These past couple of weeks have been unusually hectic including speaking engagements, proposals and sales calls, major project deadlines, and traveling to Chicago for personal training and enrichment. In spite of the pace of my schedule I have also been working on an important leadership activity, staying focused.
In particular, I have been creating a Defining Statement for my business – something that clearly says who I work with and what I do to help them. The genesis for this process began as a pre-work assignment from Inscape Publishing as I prepared for distributor training earlier this month. They mailed each of us a book written my Mark LeBlanc titled “Growing Your Business”. In it he outlines a few steps to follow in creating a Defining Statement for your business. I’m not willing to share his secrets here; you can buy his book for that purpose. Instead I want to share my current version of a Defining Statement and offer a few brief thoughts about the importance of being focused as a leader.
So here is my working draft of a Defining Statement for Higher Ground Consulting Group, LLC: “I work with leaders who want to be inspiring and organizations that embrace them.” I call it a working draft because I’m still testing it with clients, prospects, and business colleagues. So why bother with this exercise at all? Is there really value in being focused?
I have always believed that great businesses, no matter their size, choose their customers. One way to do this is by screening prospects against your Defining Statement. In my case, I really don’t want to work with leaders who aren’t willing to do what it takes to become inspiring in their roles. I have also discovered, through personal experience, that if organizations don’t embrace this new style of leadership then it is difficult for me to have much success with them.
Great leaders know that without focused efforts they can’t be as effective. A compelling vision, a clear set of personal values, a willingness to be vulnerable, or the courage to say “no” can have an amazing effect on personal and professional growth. Inspirational leaders seek to serve others with love, not control them through fear and intimidation.
Being focused in marketing and sales efforts means less time chasing after “bad business” and more time nurturing the relationships that are necessary to earn credibility and integrity while being authentic. Great ideas and business models grow out of a sense of focus and a willingness to “stay the course” as the organization grows.
That is what I am hoping will happen with my Defining Statement. I’m testing it to see if others are attracted to it and whether they will use it to tell others about my business. This past week I shared it with nearly fifty business owners and leaders during a chamber workshop where I was the guest speaker. A number of attendees have already offered their feedback and that will help me to “focus” the statement even further.
Being a leader isn’t easy but without a clear focus it just might be impossible. What is your Defining Business Statement? Do you have a personal mission statement as well? Your comments about my working draft are invited. Your willingness to share it with someone else would be the ultimate compliment.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Saturday, August 18, 2007
The Process of Learning
One of my particular talents as a leader is my great desire to learn and continuously improve. In my case it is the process of learning, not just the outcome, which excites me. I’m always looking for books, journals, and data to broaden my knowledge and allow me to acquire new skills. New experiences and firsthand experiments inspire me to grow and test myself. For me, a great day is one where I can find and store new ideas in the vast storehouse of knowledge I have accumulated throughout my business career.
This past week I spent two full days in Chicago attending a training event for my work as a distributor for Inscape Publishing products, the folks that perfected and sell the DiSC© behavioral system. As you can imagine the opportunities to learn were plentiful and I came home energized with new insights and a list of personal growth plans.
The workshop sessions also taught me some important lessons about how others learn. Our group of 27 distributors was diverse in many ways but also included quite a few persons who shared similar behavioral styles. These styles presented some challenges for the facilitator as she led us through a wealth of information using a variety of teaching methods.
For example, 67% of our group displayed a more dominant behavioral style. They were looking for a fast-paced, direct, and results oriented learning environment. Throughout the event they were quick to share an opinion, ask questions, and make decisions. These same persons sometimes tried to insert their ideas when it would have been more appropriate to defer and unfairly labeled others in the group.
Another 78% of the group demonstrated an influential style of behavior. They loved the social aspects of the workshop, were optimistic and creative during activities, and made many new friends. These persons were passionate, caring, and had fun while they were learning. At times they resisted the discussion guidelines and disrupted the learning with sidebar conversations.
I’m sharing these observations because I regularly encounter these and other behavioral styles in the various workshop and seminar experiences where I serve as facilitator. No behavior is right or wrong in any given situation. As a teacher I am committed to identifying these styles and using what I know about them to tailor the learning experience so that everyone is comfortable contributing to the discussion. Whether the person values a thoughtful approach, attention to detail, a focus on results, or just wants to have fun I try to accommodate their styles in the class or workshop.
For myself, I value order, accuracy, and punctuality but also like to keep things moving, ask questions, and create a competitive atmosphere. While this may seem contradictory they are the behaviors I exhibit most often and these insights have been invaluable to my professional and personal growth.
Leaders should be aware of their own behavioral styles and how they impact personal learning and the ways they interact with others in a teaching setting. If you would like to know more about the DiSC© assessment or your behavioral styles give me a call or post to this blog. Let’s keep learning together!
This past week I spent two full days in Chicago attending a training event for my work as a distributor for Inscape Publishing products, the folks that perfected and sell the DiSC© behavioral system. As you can imagine the opportunities to learn were plentiful and I came home energized with new insights and a list of personal growth plans.
The workshop sessions also taught me some important lessons about how others learn. Our group of 27 distributors was diverse in many ways but also included quite a few persons who shared similar behavioral styles. These styles presented some challenges for the facilitator as she led us through a wealth of information using a variety of teaching methods.
