3 tips for getting the right people implementing the right strategy in the right way

Super teams have a core leadership team that set the overall direction. They clarify ‘What’ they want the team to achieve, ‘Why’ they want to achieve it and ‘How’ they will reach the goals. They then get the right people implementing the right strategy in the right way. Let’s explore these three themes.

1) You can get the right people.

Imagine you are a leader. Looking at your team, to what extent do you believe you have got the right people? Rate this on a scale 0 – 10. Imagine you were starting again with a blank piece of paper. Which people would you re-hire? What would you hire each of them to deliver? People make the difference. They must all have the right attitude, ability and application to do good work. “But it is so difficult to get right people,” somebody may say. Maybe, but just try the alternative: it is even more difficult working with the wrong people. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things we can do to make sure
we get the right people in the team are:

*

*

*

2) You can implement the right strategy.

Good leaders keep people’s eyes on the goal and strategy. They make sure everybody knows the overall game plan by saying something like:

“Here are the key strategies we will follow to reach the goal. Several points are crucial. First, make sure that whatever you do follows these principles. Second, you will be given freedom within these parameters to deliver results. Third, make clear contracts with your manager and colleagues. People must know each person’s contribution to achieving the goals. Finally, whenever there are conflicts, try to find ‘win-win’ solutions. When in doubt, go for the solution that is best for the whole team. Keep following the key strategies to reach the goals.”

Looking at your team, to what extent do you believe they are implementing the correct strategy? Rate this on a scale 0 – 10. Then complete the following sentence.

The specific things we can do to make sure
we are implementing the right strategy are:

*

*

*

3) You can ensure that people implement the strategy in the right way.

Super teams deliver. How can you make this happen? First, make sure that people have the practical and emotional support they need to do the job. Second, hold monthly update sessions where they present: a) The things we have done in the last month towards achieving the goals; b) The things we plan to do in the next month. Third, make the tough decisions required to ensure that people keep on track. Looking at your team, to what extent do you believe they are implementing the strategy in the right way? Rate this on a scale 0 – 10. Then complete the following sentence.

The specific things we can do to make sure we
implement the strategy in the right way are:

*

*

*

Super teams do the right things in the right way every day. Building on these good habits, their people then do everything possible to deliver great results.

3 tips for working with people with whom there are different kinds of 'clicks'

During your career you will work with both colleagues and customers with whom you have different kinds of ‘clicks’. With some people there is both a personal and professional ‘click’, with some there is a professional ‘click’, with some there is no ‘click’ at all. Let’s explore these three themes.

1) There is both a personal and professional ‘click’.

You share similar values and have a similar view of the world. Connection is easy, because you start from common assumptions. You therefore begin at 7/10 - which provides a springboard for getting to 10/10. Let’s consider how you can build with such people, beginning with colleagues. Who are the colleagues with whom you share similar values? How can you help them to succeed? How can you co-operate to achieve success?

“During the past 15 years I have co-operated on several projects with two colleagues I met when working at my first company,” said one person. “Since then we have set-up and sold two online companies. We know each other - warts and all. We also know how to work with each other’s strengths and weaknesses. People describe me as a ‘serial entrepreneur’. Wherever I go, however, I will always take these two people.”

Let’s move onto your customers. Who are the customers with whom you get on well? What are their personality characteristics? How can you do more work with these customers? How can you help them to succeed? Of course, they may recommend you to similar kinds of customers, but that should not be forced. Providing you do good work, it may well happen naturally. Looking at both colleagues and customers, try completing the following sentences.

The people with whom I have both
a personal & professional click are:

*

The specific things I can do to
build with these people are:

*

*

*

2) There is a professional ‘click’.

You may find this happens when you co-operating with somebody in your professional life. Whilst having differing personalities, you both strongly believe in achieving the goal. Many famous comic partnerships in show business, for example, comprised of people who seldom saw each other socially. Once on stage, however, they produced fine performances. Similarly, you may have customers with whom there is little social talk or banter. It is quickly down to the matter in hand.

You will probably take several steps to manage such relationships. a) You will prepare properly. Looking ahead to any interaction, you will ask yourself: “What will be the person’s goals? What will they want to achieve in the short, medium and long term? How can I help them to succeed?” b) You will be professional. For example, when starting a meeting you will double-check what they want to achieve in the session. You will also make crystal clear contracts about what must be delivered by when. c) You will keep your promises, reassure the person and deliver the agreed results. Try completing the following sentences.

The people with whom I
have a professional click are:

*

The specific things I can do to perform
good work with these people are:

*

*

*

3) There is no ‘click’.

Sometimes you find yourself in work situations where there is absolutely no connection between you and the other person. It is best to avoid such problems, but circumstances may mean it is necessary to work together to achieve a specific goal. You may feel on guard and unable to relax. How to deal with such difficulties? You will aim to be absolutely super-professional. It will be hard work: because you must rehearse every situation, be fully alert and always make crystal clear contracts. Similarly, you may prepare yourself for getting no positive feedback, possibly getting criticised even when you deliver the goods. Try completing the following sentences.

The professional situations where I may be
with people with whom there is no click are:

*

The specific things I can do to be super
professional in these situations are:

*

*

*

We frequently do our best work with kindred spirits - but that is not always possible. It is therefore useful to clarify your strategies for working with different types of people. You are then more able to do good work in different situations.

3 tips for moving between roles successfully

Imagine you are finishing one role and moving-on to another. The new role can be inside or outside your present organisation. One ending leads to a new beginning. So how can you manage the transition successfully? Let’s consider three steps for making this happen.

1) You can move-on from the present role successfully.

Finishing is a key skill in life – so how can you move-on in a positive way? One approach is to say: “Let’s imagine I was going freelance – but I also wanted to be able to return and get work from my present organisation. How would I behave? How would I complete the outstanding jobs? How would I hand-over the ongoing projects? What would be the actual words I would like people saying about me after I left? What reputation would I like to leave? How can I leave my present role in a positive way?” Bearing these answers in mind, try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to move on
from my present role successfully are:

*

*

*

2) You can manage the transition successfully.

Perhaps you are planning to take some time-out. If so, do whatever is necessary to get yourself in shape - whether it is to take a holiday, move house or whatever. You will then move into the next stage – preparing properly before taking up your new role. Rightly or wrongly, people will make early judgements about your performance. So it will be important to hit the ground running. Let’s assume that you have made clear contracts with the key sponsors about ‘What’ must be delivered, ‘How’ and by ‘When’. You have a clear brief and mandate – plus the support required to do the job. Before starting the new role, ask yourself the following questions.

* Who are the key sponsors? What are the key challenges they face? What is their picture of success? What are the results I must deliver? How can I help the organisation to achieve success?

* What are the Dos and Don’ts in the culture? How can I be true to myself, yet also respect the culture? Who are the positive people in the organisation? How can I spend time working with them? Who may be the difficult people? How can I get alongside them and help them to succeed? How can I show respect to my new colleagues?

* How can I hit the ground running? What must I do before the first day? What can I do on the first day? Who will I meet? Who do I want to meet? How can I reassure people they have made the right decision to hire me? How can I deliver some early wins? How can I then sustain the momentum over the next weeks and months? What do I want people to be saying about me – and my contribution – after six months? How can I do my best to make this happen?

