Dave's Dirty Dozen Email Rules

It’s been four years since we launched Dave's Charm School’s online platform and many people have benefited from the courses, not least of which is the Communications 101 course about active listening, body language, communicating respectfully, and more.

One of the lessons in the course is titled “Email, IM, Texting Standards” and includes my Dirty Dozen Email Rules. These rules are incredibly helpful for any executive, manager, or front-line employee that wants to present themselves professionally and communicate effectively via email.

Every rule may not apply to you, but most of them probably do. Feel free to copy and edit my list to create your own list that works at your company.

Without further ado, here’s Dave’s Dirty Dozen Email Rules:

#1 Communicate based on their preferred style

The best way to get your message across in a written medium is to adjust your writing style to the way the recipient of your email prefers to receive information. If you don't know what that is, figure it out in advance, because it may determine whether your message is received properly or not.

For example, executives are often juggling multiple priorities at once and don’t have time for a lengthy story on why Employee A was having a problem with Employee B. When emailing them, you’ll want to be clear, concise, and to the point.

One resource that can help with communication is knowing someone’s preferred communication styles. Our Clients use our talent assessments for this and benefit greatly.

#2 No hiding behind email – speak, do not write negatives

When we are experiencing difficulty with others there is a high sensitivity to written words. There is no tone of voice, no visual cues as to the person’s feelings or intention, and it’s difficult to ask a quick question to clarify something.

If you have an issue with someone it is best to talk with them in-person or by phone. Avoid “flaming emails”. You know, those emails where someone just unloads all their frustrations in multiple paragraphs. Don’t do that.

When there is a problem, verbal conversations are best. Don’t hide behind your computer. If necessary, follow-up after the verbal conversation with a brief, respectful email to confirm key points.

#3 Make the subject line clear, updated, and catchy

Every email you send should have a good, relevant subject line. Be brief. Be clear. Motivate.

The subject line of your email can determine whether or not your communication is read at all. Do you need it to be a hook to motivate someone to open your email? Then try to grab their attention with something catchy, especially if the information is important/urgent. Then, as you go back and forth with someone and the length of the email gets longer and longer, update the the subject line to keep it relevant as the focus of your comments change.

#4 Only copy necessary people

If you use email a lot, it probably runs your workday. Don’t you hate receiving an email that you didn’t need to be copied on? It’s a waste of time for you and anyone else involved.

Make sure you only copy people on emails who absolutely need to be informed. Blind copies can come back to bite you, so use the BCC option discriminately. Forward emails to others only when appropriate, and only when you would be comfortable if they were doing the same thing with your communications. Consider the cost of a BCC becoming public.

#5 Be brief

There’s a time and a place for your full report. Email probably isn’t it, and if it is, you should attach the report, not put it in the text of the email.

Be brief. Be bright. Be gone. The vast majority of people, especially at work, don’t want to read your life story. We’ve all got work to do, people! Get to the point.

Use attachments and links to limit the length of email body copy. Schedule a verbal discussion when interaction is needed. Use email for notes, brief announcements, and confirmation of details, action items, and agreement.

#6 Format information for scanning, not reading

There is too much to do and not enough time. In addition to being brief in your length of content, you should also format your content for easy digestion.

Here’s how: Design your communication to be scanned rather than read. Take those big paragraphs and put them into bullet points. This will take you a little bit more time to compose your email, but it demonstrates respect to the recipient, increases the likelihood of a response, and improves overall productivity.

#7 Make it easy to take action

This is an easy one that is often overlooked. What’s the purpose of all this email? To get work done.

Therefore, if you want someone to do something in-person or online, take the time to provide accurate info and links.

NOTE: Check your links before sending.

#8 Never say anything you do not want in the newspaper

In a verbal conversation, people will forget an off-hand comment or joke in a matter of minutes. But email never dies, unless managed by an unethical politician (zing!).

Therefore, you should choose your words cautiously when composing an email. As my eighth grade English teacher used to say, "Peruse your verbatim carefully” before clicking the Send button. A wise person chooses to avoid risk and save some comments for a verbal conversation at another time, if at all.

#9 Use drafts, proofread, and auto spell/grammar check

Since email can be such a difficult medium for communication, you want to make sure you are sending the right email. You don’t always have to send the first version. If the text doesn’t feel right for an important email, let it sit in your Drafts folder for 30 minutes, then revisit. You may even want to wait until the next day to send a very important, non-urgent email.

When you do review your draft, proofread it multiple times. Do a spelling and grammar check. Draft a second version, if necessary.

Finally, if there’s a voice in your head telling you to get a second opinion, ask someone you trust to review your email and provide their opinion. Usually that voice encouraging you to get their opinion is trying to save you from unnecessary drama.

#10 Include a professional signature

This is easy. Have a consistent professional signature for everyone in your organization. There are many ways to do this, but the key components of a signature should be the following:

• An end to your email, like “Sincerely, David”

• Your full name

• Your title

• Your email address and possibly a phone number

• Your company name

• Your company logo

• Links to social media, meeting scheduling services, or support (optional)

We use Calendly to help automate the process of setting appointments, so I include a link in my email signature for people to schedule appointments with me. Here is an example of my signature:

#11 Schedule time for email

I turned off notifications for every email coming into my Inbox years ago. I now limit my time each day to look at email, although at times I will pop in for brief bursts of Inbox review in between meetings.

The simple fact is email can be a huge distraction. I don’t have control over when my emails arrive, how urgent they are, or how many there are. But I do have control over myself and I can choose how much control my inbox has over me.

Unless you work in customer support, you don’t have to be on constant alert. Close your email program, focus all your efforts on work, then check your email at regular intervals.

#12 Respond quickly and clear Inbox daily

Your goal each day should be to clear your Inbox. For some of us it is a Herculean task. But it’s a really great way to keep you focused, clear your head for the next project, and make sure to tie up any loose ends.

Try to touch an email only once. Open it, respond to it or take action, then file it away. I like to use folders to save emails for future reference. Quick, brief responses are fine.  Sometimes your quick reply may be only to commit to get something done at a later time.

No response is UNACCEPTABLE if the email is from someone you know.

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And that’s it!

I could go on. The course is called Communications 101, after all, and there are so many unwritten rules to communicating effectively. However, this should give you plenty to consider. I hope you found these tips helpful and can apply them to save time, avoid drama, and improve relationships moving forward.

What Are Soft Skills and Why Are They Important?

Soft skills. It’s a term you’ve probably heard before. From executives and consultants, to Seth Godin and Inc Magazine, people are talking about the importance of soft skills so much it feels like a new diet craze.

However, when you take some time to investigate, it becomes clear that “soft skills” just means “likeable”, “conscientious”, or “admirable”. It’s a broad term used to describe almost all non-technical skills. According to Wikipedia, the term “soft skills” encompasses a combination of people skills, social skills, communication skills, character traits, attitudes, career attributes, social intelligence and emotional intelligence quotients that enable people to navigate their environment, work well with others, perform well, and achieve their goals with complementing hard skills.

These skills have always existed. They have been utilized and perfected in many successful organizations. However, their popularity has increased as the mass majority of people have caught on to the fact that these skills are super important and they can be taught to anyone.

Where did the term “Soft Skills” come from?

Soft skills have been around forever, they are not new. Before it became an official term, Dale Carnegie described many soft skills in his book How to Win Friends and Influence People.

However, we started using the term “soft skills” because of the US military.

Around 1959 the US Army started investing heavily in training procedures that utilized technology to improve workflow and learning efficiency. They created a regulation (a doctrine, a set of guidelines or rules) called Systems Engineering of Training (CON Reg 350-100-1) that laid the groundwork for designing and producing courses for specific Army jobs. According to author Dr. Paul G. Whitmore, the courses created under this regulation would cover job related skills involving people and paper – inspecting things, supervising people, preparing reports, or designing structures – skills that did not involve machines.

