Rhythm Of Life – How It Works For Me!

Rhythm of Life (ROL)

Rhythm of Life is based on the thesis that every person has natural rhythms of energy for living and working. The more we are aware and cooperate with our natural rhythms the more energy we will have available for high impact times and the healthier and less stressed we will be.

ROL is based on the following assumptions:

  • No-one is a machine.
  • Everyone has natural rhythms
  • Everyone needs rest and time to replenish
  • We work to live rather than live to work (even when work is a huge passion)
  • Everyone needs time to build the relationships in their world.

ROL – How It Works For Me!

How does ROL work? Well, since everyone is different there will be variations but this is a framework that works for me.

One of the first things I had to deal with was my guilt. I had to admit that I felt guilty paying attention to looking after me. It took me a while to realise that looking after me is important and is actually the starting point for looking after the organisation/business. If I don’t look after me then that somehow gets communicated non-verbally to everyone else in my world in negative ways.

Start with your annual holidays. I learned the first thing to put on the calendar every year should be my holidays, usually 3 weeks after Christmas and then another week mid-year.  You can take all 4 at once though I always found it best to have a week away about 6-8 months apart from the longer holiday. ROL teaches that you do not fully unwind  from work and have time to refresh if you take less than 3 weeks away. And, ideally you do not stay in touch with work via Smartphone or email.

Plan travel carefully, especially getting away and re-entry. The second day after a trip or any energy expending activity should ideally not be a high demand day because that will be when energy levels drop and peak performance becomes difficult. If you don’t guard this, what suffers will be your health and your relationships with spouse and family.

Normal week:

  • At least 1 day off completely from work, (ideally 2)
  • At least 4 nights without meetings or work in which to relax and relate to family and friends
  • You map the high energy times in your week and make sure you rest before them
  • Do something relaxing on the night before your day off E.g. Friday night before Saturday. (The key to a good day off is winding down the night before.)
  • Have some activity in your life in which you can relax and totally lose yourself (sport, reading, gardening).
  • Make sure you are eating healthy nutritious food 80% of the time
  • Make sure you are getting some regular exercise (at least walking 30 minutes 4 times per week)

25 – 35 day Cycles

High energy people can work hard for up to 35 days (5 weeks) before they find themselves tired and not performing at their best. Others will start to fade a bit earlier. It is a matter of genes, family demands and mental and emotional capacity. No-one can keep on going forever or they will get sick, make poor decisions, put pressure on relationships, find they forget how to relax or can even become addicted to adrenalin.

To determine your work capacity you need to monitor yourself carefully and also ideally have a mentor who helps you to be self aware enough to realise when you are starting to fade. Don’t be like me and try to prove to everyone that you are a high capacity 35 days type when your natural rythm is more like 28. This is about self discovery and,with time and practice, self-empowerment.

So, every 25 – 35 days (whatever number fits you) plan a long weekend (3 nights) in which you take time out and do something different, something that you look forward to and get your mind and emotions away from work.

Rhythm of Life is very challenging for those who have allowed themselves to become defined by their work. Workaholics struggle not to work. They are energised by work. Often they are addicted to the purpose and adrenalin rush that their work gives them. However, it is rare for such people to have health happening across their life. The cost they pay for ignoring their Rhythm of Life is measured in poor health, weight problems, family relationship conflicts, inability to relax and often a lack of close friends.

If you are married as well as all of the above, you need to factor in at least 2 and ideally 3X2 night breaks (mini honeymoons, just you and your spouse) away from children, home and work throughout the year. The pressures of senior management positions takes more of a toll on marriages than anyone realises and these ‘honeymoons’ will go a long way to safeguarding the most important relationship in your life, your marriage.

     How have you learned to become aware and co-operate with the natural  rhythms of your life?

 

Creating Your Own Vision Board

A Vision Board Makes Your Vision Visual

We live in a highly visual age where communication and entertainment is done most powerfully through movies, television, billboards and via the internet. Therefore it makes sense for individuals (and organisations) to step up and present their vision in a visual format.

For larger organisations this can mean producing a video either with live footage or still pictures with a voice-over to enable your people to better catch your corporate vision.

For individuals the simplest form of this is a Vision Board.

A Vision Board can be as simple as pasting pictures and words on a sheet of cardboard so it becomes a visual representation of your desired future.