Rehearse everything. Picture arriving on the first day; meeting your colleagues; meeting your sponsors; attending the first business meetings; talking with customers; leaving at the end of the first day and so on. Practice everything so there will be no surprises. Or, at least, there will be fewer surprises. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to manage
the transition successfully are:

*

*

*

3) You can move into the new role successfully.

“During the old days new leaders were given at least 100 days to acquaint themselves with the job,” said one MD. “Nowadays it is different. People make judgements almost immediately. So leaders must set the tone much earlier - otherwise employees say: “Nothing has changed.”

The same rule applies in any role. People will make quick decisions about whether you can perform the job. So do whatever you can to be positive, professional and deliver peak performances. Starting well is essential – and so is maintaining the momentum. Be crystal-clear on your aims and make a road-map for the first six months. Get some early successes in the bank, because these will buy you time. Then press on with encouraging other people, doing great work and helping the organisation to achieve success. People are then more likely to see you as an addition to the business. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to move
into the new role successfully are:

*

*

*

3 tips for knowing when to 'drive it, delegate it or ditch it'

“My inbox is full and there are so only many jobs I can tackle,” said one person. “My days should be spent driving strategy, but they get consumed by catching-up on tasks. I only have so much energy, so it is important to channel this into the activities that will make a real difference.”

“Be selective to be effective,” is the motto. Let’s see how this works in practice. Imagine you are a leading a team. The first step is to agree with your sponsor on the results to achieve - this is the ‘What’. Here are three suggestions for then implementing the ‘How’.

1) Drive it.

Start by clarifying the things that you personally want to drive. Agree with the team on: ‘The 3 key things we can do to give ourselves the greatest chance of success are: … ” After identifying the top three strategies, you will find there are many projects, tasks and actions to be implemented. Looking at this list, clarify the ones that you personally want to drive. Then lead these - as if your life depended on it. Try completing the following sentence.

The things that I want to drive – and
the ways I want to drive these - are:

*

*

*

2) Delegate it.

Clarify the things you want to delegate – but then comes a key point. Give these to people who will deliver the goods - otherwise you will get worried micromanage and become a cop. How to delegate? One approach is described in the piece called 3 tips for clarifying each person’s contribution to the picture of perfection. That style of ‘delegation’ encourages people: a) To clarify their strengths and how they want to contribute towards achieving the team’s goals; b) To make clear contracts about their contribution; c) To deliver. Try completing the following sentence.

The things that I want to delegate – and
the people I want to delegate these to - are:

*

*

*

3) Ditch it.

Clarify the things you want to ditch. “I find this easy in theory, but more difficult in practice,” said one person. “I start out with good intentions, but then get guilty about neglecting certain activities.” This highlights a key point. It is vital: a) To clarify the consequences of ditching certain things: b) To anticipate and manage any difficulties that may arise. You will then feel more able to focus on the tasks that really matter. Try completing the following sentence.

The things that I want to ditch – and the ways I
will manage the consequences of doing this - are:

*

*

*

The work place becomes increasingly complex and people continue to be inundated with information, emails and requests. At the same time, they are urged to ‘work smarter, not harder’. Priority management is vital. There are consequences to this approach - but there are more minuses in trying to fill the day with 12 hours of fire-fighting. Peak performers focus on the key strategies that will give them the greatest chance of success. This calls for being able to ‘drive it, delegate it or ditch it’.

3 tips for establishing a coaching contract

Imagine that somebody has asked you to be their coach. Before embarking on the coaching process it is vital to establish their goals. Setting specific targets increases the likelihood of success. Here are three suggestions for clarifying the coaching contract. (While the following process sounds very structured, you can do it in your own way. It will provide the basis for building a successful coaching relationship.)

1) You can invite the person to fill-in the coaching contract.

“Will plus skill can thrill,” they say in sport. How does this apply to the coaching situation? Establish the person’s will before embarking on helping them to learn the skill. One way to start is by inviting them to complete the coaching contract. The person is asked to describe: a) The specific goals I want to achieve. b) My role: the things I see as my responsibility in achieving the goals. c) The coach’s role: the help I want from the coach. d) The measures: the things that will show I have reached the goals. The person is to send the contract to you ahead of the first meeting. You can gauge their attitude and aspirations by the amount of work they put into creating the contract. So here is the contract that is to be filled-in by the learner.

Coaching contract

The specific goals. The specific goals I want to achieve are:

*

*

*

My role. The things I see as my responsibility
in working to achieve these goals are:

*

*

*

The coach’s role. The knowledge, tools and
support I would like from the coach are:

*

*

*

The measures. The specific things that will be
happening that will show I have reached the goals are:

*

*

*

2) You can meet with the person to explore the coaching contract.

Clear contracting is vital in any relationship - and especially so when coaching. Set aside at least an hour to discuss the contract in depth. Invite them to explain what they see as their responsibility in the relationship. Move onto discussing the help they want from you as a coach. Encourage them to consider the challenges on the way – including potential setbacks – and how they plan to deal with these situations. Conclude this part of the session by asking them to describe their success criteria - the things that will show they have reached their goals. Providing you are happy, move onto the next stage.

3) You can finalise the coaching contract and, if appropriate, embark on the actual coaching.

Create a short ‘time-out’ to enable the person to reflect and make any alterations to the contract. Time permitting - and if appropriate - you may then both want to launch into the actual coaching. If so, invite the person to explore the first topic they want to tackle. You can help them: a) To build on their strengths; b) To learn tools for tackling areas for improvement; c) To do what is necessary to achieve success. Conclude the session by asking them to clarify what they have learned and inviting them to do any relevant homework before the next meeting. Finally, evaluate your own performance. Describe: a) Three things I did well in the session; b) Two things I can do better in the future - and how. Relax, reflect and then look forward to the next session.

You can find more ideas on this theme in the book Strengths Coaching in 90 Minutes, that can be found here:

strengthscoaching

3 tips for choosing a mentor

Imagine you are looking for a mentor. Good mentors are wise and trusted advisers. They pass-on knowledge in a way that helps the mentee to achieve their personal or professional goals. Mentors are now used by many people in organisations. Why? Despite being successful, individuals sometimes like to take time-out to reflect, get an overview of their situation and make good quality decisions. They also like to draw on the mentor’s knowledge so they can be even more effective in their work. Mentoring plays a key role in organisations that wish to nurture talent. Let’s explore how you might choose a good mentor.

1) You can clarify the qualities you want in a mentor.

Choose somebody who has similar values. Look for a mentor who expresses the values you believe in - and seems able to do so successfully at a high level. When working with young people in the 1960s, for example, I sought out several ‘grandees’ who ran famous therapeutic communities. Travelling to sit at their feet, listen and learn provided remarkable insights. Each one had a common characteristic; they wanted me to ‘take the best and leave the rest’. They encouraged me to make my own decisions - they did not want followers. Values-fit is vital.

Try tackling the exercise on this theme called My ideal mentor. Describe the qualities you want in such a person. Different people will, of course, want different qualities. One person said:

“Credibility is crucial - they must know their onions. They must be a good listener and respect my views but, at the same time, I don’t want them to pull any punches. They need to be somebody who has lived - who has had ups and downs - but still has a positive spirit. It’s great if they can understand the way I think—which is in pictures—and provide practical ideas I can use in working life. Do you know any such perfect people?”