This was the catalyst for the creation of “soft skills” as a term. While the term did not appear in CON Reg 350-100-1, the regulation spurred the analysis of skills and skill development in the modern military.

The term “soft skills” eventually and formally appeared in a report on a 1972 CONARC Soft Skills Conference, or a 1972 US Army training manual (I believe they are one in the same).

At the 1972 soft skills conference, Dr. Whitmore and John P. Fry presented three papers dealing with skills analysis and training procedures. I was able to find a reference to Dr. Whitmore’s papers at the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC). After giving them a call and speaking with a representative, they directed me to the National Technical Reports Library where I was able to download the March 1974 version of the reports. The three papers are:

1. “What Are Soft Skills?” by John P. Fry and Paul G. Whitmore

2. “The Behavioral Model as a Tool for Analyzing Soft Skills” by Paul G. Whitmore

3. “Procedures for Implementing Soft-Skill Training in CONARC Schools” by John P. Fry

These papers were presented at the 1972 CONARC Soft SKills Conference. Page II-7 of the conference report reads:

text highlight added by me

So that’s it. “Soft skills” (along with many other things) originated within the US Army.

Today these skills are also referred to as “people skills” or “emotional intelligence”. Seth Godin thinks we should stop calling them soft skills because the word “soft” makes them sound like they are not important. Regardless of what you call them, they exist, and they are so important that the US Army held a multi-day conference about them.

The question is: Why are they important?

Why are soft skills important?

Everything you do involves other people, directly or indirectly. Even if you are a programmer who never talks to another human being, your code eventually makes its way to the outside world and affects people. If you want to turn your creation into a business, you will have to talk to other people, in person, on the phone, or digitally.

Furthermore, if you want to get a job, keep your job, or advance up the career ladder, you will need to be personable, conscientious, and self-aware. Your whole career centers on the importance of soft skills. If you cannot smile at appropriate times, hold a conversation, or deal with conflict, your career potential is, on average, extremely low.

Soft skills are so important, we often instinctively value them too much. Ever wonder why or how a certain person became a manager or a director, when they don’t seem to have the required technical skills? It’s probably because they have great soft skills!

Technical skills are just half of the game. If you can fix a product, you have half the equation figured out. However, you will lose business if you don’t know how to connect with your customer on an emotional level, understand their needs, and make them feel valued.

The importance of soft skills cannot be overstated: To succeed, people need to be able to connect with you, and you need to be able to connect with other people in meaningful ways. Soft skills are important because they are the difference between being an engaged member of a team versus being just another cog in the wheel.

What soft skills should you master?

There are so many different examples of soft skills. Too much duplication, too much overlap. Let’s discuss the most important ones and why these are covered in our courses at Dave’s Charm School.

At the very least, these interpersonal skills should be on your radar:

1. Communication – the ability to speak, write, present, and listen, in person or on the phone.

2. Courtesy – a habit of observable manners, etiquette, business etiquette, graciousness, including saying please and thank you, and being respectful.

3. Flexibility – adaptability and willingness to change, adopting the mindset of a lifelong learner, accepting of new things, willing to adjust, and, in a word, teachable.

4. Integrity – practicing honesty, being ethical, valuing high morals, having personal values, doing what’s right.

5. Interpersonal skills – being kind and personable, having a relaxed sense of humor or ease, being friendly, nurturing, empathetic, displaying a strong sense of self-control, being patient, social, and slow to anger, appearing “warm” and considerate.

6. Positive attitude – choosing to be optimistic, enthusiastic, encouraging, happy, and confident.

7. Professionalism – recognizing and donning the appropriate look, manner, and poise, appearing businesslike, well-dressed, and adopting the proper attitude for the situation.

8. Responsibility – showing yourself to be accountable, reliable, able to get the job done, resourceful, self-disciplined, wanting to do well, conscientious with common sense.

9. Teamwork – being cooperative, getting along with others, supporting others, trying to be helpful, willing to collaborate.

10. Work ethic – hard working, willing to work, being loyal, taking initiative, being self-motivated and on time with a good attendance record.

11. Time Management – able to schedule your time appropriately, manage project flow and deadlines according to their due date, being efficient and following through on commitments.

12. Conflict-Resolution – ready and able to engage in problem-solving, displaying sympathy and empathy for others, practicing active listening, knowing and practicing effective crisis management and negotiation.

13. Leadership – taking initiative, coordinating efforts between team members, mentoring, inspiring others, making difficult decisions, having and pursuing a vision.

14. Balance – respecting boundaries, practicing self-care, managing your own expectations as well as your workload, maintaining focus on your purpose.

This may seem like a long list, but we practice or neglect each and every one of these just about every day. These skills are the counterpart to all of the technical knowledge we have, and they are just as important. Be mindful of these as you work.

Fixing a product should be followed by a smile, and perhaps a warm handshake. Collaborating on a design should include providing your technical knowledge and then being able to gracefully accept the input of others. Leading a team requires pursuit of your mission, but it’s also about being able to inspire your team to follow you on that mission.

You are using soft skills regardless of your position, and the higher you climb the job ladder the more important those soft skills become.

How to improve your soft skills

The best thing you can do to improve your soft skills is to learn and practice. Read books like How to Win Friends and Influence People. Review and rate yourself on each of the soft skills listed above. Then schedule some time each week or month to practice areas in which you feel deficient.

It takes time to improve soft skills, but it’s worth it. Focus on strengthening your strengths, and shoring up your weaknesses.

The benefits will last the rest of your life.

How Often Should You Train Your Employees?

A consistent training regimen is important for you and your team. Effective training provides new hires and existing employees with the skills and knowledge they need to not only do their job but improve their performance. However, like many companies, you may not be sure how to train your employees, when to train them, and when to retrain them on previous skills.

If you are going to prioritize learning and skill development in your company culture, you need to do it right.

How good is your memory?

In “A Study in Scarlet”, the famous fictional detective Sherlock Holmes described a man’s brain as an attic. A foolish man would stuff the attic full of junk, making it difficult to retrieve useful items and information. However, a wise man (or woman, of course) would only save the most important tools and information so as to render them easily accessible in times of need. This is an extraordinarily relevant theory to our workplace habits, training tactics, and daily performance.

Your employees get bombarded every day with emails, texts, phone calls, and conversations that contain countless bits of information. You cannot expect them to retain everything. More importantly, you must be prepared for them to forget at least some of the knowledge and habits you try to instill.

The Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve

In 1885 the German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus studied his own ability to retain various information. Specifically, he studied the memorization of nonsense syllables like “WID” and “ZOF”, then plotted the results over a period of time. The graph of his results is now known as the forgetting curve. The forgetting curve and supporting research estimates that within 1 hour people will have forgotten up to 50 percent of the information presented in an earlier learning session. Within a day, an average of 70 percent of the new information may have been forgotten. Within a week, participants may have forgotten around 90 percent. These are averages based on one type of study, the percentages should be taken with a grain of salt.

While this is a large amount of information to forget, one thing is important to note: Forgetting is useful. It clears out old memories that are no longer needed – like where you parked your car last week during your offsite meeting, yesterday’s weather, or what you had for dinner three weeks ago – and makes room for new memories that are more pertinent. This is great for our efficiency, and it is inevitable.

However, the process of forgetting things often involves forgetting important things, information we want to retain. This is a problem.

Thankfully, Ebbinghaus and others have noted the speed of forgetting depends on a number of factors including the participant’s physical state at the time of learning, the emotional or intellectual power of the memory, the teaching methods, and the amount of repetition. For instance, Ebbinghaus hypothesized that mnemonic techniques for aiding information retention or retrieval (like the ABC’s song) may improve retention rates.

