What Are You Capable Of Achieving?

What are you capable of achieving? Have you set goals and met them?

You don’t know what you have the capacity for until you reach for it. You don’t know what you are capable of achieving until you must or you choose to reach for it.

We all know people, who against great odds have done some pretty incredible things. Sometimes adversity created a context that meant they either reached for ‘the impossible’ or collapsed. Other times it was a conviction that they could reach some hitherto unattainable goal that drove them forward.

The point is, you just don’t know what you are capable of.

There are, however, some things we do know.

• You are capable of more than you think you are. If you are able to think, “I could never do it” then you are capable of thinking, “Maybe I can go a lot farther toward doing it than I previously thought.”


• If you don’t even try it is a ‘for sure’ that you won’t achieve it. In fact if you don’t try, you won’t achieve anything.


• If you do try, you will have the satisfaction, whether or not you ever achieve it, of having given it your best shot.


• Every small step achieved builds confidence. It provides proof that you can if you try. One step builds on another and leads to success.

When you achieve it, who knows what else you might actually be capable of. Maybe way, way beyond your previously small thinking.

So, what are you capable of? You don’t know. And I don’t know. But I can predict that you are capable of achieving far more than you currently think you can.

Decision Making Influenced by Dopamine Levels?

Decision making is influenced by dopamine levels.

So reports an interesting January 8th article from the BBC News on a study at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuro-imaging at UCL.

Study lead, Dr Tali Sharot noted, "Our results indicate that when we consider alternative options when making real-life decisions, dopamine has a role in signalling the expected pleasure from those possible future events." The doctor went on to say, "We then use that signal to make our choices."



In that same article, Professor John Maule who works at Leeds University Business School on decision making, noted that "... in recent years people had begun to realise emotional or "gut instinct" decision making was just as important in human choices as analytical decision making."

In my thinking this translates ... we analyze all the facts but decisions are often made largely on feelings.

We have a gut instinct, a sense of whether or not something is going to be pleasurable and to what degree, a sense very early on of whether or not it might be 'for us' or not. We feel it deep down. Either that is affected by dopamine levels or it creates them which then get translated through the wonder of our whole person into decision making.

Interesting. Since it is out of my professional depth, I'll only fall back on what I do know for sure. Truly, we are "fearfully and wonderfully made", Psalm 139:14 The Bible.

Decision Making Questions Leaders Should Ask BEFORE Agreeing to Serve

Over several years, I have developed 14 decision making questions leaders should ask BEFORE agreeing to serve in any capacity, paid or voluntary, business or nonprofit.

As my coaching clients have spent time with the questions and their answers, good decisions have been made.

Here are a ten of the fourteen questions. If you are being asked to assume responsibility, whether it be a promotion, new company or new leadership role, take the time to sit down with a piece of paper and a pen and write out your answers. That way you will be very intentional and capture your thoughts concisely. This will enable you to make a better decision about your future.

1. Am I really committed to this cause and the people it represents? If you are not, don't put yourself or them through the pain. Those who take ownership will put their all into it and stand a far better chance of success.


2. Do I have confidence in the senior leadership and feel I can support them? If any doubt lingers about the senior leadership, deal with the questions now. You will have a lot to do with them and your current inkling may end up your lengthy headache ... or worse.


3. Can I make the time for this leadership responsibility without creating excessive stress? In reality, how much time do you think this will take? Knowing your own style, will you allow it to consume your time to an unhealthy degree. Preemptive action may be necessary.


4. Do I and my spouse agree about this decision? If you don't ... don't. If you enjoy a good relationship with your spouse, they are your first line of defense in making a good decision. They know you, care about what happens to you and how it will impact the family.


5. Leadership issues take discernment. Am I a discerning person and can I improve that competency? Some leadership positions require real wisdom. There are tricky issues to deal with. If that's not you, then say no. If you are willing to grow in this area, then move forward humbly and open to learn.


6. Do I have any hidden agenda that could sabotage meetings or others on my team? If being in this role is all about you, your agenda may be the unspoken problem in every meeting. Deal with that stuff now, not later. Be up front about truth.


7. Are there any continuing things in my life that if people knew about them would disqualify me from serving? Get those things cleaned up now. Don't live with guilt and the fear of being 'found out'. Failures are not final. Learning from them is priceless.


8. Am I a good team player or do I generally want my own way? The organization is headed for trouble with a dictator at the helm. If you see yourself as the great ruler, get down off your pedestal. Learn how to work with the team. Provide great leadership and you will garner the respect that can dramatically move things forward.


