Leadership Coaching for Tomorrow's Leaders by Bea Fields

07:15 am | 0 recommendations | Be the first to comment

The Breakdown of Accountability in the McCain Campaign

As most leadership consultants do, I have been watching the campaign in earnest to learn what I can about formulas for success. The more I watch the ending of the McCain campaign, the more clear it becomes as to why this campaign failed.

Two nights ago on the O'Reilly Factor (which I do watch each evening...I also watch a few more Liberal shows like Hardball with Chris Matthews) Carl Cameron reported that sources at the top of the McCain campaign told him that Governor Palin was "difficult, a bit of a shop-aholic, did not know the countries that make up NAFTA and did not know that Africa was a continent."

I have to say I was a bit in shock. I honestly could not believe what I was hearing. I know that Governor Palin has her shortcomings, but this information leaking out seems to be coming from some cowards...people who don't have the guts to step up and attach a face and a name to their comments.

I watched the reaction last night on the news...more of the same, and of course, the media is having a field day with this.

If you are a leader, I encourage you to look at the leadership skills (or lack thereof) in this situation and know that at the end of the day, what we are hearing and seeing now is proof positive that this campaign was in grave trouble months ago (even before Palin came onto the scene.)

Here are a few of the leadership skills that I see were (and still are) blatantly missing:

1) Accountability: The McCain campaign has been pointing fingers at each other and Palin for weeks. At the end of the day, McCain should be held accountable. He was the Republican nominee, and accountability starts at the top.

2) Leadership Courage: Some people at the top of the campaign seem to be afraid to be wrong. I believe that they are trying to save themselves right now, so they are throwing Governor Palin under the bus. There's nothing better for a coward than having a scapegoat.

3) Personal Responsibility: If you are a part of an organization, you need to take responsibility for everything you do and say and every mistake you made. It's easy to throw the responsibility onto someone who lives thousands of miles away in the state of Alaska.

I want to make clear that I know how difficult running a presidential campaign must be, and my hat is off to both Obama and McCain for sticking out two long years of travel and physical strain. But...at the end of the day, always, always, the leadership skills practiced are what yield results. I have heard it reported that Obama said from the beginning that he was not going to tolerate drama...that he wanted a team that could be united and stand together no matter what, and guess what...it worked! Don't ever underestimate what leadership development, managerial courage and accountability can do for your organization.

EDGE! A Leadership Story

02:16 pm | 1 recommendation | 1 comment

10 Ways to Position Yourself for Success

Business leaders of today are often driven to compete strictly on price, quality, and features of their products and services. Companies who prosper over the long term don't simply offer the best deals, the best quality, or the most impressive bells and whistles. If you want to win big in today's cutting edge world of business, you have to begin by thinking differently and by challenging the status quo. Whether you are a new or an established business owner, these ten powerful strategies will position your company for big success.

1. Adopt the Philosophy of "Givers Gain."

In 2007, the members of Business Network International (BNI) passed over 2.5 million referrals to each other. Founded by CEO Ivan Misner, BNI is a business and professional networking organization that offers members the opportunity to share ideas, contacts and most importantly, referrals. Misner founded BNI based on the philosophy of "Givers Gain," which is the belief that in order to get business, it is important to first give business. One of the critical factors in achieving success rests in the ability to develop reciprocal relationships where two parties naturally refer business to each other on a consistent basis. "It's not what you know but who you know" has never been so true as it is in today's competitive world of business.

2. Focus on Soft Innovations

In today's competitive marketplace, the old equation of spending more on advertising to increase profits it not working as it once did. In his book, Free Prize Inside, author Seth Godin, makes a strong case for using soft innovations as a way to get noticed in this crowded and noisy world. Soft innovations are the small yet insightful ideas that can take your product or service from good to remarkable. They are often hidden, and they usually solve a problem that is " peripheral to what your product is ostensibly about." At first glance, you think the soft innovation does not mean much, but once you have it in place, it becomes an essential part of your product or service. Examples of soft innovations include Starbuck's Cards, Dinosaur-shaped pasta for kids, and Amazon.com cutting its ad spend and offering free shipping with the money saved.