Ebbinghaus’ research also prompted his notion of “overlearning”. Overlearning means one has spent more time than necessary memorizing a certain piece of information and has therefore rendered the memorization of the information stronger and less likely to be forgotten.

3 Tips to Optimize Your Training Regimen

When we take Ebbinghaus’ hypotheses into account, we can design a training regimen that is memorable and impactful. Here are a few tips to improve the efficacy of your training sessions.

To start, make sure your training schedule is relevant to your company’s work schedule and appropriate for your employees. Too often companies schedule training far in advance of when it will actually be used. Since time is of the essence, you should schedule training as close to the time as it will be used. This allows employees to perform learned tasks in the real world closer to the moment they were first introduced to the knowledge, which should increase the likelihood they will develop the correct habits.

In addition, make sure training times coincide with the best learning environment for your team. If your employees usually begin work around 8am, don’t schedule training at 6am. Their entire physiological clock will be in an interrupted state. Instead, we recommend you schedule training for 9am (in this scenario). At 9am your team is awake, at the office, acclimated to their environment, and has had an appropriate amount of time to respond to any morning emergencies.

Second, when designing your training content, make sure it is related to the actual job. Bland bits of knowledge and a few check boxes do not constitute an engaging learning experience. A new piece of information is much more likely to be remembered if it is relevant to the task at hand, if the learner can see exactly how the new information will benefit them. Try to use stories and concrete examples.

Third and finally, allow students to practice immediately after the training, in real life, and in real-time, if possible. For instance, if an employee is given the responsibility of answering service tickets related to a specific software package, let them practice answering real service tickets from real customers. Guide them through the process, help them craft their responses, and give them the freedom to make a few mistakes.

The more time spent learning a new task will contribute to the “overlearning” phenomenon mentioned by Ebbinghaus. If you can give your team hands-on experience during or right after training you will significantly increase their retention rates. This is why we try to give examples and exercises during each lesson of Dave’s Charm School courses.

Should Training be Priority #1?

The best companies are often the ones that prioritize training over everything else.

Lately I have been reading Simply Brilliant by William C. Taylor. Quite a few of the companies mentioned in the book place a high priority on consistent, regular training.

One of the examples that stood out to me is Pal’s Sudden Service. Now, I’m not a huge fan of fast food, mostly because it’s usually unhealthy fare. But I don’t have to be a fan of fast food to appreciate Bill Taylor’s description of the company culture at Pal’s and their commitment to training.

According to the book, Pal’s is the fastest fast food restaurant in the country. On average, customers get their food at Pal’s Sudden Service in less than a quarter of the time of any other quick-serve restaurant. They place an order face-to-face with a human being (very cool) in an average of 18 seconds, then pick up the order at the handout window (another real-life human!) in an average of 12 seconds. I don’t think customers drive super fast, that’s not included in the estimates. It’s the interactions with the employees that we are talking about.

This is just one of Pal’s incredible performance statistics mentioned in the book (hint: they also rarely mess up orders).

The secret to their success? A commitment to training. One hundred and twenty hours of training for new employees, and regular, required, re-certification for existing employees. Pal’s is so committed to making sure their team is excellent that they administer pop quizzes: “Every day… a computer randomly generates the names of two to four employees to be re-certified in one of their jobs (at the restaurant). They take a quick test, see whether they pass, and if they fail, they get retrained for that job before they can do it again.”

It’s this commitment to training that has made Pal’s a success, with their customers and their employees. Think about it: If you had one hundred and twenty hours of training to make hamburgers and fries you would (1) rarely make mistakes and (2) feel incredibly competent.

I will leave you with one final quote from the book that I found the most important, and most relevant to this article. When speaking about Pal’s commitment to training, Pal’s CEO Thom Crosby said this:

We believe in certification over graduation. We train you, we graduate you – that’s when most companies stop. But people go out of calibration just like machines go out of calibration. So we are always training, always teaching, always coaching.

Think about that the next time you schedule a training session.

In closing, how often should you train (or certify) your employees? It depends on the focus of their work and your company culture.

One thing is for certain: If you want your team to be skilled and confident, regular training is a must.

You Can Change the World

Are your days overflowing with firefighting, reacting to interruptions, and a lot of drama?

When our lives are like this, time passes quickly.  Opportunities are lost.

It’s now February.  January is gone.  Many of us are progressing with our 2019 New Year’s Resolutions (**high five**).  However, others barely wrote down some thoughts on 2019 targets and are stuck in a too-familiar, unfulfilling existence of just being busy.

You know the routine because we've all been there:  Get up in the morning.  Go to work.  Spend most of the day reacting to circumstances rather than driving strategic outcomes.  Drag ourselves home.  Eat.  Sleep.  Repeat… repeat… repeat…

As Charlie Brown would say, “AAUGH!”

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STOP THE MADNESS!!  :-/

Yes, changing our bad habits takes more time than a quick household chore, and we can’t jump into a phone booth (if we could even find one anymore) to rip off our clothes down to our neon blue tights, bright red cape and muscle shirt with the “S” on the chest to save the world.  

So… maybe you lost the first month of 2019 to busyness.  That’s okay, but what are you going to do about it?

Embrace February 1 as your new New Year!  Break out of your busyness matrix.  This is a second opportunity to make 2019 your best year yet.

Start here.  Read this overview of Navy Admiral William McRaven’s commencement speech to the 2014 graduating class of University of Texas at Austin.  He gives simple daily habits to develop guaranteed to change the world, starting with your own.

Click here to listen to the full speech

If you want to change the world, then…

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#1 – Make your bed

… immediately after you get up in the morning, and do it with excellence!  Let this responsibility start the day as an accomplishment reinforcing your commitment to be the best you can be. 

Not only that, but when you are worn out at the end of the day, it’s wonderful to get into a clean, fresh, inviting bed. 

Click here to view this photo of the miracle 1936 University of Washington crew team’s Olympic win.

#2 – Work in teams. 

You cannot change your world, or the world around you, alone.  Choose your team well because change requires assistance from others.  Your mother was right:  We become like the people with whom we spend the most time. 

Your job is fun and fulfilling when you enjoy the people with whom you work.  It’s a disaster when you and/or your leaders hire the wrong people or retain poor performers too long.

Admiral McRaven uses the analogy of a crew team with fellow rowers and a coxswain.  You need others, and they need to be the right people.  It’s a good picture to remember.

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#3 – Measure a person by the size of their heart

… not the size of their flippers. 

Often people jump to judgment based on a person’s height, ethnicity, education, or social status.  It is important to acknowledge the exterior of a person, however, do not stop there.  The most important human qualities manifest from the inside out – our values, character, soft skills, competence, intelligence, willingness to grow/change, our ability to be coached, and actual skills.

Here are three standards that help build a good team, which I call “Simple Liberty:”  (1) Good character wins; (2) Equal opportunity for everyone;  and (3) Work for the common good and/or a higher purpose.  Teams thrive when there is a shared commitment to these three values.

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#4 – Being a “sugar cookie” is temporary

… when we learn from our mistakes and apply what this new knowledge to avoid repeating those errors.  During SEAL training a “sugar cookie” is someone who failed uniform inspection and was required to run, fully clothed into the surf, and then, soaking wet from head-to-toe, roll in the sand.  The SEAL then had to stay in that wet, cold, sand-covered uniform for the rest of the day. 

Failure happens!  But it’s a stop along the journey, not your destination.  You have keep going.  Tenacity over perseverance are both ways to overcome the failures we all experience in life.  Perseverance means we don’t give up.  Tenacity means we apply what we learn to not repeat mistakes and discover better ways to achieve.

Be tenacious.

Before and After U.S. Navy SEAL training

#5 – Don’t fear the circus. 

Every day the Admiral’s class of SEALS were put through grinding physical challenges – obstacle courses, long swims and/or runs, hours of calisthenics, etc. to test their mental toughness as well as build them up physically.  Every activity had a standard to meet. 

