Moving on - new blog site

Thank you for reading my blog on this site. My Blogger served me well in the early days and then I chose to move to my new site as we wanted to add a lot of new features, etc.

If any Google reviewer ends up reading this.......We have tried to set up redirects to help people get to the new site more efficiently. Also we are trying everything we know to try and stop any duplication of material by placing metatags on this site hoping Google does not index both sites as duplication. If you can suggest any other action we can take so that we can direct our visitors to the new site and avoid duplication please contact us and let us know.

In short we are doing everything we are aware of.... to make this switch as clean as possible.

Mike Pegg's blog has now moved to:

http://www.strengthsacademy.com

Hope to see you there.

Mike.

3 tips for recognising that 'everything is food'

“Everything is food,” say the Zen Buddhists. Everything we expose ourselves to affects our mind, body and soul. For example, our environment, friends, work and the influences we absorb. Frequently a person is faced by a decision: “How should I spend my time? Should I boost myself by taking-in some ‘positive food’? Or should I hurt myself by consuming ‘poisonous food’?” Let’s consider how you can enrich your mind, body and soul.

1) Positive food.

“My Eureka moment came one morning on the M25,” said one person. “Sitting in the traffic jam listening to politicians arguing on the radio, I found myself getting more depressed. So I switched off the radio, put on my favourite music and let my mind wander. It didn’t shift the traffic, but something changed within me. Now I start the day by listening to music, rather than arguments. Instead of ‘garbage in, garbage out’, I go for ‘good things in, good things out’.”

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. Start by identifying the ‘positive food’ you want to consume in your life and work. These may include, for example, meeting encouraging friends, spending time in the countryside, doing satisfying work, visiting the theatre or pursuing creative activities, such as painting, writing or gardening. Try completing the following sentence.

The positive food I want in my life and work is:

*

*

*

2) Poisonous food.

Describe the poisonous food you don’t want to consume in your life and work. One person took this literally. He said: “For years I ate unhealthy white bread and felt heavy. Now I have a wheat-free diet. I feel much better and, over the last 6 months, have lost 3 kilos.” The equivalent things for you may be, for example, listening to serial complainers, working with dispiriting clients, meeting in windowless rooms, staying in hotels that have ‘sick building syndrome’. Try completing the following sentence.

The poisonous food I don’t want in my life and work is:

*

*

*

3) Positive food in the future.

“Planning is needed to change the habits of a lifetime,” explained the person who changed his diet. “My job involves travelling around the country by train. Now I get to the station 20 minutes before the train departs - building-in time to buy salad and fruit at one of the recently opened food outlets. Previously I arrived 5 minutes before the train left - then ate crisps and starchy sandwiches during the journey. Now I feel more energetic and creative.”

Describe the specific things you can do to consume positive food in the future. Focus on the people, projects and places you find inspiring. You are then more likely to feel healthy, rather than heavy. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to get more positive food in the future are:

*

*

*

3 tips for clarifying the goals for a development session

“Agree on the goals when starting the session,” is the golden rule. This sounds so obvious, much like ‘teaching granny to suck eggs’. But it is a vital step in achieving success. Certainly I have hit trouble by wrongly assuming a person - or a group - wants to focus on certain issues. Fortunately it has been possible to recover by going back and making clear contracts about the agenda. The old rule applies when facilitating any coaching, mentoring or other development session – see below. Let’s explore three tips for making this happen.

1) You can clarify the person’s – or the team’s – goals for the session.

“Normally I email a mentee one week before a session,” said one person. “I invite them to let me know the kind of topics they want to explore during the meeting. Sometimes they do not get round to replying, so I check their goals at the start of the session.”

“I follow the same process when running a workshop, but in much greater detail. It is absolutely vital to be crystal-clear on the goals ahead of time, otherwise you can get into deep trouble. So I always talk with the key person to ensure everybody wants to achieve the same aims. Agreeing the ‘What’ gives me time to prepare ‘How’ to reach their goals. Obviously I also re-contract at the start of the workshop to make sure everybody is still on the same page.”

