Monthly Archives: May 2013

First Quarter Over – How Are You Doing? By Cindy Stradling CSP, CPC

For those who create their annual plans based on the calendar year, we have just completed the first quarter. 

How did you do?  

Are you on track? 

Have you checked your progress?

Are you still engaged and interested?

One of the most important activities with goal setting is tracking performance.  Now is a great time to review what’s working and not working so you can adjust whatever needs to be adjusted to get you back on track with you goals.  Now is the time to pull out your plan and see how you’ve done.

Here are key questions to ask:

1)    Have the goals been achieved to date?  If yes – celebrate and acknowledge the progress.  If No: the following questions should be considered:

2)    Are the goals achievable in the given timeframe? Are they still realistic? If yes then how will you achieve them) (create action steps). If No, what needs to happen differently?

3)    Do the timelines still work or should they be changed?

4)    Are there adequate resources to realize the goal? (e.g, money, manpower, equipment)

5)    What priorities need to change to shift the focus to this plan?

6)    Are the goals still a priority or have things changed?

7)    What has been learned this first quarter that can be applied to ensure the success of the second quarter.

8)    What is the date of the follow up for the second quarter?

All the activities, discussions and changes done during a milestone check in should be documented and kept for reference at the next check in.  This will make sure any recurring issues can be highlighted and address. 

One of my favourite thought leaders Brian Tracy compares setting and achieving goals to that of a flight plan of an airline pilot.  They are off course more than they are on, yet they still reach their destinations.  Why?  Because they have a plan and they are prepared to deal with whatever turbulence that comes their way. In fact Brian estimates we are off as much as 99% of the time.  I often think of this analogy when I find myself off track towards my goals.  By taking a deep breath, review my plan and get back on track as quickly as possible works for me. 

What about you?  What gets you back on track?

“In order for you to reach this unlimited potential, your first and greatest responsibility to yourself is to become absolutely clear about what it is that you really want.  When you are absolutely clear about who you are, what you want, and where you want to go, you will accomplish ten times as must as the average person, and much faster as well” Brian Tracy

“Self Leadership” By Cindy Stradling CSP, CPC

I have written about the subject of self leadership in previous blogs and I think it is an area where we all need reminders from time to time.  What I am referring to by self leadership is to know yourself (your areas of strengths and also the areas where you need additional support) so you can put structures in place to help when you get off track.

So much of what we do is habitual and unconscious and when we want to make positive changes we can be challenged if we are not aware of the choices we are making.  Have you ever had the experience where you have done or said something only to question yourself later “what was that all about?”  I know I have and it becomes a nuisance when it happens repeatedly.

In all of my training programs we spend time looking at our choices. My philosophy on this is that we only have two choices: we can choose reasons or results.  Participants will often push back and say they have good reasons for not meeting their objectives.  I challenge them to look closer and when they do they often agree they are excuses, not real reasons.

Over twenty years ago I attended a workshop led by Jack Canfield and I can remember a phrase he used “if it is to be, it is up to me.” Simple phrase, lasting impact.  To this day I remember that saying and it motivates me to keep taking the actions I know to do so I can achieve the results I want in my life.

Here are five tips to help develop more self leadership:

1)    Know who you are and take full responsibility for your life.  This includes how our think, speak as well as how you ask.  Be a role model for others.

2)    Clarity – be clear about what you want to accomplish and how you will spend your time. Focus on the activities that align with your values.  Develop the confidence to say “no” when the request doesn’t serve you.

3)    Live with integrity and authenticity.  Say what you’ll do and do what you say not only helps build self esteem and self leadership, it gains respect from others.

4)    Manage your emotions and exercise empathy.  I love the Buddhist’s saying “This too shall pass.”  When we have developed powerful self leadership skills we are able to manage our emotions appropriately and at the same time have empathy for what others may be going through.

5)    Develop the grace of gratitude. Be thankful for what you have accomplished and you will radiate self confidence and experience higher levels of self esteem.

I wish I could say I am perfect at being my powerful self, but I can’t.  I am a work in progress.  I have come a long way and feel very grateful for what I have accomplished. I get up excited each day for what the day will bring!  I know my success will be directly in alignment with the choices I make and I will continue to check in with myself to make sure I am getting the results I want.