A Vision Board works most powerfully to motivate and inspire when it is done across your whole life: family, friends, finance, lifestyle, career, personal development, dream holidays, dream house, etc.

For highly visual people this is a MUST! As they say,  a picture paints a thousand words.

For everyone the process of doing this will assist you to make your personal vision more tangible and motivating.

There is no right or wrong way of making a vision board. The shape of it will be an expression of you.

So many people get sidetracked and often lost in the midst of the details of life. Some kind of visual representation of your personal vision is a very powerful way to keep yourself focused and motivated.

So, find some magazines, or search the free pictures on the internet and start creating your own Vision Board. You’ll be glad you did.

 

 

How Soft Skills (aka Leadership) Save Time And Make Money

How Soft Skills (a.k.a. Leadership) Save Time And Make Money!

Just recently, I was talking with a HR expert who works in Executive placement in larger companies. I asked him to estimate for me what it costs for a company to have the wrong person in a role and have to hire another person or to hire a person who is a bad fit for their team who only last 6 months?  He estimated that it costs at least $100,000 to the company in lost salary, momentum and reptutation (having 3 people in a role within 12 months).  Of course that figure could be far higher depending on whether the company was depending on this person to launch a major product or handle a major account.

This is an example of how the ‘Soft Skills’ are critical to a company or organisation’s success. A company is far more likely to hire the best people if they have:

  • Established and fleshed out very clear vision, mission, values and corporate culture (all soft skills).
  • Developed a strong leadership culture in which everyone is empowered to contribute (soft skills)
  • Built real teams where everyone is accountable to agreed outcomes, including the leader (again soft skills)
  • Have understood each current team member’s personality profile (using a tool like E-DISC) in order to establish clear communciation and heightened function (soft skills).
  • Worked out the kind of person they need to hire in terms of personality profile as well as skill set (soft skills).

Soft Skills are the key to growing your organisation.

The Soft SkillsSoft Skills (a.k.a. Leadership Skills) include:

  • People skills – learning to inspire, to relate, to communicate
  • Team building skills – learning how to work together, to build synergy
  • Relationship skills – connecting people to other people and to vision
  • Motivational skills – inspiring, challenging holding people accountable
  • Skills related to building culture and momentum – where everyone belongs and builds
  • Strategic planning skills – making the strategic plan a living working document
  • Skills related to empowering and releasing people to flourish
  • Mentoring skills – where everyone is learning and growing
  • Coaching skills – where everyone is lifted and challenged to be the best they can be

Every organisation needs technicians and managers with excellent skills in order to conduct their core business. Every organisation needs administration and financial management.

However, the truth is that while managers, administrators and technicians are necessary it takes Leaders with Leadership Skills to grow a business or organisation. That’s right – if you analyse the growth of any business or organisation in every case you will find that it’s a Leader using ‘Soft Skills’ that has been behind the growth.

This is why I find it difficult to understand why less than 40% of Australian Managers have had any specific Leadership training. (Worklife Magazine in 2010).

I believe that Leadership Development is the key to increased productivity in Australian businesses.

I believe that Leadership Development is the key for Not-for-Profits to become more effective in their fields and to maximise their funding dollar.

“Everything rises and falls on Leadership” according to Leadership author, John Maxwell.

So, yes, the Soft Skills do save time and make money. They are critical to every business and organisation. I wonder why it has taken us so long to know this.

For Effective Communication – HOW Is Often More Important Than WHAT!

HOW You Communicate Is Often More Important Than WHAT You Communicate.

We live with communication devices practically attached to our thumbs and yet in many ways communication has never been more difficult. Often the busyness and pressure of life can cause us to assume we are communicating if we send off a quick email or text. An unfortunate reality of 21st Century life is that it is easy to send of a tweet or post something on FaceBook without thinking through the possible implications of what we have communicated in what is essentially a public forum. In anger or in haste it is easy to hide behind the relative safety of just clicking send.

Every professional organisation needs a communication policy. No organisation can function effectively without healthy open communication. Unfortunately, we cannot leave it to the common sense of individuals because, as is often said, the problem with common sense is that it is not that common.

 

What is effective communication?

Communication is not just sending a message – by whatever means (spoken, written, delivered, posted, texted, etc).