When someone failed, and everyone did at times, their name was put on the “circus” list.  The circus was TWO MORE HOURS of calisthenics designed to break you, or build you – your choice.

Admiral McRaven encourages us that everyone gets stronger in a “circus.”  This is important to remember.  Life’s challenges can seem like a burden, but with a good attitude and tenacity the extra work required to overcome each challenge strengthens you.

Continue through each of your challenges with tenacious focus, positivity, and an openness to learning.  Tunnels are temporary.  There is a light at the end. 

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#6 – Take reasonable risks. 

Admiral McRaven shares the story of a Navy SEAL who conquered an obstacle course by sliding down one portion head-first, when everyone for decades had crawled or climbed.  The result of his reasonable risk was to complete the course in record-setting time. 

How did he do it?

The SEAL first carefully assessed the situation and completed the route safely multiple times the standard way.  Then he felt the potential for success outweighed the risk of injury.  He made a tough decision and went for it.  What many of us fail to realize is all of life is risky.  Carefully assess each situation and take reasonable risks. 

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#7 – Don’t back down from sharks. 

Navy SEALS train in the ocean.  Sharks live in the ocean.  Therefore, sharks are a constant threat to anything/anyone in the ocean.  The SEALS are trained to hold their ground if a shark starts to circle their position.  Do not back away.  If the shark attacks, they are instructed to summon all their strength and punch him in the snout.  He will back away.

If you are to change the world, then you must not let bullies convince you to back down.  Our “bully” may be a person, a debt to pay, a tempting opportunity we are pressured to pursue but should not, an internal message from a life wound, a failing relationship, or another circumstance.

There are many bullies in this world we encounter on our life’s journey.  Prepare.  Courageously hold your ground.  Stand for good character, equal opportunity, and the common good.

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#8 – Be your best when life is its darkest. 

Admiral McRaven explains part of SEAL training is to place bombs on the hulls of large ships at port.  Due to the hull’s design, depth of the water, and the fact the drill is done at night, the SEAL cannot even see their own hand in front of their face when they are next to the hull.  Nevertheless, the bomb HAS to be placed accurately on the hull of the ship.  There is no room for error.

The SEAL swims 2 miles underwater to reach the target.  The training simulates working with live ammunition, and an enemy seeking to kill them if discovered.  It is cold, lonely, and highly stressful.  If you are going to change the world, then you have to learn to be your best when times are awful.  Remember, just as day follows night, darkness is overcome by light.  Whatever you are facing, the challenge will pass.

Most of us are not SEALS and don’t have to scuba solo.  However, there are times when we find ourselves cold, in the dark moments of life, and highly stressed. 

Stay calm.  Remain focused.  Proceed systematically.  Go back to Life Lesson #2 – Work in teams.  Reach out to people you trust.  Their support helps you fully consider your map, the risks of each route, and how to better reach your destination.

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#9 – Start singing instead of giving up. 

The ninth week of SEAL training is Hell Week.  Wednesday of that week is when the aspiring SEAL class gets to experience the mud flats above Tijuana.  As sun set, the Admiral’s entire class was ordered into the shivering cold, wet mud, which consumed each man until nothing was visible except their heads.

The instructors then announced to the group that they can get out of the mud if just 5 of them quit the training.  The Admiral explained some were ready to give up.  The instructors continued harassing them.  There were still 8 more hours of bone-chilling cold to suffer through before the sun rose and they could earn their way to freedom from the mud.  The situation looked bleak.

Then one SEAL started to sing.  His voice was off-key, but the core of his being was strong.  His enthusiasm was contagious.  Soon they all were singing and disregarding the instructors’ threats of longer mud time if they continued.  They persisted.  They refused to submit and quit.  Instead, they prevailed without losing a single SEAL. 

All it takes is one person to change the world, one person who refuses to lose hope.  Consider the lives of Abraham Lincoln, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, and others who have overcome incredible odds to help mankind. 

YOU are one person.  Refuse to lose hope.  Your hope is contagious.  SING!

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#10 – Don’t ever ring the bell. 

In the center of the SEAL training compound there is a brass bell for all to see and have easy access.  Any student can ring the bell at any time to quit.  It is a temptation for some, and an inspiration for others to maintain their grit. 

The Admiral’s lesson is never, ever quit.

Our lives, like SEAL training, will present challenges more difficult than we expected.  Nevertheless, have confidence that though there may be mountains in your path, these mountains were made for you to climb.  Each mountain helps you grow your character, wisdom, and skills. 

Prepare.  Stay the course.  Take reasonable risks.  Do NOT ring the bell.

THANK YOU, Admiral McRaven, for these 10 life lessons and your service for our nation!

Thank YOU for reading this newsletter / post! 

It’s not too late to make 2019 your best year ever!!! 

Visit M2W podcasts on our website and YouTube;  and Dave’s Charm School as you and your teams implement the 10 Life Lessons above. 

Let us help you change the world!

Move beyond your career.  Live your calling. 

Sincerely,

David Graham Russell

Leadership Activist, Author & Consultant

Desirable Difficulties and the Cognitive Reflection Test

Last year I read 13 books. It was the first year in which I kept track of the books I read. I stacked each one on top of my Ikea Kallax 4x4 shelf until all of them together created an unstable tower of literature by December 31st (ok fine, not that big of a tower, not that unstable).

This year one of my goals is to read at least 25 books, and it’s the first time I have a reading plan. Last year I just did what I always do, I chose books at random based on suggestions and advertisements. Inspired by Why You Need a Reading Plan on the Art of Manliness blog, my plan for this year contains such titles as Team of Rivals, 12 Rules for Life, and Valley Forge. It feels good to have a plan.

I just finished the first book in my plan, David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell.

the 2018 stack, and David & Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell

In the book, Gladwell explores how perceived disadvantages and negative traits often challenge us or give us the right attitude required to achieve greatness.

One of my favorite parts of the book is in chapter 4, where Gladwell examines how dyslexia can lead driven people to enhance other abilities in pursuit of success. For instance, while dyslexia greatly affects a person’s reading ability, it does not stop them from becoming an excellent listener. This is the case for David Boies, one of the most famous trial lawyers in the world.

For the record, I do not have dyslexia. But I greatly enjoyed Gladwell’s examples. He takes one generally accepted notion, that dyslexia is a disadvantage, and points out how it can potentially be very powerful in an alternative, positive way, albeit in a small subset of people who have the nerve to defy it’s negative effects on one aspect of their life.

Gladwell refers to these disadvantages as “desirable difficulties”, a notion conceived by Robert Bjork and Elizabeth Bjork, two psychologists at UCLA. He uses the Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT), the “world’s shortest intelligence test”, to illustrate. The first question goes like this:

1. A bat and a ball cost $1.10 in total. The bat costs $1.00 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?

I asked all my friends this question and the first answers are almost always 10 cents, which is wrong, and perfectly illustrates the function of the test.

Invented by Yale professor Shane Frederick, the test “measures your ability to understand when something is more complex than it appears - to move past impulsive answers to deeper, analytical judgments.” The questions seem simple, and they are, but not in the way they first appear.

Frederick gave the CRT to students at nine American universities. The scores were predictable based on traditional IQ tests.

But a couple of psychologists named Adam Alter and Daniel Oppenheimer also gave the test to some students at Princeton. Except this time, they made the text very hard to read. They made it more difficult on purpose.

The result? The average score increased by 29%.

According to Alter, the change in readability caused students to slow down, think more deeply, and use more resources to come up with an answer. It illustrates the concept of “desirable difficulties” perfectly.

This is from a very short passage in the book. I recommend you check it out.

There may be some things you need to look at a little more closely, or a in a completely different way.

Achieving Dreams, Not Chasing Them

Last year you were unable to live some of your dreams.

