One of the most important skills in life is the ability to manage our time. Time is a limited resource and time truly is money. In the world we are constantly being asked to do more and more with less and less time, and I believe this trend will continue. For this reason it is imperative we are likewise continuously learning to manage our time better and better. In the end, learning how to maximize our time will lead us to become better leaders and more successful people. Below are a few tips for better managing our time.
First, we must plan. Having a plan in place will help us to manage our time much more effectively. In fact this is probably the single most important thing we can do to better utilize and maximize our time. For me, I have both a weekly and a daily plan. Normally, on Monday morning I plan what I need to get done and what I’d like to accomplish during the week—sort of a “big picture” plan. Then, each morning throughout the week I review the things I need to do and the things I’d like to accomplish for each day—more of a detailed plan. Having a plan in place will enable us to be focused and not waste time.
Second, prioritize. It will be impossible for us to do all we’d like to do, because we simply just do not have enough time. Thus, it becomes important we do the most important things first. Many people who struggle with time management fail to prioritize effectively or even at all, and thus find themselves running short of time to accomplish important things. Hence, part of our plan should include prioritizing things that “must” get done and things we’d “like” to get done. Once our list of “must do’s” is completed, we then and only then can move to the “like to do’s”. Learning to prioritize will allow us to spend our time more wisely.
Third, cut the fat. Are there things that we are involved in that really do not help us, build us, or move us toward accomplishing our goals? Do we watch too many TV shows, spend too much time on the Internet, or squander our time catching up on our favorite celebrities? All of us do it. All of us do things that do not build us up and therefore waste time! We must cut these things out! Each of us can identify things we freely give our precious time to that do not deserve it. This may not be an easy process, but it will pay off “big time” in the long run.
Fourth, do not waste it. Wasting even 5 minutes a day leads to over 30 hours a year. For this reason, each and every minute should be used purposefully. Find things which are helpful that you can do when you have a few minutes here and there; then do them! Again wasting even a few minutes a day really adds up!
Time management is such an important skill for each one of us in our ever increasingly busy world. As we use the tips above to management our time better, we will find more success and more time to do those things that are most important. Find ways to continuously improve your time management skills!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
90/10 Rule
Recently an email has been flying around the internet about a rule called the 90/10 rule that is credited to Stephen R. Covey. The slide show in the email presents a scenario where a father in a business suit preparing for work has a cup of coffee accidently spilled on him by his daughter. We follow the scene from there by examining two very different hypothetical reactions to this incident.
The first reaction is one where the father gets very upset. He harshly yells at his daughter and then turns and blames his spouse for putting the cup too close to the edge. He then changes his clothes only to find his daughter still in tears at the table which then results in her missing the bus. The father then speeds in order to drop off his daughter at school. He receives a speeding ticket and ends up late to work which frustrates his boss. He has a bad day at work and can’t wait to arrive home. When he arrives home both his daughter and spouse are still upset at him for his reaction in the morning.
The second reaction is the father responding calmly. He tells his daughter it is ok and that he knows it was an accident. He quickly runs upstairs to change and comes down just in time to hug his daughter good-bye before she runs out the door to catch the bus. His spouse also gives him a kiss good-bye and he heads to work and arrives on time, his boss is in a good mood. He then arrives home to a happy spouse and daughter.
Both reactions in the above scenario are very common yet very different and thus result in different outcomes. This simple example helps us understand that we have the ability to positively or negatively impact our entire day based on our reactions to situations in life. If we understand the 90/10 rule, probably 9 out of 10 times our reaction will be the second.
The 90/10 rule is that 10% of life is made up of what happens to us while 90% is how we react to it. Thus, we have control over 90% of our life! In the above scenario the father had little control over the spilling of the coffee yet he had complete control over his reaction. Lots of things happen to us but more important than what happens is how we react. If we can discipline ourselves to react wisely, our results in life will dramatically improve.
The 90/10 rule is liberating and empowering knowing that we control 90% of our lives! We can take complete ownership for our results in life. Hence, our success is not determined by the outside world but within ourselves. We have complete control over our destiny. And if things are not going well for us, or if we are angry, sad, unsuccessful, miserable or maybe happy, ecstatic, content, etc. we really can only blame ourselves because 90% of life is a result of how we react to it. Don’t let people tell you otherwise!
