A New Year – New Goals or New Excuses?

It is time to take stock on how you performed in the past 12 months.  How did you do?

Often people set goals every January with the very best intentions of achieving them. We have all learned over the years the importance of writing our goals down, having clear outcomes and setting milestones to help us step by step to success.

 So what happens?  Often a strong start then nothing!

Having written goals is only part of the equation.  One of the most important elements of setting powerful goals is to tie them to your values and get connected to why you want to achieve the goal in the first place.  By taking the time to ask yourself questions like: “Why is this important?” “What difference with this make?” will give you the fuel you need when the going gets tough.

And the going will get tough at times, especially if it is something that takes you out of your comfort zone.

SMART goals have been taught to leaders, managers and employees for many years and while they are somewhat effective, there are other components that go a long way to help keep you on track.  Listed below are a few questions to help to ensure success.

Ask yourself:

Do the results I will achieve once I achieve my goal energize me?

How passionate am I to achieve my goal?

How personally committed to my results?

Is my intention clear?

Will I be in integrity with my commitments? (say what I will do and do what I say)

What structure have I put in place to support me? (a way to measure milestones)

What is the opportunity for growth?  What difference will that make in my life?

Do I have an unstoppable attitude?  How do I know?

How do I intend to track my program?

Have I created a step by step action plan?

Who can support me in achieving my goal?

What are any possible obstacles?  What can I put in place to be sure they don’t stop me?

At the end of the day there is only two things you can have – Reasons or Results.  You can have the results you set out to achieve or the reasons why you didn’t achieve them.  It is really about self leadership.

You choose.

Often the smallest steps forward can make a huge difference.  If you think about a horse race, the winner wins by a nose, or in the Olympics it can be a few seconds that makes all the difference.

What little step can you talk today to move you closer to your goal?

In December 2013, what do you want to look back on?  A year of results or reasons?  I suspect you want results!!!

Athena Alliance Members –
A Closer Look at Scott Kress

Since I started the Athena Alliance blog talk radio show I have had the opportunity to share with our listeners the expertise of our diverse group of trainers, facilitators, coaches and consultants.  Each member has a profile featured on our website and for upcoming blogs I will share with our readers a more personal look at some of our partners and in no particular order.

Scott Kress

When I first sat down to determine the types of training that I would need to offer though my alliance, I knew immediately that team building was something I absolutely must have.  I started asking around to the other trainers and coaches I knew if they could recommend anyone.  Within one week I had four people recommend Scott Kress.  I immediately called Scott to set up a time to meet.  He was clearly passionate about what he did.  Before meeting Scott I really didn’t fully understand the depth that a properly designed team building program could produce.  Scott and his team deliver showcases several times a year so people can actually experience their programs.  I found out the date of the next showcase and registered.

The morning went fast and I was amazed at how effectively he facilitated all the activities to real life experiences.  I brought Scott into the alliance the following week.  A few months after I brought Scott and his team on board, I got a call from a client who was having challenges with his inside and outside sales teams.  During the assessment I discovered that the inside sales people thought the outside sales people didn’t really work (mostly smoozed and played golf) and the outside sales people thought the inside people were slow and incompetent.  The manager shared that these attitudes were having a negative impact on customer service and sales in general.  He asked for my recommendation, and I recommended an high ropes course with Scott’s team.  I made the introduction and Scott delivered an exceptional program.  I got a call from my client and he said that Scott and his team moved his team forward at least six to eight months in only two says.  He said he could have looked for days on the internet and not found a better connection.

Scott has been with me since the beginning and now also teaches Leadership, and Organizational Change for the Rotman School of Management, Odette School of Business and the Edinburgh Business School.

As if he wasn’t busy enough, Scott was the 51^st  Canadian to summit Mount Everest  and the 18^th Canadian to climb the 7 summits (the highest mountain on each of the 7 continents).  He brings his climbing experience to all that he teaches.  Scott is no ordinary facilitator!!!!

