Catalyst Leadership Coaching

Resolve Dissolve and Pressing Pause

2011-05-31T21:57:49Z

My resolve at the beginning of the year to blog on a regular basis has dissolved. I have to face the fact that I’m just not willing to make the time to sit down and write a new post every week. However, I am finding the time to post on my Facebook page, so I hope you’ll “like” me over there.

I know I’m not the only one who has trouble doing everything they’d like to get done. I hear it from my clients all the time. In reality, we all have the same amount of time (24 hours a day), so it’s really about how we choose to spend it.

I’m a list maker and I keep a notebook of tasks I need to complete. I check off the tasks as I complete them. Tasks with externally imposed deadlines get done on time. Period. Tasks that I enjoy doing usually get checked off too. Then, there are the tasks that I never seem to get around to doing. I took a good look at these last month and made some decisions. For each item I asked myself if the task was REALLY important to my business and/or to my personal well-being. If the answer was no, it went bye-bye. If the answer was yes, I asked myself if I was the only person who could do it. If yes, I set a deadline to complete it. If no, I delegated it. For example, I hired someone to do my bookkeeping. Could I do it myself? Yes. Was I the only person who could do it? No. Was I keeping up with entering expenses, sending invoices, etc? No. Hence, the bookkeeper.

Now, about the blogging. You probably figured out that it didn’t make the cut as REALLY important. That might change in the future so I’ll keep the Blog active on my website. This isn’t goodbye. I’m just pressing pause.

Spring Cleaning

2011-04-30T21:20:32Z

A survey by home and office product company Brother International Corp. in April 2010 found that an estimated 38 hours per employee are lost looking for misplaced items in the office each year. Does that surprise you? Not me. The following is an excerpt form my April newsletter. If you aren’t getting my newsletter, sign up!

I was looking for a reference book in my office a few weeks ago. I looked everywhere I could think of and I still couldn’t find it. It really bothered me that I couldn’t find that book because I’m generally well organized. The book finally turned up a few days ago when I cleared a huge pile of papers off my work table. It was there all the time, but was hidden from my sight by all the other stuff on top of and around it. The whole incident got me to wondering what other stuff that might be hiding under my physical and mental clutter.

Tolerations are all those things and thoughts that is obscuring that we really want and need in our lives. I encourage you to take an honest inventory of your stuff, both physical and mental. What is bringing joy to your life and what is dragging you down?

Spring is a time of renewal. That which has lain dormant during the darkness of winter springs forth with fresh and vibrant growth. I wish the same for you.

Angry Women At Work

2011-04-08T23:27:25Z

I just finished reading an article in the April 4th edition of Time magazine, Go Ahead–Cry at Work. The author, Anne Kreamer, suggests that it’s next to impossible to check your emotions at the office door. After all, we are emotional beings. In fact, brain researchers have proven that without emotions, it is impossible for us to make decisions.

The article provides some interesting results from a national (U.S.) survey regarding emotions in the workplace. The most commonly experienced emotion at work is frustration. Based on the survey results and other research, it is more acceptable for men to express anger at work than it is for women. Men can yell and pound their fist on a table to release tension, but women aren’t supposed to do that. Nor is it OK for women to cry, even though they are biologically predisposed to express strong emotions by crying.

“…it’s no wonder that more than 50% of women reported being angry at work during the past year–for the moment, there is simply no socially acceptable way for women to express legitimate anger in the workplace.”

So, what’s a woman to do? When I was extremely frustrated or angry at work, I would go outside and pace until I cooled off. There were other times when I went to the parking lot, got in my car, and had a good cry. In other words, I hid my emotions from my co-workers. The few times that I did cry in front of co-workers, I felt embarrassed afterward. And, I could tell that my emotional display made them uncomfortable.

The survey data suggests that things may be changing and it is becoming more acceptable to bring your whole self to work. “69% of respondents felt that when someone gets emotional in the workplace, it makes the person seem more human, and a whopping 88% of all workers (93% of women and 83% of men) felt that being sensitive to others’ emotions at work is an asset.”