Hopefully you are thankful for what you were able to achieve.  No disappointment should block out the joy of sincere gratitude for what you have.

However, how can we improve our game this year?

Here is an option for you.  This process increases your ability to achieve your most important dream(s) in 2019:

source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/484488872399187261/

#1 - What’s your dream?

A dream is a destination.  To get there you must clearly define it.  Here are some key attributes to consider when defining a dream or TARGET destination you want to reach in 2019.

Clear:  Define your dream in a clear and measurable way so anyone who reads your dream statement knows what qualifies as achieving it.  One option is to use our TARGET goal format for writing your dream.

Focus:  You have limited time in 2019.  The fewer dreams you try to achieve this year, the more time you have to achieve them.  There is a strong argument to only have one major dream for the year.

Schedule:  Reserve time in your calendar to complete each task, achieve each milestone, and ultimately reach your destination or dream.  Protect this time.  Use what we call Stealth Mode to work without interruption:  (1) Schedule the time in your calendar and notify others you do not want to be interrupted;  (2) Turn off email, phone…;  and (3) close your door / work in seclusion.  When something unexpected occurs where you cannot invest the time, then reschedule this focused work time rather than cancel it.

Team:  You may pursue a dream on your own, but still communicate your dream to others and ask them for accountability each step along the way to your destination.

You:  There is only one person who controls your dream.  It is you.  Hold yourself accountable daily and weekly to make progress.  Do not blame others or circumstances for delays and other challenges.  Make progress weekly, if not daily.

source: https://www.amazon.com/Downspout-Funnel-Round-inch-White/dp/B00D5APC4G

#2 - Is it selfish?

It may be that only you benefit from achieving your dream.  This is not necessarily bad, however ask yourself:  Is this dream selfish?

By "selfish," I mean how does it affect others you care about when you achieve this dream?

One image to consider is a funnel with two outputs.  The funnel represents your dream.  When you achieve your dream the benefits - and any consequences - flow through the funnel to you and others.

If you are dreaming to compete more effectively in the marketplace or athletics, then the negative repercussions of your achievement fall upon those who are working against you.  Therefore you lose nothing and only gain something of value.

However, be careful not to pursue dreams that hurt those closest to you. For instance, working so many hours over an extended period of time to achieve your dream that you miss experiencing life with those whom you love.

source: http://examinedexistence.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/habit.jpg

#3 - What new habit do you need to live your dream?

Everyone has one habit, or 101 habits, that could be improved.  Some of our behaviors are outright bad, or simply unproductive.

I suggest you make two lists of your behaviors:  One list is your five strongest behaviors that lead to achieving goals.  The second list is your five worst behaviors that slow or block your ability to accomplish meaningful things in your life.

Choose one strength on your list that helps you achieve this dream more than the others.  Consider how to invest more time in this behavior during 2019.  Play to your strengths.

Choose one weakness on the other list that is holding you back more than the others. On your own, or with a coach or mentor, decide on a new, more powerful habit to overcome this weakness. Do not try to make this weakness a strength because that would take time away from using your natural gifts (strengths). Instead, simply overpower it with a new habit to stop it from thwarting your progress.

#4 - Make the tough decisions

Everyone struggles to make tough decisions.  The big problem is when we move too slow or move too fast.  As leaders, and achievers, we must make tough decisions in “Goldilocks time."

The fairy tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears has several versions.  The gist of my favorite version is a young girl enters the home of Papa bear, Mama bear, and Baby bear while they are out for a walk.  She eats some of their porridge, sits in their chairs, and sleeps in their beds.  In each instance the first two items she tries do not meet her needs, and then she settles on the third, which is, "just right."

In your career, you have may have waited too long to fire a nonproductive employee.  This is procrastination and an extreme example of postponing decisions.

Another time, you may have judged someone negatively before considering all the facts.  This is an example of the opposite extreme:  Moving too quickly to a decision and thus making a poor one.

As you pursue your huge dream in 2019, there will be many tough decisions to make. Work on your habits as I mentioned in Step #3. Get help from a coach or mentor if needed. Whatever approach you take, make the tough decisions reasonably quickly, in Goldilocks time.

source: http://i.ebayimg.com/images/i/161975656657-0-1/s-l1000.jpg

#5 - What is…?

What will your life be like if you continue to refuse to make the tough decisions, or procrastinate on pursuing your dream?  (Again?)

Achieving dreams connects you to meaningful work and opens the door to new fulfilling opportunities.  Some of us need a whack across the forehead to more fully comprehend the cost of procrastinating.  A déjà vu moment…

Complete this table after you define your dream. Literally, I want you to write down what you win when you achieve your dream versus what you lose when you refuse to get in the arena and fight for what is meaningful to you.

Life is a pursuit of meaning.  You have limited time.  Make the most of 2019 by achieving a dream that not only gives you joy today, but feeds your soul forever.

source: https://blogs-images.forbes.com/iese/files/2014/12/iStock_000011493906XLarge-1940x1290.jpg

#6 - Who can help?

Life is rarely a solo journey to achievement.  Who can help you make these tough decisions and give you the accountability you need to reach your destination dream?

Find someone who is an achiever.  A leader with enough courage to candidly explain when you step off the path to your destination, and she/he knows from experience that rabbit trail will eliminate your ability to achieve your dream.

Find a person who has a combination of hard skills that relate to what you're trying to achieve, and soft skills that enable you to engage with others as needed to accomplish your dream on schedule.  You need a respectful, empathetic partner or team for encouragement, knowledge transfer, ideas, and firm boundaries to keep yourself continuously making progress.

Do not be fooled. This person or partner, maybe your spouse who has limited business experience or a person whom you totally trust who has different business experience. Choose wisely.

source: https://sirmotivate.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/the-power-of-prayer.jpg

#7 – Pray

If you do not believe in God, then at least spend time reflecting on your dream and confirming it is your calling, not just a career move.

If you are a person of faith, then immerse your dream constantly in prayer.

First, to confirm your destination.

Second, to keep yourself on the path of your dream.

Third, to express gratitude for each learning opportunity (problem), progress, and miracle.

Fourth, to seek wisdom and then watch for the signs of confirmation along your journey.

Fifth, to celebrate reaching your destination dream.

Don't use prayer as an excuse to delay your decision or activities to pursue your dream.

This journey may be new for you.  There are changes that may be difficult.  Your efforts / these changes may be painful in the short term…  However, look to the horizon.  The sun is shining. There is healing there along with comfort, joy, prosperity, and fellowship.

Start here, wherever you are.  Start now.

Let us know if we can help.  If nothing more, I would be honored to pray for you.

My focus word for this year:  Courage.

What’s yours?

Thank you!

David

P.S.  Today’s thoughts are inspired by Psalm 68

Start Here. Now.

It’s the end of 2018.  Did you achieve all of your objectives this year professionally and personally? Did you even have objectives for 2018? If you are honest with yourself, the likely answer is no.

The good news is, you get another chance in 2019.

The bad news is, your unproductive habits are ready to sabotage 2019.

In the 1999 science fiction film, The Matrix, Morpheus awakens Neo to the real world.  Neo’s reality was a ravaged wasteland where most of humanity have been captured by a race of machines that live off of the humans' body heat and electrochemical energy.  Human minds are imprisoned within an artificial reality known as the Matrix.

Is your mind stuck in a Matrix of bad habits that have you imprisoned in mediocrity? Everyone has a mind matrix of their own making in at least one area of their life.

Perhaps you procrastinate on doing something different because the status quo is too comfortable.  You are in a pit, on a snowy day, with a lion.  Although it's scary at times, you have convinced yourself the lion will not eat you. 

Most of your focus is just getting through each day rather than getting out of your pit.