To review Scott’s Profile click here: www.athenatrainingandconsulting.com/alliance-partners/scott-kress

For the month of September I thought I would make it “Ten Tips Month.”   I will share with our readers ten tips to enhance team building ideas, customer service skills, leadership development and sales coaching skills.  Some of these tips may be new ideas to you and others may be reminders of the importance of the things you are already doing.  As I say in my workshops “We all know things, what is most important is what we do with what we know.”

Leadership Development

There many books, articles and programs on being an effective leader.  I think that this is an area where most of us have growth opportunities.  We are all leaders in our own lives and the following tips on effective leadership can apply in both personal and business situations.

1)      Be the Change  – it is very important to walk your talk and model the attitudes and behaviors you want to inspire and have demonstrated in others.  Be true to your vision/mission.

2)      Listen more – the greatest gift you can give to anyone is the gift of listening.  Giving someone the experience of being heard is a very powerful way to build rapport and respect.

3)      Clear Communication– the ability to clearly communicate your message is paramount to being a successful leader.  One needs to ensure their message is understood.  I often think about the number of mistakes that could be prevented if all of us were more careful with our communication and taking responsibility that the listener has understood us.

4)      Can-Do Attitude – having a positive attitude is much more than thinking positive thoughts.  (although that is extremely important) It also important to consistently communicate what you want versus what you don’t want.  Often people focus on what is missing or what they can’t do.  Focusing more on what you can do is very important and can yield surprising results.

5)      Know yourself – we all have our areas of strengths and areas for improvement.  Take the time to understand yourself and learn the most effective ways of doing things and look at effective ways to manage those areas that you are less proficient in.

6)      Inspire others – we all have leaders that inspire us.  Ask yourself.  “What is it about that person that touches me?”  Then look at ways to develop those attributes in yourself so you can also inspire others.  Most people are inspired by leaders that are authentic.

7)      Open to new ideas – sometimes we can get stuck in a rut in our thinking or our actions.  Often we can stretch ourselves more when we are open to new ideas that may take us out of our comfort zones.

8)      Give regular feedback – letting people know how they are doing is very critical to encouraging employees to continue more with what is working and change what is not.  I frequently hear that the supervisor/manager doesn’t provide any feedback to an employee.  This can be one of the causes of an employee becoming disengaged.

9)      Have  fun – personally I think work should be fun.  As a leader if employees see you smiling, laughing and enjoying your job it can send a strong message that although everyone works hard, it is OK to have fun at work.

10)   Celebrate – publically celebrate and acknowledge the day to day victories of your employees.  I was recently in the lobby of a large organization waiting for an appointment and noticed a large TV screen on the wall.  A video was playing and it was acknowledging employees various contributions during the last month.  Big happy smiling faces on the screen communicated to me that this company looked like an engaging place to work.

By Cindy Stradling CSP, CPC

WOW!!!  What an Alliance!

When I first started the Athena Alliance seven years ago I had no idea what great relationships and wonderful people I would have the privilege of working with.  I often hear from my partners what wonderful customers we have.  I couldn’t agree with them more.  We have been able to support small , mid-size and large organizations with a plethora of various training programs, coaching agreements and Human Resources consulting support.

I can remember the first time I met one of my long standing customers.  She was new in her position and had a mandate to create a learning culture for this mid-size construction company.  Her energy and passion for creating a powerful college was infectious.  Every alliance partner has consistently commented on how fantastic it is to work with her and their employees.  She loved the alliance concept right from the beginning and could see how aligning with me could save her a lot of time and also have trust that the trainers and coaches I introduced her to would be able to deliver the customized solutions she required.

To date she has contracted our alliance partners to provide training in the following areas:

• Leadership (many areas)
• Listening skills
• Power hours
• Empowerment programs for the Admin team
• Priority/time management
• Business writing
• Disc
• Presentation Skills
• Mentoring program
• Outlook

Every year we sit together and discuss what they have accomplished in the past year and what they want to focus on in the coming year.  I then get to work with my partners to make sure she has the partnerships she needs to make it happen.   She is such a delight to work with and we are all grateful for the opportunity to provide the ongoing support for this organization. 