Good communication covers the whole process of: sending a message -> gaining attention -> receiving the message -> understanding the message -> and acting appropriately to the message.

Who is responsible for effective communication?

The person trying to communicate is responsible. Obviously the hearer/receiver of communication shares some responsibility but the primary responsibility is on the initiator of the communication. Presumably they want a positive response to their communication, and so it is in their interest to ensure that their message is heard in such a way that the hearer can understand and respond meaningfully.

A few things to note about effective communication:

  • Not every communication method works well in every situation – E.g. if you want to let everyone know about a high priority emergency meeting you do not use email. If you need to know recipients have heard your message it is best to communicate by phone or at least text message.
  • Choose the appropriate method of communication for your purpose – E.g. if you wish to send a lot of detail that you want people to read to prepare for a future meeting or discussion then email is best (with a verbal reminder especially for those people who prefer verbal communication and therefore rarely read emails).
  • You need to know your audience in order to communicate well with them – E.g. you can communicate using in-jokes and assumptions about people’s response times when you are part of a small tight team. This becomes more difficult in larger looser teams.
  • What you should NEVER communicate by email, text, Facebook, Twitter: – Personal criticism, matters that should remain private, discussions about a third party, anything you may regret later (because it is so easily reproduced and sent to unauthorized third parties), unconfirmed facts, accusations, etc.
  • What you MUST communicate Face2Face – One-on-One – personal challenge, correction, bad news involving that person. To a group – anything that threatens organisational security, anything that should be discussed.  Motivational encouragement is best delivered F2F and praise to individuals or a group is best done here.
  • Acceptable ‘on the run’ communication – Good news, quick heads up about a previous conversation, emergencies (though what constitutes an emergency will often be disputed).
  • Unacceptable ‘on the run’ communication – Anything that requires a thought out decision. The larger the organisation, the less you can communicate this way. E.g. ‘Can I have next Friday off?’ requires a written application in larger organisations because there are so many possible implications to think through.

In an age of so many communication possibilities, organisations need a communication policy which not only focuses on WHAT is communicated but also on HOW messages are best communicated as well.

What insights have you to add to this discussion?

 

What Is Leadership?

What is Leadership?

Recent surveys suggest that between 45 and 70% of people in leadership positions within Australian companies have not received adequate leadership training. Companies will invest significant dollars into skills training but often require staff with leadership potential and aspirations to get training at their own time and expense. And they wonder why they have trouble retaining skilled staff and building a healthy company culture. Many companies still do not understand ‘what is leadership?’

What is Leadership?

Firstly a few things that Leadership is NOT:

  1. Leadership is NOT management or administration.

Now, while leaders cannot avoid being involved in some aspects of management and administration, there is a huge difference between a real leader and a manager, and even greater difference between a leader and an administrator. An organisation where every ‘i’ is dotted and every ‘t’ is crossed may look great but is rarely one that is kicking any goals. Organsiations that are growing and entrepreneurial will always have administrators who are a bit stressed and uncomfortable; managers will always feel like they are never on top of things. If they ever catch up with all their work, policies and systems it means that somewhere in the recent past leaders have stopped leading.

  1. Leadership is NOT to be confused with having a high level of skill at something 

So often we see it where the most skilled worker is promoted to be team leader with the assumption that because they are skilled at the task they will be the best leader. This is totally flawed thinking because it requires a totally different skill set to be a leader. A skilled practitioner is often a self sufficient and competitive loner, and may not enjoy relating to people. Now if such a person is appointed as team leader they may expect that everyone should just do what they do and all will be well. They often are unprepared for the level of effort and skill required to build and maintain working relationships. They often do not have the ability to inspire, to resolve conflict, to appreciate individual strengths, to bring out the best in people, to cast clear vision (even if it is simply helping the team to be inspired by how it is they fit into the larger picture of their organisation).

  1. Leadership has NOT much to do with a position ot title

You can be appointed to a position of leadership and be given a title and a name plate on your desk, or even an office with your title printed on the door, but that does not make you a leader. Some people work very hard to gain a certain position within an organisation and yet ‘positional power’ is the lowest form of leadership. When you have a position people follow you because they have to in order to keep their job or because they are committed to the organisation, but that does not make you a leader.

 So, what is Leadership?