Or perhaps you believe the Big Lie, that you're doing everything you can and things are okay.  When you started your business, was your objective to be "okay"?  When you got married, was your objective to have an "okay" marriage?  When you decided to get in better shape, was your goal to be in "okay" shape?

"Okay" sucks.  You are meant for more.  But you must have the courage and the discipline to stop lying to yourself.

Change your expectations. Stop having a goal to just get through the day. Stop allowing yourself to react your way through each day. Stop letting your bad habits control your days.

Instead, focus on setting and achieving your career and company goals.

Start here, where you are, with a new commitment to be all that you can be.  It doesn't matter how many mistakes you have made.  Your age, finances, job title, knowledge, skills, and current opportunities, or lack thereof, cannot stop you if you commit to start here and now. 

The most valiant warriors have wounds, but time and time again, they start here.  They start now.

You can too!

Stop being a sucker for the Big Lie.  In at least one area of your life you did not achieve significant progress in 2018.  Rip the Big Lie from your conscious mind.  Stop repeating it over and over.  Stop using it as an excuse.  Stop trying to feel comfortable when you know you can do better.

Do something different in 2019! 

Here's a few things we are offering to help you get started:

Certified LEADER program - starting January 7 (register by Dec 31 to automatically save $250).

Dave’s Charm School - soft skills training, low cost, train 1-3 lessons each week.

Hire the Best system – you will spend $100,000 on new hires in 2019, invest a fraction of that to hire better people and avoid posers.

Talent Assessments – Improve your current employee productivity, and better match job candidates to your openings with our Talent Assessments.  We have Clients who will not hire unless they consider our unique profiles and give our opinion of whether to hire or not.

LEADERSHIP Essentials – Work with me for 3-6 months to improve your leadership and company culture so your organization can thrive.

Start here.  Start now.  On your own, or with me. 

Just do something different!

Merry Christmas!  Happy Hanukkah!  Happy New Year!  Happy Holidays!

Weak Debriefs Are Killing You

In the book, Flawless Execution, author and former U.S. Air Force pilot James Murphy describes how the Air Force uses a continuous improvement process to reduce errors, casualties, and losses.

Two of his recommendations struck me – how the Air Force prepares for missions, and how they learn from them – the debrief.  I think the debrief is a serious weakness in most companies.

Murphy states the U.S. Air Force has perfected the debrief process so anything learned from one mission can be applied 2-3 hours later in another mission.

Pilots are required after every mission to candidly review the mission, consider what went right, discuss where improvement is needed, and clearly define changes to make in subsequent missions to improve success.

This debrief process is exalted in Air Force circles as the key to their 98% mission completion rate.

Debriefing on board USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76)

Now, in my work with Clients I find there are three critical, interdependent parts to successful service delivery:

1. Plan

2. Deliver

3. Debrief

Most service providers are reasonably effective at planning and delivering.  However, any debrief is minimal because they move so quickly from ticket to ticket, project to project, and Client to Client.  When problems occur, the common approach is to glance at the documentation in their PSA, patch the issue, and rush forward.

Unfortunately, this is not an efficient way to operate. Problems repeat or expand, and too often the documentation lacks important details.

This is not an employee issue. It is a cultural issue and a costly procedural flaw caused by a weak system.

Instead of operating with a reactionary firefighter mentality, try implementing a debrief process for every project and major service ticket.  It will enable you to respond to issues more comprehensively so future efforts are more efficient and effective.

The Debrief Process

A transformative debrief process discusses the result of the project, what went right, where improvements can be made, and how to change processes, communication, and other aspects of future projects.

Murphy recommends a 7-step S.T.E.A.L.T.H. debrief process.  Let’s use his process, with my suggestions, as a baseline for you to implement a better debrief process in your organization:

Set the Time

I’m guessing your debriefs are either non-existent or pathetic.  The first thing to do is add debriefs to your project plans. Even small projects benefit from a good review after completion.  A comprehensive debrief is a critical part of your service delivery process.

• Debrief meetings are mandatory

• The time, place, and general agenda of the debrief is part of every project plan

• During the debrief, schedule additional separate meetings for any strength or weakness that requires a more comprehensive review

Depending on the size of the project, the debrief should last a minimum of 10 minutes to a maximum of one hour.

Tone

Everyone in the debrief needs to feel safe when speaking candidly.

The first step to creating this open environment is to have a system for how debriefs are done.

The second step is to limit participation in debriefs to the people who were directly involved in the project, and when appropriate their manager.

The third step is before each debrief.  The leader of the debrief conversation is the role model for candor, humility, active listening, and decision making.

Therefore, assess your current state-of-mind before starting any debrief.  You need to treat others with respect, empathy, and kindness while facilitating clear, efficient discussion of the work completed.

If you are angry or emotionally stressed it can reduce the candor of the meeting’s conversation and damage relationships.  You cannot afford either of those losses.

Also, as mentioned above, the leader sets the tone.  Humbly admitting your mistakes, even when small, reinforces safety and encourages others to be equally candid.  Glossing over your mistakes or dismissing them destroys the debrief.

Execution vs. Objective

Limit the agenda and focus to the project completed.

Focus on the facts during the debrief.  What was the objective?  Did we meet or exceed all of the expectations for this task or project?  Was it on time?  Were the key metrics achieved?

“Yes” and “No” are the answers.  Respectfully avoid skimming over key details, allowing excuses, and indecisive conclusions.

Start by stating the objective and comment on where the project succeeded and where it could improve.

Analyze Execution

Get to the disease rather than dwell on the symptoms.  What happened?  Why did it succeed or fail?  Where can we make changes to be even better?

Were there internal gaps in communication, or with Client contacts?  Was time entry and documentation completed hourly or daily as work was completed?  Can the processes we followed be improved? 

Remember not to just focus on the negative.  The positives should also be evaluated to consider how to do more of what worked well.  This is building on your strengths.

People should not interrupt one another, or repeat what has already been said except to summarize a point and then add something new of value.

Every idea is welcomed, and reasonable extensions of ideas are considered.  The goal is continuous improvement where identified changes are then tested in upcoming projects.

Lessons Learned

Gather what you learned, transfer it to a shared server / cloud location for easy team access, and then apply what was learned.  This is critical.

Without this process, successes are forgotten, mistakes repeat and expand, and opportunities to bond your team around common, meaningful goals is lost.  (Along with a ton of profits!)

Murphy recommends each Lesson Learned is listed:

1. Objective of the mission

2. Result of the mission

3. Cause of the lesson (symptom – good or bad)

4. Root cause of the lesson (what truly caused the need for the Lesson Learned)

5. Single Point of Accountability (SPA) – the key thing needing change to improve

6. Time – when to implement the change, and when its effectiveness will be measured

Transfer Knowledge

Next, who needs this information, when, and how do you get it to them?

Be careful to complete each communication loop of a debrief.  There should not be silos of information, but rather one team with one plan pursuing one goal:  Flawless execution.

Knowledge without application has no value.  The Air Force applies their debrief Lessons Learned hours later in new missions.  You can do the same.  Apply proposed solutions right away so you can test their effectiveness.

The improvements you make based on your debrief meetings may prove to be the catalyst for growth and profitability you have been seeking.

High Note

First, cover the negatives and things needing improvement.

Second, review the positives and the potential positive impact of the changes that were agreed upon.

Last, but not least, remember to include sincere encouragement, gratitude, and recognition of great work.  Everyone wants to feel sincerely valued as a member of your team.  Closing with a sincere compliment to the group for their actions, ideas, conclusions, commitment…  amplifies their strengths and gives them added confidence to succeed in their next project.

Conclusion

Consider implementing a better debrief process.  When you think about the potential results, a well-run debrief has an incredibly high ROI.

And…  join me for a transformational deep dive into leadership in our 1.5 day Leadership 201 Workshop in the Spring of 2019 – a Varnex community exclusive!  Ask Tim Bynarowicz for more information.

