Get Rid of the Hidden Clutter - #1 in the Personal Development Series of Tips

What fun! Ideas Just-For-You. They deal with personal development as it relates just to YOU - any team members will benefit in the long run, but this is special - just for you.

I really like Kathy Paauw's work! She helps all of us overwhelmed by the "stuff" we deal with each day. She's got common sense, but often un-thought-of-ways to deal with the junk. Whether we're a team leader or a solo worker, we all need tips in how to handle it all.

Hidden Clutter

"Clutter is anything you own, possess, or do that does not enhance
your life on a regular basis."
--Kathy Paauw

Clutter takes many forms.and often it is camouflaged to the point that you may not even recognize it as clutter. If you think you have a clutter-free life, think again. Here are several places that clutter likes to hide!

Your Schedule: Do you have too many things on your "to do" list? Remember that every time you say "yes" to someone or something, you are saying "no" to someone or something else. Since you cannot possibly do it all, focus on what's most important.

Your "I'll do it later" List: What have you been putting off that is important to you? Some things are worth taking action on immediately, and some things are worth scheduling so they are not done at the last minute when you're under pressure, or not done at all.

Your E-mail Inbox: Do you have an inbox with several thousand email messages in there? If so, this is not a very efficient way to manage your electronic information. Clutter in your Inbox will deplete your energy, and you'll waste time looking for information. Read my article on How to Conquer the Email Pile-up.

Your Thoughts: If you are on mind overload, perhaps it is time to clear your head. I offer a tool to assist you with this. I call it a RAM Dump. Visit www.orgcoach.net/pdf/ram_dump.pdf for instructions on how to do a RAM Dump and what to do with everything once you've "dumped" your thoughts on paper.

Read the rest of the article here...
http://www.orgcoach.net/hiddenclutter.html

Visit Kathy's website here
http://www.orgcoach.net/index.html

Part 5 (!) of 4 Leading/Managing Change

Oops! So now there's a Part 5 to the original 4 Parts of Leading/Managing Change!



This week a newsletter came in from one of my favorite resources, James Manktelow's Mind Tools, so I wanted to share it since we're on this subject of change.

Serendipitously, he’s published articles about CHANGE: Secrets of…, Change Management Skills, Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model and more. James includes checklists and thought-provoking articles. I've used a lot of his materials in coaching people and some in leadership classes.

Check it out here: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/Newsletters/03Apr12.htm

Saturday and Sunday: Two posting from the PERSONAL-TIPS-SERIES
Beginning on Monday: The Art of Giving and Receiving Feedback

Part 4 of 4 What can leaders do to help with change?

Part 4 of 4 on Leading/Managing Change - Today's Norm!

"Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are, for what you could become.”
That's what this poster says and it's a beautiful sentiment, just tough to pull off sometimes.

In previous postings, we've explored quite a bit about change, we recognize that it's our norm, so now it's time to consider more specific actions; things that you as a leader, can do to make the steady change you and your team members experience successful.

Facilitating Change for Your Team Members - Suggested Leadership Actions

Create a shared vision and stay focused on it

Set the right example–“Walk the Talk”

Provide information so that those involved understand the “reasons why”

Engage in “positive politics” – understand and support the vision

Support and encourage those involved, recognizing that levels of readiness for change may differ widely

Buffer those involved from disruptive forces

Involve others in developing and implementing a game plan

Stay personally involved but delegate where appropriate

Start where the system is, but be willing to push on the system when it threatens to obstruct progress

Light many fires.  Find numerous ways of reinforcing the message and direction on an ongoing basis

Help people to experience success early on

Celebrate “small wins”

Persist, especially after a setback

TIPS for YOU in Surviving (and perhaps even thriving on) High-Velocity Change

Embrace change as the source of opportunity rather than as a threat:  Go with change rather than against it.

Lighten the psychological load of change.

Be a player, not a spectator (or a victim).

Learn to both pick up your pace and slow it down.

Keep your heart in your work.

Lots of good suggestions, aren't they? Some are certainly harder to do (solid leadership), but extra effort in helping team members cope (building strong relationships) with change is worth it!

Strong Relationships + Solid Leadership = Success for Everyone

Part 3 of 4 Are there stages to change?

Part 3 of 4 on Leading/Managing Change - Today's Norm!

Are there stages to consider when managing change? Yes, and effective leaders will understand them for successful outcomes to any change effort. We deal with change in our lives daily on lots of fronts, so the more we can learn, the better we can help ourselves and our team members cope with that constant of change. Change is our NORM, isn't it!