9. How have I been prepared for this task? Experience, skills, interests? Simple question with big importance. What has brought you to this point? The sum total of who you are will determine where you go and how you lead the organization or project forward.


10. To what degree am I willing to change so that I can make a more effective contribution? There's the rub. Are you willing to change? Those who are intentional about looking hard at themselves and making real personal and professional change, move forward. Others languish at the level of their refusal to do what's needed to reach up to their potential.

Fast Response, the Small Business Entrepreneur's Advantage

The hallmark of a small business entrepreneur is that they can give a fast response.

We all have a sense that corporate and government wheels grind slowly as decision making winds its way through successive layers of bureaucracy. But the small business person can make a decision quickly. Do they? Often yes. But many times no.

Often hanging on to a dream, a method, a boast, an image or a feeling, the small business entrepreneur waits too long to respond quickly to reality and implement needed changes. The result is that they either run out of time or money and suffer the consequences.

Odd, isn't it that these business leaders can make a lightning fast decision and turn their small enterprise in a new direction. They have the ability to change quickly. All they need to do is say the word. But they hesitate.

Hesitation isn't because of outside influences so much as it is because of those internal 'struggles' to hang on to that dream, that way of doing things, the pride that made the boast, the image that has been put out into family and community and the feeling of control that the unfamiliar path would challenge.

Those who run successful small businesses make considered but quick decisions. They don't let internal self-talk and feelings get in the way of taking the actions that are needed to move successfully forward.

Don't wait too long to make needed adjustments. Be honest with yourself about what is holding you back from doing what you know needs to be done. Then decide and move fast.

Running a small business isn't for the faint of heart. But to those who can make the decisions that need to be made, it can be a very successful, lucrative and totally fulfilling enterprise.

Local News on the 2010 G20 Summit

Local news on the 2010 G20 Summit is opening the possibility that it may not now be held in Muskoka. Apparently no final decision has been made yet. Toronto has been mentioned as a possible alternative, simply because it could more easily handle the numbers expected.

We'll have to see how this unfolds. Of course the 2010 G8 Summit, perhaps the last of the G8's will still be held in Huntsville. Many in the area feel Muskoka could handle the numbers the G20 would generate as well.

Regardless of whether you are from Canada, United States or one of the other G8 or G20 countries, if you are looking to work with an Executive Coach or a Leadership Coach in preparation for next year, please contact us.

 

Who Uses a Personal Coach as a Sounding Board?

Leaders and executives probably make use of a personal coach as a sounding board more often than others.

There are perfectly good reasons for this.

• Top position really is a quite isolated place to be.


• Decisions involve issues that cannot be made public yet.


• Millions or billions of dollars may ride on a single decision.


• Whole careers, projects, programs or divisions may disappear.


• The opportunity is so exciting you don't want to get it wrong.

With my own clients I am most often engaged as a sounding board for tough decisions. It's not that the leaders and executives I work with can't make the decisions. These are savvy, smart men and women who didn't get to where they are by shying back from making the tough calls.

It is however, that they realize the benefit of having their thinking challenged by penetrating questions and alternate perspectives. In a completely confidential environment they welcome the opportunity to think through and review their line of thinking. They relish going down the rabbit trails to see where it will lead them ... without anyone making a big deal about it.

They invite the time to think about right positioning the correct people without being bound to their words. Thinking it through is good.

I fear we are being conditioned to rush into decisions without our best thinking being put into it. We are being groomed to solve complex problems in 30 minutes (minus the commercials). But too much rides on those decisions to leave them to the fickleness of copying a fictional world.

Sober second thought and thinking it through are still in vogue for our best leaders. They don't rush into final conclusions on major issues. And that's why so many of them use a personal coach, a behind-the-scenes partner who draws the best out in them and helps them make decisions that can stand the test of time.

Business Opportunities in G8 G20 Northern Ontario

There are great business opportunities in G8 G20 Northern Ontario.

While you are here doing your pre G8 or G20 prep work, be sure to consider Muskoka and north into all of Northern Ontario as a potential place to do business or set up a facility.

Northern Ontario has a stable and educated workforce right across the region. These are people who know how to work and have the smarts to do it. You'll not find better anywhere in the world.

Cities like Sudbury, Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay, Thunder Bay are larger areas with significant infrastructure. But small towns and villages form the backbone of the north and should be considered for business. These are really tremendous locations with solid people. Mindemoya, Gravenhurst, Parry Sound, Espanola ... Huntsville itself where the actual Summit is located.