For example, 67% of our group displayed a more dominant behavioral style. They were looking for a fast-paced, direct, and results oriented learning environment. Throughout the event they were quick to share an opinion, ask questions, and make decisions. These same persons sometimes tried to insert their ideas when it would have been more appropriate to defer and unfairly labeled others in the group.
Another 78% of the group demonstrated an influential style of behavior. They loved the social aspects of the workshop, were optimistic and creative during activities, and made many new friends. These persons were passionate, caring, and had fun while they were learning. At times they resisted the discussion guidelines and disrupted the learning with sidebar conversations.
I’m sharing these observations because I regularly encounter these and other behavioral styles in the various workshop and seminar experiences where I serve as facilitator. No behavior is right or wrong in any given situation. As a teacher I am committed to identifying these styles and using what I know about them to tailor the learning experience so that everyone is comfortable contributing to the discussion. Whether the person values a thoughtful approach, attention to detail, a focus on results, or just wants to have fun I try to accommodate their styles in the class or workshop.
For myself, I value order, accuracy, and punctuality but also like to keep things moving, ask questions, and create a competitive atmosphere. While this may seem contradictory they are the behaviors I exhibit most often and these insights have been invaluable to my professional and personal growth.
Leaders should be aware of their own behavioral styles and how they impact personal learning and the ways they interact with others in a teaching setting. If you would like to know more about the DiSC© assessment or your behavioral styles give me a call or post to this blog. Let’s keep learning together!
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Coping with Stress
We all know that stress is a part of our lives – it seems inevitable. Leaders, because of our positions and roles in organizational life, likely encounter more than the average number of situations that could agitate or frustrate us. Wouldn’t it be nice if some magical Monday morning we arrived at work and all of our stress producing circumstances were gone? Since that won’t happen we need to learn how to effectively cope with the stress, not just minimize it but also actually find new ways to deal with it.
I recently completed a Coping & Stress Profile® in preparation for a training event. It helped me examine four coping resources that affect the relationship between stress and satisfaction: problem solving, communication, closeness, and flexibility. Research has found that the greater the level of each coping resource, the greater the level of satisfaction, regardless of the level of stress.
Problem solving is the ability to directly address difficult situations and make positive changes to resolve them. I scored high to moderate in my personal and work lives in this resource. This means that I tend to face issues and disappointments directly and look for ways to deal with them. My problem-solving skills actually help to reduce stress at work and at home.
Communication is the act of sharing ideas and expressing emotions to other people in order to promote mutual understanding. Here I scored high in both work and personal situations likely because I am willing to honestly share and also listen carefully to others. Stress can be reduced through effective communication.
Closeness refers to the degree of mutual support that one has with their peers. In this area my personal scores were low while my work scores were high. It’s interesting to note that in my personal life I prefer private time while at work I am more willing to engage with a team. Perhaps my chosen profession has encouraged me to learn these stress coping skills at work.
Flexibility is the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. Here again my personal and work scores were low and high respectively. Perhaps my need to be organized has been influenced by the many challenging and ever-changing situations that I face with clients and work colleagues. Obviously being flexible is an effective stress coping resource.
I’m sharing these results because I know there is work for me to do in the area of stress management. Even if my scores are high in certain resource areas it will require intentional effort to keep them there and to increase the scores that are low in my personal life. These past few weeks have been busy and more stressful than usual. Knowing that I have these resources available to help me cope has been a blessing.
Leaders should not wish for an absence of stress. Instead we should identify these four coping resources and learn how to use them to keep stress at bay and to improve our satisfaction with life. I can assist you to access the assessment instrument when you are ready. Just give me a call or comment to this post.
I recently completed a Coping & Stress Profile® in preparation for a training event. It helped me examine four coping resources that affect the relationship between stress and satisfaction: problem solving, communication, closeness, and flexibility. Research has found that the greater the level of each coping resource, the greater the level of satisfaction, regardless of the level of stress.
Problem solving is the ability to directly address difficult situations and make positive changes to resolve them. I scored high to moderate in my personal and work lives in this resource. This means that I tend to face issues and disappointments directly and look for ways to deal with them. My problem-solving skills actually help to reduce stress at work and at home.
Communication is the act of sharing ideas and expressing emotions to other people in order to promote mutual understanding. Here I scored high in both work and personal situations likely because I am willing to honestly share and also listen carefully to others. Stress can be reduced through effective communication.
Closeness refers to the degree of mutual support that one has with their peers. In this area my personal scores were low while my work scores were high. It’s interesting to note that in my personal life I prefer private time while at work I am more willing to engage with a team. Perhaps my chosen profession has encouraged me to learn these stress coping skills at work.
Flexibility is the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. Here again my personal and work scores were low and high respectively. Perhaps my need to be organized has been influenced by the many challenging and ever-changing situations that I face with clients and work colleagues. Obviously being flexible is an effective stress coping resource.
I’m sharing these results because I know there is work for me to do in the area of stress management. Even if my scores are high in certain resource areas it will require intentional effort to keep them there and to increase the scores that are low in my personal life. These past few weeks have been busy and more stressful than usual. Knowing that I have these resources available to help me cope has been a blessing.
Leaders should not wish for an absence of stress. Instead we should identify these four coping resources and learn how to use them to keep stress at bay and to improve our satisfaction with life. I can assist you to access the assessment instrument when you are ready. Just give me a call or comment to this post.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)