This is from Wm. Bridges, Managing Transitions:  Making the Most of Change (Reading MA, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company): We can begin to understand the transition that accompanies change:

Whereas change refers to external phenomena or events – things that can be tracked on a calendar, the internal experience of change is a transition that has distinct phases, that is highly subjective, that doesn’t necessarily align itself with dates on a calendar.

ENDINGS

The initial phase of the transition involves grieving for the loss of things as we have known them – even when the change that is taking place is likely to benefit us personally or professionally.

THE NEUTRAL ZONE

A kind of limbo between the old and the new, this phase is characterized by a sense of disorientation and the inability to cope – things just don’t click.  This phase is, nevertheless, an important time during which the old and new become integrated and consolidated.

BEGINNINGS

Emerging from the two previous phases, this phase represents a reorientation that involves new understandings, new values, new attitudes, and new identities.

I’ve always thought these stages and the explanation of the transitions we make through change were helpful to understanding my own reactions and to helping my team members.

And I’m one of those people who often just create change to see it happen – I LIKE it! I also know that approach makes some people absolutely crazy, so it’s not fair to impose change without the pre-planning, acknowledgement that others will be affected in different ways and that’s it’s my job as team leader to help everyone not only get through it, but make the change successful.

Tomorrow, we’ll wrap up the change discussion with a look at some tips for successfully facilitating change.

Part 2 of 4 What Reactions Can You Expect from Change?

Part 2 of 4 on Leading/Managing Change - Today's Norm!

I'd like to stick with the subject of “leading / managing change” and the challenge for team leaders to make change happen successfully – for the organization and for team members.

Because change is our NORM in the world today, and because so much of it IS imposed rather than at our own initiative, it’s important to understand reactions as we progress (or DON’T PROGRESS!!!) through change; as the leader, it's your job to understand, recognize and assist your team members through these varied reactions - not so easy to do! Expect anything!

So be clued in: you can reliably expect certain reactions from people when you make (or propose) changes to the status quo. Knowing this can help you influence how you deal with people, how you prepare them and involve them in making change successful.

Seven Dynamics of Imposed Change Can Produce:

Awkwardness, Self-Consciousness

Provide information so people understand rationale – the “WHY” behind the coming change; this is where we soooo often fall short as leaders – something has to change, a decision is made, but we do a poor job of communicating the “why’s” behind the thinking. This isn’t secret stuff – explain the why’s so people understand the long-term and short-term impacts.

Create practice fields so people can learn new behaviors in a low-risk situation.

SENSE OF LOSS

Provide opportunity to mourn – recognize that people want to bemoan the loss of the “old way”, especially if the “new” way has some glitches.

Commemorate what is passing – recognize what the old way accomplished and how it was an advantage for the times.

FEELINGS OF ISOLATION

Structure interaction among people to provide support – team members need to be able to talk about what’s going on, how it affects them, what obstacles they may be encountering.

TOO MUCH, TOO FAST FOR PEOPLE TO ABSORB

Prioritize initiatives; avoid overload – pick the priorities to institute, don’t do everything at once

DIFFERING LEVELS OF READINESS AMONG TEAM MEMBERS

Individualize your support – some people thrive on change, embrace it and charge forward; others are very slow to react, needing to understand what’s in it for them, how it affects them in the long run (and how it affects significant people in their lives). This is where is becomes so important for you to really know your team members, to have developed solid work relationships so that you can work with individuals who need extra attention.

Involve those in the forefront as informal leaders – co-workers can positively influence those who slower to catch on or to embrace a “new” way.

INADEQUATE RESOURCES - THERE'S NO WAY WE CAN DO THAT!!!

Reframe thinking about available resources – get creative with your team members; they WILL have ideas you can capitalize on, so talk with the team, solicit ideas.

TENDENCY TO REVERT - SLIDING BACK INTO THE COMFORT ZONE

Invest in and manage the process of change over time – we all have a tendency to go back to that comfortable old pair of shoes when the new once pinch our feet! Stay on top of what’s going on or your team members WILL try to revert to “old” ways.

Adapted from the work of Ken Blanchard.

Don’t some of these dynamics seem familiar from your own experiences? Do you do anything now to help your team members better cope with change?

Tomorrow, I’ll comment on the transitions that accompany change and some suggested leadership actions we can all use for success.

Part 1 of 4 How can leaders help team members cope with change?

Part 1 of 4 on Leading/Managing Change - Today's Norm!

Don't you find that in working with and leading others, one of the most commonly discussed topics everywhere is “how do we cope with change” – change happens all around us constantly in every phase of our lives: at work, at home, in technology, political leadership, everywhere!