You will have your own methods for clarifying the goals for a coaching, mentoring or other development session. For example, you may ask the person or leader: “What are the topics that it would be useful to explore? What would you like to take away from the session? What for you would make it a successful session?” It sounds obvious, but ‘knowing your destination is a vital part of the journey’. It’s amazing how often this gets overlooked. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to make sure that I clarify the
person’s - or the team’s - specific goals for a session are:

*

*

*

2) You can communicate what you can & can’t offer to help them to achieve their goals.

This is a vital step in clear contracting. Once the person - or the group - has said what they want, explain what you can and can’t offer. You may say something like:

“I can provide practical tools that will help you to achieve goals a, b & c. Some of the other goals may require more specialist attention. If you would like to go-ahead, it would be good to clarify the respective roles. My responsibility to help you achieve the goals is to … The help I would like from you - or your team - is to … Providing we do these things, I am sure we have a good chance of reaching the goals. Would you like to go ahead?”

You will obviously communicate these messages in your own way. People often find it reassuring to know what you can and can’t offer - rather than you claiming to offer every possible service. Try completing the following sentence.

The things I can do to communicate what I can and can’t offer
to help the person- or the team - to achieve their goals are:

*

*

*

3) You can make clear contracts about the goals for the session.

Conclude this part of the discussion by making clear contracts. It is good to recap ‘What’ you aim to achieve and ‘How’ you intend to work together. Bearing in mind what you have covered, you may say something like:

“Let’s just recap on the goals for the session. You want to achieve a, b and c. My role in making this happen is … Your role is …”

You can then embark on the real work in the session. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to conclude the contracts about
what we will cover and the respective roles in the session are:

*

*

*

Contracting is crucial when you are providing a service. It’s vital to take the time to be crystal clear on the goals for a session. This will provide the foundation for achieving success.

3 tips for focusing on strengths, sponsors and success

“The world of work keeps changing,” people may say, “so how can we help people to shape their futures? It is hard to know what skills they must learn to be successful.” Perhaps, but as the saying goes: ‘the more things change, the more things stay the same.’ At least, some things stay the same. For example, freelancers have followed certain themes throughout history. They have built on their strengths, found sponsors who paid them and delivered success. People who develop such eternal skills are more likely to shape their futures. Let’s explore how this works in practice.

1) You can build on your strengths.

Michelangelo, Anita Roddick and Steve Jobs had at least one thing in common. They all built on their strengths. They did what they did best and got somebody to pay them for doing it. This has been a key skill throughout history. Some customers will always be interested in buying quality - and the best way of producing quality is to develop your top talents. The Strengths Toolbox provides many exercises for identifying what you do best, but you will obviously find your own way. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to build on my strengths are:

*

*

*

2) You can find sponsors.

Anybody can do work they love, the art is to get somebody to pay you for doing it. Creative artists have had faced this challenge throughout history. They have asked themselves: “Shall I be true to my art, stay in a garret and wait to be discovered? Shall I publicise my services, sell my soul and do whatever is necessary for money? Shall I be true to myself, find patrons and try to get a ‘win-win’ solution?” People will continue to face this challenge in the future.

So how do you find sponsors who will pay you for doing what you do best? There are several rules. a) To understand the sponsor’s agenda - their picture of success; b) To provide services or products that will help them to achieve success; c) To reach out to these sponsors and show you understand their agenda; d) To make clear working contracts about how you can help them to achieve success. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to find sponsors
who will pay me for doing what I do best are:


*

*

*

3) You can deliver success.

“My role is to help my sponsor to reach their goals,” said one freelancer. “I go through several steps when working for a person or organisation. a) To make sure I really want to work for them. b) To make clear contracts about what must be delivered. c) To keep them informed, go the extra mile and provide great service. Going through these steps produces lots of repeat business.” Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to help
my sponsors to achieve success are:


*

*

*

“Change is the only certainty in the world of work,” we are told. Perhaps, but there is another certainty. People will need to build on their strengths, find sponsors and deliver success. Developing these eternal skills will enable them to shape a positive future.