What about you?  What do you want Reasons or Results?

“Listening” The Greatest Leadership Gift All By Cindy Stradling CSP, CPC

When I participated in my Alliance Partner’s listening program I gained some great insights into the overall affects of really listening to others.  As a trained coach I had already developed some pretty good listening habits and like most things in life there is a way to take it to the next level.  I still remember and apply her tips for listening.

What I learned was one of the most common mistakes people make is to finish other people’s sentences. Effective leaders are busy and often want to move the conversation along more quickly.  Unfortunately this can be interpreted as rude or arrogant.  This can be very annoying to the speaker and can create unnecessary tension and cause others to disconnect.  The greatest gift anyone in a leadership role can do is to give their employees the experience of being heard. This is particularly important in a sales or customer service role when there is an issue to be resolved. Customers want to feel you listened to them!

Listening effectively can substantially reduce misunderstanding and costly mistakes.  Have you ever been in a hurry and given instructions to someone and what they did was not what you asked for?  I know it has happened to me more than once.  Think of the mistakes that can be avoided by actively listening and paraphrasing back your understanding.

Here are some tips on listening more effectively:

• Demonstrate you are listening with your body – relax, make eye contact and use appropriate gestures to indicate you are engaged
• Set your intention to listen and eliminate any distractions
• Your listening intention affects how you perceive, and are perceived. Listen with the intention of connecting with the speaker
• Ask an open ended question that will deepen the understanding of what is being said
• Paraphrase for understanding
• Remember you have two ears and one mouth for a reason.  There will be times that you are the talker and will want others to listen to you.  Give what you want to get.

Since taking the program and identifying where I needed to improve I make a conscious choice to listen more empathetically and actively.  Often a sales call the person I am meeting with will share with me personal things and it is like our conversation is happening in a bubble.  We seem to connect at a very different level and they will often say “I don’t know why I am sharing this with you.”  I personally believe it is because we created great rapport and truly listened to one another.  Like my title says “It IS the greatest gift we can give to another person.”  Start to really pay attention to how you listen and practice some of the tips above and experience the difference.

To Laugh or Not to Laugh?  That is the Question

by Cindy Stradling CSP, CPC

It is common knowledge that humour is good for us.  It can go a long way to reduce stress and lighten up a difficult situation.  Laughing can help employees connect with one another and also helps them be more in the present moment.  Sometimes a joke can completely change the outcome of a situation.  The old adage “Laughter is the Best Medicine” is still true today.

Often, though we may not think of funny and leadership in the same sentences.  After all running a company can be very serious business. Effective leaders know how to use humour to set the tone and send the powerful message that “work can be fun.”  There is however a time and place and of course any jokes should be office appropriate. Sometimes we can all get so caught up in what we are doing that we forget to take time to laugh.  Ask yourself

• When was the last time I had a good laugh with my co-workers?
• If you are a leader, what can you do to lighten things up once in a while?
• On a scale between 1 – 10 (with 1 been deadpan boring and 10 being off the charts hilarious), how would you rate your company/department on a “fun place to work scale?”  If you are not sure look around, what do you see, are people serious all the time or do you see people smiling and enjoying working together.

I have worked with a lot of organizations that have lost the “sense of play” due the serious nature of their business and difficult economic situations.  Those who have recognized the negative impact have taken steps to shift their culture and have yielded great results.  Happy employees can produce more effectively.

There are many reasons to add more humour to your day and here are my top five:

1)    It can help defuse a difficult or a sensitive situation.  Simply smiling and making a remark that would help those involved look at things with a little humour.  Of course the comments need to be completely appropriate.

2)    As a leader, being able to laugh at one self and show that you are human too can go a long way to connect with your employees. They are less likely to feel intimidated by you or your position.

3)    Great teams laugh together.  Encouraging fun activities both inside and outside the office can bond a team.  It can greatly enhance corporate culture and create memories that the team can look back on and have a good laugh.

4)    As a leader creating a culture that allows for laughter and fun in the workplace can be very motivating.  Energy is higher and people are more productive when they are happy.  If the opposite exists people can feel stifled and exhausted and can burn out.

5)    People will remember the key points of presentations when the leader is able to share a funny story from the past. An “in the good ole days” can show progress and provide a good laugh in the process.

“A sense of humour is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower