‘ People Powered Solutions ’ Category

I’ve had the pleasure of being friends with a successful serial entrepreneur, Stephen Meade, for nearly ten years now. Stephen is a gifted communicator and a regular on the speaking circuit, teaching other entrepreneurs how to create networks that powerfully support their growth and business success.

One of the talks Stephen gives to groups is on networking. He and I were recently talking about the power of facilitated introductions and the importance of continually investing time in building your network both to expose yourself to new ideas and potential opportunities. Although Stephen targets his tips toward entrepreneurs who are looking for partnerships, venture capital, etc., his networking concepts are genius (common sense that is not so common) and will work for anyone.

With that in mind, I’m gearing this post to those of you who are looking for jobs. As I write this, 13.3 million of you are unemployed and would like to find a job. Some of you are discouraged and beginning to feel like things will never turn around. Reality is there are less jobs than people available to fill them, so you have to step up your networking game.

• Get clear. You have to know what you want to achieve before you can communicate this effectively to others. Take the time to truly decide what you want. Do you want a job? What kind of job? Who (within a company) would be your perfect contact? In what industry do you want to work? If this is different from your industry experience, how do your skills translate to the new industry? Do the research on companies for whom you would like to work. Make a list of two or three and the key contacts. For example, if you want a job in finance, get the name of the CFO, Finance Division President, or whoever is the decision maker for the particular position you have in mind. As Steven Covey would say, “Begin with the end in mind.”
• Utilize Stephen’s Tornado Technique. This is a questioning technique to use in networking situations that helps you to gather intelligence. You start with broad questions and get more specific as you continue the conversation. The key is to keep asking questions and really listen to what your contact is saying. Important questions to have in your repertoire include:
  • What do you do?
  • What type of industry are you in?
  • What are some of the companies you do business with?
  • Who do you usually sell to or work with there?
  • What can I do to help? What are your biggest challenges right now? Who are you trying to get to?
• Build referral currency. You have been engaged in conversation and listening for referral opportunities for the other person. You have enough information now that you can say, “Remind me to introduce you to A from B company and C from D company.” As Stephen so eloquently reminds me, this creates an implied referral system and a psychological burden upon the other person before you ever begin talking. The person feels obligated to help you because you are generously helping them. It’s at this point you ask for names of the specific individuals who can help you reach your goal. You will end up with three to four names from each person you talk to if you effectively use this referral currency strategy.
• Follow up. Make sure to follow up with each of the names you collect.  A follow-up call should use this script:
  • Hello, my name is ______________.  I was given your name and number by _____________.  Did I catch you at a good time?
  • Yes—Great.   Here is specifically why I am calling…..
  • No—Is there a better time to follow-up with you?

This follow-up script helps to create affinity between you and the person you are calling because you have a common bond with the individual who gave you the name and number.

Networking is simple but certainly not easy. It requires effort and action in order to be successful. I’ve provided you with a small snapshot of Stephen’s advice about how to network effectively. Ultimately, networking for the job search depends upon you and your persistence. Do the research — go where you are most likely to meet those who can help you get what you need. And good luck!

Onward & Upward!
Lisa Dominisse

Special thanks to Stephen Meade for permission to use his concepts as part of this blog. If you’d like to learn more, you can watch the two-part talk he gives in San Diego to a group of entrepreneurs at: San Diego Founders Isolation Speech Part I and Part II.

Recently I went out for a walk/run and realized that the Baton Rouge Beach Marathon/Half Marathon was under way literally a stone’s throw from our condo. As soon as I started, I found myself going the opposite direction of the runners in the race, but on the exact same route. I then had flashbacks of the only marathon that I’ve done — the Disney Marathon in 2001 that I ran with my oldest daughter Stacy. I ran that marathon with a pulled groin. It was and still is an accomplishment that allows me to realize the ability of the human body and mind to push beyond what we believe are normal human limitations.

Right after the flashbacks of the 2001 Disney marathon I began clapping and cheering on the runners as they passed me. Watching their reactions was priceless! Some ignored the cheerleading, but most responded with thumbs up, big smiles and even big thanks. You could watch their physiology change as well. Chests went higher, strides got longer (especially in those that I complimented their “gait” and running style!) and heads went up. The reason I did this was because I remembered what it was like to have crowd support when I ran the Disney Marathon. You run through all of the parks and the crowd support is unbelievable. It is also very hard to explain how important it is to a marathoner. I’ve talked to many who agree it really helps endure the process.

What are the lessons for us as leaders?

• Encouragement to your team can take on many forms, but I believe it is essential for every human being to be appreciated and encouraged. Yes, some of us don’t need as much as others, but all of us need some (The Birkman Method assessment will tell us how much!).
• If you understand the human brain, you know that there is a basic need to know we are safe and secure. As a leader, if you can provide a safe environment for your team, they will turn off that part of the brain that is driven by fear and looking for danger and move into a more productive and creative mode.

These aren’t just my leadership beliefs. These statements have been proven in the world of brain science and neuro-leadership.

There are times when some of your team need to hear the “cold, hard truth” of their performance.  We need to be told we’re not performing up to the standards that have been set. But, is this your main method for motivation and leadership? If it is, then realize what brain science has learned. The research says we need at least a three-to-one ratio of “positivity” to “negativity” to thrive and perform at a high level.

Encouragement certainly falls into the category of positivity!

Who needs your encouragement today?

Onward & Upward!
Ed

I hadn’t planned to write about what happened 10 years ago, but something has been stirring in my soul the past couple of days and instead of ignoring it I’ll put “pen to paper” and see what happens.

I know that each of us can remember exactly where we were when the news hit us with full force: America had been attacked. I left the office shortly thereafter and watched with my wife the horror that unfolded as the twin towers collapsed. I also remember that churches across America were overflowing the next Sunday.  Americans wanted answers and a large portion of us turned to God.

What are some of the leadership lessons that we can take from 9/11? I could write a book on the topic and there have been books already devoted to it so let me be brief.  There are two things that come to mind when I reflect on the event:

• Life is short for all of us in the scheme of eternity – we never know when it will end. If you agree then here’s the question; if your life were to end now what would your legacy be? What would you leave behind? Get a clear picture of what you think it would be and if you don’t like it then the next question would be this; Who do you have to become to leave the legacy that you want to leave? A final question;  do you know God’s purpose for your life? You are not here by accident. There is a purpose. Rediscover it and live the rest of your life with purpose.
• It’s about people. This has been our mantra at HCI and it’s what has driven me since the crucible that I and my family experienced in the mid-80’s. There’s really nothing else that matters.  As I write, I am reminded that I still have relationships in my life that aren’t what they should be. I coach, teach and consult with and about people so why do I still have gaps in my relationships? Because I am human and our work is never done. And, some of those gaps are out of my control. But, you and I would be well served by investigating any and all relationships to see what else we could do and if we can make an impact in someone else’s life.

UnCommon™ Leadership is a term I coined last year. It resonates for me because I see so many people who profess to be leaders who have no morals, no character and only care about enriching themselves at the expense of others. Our publicly traded companies and our political system in America are not better today because of 9/11. They are worse than ever in my humble opinion. Why?  Absolute power corrupts absolutely (thank you Lord Acton). We need leaders who are willing to model the life of Christ. No matter your beliefs or your faith, if you investigate Jesus and his time on earth you will see his leadership model summed up this way: “I have come to serve, not be served” (Matt: 20:28). Servant leadership is the model and the foundation for being an UnCommon Leader.

May God bless America and may each of us realize what is important and why we are here.

Onward & Upward!

Ed

I recently had an exchange that was initiated face to face with a client and culminated 5 days later via email and phone call. In some of the workshops and leadership development work that I do, I use an original quotation of mine to help leaders better understand the power (and the challenge!) of perception. It reads, “My perception is my reality which may or may not be real.”  This exchange I’m about to describe to you is a classic demonstration of the perils that occur in our relational dynamics when our perceptions drive us and when those perceptions are based on my values and beliefs.

I had originally proposed a change in our contract to my client when I was onsite. I believed I had two choices of how to approach the client regarding a fee increase. First choice was to consider that my client didn’t like conflict and let that drive the discussion. The second choice was that I knew he liked to negotiate. I thought it through and chose option one; I believed that keeping our conversation from turning into a conflict was a more important driver than his need for negotiation. I presented the new fee structure in a manner that said I had thought it through and this is a fair price for the project. We could have come in at a higher price and then negotiate, but I wanted to give him a fair price that would eliminate any back and forth (read, conflict). We had some brief conversation, and his answer was, ”Let me think about it.” I’m pretty perceptive and usually can read people easily. In that exchange, I never picked up any clues that he was unhappy and that I had upset him.

Fast forward three days, and I get an email telling me that he did not appreciate my “take it or leave it” offer and that they hoped I wouldn’t be doing business like that with them again. From my perspective (perception!), I believe that I never once uttered the words “take or leave it.” I will bet you a large sum of money those words were never said. BUT, it doesn’t matter. What I said and how I said it was PERCEIVED as a “take it or leave it” ultimatum.  After reading the email, I called and left a very apologetic voice mail. A few minutes later, I received a call back, and we talked through the issue. This is where the exchange gets really interesting. This person has been a coaching client, and I’ve been working with their leadership team as well. He was proud of the fact that he didn’t “lash out” at me that very day (something we had been working on) and waited to send me an email. While I gave him kudos for that, I also gave him a new perspective which was dealing with conflict when it happens rather than letting it fester and boil, culminating in the email blast to me. He thought that he had handled my perceived ultimatum in a better manner than I did! Again, perspectives and perceptions colored this entire exchange.

Who was right and who was wrong in this exchange? If you believe that the customer is always right, then I am wrong.  I erred in judging how to approach something very critical. I made a relational dynamic error and misjudged the more important value my client had; that is, negotiations aren’t conflict, and he wants to be able to negotiate. Any offer where no other options are present is perceived as a take it or leave it offer!  Perceptions of conflict, negotiations, and the values and beliefs each of us brought into that situation caused it to go awry.

Have you had any relational exchanges like this lately where you believe that you’ve been “misunderstood”? We all do from time to time. The best option for the UnCommon Leader™ is to own the relationship and figure out what you can do to resolve the conflict. Blaming the other person for misunderstanding you will only add fuel to the fire! Recognize that another person’s values, beliefs, and perceptions may cause them to take something you have said or done and judge your motives and intentions completely wrong.

Onward & Upward!

Ed

By Lisa Dominisse

I always envy the folks who wake up in the morning and know exactly what they are going to do then execute their day with purpose moving toward fulfilling their goals and dreams.  I’m someone who has traditionally flown by the seat of my pants and has had a lot of “fits and starts” (very technical term used by my mother).  Over the last year, however, I have been renovating my life.

I started with a financial overhaul, paying off all of my family’s consumer debt.  We even sold our traditional two story home and our fancy cars so that we could downsize our lives and any payments.  We purchased cars with cash and cut our cost of living down to a third of what it had previously been.  The lack of financial pressure gave us incredible freedom.  It even improved our marriage.

I also hired an executive coach and did a deep dive into my work dissatisfaction.   My job felt like an ill fitting dress purchased on impulse at a Nordstrom’s—too expensive to just toss, and not fitting well enough to wear.  It had a big salary that was difficult to ignore and certainly provided well for my family.  And I was miserable.  I learned I was fighting against my natural talents and living someone else’s mission.  This realization led me to many others and I quit my job and went back to school for some additional certifications more in line with my gifts.

In the midst of all of this, my husband and I purchased a 1960s red brick ranch home to renovate.  We are still finishing this project and when it is through, we agree this may be our favorite house yet.  It is so us!  No other voices telling us what to do or not to do.  It’s not that the voices haven’t tried—we even received the full court press phone calls from our parents telling us we were nuts and trying to convince us to look at other properties.  The difference maker?  We finally chose to truly lead ourselves and listen to our own voices for the benefit of our family and this house was absolutely the best.

During the course of our renovations, we have had to learn new skills—such as minor black mold mitigation and plaster repair.  We’ve dealt with major and minor setbacks, joys and disappointments.  We’ve also had to learn when to ask for help.  As we have been working on the project, it occurred to me what a great metaphor renovating is for our lives.  Our personal and professional lives are fraught with distractions that will keep us from fulfilling our vision for ourselves.  These are the “black mold moments” that have the potential to hold us back.  In order to remain focused on the horizon, we must find the opportunities in those moments and lead ourselves, our families, our teams, and our organizations toward the greater goal.

With my executive coach and a strong desire to achieve a lasting legacy, I am no longer operating in “fits and starts.”  I’ve renovated my life so that I may truly LIVE, LEAD, and leave a LEGACY.

Onward & Upward!

Lisa Dominisse

By Ed Chaffin

Yes, same title, but this time with a different emphasis. Last month the spotlight was placed on how healthy you are to work for. We asked you to think about your leadership style and really be honest, look in the mirror and question what kind of leader you are. You could even ask yourself this simple question; “If I could exchange places with one of my employees would I be excited to work for me or would I dread coming to work everyday?” That’s really the essence of the dialogue we’re trying to encourage. We want you to recognize that as a leader you have a tremendous impact on your employees and that includes a direct link to their health!

Today we’re writing about you and your health. The question is this; how is your mental, physical, social/emotional and spiritual health? Some people like to call that taking the “holistic” view. With this being the first month of a new year, people are doing the self-evaluations and seeking to make changes.  In our coaching and consulting practice we see people who look to become UnCommon Leaders™  by changing focus, strategy, tactics , tasks or modifying habits. But, how many of us go to the core and really do the close, in-depth look into all aspects of who we are? Not many, I’m afraid. The common example of this is a physical evaluation whereby we acknowledge we can’t get into the tux or wedding dress we were married in so we decide that this is finally the year we’re going to take that extra 10, 20 or even 40 pounds off. We begin dieting and working out and some of us stick with it and even begin to look and feel better. Then it happens. Stress at work or at home hits, the exercise plan goes out the window and you start your old eating habits again. Why? Simple answer, really. We were focused on the symptoms we saw (extra weight) and not what was causing us to lose our focus on our individual health in the first place.  Some of us are overweight because we legitmately have a health issue (for example, thyroid issues) and just can’t get the weight off. But that is the exact point. What if you don’t know you have a thyroid issue? Can you commit to a diet and exercise plan? It’s not going to work and you’ll get frustated, give up and blame yourself. You focused on the sympton and did not get to the root cause of the issue.

UnCommon Leadership™ says we are willing to go deep with ourselves, recognize what we know and don’t know and seek the guidance of those who can help us identify what the real issues are. It’s being willing to focus on “root” causes of our issues and not just go put another coat of paint on the same wall.  In my friend George Kolhrieser’s book Hostage At The Table; How Leaders Can Overcome Conflict, Influence Others, and Raise Performance  he writes about a senior executive who was slated to become the next CEO. Even though he was getting financial results people were terrified of him. He was given the ultimatum to change how he treated people, but he failed and was fired. After working with George he discovered the root causes of his isolated, angry way of leading others, and now counts the firing as the best thing that could have happened to him. Initially, he tried to modify his behavior, but couldn’t sustain it. It took going deep and discovering why he wasn’t capable of “bonding” with those he was leading. (p. 40&41)

This approach isn’t the easiest which is why few choose it. The person who wants to make a difference and accomplish important things in their life would be best served by focusing first on themselves and their total health. UnCommon Leaders™ look in the mirror and recognize their own “stuff” first. They get out of blame mode and take responsibility, and they find people with expertise in all areas of the holistic view that can help them through the path of discovery. They are willing to be challenged at their “core”, and address the significant issues that are impacting every aspect of their performance; mental, physical, social/emotional and spiritual.

Are you ready to look deep in the mirror? Let us know.

Onward & Upward!

Ed

By Ed Chaffin

It’s been awhile since we put a blog out. My New Year’s vow (yes, starting early!) is to allow my “inner writer” to be prevalent and prolific. I have a book sketched out, the chapters titled and summarized, and it’s time to get busy and finish it soon. No deadline just yet but it will be published in 2011. Stay tuned!

This year has been an incredible year of launching, learning, growing and living the dream of running my own consulting company. HCI officially launched a year ago this month. We’ve had an exciting year and have added people to help fuel our growth. We’ve also added some tools in our tool box and we have some incredible stories of success with the work we’ve done.

With all of this success there was a big stumble and fall. On September 1st of this year health issues for me arrived in dramatic fashion. I had to cancel a workshop that day and then another two day workshop that week. My schedule got completely turned upside down and a lot of the work I was personally doing ground to a halt. This is my second bout with health issues in 3 years. The 1st time wasn’t quite as dramatic, but I did wake up one day and literally couldn’t get out of bed. I called my administrative assistant and told her to clear my calendar and I would see her tomorrow. Tomorrow came and went and then the next day and the next day and I was still in bed. This was different. I wasn’t just sick with the flu or a cold. But, I’m one of the lucky ones. I got a diagnosis within a few short weeks. Turns out it was adrenal fatigue.   And, this time it’s back and the numbers are worse than 3 years ago and I have other health issues this time that excacerbate things. The great news though is that I found doctors here in Atlanta that were able to take the proverbial “deep dive”, determine everything going on and get me on the proper protocol. I’ve made tremendous progress but I have to learn this lesson I’m getting about running too hard, too fast and too long! 

 Along the health lines I just learned that a close friend is having a procedure next week to determine if she has ovarian cancer. Everything else has been ruled out so this is the lurking diagnosis.   Another very close friend and his wife have had to deal with her breast cancer this year. One of my mentors and someone I aspire to be suffered a mild stroke a couple of months ago. He’s making great progress, thank God!

What does this have to do with leadership? I’m reading a great book called “Good Boss, Bad Boss” by Robert Sutton. He’s the author of the New York Times Bestseller “The No Asshole Rule”. Sutton sites a Swedish survey that followed 3,122 men for 10 years. The punch line from the study is that those men with “good bosses” have at least a 20% less exposure to heart attacks and 39% less if they worked for that good boss for more than 4 years. Turns out that you as a leader have a direct impact on the actual physical health of those that you’ve been entrusted to lead! No surprise really. In a previous corporate life my boss created a tough climate to work in. There were a lot of “dead bodies” around. Most everyone  looked the other way because he did some great things too, but he could be ruthless as a boss and didn’t understand people like me who tried to lead people with compassion and understanding. He even told me my main issue as a leader was I was “too nice.”  I guess he forgot about the time I fired one of my direct reports. He had been hanging around our company working for others and after six months of working for me I figured it out. Turns out he was one of those “bad bosses” who treated people terribly and I sent him packing. So much for being Mr. Nice Guy! Being compassionate and understanding doesn’t mean you’re a wuss either!

I had done some work for a company this past year.  I’ve had phone calls from some of the employees who work for the CEO since my contract was finished. They want to know why I’m not there and when I ask why they’re calling it’s “I can’t take this anymore” kind of comments. Toxicity is in the air. I have a current client that during the qualitative interviews of people that work for them or with them the toxicity was described as a “grey cloud.” One person even said that when they hear them arrive on the floor of the building everyone’s attitude shifts from happy and excited to “oh, no, what’s going to happen bad today!”

So, two questions; 1) how healthy are you personally, and 2) how healthy are you to work for?! I can predict that over 90% of you have never thought about that second question. UnCommon Leadership requires you to look in the mirror and deal with your crap and stop making the people around you “sick.” Why won’t leaders do that? Most have very poor self-perceptions and don’t really realize just how toxic they are to work for. And, change isn’t easy. It requires tough and honest introspection. It’s easier to keep doing what you’ve been doing and let the other people around you figure out how to survive your toxic atmosphere. And, in the process, you make them sick and it becomes their problem not yours!

So, in 2011 here’s my suggestion. Stop being a jerk and start caring about the legacy you’re leaving as a leader. How do you do that? Call us at HCI. We can help!

Onward & Upward!

Ed Chaffin

By Ed Chaffin

Recently, John Arnold and I spoke on this topic. Actually we led a conversation as the group we were invited to speak to was comprised of very successful people. We determined that rather than talk “at” them we would lead a discussion and see what others thought of this topic. The feedback was incredible and highly interactive. Here are a few of the areas we discussed:

1) This group believed like us that there is a leadership vacuum. From our politicians, to our business leaders, to our sports heroes there is a derth of people that we could call “uncommon” leaders. And, what do we mean by uncommon? Another word would be remarkable.  Leaders who stand out because of their vision, their investment in people and their integrity just seem to be lacking. The economic downturn has provided an excuse for corporations to mistreat employees. Especially those companies that are publicly traded. We all cited examples of companies that have made profits more important than people and how the Gallup surveys continue to show the high number of employees who are “disengaged” (currently about 54%). These employees have quit but they haven’t left.

2) We also discussed the concept that leadership really is about relationships; building and investing in those that you’ve asked to carry the torch for you and your company. Matthew Kelly, the author of Dream Manager, has the concept that if you are asking employees to help you build your dream why aren’t you finding out how you can help your employees fulfill their dreams? Companies and leaders that have taken Kelly’s idea and implemented have seen incredible results in creating an environment where employees are not only engaged but thriving!

3) What’s Your Legacy? – great discussion about this idea of  what it means to leave a legacy of uncommon leadership. It really is a simple concept; are the people that were entrusted to you better off for the relationship? If it’s that simple then why don’t more leaders check their emotional, spiritual and moral compasses to make sure the legacy they are leaving is one of a positive, lasting, life changing experience? I think the answer is simple too; most people are here to serve themselves rather than being servant leaders. Ken Blanchard has written extensively about servant leadership. I say this as modestly and humbly as I can.  When I was entrusted to run a division of 1200 employees we had that attitude; how can we serve them? I am proud of the fact that the gentlemen who cleaned our building was comfortable coming in my office at night and sitting down and talking to me. He also knew what our vision was. If you had asked him about our vision statement he knew it! Our entire leadership team was proud of the fact that every employee knew why they did their jobs and why they mattered. Was that easy? No and that is also one of the issues with leaders. It takes effort and commitment to care about every employee.

What kind of leader are you; self serving or serving others? That one change in your focus can produce amazing results. It’s actually a paradox that most corporate CEO’s miss. The focus is so much on profits they forget the people. If they would flip the switch, make people the number one focus the profits will follow.

This is the work that we do at HCI; help others invest in themselves to become the best leader they can be so they can invest in others. Let us know how we can help!

Ed

By Ed Chaffin

Sock Sock, Shoe Shoe!
Got your attention, didn’t I?
What in the heck does sock sock, shoe shoe mean? Hang on and I’ll get there but let me set the stage first. Most of us have heard the phrase “if you keep doing what you’re doing you’re going to keep getting what you’ve always got”. Guess what? We hear it but how many of us do anything about it? Why is that? Ponder that question for a minute before reading further. Go deep and get out of excuses, I mean symptoms like, “I’m too busy”, “I’m not qualified”, “I’ve tried before and it didn’t work” or the one I really like (not really!) “that’s just who I am”.
Here’s the next question. What do you want to accomplish in your life that you haven’t? Or said another way, what changes would you like to make in the way you live your life? Chances are you’ve explored this before and chances are you’ve had some modest success. You may have even knocked it out of the park, so to speak, and really did something that impressed even you! But, you’re back to the “WHAT’S NEXT” question and don’t know what to do.
Socrates said “an unexamined life isn’t worth living”. How do you examine your life? Start with sock sock, shoe shoe. Ok, here’s the story. One Sunday morning I’m helping my then 7 year old daughter get dressed for church. I’m hurrying around on auto pilot when she piped up and asked me the most profound question I’ve ever been asked in my life; “Daddy, when you get dressed do you put on sock sock, shoe shoe or do you put on sock shoe, sock shoe?”! I was stunned. I sat down on the bed, looked her in the eye and said “Erica, I honestly don’t know. I have to think about”. When I did think about it I told her I did sock sock, shoe shoe, lace lace because on that day I had laces on my shoes. She proudly stated “I put on sock shoe, sock shoe”. What happened in that short exchange?
My daughter forced me to STOP and THINK about a routine task that I do most days unless I decide to run around barefoot! I had NEVER once thought about how I put on my shoes. Have you? No? I didn’t think so!
This is the challenge for most of us. We either don’t or won’t stop and think about the things we do every day that are “automagic” but that impede us from achieving our goals. A lot of the automagic stuff we do is great, like breathing! But, how much do we do that we don’t even realize we do and how much of that is productive and moving us toward our goals and dreams?
How does this tie in to the work we do at HCI? Stay tuned and we’ll explore those avenues in later posts but for now suffice it to say this will lead us to have some conversations about transformational change vs. transactional change, which the latter is what we see individuals, companies and HR groups providing.
For now let me ask you to ponder this question: which is it? Sock sock, shoe shoe or sock shoe, sock shoe?!
Onward & Upward!
Ed