Some Definitions:

            “Leadership is the discipline of deliberately exerting special influence within a     group to move it towards goals of beneficial permanence that fulfil the group’s real needs.” – John Haggai[1]

“Leadership is influence, no more, no less.” – John Maxwell[2]

Whereas Haggai tries to qualify his definition of leadership morally (I.e. only good leaders are leaders), Maxwell actually strips ‘leadership’ back to its raw essence. Leadership is all about one person’s ability to influence others. There are many styles and methods of leadership, just as there are many personality types and historical examples of good or bad leaders…but at the core leadership is defined and measured by influence.

7 Key points that help positively define ‘What is Leadership’:

  • Leaders can see a better vision of the future not only for themselves but also for their company, group, organisation or nation.
  • Leaders can articulate that vision clearly in terms that inspire others to also see and want to participate
  • Leaders, almost by definition, are always ahead of the game, seeing what is next. They get frustrated when things settle down and initiative is thwarted.
  • Leaders are decision makers. They grasp the opportunities that will lead to growth in line with clear strategy and goals that enable their organisation to fulfil long term vision.
  • Leaders’ decisions will inevitably bring change and a level of disorder. They are always working to create momentum, moving forward and never wanting to settle down. They know that standing still is really going backwards!
  • Leaders value and empower people around them to find their place and contribute their unique skills as part of a dynamic team
  • Leaders see and cast vision so successfully that everyone in their organisation catches it, is motivated by it and is inspired to run with it.
In conclusion, to answer the question: ‘What is Leadership?’ I believe Leadership is all about developing the skills to exert the kind of influence that moves people to change.
I’d love to know your answer to the question: ‘What is Leadership?’

[1] Haggai, John, Leadership (Word Publishing 1986) p. 10

[2] Maxwell, John C., Developing the Leader Within You, (Nelson, 1992), p. 1

The Most Important Question To Ask (& Answer) Every Day!

The Most Important Question To Ask (& Answer) Every Day!

 

The Question: Why does this enterprise (organisation or business) exist?

The story is told of two labourers working at a large building site in Europe in the 18th century. One was swearing and cursing as he moved never ending amounts of dirt and material in what seemed to him to be total drudgery. The other was working hard and had a spring in his step and seemed energized by his mundane work. When asked, the first said he was doing meaningless work that he hated, while the second exclaimed, “I’m building a great Cathedral that will still be here long after I’m gone.”  The second man realized that he was not just doing manual labour but he was an essential part of building an amazing building that would be appreciated for generations. Understanding the BIG WHY totally changed his attitude to his labour. Interesting!

Every successful enterprise has a BIG WHY! This is also called: VISION

Vision statements should be short, easy to remember, and motivating!

Everyone in an organisation needs to know the ‘BIG WHY’ in clear and easy to understand terms. This is especially true for anyone expected to give leadership direction but even the volunteer on reception who answers the phone and the casual who does a menial task for a couple of hours a week should know why their contribution is important.

When people understand the ‘BIG WHY’ it RELEASES:

  1. Motivation – Vision motivates, whereas tasks, even noble tasks, can make people weary especially when the going gets tough.
  2. Participation – when people are secure about the boundaries of vision they find it easier to participate. In so many organisations team members hold back because leaders have not shown them how their role connects to vision.
  3. Engagement – when vision is clear the right people will be drawn to engage with your enterprise
  4. Contribution – it is amazing how much people will give if they know their efforts make a valuable contribution. This is vital for any team member, and especially for volunteers.
  5. Long-term commitment – people love, in fact crave a sense of purpose in their lives. When they believe that their work has great purpose they will always be more committed.
  6. Clear direction – plans and themes may change but consistency of vision will enable clear direction.
  7. Personal growth and change – When the vision is clear team members are more secure and more willing to realize their need to stretch and grow and accept change to move the vision forwards.
  8. Clear priorities – if we know why we are here then it is much easier to avoid wasting time on the things that are non-essential or distractions from the main direction. This in turn makes decision making much easier.
  9. Corporate significance – If an enterprise has clear vision and makes regular progress towards achieving that vision, undoubtedly there will be significant benefits for many people inside and outside the organisation
  10.  Team morale – vision and all the first 9 points contribute to healthy team morale.

Among the many roles of a leader, none is more important than making vision clear, simple and motivating. This enables people to be able to ANSWER the most important question daily – for themselves and for others.