3 tips for focusing on fun, freedom and fulfilment

How can you find professional fulfilment? During the past 40 years I have met many people who have found satisfaction and stimulation in their work. Such people often demonstrate three characteristics. They focus on fun, freedom and doing work that is fulfilling - both for themselves and their ‘employers’. People who hate their jobs demonstrate the opposite characteristics. For them work is a chore. They feel imprisoned and frustrated. So let’s explore the following steps in your work.

1) Fun.

“I’d like to do work I enjoy, but it is so difficult,” somebody may say. Perhaps, but try doing work you hate. That is more difficult. What the person may mean is: “I would like to do work I love, but it is hard to find somebody to pay me for doing it.” Peak performers often begin their professional journeys by doing work they enjoy - then developing the skills for finding the funding. Try completing the following sentences.

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

The specific things I can do to continue or
increase this sense of fun in my work are:

*

*

*

“After completing this exercise, I decided to go back to doing what I enjoy - my specialism - rather than general management,” said Jenny, a brilliant marketer. “I feel really happy focusing on what I do best. General management was just an endurance test. Now I have much more fun in my work.”

2) Freedom.

People like to feel free. They want to feel in control of shaping their destiny. Many fulfilled people seem to have a ‘freelance mentality’. They may or may not be freelancers - but they feel in charge of shaping their futures. “I now feel more in control of my professional life,” said Jenny. “I still work for the same company. But now feel more in control of my diary and contribution to the business.” Try completing the following sentences.

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

The specific things I can do to continue or
increase this sense of freedom in my work are:

*

*

*

3) Fulfilment.

“Now I concentrate on what I do best,” said Jenny. “I am able to use my imagination, set clear goals and make a positive impact.” So how do people find professional satisfaction? They put themselves in a place where they can flow, focus, finish and, as a by product, find fulfilment. Try completing the following sentences.

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

The specific things I can do to continue or
increase this sense of fulfilment in my work are:

*

*

*

People who do satisfying work often focus on fun, freedom and fulfilment. Feeling stimulated in their work, they build on their strengths, set specific goals and deliver success. They develop a ‘win-win’ - both for themselves and their employers.

3 tips for being fully alive

When do you feel fully alive? You may be teaching, fixing a problem, renovating a house, selling to certain customers, leading a team or whatever. What are you doing right then? How can you follow these principles more in the future? How can you base your life on doing the things in which you feel fully alive? Let’s explore some ideas for making this happen.

1) You can clarify when you feel fully alive.

“I split this into the personal and professional sides,” said one person. “On the personal side, I feel fully alive when encouraging our children, walking in Scotland, gardening, listing to certain music, painting and spending time with friends. On the professional side, it is when doing one-to-one coaching – rather than running workshops, working with high-tech companies and, strangely, travelling by train to assignments – rather than getting stuck on motorways. The coaching part provides an important pointer. I can run workshops, but feel more comfortable working with individuals. Sometimes I have five sessions a day and still have energy.”

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. Looking at your personal and professional life, describe the times when you feel fully alive. Be as specific as possible and complete the following sentence.

The times when I feel fully alive are:

*

*

*

2) You can do more of the things in which you feel fully alive.

Let’s start this part by exploring what you are doing right when you feel fully alive because this highlights principles to consider when shaping your future life. One person said:

“My partner and I enjoy walking together in Scotland. Looking at this activity, the things we are doing right then are: a) Planning and spending quality time together – this takes discipline, but the alternative can be to drift along; b) Doing something we both enjoy – going on an adventure; c) Being in our element – feeling able to reflect yet also getting outside stimulation. We now go to Scotland four times a year – but we also try to follow these principles elsewhere in our lives.”

Let’s return to your life and work. Looking at the activities you wrote in the previous section, how can you do more of these in the future? Then go deeper. Choose one of the activities in which you feel fully alive. What are you doing right then? How can you follow these principles more in the future? Bearing all these answers in mind – and being as specific as possible - complete the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to do more of
the things in which I feel fully alive are:

*

*

*

3) You can base your life on doing the things in which you feel fully alive.