All this to say ... if you are considering setting up shop in Canada, this vast area of Northern Ontario is a superb place to do business.

Executive Boldness, Unlocking Leadership Paralysis

Correct me if I'm wrong, but there seems to be a general dearth of executive boldness. No, I don't mean there are a lack of executives out there. Generally ... the people are there. The boldness is not.

Some leaders are wired to be bold, but they are hamstrung by politics and procrastination.

To unlock leadership paralysis and avoid mediocrity requires a different way of thinking ... thinking that isn't occupied with looking over its shoulder and watching its backside wondering what people will think and whether or not it's 'correct' or good for your own future.

Executive boldness puts others at the center. It sees possibilities and a better future and goes for it. Boldness puts itself out there ... on the line, going for what is best.

Five Starting Points

1. Make your own decision - Don't be double minded, tossed here and there by every opinion expressed. Listen carefully. Do your analysis. Decide and stick to your decision.


2. Be willing to fail forward - Great achievements have been built on the learning experiences of failure. No leader has made significant gains without having first felt the sting of failure. But what they did different than most was embrace that failure as a stepping stone to the future. They got up and kept going.


3. Don't analyze it to death - There is a time for everything, including moving forward. Some things can stay so long in the thinking stage that they simply die there. Or the time for them passes. Or interest is lost. Or the original vision blurred and put on the back burner. You get the idea. Once you have the essentials, act.


4. Stand out and stand up for something - If it's an idea worth being out in the world, take a stand for it. Don't be mamby pamby. Stand up and be counted. Cast your vision to any who will listen. As articulately as possible make your point in writing, in person and anywhere it will advance your idea.


5. Live above the level of mediocrity - Hum drum leadership abounds. Never, never settle for less than your absolute best. Aim for excellence in all you do. If it's really that good, then you have products and initiatives in your head that need to be translated into reality. Ride the wave of excitement in giving life and leadership your best shot.

If we are going to unlock leadership paralysis and practice executive boldness in corporate, government, business or nonprofit, it will have to start with you and me. Now go out and find a Coach and talk about your next (or first) big bold move.

Create a Three Step Plan to Achieve Your Highest Priorities

Do you wonder how you can ever achieve your highest priorities, how you can turn your dreams into reality? It is possible ... maybe not with all of them, but possibly with many of them.

Gather the Ideas: Make a list of those things which you consider priorities in your life right now. Never mind whether it seems doable or not, or whether it is just a dream at this point. It matters simply that it is a priority that you think about often.

Choose the Highest and Most Important: From this list, choose your number one highest priority, the one that you passionately want to see accomplished. (If you can follow this pattern with one priority, you can do it with any number of them.)

Understand What Needs to Happen: Take this high priority and write out all the things which will need to happen to bring it about. Don't agonize over this list but be as thorough as you can, whether it's five or one hundred 'needs to happen' items to realize success.

Break it Down to Three Definable Phases: From this list (of all the things that will need to happen) group sequential or closely related items into three clusters.

You now have three clusters of sub-points ... the heart of a three part plan. Rearrange the sub-points according to some chronological time frame that allows you to address each point one by one.

Name each of these three groupings of sub-points (action steps) with brevity and in the clearest possible terms.

This is your blueprint for moving forward, your blueprint for success.

You now have a three step plan. Each step has been divided into sub-points or action steps that need to be accomplished, taken from your list of things that need to happen. Each step has a clear title indicating the main action or phase that all those sub-points are a part of.

Execute Your Plan: Execute this plan until you achieve your highest priority, no matter how long it takes.

Make Needed Adjustments: If and when you hit an insurmountable barrier, that you can absolutely determine is insurmountable, then make an adjustment to your plan or recognize and allow that that priority may not be achievable.

Never Give Up: Otherwise never, never, never give up on it, if you truly believe it is of the highest priority.

Obviously some priorities will be achieved in a short period of time. The steps are clear and executable. Other priorities will take considerable time because of their scope and will require persistence, patience and continuous action.

Review and Update Your Master Plan

Those who make it a regular practice to review and update their master plan generally have a far easier time achieving their goals. Whether you are a small nonprofit or a large business, knowing where you are going is half the battle and following the plan you have to get there is the other half.

Why is it so common to see individuals and organizations make plans and then let them fall into disuse? Those same individuals and organizations then fall back on muddling along, fighting the daily fires, deviating from the plan and never really getting back to it. The result is ineffectiveness, lack of success and frustration ... not a sign of good leadership.

