disappear for me on a run. As it fades into the background, I begin to notice the moon, sunrise, clouds, birds singing, deer, a fox.

When I open myself to the beauty of God around me and thank Him for that, He responds by unblocking my mind. I continue to be amazed at how a physical activity can become such a spiritual experience.

When has physical activity stimulated your mind and spirit?

 

Craft a reel vision for winning

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What does winning look like to you?

No matter what your business or area of interest, winning plays a huge part in your ability to continue. A business that isn’t successful won’t last long, right? And if you are continually struggling with a skill or activity, your energy and effectiveness will wane.

In his book, The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg describes a tool Michael Phelps, the Olympic swimmer, used in his training. His coach suggested that he mentally visualize the perfect race – climbing onto the blocks, the start, strokes, turns, and finish. “He would lie in bed with his eyes shut and watch the entire competition, the smallest details, again and again, until he knew each second by heart,” says Duhigg.

Phelps has gone on to be the most decorated Olympian ever with 22 medals.

That habit of picturing the race made it possible for Michael to win even when his goggles malfunctioned and he couldn’t see to finish a race.

The practice of imagining works for more than swimming competitions.

Visualize the perfect customer interaction. The ideal shareholder meeting. A flawless training session. The ultimate conversation with your spouse. Whatever you do, imagine the Hollywood reel version in your head.

Envision the situation from beginning to end, and play it over until it feels part of you. Then when you are faced with the real situation, you will already know what to say and what to do.

Encouraging your team to visualize winning can empower them to become stronger team members and leaders. Have your team talk through their vision of winning at an off-site meeting to embed positive, successful ideas that will be released when they are faced with the circumstances in reality.

Don’t leave winning to chance. Proactively plan and rehearse the actions, words and expressions needed to gain victory.

What elements do you need to envision in order to win?

 

Find courage and peace in the midst of terror

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Bravery doesn’t always bluster into the room. And you can find courage in the most unlikely people.

One of the most powerful speakers of the recent Global Leadership Summit at Willow Creek Church, spoke barely above a whisper, and yet she filled the auditorium with a boldness so strong as to take our collective breath away.

Pranitha Timothy, Director of Aftercare with the International Justice Mission, shared that when she leaves on a mission, she never knows if she will see her family again. Yet she is compelled to go into dangerous situations in India to rescue people from slavery and bondage in factories and sweatshops.

Her voice is soft and hoarse, the result of a brain tumor which was successfully removed, but which left her mute for a time. We found ourselves leaning forward not only to hear but because her story is so compelling.

This wisp of a woman risks her life to save others – and depends completely on the strength she receives from God. She readily admits she would be helpless on her own.

What an amazing faith!

What if we approached our own lives with that level of faith? In my own experience, I know I have missed opportunities because I was too fearful to step forward. Rather than trust that God would give me the knowledge and strength to proceed, I have shrunk back into the familiar and safe. Now I wonder what have I missed by being timid.

“I have strength for anything through him who gives me power.” Philippians 4:13

What challenges will you tackle with the power of God?

 

Communication can make your team soar!

As a leader, do you inflate or deflate your team?

In his opening presentation at this year’s Global Leadership Summit at Willow Creek Church, Bill Hybels proclaimed that the “most important asset of a leader is energy and the ability to energize other people.”

Envision a hot air balloon, soaring high in the sky. If that is your team, as a leader, you:
·  Share your organization’s vision and core values with your team
·  Communicate initiatives and progress so your team feels informed and valued
·  Empower your team with training
·  Encourage and praise your team when they do things well
·  Correct a team member gently and privately if they make a mistake
·  Teach each team member to become a better leader him or herself

Now think about the pitiful bunch of deflated balloons that are shrunken and hanging down toward the ground. If that is your team, as a leader, you:
·  Lack communication skills to teach your team why what they are doing is important
·  Fail to share important information so your team feels ill-informed, confused and undervalued
·  Expect your team to excel with little or no training
·  Forget to praise your team but call them out (publicly) on any and all mistakes
·  Consider your team just worker bees there to help you be more important

Communication breeds energy. The energy and passion of your team hinges on good communication. Your team needs to understand what the goal is, and how they play a role in accomplishing that goal. Your team must also know that you value them by sharing information with them regularly – even bad news.