3. Re-Groove!

How do you operate when the heat is on? How do you respond to chaos? When new skills or new behaviors are needed, how do you respond? Knowing what to do and how to do it is one thing but being able to respond effectively and to keep your cool under pressure and on a consistent basis is a very different ballgame.

As leaders in today's world, it is crucial to learn how to work differently and how to be able to shift and bend to meet expectations which are here one day and gone the next. The half-life of a great idea or a new product or service has never been shorter, and it is up to you as a business owner to become masterful with reshaping strategies, adding new perks to old products, and to stay on top of your game in the face of dramatically changing circumstances. You may find that your strength of achievement was required to get your company up and running but that same strength is now squelching the creativity of your team. It's time to Re-Groove! It's time to unlock the incredible potential that is inside of you that is required to get the job done under present day demands. If you are dedicated to re-grooving (getting past the old worn out grooves of your past conditioning and the rut that we often get into,) it is essential to work with a coach or trainer who can coach you through the new behaviors quickly and in real time. By learning to re-groove, you will be able to create incredible opportunities for your company and for yourself with lightning speed.


4. Make Your Brand a "State of Mind."

Are you winning when it comes to style, a smart and accessible mix of products and services, and first rate customer service? If so, Bravo! However, this is just a part of the equation of what it takes to truly succeed. In order to create a brand that is truly memorable, it is crucial for you to live an inspired life and to make your brand a "state of mind" for your customers. This state of mind could be a feeling of trust and confidence, a sense of well being, or a state of knowing that you are buying from a company who has your best interests at heart. This state of mind cannot develop behind the confines of the walls of your business. It grows and develops when you are in the middle of your potential buyers...in restaurants, traveling, checking out the competition, playing sports, tinkering with a hobby, having fun and lots of it! If you are living fully and in relationship with others, you will be re-energized every day and you will give your customers a vision of what an inspired life actually looks like, because you are living one! Your brand will become much more than your trimmings...it will become the connection that others feel when they think of you as a valued person in their lives.


5. Become Masterful at Mobilizing Resources.

The ability to galvanize resources, both human and monetary, and to build effective and efficient projects with them is a critical component of success in today's marketplace. We are quick to look first at the monetary costs of a project and quickly get cold feet, when the reality is that we have valuable resources hidden in our personal and professional lives which may not cost a dime. Social capital is one resource that is one of the most valuable assets available to business owners of today. The term social capital emphasizes that very specific benefits are made available from the trust, reciprocity, information, and cooperation associated with social networks. The value of social capital is that people can draw on the wisdom of each other to solve common problems, especially as it relates to money, time, and resources.


6. Buck Conventional Wisdom.

In 1971, Rollin King and Herb Kelleher decided to start an airline that you might say...was different and a little bit quirky. They began with one simple notion: If you get your passengers to their destinations on time, at the lowest fare possible, and make sure they have a fantastic time doing it, people will choose you over a competing airline. This is the story of Southwest Airlines, who chose to move beyond the status quo by offering services and a sense of style that bucked conventional wisdom. With their focus on fun, games, and "Love Southwest Style," this top ranked airline has made its mark with its strong focus on stellar customer service and conveniences such as allowing customers to proceed to their departure gate without stopping at the ticket counter, skycap, and a self-service kiosk. Most importantly, Southwest has honed in on searching for important personal qualities in those they hire-- the perfect blend of energy, humor, team spirit, and self-confidence to match its famously offbeat culture. Southwest was once dismissed as a maverick, as their strategies seemed strange to the traditional "airline powerhouses." These same powerhouses are now looking in awe at what this "maverick" has built. The strategy of originality worked...It had the sticking power required for huge success.


7. Become a Talent Farm.

When recruiting new employees, what are you looking for? Raw talent? Raw communication skills? Intellect? Athletic ability? Commitment? Skills? Flexibility? What about all of this and more? If you are a company who wants to operate at the leading edge, where change is the greatest and success is the goal, you will want to recruit the most talented group of people you can find...those people who are self- starters and who are living boldly in the world. By developing a "talent farm" culture, you can instill a mindset of excellence from the top to the bottom of your organization. This type of culture encompasses a deeply held belief that having high caliber people is crucial to your success. With this "talent farm" approach to recruiting, your employees will continually be challenged to play a bigger game and to always be on the lookout for critical talent. Successful businesses and organizations have a strong sense of what they are looking for, and they are always on the look for new talent and ways to retain them for a lifetime.