Are things changing? Do you think it’s OK for women to show anger and frustration at work?

Make Your Own Luck

2011-03-27T23:51:37Z

If you don’t subscribe to my monthly ezine, I’m sharing some of what you missed this month. Subscribe for the newsletter using the sign-up form on this site.

Do you consider yourself lucky? I do, but I don’t believe in luck in the traditional sense of some sort of random and mysterious force. Instead, I believe in making my own luck by being ready, willing, and able to take a chance at success. There is a famous quote by Seneca that expresses this same sentiment: “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

In my experience, the preparation part of this equation is easy. In fact, most of my clients are already ‘baked’ or well on their way. The challenge is in spotting and seizing opportunities when they arise. Why is this so challenging? One reason is because we have a fixed idea of what a good opportunity looks like, so we can’t see the myriad of possibilities that surround us every day. My advice: look for opportunities in disguise and believe in happy accidents.

Another big barrier to making our own luck is failing to act when an opportunity presents itself. This failure to act is almost always related to some kind of fear. Fear of failure, fear of looking stupid, fear of being found out, fear of rejection, fear of you fill in the blank. When you find yourself in this situation, remember the old saying, ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained.’ You have the choice to face your fears or stay safely and firmly stuck in the status quo.

So, go out and make your own luck this month!

More Ways to Support Your Team

2011-02-07T02:46:39Z

In my past post, I wrote about 5 ways to support your team through effective leadership. Here are 5 more ways:

Get out of the way. Stop being dazzled by your own brilliance. Let go and trust the power of teamwork.
Keep an open mind. Sometimes what looks like insanity may make a great deal of sense.
Make it easy for team members to get their jobs done. Clear the way by removing any barriers to productivity. Ensure the team has the resources it needs.
Choose your battles wisely. They’re a poor use of time. Issues that seem critical now often aren’t in the long run.
Spend time with your team. You’ll learn how to support them much better than by being aloof and alone in your office.

I’m sure this list is incomplete. What have I missed?

Support Your Team

2011-02-07T02:27:32Z

As a leader, how do support your team? Too often, I see leaders who mistakenly believe they are supporting their team when they do work that a team member could be doing. Rather than helping the team, the leader is cheating team members out of development opportunities.

A leader’s job is to ensure that the highest level goals of the organization are realized. As long as you are committed to the success of the group, you are leading. Below are 5 ways to support your “team,” whether that is a formalized project team or an informal grouping of employees.

Set direction; don’t give directions. Trying to tell everyone what to do is micromanaging, not leading.
Ask yourself the question: “Is what I’m doing helping the group to succeed?” Ask the group, too. If the answer is no, stop!
Remind the group why it exists. A team’s charter can sometimes get lost.
Align your team. Once goals are clear, help everyone match their part of the job to the goals.
Ask questions. Explore with real curiosity the link between members’ actions and the team’s goals.

Next week, I’ll share five more ways to support your team. In the meantime, feel free to chime in with some ideas of your own.

Great Leaders Are Better Thinkers

2011-01-18T20:25:35Z

Several of my coaching clients view me as their thinking partner, someone to help them organize their thoughts and clearly articulate those thoughts. We could all use a thinking partner, but entrepreneurs and those at the top of the organizational chart are the most in need.

It can get lonely at the top. Who can you trust? Who can you talk to when you are confused, fearful, uncertain? Probably not your direct reports. Your spouse? Maybe, but there are drawbacks. As a coach, I remind my clients that they have the answers they need. They just need to slow down, focus, and think. And, sometimes it really helps to think out loud with someone who can listen, ask questions, and help you connect the dots.

A Yale professor, William Deresiewicz, believes that the best leaders are also the best thinkers. In a commencement speech he gave at West Point, Deresiewicz said that “thinking means concentrating on one thing long enough to develop an idea about it.” Specifically, your own idea. Thinking requires concentration and focus. Asking yourself the tough questions and finding your own answers. Questions like these: What is the right thing to do? What are the implications my decision? Who am I being? What is important to me? Where am I getting in my own way?