Do you and your team know the ‘BIG WHY’ for your organisation or business?

Your success could depend on how you answer this question.

How To Have That Difficult Leadership Conversation

How To Have That Difficult Leadership Conversation 

There are few things more destructive to morale in a workplace as when there is a staff member causing havoc and no-one is willing to have that difficult conversation with them which would quickly fix things. Perhaps they are not performing well in teir role or they are causing all kinds of relationship issues with inappropriate comments or behaviour, or (add your experience here…..)

For me, these are defining leadership moments! This is where you win or lose the hearts of team members.

Deep down, even the most difficult team member wants to make a fantastic contribution and know that their efforts are making a difference! This includes that insecure person who is so sensitive to criticism it makes it very difficult to help and train them.

One of the marks of a true leader is they have the courage and the ability to train people and raise them up into a role and even better, into their potential.

In 30 years of leadership experience I have found that one of the keys to helping team members learn and grow is to be willing to correct and where necessary challenge them.

The best leaders have learned how to earn the right to be honest with people on their team by building a relationship where that person knows they care about them.

If a leader is secure, has built a good relationship, has competent communication skills (listening as well as speaking), is clear in their facts, and can handle a few tears or some initially defensive behaviour, then they will find that 9 times out of 10 there will be positive outcomes from deciding to have that difficult conversation.

I guess the reason many leaders avoid these conversations (one survey says 75% avoid if possible) is that they fear the 10% of times when a person reacts badly, creates a scene, quits their job or makes a complaint. They fear the ugly confrontation.

Like most fears though, the risk is far smaller than you think.

And, be warned: Problems avoided do not go away or diminish, they grow! The risk of negative consequences is far greater if the conversation is avoided! The earlier you step in and take the initiative, no matter how awkward it is at first, it will be easier than if you wait hoping the problem goes away.

10 keys that will help you have that difficult leadership conversation:

  1. Make sure you invest time in building relationships with your team. Take them for a coffee and get to know what they value, what are their values, what makes them laugh and cry, what inspires or makes angry, what motivates them. Bottom line: they need to know you care.
  2. Let your team know that you will be encouraging them for work well done AND correcting them when they need it as well in the interests of personal growth and achieving great team results.
  3. Expect the best from your team and you will tend to get it.
  4. Be consistent and be fair. No favourites!
  5. Be a good listener so people always feel understood.
  6. Be secure enough to admit when you get it wrong or when you learn something from others.
  7. Give praise publically and correct/challenge privately (unless they refuse to learn and after 1 or 2 private conversations it becomes appropriate, if affecting the whole team, to correct publically).
  8. Create an atmosphere of encouraging team accountability rather than judgement and fear about getting things wrong.
  9. Remember an honest mistake is a learning opportunity not a reason to criticize someone.
  10. Act sooner rather than later. Problems avoided always grow.

In my experience many of my best supporters were people who appreciated the fact that I cared enough to challenge them to do better. Rarely did a difficult conversation lead to losing a team member, though every time I knew that possibility was there.

To me this is one of the marks of true leadership.

What do you think? I’d love to hear your comments……

How to Lead and Motivate Volunteers

How to Lead and Motivate Volunteers

For many years I was the CEO of a large not-for-profit organisation in a community just west of Sydney, Australia. Without hesitation I would say the key to the effectiveness of this organisation was the enormous contribution of hundreds of volunteers, many of whom were contributing between 10 and 20 hours of very effective and focused skilled labour every week.  On top of their valuable work these same people were often among our best financial supporters contributing thousands of dollars each year into our budget bottom line.

I learned so much about working with volunteers as I led this organisation from startup through various stages to become a significant community organisation working with all aspects of society but especially providing  young people with hope, emergency care, social connection, leadership training and opportunities to serve both locally and internationally.

Things I know about volunteers:

  1. Volunteers want their lives to make a difference.
  2. Volunteers are generous people who are learning to be more generous.
  3. Volunteers will give amazing commitment if they know that what they do is making a difference.
  4. The main payoff for volunteers is relationship. They respond to being valued as a person as well as for the work they do being valued. They love to be part of a fun team achieving great results! Reward great effort with fun relationship times.
  5. The volunteer spirit is an awesome foundation for building a healthy effective organisation.