A troubling trend in society is to shift blame and point fingers. Rather than take ownership and responsibility for our results we find excuses and blame others. We look outside of ourselves and allow the 10% that we cannot control to dictate our future as we become helpless and disbelieving. Rather than take hold of our destiny we allow it to be randomly determined by others. This is a troubling trend of our age however we do not need to be sucked in to it! We need to hold ourselves accountable for our results and face the fact that we are fully capable and have the ability to control them. Rather than look outside ourselves, we should first look inward to see how we must change in order to improve our outcomes in life.
We have the power within ourselves to make this day and everyday a great day. We have the power to change our world and determine our success. We have complete control over our destiny. Please remember the 90/10 rule as you strive to live life to the fullest.
The first reaction is one where the father gets very upset. He harshly yells at his daughter and then turns and blames his spouse for putting the cup too close to the edge. He then changes his clothes only to find his daughter still in tears at the table which then results in her missing the bus. The father then speeds in order to drop off his daughter at school. He receives a speeding ticket and ends up late to work which frustrates his boss. He has a bad day at work and can’t wait to arrive home. When he arrives home both his daughter and spouse are still upset at him for his reaction in the morning.
The second reaction is the father responding calmly. He tells his daughter it is ok and that he knows it was an accident. He quickly runs upstairs to change and comes down just in time to hug his daughter good-bye before she runs out the door to catch the bus. His spouse also gives him a kiss good-bye and he heads to work and arrives on time, his boss is in a good mood. He then arrives home to a happy spouse and daughter.
Both reactions in the above scenario are very common yet very different and thus result in different outcomes. This simple example helps us understand that we have the ability to positively or negatively impact our entire day based on our reactions to situations in life. If we understand the 90/10 rule, probably 9 out of 10 times our reaction will be the second.
The 90/10 rule is that 10% of life is made up of what happens to us while 90% is how we react to it. Thus, we have control over 90% of our life! In the above scenario the father had little control over the spilling of the coffee yet he had complete control over his reaction. Lots of things happen to us but more important than what happens is how we react. If we can discipline ourselves to react wisely, our results in life will dramatically improve.
The 90/10 rule is liberating and empowering knowing that we control 90% of our lives! We can take complete ownership for our results in life. Hence, our success is not determined by the outside world but within ourselves. We have complete control over our destiny. And if things are not going well for us, or if we are angry, sad, unsuccessful, miserable or maybe happy, ecstatic, content, etc. we really can only blame ourselves because 90% of life is a result of how we react to it. Don’t let people tell you otherwise!
A troubling trend in society is to shift blame and point fingers. Rather than take ownership and responsibility for our results we find excuses and blame others. We look outside of ourselves and allow the 10% that we cannot control to dictate our future as we become helpless and disbelieving. Rather than take hold of our destiny we allow it to be randomly determined by others. This is a troubling trend of our age however we do not need to be sucked in to it! We need to hold ourselves accountable for our results and face the fact that we are fully capable and have the ability to control them. Rather than look outside ourselves, we should first look inward to see how we must change in order to improve our outcomes in life.
We have the power within ourselves to make this day and everyday a great day. We have the power to change our world and determine our success. We have complete control over our destiny. Please remember the 90/10 rule as you strive to live life to the fullest.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Bringing Out the Best in People
“Brining Out the Best in People” by Aubrey C. Daniels is a great book on leadership and management. Though it repeats the same message over and over again throughout the book, the underlying message is so powerful and valuable that it is worth repeating. And that message is that reinforcement is the answer to human behavior.
As human beings, everything we do essentially is a result of some form of reinforcement. We do things because of the consequences that come from them. What happens immediately after we do something will determine whether we will want to do it again or not. Simply stated by the author, “people do what they do because of what happens to them when they do it.”
Thus, good leaders effectively provide positive reinforcement as a natural consequence to the “right” actions. As humans, when an action changes our world in ways we like, we repeat it and conversely, when an action changes our world in ways we don’t like we stop it. Hence as leaders, we can produce positive consequences for positive behavior therefore inspiring and motivating others to repeat the behavior.
Knowing and understanding the power of reinforcement is so critical to success in any situation; because when we learn to reinforce the right way, we can help influence human behavior. So, when someone does something we want them to do, we must provide positive reinforcement immediately. For example, when a child washes the dishes, what do we do? Do we ignore it, do we tell them to now go clean their room, or do we give them a hug and whisper thank-you in their ear? How we respond as parents will likely determine whether our children will gladly repeat a behavior or not.