8. Embrace Your Core Values.

What is it in life that you most value? Do you value beauty, leadership, creativity, stability, or family? You can choose to orient your life around your wants and needs or the list of things you feel you "should" be doing, but if you embrace your core values and build your life around them, you will find experience inspiration and joy at a level you never thought was possible. Whole Foods Market is one of the fastest growing supermarkets of today, because its commitment to fresh, nutritious products is a value that keeps customers coming back for more and keeps employees happy, hard working, and committed. When you focus your business on doing what feels right and what fulfills you, you will have no regrets, because you have been true to the very core of your being.


9. Become a "White Hot Center" of Influence.

A "white hot center" of influence is an organization or group that you most want your company to be aligned with and in a relationship which is reciprocal. One connection into a visible and strong center of influence can position your company to attract a stream of qualified opportunities. (Example: You are an interior designer, and you want to be in the middle of Southern Accents or Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.) In order to attract a "white hot center" of influence, you have to become what you want to attract. Be as well educated, highly skilled, experienced, trained and as innovative as you possibly can be. Fill your network with other business owners who are up to big things in the world and who are experts in their respective fields. Attract talented people into your company, and tap each and every talent and skill available. As you begin to raise your bar in all areas of your business and enhance your network, you will eventually become a "white hot center" that will attract others by the thousands.


10. Just Begin.

Start where you are, and begin today to create success in your life. Drop the excuses, reasons or people to blame, dis-empowering attitudes and behaviors and get on with the business of living the life you know you were born to live. Do what you know you want to do, and do it with passion. Begin today to create the tomorrow you want. As Peter Drucker said, "The best way to predict the future is to create it".

I so enjoyed collaborating with Kimberly George on this article. Kim is the Founder of the AQ Institute and the author of Coaching Into Greatness.

http://Edge-Book.com.

09:39 am | 5 recommendations | 7 comments

Ten Strategies for Developing the Art of Leadership

Many people are born leaders, yet the ability to lead is actually an art and an amazing collection of skills which can be learned and sharpened. The following top ten daily habits will help you and/or your clients grow as a leader personally, professionally, and spiritually. 

1. Spend 30 minutes each morning looking for "cracks" in the major areas of your life. Your depth of character is key to determining your success as a leader. It is easy for us to say that we are "in integrity," but your actions are the real indicators of strength of character. Spend 30 minutes each morning looking at the major areas of your life: career, marriage, family, community, and spirituality. Write down any instances where you see "cracks" (you have cut corners, something is inconsistent, you have not kept your word, you have been dishonest, etc.) Do all in your power to repair those cracks by apologizing and dealing with the consequences of your actions. After facing up to past actions, begin a plan that will rebuild you and prevent you from making further mistakes.

2. Show up and be ten minutes early for every appointment. Great leaders show up for every appointment, and they are always on time. Each day, practice not only showing up but being ten minutes early for each and every appointment. "The early bird gets the worm" has never been so true than when it applies to becoming a great leader that others want to follow.

3. Be dedicated to a high level of learning. Great leaders are highly competent, because they are dedicated to a high level of learning, growth, and improvement. Spend 15-30 minutes each day devoted to learning something new. Do not settle for knowing "how" to do something. Dig deeper by asking the question "why" and then, go find the answer. Search the internet, interview an expert, or take a day trip to find the answer to a question that is on your mind or the minds of those who follow you.

4. Be simple and crystal clear in all communication. As a leader, your communication should be simple, clean, and clear as a bell. Examine both written and verbal communication for simplicity and clarity. Use as few words as possible, and eliminate jargon and "big words" from your vocabulary. Express yourself in a way that your listeners can understand.

5. Surround yourself with A Players. One of the secrets of a great leader is great people. Hire the right staff, surround yourself with a strong inner circle, and spend time daily with people who have a variety of gifts. With the support of a strong circle of men, women and children, you will be ready for anything that comes your way.

6. Develop a sense of commitment and responsibility. People do not follow leaders who are not committed and responsible. Commitment and responsibility can be measured by the hours you spend and how you spend them, the money you spend and how you spend it, and by what you do for others. Spend 15 minutes each day analyzing your time, your checkbook, and your volunteer work. Look closely at how much time you spend with family and friends as compared to work, how you spend your money, and how you give back to the community. You may be very surprised at what you find.