My ideal mentor

The qualities I want in a mentor are:

*

*

*

*

*

2) You can find a mentor – or mentors – with these qualities.

Some organisations have formal schemes that provide a list of potential mentors. They then invite mentees to choose from this faculty. Several things are worth bearing in mind if this is the case. It is important:

a) For the mentee to choose the mentor - rather than have one assigned.

b) For the mentee to, if possible, choose a mentor who is ‘outside the line’ - not the mentee’s manager or manager’s manager.

c) For the sessions to be confidential and focused on the mentee’s agenda - not acting as another form of management.

What if your organisation does not have a formal mentoring programme? Start by clearing it with your manager and HR department that it will be okay to have a mentor. They will normally be supportive. You can then do what many people have done before - approach somebody to ask if they would be your mentor. Surprisingly, this often works. (You can have different mentors for different topics - for example, a technical mentor and a career mentor.) If you decide to approach a potential mentor - inside or outside an organisation - take the following steps.

First, do your research thoroughly. Get to know about the person, their values and how they are regarded. Do this by asking around - blind dates seldom work. Second, clarify what you do and don’t want from the mentor. Finally, clarify how to approach the person. You will need to position the mentoring in a way that works for them. They are probably busy people - so you must do all the leg-work and fit in with their diary.

3) You can make clear contracts with the mentor about what you would like to cover in the mentoring sessions.

Start by having an informal meeting with the potential mentor. Explain the topics you want to cover during the mentoring sessions. For example: how to manage difficult customer situations, how to take the next step in your career, how to manage your life-work balance. You will obviously discuss these topics with your manager - but would also like an outside view. Explain how often you would like to meet and how you will prepare for the sessions. You may want to start, for example, by having 3 sessions - then reviewing the contract. If the chemistry works - and both parties agree - set a date for the first formal meeting.

You can find many more ideas on this theme in the book The art of mentoring:

theartofmentoring

3 tips for focusing on design, development and delivery

Human beings are designers at heart. They love the process of design, development and delivery. Where does this happen for you? Let’s explore the three stages in this creative journey.

1) You can focus on design.

What do you love to design? You may enjoy creating a kitchen, house, garden, computer programme, learning environment, training workshop, article or whatever. Design is a fulfilling activity. You feel in control and able to create a new ‘world’ - which is what human beings love. “Great design is often simple, satisfying and successful,” we are told. Looking ahead, what would like to design in the future? Try completing the following sentence.

The specific thing I would like to design in the future is:

*

2) You can focus on development.

Development frequently involves doing ‘hands-on’ work - testing your ideas, exploring new avenues or working alongside customers. You can only develop a design so far by working in isolation. At some point you must get a reality check. You need to see what works, what doesn’t work and what must be improved in the future. Considering what you want to design, try completing the following sentence.

The specific steps I can take to
develop what I want to design are:

*

*

*

3) You can focus on delivery.

You can now translate your design into a finished product. Everybody has a successful pattern for finishing. So it is good to find and follow the route that works for you. Looking back on your life, think of two or three ‘projects’ that you finished successfully. What did you do right then? How can you follow these principles in the future? Try completing the following sentence.

The specific steps I can take to ensure
I deliver what I want to design are:

*

*

*

What happens next? Everybody is different. Some people feel the design and development is complete - so they continue to concentrate on improving the delivery. Some people move onto the next project and return to the joy of design. Some combine both approaches - with different projects at different stages. You will choose your own way to enjoy the journey of design, development and delivery.

3 tips for building a super team

Super teams are special. They have a compelling purpose and translate this into a clear picture of perfection. People choose to opt-into the team and make their best contribution towards achieving the goals. They do professional work, solve problems and deliver peak performance. People then do everything possible to achieve the picture of perfection. The super teams approach comes with three health warnings. First, it works. Second, it looks simple on paper, but that does not mean it is easy. Third, it calls for taking tough decisions, especially about people. There are normally seven steps towards building such a team – see illustration – but we can break these down into three main stages.

1) You can clarify the purpose, picture of perfection and principles.

Start by creating a compelling purpose. This is the team’s reason for being. Translate the purpose into a clear picture of perfection. What does this mean? Pick a date in the future. Describe the actual things that will be happening then that will show the team has reached its goal. If possible, produce an inspiring ‘one-liner’ that sums up your aim. Draw a road map towards achieving the target. You can do this by starting from your destination and working backwards. Describe the milestones – the specific things the team must achieve at each stage of the journey. Outline the ‘actual words’ you want to hear different groups of people saying along the way. After clarifying the ‘What’, revisit the ‘Why’. Clarify the benefits of reaching the goals – for the organisation, the customers and the team members. Move onto the ‘How’. Clarify the key principles – the key strategies – the team can follow to give it the greatest chance of success. You are now ready to communicate the purpose, picture of perfection and principles – but then comes the crucial step.

2) You can get the right people.

This is the pivotal part. Get the right people with the right spirit – because otherwise you are sunk. Great teams are build on ‘similarity of spirit and diversity of strengths’. Diversity of spirit is a recipe for disaster. Get the right balance between ‘soul players’ and ‘star players’. Soul players embody the spirit of the team. They are consistent players who do the right things every day. Star players also embody the spirit, but they also add ‘little bit extra’. There is no place for ‘semi-detached’ players who are waiting to be motivated. One negative person can dilute the energy of many people in the team.

Clear contracting is crucial and is the hallmark of healthy cultures. There are three things you can do to make this happen. First, communicate the picture of perfection. Second, invite people to proactively get back to you to show how they want to contribute to achieving the picture of perfection. Third, bearing in mind each person’s strengths, make clear contracts about their part in reaching the goals. (You can find out more about this process in the piece called 3 tips for clarifying each person’s contribution to the picture of perfection.)

“But in his book Good to Great, Jim Collins says get the people first,” somebody may say. Jim Collins has written a tremendous book, but on this point he is sometimes misunderstood. When hiring people, it is vital to know roughly the kind of business in which you aim to achieve peak performance. If you are in the alpine climbing business, for example, hire people who have a passion for alpine climbing. Otherwise you may collect rock climbers, free climbers and scuba divers who have different agendas. Clarify the kind of ‘mountain’ you are climbing, then give people empowerment – within parameters – to finalise the goals and implement their part of the strategy.

3) You can enable people to be professional, solve problems and achieve peak performance.

Great teams develop good habits. They keep doing the right things in the right way every day. Invite each person – or, in larger groups, each team – to describe the specific things they will do to deliver the goods. Ask them to proactively keep you informed about the actions they are taking to tackle the issues that are in the ‘Green, Amber & Red’ zones. Great teams contain resilient people who overcome setbacks. Educate them to stay calm during crises, solve problems and deliver the goods when it matters. Encourage people to keep working hard and achieve the picture of perfection.

One ending is a new beginning. Some teams disband after reaching the goal. Other teams refocus on the purpose and translate it into a new picture of perfection. Pacesetting teams, for example, have a special kind of psychology. They aim to take the lead, maintain the lead and extend the lead. Staying ahead of everybody else, they make the new rules for the game. Guiding your team to success, you may then want to repeat the process. As they say in sport: “First build a team, then a club, then a dynasty.” This calls for making even tougher decisions on the road towards building a second-generation super team.