It's Time to Train Your Leaders

Every year the effectiveness of your management team determines your results.

Managers don't just assign tasks and drive them to completion. They develop relationships with their team and counterparts. They comfort, console, instruct, and act as a guide. When your front-line employee encounters a crisis, the first person they turn to is not going to be the CEO, it's going to be their manager. The skills and wisdom of the manager will determine whether the crisis is averted or inflamed, and whether the employee is empowered or deflated.

As Victor Lipman says in his Forbes article titled 10 Reasons Why Companies Should Invest More In Management Training:

"An employee's relationship with his or her direct manager is the most important single factor in employee engagement."

That's just the first reason. There are nine more.

How much better would your team leaders be if they could get 6 months of one on one coaching and group training? From our experience, the improvement is palpable.

Alan Lawson, Service Delivery Manager at PICS ITech, found our Certified LEADER program to be transformational:

Alan Lawson

Service Delivery Manager, PICS ITech

I found that learning how to communicate with people through physical queues, good cop bad cop, delegation, accountability, and Sincere Gratitude gave me the most value.

As a very introverted person, I found this course invaluable towards guiding me through the maze of questions involving social interaction, engaging people, and learning the ins and outs of management. I highly recommend this course to everyone because I know that every person can find the value and be a 3Strand Leader.

This is just one example of how one manager improved their management skills. We have countless others.

Don't wait to train your management team. Whether it's an internal program or a formal, professional management training program like our Certified Leader Program, develop your managers now to make certain you hire the best people, achieve maximum efficiencies from your technical resources, and have a thriving company culture.

We only have 5 openings left in our Certified Leader Program that begins in early January.

Register one or more participants before December 31st to receive $250 off the first month!

Strengthen your leadership team, including yourself, so 2019 will be your best year ever!

Cousins, the Warriors, and Hiring

What happens to the taste of a stew when you add something fiery hot, meaty, and so overpowering that it can stand on its own?

Last Spring the Golden State Warriors, winners of 3 of the last 4 NBA Championships, announced they had acquired free agent DeMarcus Cousins.

Cousins is 6’ 11”, 270 pounds, and started in the NBA in 2010 after one college season with the Kentucky Wildcats.  During his first season with the Sacramento Kings, Cousins was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.  From 2015 to 2018, he was named an NBA All-Star. He is also a two-time gold medal winner as a member of the United States national team, winning his first in 2014 at the FIBA Basketball World Cup and his second in 2016 at the Rio Olympics.

DeMarcus Cousins is a headliner, not a rookie.

So, what happens to the culture of a team when you add an outsider, who is the top player and recognized four times as one of the best in the world?

Have you ever been able to add a headliner to your team?

Let’s assume for the moment that you have a championship team.  Most of us do not have a championship team, even if we are winning to some extent.  For this exercise, assume you are not just competitive, you are the top dog in your market. 

You are the best.  You know it.  The people on your team know it.  The numbers prove it.  Most people respect your accomplishments.

But…

There’s that “big butt” that keeps showing up, distracting you from continuing your reign of dominance.

No team is perfect.  A competitor gets stronger (the Lakers acquired LeBron), then you get an opportunity to add someone who is arguably the best in their position when they are healthy.  Someone who is a “headliner.”

The possible rewards of acquiring a headliner are tempting, almost overpowering.  However, there are also serious risks to consider.

The Risk of Losing focus

"Focus" is such an ambiguous term, yet it's the all-encompassing word for a championship mentality. What’s the focus? 

For the Warriors, the primary target is to win a third consecutive NBA Championship.  It’s a BHAG (Jim Collins – Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal) and a ONE Thing (Gary Keller). 

A headliner can be a distraction because he brings ego, unnecessary drama, possible turf fights, etc.

Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr and the team can make it clear to Cousins that the team is more important than any single player.  Cousins is emotional on the court, some might say he is an egomaniac.  I don’t know how humble he is, or is not.

Keeping their focus on the team and winning, when Cousins fully recovers from his Achilles injury the Warriors may have checkmated their competitor’s attempt to overcome them.

The test will be to see how the team behaves when they are behind in a game, are getting what they feel are bad calls, or they lose a few games in a row.  Any coach or team can look great when they are winning.  A true championship team and coach behave well and remain focused when under pressure.

Weigh the risks, not just the rewards.

The Warriors are huge champions.  They are today, or are close to becoming a dynasty.

However, the focus needs to be on the road ahead, not looking at yourself or living in the past (the rearview mirror).

Long-term champions manage their ego so they still can make it from Point A to Point B without disaster.  Assumptions of ongoing grandeur are avoided as they keep winning step-by-step.

What are the risks of adding a headliner like DeMarcus Cousins?

• Performance:  Cousins has been the premier big man.  However, statistics predict his performance could drop by 8% or more due to his Achilles injury last season.  He still would be strong, but he may not fully recover from his Achilles injury.

• Injury:  What if Cousins gets another debilitating injury?

• Emotions:  Could his attitude set him back?  He has 115 technical fouls and 14 ejections during his eight-year NBA career.

• Friction:  Could Cousins’ attitude, or one or more Warriors player responses to him, cause friction and distraction?

• Cost:  What if Cousins offends another top Warriors player and they demand to be traded, or there is another significant cost directly linked to adding this headliner?

• Attitude:  Cousins is Dr. Jekyll now, but is there a Mr. Hyde coming?

Slow down.  Fully consider the risks AS A TEAM before adding a headliner.  Only move forward with unanimous agreement.

Some of the rewards are also significant:

• Better:  Cousins could enable existing players to spend more time on their strengths.

• Unpredictable:  Cousins might make it more difficult for the competition to discern the Warriors next bold moves, play-by-play and quarter-by-quarter.

• Rewards:  If the headliner helps the Warriors win a third NBA Championship, then everyone gets richer - Higher revenue, market share, brand loyalty…

How do you pursue the rewards with what I call, a low CRT:

• Cost:  You can afford the loss.  Cousins could cost as little as $5.3 million.  That’s a lot of money to most people, but spare change to the Warriors.  The investment is worth it.

• Resources:  Every organization’s success is dependent on their people.  Get your people involved in the decision and determine how much of their time will be invested as your organization gives the headliner an opportunity.

• Time:  Pilot the headliner.  Test her/him with your team beyond conversations.  Discuss typical scenarios.  Role play.  Hire the person for a day or week to test how she/he handles the reality of your world.  You can afford a short-term test.  If the headliner adds value then extend the test time.  If not, you have not lost much.

Don't disrupt the bond your people have

Most winning teams have a strong bond of respect and servanthood between players.  There are differences, but everyone understands their strengths and weaknesses.  Everyone understands how to work together as an efficient, effective group that is stronger as a team than as people working independently.

The Warriors shine in this area, and their coach Steve Kerr is an inspiring role model.

So how do you add a headliner to the mix when the current team is working so well?

First, all of your key team members if not the entire team, participate in the decision to add the headliner.  Why?  Because everyone, not just the boss, has to commit to make it work and help the headliner be a productive contributor who loves being on her/his new team.

One benefit with Cousins is that he is a known entity with the All Stars and Olympic players on the Warriors.  They have already played ball with him, and fully support the addition of DeMarcus to their team.

Second, a headliner can be the latest “shiny object” for many leaders, absorbing the majority of their focus, time, and energy to the detriment of the team who got them where they are.

If your team makes the decision to add the headliner, fully understanding the risks as well as the rewards, then everyone should be prepared to proceed as a team.  It should be clear to the headliner that she/he will receive equal attention, not more than existing team members.

Steve Kerr, the coach of the Warriors, is a former player on Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls.  He has experienced first-hand what it’s like to be on a team with a dominant headliner, supported by other strong players.  Kerr has been able to do something uncommon by shifting his career from being a great player who now is a wise, humble, inspiring coach.