One trap that many of us fall into is what the author calls extinction--meaning we stop noticing good behavior, then we stop reinforcing it. When this happens, a positive behavior is changed and before we know it we are asking ourselves what happened?! The trick to ensuring a behavior will persist is to continuously reinforce it.
“Bringing Out the Best in People” is a great book that teaches that reinforcement is the key to unlocking the power of human behavior. As we learn to frequently and positively reinforce others, we will become more effective leaders and will have more positive results in all areas of our life.
As human beings, everything we do essentially is a result of some form of reinforcement. We do things because of the consequences that come from them. What happens immediately after we do something will determine whether we will want to do it again or not. Simply stated by the author, “people do what they do because of what happens to them when they do it.”
Thus, good leaders effectively provide positive reinforcement as a natural consequence to the “right” actions. As humans, when an action changes our world in ways we like, we repeat it and conversely, when an action changes our world in ways we don’t like we stop it. Hence as leaders, we can produce positive consequences for positive behavior therefore inspiring and motivating others to repeat the behavior.
Knowing and understanding the power of reinforcement is so critical to success in any situation; because when we learn to reinforce the right way, we can help influence human behavior. So, when someone does something we want them to do, we must provide positive reinforcement immediately. For example, when a child washes the dishes, what do we do? Do we ignore it, do we tell them to now go clean their room, or do we give them a hug and whisper thank-you in their ear? How we respond as parents will likely determine whether our children will gladly repeat a behavior or not.
One trap that many of us fall into is what the author calls extinction--meaning we stop noticing good behavior, then we stop reinforcing it. When this happens, a positive behavior is changed and before we know it we are asking ourselves what happened?! The trick to ensuring a behavior will persist is to continuously reinforce it.
“Bringing Out the Best in People” is a great book that teaches that reinforcement is the key to unlocking the power of human behavior. As we learn to frequently and positively reinforce others, we will become more effective leaders and will have more positive results in all areas of our life.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Level 5 Leadership
One of my favorite business books, Good to Great, talks about Level 5 leadership. According to the book, this is the kind of leadership that separates great leaders from really good leaders. It is the kind of leadership that Abraham Lincoln demonstrated. It is the kind of leadership to which all who truly are interested in being great leaders aspire to be. Today I want to share some of the “secrets” or differences between these Level 5 leaders and others.
Show Horse vs. Plow Horse
One major difference between Level 5 leaders and others is their personal humility and willingness to work. Usually Level 5 leaders are very little known and have little desire to be in the lime light. Instead they quietly work hard producing great results. They resist showing off, drawing attention to themselves or telling the world how great they are. Typically leaders we know and hear about in the media and business magazines or even in our community or company are people who are not Level 5 leaders because Level 5 leaders naturally shun attention and personal recognition. Rather they quietly and methodically work at doing what needs to be done to ensure success.
Window vs. Mirror
Level 5 leaders look in the mirror and blame themselves when things are not going well. They take full responsibility for those they lead. On the flip side, they look out the window to praise others when things are going great. Level 5 leaders do not take credit for success but redirect praise onto others who they sincerely believe deserve the recognition. Unlike other leaders who place or shift blame when things are bad and then accept and embrace praise when things are good, these unique leaders do just the opposite.
Personal Greatness vs. Good-luck
Level 4 leaders usually attribute success to their personal greatness. Whether it was a tough decision they made, a new product that was developed under them, new strategies implemented, or whatever, these leaders will take credit for success. Often they use the word “I”. Contrarily, Level 5 leaders often attribute success to luck—lucky to be working in such a great industry, lucky to have talented co-workers and employees, lucky to have produced a popular product, lucky to have made a good decision, etc. Rather than draw attention to themselves, Level 5 leaders deflect it and usually use the words “we” or “they”.
Floundering vs. Soaring
Once a Level 5 leader leaves a situation, typically the group, team, or organization they were leading continues to soar. Conversely, often when a non Level 5 leader leaves those he is leading, most often the team flounders (and usually they crash and burn). Level 5 leaders have the ability to leave a legacy that is long-lasting and inspiring and continues to produce great results long after they are gone while Level 4 leaders almost always leave certain ruin in their wake. This is an easy way to identify Level 5 leaders from others.