Just one more reason I love what  I do!!!

By
Cindy Stradling CSP, CPC

True Colors – GOLD

Assessments : So Many Choices
by Cindy Stradling

There are hundreds of assessment tools in the market today and depending on the results you are looking for there is one that can provide participants and managers with a better understanding of each other’s person communication style, strengths, areas for growth and preferences.  One of my favourites is still True Colors when you are looking for an easy to administer and fun way to learn about yourself and others on your team.  For the month of May I have decided to provide details about each of the four colors Blue, Orange, Gold and Green.  As you read through the details each color, identify what is most like you and least like you.  Have fun!

Communication with a GOLD

Setting the tone

Clear expectations, short & long-term goals, specific action plans

Hierarchical structure, clear roles

Feedback Techniques

Specific measures of performance, achievements

Clear, specific feedback re accomplishments, contributions

Regular, consistent “pats on back”

Praise for

Accomplishments

Thoroughness, responsibility

Contributions  to growth of organization

Rewards

Tangible

Traditions, rituals, ceremonies

Values

Orderliness, organization, structure

Stability, traditions, loyalty, commitment

Reliability, dependability, diligence

Accountability, efficiency

Accuracy, perfection

Dignity, culture, heritage, tradition

Fairness, honest, integrity

Doing things for others

Home, family

Assets, wealth, security

Preferred Environments

Structure, efficiency

Clearly defined personal space

Sufficient storage, well-organized

Permanence, stability

Clocks, notice boards, schedules

Rewards for accomplishments

Recognition for work ethic

Message, communication systems

Team Building

Co-operative team player – completer, great planner and time manager

Establish orderly environment

Be on time

Give frequent, specific feedback

Offer examples and facts

Provide sufficient resources

Avoid infringing on home life

Provide leadership, clear direction

Gradually introduce changes

Learning Styles

Prefers structure, rules, routine

Quiet, orderly, uninterrupted environment

Traditional directed instruction

Worksheets, textbooks, charts

Likes to share in responsibility

Step-by-step: needs the basics first

Wants to “do it right”

Prefers regular, ongoing feedback

Evaluation via tests, quizzes

Recognition for being on task

Content, not theory, is key

Characteristics

Generous, parental, responsible

Realistic, pragmatic, practical, decisive

Predictable, steadfast, concerned

Reserved, usually calm, patient

Trustworthy, punctual

Playful, organized, always prepared

Maintain “status quo”, dependable

Practice the “work ethic”

Conscientious, accurate, thorough, neat

Procedural, orderly

Skills

Time management

Following procedures and rules

Project implementation, follow-through

Supervising, coordinating

Guarding, caretaking, securing

Handling detail, doing routine work

Accounting, collecting data

Dispatching

Interests

Providing service

Results-oriented

Practical application

Groups, association, institutions, teams

Collecting, organizing data and things

Cultural events, traditional celebrations

Leadership Style

Expects punctuality, order

Expects staff to stick to job descriptions

Fosters loyalty, tradition

Seldom questions traditional standards

Rules-oriented

Minimal conflict

Threatened by change

Rewards and Motivators

Rewards based on loyalty and hard work

Security (job, family), time for home, family

Structure, rules, routine

Clearly defined expectations, step-by-step

Traditional directed instruction

Shared responsibility, serving others

Being prepared, doing it right

Recognition for being on task

Content, not theory is key

Stressors

Non-conformity, disobedience

Unpredictability, ambiguity, chaos

Incomplete tasks, ignored deadlines

Insufficient time to complete tasks

People who don’t follow through

Lack of closure, structure, direction

Irresponsibility of others, disloyalty

Haphazard attitudes, surprises

Acceptance of poorly performed tasks

Too many questions, insufficient info

Disorganization, waste, inefficiency

“Out of Esteem” Behaviours

(or what others might see when you’re having a bad day)