3 tips for working with people who are making the new rules for work

“I like working with people who are making the ‘new rules’ in their chosen field,” said one person. “Certainly I can help those who are trying to be creative inside the ‘old rules’, but sometimes institutions can squash people’s enthusiasm. It’s great encouraging individuals and teams who are pioneering the way.”

Let’s imagine you want to work with people who are making the new rules. Here are three steps you can take towards helping them to succeed.

1) You can identify the people who are making the ‘new rules’.

Start by identifying the people who are either pioneers or working in pioneering fields. The first group will probably be people who believe in following certain principles to achieve the ‘prize’. They won’t be into ‘painting by numbers’. At the same time, however, they know it is vital for them to produce the goods. This will be especially so if they are aiming to do pioneering work in an established organisation. They recognise that: “If you are going to be a deviant, you have to over-deliver.” The second group will probably be in the ‘newer industries’. These may include new media, social networking organisations, marketing, high tech and even parts of retail. Both groups of people believe it is vital to ‘show a better way’.

Looking around your network – and elsewhere – who are the people who fall into these two categories? Try completing the following sentence.

The people who are making the new rules are:

*

*

*

2) You can clarify what you can offer to the people who are making the ‘new rules’.

You can tackle this part by doing three things. First, clarify the specific products or services that you can offer to the people who are making the new rules. Second, clarify the specific challenges that these people may be facing. Third, clarify how what you can offer can help these people to succeed. “I found this part difficult,” said one person. “It called for getting inside the customers’ heads and clarifying the benefits of what I offer. Certainly I should be doing this anyway, but it was a good discipline.” Try completing the following sentences.

The specific things – the products or services – I can
offer to people who are making the new rules are:

*

*

*

The specific challenges facing the people
who are making the new rules may be:

*

*

*

The specific benefits these people
can get from the things I offer are:

*

*

*

3) You can work with these people and help them to succeed by making the new rules.

“Five years ago I started this recruitment business which specialises in working with new media companies,” said one 35-year-old MD. “Now I have 30 employees, a turnover of £10 million and a profit of £500k. We built this company by offering something new in our field. Certainly we could make shed-loads of money by operating like a ‘traditional’ recruitment agency. But we really aim to put the right people in the right places in the right companies. This calls for making sure there is a ‘values-fit’. Once I spent my time getting out to customers, building relationships and satisfying their demands. But now I spend my time supervising our people and fire-fighting. My senior colleagues and I need to get into the market and stay close to our customers, but it is proving difficult to do that and run the business. Have you any suggestions?”

How would you work with this MD? The person who did so helped the MD and their leadership team:

* To communicate the vision throughout the business;

* To hire an operations director – a ‘co-ordinator’ – who took care of the day-to-day operations;

* To get the senior partners to do what they did best – building relationships with key decision-makers in client companies;

* To practice what they preached to other companies – clarifying their own company values, then recruiting and rewarding people who lived these values.

* To stay strategic – continually asking themselves: “What are the 3 key things we can do to give ourselves the greatest chance of success?”

Putting these principles into practice, the company increased its profit to 10% of turnover. It also improved its ratings on customer satisfaction and internal morale. (The latter called for starting again with a blank piece of paper and asking: “If we were to start this business again tomorrow, which of our people would we rehire?” Then acting on this information.) The company went from strength to strength.

Let’s return to your potential clients. How can you help them to succeed by following the new rules? Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to work with these people
and help them to succeed by following the new rules are:

*

*

*

Everybody knows the rules of work have changed, but many organisations still operate as if they are in the 1970s. Certainly it is possible to help people to get more oxygen in these organisations. But you may prefer to work with those that are making the new rules for work.

3 tips for focusing on what you really care about

“Nowadays I am doing something I really believe in,” said one marketer, “but it hasn’t always been the case. During my 30s I got stuck in a job that was pointless. I stopped caring and it showed. Fortunately I got out sooner rather than later. Nowadays it’s good to go to work with a spring in my step.” Let’s explore how you can take similar steps in your own way.

1) You can clarify what you really care about.

Try tackling the exercise on this theme called The caring dimension. Start by brainstorming the things that you really care about. You may feel strongly about supporting your family, encouraging people, creating beauty, caring for nature, passing-on knowledge, fighting for justice or whatever. After completing your list, return to each activity and rate the extent to which you care about it. Do this on a scale 0—10.


The things I really care about – and the extent
to which I care about them on a scale 0 - 10 - are:

*

The extent to which I care about this is __ /10

*

The extent to which I care about this is __ /10

*

The extent to which I care about this is __ /10

2) You can focus on one thing that you really care about and translate it into a specific ‘project’.

“Taking this step acted as a wake-up call,” said the marketer. “I returned to the activities that made my heart sing. My marketing career had been successful, including winning several industry awards, but something was missing. During the early years I generated false ‘excitement’ about branding a soft drink, car or travel company. But success caused me to reflect. Did I really want to tell my daughter that my legacy was: ‘I got more people to buy fizzy drinks’? The answer was obvious - I must focus on useful products. This led to me going freelance and running marketing campaigns that I considered worthwhile.”

Looking at your list, focus on one thing you really care about. How could you translate this into a specific ‘project’? Try completing the following sentences.

The thing I really care about that I want to focus on is:

*

The way I can translate this into a specific project is:

*

3) You can do what you care about, perform creative work and deliver concrete results.

Caring can be a tremendous motivating force behind doing memorable work. Dame Cicely Saunders set-up St. Christopher’s Hospice, Bob Geldof launched Live Aid, Nick Park created Wallace & Gromit. You can always tell when somebody has put their heart into cooking a meal, designing a garden or painting a picture. Caring feeds your craft and can be translated into fulfilling work. Reflect on the activity you want to concentrate on - then make an action plan. Bearing in mind your chosen project, try completing the following sentence.

The steps I can take to set a clear goal, perform
creative work and deliver concrete results are:

*

*

*

3 tips for being at your best at big moments

“Great performers produce great work on great occasions,” we are told. Some people have a positive approach at critical moments - others become paralysed. As Martin Luther King Jr. said:

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

Imagine you are going to face a tough situation in the future. Let’s explore how you can be at your best when it happens.

1) You can clarify your successful pattern at big moments.

Looking back on your life, recall the times when you have performed well at big moments. You may have been giving a presentation, passing an exam, playing crucial match, solving a crisis or whatever. Looking at each of these situations, what did you do right then to be successful? Can you see any patterns? Try completing the following sentences.

Looking back, the times when I have
performed well at big moments have been:

*

*

*
Looking at these examples, my successful pattern
for performing well at such big moments is:

*

*

*

2) You can rehearse being at your best at a future big moment.

“I always practice before giving tough news to patients,” said one doctor. “During our training we did little on the ‘human side of medicine’, so I took the initiative to attend many workshops on the topic. Every doctor has their own way of giving difficult messages. It may be routine for them - but each time is special for each patient. I normally say something like: ‘I am afraid it is not good news. This is the situation …… And here are your options.’ Normally the patient has prepared themselves for the news. But the way you communicate means a lot for them and their family.”