 

[NB. Surveys in workplaces have shown that employees will leave a highly paid job where there are poor relationships for a lesser paying job if they are confident they will have better relationships].

Keys to leading motivated volunteers:

  • Be willing to spend time with them to get to know them, value them and connect with them. It will be time well invested.
  • Take time to know and tap their passion. Passion to help people, for a cause, to be part of a successful team, to grow and learn.
  • Set the bar high. Never lower it just because they are volunteers or you insult them and actually give them the sense that what they are doing is not very important, where it doesn’t matter if they turn up or not.
  • Demand commitment of volunteers. Treat them as equal members of the team to staff members. I.e. give them job descriptions, signed contracts, clear expectations, an orientation/induction, consequences of non performance.
  • Call volunteers to account if they do not fulfill their commitments. It is an opportunity to assist them to grow. They will either leave or appreciate it, learn and grow.
  • Encourage them to grow. If a volunteer knows that working with you is going to assist them to grow as a person, then they will become highly motivated.

I am saddened when I hear leaders of organisations complain about their volunteers, how they wish they had more money to pay people so they can get good staff. I venture to say leaders with this attitude would have similar problems motivating paid staff.

Motivation does not come with salary. Motivation comes from being inspired to be part of making a difference. Apparently Steve Jobs was lured back to Apple from his role as CEO of Pepsi Co by the challenge, “Are you going stay and make sugar water or do you want to come and change the world?”

If you are a leader or manager of a Not-for-Profit organistion try to create an team atomosphere where real relationships are possible as you work hard together to achieve awesome results that make a difference.

 

I’d love to hear your comments.

The Importance of Momentum to Any Organisation

The Importance of Momentum to Any Organisation

 Momentum is called by some ‘The BIG MO’ and should be treasured like gold by any leader.

With momentum everything looks and feels better than it really is, and without momentum everything looks and feels much worse than it really is.

Momentum

 Momentum is a leader’s friend!

Without momentum everything, even small problems become magnified. like a stationary train can be prevented from rolling forward by placing a 20 cent coin on the track against a wheel. With momentum everything is so much easier, even larger problems can be solved relatively easily. E.g. the same train moving at 100 Km/h would not be stopped if a brick wall was built across the track.

Momentum creates the sense that things are happening reflected in comments such as: “We are going places”, “We’re getting results”, “We can do this”, “We’re growing” and “We’re making a difference!” These comments are signs of increasing morale.

Lack of momentum is the sense that everything is hard and is reflected in comments such as: “Why is it so difficult to get anything done around here?" "Nothing ever happens round here”, “Things seem to be falling apart”, “Don’t get your hopes up”, “What’s the point of trying?”, “Good luck with that” (cynically spoken) and “Here we go again”. These comments are signs of poor morale.

10 Things I Know About Momentum…..

  1. A prerequisite for momentum is a leader with clearly articulated vision who unites people to work towards achieving measurable outcomes.
  2. Momentum is built by taking action steps every day, even little ones, which take you forward.
  3. It takes a lot of energy and discipline to get momentum going – ask anyone who has started a business – but after  a period (usually months) of consistently doing all the little things that move you in the desired direction, momentum builds.
  4. Momentum is a bit like compound interest; it’s cumulative and it increases slowly at first and then, exponentially.
  5. One of a leader’s main roles is to oversee increasing momentum. To do this they must regularly look up from the day to day details and see what will take the organisation forward right now. A leader also needs to ensure that major obstacles to momentum are noted and avoided.
  6. One of the ways you know you have momentum is that there is little or no resistance to change within your organisation. Change will be seen as normal.  This is more difficult in older organisations with a longer history but it can be done.
  7. The momentum you have today is the result of all your efforts up until now. If you stop taking initiative your momentum will carry you forward for a while but will eventually slow down.
  8. Momentum lost is VERY HARD to regain. Often requires MORE energy than starting again.
  9. Momentum is essential to any organisation that wants to be effective.
  10. The key to establishing momentum lies with the leaders inner circle (management team) fully supporting leader and owning the program

Having been the leader of a large not-for-profit organistion for 25 years I know a lot about momentum and how important it is. A bad week with a few setbacks is easily shaken off when there is momentum as you are able to lift people towards your next good result. However, when everything is a struggle even one small setback can be totally demoralising.