7. Develop a positive attitude by altering your mind. It is very possible to alter your attitude by altering your mind. Saturate yourself daily with motivational literature, positive people, and inspiring music/art. By conditioning your mind to be more positive on a daily basis, you will find that winning will be a daily reward of your life.

8. Accept responsibility. Great leaders never play the role of a victim. They recognize that part of being a great leader is being ultimately responsible for all successes and failures. On a daily basis, analyze your current projects, and ask yourself "Have I done all that needs to be done? What have I not done that I should?" Once you have analyzed each project, if you find a weakness, go the extra mile by working extra hours, hiring an outside expert, or getting really creative to repair the weakness or to turn it into a success!

9. Make self-discipline a part of your lifestyle. What do you need to develop self-discipline? Following a better diet or exercise routine? Getting up one hour earlier? Being rigorous with your spending? Learning something new every day? Eliminate excuse-making from your life, and begin to develop habits that will invite self-discipline to become the foundation of your life. Hire a coach to support you during the development of a routine of self-discipline, and remove rewards until the job is done!

10. Develop courage by facing fear. By a show of courage, you will inspire others to follow and to walk in your footsteps. Spend 15-30 minutes each day doing something simply for the sake of developing courage: speak to an audience, make a difficult phone call, learn a new skill, write an article or a top ten, or visit someone you have always wanted to meet. As Eleanor Roosevelt acknowledged: "You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do."

http://Edge-Book.com 

01:30 pm | 0 recommendations | Be the first to comment

My Top 20 Picks for Video Submission

Over the past few weeks, my co-authors from EDGE! A Leadership Story and I hired Steve Renshaw to help us create a movie trailer for the book. You can take a peek at the trailer here. Steve did a really great job.

And...as with all marketing, we went through and pulled the top video sites that we felt would be the best fit for the book, and I want to share with you my top 20 sites. These sites are based on having a strong Google ranking, professional look and feel and easy to maneuver.

If you don't want to load these manually, you can check out a service like Traffic Geyser.com, but the videos don't always make it over to the main site.

So...here you go...the top 20 video submission sites (the world according to Bea.) Also...these are not in any particular order. I just jotted them down as I worked with them over the last few days.

1) Google Video

2) Yahoo Video

3) Atom

4) Photo Bucket

5) Crackle

6) Veoh

7) You Tube

8) My Space

9) vSocial

11) Vimeo

12) Daily Motion

13) Motionbox

14) Metacafe

15) AOL Video

16) Bolt

17) Blip.tv

18) ProsperityCast.tv

19) Revver

20) SelfCast.tv

Check out the EDGE trailer here.

07:30 am | 4 recommendations | 1 comment

5 Critical Questions to Answer to Assess Your Networking Skills

People often describe themselves as master networkers. They attend gobs of events, pass out thousands of business cards and flit from group to group, doing everything they can to get people to buy from them. They spit out their elevator speech (quite frankly, I can’t stand an elevator pitch…I can smell one a mile away), often get confused in the delivering that boring speech, talk about themselves on and on and never stop to ask the other person “Tell me about you, and how can I help you succeed?”You see, I believe asking this question is the key to success with networking.

Ivan Misner, Founder of BNI, firmly states that the “Givers Gain” philosophy is what networking is all about, and at the end of the day, we can give…yet…we can only give so much before we get drained. So, in theory it sounds great to have thousands of networking partners. In reality, I have found that a human being can only hold about 5-7 key networking partners in their brains at one time. So, if you are trying to truly network (the operative word is truly) with thousands of people, you are bound to lose connection with someone along the way. As a matter of fact, if you are trying to truly network with thousands of people, there are probably many who you will simply forget about over time.