If you’re a team leader in an organization and have to influence others through everyday organizational changes, your challenge is also constant. Often you have no control over what’s changing, but you are expected to make it successful and to garner the buy-in of your team members – no easy task!

For the next couple of postings, I’d like to offer some thoughts and tips on understanding the nature of change and being a positive influence with your team members – these have helped me many times when I’ve stopped and thought about what was going on with my organization and my team members.

As leaders, we must at least consider what may be going with people while change is taking place - and how we can positively impact our team members. It helps me to keep in mind that Strong Relationships + Solid Leadership = Success for Everyone and that it's my role to do more than say "X is now going to be different."

So here’s a snapshot of what we know about change

• Change is a process, not an event
• External changes are accompaied by internal transitions
• Changes in human behavior involve successive stages, each one harder than the preceding
• Change is accomplished by individuals
• Change is a highly personal experience
• Change involves developmental growth
• Change is best understood in operational terms
• The focus of change management should be on the individuals and the context (not on new “programs”)

What are the BIG reasons people resist change?

Bet you recognize some of these from your own experience!

Unclear purpose	Insufficient urgency
Lack of involvement in planning	Poor communication/lack of information
Excessive costs/inadequate rewards	Values/goals conflicts
Perceived negative impact on self/significant others	Insufficient resources/non-supportive culture
Poor timing	History of meaningless or poorly-executed change efforts
Fear of failure	Lack of trust, respect for change initiators
High stress environment	Vested interests threatened
No reversibility	Nostalgia for the “good old times”

Courtesy of SYNERGIES, Carole Napolitano


Does it make sense that any of these factors could sabotage a change effort? You're the leader, you're the one who can influence each team members' reception to new approaches by dealing with these negatives.

So what do you think about what we know about change and reasons people resist change? Do you have examples from your own experience that underscore these thoughts? Were there leaders who positively influenced your outlook on something new and how did they do that?

More on this topic tomorrow...

“Here is a test to find whether your mission on earth is finished: If you’re alive, it isn’t.”

I see lessons about leadership everywhere – not just people in action, but books and movies leave huge impressions on me. I come from a family of avid readers and I know that so much reading has helped form my outlook about successful leaders – maybe more than official leadership development training I’ve had. In a class you can pick up the techniques, but in real life, the movies or in books you see it all in action – what works and what doesn’t. I’m constantly filing that information – it’s part of my continual personal and leadership development.

My sister and I have been talking about going back to some of the classics that we’ve either read along the way or NEVER read and I discover that #98 on the Modern Classics Best Novels (http://www.modernlibrary.com/top-100/100-best-novels/) is an old favorite: Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach.

This was given to me by an old friend years ago – I copied much of it into my personal manager’s “reference guide” so I’d have easy access to the book’s reminders that made such an impression – and I still have that guide!

I pulled out some of the book’s lessons that I found especially meaningful:

There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands.

You seek problems because you need their gifts.

Learning is finding out what you already know.

Doing is demonstrating that you know it.

Teaching is reminding others that they know just as well as you.

You are all learners, doers, teachers.

Your only obligation in any lifetime is to be true to yourself.

Being true to anyone else or anything else is not only impossible, but the mark of a fake messiah. 

Your friends will know you better in the first minute you meet than your acquaintances will know you in a thousand years.

You teach best what you most need to learn.

You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it true.
You may have to work for it, however.

There’s so much more in this “little” book – it’s not the size of War and Peace, but it’s very powerful and it will make you think! Tell me what YOU think or if you’ve read the book.

Want more? Watch Richard Bach Quotes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywxHS43ZxEM

Dismiss the Insults to Your Soul

This is what you shall do: love the earth and sun, and animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence towards the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown, or to any man or number of men; go freely with the powerful uneducated persons, and with the young, and mothers, of families: read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life: re-examine all you have been told at school or church, or in any books, and dismiss whatever insults your soul.

 Walt Whitman

The Tenth Man by Graham Greene

I found this old masterpiece on Netflix this weekend and it’s one very thought provoking story. For myself, any movie that causes me to think about it and want to talk about it long beyond the viewing is worth my vote and recommendation.  Additionally, it stars Anthony Hopkins who can be so captivating. 

Stories like this one always make us think of what we’d do in the same dire situation – buy our way to “life”? or choose another path? Then comes the issue of living with our choice – check out this story and see what you think. It always comes back to those Personal Strengths we talk about.

Based on a Graham Greene novel, I give you this introduction to the story based on a review of the novel by Dan Haggard.