This may seem radical - perhaps unrealistic – but it can provide a good starting point. Let’s imagine your life is an empty white room. Start by putting your family and friends in the white room. Then move onto the personal and professional activities in which you feel fully alive. Put those into your white room. Focus on the professional activities. How can you make these the basis for your future work? One carpenter said:

“Ten year ago I worked as a builder and carpenter, erecting ‘assembly-line’ houses. Then I was approached to build a house extension in French Oak. I set-up my own firm, managed the whole project and satisfied the customers. Their friends saw the ‘work in progress’ and asked me to do something similar in their house. Now I have a waiting list of customers. People say, ‘You have to wait a year for him – but he is worth it.’ I am doing carpentry work I love and it pays the bills. What more could you ask?”

Different people will employ this approach in different ways. Looking at the fulfilling things in your professional life, for example, consider how you can expand some of these activities. The answers will not always appear straight away but, with some creativity, they may well emerge. You will then be able to keep developing the areas in which you feel fully alive. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to base my life on
doing the things in which I feel fully alive are:

*

*

*

3 tips for following the peak performer's path

How can you continue to do your best? One approach is to follow the peak performer’s path. Let’s explore how you can pursue these steps in your own way.

1) You can follow your passion and translate it into a clear purpose.

What are your passions? Which of these could you translate into peak performance? How could you channel the passion into a specific ‘project’? You may want to write a book, design a garden, lead a team, invent a product, encourage other people or whatever. Clarify your goals – the real results you want to achieve. Ask yourself: “Will pursuing this project give me a sense of peace?” After settling on the goal, clarify the 3 key things you can do to give yourself the greatest chance of success. Then move onto the next stage.

2) You can be professional, solve problems and achieve peak performance.

Be super professional and establish good habits. Keep doing the right things in the right way every day. You are certain to hit problems, so develop strategies: a) To encourage yourself on the journey: b) To be calm during a crisis: c) To find creative solutions to challenges. Master the art of finishing. Do whatever you can to deliver peak performance and get a 10/10. Sometimes you will reach the goal by adding that ‘touch of class’. You can then go onto the final two stages.

3) You can pass-on knowledge and perhaps find peace.

Isaac Newton said: “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.” How can you pass-on your knowledge to other people? Some do this by simply being good models. Others by producing articles, books, seminars, works of art or whatever. Try tackling the exercise called The peak performer’s path. First, describe a time in your life when you followed some - or all - of the steps along the path. Second, describe what you did right then. Third, describe how you can follow similar principles in the future.

The time when I followed some - or all - of the
steps along the peak performer’s path was when:


*

*

*

The things I did right then were:


*

*

*

The steps I can take to follow
similar principles in the future are:

*

*

*

People who feel they have done their best in life are more likely to enjoy a sense of fulfilment. Sometimes this takes the form of leaving a ‘legacy’. They may wish, for example, to provide a happy childhood for their children, create something beautiful or make a positive difference in the world. As the sages say: “Live, love, learn, labour and leave a legacy.” What do you want to be your legacy? Everybody makes their own choices on the way towards finding peace.

3 tips for understanding the 'strengths' and 'shortcomings' approaches to growth

During your life you will encounter many different approaches to working with people. You will meet teachers, leaders, managers, coaches and others who believe in different ways to help people grow. They may all believe in encouraging people – but the way they express this will take different forms. They will probably come from one of two traditions. They will adopt the strengths approach, the shortcomings approach or a maybe combination of both. Let’s explore how you can spot a person’s philosophy for working with people.

1) You can recognise the strengths approach.

People who use this approach start by looking at your strengths. They focus on who you are - your assets - rather than who you are not. Building on your successful style, they encourage you to set specific goals. They then enable you to superb work, find solutions to challenges and achieve ongoing success. They say things like:
“This is where you can deliver ‘As’. Let’s focus on what you do best and enable you to do it brilliantly. If you are ever interested, we can also provide some practical tools for managing the consequences of your ‘Bs’ and ‘Cs’.”

Looking back on my life, I have known many people who followed this model, such as my parents and several key mentors. These included Alec Dickson, the founder of VSO and CSV, Tony Manocchio, a family therapist, and George Lyward, who ran Finchden Manor, a remarkable community for troubled teenagers. They each created a ‘garden of encouragement’ - but they also drew the lines clearly if anybody over-stepped the mark. Everybody knew what behaviour was and was not acceptable. ‘Students’ who met these people emerged with at least ‘take aways’: a) They knew their own strengths; b) They knew, in some cases, how to make a living doing what they loved; c) They knew how to manage the consequences of their weaknesses.