Describe the potential critical moments that you may face in the future. Focus on one crucial time and do two things. First, clarify the real results you want to achieve in the situation. Second, describe how you can do your best. Try completing the follow exercise.

Looking ahead, the big moment I may face in the future is:

*
The specific results I want to achieve at the big moment are:

*

*

*
The specific things I can do to perform well at the big moment are:

*

*

*

3) You can be at your best during the big moment.

The true test comes when you are in the midst of the tough situation. Suddenly you think: “This is no longer theory. It is actually happening. Now it is up to me to behave in the way that I believe-in.” Be true to yourself, follow your principles and do your best during the critical moment. This is your opportunity to grow as a person. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to concentrate and keep
doing my best during the midst of the big moment are:

*

*

*

3 tips for getting the right balance between consuming and creating

People are living systems - so they must get the right balance between consuming and creating. And that is not just about food. For example, if a person consumes too many ideas without creating something, they may begin to feel stodgy. If they consume masses of bad news about the environment, they must create something that improves the world - otherwise they will feel weighed down. In order to live healthy lives, living systems must balance ‘getting things in’ with ‘getting things out’. Let’s explore how to make this happen.

1) You can clarify the things you want to consume.

Start by considering what you want to ‘take-in’. One person said: “I began by listing the physical and psychological things I want to consume. On the physical side, I want to eat good food, use renewable energy, spend time in the fresh air, etc. On the psychological side, I want to get stimulating ideas, watch exciting sport, read uplifting articles, work on energising projects and spend time with encouraging people. The hard part was figuring out how to do this in my daily life. Some things were easy to cut-out, such as watching trash on the television, but others took more thought.” So what do you want to take into your mind, body and soul? Try completing the following sentence.

The things I want to consume are:

*

*

*

2) You can clarify the things you want to create.

What do you want to create or ‘give-out’? You may want to encourage other people, cook tasty food, build good relationships, write inspiring articles or whatever. Creativity takes many forms - such as solving problems, producing something new or giving pleasure to other people. Great design, for instance, is simple, satisfying and successful. Sometimes you may simply get satisfaction from nurturing your garden, playing music or helping other people. Describe what you want to create - or give to others - in your life and work. Try completing the following sentence.

The things I want to create are:

*

*

*

3) You can get the right balance between consuming and creating.

People often know intuitively whether they have got the right balance in their lives between consuming and creating. Try answering the following questions. On a scale 0 - 10, to what extent do I think I have got the right balance between consuming and creating? What are the specific areas where I think I need to improve the balance? What are the specific steps I can take to make this happen?

“I found the psychological side relatively straightforward,” said one person. “I find it relatively simple to get stimulating in-put and do creative work. On the physical side, the first step was to start with the daily essentials. For example, to switch our electricity account to green energy - which takes 10 minutes on the internet – and to shop locally. The next stages will be more difficult, but it is a challenge I want to tackle.”

Consider what you can do to get the right balance between taking-in and giving-out. Taking this step can provide the foundation for sustainable growth - for both yourself and other people. It can also help you to stay healthy. Try completing the following sentence.

The things I can do to get the right balance
between consuming and creating are:

*

*

*

3 tips for finding, accepting and forgetting yourself

“You are most yourself when you forget yourself,” we are told. People often reveal their true talents when completely immersing themselves in an activity. Writing in his book Flow, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi explains that during such times people: “find their concern for self disappears, but paradoxically their sense of self emerges stronger.” Embarking on this adventure often involves taking three steps: finding yourself, accepting yourself and forgetting yourself. Let’s explore these stages.

1) Finding yourself.

Individuals continue to ask the eternal questions: “Who am I? Where am I going? How can I get there?” Different people embark on different journeys towards finding their answers.

“The first 25 years of my life were spent gathering experiences,” explained one person. “Fortunately my parents encouraged me to pursue my own path, providing I learned from my mistakes. My ‘gap year’ turned into 3 years. After travelling the world, I spent two years working in refugee camps in Asia. Returning to the UK, I decided to work for human rights. The world may be unfair - but I want to help as many people as possible to get a fair start in life. This sense of mission gets me up each morning.”

So how do you ‘find yourself’? “Go out into the world”, is the mantra. Live, learn and find your labour of love. Then clarify your legacy - the things you want to give to the world. Try many experiences. Sometimes you will say: “This feels right - this is what I was meant to do.” Continue adventuring and, when you are ready, clarify the patterns. What are your passions? Where do you feel at ease yet excel? Clarify your strengths and translate these into specific goals. See if you enjoy the sweat—the hard work required to achieve success. If so, you may have found your vocation. You can express this vocation through many different vehicles on the way towards doing valuable work.

2) Accepting yourself.

“During my 20s and 30s I attended many workshops where the tone seemed to be: ‘What do you want to change about yourself?’ said one person. “So I focused on ‘Who I’m not’, rather than ‘Who I am’. One day I just get fed-up and said: ‘I am going to be myself.’ Since then I have felt more at peace. I try to do the work I like, dress the way I like - within limits - and spend time with the people I like. Certainly I can keep improving but, if I fail, I am going to fail doing what I believe-in.”

People reach a point where they accept their strengths. They build their ‘As’ and manage the consequences of their ‘Bs’ and ‘Cs’. Setting specific goals, they go onto the next stage.

3) Forgetting yourself.

“The coaching session is all about the other person—it is not about you,” explained the course leader, as we each prepared to do a practice session watched by the whole group. “Concentrate on the person in front of you. Give them 100% attention. Be calm, clarify their goals and help them to get concrete results. The temptation will be to ‘show off’ by using clever techniques, but that is not the point. Success depends on what the person gets from the session - not whether you impress your watching colleagues.”

Try tackling the exercise below on this theme. Describe the activity in which you lose your self but emerge feeling fulfilled. Perhaps it is when you are painting, solving a problem, climbing a mountain, teaching, gardening, giving to another person or whatever. What do you do right then? You may feel as if you are simply channelling energy towards achieving a specific goal. Far from this being ‘new age’, it is because you have respected the task. Giving 100% attention, you have done the hard work required to achieve 8/10. Then you begin flowing to fulfilment. How can you follow these principles again in the future – both in that and other situations? Try completing the following sentences.

The specific activity in which I ‘forget myself’ yet emerge feeling fulfilled is:

*

The things I do right to ‘forget myself’ in that situation are:


*

*

*

The things I can do to follow these principles again
the future – both in that and other situations - are:


*

*

*

“Life is full of paradoxes,” we are told. Perhaps, but the paradoxes may simply be part of a circle - such as finding yourself, accepting yourself and forgetting yourself. You are then more likely to be your real self and give what you can to the world.

3 tips for knowing when to 'debate, decide, deliver'

Imagine you are leading a team. The ‘debate, decide, deliver’ model is a good one for involving your people in owning parts of the strategy. Let’s look at how this works in practice. Start by giving people clear guidelines about the freedom they have to operate with the 3 D’s.

* Debate: describe the topics that are not up for debate – because these have already been decided - and those that are.

* Decide: describe the parameters within which people can then make decisions.

* Deliver: describe the deadlines by which people will be expected to deliver.