If you’re not taking the time to ask yourself these kind of questions, maybe it’s time to slow down and think. Deresiewicz said to think better you need to talk to yourself and listen to your own voice. And, “one of the best ways to talk to yourself is by talking to another person. One other person you can trust, one other person to whom you can unfold your soul. One person you feel safe enough with to allow you to acknowledge things–to acknowledge things to yourself–that you otherwise can’t. Doubts you aren’t suppose to have, questions your aren’t supposed to ask.”

Do you have a thinking partner?

New Beginnings

2011-01-11T23:42:41Z

After a year-long hiatus from blogging, I’m back. And, what better day to start again than on 1-11-11? Last year was a bit like a rollercoaster ride for me with some exciting highs and some frightening lows. In 2010, my beloved father passed away and several good friends were diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses. Dark days, indeed.

2010 also brought me a healthy new grandson, profitable new business alliances, and professional accolades. Through it all, I was grateful to be able to share the joys and the sorrows with the special people in my life. The gift of 2010 was the deepening of many of my relationships – with family, friends, colleagues, clients, and with myself. And, that last relationship – the one between me and me – evolved and deepened the most.

Looking ahead to 2011, I’m confident that this will be a great year. I’ve got lots of things brewing, so stay tuned. Right now, I want to share something I learned last year that has me really excited about 2011. I’ve discovered a powerful process for identifying what is preventing you from getting what you really want. I’ll introduce you to this process during a complimentary 90-minute teleclass on Wednesday, January 26, 2011 at 12:00 noon Eastern. It doesn’t cost you anything to attend, so click here to sign up. If you can’t be on the call live, that’s OK. Go ahead and register and I’ll send you the recording. I hope to ‘see’ you on the call.

Want Raving Fans? Try Proactive Customer Service

2009-12-30T18:32:47Z

A few weeks ago I had a customer service experience that blew me away. As a result, I am now a raving fan of GoDaddy.

Several of my web domain names are registered at GoDaddy, but I’m only using two of them currently. A couple of years ago, I had asked GoDaddy to notify me if a certain domain name became available. In the meantime, I had decided that I no longer wanted that domain name. So, when I got an email from GoDaddy saying that my credit card had been charged for renewal of the notification service, I made a mental note to call GoDaddy and ask that the service be discontinued. Before the mental note got to my To Do List, I received a phone call from GoDaddy. The guy who called me said that he noticed the charge and suspected that I really didn’t want or need it anymore. He then asked me if I would like the service to be canceled and receive a refund. Wow! Of course, I said ‘yes’ and commented that I had never received proactive customer service before.

How could you be more proactive in serving your customers?

Women and MBA Degrees, Part II

2009-10-26T16:48:21Z

This blog post is a continuation of my look at women and MBA degrees. Part I looked at women who are currently in graduate school pursuing an MBA degree. You can read the previous post here.

Did you know that women account for only about a third of graduate business students in the United States? Why do you suppose men in the majority in MBA programs? It isn’t because women are being rejected by the schools. It’s because women aren’t applying to MBA programs at the same rate as men.

Given the fact that women are working outside the home in greater numbers than ever before, I was curious as to why more women weren’t seeking advanced business degrees.

I found an answer to that question in an article on cnnmoney.com by Anne Fisher. Fisher interviewed Elissa Sangster of the Forte Foundation to find out why women are reluctant to pursue MBAs. The Forte Foundation’s mission is to encourage women “to substantially increase the number of women business leaders by increasing the flow of women into key educational gateways and business networks.” The Forte Foundation was launched in 2001 after a study by the University of Michigan and Catalyst found four main reasons that women were not seeking MBA degrees. According to the article, these four reasons are still in play today.

Concerns about being about to handle responsibilities of home and work if they returned to school
Lack of female role models who have successfully managed this balancing act of home life, work, and school
Questions about whether they had the advanced math skills and quantitative background to handle MBA coursework
Little to no encouragement from employers to pursue an advanced degree

As I read this I couldn’t help but wonder if men have any of these same concerns. What do you think?