I work at a nonprofit, and find that when staff and volunteers understand what we are trying to accomplish, they have a different perspective on their jobs or tasks. Instead of just putting canned food on the shelf, they are making it possible for a family with an empty pantry and growling stomachs to have food for the week. Now they make sure that the shelves are stocked and the grocery carts stay full.

Instead of just putting price tags on clothing, they are making it possible, through those sales in the thrift store, to keep a family’s electricity on or provide gasoline for that doctor visit they would otherwise have to miss.

Better ideas and decisions can be made when the proper communication channels are in place and everyone is on the same page. I’ve had leaders so aloof they hardly knew what I did and failed to share even basic information consistently. That does not energize me and leads to frustration and negativity.

My best leaders were there sharing, explaining, and cheerleading – and that made me work harder, with more loyalty. Even if the news was bad – sales or donations are down or there had to be layoffs – if my leaders were honest and upfront all along, I respected and supported them and kicked it up a notch to compensate.

How do you energize your team?

 

Have you been to the balcony?

Photo courtesy of col&tasha (Creative Commons)

In an interview at this year’s Global Leadership Summit at Willow Creek Church, William Ury, author of Getting to Yes, suggests that in negotiations, sometimes you need to “go to the balcony” to get a larger perspective before you can resolve your differences.

I would argue that the same principle applies to projects.

Projects or plans tend to flow through stages, from planning to implementation to confusion. At that confusion stage, we are mired so deep in the details that we often lose sight of the original vision.

For example, I have been working on a training project for work for Team Leaders. The material goes through all sorts of details and expectations of the job, but a co-worker asked when I was going to add the part teaching them to be leaders. What a huge part to leave out!

Definitely a point where I needed to “go to the balcony” and see the scope of that training material.

No matter whether you are developing a new product, creating a marketing campaign, or planning a birthday party, you can improve the process by taking a step back and reviewing what you are trying to achieve.

Then you can recalibrate, dig back in and complete the project with wild success.

 

Leadership is a privilege

Bill Hybels, senior pastor at Willow Creek Church in South Barrington, IL opened the Global Leadership Summit yesterday by asking us if we had thanked God lately for the privilege of leading.

I have to admit, I never really thought of leadership as a privilege before. A responsibility. A calling. An obligation. Never really a privilege.

That statement flavored my perception of the rest of the day of incredible speakers, each imparting wisdom from their perspective on leadership.

Nearly saturated already, I approach day 2 feeling obligated to develop into a better leader by having my world rocked by these role models.

When have you considered leadership a privilege?

 

Learning and leading

I enjoy learning. One of my favorite ways to learn is to attend conferences and seminars. What better way to study about leadership than to hear it directly from leaders, right?

The Global Leadership Summit, two incredible days of inspiration, starts tomorrow. I am psyched beyond words!

While I will be at a satellite location here in Franklin rather than the live event at Willow Creek Church near Chicago, it will be just as exciting and filled with power. We’ll hear from church and business leaders like Condoleezza Rice, Jim Collins, John Ortberg, Craig Groeschel, Patrick Lencioni, Bill Hybels, plus worship to music from Gungor and others.

I feel like an empty vessel waiting for God to pour in knowledge and passion, which will then be channeled out to others.

As I process the information over the coming days and weeks, I will be writing and sharing my insights and takeaways. May we all be inspired to become better leaders at every level.

 

Bloom where you are planted

Photo courtesy of Tom Hilton (Creative Commons)

Are you so focused on the “next stage” of your life that you are forgetting to LIVE in today? Thoughts such as, “if I can just get through graduation,” “once I finish this project,” or “when this health issue is resolved,” shouldn’t be the excuse not to focus on this moment.