Great teams know which part of the model they are operating in. They know whether they are debating, deciding or delivering. Poor teams get the three parts mixed up. Bearing these principles in mind, let’s consider how you can guide your team through the three steps.

* Debate.

Describe again the areas that people can and can’t debate. You may say, for example:

“The big ‘What’ - the result we must deliver - is not open to debate. The key strategies - the ‘How’ - have also been handed-down. What we can discuss, however, are the tactics within each of these strategies. Here are the topics that we can debate as a team.

a)

b)

c)

“Are there any other topics to add that perhaps fall under our remit to discuss? Let’s add those to the list. Right, let’s explore the first topic.”

Embark on the debate process. Clarity is crucial. Looking at the first topic, start by defining the results to deliver. Move onto the choices and consequences. Brainstorm all the possible options - together with the pluses and minuses of each option. Discuss the options, then move onto finding possible creative solutions. Eventually you will find the group start moving towards their conclusions.

Good facilitation will be required. Get the right balance between ‘opening up’ - clarifying the result to achieve and exploring ideas - then ‘closing down’. Create an atmosphere in which people share their ideas. Business meetings sometimes close down the discussion too early. On the other hand, some teams open-up subject after subject and never make any decisions. Get the right balance when discussing the first topic. Then, when appropriate, move onto the next stage.

* Decide.

Time to make a decision. You may say something like: “Looking at the first topic, let’s return to results to deliver. Now is the time to decide on which option - or options - we want to pursue. After making the decision, we must then decide who will do what by when. Okay, looking at the first topic, let’s decide on the route forward.”

Clarify the action plan for the first topic. Continue the session by repeating the ‘Debate’ and ‘Decide’ steps for other items on the agenda. Conclude the session by summarising what has been agreed. Encourage people to ‘play back’ what they understand to be the action plans for delivering the team’s goals. Then move onto the next stage.

* Deliver.

People must then work hard to deliver. Provide the support they need to do the job. Super teams are made up of people who are positive, professional and peak performers. But sometimes they get thrown off-course. If people become paralysed in long discussions, investigate the reasons. If appropriate, return to the ‘debate, decide and deliver’ model. Check that the ‘debate’ and ‘decide’ parts have been agreed. If so - and if the decision still fits - then ensure they deliver. If not, then ensure people make a decision and deliver. (Sometimes, of course, it can be a case of ‘just do it’.)

Super teams have crystal clear goals. People know what mountain they are climbing, why they are climbing it and when they will reach the summit. Within this framework, people work best when they can ‘own’ their part of the strategy. Providing it is used properly, the 3 D model is a good tool for making this happen. People then develop the habit of knowing when to debate, decide and deliver.

3 tips for inviting team members to explore their successes and challenges

This is a simple but effective exercise for getting a team to explore its successes and challenges. It is especially effective as a kick-off activity to a regular meeting or an off-site. The exercise encourages people to learn from their successes – then move onto exploring their potential challenges. People often say they find the exercise both reassuring and stimulating. Imagine you are bringing the team together for a one-day session. You can take the following steps to kick-off the meeting before pursuing any other topics you want to cover.

* You can invite people to describe their successes and challenges.

“Welcome to today’s session,” began one leader. “It is two months since our last meeting, so I would like to start by asking you to do two things. First, describe your own and, if appropriate, your team’s successes over the past 2 months. For example, you may have finally recruited a full team; beat your sales target; dealt well with a difficult disciplinary session or whatever. Second, describe the challenges that you – or your team – may face over the next 2 months. For example, how to manage a difficult team member; improve profit whilst reducing costs; get sales-people buzzing in the peak period running up to Christmas or whatever. Take 10 minutes to make this list, then I will invite you to share these in the group.”

You will obviously approach this in your own way. But here is a framework you can use to invite people to clarify their achievements and focus on future issues.

The successes I/we have had in the past two months are:

*

*

*

The challenges I/we face in the next two months are:

*

*

*

* You can invite people to describe and learn from their successes.

Invite the first person to describe their achievements. Write these on the flip chart and build a catalogue of the team’s successes. Listen carefully, then ask them to go into more detail. You may want to say something like:

“Let’s explore these a little deeper. What did you – or your team – do right to achieve your first success? Try to be super specific. Great performers continually clarify and repeat good habits. So it is important: a) to find the principles you followed; b) to follow these principles again in future. Some people overlook the importance of following successful patterns. They immediately leap to ‘what went wrong’. Certainly it is vital to improve, but you often reach 7/10 by going back to basics - which calls for following good habits. So what did you do right to achieve your first success? Building on these foundations, we can then look at how to achieve the 10/10.”

Here is a framework you can use to invite people to build on their successes. Continue around the room until everybody has shared their achievements.

The specific success was:

*

The specific things I/we did right to achieve the success were:

*

*

*

The specific things I/we can do to follow these principles in the future are:

*

*

*

* You can invite people to describe and explore their challenges.

Invite the first person to describe their challenges. Write these on the flip chart and start building a catalogue of the team’s challenges. Listen carefully and be crystal-clear on the challenge. Invite the person to phrase the issue in terms of: “How to ____?” Get them to put it in positive terms. For example: “How to improve morale?” rather than: “How to stop negativity?” Once the person has explained the challenge, you then have two options:

a) To invite the person to describe any ideas they already have for tackling the challenge and, if appropriate, add any suggestions.

b) To go around the whole team, collect all the challenges and highlight any common themes. You can then focus on each challenge and work together to explore possible solutions.

Whichever route you take, here is a framework for inviting people to explore their challenges.

The specific challenge I/we face is:

*
The possible options for tackling this challenge are:

*

*

*

The specific route I/we will probably take to tackle the challenge is:

*

“Exploring this exercise properly can take quite a while,” explained one leader. “So we have got into the habit of doing it 3 or 4 times a year. Acting as a model, I kick-off by sharing my own successes and some potential challenges. People are then more likely to open-up and share their own experiences. The exercise provides a framework we use to keep improving our performance. ”

3 tips for focusing on where you make complicated things simple

Great performers make complicated things appear simple. They see patterns quickly, get to the heart of the matter and deliver success. Let’s focus on where you have this ability.

1) You can clarify the situation where you make complicated things simple.

Great educators share their knowledge in a way that is simple yet profound – while great athletes demonstrate grace under pressure. How do such performers make things appear so natural? The usual answer is: “Because they work at it.” It is also because they are using their ‘A’ talent. Try tackling the exercise on this theme. Begin by describing a specific activity in which you make complicated things simple. You may be fixing a computer problem, cooking for 20 people, skippering a yacht or whatever. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific situation where I make complicated things simple is:

*

2) You can put yourself into the situation where you make complicated things simple.

Betty Edwards has helped millions of people to learn how to draw. In 1980 she published Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. As a child she got praised for her ‘special gift’ of being able to draw. She writes: “But in the back of my mind, I felt that the praise was misplaced. I knew that drawing was easy and that all anyone had to do was to look at things in that certain way.” Betty communicated her secrets in the book. This has enabled many people to free their ‘right brains’ and become more creative in their lives. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to keep putting myself into
the situation where I make complicated things simple are:

*

*

*

3) You can pass-on your knowledge about the situation where you make complicated things simple.