 “There is an old clichéd maxim that the truth will set you free. No doubt you know it. But if you reflect on it a little while, its meaning can often feel elusive. In what way free? Graham Greene’s novel The Tenth Man is about as fine an answer to that question as has ever been provided. Terse in length, yet rich in theme and symbolism – the novel delves deep into the hideous nature of anxiety borne of deceit, lies and deception. Entwined in this mesh is a story about courage and sacrifice. The two themes wrap around each other, providing a greater intensity to the plot than would have been achieved singularly.”

Learn more about the story by reading the rest of the review here….

This is a movie worth searching out.

Personal Strength on Mt. Everest

A late January weekend and one WHOLE day spent in front of the TV! Seems like a waste, but we tuned in Everest: Beyond the Limit(three season’s worth!) – and it wasworth it. This Discovery series had everything: stimulating, edge-of-the-seat examples of leadership, teamwork, individuality, compassion, perseverance, fortitude, failure, astonishing success, humility, courage, self-confidence, gratitude, effort, tolerance, commitment, responsibility, patience, decisiveness and more.

Discovery filmed teams making the Mt. Everest summit approach from the famous south side, but also from the north side of the mountain. These people invested months – and a great deal of money – in the dream/obsession/goal of summiting the world’s tallest peak. Their reasons for taking this on were different, the people themselves were very different, but each was determined to make it. One man was 71 year old, others live daily with physical disabilities, one man was raising money for a cause close to his heart, most were “regular” folks who had determined this was something they had to accomplish!

While summiting Mt. Everest wouldn’t be my particular dream at any age, it’s always mightily inspiring to watch others working toward something they really want – what they’re willing to contribute, how they’re willing to devote themselves and how they endure unspeakable hardships. Each person also learns something about him/herself through this process; after all, you’re facing yourself in some grueling situations, it’s life and death, so how do you behave?

I could stop here; just watching the series impressed me so much I woke this morning reliving some of the climbers experiences. But I also found myself thinking about the expedition leaders – these were the experienced climbers whose job was to “see the big picture” and manage communications, weather forecasting, coordination of sub-teams, guides and Sherpas. The leaders didn’t actually make the climb – they’d done that many times, but they oversaw all aspects of their teams’ experience; in fact their leadership was vital.

Climbing Mt. Everest has changed dramatically from the phenomenal feat accomplished by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953 – today there are hundreds of climbers in any one short season and those who plan to survive usually use a commercial outfitter who provides the radio communication, climbing guides, indispensible Sherpas, safety ropes, ladders and weather forecasting from a base camp. As I said, the leader is below the climbers to see the big picture – lots of tension, nerves and finding a balance between “allowing” a team to continue or recalling a team or members for any number of reasons.

The leader is in charge, he’s there to provide expert advise, but after all, he’s not on the climb and cannot force climbers to do as he recommends.

As I thought about all the strengths we saw exhibited in this series, I mentally tallied the Personal Strengths ProStarCoach has built into it - strengths any one us can work to improve whether we ever climb Mt Everest of just deal with the daily challenges life throws our way. We all need the strengths I listed earlier: leadership, teamwork, individuality, compassion, perseverance, fortitude, failure, humility, courage, self-confidence, gratitude, effort, tolerance, commitment, responsibility, patience, decisiveness (and more!) and that’s the beauty of ProStar – it’s an online development system that structures exercises and provides resources for each of us to select and work on our personal growth – check it out here and use the 15 day FREE pass to explore the system. You  never know what challenge you’ll decide to take on in this life – get yourself prepared!

A Successful, Happy Life - It Takes More Than You Think

"A Successful, Happy Life - It Takes More Than You Think"

Read Dr. Denny Coates' insight into what it takes and why to be successful and happy:

"... Failed careers, failed marriages, and worse...

It happens all the time.

The reason is simple. To build strong relationships and prevail against adversity, a person needs to develop skills and strengths that are almost never taught in the home or in schools. This model illustrates the areas of ability a person needs to develop..."

When you look at ProStar Coach, you'll see the connections and the HOW-TO's of developing personal strengths and people skills - for all aspects of your life.

Your Life Bank Account

A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each  morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably combed and shaved  perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. 

His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After  many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled  sweetly when told his room was ready. 

As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description  of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window.  "I love it", he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just  been presented with a new puppy. 

Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait. 

“That doesn't have anything to do with it,” he replied. 

“Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. 

Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is  arranged ... it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it.  'It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up.. I have a choice;  I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the  parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful  for the ones that do. 

“Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day  and all the happy memories I've stored away.. Just for this time in my life. 

“Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in. 

"So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank  account of memories!”

We’re all still depositing. 

Remember the five simple rules to be happy: 

1. Free your heart from hatred. 

2. Free your mind from worries. 

3. Live simply. 

4. Give more. 

5. Expect less.