Denial can be a natural response to difficult circumstances. We want some confidence that things will get better and easier, and it’s less painful to dream about those future days than focus on the misery we’re in today.

What we are going through should not be overlooked, since it can be the catalyst to becoming stronger, smarter, more experienced or more grateful.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.    Romans 5:3

What are some ways to make the most of your “now,” while working toward your “new”?

• Acknowledge the difficulty: It’s ok to admit that you are stressed, but embrace the struggle rather than deny it, and look for the positive points. Who have you met that you otherwise would not have? What strengths within yourself have come out that you weren’t aware of?
• Create celebration points: Designate some small landmarks or goals and celebrate when you reach them. It could be as simple as getting a latte when you have gotten your next chapter written, or have a movie night with your family or friends when the current class or round of treatment is completed.
• Engage: Look for opportunities to engage with others going through the same difficulty. Find a study or support group, or invite others in your class to go to lunch once a week to share war stories and encourage each other.
• Reach out to others: Turn the focus outside your own struggle. Volunteer an hour or two. Go visit in a nursing home. Doing something for others can help us better appreciate our own situation.
• Be intentional about today: Look for special moments or beauty around you. Notice the sunrise. Be attentive to your spouse or child. Seek things to be grateful for right where you are today.

How can you focus on being the best you can be now, on your way to that next phase? What step will you take to “bloom” right now, right where you are?

 

Your life could change in an instant

Photo from Williamson Herald

Yesterday when I was running, I came across the aftermath of a horrible wreck, in which three people were critically injured when their car was rear-ended by a tractor trailer truck. The little car was crushed, and there appeared to be no damage to the truck at all.

I can’t get the image of that crumpled little car out of my head. Today when I ran by the spot, I could still see skid marks and mark where the car had come to rest.

This has made me start thinking about how quickly life can change – and how unprepared I would be if I were in that situation. I’m always looking toward the future – what I need to do, to read, to accomplish down the line. I’ve said here before how I tend to get my head down working, and lose track of what is happening around me and who I am missing.

I realize this is nothing new, but I know I need reminders often. And don’t get me wrong, plans are great, but I need to be more intentional about today.

So let me ask you what I’m asking myself. What would you regret that you didn’t get done? Who do you need to appreciate today?

 

Lessons from ironing

Photo courtesy bcmom (Creative Commons)

I have to admit I truly hate ironing. It’s probably my least favorite chore, and I tend to leave it for Sunday afternoons, when I pretty much have to iron to have clothes for the work week.

So today after church, I set up the ironing board and got to work, mumbling under my breath about how I hate ironing. Then it occurred to me that if I thought about it, there might be a leadership lesson in the activity – something like Chris LoCurto finding leadership lessons at restaurants or on the racetrack.

Delegation? Not really, no one to delegate it to. Time management? I do tend to put it off until there are no clothes left to wear. But nothing seemed quite right.

I just let my mind wander.

Then I realized the key. Contemplative time.

Once I quit telling myself how much I hated what I was doing, it was a great opportunity to let my mind unhook. No agenda, no distractions, no plan. Just me and my thoughts.

I am not often still. I am amazed at people who meditate. I always have lists, deadlines, projects, email, social media, reading, writing. There’s always something to work on, and when I’m not working, I’m figuring out what is next on the list to be accomplished. My mind is always active and ideas tend to get muddled.

But today was different. It was quiet, with no TV, music, or electronics so my mind could drift. I thought about this blog. I mulled over the sermon from church this morning. For once in a long time, the “noise” of obligations quieted.

It was refreshing.

Yes, you read that right – ironing was refreshing. Amazing.

I realize I need to seek more opportunities like that to allow for contemplation. Maybe while doing the dishes. While running, certainly.

And I need to be proactive about it – seek time after church, or after a leadership conference, or a powerful podcast to allow time to process what I’ve heard.

So my question for you is this, do you allow yourself contemplative time? If so, how much more effective does it make you as a leader, spouse, parent, or co-worker?