Passing-on your wisdom may be a challenge - because what you do may seem so ‘natural’ - but have a go. David Attenborough, for example, has translated his love for nature into memorable TV series. You may not have access to such a big budget, but there are many other vehicles. For example, you can run coaching sessions, lead workshops, give presentations, write articles, create a website and publish books. Try completing the following sentences.

The things I can do to pass-on my knowledge about the
situation where I make complicated things simple are:

*

*

*

The benefits of doing this will be:

*

*

Sharing your wisdom will encourage other people to make good use of their talents. They may also discover where they make complicated things simple.

3 tips for focusing on drive, detail & delivery

There are many ways to build on your strengths. One approach is to identify the activities in which you score highly on drive, detail and delivery. “I score at least 8/10 in all three areas when I am running workshops,” said one person. “I love sharing knowledge; enjoy designing and facilitating the workshop; and get good feedback from delegates. It feels like I have discovered what I do best.” Where does this happen for you?

Start by brainstorming all the activities in which you score highly on the 3 D’s. Then focus on one activity in which you want to specialise.

The 3 D’s. The specific activities in which I
score highly on drive, detail & delivery are:

*

*

*

The specific activity in which I would like to specialise is:

*

Looking at this activity, let’s explore how you rate yourself on the 3 D’s.

1) Drive.

Motivation is crucial – so make sure your motivation to do this activity is at least 9/10. Sometimes we find our desire to do some jobs begins to diminish. One customer service director said: “People say I am great at running customer service initiatives, but my drive to lead yet another project is only 3/10. Now I want to take on an MD role and run a complete business. Yes, I must develop the knowledge required to lead a company. But I am prepared to do everything possible to produce at least a 9/10 in delivering success.” Looking at your chosen activity, try completing the following sentences.

Drive. The extent to which I have a
strong drive to do this activity is: ___ / 10

The things I can do to improve - or maintain - this rating are:

*

*

*

2) Detail.

Peak performers have great attention to detail in the activities where they excel. One marketing director told me: “I get bored with the detail.” When preparing for a TV interview, however, he kept rehearsing until he had an answer for every possible question. “But that is different,” he said. “I love doing television interviews and want to make sure I have covered every angle.” What he meant in his original statement was: “I get bored with the detail in those areas that don’t interest me.” Looking at the activity in which you do superb work, rate your attention to detail. Make sure it is at least 8/10. Try completing the following sentences.

Detail. The extent to which I have a attention
to detail when doing this activity is: ___ / 10

The things I can do to improve - or maintain - this rating are:

*

*

*

3) Delivery.

How good are you at finishing? People buy what you complete - so rate yourself on delivery. “Exploring this aspect was illuminating and changed the direction of my career,” said one environmental journalist. “Looking back at the magazine articles I wrote, there were differences in their quality. They all got published - but some were more satisfying and made more impact. Looking at the best, they highlighted practical initiatives taken to improve the environment, rather than spreading more ‘doom and gloom’. Now I concentrate on writing articles that provide people with practical hope.” Looking at the activity in which you do superb work, rate your delivery. Try completing the following sentences.

Delivery. The extent to which I deliver the
goods when doing this activity is: ___ / 10

The things I can do to improve - or maintain - this rating are:

*

*

*
Great performers excel at the 3 D’s. So keep putting yourself into the situations where you score highly on drive, detail and delivery.

3 tips for finishing

Finishing is a key skill in life. “Flow, focus, finish and, as a by-product, find fulfilment,” is the motto. Sounds easy in theory, but how does it work in practice? For example, how can you complete a book, perform well to the final whistle in a sporting event or finish a project successfully? Here are three tips for finishing.

1) You can clarify your successful pattern for finishing.

Try tackling the exercise called Finishing. Looking back at your life, describe something you have finished successfully. What did you do right then? Be super specific. For example, one person said:

“Five years ago I finally completed work on refurbishing the ‘Granny annexe’ at our house, something I had delayed for years. First, I decided whether or not I wanted to do it. Certainly I could have hired a local builder - which would have freed up time - but I chose to finish it myself. Second, I set aside time to do the job, booking long weekends over a period of 12 months. I ring-fenced this time, rather than allowing it to become cluttered by other events.”

“Third, I established a working ritual, starting on Friday morning, working all day and most of Saturday, then allocating the rest of the weekend to the family. Fourth, I made it as pleasurable as possible, playing my favourite music, listening to the radio and having frequent coffee breaks. Fifth, I followed the discipline and kept working until it was finished. Now my teenage kids have moved into that part of the house - so Granny will have to wait.”

Clarify your successful pattern for finishing. Consider how you can follow similar principles in the future. There may also be other strategies and skills you can add to be an even better finisher. (You may have different patterns in your personal and professional life. For example, when moving-on from a relationship or completing a work project.) Try completing the exercise on this theme – then go onto the next step.

Finishing

The time I finished something successfully was:

*

The specific things I did to finish it successfully were:

*

*

*

The steps I can take to finish things successfully in the future are:

*

*

*

2) You can choose something you want to finish.

Looking into the future, choose something you want to finish. Be selective to be effective. You can’t complete everything in life. Providing you accept the consequences, it can be okay to say: “I don’t want to finish it.” Then focus on other priorities. Identify what you want to finish and treat it like a ‘project’. Employ good planning exercises. For example, start by clarifying your picture of perfection. Identify the pluses and minuses involved in reaching the goal - and decide whether you want to go for it. If so, clarify the three things you can do to give yourself the greatest chance of success. Create a road map - a project plan - for achieving the picture of perfection. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific thing I would like to finish in the future is:

*

3) You can follow your successful pattern - then flow, focus and finish.

Set aside time to finish, otherwise you are destined to fail. Divide the task into reasonable chunks and set yourself a realistic goal for each time period. Reaching it will give you a sense of achievement. The next step is to follow your successful pattern. Writing in her book The Creative Habit, the choreographer Twyla Tharp recommends establishing daily habits. Now in her 60s, she starts her day at 5.30 am, walks out of her Manhattan flat and hails a cab. This takes her to the gym for a two hour workout. Twyla believes that starting the day properly propels you towards your goal. She writes:

“Being creative is an everyday thing, a job with its own routines … The routine is as much part of the creative process as the lightening bolt of inspiration (perhaps more). And it is available to everyone. If creativity is a habit, then the best creativity is a result of good work habits.”

Make good use of your prime times - the times when you have most energy. Eat properly, take time to relax, rest and recover. Encourage yourself. Surround yourself with positive things - people, music or whatever. Everybody experiences setbacks. When you hit difficulties, lift your eyes to focus on the picture of perfection. See things in perspective. If possible, learn to love the process as much as reaching the prize.

Do the right things in the right way every day. Be calm, controlled and centred. Keep working hard and, almost as a by-product, you will finish. Relax. Clarify what you did well - and how you can do more of these things in the future. Clarify what you can do even better next time - and how. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to flow, focus and finish are:

*

*

*

Finishing is just another name for beginning. Soon it will be time to find another challenge to tackle, another dream to pursue. You can then again follow your successful pattern for finishing. Enjoy the journey.

3 tips for employing your personal radar

Peak performers have a sixth sense in the areas where they perform brilliantly. They seem to know ‘what will happen before it happens’. Al Siebert, author of The Survivor Personality, called this gift ‘personal radar’. Let’s explore where you might use your radar and repertoire to deliver great results.