Once you make your master plan, begin to work it. Stretch your plan out whatever number of years are appropriate to what you are trying to achieve, whether 2 years, 5 years or 20 years.

Review your plan regularly and annually keep extending the plan out another appropriate length of time. Make changes that are deemed appropriate and promptly modify the plan as needed. Change dates and update any projections involved. Keep it current in order to serve you well.

This regular process of review will have you answering the realistic questions that can keep you moving forward. Are we on target? Is this still the direction we want to head? What needs to change?

Are you regularly reviewing and updating your master plan? Is this being done consistently? How extensive is the process? Who needs to be involved?

Why This Practice is Important - If you annually extend your plan out one more year (or whatever the appropriate length of time may be), you will be prompted to keep current in your response to what is going on.

An Expansive Thought - An updated ten-year plan may be more valuable than the remaining three years of a seven year old ten-year plan.

An Action Point - If you don't have one, rough out a 10-year plan covering goals, people and resources.

Thinking Through the Really Tough Decisions

Leaders make hard decisions all the time. We have to. It comes with the territory. But I venture to say that most leaders wrestle with thinking through the really tough decisions.

Whether in life, work or leadership, really tough decisions are tough for a reason. They are emotionally charged. That is, they are made up of both facts to be considered and emotions to be felt. Neglect either and the after-decision reality will probably be less than satisfying.

Neglect the facts and you get an emotional problem to deal with later. Facts are facts and they don't and won't change. A decision that doesn't deal with things as they are but neglects them, oversteps them or disregards them will result in less than satisfying results. Much of the original pain or problem will still exist because there was a far larger emotional component to it than physical. And that emotional magma will eventually rise to the surface ... and you will have to deal with it head on.

Neglect the feelings and you get a feeling-fueled factual problem to deal with later. It may come in the form of resistance, criticism, rebellion or sabotage. Whatever form it takes, however overt or subtle, passive or active, there will be a real problem to deal with. Emotions may be the fuel but real physical problems will be the result.

The Options for Tough Decision Making

1. Abdicate Responsibility. Pretend there is no problem and therefore no decision to be made.This is the stick your head in the sand routine. Hope it will go away.


2. Act without regard to the facts. Let emotions run rampant. Fail to think the situation through. Fail to isolate fact from emotional presumption and proceed based on how you feel at the moment. This is the illogical routine.


3. Act without regard to feelings. Stuff your feelings way down deep. Dig in and neglect to acknowledge anyone else's feelings. Look only at the facts and make a calculated decision. (Problem is that none of us are unbiased. We try to be but we aren't. We give greater weight to our feelings about the situation and this causes stress, judgment and misfires.) This is the insensitive routine.


4. Weigh the facts and the feelings, then proceed. Always attempt to move forward based on truth but being sensitive to both your feelings and those of others. As best you can, attempt to discover and address the source of the underlying emotions that appear so strong. This is the makes-sense leadership routine.

Will you always be right? No. But you will be able to rest in the knowledge that you did all you could to be objective, fair and balanced.

Like so many other occasions, this is a time for writing or recording both the facts and the feelings. If you can accurately articulate them, have them in front of you and intentionally talk your way through them, you will up your chances of making the best decision possible.

In the course of our leadership and executive coaching, clients are often facing just these very types of decisions. This is another occasion when the benefit of a personal coach is obvious.

Sometimes you can be too close to a situation to think objectively. Because it is an emotionally charged situation you entertain strong feelings. The coach helps sift the emotional content from the factual and examine each. The discussion more often than not results in new insight and a stronger case to go in a particular direction.

Does this mean that you are a weak leader who requires someone else's help to make decisions? Not at all. You make lots of decisions every day, some of them more challenging than others. It does mean you are a smart leader who recognizes that every so often a problem comes up that is loaded with emotional content and that using an objective sounding board will enable you to follow a superior decision making model that will increase the possibilities for better results. That's being a wise leader.

14 Questions Leaders Should Ask BEFORE Agreeing to Serve

These 14 questions leaders should ask before agreeing to serve could potentially save you and a lot of other people from an unsuccessful and less than satisfying experience.

I can't tell you how many times leaders and executives bring up the concern for coaching that too many meetings, committees and requests for help are drowning them.

There are literally millions of boards, committees,  special projects and all other manner of initiative in place and active right now in North America and across the globe. And much of what they are doing is worthwhile. But if the wrong people are tasked with doing worthwhile things, little good will be accomplished.