Over the last ten years, I have done a great deal of networking. I don’t even want to add up the hours I have invested with this process. But, at the end of the day, networking is fun for me. I enjoy both online and face to face networking, but here’s my catch…I have to really enjoy the other person, respect their work and believe in them enough to tell others about them. I simply don’t get into networking relationships with people who I don’t like or don’t respect. Some people say I am just way to picky, and that is only one perspective. The people who know me quite well say that I am being authentic in building my network, and I would like to think that is true. You see, I believe that it’s frankly abusive to get into a networking relationship with someone you don’t respect enough to endorse their work, or to get into a networking relationship with someone just because you want them to give you a handout. And…if you are in one of those relationships, it is probably because you “hope” that this person in some way is going to help you along the way…and…it just doesn’t work that way. If you are going to be masterful with networking, you have to begin by helping the other person (trust me…most people won’t stop to ask you “How can I help you?” It’s up to you to play that card first!)

If you are starting your networking process, OR if you have come to the place in life where you know it’s time to perform a network upgrade, I encourage you to answer these questions in determining who you are going to bring into your close inner circle.

1) What qualities do you most admire in other professionals? Make a list of the ten qualities you most admire, and look for these qualities as you are networking. (I would place honesty, integrity and respect at the top of your list…otherwise, you may attract dishonest, disrespectful people who are not on the up and up!)

2) How can you help other people? Understanding your value and how you can help others is a requirement for successful networking. You may be able to bring a large group of people, fresh ideas or your talent and skills to the relationship. The bottom line is to get clear on your value and how it can make others’ lives more successful so that you can speak this with certainty.

3) How can other people help you? It is critical to understand that a networking relationship is about giving first and then receiving. Don’t ever get yourself into a networking relationship where you are the only person giving back to the relationship. Resentment will build over time if you are getting nothing back in return. Remember…your networking relationships should be partnerships…50/50 give and take…not a situation where you are doing all the work and getting nothing back in return. On the same note, I am big on helping other people out one time without any expectation of getting something back. If the relationship evolves to the point where you can get into an ongoing cycle of giving and receiving, then fabulous! Just know that you are probably going to do a few favors for folks who never do anything in return, and that’s okay…it’s part of the process.

4) How can your networking partners help each other? It is important to understand that once you build out a group of 5-7 key networking partners, they will be getting to know each other and helping each other out. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to become the “connector” to a larger network of like-minded individuals (the connecting thread is YOU!)

5) What are the red flags you want to avoid? I am sure you already know the answer to this one. You are going to meet people along the way who are needy, who want a hand out or who are only into networking as a way to take advantage of your value or to ask you to buy from them. Know the red flags ahead of time, and steer clear from those people. I believe that just like there is a man for every woman and a woman for every man, there are networking partners who were born for each other…they all are not designed just for you, so raise your bar on who you want to attract, then…go out and get ‘em, and have fun along the journey!

http://Edge-Book.com

08:57 am | 0 recommendations | 1 comment

The Leadership Lessons We Can Learn from Ben Campbell in the Movie "21"

Vison. Hard work. Team work. These are all qualities that good leaders employ. It's also how Ben Campbell, the star character in the film "21," used them to his advantage. Here's what we can learn from an MIT mastermind about leadership.

Many kids grow up wanting to play for the Red Sox or shooting hoops and making millions for the NBA. In the movie "21" Ben Campbell (played by Jim Sturgess) grew up wanting to go to Harvard Medical School. But…there was just one tiny problem…he didn’t have the $300,000.00 it was going to take to make it happen.

So, Campbell, the most talented student at MIT, uses his mathematical skills (yes…he’s good with numbers), a few fake ID’s and creative disguises to join his brilliant stats professor (played by Kevin Spacey) and five friends in a plot of counting cards to break the Vegas casinos. And…he almost gets by with it.

As it usually goes in the movies, the mastermind plot begins to unravel, and young Ben Campbell has to decide which direction to turn…and in the end, he does the right thing.

I have to say, however, that I observed young Ben using some amazing leadership skills during the plot that we can all learn from. No...I don't condone counting cards (although I have heard that card counting is actually legal unless you are using an outside device...but maybe some of you who are Blackjack players can set me straight.) However, I am a BIG believer in these leadership skills that Ben applied to winning at the game of Blackjack:

1. Vision: Ben can see, taste and smell that Harvard Medical School ride. He keeps this vision front and center through both the highs and the lows.

2. Hard Work and Drive: Ben studies, reads and pours himself into the game of counting cards. He does not want to just learn the skill...he wants to be the best!