Inspiring Charisma vs. Inspiring Standards
Level 5 leaders can often be described as quirky, awkward, and shy. Rather than use their personal charisma or charming personalities, Level 5 leaders resort to setting high standards that inspire others to give their best. Level 5 leaders create something that people want to be apart of and contribute to for long periods of time.
Personal Humility and Professional Will
In the end, the two traits that best separate Level 5 leaders from others is personal humility and professional will. They are humble enough to lead others based on high standards and values yet they have the ambition and will to work hard and do whatever it takes to be successful. These leaders are rare because often one of these contrasting traits will dominate the other. However, the ability to balance and possess both equally makes Level 5 leaders great!
So how do we evolve or become Level 5 leaders? It is a process that is difficult but possible. The surest way is by making tough decisions that are often counterintuitive. When you come to a decision and your mind tells you to go right because it the decision that is most beneficial to you, yet to the left appears to be in the best interest of others and the organization long-term—go left. Overtime, deciding most often to go left for the betterment of the higher cause when every part of you is pulling right for your own benefit, you will begin to be a Level 5 leader.
So what kind of leader are you? Let’s strive to evolve to Level 5 leadership and leave a lasting legacy that will bless our own lives as well as the lives of others.
Show Horse vs. Plow Horse
One major difference between Level 5 leaders and others is their personal humility and willingness to work. Usually Level 5 leaders are very little known and have little desire to be in the lime light. Instead they quietly work hard producing great results. They resist showing off, drawing attention to themselves or telling the world how great they are. Typically leaders we know and hear about in the media and business magazines or even in our community or company are people who are not Level 5 leaders because Level 5 leaders naturally shun attention and personal recognition. Rather they quietly and methodically work at doing what needs to be done to ensure success.
Window vs. Mirror
Level 5 leaders look in the mirror and blame themselves when things are not going well. They take full responsibility for those they lead. On the flip side, they look out the window to praise others when things are going great. Level 5 leaders do not take credit for success but redirect praise onto others who they sincerely believe deserve the recognition. Unlike other leaders who place or shift blame when things are bad and then accept and embrace praise when things are good, these unique leaders do just the opposite.
Personal Greatness vs. Good-luck
Level 4 leaders usually attribute success to their personal greatness. Whether it was a tough decision they made, a new product that was developed under them, new strategies implemented, or whatever, these leaders will take credit for success. Often they use the word “I”. Contrarily, Level 5 leaders often attribute success to luck—lucky to be working in such a great industry, lucky to have talented co-workers and employees, lucky to have produced a popular product, lucky to have made a good decision, etc. Rather than draw attention to themselves, Level 5 leaders deflect it and usually use the words “we” or “they”.
Floundering vs. Soaring
Once a Level 5 leader leaves a situation, typically the group, team, or organization they were leading continues to soar. Conversely, often when a non Level 5 leader leaves those he is leading, most often the team flounders (and usually they crash and burn). Level 5 leaders have the ability to leave a legacy that is long-lasting and inspiring and continues to produce great results long after they are gone while Level 4 leaders almost always leave certain ruin in their wake. This is an easy way to identify Level 5 leaders from others.
Inspiring Charisma vs. Inspiring Standards
Level 5 leaders can often be described as quirky, awkward, and shy. Rather than use their personal charisma or charming personalities, Level 5 leaders resort to setting high standards that inspire others to give their best. Level 5 leaders create something that people want to be apart of and contribute to for long periods of time.
Personal Humility and Professional Will
In the end, the two traits that best separate Level 5 leaders from others is personal humility and professional will. They are humble enough to lead others based on high standards and values yet they have the ambition and will to work hard and do whatever it takes to be successful. These leaders are rare because often one of these contrasting traits will dominate the other. However, the ability to balance and possess both equally makes Level 5 leaders great!
So how do we evolve or become Level 5 leaders? It is a process that is difficult but possible. The surest way is by making tough decisions that are often counterintuitive. When you come to a decision and your mind tells you to go right because it the decision that is most beneficial to you, yet to the left appears to be in the best interest of others and the organization long-term—go left. Overtime, deciding most often to go left for the betterment of the higher cause when every part of you is pulling right for your own benefit, you will begin to be a Level 5 leader.