 

How have you been able to build momentum? Love to hear your story....

4 Keys to Starting Out In Business

Starting out in Business

I love to encourage younger people who have a dream to establish their own business. In my local area we have the Gen YQ Penrith Networking Group set up for business entrepreneurs and professionals under 35. This is a great initiative and is attracting a lot of interest locally and across NSW.The following is from an interview with John Drury by Michael Todd CEO of Gen YQ Penrith.

If you are thinking about starting up your own business in 2012 I suggest you use the following keys to help you prepare.

1. The Preparation you need:

  • You have a service or product that is in demand which you are able to provide at least as w ell as your competitors
  • You have a clear written business plan which includes a realistic start up budget and marketing plan
  • You are passionate about your business idea and have decided you are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve your plan.

2. The Attitudes you need:

  • Treat it as an exciting adventure in which you are on a quest to learn as much as you can about people, business and yourself
  • Work hard to add fantastic value to your clients so you create raving fans
  • Get yourself as skilled as possible at what you do (people do not care about how young you are if you are good)
  • Look for gaps in the market and learn how to fill them so you have a clear point of difference from your competitors
  •  If something doesn’t work, don’t fret over it, treat it as a learning experience and try something else

 3. The Skills and Knowledge you need:

  • Know what you are good at, and if you don’t know, then ask  people you trust who know you pretty well. Get an E-DISC profile done which is a great personality profile which can really help you to learn about yourself.
  • Get to know your ideal client very well (do some serious market research)
  • Connect with a mentor or two, people you admire and are successful. Drive the mentoring process by asking great questions and you will pull gold out of them.
  • Test and measure everything you do so you learn quickly what works and what doesn’t. No guesswork.
  • Get organized. If you are not naturally organised then find an organizational system that works for you
  • Be highly relational. This is essential. 85% of business success is who you know not what you know.
  • Delegate what you are not good at except control of your marketing and your finances. You have to be good at these or learn to be. If you do not like marketing then I suggest you go and get a job.
  • Outsource before adding staff, it’s better value for money

4. The Values you need:

To be consistently successful at anything you need to know yourself well and be true to yourself. When you are younger you do not always know what you believe. Strong adult and business values develop from age 25 – 40 in most people. To make it easy, know how you would like to be treated and treat people like that. If you have to change who you are at core in order to please somebody else, is not worth the deal.

Reasons Why New Businesses Struggle include:

  • They are isolated, not well connected in their market place and do not have good personal support to pick them up after a tough week.
  • Poor marketing, you must develop a system (ideally an automated system) for getting new prospects
  • Poor cash flow which is really poor financial administration which usually develops because you cut corners and do not pay to get good advice from an accountant.
  • They do not have interests (e.g. sport or hobby) outside their business.

 

Feel free to leave your thoughts, questions or comments in the box below.

Extended DISC Is MUCH More Than A Personality Test.

Extended DISC is much more than a Personality Test.

Extended DISC (or E-DISC) is a personality profiling test that enables participants to learn which of the four main personality types they are. D for Dominant or Leader; I for Influencer or People Person; S for Steadiness or Stable; C for Conscientious or Details person. Hence we get D.I.S.C. Personality Profile which has been around for over 50 years.

If you just want to know which of the four personality types best describes you then DISC will help you. It is a great start to understanding self and others.

But the fact is that people do not fit neatly into 4 boxes. That is why E-DISC has been developed and scientifically tested on over 100,000 people worldwide with a reported 90% accuracy. E-DISC starts with the 4 main personality types and refines the test and the results to include 160 aspects of personality and behaviour.

Extended DISC is the premier personality test available today.

After completing a 48 question computer test, which takes about 15 minutes, a 24 page report is generated. It is forwarded to a trained consultant who will then explain and work through the implications of the report to the test participant.

I have been working with people as a trained E-DISC consultant for the past 12 months. Every time I sit with a person to go over their personality test report I am reminded of the power of this profiling tool. Without fail my clients are amazed at the accuracy of the report.