3. When you make the rules, you change the game: Ben and his teammates made the rules, so they change the game of Blackjack. In leadership, you have the opportunity to change the rules (legally of course) so that you get the results you want. If you are leading your organization by worn out rules, there is a good chance you are probably getting the pants beat off you by your competition.

4. Team Work: The game of counting cards is a team sport, and Ben plays the team according to the rules spelled out by the team. He watches his teams’ signals (Folded arms = Table’s Hot) listens to their language (the word sweet means the count’s at 16) and follows the system to build team chemistry.

5. Risk: Ben does something that most people don’t. He takes risk after risk by accounting for variable change. Brilliant!

6. Calm and Composure: Even when the pressure's on, Ben stays as cool as a cucumber...quiet, calm and quite composed.

7. Playing a System: In the movie "21", Professor Micky Rosa (played by Spacey) makes it very clear to the team that they are not "gambling" but that they are counting cards...a methodical system that works over and over again.

LESSONS LEARNED:

As the plot begins to unravel, young Ben Campbell does the right thing (you'll need to watch the movie to find out what that is,), and he learns these important leadership lessons:

1. Quick fixes almost always don’t’ last. The quick solutions almost always end in disaster.

2. Don’t justify your actions when you know they're crossing a line! Be very careful about saying “I’m only going to do this negative action one time or until x happens.” Before you know it…you’re hooked!

3. Pay attention to your gut. Ben knew early on in the process that something was not sitting well about this whole scheme, but as with all humans, he gets lured in by the thought of wealth, fame, the hot girl and the thrill.

4. When you create rules that you know are not on the up and up, watch out! The system’ll get you every time!

5. When you become so engrossed in your work that you ignore what's going on in the periphery of your life, there will be a cost to pay. Ben loses a lifetime opportunity in his quest for money, AND he almost loses his closest friends.

6. Let integrity guide your decision making. In the end, living in integrity and doing the right thing can bring you the greatest rewards in life. I highly recommend this movie! I watched it two times in 24 hours, and I rarely watch movies two times:

Watch the trailer here:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZRzZX2aN3I0

http://Edge-Book.com

06:47 am | 1 recommendation | 2 comments

Leadership Coaching: The 360 Degree Review Process

A 360 Degree Feedback Review is a multi-source feedback, multi-rater assessment, upward feedback or peer evaluation designed to give you a panoramic view of your leadership capabilities. It is a process in which you evaluate yourself on a set of criteria, your manager or supervisor will then evaluate you, as do your peers, direct reports, even family members. Upon completion of the assessment, you will receive a gap analysis detailing how you perceive yourself versus how others perceive you. The 360 Degree feedback process involves both participants (the person or people being reviewed) and raters.

There is a great deal of controversy about the 360 Degree Feedback Process. Because the answers are so subjective, many leaders say they feel like a can of worms gets opened and that the lid should have stayed sealed. I disagree with this view. I believe the only way a leader can become a better leader is to find out from other people how they are perceiving him or her. While perceptions are always subjective and clouded by culture, personality and belief systems, at the end of the day, if you are a leader, others' perceptions are your reality.

As an Executive Coach, I conduct at least twenty 360 Degree Feedback reviews every year. I have found that one of the best approaches is the face-to-face interview with both team and board members and even family members when possible.

If I were to come into your life and talk to 8-10 people who know you best, on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the highest, how would they rank you in the following areas?

• Takes reasonable risks in order to improve the company;
• Looks at situations from multiple viewpoints in order to gain perspective;
• Offers employees challenging learning situations, specifically to build skills and produce bottom line results;
• Develops trust with employees;
• Communicates openly and honestly;
• Displays confidence when presenting ideas or expressing opinions to others;
• Listens carefully to others to understand their needs and concerns;
• Makes decisions that might be unpopular if it is in the best interest of the customer;
• Thinks about company growth and explores new ideas for organizational development;
• Looks for new ways to achieve a competitive advantage in current business practices;
• Demonstrates competence and credibility in his or her area of expertise;
• Attracts and retains top talent; and
• Leads with an authentic leadership style

If you are interested in participating in a 360 Degree Review, send me an e-mail to beafields@beafields.com. I am happy to speak with you!