Complaining, self-pity

“Victim” attitude

Anxiety, worry, depression

Fatigue

Psychosomatic problems

Malicious judgments about self, others

Herd mentalityà blindly following leader

Authoritarianism, phobic relations

Refusing to co-operate, withdrawal

At Work

Accurate, thorough, neat

Procedural, orderly

Pragmatic, service-provider

Results oriented, responsible

Establish and organize institutions

Want rewards based on loyalty and hard work

Careers – Professional

Accountant, auditor, banker

School counselor, teacher

Librarian, archivist, curator

Doctor, dentist, nurse, chiropractor

Therapist (occupational, physio)

Administrator, manager

Lawyer, judge

Computer programmer

Careers – Vocational

Clerk (stats, payroll, claims)

Receptionist, secretary, reservations

Data entry, telephone operator

Police, court reporter

Bank teller, cashier, bookkeeper

Agent, broker (real estate, insurance)

Dental hygienist, radiology technician

Recreational therapist

Air traffic controller

True Colors – Orange

Assessments:  So Many Choices
by Cindy Stradling

There are hundreds of assessment tools in the market today and depending on the results you are looking for there is one that can provide participants and managers with a better understanding of each other’s person communication style, strengths, areas for growth and preferences.  One of my favourites is still True Colors when you are looking for an easy to administer and fun way to learn about yourself and others on your team.  For the month of May I have decided to provide details about each of the four colors Blue, Orange, Gold and Green.  As you read through the details each color, identify what is most like you and least like you.  Have fun!

Communication with a ORANGE

Setting the tone

Short-term, outcome-based goals

High, challenging expectations

Feedback Techniques

Focus on performance vs product

Clear outcome measures

Praise for

Impact of performance on org.

Cleverness, skill, versatility

Quickness, spontaneity, timeliness

Rewards

Tangible

Competitive challenges

Freedom to take action

Values

Action, expediency

Freedom for self-expression

Play, excitement, variety

Physical movement

Cleverness, skillfulness

Agility, precision

Spontaneity, immediate rewards

Performance, results

Quick completion of tasks

Preferred Environments

Unstructured, modularized, open

Colourful, innovative, changing

High energy, lots of movement

Lots of equipment, hands-on

Displays of awards, trophies

Freedom to take action

Room to negotiate

Team Building

Positive energizing – understand their gifts, strengths and needs

Define “what” needs to be done

Reminders re long-term tasks

Provide brief, specific answers

Allow for creativity and action

Provide challenge

Allow leadership, taking charge

Solicit input before decisions

Focus on bottom-line

Avoid too much analysis or detail

Learning Styles

Hands-on games and activities

Fun, excitement, competition

Finds structure and routine difficult

Prefers variety in instruction

Immediate, real world application

Enjoys simulations, entertainment

Learns by doing, field trips

Content is key

Characteristics

Determined, driven, decisive, efficient

Takes the initiative, direct, straight-forward

Independent, self-confident, positive

Realistic, practical, expeditious

Competitive, great endurance

Spontaneous, fun-loving, charming, witty

Non-judgmental, open, enthusiastic

Risk-taker, courageous

Capable in a crisis, resilient, flexible

Skilful, particularly with hands

Negotiator, entrepreneurial

Skills

Managing multiple projects at once

Producing, manufacturing, constructing

Operating tools, repairing

Instinctive finding opportunities

Selling, persuading, negotiating

Public speaking

Competing, manipulating

Responding to emergencies

Interests

Trouble-shooting, problem-solving

Active sports, adventures

Competition

Simulations

High performance

Challenge

FUN!