It's not that the wrong people are not good people. In many cases they are leaders who have accomplished much. They know how to get things done and have proven themselves. It's just that this particular task is not for them. They should never agree to be a part of it, no matter how worthwhile.

Other times, leaders have some personal work to do first. Matters in their own life require first priority before exporting their personal baggage, no matter how subtly, to others.

So, when faced with the call to serve, sometimes pleading with you to serve, take the time to do this exercise. No matter how good the cause, you just can't do everything, nor were you designed to do everything.

Sit down with a piece of paper and a pen and write out the answers to the following questions. That way you will be very intentional in your thinking. Writing it out will capture your thoughts concisely. This will enable you to make a better decision and reflect on the answer you return.

1. What expectations are there of me in this position? From whom?

2. What are my three biggest assumptions about this task? Are they true?

3. Am I really committed to this cause and the people it represents?

4. Do I have confidence in the senior leadership and feel I can support them?

5. Can I make the time for this leadership responsibility without creating excessive stress?

6. Do I and my spouse agree about this decision?

7. Leadership issues take discernment. Am I a discerning person and can I improve that competency?

8. Do I have any hidden agenda that could sabotage meetings or others on my team?

9. Are there any continuing things in my life that if people knew about them would disqualify me from serving?

10. Are there relationships or situations I should clean up before serving in this responsible position?

11. Am I a good team player or do I generally want my own way?

12. How have I been prepared for this task? Experience, skills, interests?

13. What is being said to me about this decision? Faith, family, friends, mentors etc.?

14. To what degree am I willing to change so that I can make a more effective contribution?

Many of our clients have checked themselves against this list and vastly improved their decision-making in this area. The benefits? Reduced stress from meetings and being a part of something that your heart just really isn't in, no matter how good it is ...

The Power of Decision and Focus

A now deceased but prodigious author illustrates the power of decision and focus.

Through the years, you could connect me up with a good James Michener novel (saga!) and I'd be a happy guy. I never read a lot of fiction, probably far less than I really would have enjoyed, but on those occasions I did, few came close in my mind to matching the craft and storytelling of this author. He is actually credited with more than 40 titles of both fiction and non-fiction.

Michener was noted for the detailed research he put into his work. He was once asked if he could explain his process for book writing. His explanation: “I begin four or five years in advance. I keep thinking about things, what I would like to do, I make little outlines, and then I come to the moment of decision and I dig in.”

What can a “moment of decision” cause a person to do? Michener explains his strategy for getting things done, “I get up at 7:30 a.m., and work very diligently all morning. I quit about noon. I never work in the afternoons, almost never, and I do this seven days a week, month in and month out until the book is written.”

There is power in a decision. You can feel the change of energy that takes place once clarity is reached and the course set. It is like finally lifting the sail into a solid breeze. Movement begins and predetermined direction becomes apparent. Like Michener, if purpose is coupled with focus and consistent routine and effort, volumes of work can be accomplished. Important things can happen.

It bears asking. Do our priorities receive this kind of decision and focus? To do so could change the course of our life, our business or our organization.

Summer Camp Bus Roll-over Highlights Safety

It's that time of year ... summer camp.  Alice and I spent 25 years helping around camp. For 10 of those years I served full-time as the Executive Director. We gave up our early careers to be involved with camp.  I have been privileged to see several generations regularly return to camp and bring their friends.  I think the love for camp and what it can do is in my blood.

I believe every child should have the opportunity to go to camp.

You'll understand then why I cried when I first heard everyone was safe from last Thursday's bus roll-over, the very bus that was carrying a number of  the kids and their cabin leaders from 'our' camp, back home to meet their parents after a great week of friends and activity.

Thankfully, when it was all done, there were no life-threatening injuries. One camper suffered a broken collar bone. We can thank God that what could have been so much more serious, wasn't. One media report praised the staff for immediately putting their first-aid training into practice. Motorists stopped and gave assistance. Fire and police personnel arrived quickly.

The Directors conducted themselves admirably. They managed a hundred and one things during a high stress period ... no easy feat. And they did it with a new camp arriving that very day.

A few years back I developed a program of best practices for Christian camps. It consists of 88 practices which can be measured year over year (or less) and targeted for improvement. As a reminder, here are the headlines from the Safety section.