Some Benefits of an Extended DISC Personal Analysis Report:

  1. It describes them in detail – their personal attributes, strengths, development areas, motivators, communication style, decision making style, what they try to avoid and their ideal manager-leader
  2. It especially focuses on a person’s natural style and measures that against the way they perceive they need to adjust to be successful in their workplace.
  3. It  is excellent for measuring the amount of energy it takes to perform functions at work. A person can be quite successful at what they do because they have learned to perform the taks of their job, but the amount of energy  required can be stressful. The E-DISC profile will show which aspects of a role are causing that stress.
  4. It can predict whether a role is sustainable over the longer term or whether it would be better to change aspects of the role in order to better suit  a person’s personality.

The Extended DISC personality profile is actually a personality and behavioural profile. It helps a person to undertsand their personality and their behaviour. The report is an excellent tool with which a trained consultant can assist their client to laser focus on the chief current stressors in their life and work. Over and again my clients tell me it is invaluable. 

E-DISC can be used to analyse a work-pair reporting on the potential for synergy between 2 people. An E-DISC Team Analysis can be done, as can a 360 reveiw by team members of any position in a company. There are many other ways that E-DISC can be used.  For more information check Extended DISC Australasia

That is why I am confident to say, Extended DISC is so much more than a personality test.

If you would like to know more about Extended DISC and how you can access your own E-DISC Profile Report and Consultation please contact John Drury via phone or email.

 

10 Questions Every Leader Needs To Ask!

I know from bitter experience in my own leadership journey where after many years of extremely fruitful leadership I became so busy responding to the demands of people and stretching for even greater goals that I stopped asking myself these questions. The results were disastrous for the organisation I was leading and shattering for me and my family.

Leadership by definition is a lonely role

John Maxwell says, “Leaders who need people cannot  lead people”. 

The leader must be aware of the big picture. They must see what others do not. Leadership decisions usually have greater implications than others in an organisation. If the leader gets it wrong everyone notices and many people can be affected. Real leaders accept that the buck stops with them.

So, in the midst of a host of competing demands how do I look after myself as a leader in order to make sure I do not fall at the first or the final hurdle?

10 Questions every leader needs to ask:

  1. How do I measure success? KPI’s are helpful but tend to be focused on productivity issues. How do I measure the quality of relationships, level of morale in the team, emotional energy being used, whole of life balance, my personal growth, etc.
  2. When is enough, enough? If things are not going well the tendency is for leaders to work harder and longer, which can then be self defeating. How do I build some margins into my life?
  3. What is the real strength in my leadership? Casting inspiring vision, setting demanding standards, being tough with non-performers, being insightful about recruiting staff or being the kind of leader who draws out the potential in people?
  4. How can I be tough enough to make the hard calls without losing my essential humanity?  There are some very tough calls as a leader, none tougher than firing people or letting people know their performance isn’t up to standard. Its the same around decisions to restructure the organisation that unsettles everyone and causes uncertainty and the inevitable criticisms and complaints. How do I steel myself for those times when I have to deal with wayward staff members without becoming hard emotionally in a way that affects my ability to have compassion towards my own family and friends?
  5. How do I deal with guilt, fear, insecurity and other potentially self-sabotaging emotions?
  6. What do I share with whom? If there is a personal issue that is troubling me, with whom do I share it without potentially undermining my leadership? (NB. This is one of the reasons why authority figures cannot mentor people under them because there will always be a limit to what is shared.)
  7. Who do I allow close enough to see my weaknesses? I believe it is essential for your long term safety and sanity that you have a few trusted people who know you well enough to call you an idiot when you are being one.
  8. How do I learn my unique strengths and weaknesses and overall capacity? This is where honest feedback is very useful, and a personal analysis tool like Extended DISC is invaluable.
  9. What do I need to guard in order to always be sharp on game day? Every leader has a unique Rhythm of Life that they must learn to understand and flow with so they can always be ready for high energy days.
  10. How do I plan an exit strategy at the right time for me and to ensure a positive legacy? Leadership does not and should not last forever, and most leaders hang too long rather than leave too early.

The more responsibility you have in leadership the more important it is to have clear answers to these 10 questions.

So, if you are in any kind of leadership position, I suggest you print out these 10 questions and see if you have a clear answer to them. Mark the ones which challenge you and do something about dealing with these and any other issues that your arise during reflection.

Issues may arise that are uncomfortable. If that is the case I strongly suggest you find a skilled leadership coach or mentor who can assist you with you. Can I urge you from painful experience not to let your pride get in the way.

What other questions would you add? I’d love to hear your feedback.

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