Personal Behavioural Transition – the STAR Approach

We’ve all read self-improvement books, seen motivational speakers and taught behaviours and skills in order to perform at our best. Some of us take action and see results. Others acknowledge what new behaviour is needed but struggle with transitioning.

A few think their behaviours are acceptable and don’t need to change. Those who struggle with or don’t see a need to change behaviours may create road blocks in personal and team performance, putting success at risk.

Sustainable personal behaviour transition can be challenging for many. We have a lifetime of creating how we interact with the world. We also like to blame others for our behaviours and become a victim of circumstance; “Until they change, I won’t”.

This article explains how I transitioned through self-limiting behaviours to ones where I find my performance has increased and I am able to live and work with greater integrity in terms of who I really am.

Want to hire great people? Tips to avoid pitfalls

John Chambers, the current CEO of Cisco Systems, said: “A world-class engineer with five peers can out-produce 200 regular engineers”.

What he meant was that when we select the right people, achieving great outcomes becomes easier. And the converse is also true:  select the wrong people and it is exceedingly difficult to achieve much.

Recurring mistakes tend to be made in the interviewing process.  A summary of the major pitfalls are:

Tip of the week: Time Management: File Structures

This is #11 - and the final post -  in an 11 part series on Time Management: Focus on Life and Results, Not Time

Like many of us, you probably struggle with piles of paper on your desk or you have a file structure that is easy to put things into, but is fairly unreliable for finding things again? 

If you need help in this area, then this suggested system for setting up file structures should prove useful.  This is one of those areas that provides no easy fix -- it is going to take time and discipline.  

But this isn't about setting up a whole elaborate filing system and then conforming all of your old information into it.  Absolutely don’t spend time filing what has passed!  Document how the old material is filed and box it up.  Create a new file structure and use it going forward.

The key here is getting the file structure logic right.  Less is more which is actually much more difficult.  You need to think about what you work with the most on your job -- for example, clients, projects, products, buyers, or sites.  

Fear Explored

Imagine, you are asked to provide 360 feedback on a manager with whom you have a difficult relationship.  Or imagine you are leading a team and no one is saying what they really think – you perceive that people are holding back their opinions.

Or what about a situation where leaders are physically closing doors … an acquisition has been recently announced but you and your colleagues know little about what the impact will be on the business.  In all of these situations, most commonly, and not surprising, the overwhelming response is fear.

In my day-to-day work, I find myself in situations where training or leadership development is expected to be the answer.  However, when one starts working with participants or a team, really trying to understand the issues, what often emerges is that there is a larger, unspoken issue.

Walk the Talk of Accountability (Part 7)

This is the last of our 7-part series on the topic of accountability, based on book “Crucial Accountability”, 2013 (authors Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler)

When accountability conversations don’t work

If accountability efforts continue to fail despite best efforts, let the recipient know that the cost of inaction could be disciplinary or if you they don’t report to you, that you will escalate the issue. In approaching the recipient use a gentle tone and:

- Explain the next step and when it will happen

- Follow the entire process through

- Agree who will be doing what and do it

Walk the Talk of Accountability (Part 6)

This is the 6^th in a 7-part series on the topic of accountability, based on book “Crucial Accountability”, 2013 (authors Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler)

Step 4: Make it motivating and easy

If you are in a leadership role, it is your job to remove barriers to success by evaluating them and putting steps in place to overcome them. 

Employees are generally the closest to the problem, so engaging their thinking is likely the best. Make sure you don’t push your biases, ideas, or manipulate them. Create shared solutions and ensure that nothing was missed by recapping what was said and then ask “If this is all done, are you going to be accountable to results?” If the answer is no, there is more to be explored.

Time Management: How to Manage Interruptions

This is #10 in a series on Time Management: Focus on Life and Results, Not Time

A certain amount of interruptions is unavoidable in any work environment.  We are, after all, human beings who are easily distracted by shiny, sexier items than what we might be currently working on at our desks.  

The other reality is that in today’s typical organization, we are called to intersect, collaborate and access each other at several points in any given work process.  So admittedly, you won’t be able to control all of the interruptions in your work; however, you can take responsibility for managing some interruptions and influencing how long interruptions distract you from getting down to work.