1. Buildings, equipment and locations are safe


2. A current emergency response plan is in place


3. Staff is regularly trained to carry out the emergency response plan


4. Campers review what to do in emergency situations


5. Government and industry standards are met or exceeded


6. Insurance coverage meets or exceeds the industry standard


7. Designated staff supervises safety procedures


8. Safety is a priority, not an option

I called these the Attitudes of Excellence because attitude drives action. Directors and their boards will determine the level of attention they pay to each of these points.

When it comes to risk and safety, "It'll never happen to us" won't do. This camp would have never dreamt of a bus roll-over. It was out of their control. But they could do something about the attitude and training of the staff on that bus. And that's probably why staff were mentioned for their quick action in taking control of the situation. They had an attitude of excellence that made them realize camp wasn't over until campers were safely back home with their parents.

They were as prepared as they could be for whatever might happen. And when the unforseen did happen, they took the best actions they could. Our appreciation to the staff. Our prayers and support to the campers and parents involved.

Directors, Boards ... of summer camps ... use this as a strong reminder. Risk is real. Take it seriously. Be as prepared as you possibly can for anything to happen. Rejoice when it doesn't.

The Lone Voice of Leadership

Sometimes one person is the lone voice of leadership, the one who sees circumstances and solutions with a clarity that those around them, higher in the organizational chart or not, do not yet see.

The leader makes the case for change. They paint pictures to illustrate the needs and the solutions. They articulate the vision to all who will listen. They work with numbers and trends and statistics to help others 'get' it. They work every political avenue they know to effect positive forward moving change.

This is the task of holding a vision of what can be. This is the burden of leadership. While others maintain what is and react to circumstances by staying in the middle of the curve with the pack, this leader shows uncommon courage and travels outside the pack and at the leading edge of the curve.

This leader points the way. They see what is possible. They position for future possibilities. They do not profess all the answers. But of one thing they are assured. This is the way forward. This is the path to follow. This represents the future.

If you are that leader ... press on. Persevere until your voice is heard, your case understood and your vision has been translated into action. If necessary consider it success to have even one other see what you see and begin to advocate for it. Then add another, and another ... until a tipping point is reached and what was once yours becomes the common stock of all.

Fix Your Frazzled Future

Many people see a pretty frazzled future stretching out in front of them. Not that it will be unusual, the past was frazzled, today is frazzled, so why should tomorrow be any different?

A few years back I remember one Canadian survey that showed more than 3 million Canadians described themselves as workaholic and caught up in the struggle to juggle. 4.9 million indicated time for family and friends was limited.

Seems they work, they work some more, they try do a bunch of things in between working and then they wonder how to get the personal energy and fulfillment needle from empty back up to full.

Consider these three approaches.

Graduate the past. You’ve probably taken the lessons and done the exam. So don’t continue going to classes – graduate. Somebody misused you as a stepping stone to their bright future. Forget it. You still have lots of options and room for success. Your home life was poor. Graduate it. Take the lesson and make your new home different. Make sure the lesson is learned and move on. Sometimes you can spend so much time looking back that you keep running into trouble here and now. Graduate it and fix your gaze forward.

Attract the future. How sure are you of what you really want? Most people only have some vague notion. If you ask them who they want to be or what they want to be doing ten years from now, they haven’t got a clue. Don’t let circumstance or other people determine your future as far as it depends on you. Take responsibility. Make a list of who, what, when, where and how. Be clear and concise. Want to get out of the high pressure job you are in? Want to change your environment? Then say it. When you know what it is you want, you’ll more likely realize it. You are more likely to make plans and work toward it.

Harness the power of today. Now is the time. There is power in making a decision today. There is power in taking action today. Now is powerful if you harness it. Don’t live in the past hoping to change what has already happened. Don’t live in the future using those overworked phrase, “Someday I’ll ..." When Jesus referred to living life He indicated He had come so we could squeeze every ounce of fullness out of today. Why? Because today is powerful. Regardless of who I am or where I am, I can make decisions today. I can take actions today. I can change attitudes, enjoy others and enjoy living today.

Executive Creates Steady Improvement Over Time

Executive creates steady improvement over time. Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?  Small improvements over time add up. I recently wrote about this in "How to Improve Your Leadership". One organization has shown that it is possible and they have the proof to back it up.

The Friendly Society Private Hospital has been named leading employer of choice in the private healthcare sector within South East Queensland, Australia.

Friendly Society Private Hospital team members are provided with attractive remuneration packages, generous salary packaging options, tax free dining, flexible and family friendly rostering, bulk billing for employees and their families via the Afterhours Medical Service and an incredibly strong commitment to ongoing education, training and professional development.