Leadership Style

Will delegate and follow-up

Expects quick action and flexibility

Works in the present

Performance-oriented

Welcomes change

Quickly institutes change

Expects people to make work fun

Rewards and Motivators

Visible results

Opportunity for creativity

Freedom to take action, being in charge

Challenges, variety, risks

Hands-on games and activities

Fun, excitement, competition

Immediate real world application

Content (not theory or process) is key

Stressors

Personal restrictions, lack of freedom

Unnecessary routine, rigid time lines

Rigidity, authority, close supervision

Slow decisions, criticism

Waiting, inactivity, slow pace

Repetition, rehearsal, redundancy

Lack of resources, insufficient $

Activities that lack challenge, NO FUN

Inflexibility, lack of options

Theoretical, philosophical discussions

“Out of Esteem” Behaviours

(or what others might see when you’re having a bad day)

Rudeness, defiance

Intentionally breaking the rules

Running away, dropping out

Use of stimulants

Lying, cheating

Physical aggressiveness

At Work

Flexible

Energetic

Enthusiastic

Esteemed by recognition

Appreciated for creativity

Validated by visible results

Key characteristic is skillfulness

Careers – Professional

Advertising, marketing

Public relations, public speaking

Mediator, labour relations

Teaching – dance, PE, trades

Athlete, coach, sports nutritionist

Painter, sculptor, musician, actor

Illustrator, video producer

Careers – Vocational

Mechanic, carpenter, electrician

Broadcast technician, disk jockey

Fashion illustrator, cosmetologist

Interior designer, jewelry maker

Truck driver, sales representative

Paramedic, police, firefighter

Bartender, waitperson

Child-care worker

Humour, Attention and Engagement

Humour gets attention and is engaging.  Engagement is a key to learning, advertising, leadership, and team work. If you are not integrating humour into some core business functions in appropriate ways you are loosing time and money.

Humour important to Learning

Students at the (not a particularly funny field of study) strongly agreed that humor usage was engaging and motivating (88%), increased material retention (60%), did not decrease attendance (93%) and enhanced the overall learning experience (78%).

Humour gets Attention

The BBC says that a regular Web user has the attention span of a goldfish. According to Stephen Jones, editor of Growth Strategies, humor can increase attention by 700%. Getting attention is key to selling, motivating and persuading. Half of the world’s most impactful ads are humorous; whereas just 1 percent of the least impactful ads are humorous. Other studies prove that 94% of advertising practitioners see humor as an effective way to gain attention. Both the viral video and experiential marketing trends and campaigns also make use of humour.

Humour and Working

Why do 98% percent of CEO’s prefer job candidates with a sense of humour? Because 84% think that those with a sense of humour do better work. And more than three-quarters of workers believe that companies that promote fun at work are more effective than companies that do not. Are you a leader who promotes fun at work?

Snoozing

Seventy one percent of business people admit to having fallen asleep during a business presentation. It may just have been a big lunch that put them to sleep or it may have been the content or delivery. Change the content, delivery or deliverer. Or find ways to wake them up. Fortune 500 companies in the lowest quartile in profitability had 50% fewer engaged employees compared to those in the top quartile.

Most Laughter Improvised

Eighty to ninety percent of laughter does not follow anything related to a joke, story telling or anything intended to be funny. Most everyday laughter is an unexpected improvised process. The trick to this is having enough presence and confidence. The good news is that you don’t need to tell jokes.

Humour in Emails

Our advice is to keep humour out of emails unless you have a positive relationship with your intended recipient. Fifty six percent of humour fails in emails because humour is dependent on body language, tone of speech and appropriate pausing. These critical factors are absent in emails.

Make Humor Relevant

Make the humour relevant to the message and the audience. Studies have shown that the less the intended humour relates to the message, the more likely people will remember that ‘funny ad’ or ‘funny trainer’ but not remember the content. You might be getting attention at the cost of your message.

Sarcasm

Sarcasm can be humorous but there is often some form of negativity behind sarcasm, bitterness or past grievance. Sarcasm can be a symptom of a dysfunctional team or relationship and the best way to get at this issue is to engage actively in conflict. Ask yourself, is my humour inclusive? Does it bring people together or does it create divisions?