Looking back on your own life, who have been the people who used the strengths approach to helping you to grow? Perhaps it was your parents, a teacher at school, a sports coach, a particular leader, a manager or whoever. What effect did these people – and this approach – have on you? Try completing the following sentences.

The people I have known in my life who
have used the strengths approach have been:

*

*

*

The effects this approach had on me were:

*

*

*

2) You can recognise the shortcomings approach.

People who use this approach start by looking at your weaknesses. They focus on who you are not - your deficits – and what you lack. They then go deeper to analyse your shortcomings. They say things like:

“This is where you deliver ‘Bs’ and ‘Cs’. Let’s analyse these in depth and explore why you fail. We will also consider all the barriers that prevent you performing. Then, when everything is sorted out, we can move onto where you may deliver ‘As’.”

Such an approach is adopted by certain kinds of managers, teachers, coaches and therapists. It is also used by some of the ‘newer’ psychology movements. They claim to build on people’s potential – but quickly move into getting people to identify their internal barriers to growth. The new psychology claims it can remove these barriers – at a price. Older style organisations also adopt this approach. Performance development plans can encourage people to build on their As – whilst also learning tools for managing the consequences of their Bs and Cs. Some ‘development plans’ ignore people’s talents, however, whilst spending masses of time analysing their weaknesses. Certainly it is important to minimise the impact of your shortcomings, but not at the expense of ignoring your strengths.

Looking back on your own life, who have been the people who used the shortcomings approach? What effects did this have on you? Try completing the following sentences.

The people I have known in my life who have
used the shortcomings approach have been:

*

*

*

The effects this approach had on me were:

*

*

*

3) You can clarify which approach you want to follow in the future.

“Certainly I wanted to pursue the strengths approach – but the key was making it real in my work,” said one manager. “So I asked my 8 team members to highlight: a) Their strengths – and how they could use these more to help the business; b) Their shortcomings – and what they planned to do to manage the consequences of these weaknesses. We also devoted 70% of the personal development sessions to developing their talents.

“The effects were interesting. Two people were promoted and four re-crafted their roles to focus on what they did best. Two people left the team but, in a way, that was good. They had spent years trying to adapt to roles where they would only ever achieve a 7/10. Both moved onto positions that they found were a better fit. Fortunately we recruited several hungry people and have gained a reputation as an incubator of talent. This brings its own challenges, but I prefer it to the old method of working with people.”

Looking to the future, which approach would you like to follow? How could you adapt this in your own way? Can you think of a specific situation where you can translate it into practice? What do you hope would be the effects? Try completing the following sentences.

The approach I want to follow the future is:

*
The specific things I can do to
translate this into practice are:

*

*

*

The effects I hope this will have on people are:

*

*

*

There are many models for that are dedicated to helping people to succeed. Suffice to say, there is no ‘perfect model’ – each has pluses and minuses. The keys are: a) To be true to yourself and find an approach you believe-in; b) To be clear with people and explain the model you will be using; c) To be super-professional and enable people to achieve ongoing success.

3 tips for 'welcoming' crises

Stefan Edberg, the former Wimbledon tennis champion, explained that peak performers have an interesting approach to crises. Speaking about encountering difficulties in a match, he said: “I welcome crises - providing there aren’t too many. Why? My opponent will also have crises during a match. Tennis matches often hinge on what happens during such special moments. The way we each react to problems can therefore decide the match. I am good at overcoming crises, so that gives me an advantage. Beating a crisis early shows my opponent that I have inner strength, which gives me momentum. Then we need to see how he reacts when meeting problems. That is why I welcome crises.”

Let’s explore how you can take the following steps towards managing critical events.

1) You can anticipate & rehearse the crisis.

Looking ahead to the next few months, do three things. First, brainstorm the potential crises you could encounter - then focus on one of these possibilities. Second, describe how you might prevent the difficulty happening. Third, describe how - if it does happen - you can overcome the crisis. Consider all the possible knock-on eventualities, then settle-on a clear action plan. Try completing the following exercise.