http://fivestarleader.com

http://Edge-Book.com

07:32 am | 1 recommendation | 2 comments

Leadership Coaching: Why Tiger Woods Has a Coach

Why in the world do you think Tiger Woods has Coach Hank Haney by his side? Surely you know that Tiger can most probably kick the pants off Haney any day of the week. But, as with all top golfers (all topathletes for that matter), they are crystal clear about one thing: You cannot see yourself playing golf, it is extremely difficult to coach yourself, AND it’s darn tough to be objective about your performance. As a matter of fact, most of the masters, like Tiger are very, very tough on themselves. As Haney once said about Tiger: “People ask when he's going to get there. They don't understand that there is no 'there.' You keep improving. He thinks that if he doesn't, someone else will improve and catch him.”

In the book EDGE! A Leadership Story, we have our main protagonist, Mitchell James, play a round of golf. Mitch plays the round early in the morning, alone with no one watching him. I won’t tell you what happens, but as the game goes along, things start heading south quickly, and during this game, Mitchell James has an epiphany about life and about leadership…you can’t see yourself as you live your life or live in a leadership role, and an outside perspective (such as a leadership coach) can really help you improve whatever game you are playing by giving you a bird's eye view of your game.

With leadership coaching, one of the ultimate goals is to support a leader in his or her own development through the use of a variety of tools, methods and resources. I have discovered that, by engaging in life experiences outside of the work environment (by playing golf, tennis, painting, teaching, playing a card game or puddering around in the garden) and getting in touch with everything in the surrounding environment, the majority of clients can shift from simply learning extrinsically to experiencing intrinsically an epiphany—gaining a sudden insight into the reality or meaning of something initiated by the experience and then talking through that experience with someone whose opinion you respect.

So, for today, consider these questions:

• When was the last time you experienced an epiphany?
• What did you experience?
• What in your environment (of life) was the catalyst for the epiphany?
• What did you learn about yourself, other people or life during this time?
• What changes did you make in your life as a by-product of this epiphany?
• How did the epiphany take you to where you are today?
• What new activities are you willing to experience in life in order to grow as a leader?
• If you had had a coach by your side during this experience and epiphany that followed, how would you have used the coach's skill, knowledge or insight to improve the game of leadership?

10:06 am | 0 recommendations | Be the first to comment

Accountability Trumps the Blame Game Every Time

"When is John going to get me that report?"

"What is going on with the marketing report? When are they going to finish that thing?"

"I can't believe Mary is so late in making those phone calls."

"Okay...who dropped the ball this time?"

"Hey...that's not MY job."

Does this sound familiar? If so, your small business team may be faced with a big challenge with accountability, which results in finger pointing, frustration and broken trust...both with your employees and your customers. Personal responsibility and accountability can put an end to the blame game, saving your business thousands if not millions of dollars by increasing productivity and overall job satisfaction, which results in very satisfied customers. These five basic approaches can support you in increasing accountability, which are simple, yet they require actually building a culture of accountability for your business.

Communicate the big picture
Accountability stands a better chance of succeeding if everyone in your business embraces a larger responsibility for the success of the entire company. Spend time talking individually with team members about how his or her project affects the vision and mission of the business. With this communication, people can make wiser decisions from the context of the "big picture" rather than from the perspective of what may seem to be a detailed and boring task.

State clear expectations
If one person on your team does not meet your expectations, the entire team can fail. It is important from the very beginning of any new project to state the expectations clearly and repeat them over and over again until your team really "gets it." These expectations need to be crystal clear, including dates, who is responsible for what, the details of the task and how you want the finished product delivered. If your expectations are fuzzy or confusing in any way, your team can break down, and the fine and very important details can fall through the cracks.

Accountability work groups
One of the best ways to achieve accountability is to develop shared accountability among team members. Accountability within the team can be accomplished by what Morris R. Shechtman calls "accountability groups," groups which give team members the permission to speak and listen in a way which is frank and open. This accountability group can include 2-5 people and can then serve as a small unit of people working together to confide in with struggles, weaknesses and insecurities. They can then find creative strategies to work together in the direction of the growth the team intends to achieve.

Move to action
In order for accountability to work, people have to know that failure of completion will come with certain consequences, including written warnings, loss of a bonus or extra hours served on a week-end to complete the project on the table. Without consequences, your employees won't take you seriously. They will think that they can use blame, justification and rationalization as a way to deviate from being responsible, because you have not followed through on what you said you will do if the tasks are not achieved.