Independent research firm, Best Practice Australia reported that 84% of Friendly Society Private Hospital employees firmly believe the 'Friendlies' is a "Truly Great Place to Work".

Best Practice Australia uses a model based on 5 Types of Culture … from Blame to Success, with the leading Culture being that of Success. This Type of Culture is very close-knit, cohesive and focused with a large number of employees feeling engaged and optimistic about the organization's future.

What put the 'Friendlies' in the Culture of Success category?

The employees who work at the Friendlies say,

•    there is a strong sense of purpose and direction
•    people have high levels of confidence and trust in Executive Management
•    people are optimistic about the hospital's future
•    there is a climate of trust and respect amongst employees
•    there is a friendly atmosphere throughout the hospital
•    the Friendly Society Private Hospital is a Truly Great Place to Work

That is a pretty high endorsement.

And it appears they got there by focusing on what they wanted and steadily moving toward it. The leadership set benchmarks and just kept moving toward them. They weren't struggling for quantum leaps but apparently knew that a steady persistent movement in one direction would build a strong culture and a solid foundation for success.

That's what I advocate for in 52 Solutions for Those Who Need a 25 Hour Day. Persistent, focused action on a number of simple concepts will result in huge improvement and sustainable success over time.

As Jaqui Parle, Executive Director of Best Practices Australia notes:

These results are outstanding for the Friendlies. Having surveyed this hospital five times over the past ten years, it is quite obvious that the cultural change journey has worked. The approach by executive for steady improvement over time (as opposed to large quantum leaps), has really paid off for the hospital.

Well done to the leadership and staff of the Friendlies. Read the whole article. It's a good news story.

The Importance of a Master Plan

Never underestimate the importance of a master plan.

Creative people who are committed and involved generally start out with a clear idea of what it is they feel compelled to engage in. Once they start, they begin to see all sorts of further exciting possibilities. Their creativity feeds on more ideas. Less clear are the ways and means to accomplish all of them simultaneously.

If that original vision, the one before all the other exciting possibilities came along, is not regularly reviewed, it can be neglected and lost in a sea of activity. Eventually personal energy is so diffused and unfocused that something collapses.

The original and probably quite uncomplicated vision is replaced with multiple goals, time lines, demands and expectations that require more and more personal resources from the leader. It leaves the creative depleted and the initiative in shambles.

Adding more and more layers of activity, and it may be very fine activity, isn't a great strategy.

Developing a master plan to guide decision making and the allocation of effort is a great strategy.

I want to highlight the importance of having a clear and crisp written plan of what it is you wish to accomplish and how you will accomplish it. Having that master plan in front of you will allow you to gauge other ideas that come along and be able to dismiss or park them for another day. It will allow you to allocate effort efficiently. It will keep you focused on the objectives and dramatically improve your chances of experiencing very significant success.

How to Improve Your Leadership

Want to know how to improve your leadership or your productivity? One percent at a time ...

Who says one percent isn’t significant? A one percent gain may seem modest but it’s measurable. Over time a series of one percent gains add up. And combined with other coaching successes, their multiplying effect can be impressive.

Jesus told an old friend, “Only one thing is necessary.” One simple thing … paid attention to, can make a big difference.

A one percent improvement is very achievable, even for busy people. One percent a month over ten months is a ten percent improvement. Ten percent is significant.

You can make one percent improvements. Like achieving anything, you must be intentional about it. You must make a decision to do it. Once you do, you will find out that you can achieve significantly more. Imagine what this means to the projects, programs, causes and career that you really care about.

For example, at the beginning of every coaching engagement, our clients begin to work through our book, 52 Solutions for Those Who Need a 25 Hour Day. From the 52 practices that can improve personal effectiveness, they choose the two or three that if implemented, can make the biggest difference in helping them move forward their priorities. This includes simple practices like:

• Conquering the to-do list


• Embracing failure


• Preparing for people who don’t understand


• Rejecting busyness as a bragging point


• Planning for the unexpected

From then on throughout our coaching engagement, the routine is simple. Parallel to our coaching, clients identify and implement better thinking, habits and practices week after week. When one of the 52 becomes habit, they turn attention to another. It isn’t long before clients experience even greater effectiveness, less stress and better results.

We can all do better. The wisest leaders get this and they move forward. Revisiting and reapplying basic strategies and techniques drives greater personal, professional and organizational effectiveness and creates space for renewed vision and energy.