The potential crisis I could face in the future is:

*

The things I can do to prevent this crisis happening are:

*

*

*

The things I can do to manage the crisis if it does happen are:

*

*

*

Rehearse everything until you are completely happy - perhaps even looking forward to such a crisis - then move onto the next step.

2) You can ‘welcome’ & manage the crisis.

You will follow your own plan for tackling the problem. But it can also be good to learn from how peak performers behave in critical situations. They focus on the 3 C’s – calmness, clarity and concrete results - to solve crises. Calmness: they start by being very calm and, if appropriate, buying time to get an overview of the situation. Clarity: they focus on the real results to achieve. Concrete results: they brainstorm: a) the possible ‘conventional’ solutions - tried and trusted ways that have worked before; b) the possible ‘creative’ solutions. Choosing their way forward, they then keep working hard, get concrete results and solve the crisis. Bearing these ideas in mind, try completing the following exercise.

The specific things I can do to perform
superbly during the midst of the crisis are:

*

*

*

3) You can gain strength & develop from the crisis.

Athletes who win Gold Medals have often gone through personal crises. One memorable example was Sebastian Coe. The official Olympic site records what happened:
“Sebastian Coe arrived at the 1980 Moscow Olympics as the world record holder and favourite at 800m. However he ran what he called ‘the worst race of my life’ and finished second behind compatriot Steve Ovett. Six days later, a determined Coe redeemed himself in the 1,500m. During the final curve, he drove past Jürgen Straub and won the gold medal by four metres.”

Can you remember a time when you drew strength and wisdom from a critical event? People show their true character in adversity - often drawing on lessons they have learned from setbacks. Try completing the following exercise.

The specific lessons that I have learned from crises in the past are:

*

*

*

The specific things I can do to apply these lessons in the future are:

*

*

*

Crises can be the making of a person. Peak performers use these to show their ability to overcome adversity. This is a crucial step on the road to delivering success.

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 getting positive energy

Energy is life. So what gives you positive energy? What gives you negative energy? How can you get more positive energy in the future? You may then be able to give even more to other people. Let’s explore three steps for making this happen.

1) You can clarify the things that give you positive energy.

Start by describing the things you find stimulating. For example, the people, projects and pleasures that put a spring into your step. Later we will look at how you can do more of these things in the future.

People who are ‘Givers’ sometimes find it hard to give to themselves. Sheila Cassidy is such a ‘Giver’. During the 1970s she was imprisoned in Chile for providing medical care to opponents of the Pinochet regime. Returning to the UK after being tortured, she went on to become Medical Director of St Luke’s Hospice in Plymouth. Sheila gave to others, but starved herself of pleasures. Hard work took its toll, however, and she began taking more care of herself. Writing in her book Sharing The Darkness, Sheila explains:

“Perhaps the final fall from my self-styled perch of grace came at the beginning of the winter season when Brideshead Revisited was serialised for television. Until then I had stalwartly refused to have more than a transistor radio and tape recorder, but now I could bear it no longer and rushed into town to buy myself a TV.”

Sheila found that, far from corrupting her contribution, she gave even more to other people. Try completing the follow exercise.

The things that give me positive energy are:

*

*

*

2) You can clarify the things that give you negative energy.

Stimulation is crucial - but sometimes it can also be good to identify what saps your energy. Describe things you find draining, such as serial complainers, ‘observer critics’ or whatever. Try completing the following exercise.

The things that give me negative energy are:

*

*

*

3) You can do more of the things that give you positive energy.

“Nowadays I spend more time with encouragers,” said one person. “They help me to feel more real, more myself. Music also lifts my soul. So now I start the day with upbeat music, rather than listening to bad news on the radio. During my twenties I became so depressed that I made Eeyore look cheerful. Certainly I keep abreast of current events, but now I focus on doing what I can to improve the world.”

Looking to the future, you may want to consider two things. First, do more of the things that are inspiring. Second, stop doing some of the things that are draining. Try combining these elements to complete the following exercise.