Reward and recognition program
Employees need to know in a tangible way their efforts are indeed driving the company forward, and it is important for them to share in the fruits of their hard work. The offer of increased pay and benefits (vacations, time off and other perks) can keep accountability and morale high and can motivate employees to continue to strive for high levels of performance.

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Ten Questions to Answer to Drive Innovation

Radical innovation is going to be a critical component in a leader’s toolkit in the future, and this does not mean that you “try to innovate” over a week-end brainstorming retreat. True innovation happens by disrupting the current environment, challenging old assumptions and even turning the culture upside down so that you can take a creative idea, turn it into a product or service and successfully move it to the marketplace.Each day I meet business leaders, and one of the first questions I ask is “On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being super sticky, how stuck are you?” Most people laugh, and they usually respond by saying “I’m a 20 or a 25!” So, when you are stuck, you have to break up the pattern . . . turn a table upside down and figure out a way to still use the table as an eating surface, roll out of bed on the other side, shave with the hand you don’t normally use . . . do something to be disruptive. This is the same for companies. What would happen if you do the opposite of what you’ve always done? What would you do if you totally destroyed your most profitable item and had to start from scratch? Or, how would an artist, physician or scientist suggest that you change your products or services?

When I coach business leaders on the topic of innovation, I always start with the following questions, making sure to get as many ideas as possible on the table. 

What have you done in the last year to get engaged with your imagination and the imagination of others?

Being stuck in a rut won’t get you very far when it comes to innovation. Get out there and get your brain turbo-charged with creativity. Art houses, skateboarding events, movies, food, music and travel can serve as catalysts to get you thinking more creatively.

What is the pain being experienced in the marketplace?

People usually buy to address a pain or to solve a problem. Don’t assume you know what pains people are feeling. Ask your clients and perform as many interviews and surveys as possible to discover repeating patterns of struggle.

What are people searching for online?

By using a keyword suggestion tool such as http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com, you can discover current, relevant and popular keywords which can help you consider where to go next in the marketplace. If people are searching for it, that means they will most probably buy it.

What tasks can be achieved more efficiently and effectively in business?

Business leaders are constantly asking “What can we do now to improve our efficiency and be more productive right now?” If your product or service can help answer this question through your next product or service, you can help fill the productivity void.

If you were to take your business and merge it with a business that is completely different than your own, what products and services would emerge?

If you are a financial consultant, and you merge your business with a physician, what products or services would you develop? If you are an ice cream shop owner, and you married your business with a law firm, what products and services would you design? While these questions may seem far-fetched, they can stretch your mind into new territory and right into a new idea for your business.

What are the political pundits arguing about?

You only need to turn on CNN or Fox News for one hour a day to learn what the big debates are around the world. Debate creates a craving for a solution, and your next big idea might just be the answer to the current great debate.

What seems to be constantly breaking, and how can you fix it?

People are sick and tired of complexity and things not working. Broken technology gets in our way and sucks up our energy, time and resources. People will buy a new product or service that if they know it’s going to work and if their buying experience is hassle free.

Who are the most creative people you know?

When great minds mix together, the perfect innovation storm happens. Look closely at your network, and bring together the smartest, most wildly creative people you know for a few hours of fun discussion about the next big, cool opportunity.

If you could change the world with the resources you have in your life (including people, knowledge, money and time), what product or service would you develop?

This is a question that most people hedge on by saying “Well, my resources are really limited.” That is just ridiculous. Some of the best ideas have been born by people with no money, sitting in a garage with a friend and a $300.00 Best Buy computer. Sit down with a few friends, and answer this question and by all means, don’t censor yourself. Every idea is fodder for discussion.

Who is going out of business and why?

Doors to businesses are closing right and left, and the question is “Why?” Something obviously went wrong, or plans were changed, or something in the global economy is going awry. Get out there and find out what shifts are happening in business. Your next product or service may just help business owners keep their doors open.

What questions are you answering to help drive innovation?  Send me an e-mail to bea@edge-book.com, and I will add them to the list and give you attribution to your idea.

For more information on how to use coaching to drive innovation, visit us online today at http://Edge-Book.com.