Creating Engagement

Laughter is 30 times more frequent in social than solitary situations. Strive then to capitalize on opportunities to use humour strategically in training, communications, meetings, and in marketing. On a personal, tactical level, remember that the truth is usually funnier than fiction so start by taking yourself and your life less seriously. Then, apply that same lesson to finding ways to bring out the natural humour and laughter of the people in your team, audience or market.

Truth Funnier than Fiction

I was asked to deliver a workshop on the topic of humour for a telecommunications company. I asked them why they wanted a workshop on humour and they replied: “You’ll know when you get here.”

One of the great things about running the Athena Alliance is the vast amount of knowledge and sharing.  For the summer months I thought I would like to share with you some of the great articles written by my Alliance Members.  On May 21^st 2008 our Alliance Partner, Scott Kress stood on top of the world, he had just successfully climbed Mount Everest.  He shares with us his experience and his learning.

Learning In Thin Air
by Scott Kress

It was a pretty amazing site to see the world from that height; the same height at which commercial jets fly. I could see hundreds of mountains, the arid Tibetan plateau and the curvature of the earth. I was exhausted, but overjoyed at the same time.

I am not an exceptional athlete, nor am I not blessed with super human genes, I am just a normal person with a dream. My dream was to climb Mount Everest. Like many people with big dreams I did not really expect it would come true. I had climbed mountains all around the world and even guided for a while, but I always felt Everest was out of my league. Then life happened and I changed my view.

In the spring of 2005 my father was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He was admitted to the hospital and died a few short months later. It was too quick, he was too young (61). I was shocked that something like this could happen. I started to think about my mortality. Then I was also diagnosed with cancer. Mine was caught early and with a couple quick surgeries I was cancer free, but the shaky hold we have on life would stay with me. I resolved to live out my dream of climbing Everest.

I set out for Nepal in March with four friends. Our intention was to climb the North East Ridge in Tibet, but the Chinese Government had different ideas and cancelled our climbing permit at the last moment. They were fearful that we would interfere with their attempt to carry the Olympic Torch to the summit as part of the international torch relay. We quickly re-grouped and secured a permit to climb Everest from Nepal via the South Col and the Southeast Ridge.

Arriving at Base camp on April 9 we set up our home for the next seven weeks. We began to make climbs higher and higher on the mountain to acclimatize to the lower levels of oxygen and pressure and to stock our higher camps with gear, food, and oxygen. I traveled through the infamous Ice Fall, spend time at our rugged Camp 2, climbed the deadly Lhotse face and slept at the spectacular Camp 3. I was now acclimatized and ready to make my attempt on the summit.

Once the Chinese made the summit with the torch we were allowed to go for the top. After Camp 3 I strapped on supplemental oxygen and marvelled at the increase in my strength. I had not noticed how debilitating the lack of oxygen had been. My trip to Camp 4 was exciting and full of anticipation of what would come.

Once in Camp 4 I spent several hours resting, drinking, and eating and then departed for the summit at 9pm. The full moon shown bright and led the way through the dark. The night was relatively warm, but my toes were still going numb. After 10 hours of climbing I reached the top. I slumped down in the snow too tired to celebrate, but I had made it.

Our team put four out of five climbers on the top. We were very successful and I attribute this success to several factors. We worked as a team and supported one another and we did not succumb to the rumours and drama all around us. I dared to dream and with careful planning and attention to detail, I made it.

Lessons learned on the world’s highest mountain:

1) Leadership is a critical factor in determining the team culture.

2) Team dynamics will strongly influence personal commitment and level of risk adversity

3) A strong team culture enables the team members to better deal with change and challenge

4) At least 50% of success is dependent upon leadership and team development

5) Open communication helps leaders make better decisions and helps team members commit to the decisions

6) Open communication also enables the leader to learn of challenges as they arise and alternative views and ideas

7) No one can climb alone, it takes a team to make it to the top