The steps I can take to do more of the
things that give me positive energy are:


*

*

*

People can choose their attitude. They can choose to be givers or takers, creators or complainers, encouragers or stoppers. Givers also need encouragement, however, so it is important to keep getting positive energy. You will then have even more encouragement to give to other people.

3 tips for recognising were you go 'a, b ___ then leap to ___ z'

Peak performers see the destination quickly. The architect walks onto a site and visualises the finished house. The footballer sees the defence-splitting pass that will create a goal. The counsellor greets the troubled child and knows how they want the child to be feeling after their conversation. When entering the situation in which they excel, peak performers quickly see the picture of perfection. They go ‘a, b ___ then leap to ___ z’. Let’s explore where you have this ability.

1) You can clarify where you quickly go ‘a, b ___ z’.

Everybody has a place where they think strategically and quickly see the solution. The MD of a High Street chain explained: “I love retail. Put me in any shop anywhere in the world and I show how it can make better profits. My wife thinks I am crazy, because on Sundays I want to take her shopping. Every Saturday morning I went shopping with my mother. I remember gazing at the fishmonger’s shop and, in my mind’s-eye, imagining how it could be rearranged. Now I do that for a living.” Where does this happen for you? Depending on your natural talent, you may quickly see the destination when fixing a car engine, solving a financial problem, designing a workshop or whatever. Try tackling the exercise on this theme and complete the following sentence.

The specific situation in which I go

‘a, b ___ and then leap to ___ z’ is:

*

2) You can clarify what you do right to actually deliver ‘z’.

Peak performers are often intuitive. Asked to explain their technique, they reply: “I just do it.” A gifted sales-person, for example, may start by imagining what they want the customer to be saying, thinking and feeling when leaving the shop. For instance: “The sales-person really listened to me. They found out what I wanted and offered several options. Nothing was too much trouble. I got what I wanted and will recommend the shop to friends.” The sales-person will approach the customer, quickly try several different strategies and see what works. They will then do whatever is required to ensure the customer is satisfied when they leave the shop. Every achiever has their individual approach to delivering ‘z’. Going beyond the “I just do it,” explanation, however, many go through the following phases.

a) Preparation.

Because they are fascinated by the subject, they rehearse many potential scenarios. They have what Arie De Geus called ‘a memory of the future’. When preparing for a particular assignment, they ‘practice until they can forget’. Before entering the ‘arena’, they relax, re-centre and refocus.

b) Professionalism.

Going into the situation, they feel alive and alert. Using their ‘antennae’, they scan what is happening and look for patterns. Seeing the desired goal, they clarify their strategy. Putting their plan into action, they keep doing the right things in the right way until they reach their goal.

c) Peak performance.

“Sometimes I win games by producing 8/10,” said one tennis player. “Other times I must play to my full potential and produce 10/10.” Achievers sometimes also add that ‘touch of class’ and do something special to deliver the goods. How do you reach the goal? Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I do to actually deliver ‘z’ are:

*

*

*

3) You can put yourself into more situations where you quickly see ‘z’.

Wayne Gretzky, the greatest ice-hockey goal scorer in North American history, was once asked: “What is the secret behind why you score so many goals?” His reply was: “A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.” Gretzky aimed: ‘to skate to the part of the rink where the puck will appear.’ Geniuses have this sixth sense: they know what is going to happen before it happens. Keep putting yourself into situations where this happens for you, because this is where you have natural genius. Try completing the following sentence.

The things I can do to put myself into
more situations where I quickly see ‘z’ are

*

*

*

3 tips for finding 'win-win' solutions

Imagine you have been asked to find positive solutions to difficulties between people. You may have been invited to solve deep-seated conflicts, ongoing arguments or fundamental differences. Such situations are often the result of long-term patterns, so there is not a quick fix. The best route is to go for a ‘win-win’ solution, but this takes creativity and patience. ‘Win-lose’ creates ongoing problems; whilst ‘lose-lose’ spells trouble for everybody.

Looks simple on paper – but we know it is extremely difficult in practice. Let’s explore three steps towards making it happen.

1) You can make sure the conditions are in place for finding a ‘win-win’ solution.