1) You can clarify where you have good radar.

What are the situations in which you have good radar? Where do you quickly see patterns? Where do you quickly see the desired picture of perfection? Different people have different kinds of radar. Great footballers, for example, seem to have more time and space than other players. Demonstrating superb positional sense, they seem several moves ahead of the opposition. Great retailers have an intuitive ‘feeling’ for their business. They can predict what will be happening in the market in the future. Ellen MacArthur, the round-the-world yachtswoman, reads the waves to anticipate future sailing conditions. Processing the information, she then works-out the strategy for reaching her destination.

So what happens when people use their personal radar? Entering the situation in which they excel, they feel alive and alert. Employing their antennae, they rapidly gather information about three things. a) They see patterns and, extrapolating the patterns, they envisage potential scenarios. b) They see the desired picture of perfection. c) They see how to pursue the best strategy for achieving the picture of perfection. You will have good radar in some situations, but not in others. For example, you may work well with certain clients, but not with others. (Be aware of where you have bad radar and develop a strategy for dealing with those situations.) Try completing the following sentence.

The specific situation in which I have good radar is:

*

2) You can clarify what you have in your repertoire.

Radar provides lots of information - but it is only the starting point. People must dig into their repertoire to reach their goals. There are normally three components in your repertoire. a) Strengths - the natural talents you have been given. b) Strategies - the life-experience, knowledge, models and wisdom you have gathered. c) Skills - the skills, tools and techniques you have developed. Radar is given: but the greatest area of growth lies in expanding your repertoire. Try completing the following sentence.

The strengths, strategies and skills I have in
my repertoire that I can use in this situation are:

*

*

*

3) You can use your radar and repertoire to deliver great results.

Faced by a challenging situation, peak performers reach into their repertoire to use the right technique to achieve the desired goal. “Every client is different, but I do follow a certain model,” said one counsellor. “Meeting a troubled person, I make them feel welcome and quickly look for behavioural patterns. I then imagine what I want them to be feeling, thinking and saying when they leave the session. Moving on, I try many different strategies to make contact and clarify their goals. Drawing on my experience - yet also staying fully in the present - I then use different tools to help them to succeed.” How do you do this in your own way? Try completing the following sentence.

The things I can do to use my radar and
repertoire to deliver results in this situation are:


*

*

*

Consider how you can keep putting yourself into situations where you have good radar. You will then increase your chances of doing outstanding work.

3 tips for being real in role

People sometimes go through three stages during their professional career. First, they begin by being real. Second, they became wrapped in playing a professional role. Third, they are real in their professional role. Let’s explore these three steps.

1) Being real.

People often show passion when starting out on their chosen career. They are real, raw and may be classified as a ‘rough diamond’. Throwing themselves into their work, they sometimes make mistakes - but this is part of the adventure. Their spark transmits energy and fire. Singer-songwriters, for example, sometimes produce great work early in their careers. Belying their youth, they write songs that convey wisdom beyond their years. The same happens in many fields. Stoked by idealism, people look forward to going to work each day - then comes the next stage.

2) Being in role.

People may climb the career ladder and, at a certain point, feel they must get into ‘role’. Certainly they must be professional - but sometimes they bury their personality and become wrapped in the role. This may manifest itself by, for example, losing touch with customers, collecting ‘badges’, talking in long sentences, making things complicated or whatever. “I stopped doing what I do best,” said one person, “and spent my life acting as a middle management supervisor. Two years into the job I felt confident enough to begin showing my real personality.” This brings us to the next stage.

3) Being real in role.

Confident in their professional ability, they are real yet also able to fulfil their role. Great leaders, for example, show the ‘human touch’. They feel more able to ‘be themselves’ and, far from diminishing their authority, this increases their credibility. How can you continue to be real in your role? Three principles are worth bearing in mind. First, be passionate. Do things you feel passionately about and let your passion shine through. Second, be professional. Fulfil your professional obligations - and do these superbly. Third, be a peak performer. Do something special that adds that touch of magic. Try completing the following sentence.

The things I can do to continue be real in my role are:

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3 tips for balancing money, meaning & magic

People want three things from work: money, meaning and magic. Money feeds the stomach; meaning and magic feed the spirit and the soul. Let’s explore how you can get the right balance in your work.

1) Money.

“I’m not sure I will ever have enough money,” said one person. “I seem to spend whatever I get.” Different people have different relationships with money. Researchers tell us that, once people go beyond a certain financial threshold, then increased money does not mean increased happiness. On a scale 0—10, to what extent do you feel you get enough money in your work? Would you like to improve the rating? If so, how can you make this happen?

One key point: How a person spends their money - and whether they can do so more wisely - is a separate issue. Many excellent books have been written on this subject. The Seven Laws of Money, by Michael Phillips, remains one of the best. Published over 20 years ago, it shows how people can enjoy a better relationship with money. Providing you have enough money to live, the issue then becomes one of lifestyle - making money your servant, rather than master. As Gandhi said: “The world has enough resources for everybody’s need, but not for everybody’s greed.” Try completing the following sentences.

The extent to which I feel I get enough money in my work is: ___ /10

The specific things I can do to maintain or improve this rating are:

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2) Meaning.

On a scale 0—10, to what extent do you enjoy a sense of meaning in your work? “I love my job,” said one person. “I provide solutions that help people to take more charge of their lives. Like many people in the service business, I aim to help customers to succeed. And that gives me an enormous buzz.”

“Looking at my professional life,” said one knowledge worker, “I must get the right balance between innovation, implementation and impact. The final phase, impact, is important - because I like to see positive results. In my last job, however, I spent all my time implementing other people’s tactics. There was little scope for innovation or impact. So I returned to what I do best. Now I can see results - which is what I find fulfilling.”

Looking to the future, how can you maintain - or improve - the sense of meaning? Try completing the following sentences.

The extent to which I enjoy a sense of meaning in my work is: ___ /10

The specific things I can do to maintain or improve this rating are:

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3) Magic.

When do you enjoy a sense of magic in your work? When do you get a creative high? When do you flow? When do you go into your equivalent of the sporting zone? Looking to the future, how can you create more of those spell-binding moments?

“I started by giving myself treats - visiting customers again,” said a sales director, “which was far more rewarding than boring internal meetings. Slowly I pieced together these visit like a string of pearls, until 80% of my week was spent with customers. The orders rolled-in and, because our team burst the bottom-line, I was given extra heads. So I did three things. First, found a co-ordinator to manage the team. Second, got everybody to write down their strengths and how they could use them to achieve the team’s goals. Third, gave the co-ordinator power to harness these strengths and fill the gaps. That released everybody to do what they do best. Now we have a superb team.”

Richard Florida’s book, The Rise of The Creative Class, describes how millions of people are being more creative in their work. If they cannot satisfy this drive inside an organisation, they go outside. Companies that harness this spirit will create ‘win-wins’ - both for the organisation and the individual. Bread is vital to stay alive but, as we are told, people do not live by bread alone. Many are taking steps to get the right balance between money, meaning and magic in their lives. Try completing the following sentences.

The extent to which I enjoy a sense of magic in my work is: ___ /10

The specific things I can do to maintain or improve this rating are:

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