So what kind of leader are you? Let’s strive to evolve to Level 5 leadership and leave a lasting legacy that will bless our own lives as well as the lives of others.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
The Power of a Poor Performer
Have you ever tried to work with someone who was not engaged in the task at hand? Most of us at some point in time in our lives has had this experience, and we know just how frustrating it can be. For this reason, just about everyone will tell you a poor performer has the ability to ruin an entire team. Hence, it is important for leaders to identify and eliminate poor performance as soon as possible because of the impact one poor performer can have on an entire team. Below are my top four critical items that are impacted by a poor performer.
Morale
Poor performers heavily decrease morale. When others are excited, working-hard, and are engaged, a negative, uninterested co-worker can quickly damage the mood of an entire team. In fact, poor performers can often convert others to follow their ways, and they can completely destroy the team’s satisfaction. In the end, most employees can deal with angry or upset customers, but nearly none of them want to put up with a poor performer.
Work
Poor performers make everyone’s work harder. Though a poor performer may be doing “something”, it rarely makes up for the overall negative impact their poor performance has on the team. Really, working with a poor performer makes everyone else’s jobs infinitely harder, and most everyone would gladly be assigned more work than deal with a poor performer.
Cost
A poor performer can cost an organization a significant amount of money. Besides the obvious costs of having to replace or train a poor performer, poor performers may provide poor customer service damaging customer loyalty and trust, create unsafe work environments leading to more work place injuries and turnover, or may carelessly waste equipment and supplies. In the end poor performers can cripple outcomes and can have a very negative impact on financial performance.
Leadership
Poor performers have the ability to destroy the leadership in an organization. Once a poor performer joins a team, good performers wonder why they are able to “get away” with their behaviors. As time goes on, if not handled appropriately, accountability in the organization will begin to be questioned. And if the poor performer is allowed to continue, good performers’ trust in leadership will be completely lost.
One last thing to consider as leaders is why the poor performance may be occurring. Many times poor performers want attention or are upset about a change or experience at work. Leaders should try to coach, train, communicate with, and guide poor performers to good performance as soon as possible. Many times a simple solution may be available which turns performance around. However, if this does not happen quickly, action should be taken to eliminate poor performance. In the end, good leaders take full responsibility and accountability for poor performers and ask themselves what they can do differently to avoid similar situations in the future.
In today’s competitive workplace, the willingness and ability of top performers to put up with poor performers is dwindling. Now is the time for leaders to become even more focused at identifying and eliminating poor performance. Leaders who are able to do this quickly and effectively will have a great impact on the teams they lead and the outcomes produced.
Morale
Poor performers heavily decrease morale. When others are excited, working-hard, and are engaged, a negative, uninterested co-worker can quickly damage the mood of an entire team. In fact, poor performers can often convert others to follow their ways, and they can completely destroy the team’s satisfaction. In the end, most employees can deal with angry or upset customers, but nearly none of them want to put up with a poor performer.
Work
Poor performers make everyone’s work harder. Though a poor performer may be doing “something”, it rarely makes up for the overall negative impact their poor performance has on the team. Really, working with a poor performer makes everyone else’s jobs infinitely harder, and most everyone would gladly be assigned more work than deal with a poor performer.
Cost
A poor performer can cost an organization a significant amount of money. Besides the obvious costs of having to replace or train a poor performer, poor performers may provide poor customer service damaging customer loyalty and trust, create unsafe work environments leading to more work place injuries and turnover, or may carelessly waste equipment and supplies. In the end poor performers can cripple outcomes and can have a very negative impact on financial performance.
Leadership
Poor performers have the ability to destroy the leadership in an organization. Once a poor performer joins a team, good performers wonder why they are able to “get away” with their behaviors. As time goes on, if not handled appropriately, accountability in the organization will begin to be questioned. And if the poor performer is allowed to continue, good performers’ trust in leadership will be completely lost.
One last thing to consider as leaders is why the poor performance may be occurring. Many times poor performers want attention or are upset about a change or experience at work. Leaders should try to coach, train, communicate with, and guide poor performers to good performance as soon as possible. Many times a simple solution may be available which turns performance around. However, if this does not happen quickly, action should be taken to eliminate poor performance. In the end, good leaders take full responsibility and accountability for poor performers and ask themselves what they can do differently to avoid similar situations in the future.
In today’s competitive workplace, the willingness and ability of top performers to put up with poor performers is dwindling. Now is the time for leaders to become even more focused at identifying and eliminating poor performance. Leaders who are able to do this quickly and effectively will have a great impact on the teams they lead and the outcomes produced.
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