Paying attention to basics reaps dividends in work, life and leadership. It may seem simplistic to challenge an executive, leader or anyone else to make a 1% improvement, but the results are worth any feeling of embarrassment it might foster. So I am challenging you to make a 1% improvement. Use my book 52 Solutions if it will be of assistance.

Go on to make a whole series of 1% improvements and pretty soon you will see a significant difference in how you work and what you achieve. By the way, I am not embarrassed. I know you will like the results.

Effective Leaders Use Five A's to Achieve Goals

1. Effective Leaders Know Their Aims

Know what it is you are working to achieve. Outline the goals or targets to be reached. Accurately define what success will look like. How will you know when you have reached your prescribed targets? If you don't know where you are going, how are you going to get there?

There are two parts to this. First, define your direction. This is the general focus of your efforts, to move in a certain direction, along a certain path. Secondly, define any destination. Moving along a certain path may be all you seek but if there are specific targets (destinations)  that need to be reached, define these as well. You will recognize them because they will be able to measured in some way.

• My aims are to ...


• This is the direction I am committed to heading ...


• These are the specific objectives I will reach ...

2. Effective Leaders Are Models of Awareness

Be aware of your starting point. Where are you at right now? What knowledge, skills and attitudes are you bringing into this project? What is the current environment? What factors can move you forward? What factors can hold you back? What do you need to do about each? If you have a positive forward moving attitude, you will probably make good progress.

Know what needs to happen. Create a clear plan for moving forward. Being able to refer to the Master Plan will serve you well when the project starts to drag or becomes unclear. Clarify what potential barriers to success might be and how you will handle them when they come up.

To achieve awareness, gather all the data that might influence moving forward. Some will be objective, hard information and some will be subjective, like your feelings and attitudes. The more clarity you have prior to ever starting a project the better you will be able to execute.

• These are the things within me that will affect success ...


• These are the external factors that could influence what will happen ...


• This is my Master Plan for moving forward ...

3. Effective Leaders Always Work to Create Alignment

People and process need to work together to achieve targets.  Personally, you and any others involved in this project need to be 'on the same page', with clear common priorities, day-to-day action plans, to-do lists, accountabilities and means of measurement. You need to be in alignment, all moving in the same direction, with common purpose and synergistic behavior.

Each person needs to take ownership of their part in what needs to happen.
Create physical and process systems that will best support success each step of the way. Rearrange, re-allocate or  re-assign, do whatever is needed to assure that the way things are done and the systems that are in place, actually are focused and working together to create the best possible environment for achieving your goal.
People ... process ... all pointing the same direction, focused on the same goal, working independently but acting synergistically  to build and maintain momentum until the desired outcome is reached.

• Here is how I feel about being fully committed (taking ownership) of making this happen ...


• I will bring these people, policies, programs, procedures and processes into alignment, so they all work together to achieve the goals ...


• These people have truly taken ownership and are in alignment with making this happen ...

4. Effective Leaders Take Daily Decisive Action

Start. It sounds simple but projects often fail because those who 'own' them never get started. They just think about them. Maybe fear of some sort holds them back.  At its best, getting engaged and getting going means that awareness is in place and alignment is in progress.

Take daily decisive action to keep moving forward. The systems you put in place mean that your daily planner shows clear times for focused attention on the project. Distractions are refused or limited. Progress is being made. The right things are happening.

Action is about effort. It's work. Temporarily it may mean some extended hours of efficient concentrated work. This is not flailing around. Because you know exactly where you are going, it is the most directed kind of effort.

• My first steps are ... and I am taking them.


• Here are the action steps I will take this week ...


• Today I have dedicated ... hours to this project.

5. Effective Leaders Let Go and Make Needed Adjustment

As things start to happen, evaluate results. As new information comes to light, monitor, measure and discuss. If adjustment is needed, make it. Respond quickly to get back off rabbit trails and modify less than satisfactory results. Continuously make improvements that move you toward desired outcomes.

When you realize (gain awareness) that your thinking was wrong, change it. Don't doggedly hang on to a pet assumption when doing so will only slow you down or worse, stop progress altogether. If the thinking can be adjusted rapidly, the systems and results will follow.

• What will help me recognize when changes need to be made is ...


• I just did an attitude check and I realize that ...


• These adjustments will result in ...

Leaders want to get things done. They understand the effect each of the five A's have on moving forward. All five need to operate simultaneously. And when they do, good things can be accomplished in optimal amounts of time. This is what effective leadership is all about.