Two conditions must be in place before it is possible to solve deep differences.

a) People must want to solve the conflict.

b) People must be prepared to work hard to - as far as possible - find ‘win-wins’.

Timing is everything. Many conflicts only get solved when the parties are exhausted. For example, couples feel wary from fighting a divorce, terrorists became too old or tired to fight, employers and strikers are exhausted after an industrial dispute. People get fed-up with the negative energy. They are then more willing to sit down and find positive solutions. Before getting involved in any conflict resolution, it is important to ask the following questions:

* Are people ready to work together? Do they really want to solve the problem? (Remember, some people are addicted to conflict.)

* Are they prepared to co-operate to find - as far as possible - a ‘win-win’ solution? How high is their motivation to do this on a scale 0 - 10? (7+ is necessary to produce success.)

* Are people ready to focus on how things can be better in the future, rather than simply argue about the past?

Providing people want to solve the problem, it is then possible to move onto the next step.

2) You can clarify what each party wants and build on common ground – before then going onto the differences.

Start by clarifying what each person or party wants. Focus on what people have in common - rather than the differences. Some may try to draw you into arguing about the differences, but return to the similarities. You will have lots of time later to explore the differences. Mediators, for example, create a safe environment in which people feel at ease. They listen to what each person perceives as the challenge. They then aim to build a common agenda. Doing this calls for following certain rules.

a) To show respect and recognise the authenticity of each person’s feelings. Everybody must feel that they have been heard.

b) To encourage people to look to the future, rather than fight about the past.

c) To get people to be super specific about the desired outcome. Ask people: “What are the real results you want to achieve?”

d) To encourage the parties to put the challenge in positive terms. For example: “How can the two departments work together to achieve success?” Rather than: “How can they stop fighting?”

e) To build on the common ground, get some quick success and begin to build confidence.

You can use the following framework to map out what people want, what they have in common and the potential differences.

Party ‘A’ wants:

*

*

*

Party ‘B’ wants:

*

*

*

The common ground. The common goals – the
real results - that everybody wants to achieve are:

*

*

*

The differences. The potential
different things that people want are:


*

*

*

The things we can do to build on the common
ground and get some quick successes are:

*

*

*

Build on what people have in common. Get some early successes, create confidence and build trust. Then go onto the next step.

3) You can then keep working until you find – as far as possible – ‘win-win’ solutions.

You can now move onto the differences. Start by establishing clarity. Looking at each difference in turn, clarify what each person/party wants. Then use the 5 C model for creative problem-solving. Focus on the challenges, choices, consequences, creative solutions and conclusions. (You can find an adaptation of this in the piece called 3 tips for facilitating a mentoring session.) Stay calm and invite people to use their creativity. When it comes to the sticking points, keep asking:

How can we find a ‘win-win’ solution?

Be patient. People are incredibly creative - so keep asking this question until they solve the problem. (If appropriate, you can share possible ideas, but it is vital to show that you respect each person’s agenda.) If tempers rise, take a break and have a cooling-off period. Return to the beginning and establish if people still want to solve the problem. If so, resume the exploration. Keep going until they find, as far as possible, a ‘win-win’ solution. Again, build on the good work by getting an early success. Encourage people: a) To set clear goals; b) To make clear contracts about each person’s contribution; c) To get a concrete result. Success breeds success and mutual confidence. People can then move onto the next topic where they want to find a ‘win-win’ solution.

Let return to the situation where you may have be asked to help with a difficult situation. Focus on one specific difference and try completing the following sentences.

The specific topic where people have differences is:


*

The specific things that party ‘A’ wants are:

*

The specific things that party ‘B’ wants are:

*

The potential options that could be –
as far as possible – a ‘win-win’ solution are:

*

*

*

Sounds easy in theory - but it is obviously much harder in daily life. So how do painful problems get solved? There are several answers. Some don’t - people go on fighting. Some do because people lose interest - they get tired, accept the differences or move-on with their lives. Some do because people work hard at solving the problem.

You can focus on situations that fall into the latter category. Equipping people to find ‘win-win’ solutions can provide them with a gift for life.