Kerr can pull this off, if he continues to humbly, respectfully inspire the members of his team to continue their focus on integrating their strengths for the best of the team, rather than one person’s statistics, publicity, or compensation.

The saying, “There is no ‘i’ in team” is especially true when you add a headliner to a cohesive team, or you have a team with multiple headliners and superstars.  The addition of Cousins means all five Warrior starters have been All Stars, and three of them are part of the top six scoring recordholders in the league.  Exciting, but not easy.

Conclusion

Do you want to grow your business more rapidly?  How about achieve significantly more profits?  Is a headliner your answer?

In most cases, the answer is “no.”  A headliner cannot help you, unless you are willing to make tough decisions about how you need to change, and the adjustments that need to be made to your organization.  Or, you already have a strong company culture, leadership habits, and best practices.  Then a humble headliner can help you transform good or great into the best.

DeMarcus Cousins probably couldn’t make the New Orleans Pelicans a championship team, or the Sacramento Kings.

The Real Cost of UNengaged Employees

Everybody has them, although a few of you may think you don't.

I'm talking about employees who do less than their best.

There are a variety of reasons for their behavior. It may be a lack of skill, poor communication, limited accountability or training, lack of engagement. Perhaps they do not like the work, or an unknown issue prevents them from being productive, like they are trying but don't understand how to be more productive.

These behaviors are the symptoms of a disease that you may never fully understand but every day you will feel its effects. When the disease of poor productivity shows itself through the symptoms of less effective behaviors you get poor results.

Our focus today is the cost of these behaviors.

Most of you are so busy that you grossly underestimate the cost of employees who are not doing their best.

Furthermore, your employees are often clueless about how much their poor behaviors coast. This applies to both the unproductive individual and the other employees who are negatively affected by their low productivity.

The Cost of Low Productivity

According to Gallup, 87% of your employees are not engaged at work. Employees who are not engaged are not fully productive. They lack initiative, motivation, and purpose, and often become easily distracted from their primary objectives.

Here is one way to calculate the cost of low productivity so your team members have a "wake-up" moment:

You have an employee who is part of the 87% who are not engaged. Let's say he is doing 80% of what he is capable of doing. We are not requiring perfection, but we are respectfully asking people to work up to their potential.

Your company pays this person a salary of $60,000 a year, or $28.85 an hour, including paid time off and holidays.

If this person is working at 80% of their capability then he is unproductive by 20%, or 8 hours. Those 8 hours cost your company $230.80 per week.

He is paid for 52 weeks of work, but let's say with holidays and paid time off he actually works 48 weeks. (I'm being conservative by not calculating the loss when he is not in the office.)

48 weeks x $230.80 productivity loss weekly = $11,078.40 lost annually simply because of poor productivity. 

THAT'S NOT ALL...

Taxes, benefits and overhead increase that number by at least 15%. This makes the total loss $12,740.16.

You can add in several other costs:

1. Lost opportunity cost to create new revenue or lower costs
2. Revenue lost / costs incurred due to low productivity
3. Stress-related costs to other employees and his boss
4. Employee turnover due to increased workload to do his work
5. His poor performance extends to others who follow his example

These are serious additional costs, but vary widely based on the role of the individual, the size of your organization, your industry, and the economy. You can play with these numbers if you like. For my purposes today I want to stay with hard numbers.

NOT DONE YET...

At a minimum your company has paid this one person $12,740.16 for work he did not do, yet is capable of doing.

What does that mean? You are going to pay another person to do that work.

So now, you pay another person $12,740.16 to do the work the first employee could not complete that year.

Oh... and the second person you pay also has an 87% chance they are not fully engaged at work. Let's say she is also 20% less productive than she should be.

This means you are going to pay her $2,548.03 for work she is not going to do.

Let's assume this only goes three levels. The third person that completes the work of the first and second employees works at 100% of their capability. Therefore the cost of low productivity is:

$12,740.16 - Lost productivity by the first employee

$12,740.16 - Pay a second person at the same rate to complete the work

$2,548.03 - Pay a third, fully productive person to fully complete the work

$28,028.35 TOTAL COST of one unproductive employee @ $60K salary. At this point, the ship is sinking!

STILL NOT DONE...

That's just one person.

Gallup says 87% of your people are not fully engaged. That's 9 out of 10 people, even if their lack of productivity is unintentional.

The loss for an entire company is staggering. Approximately $252,2565 per year for a 10-person company.

Ouch!

Build Bridges Instead of Fighting Fires

Are you too busy fighting fires and keeping-up with tasks every day to deal with employee productivity issues? I'll bet you would love to add that $252,256 back into your bottom line (and more). 

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

Take a good, close look at your situation.

1. Get away for at least an hour and think about your team. Do an ROI similar to my analysis above to calculate the costs related to low productivity. Include some of the related costs also if you feel that is appropriate.
2. Look at your calendar. Where can you find time to develop a strategy, define a plan, implement the plan with accountability, and assess results weekly or monthly?
3. Get real. If you lack the time to cure the disease of low productivity infecting your organization, then get outside help. Your clients call you when they don't have the expertise or time to solve problems that your team can. Why not do the same?

I do this type of work and would be happy to discuss your situation. However, you may want to hire someone else. No worries. Just do it.

Your bottom line is too costly to keep delaying the work to maximize the productivity of your people.

Share this with your leadership team. Ask for their input. Craft a plan to engage your team and avoid problems before they start.

Your Participation Trophy

Do you have employees who want special recognition, increased compensation, or increased freedom without responsibility or results?

One way to describe this perspective is they have an "entitlement mentality."

People complain the millennial generation has been ruined because they received trophies for participation, rather than results. I agree with the criticism.

The outcome of that foolish behavior is a child who never was on a winning team or performed at a top level, but was told she/he was a winner. This develops grownups who think they know more than others and deserve rapid advancement and rewards without significant contribution.

However, we should stop knocking the millennial generation. I have found people with an entitlement mentality across all generations. It is particularly prevalent in union workers today, but not limited to just those types of employees.

A room full of participation trophies, medals, and ribbons is a facade of accomplishment. It is a lie even the most sincere, well-meaning person can embrace without knowing it.

Sadly, I am describing myself.

I earned most of the trophies and awards that I received for participating in my sports activities. However, my parents raised me as the "golden boy." Because I had a natural inclination to work hard plus a sense of right and wrong, they overlooked a lot of my failures. I rarely had serious consequences. Their level of belief in me should have been reserved for a 4.0 student and top athlete.

I was constantly told I could do anything, but not taught how to be my best or held accountable to being my best. The result was inconsistent achievement and an unrealistic view of myself.

The ability to comprehend this issue in my life took years. I came to realize that I had been wounded in my youth, although loved unconditionally.

In a way, I sympathize with millennials and anyone who expects a participation trophy for every small accomplishment.

3 Tips for Managing the Entitlement Mentality

I have three suggestions for you to consider if you have an employee with an entitlement mentality:

FIRST, if you're dealing with a difficult employee, your approach might be the primary problem.

Generational and cultural gaps exist, you need to be able to adapt. You hired the person. You manage them. You are in charge of developing them. Their performance is largely dependent on your guidance.

So, try adjusting your style of management, and take ownership of their performance.

SECOND, before you nag or threaten them, start by learning more about their background (within legal limits). Talk to them, take them out to lunch and ask them about their hobbies.

You can use an assessment to learn about their most intense behaviors and most passionate driving forces. Our MANAGEtoWIN Talent Assessments can help you with the behaviors and the driving forces. That's a major piece of the puzzle, but you still have to talk with people to understand where the person came from, and where they want to grow.

Talk with the employee to better understand their background. As you talk with them, consider how people in your organization can help the employee better connect their values and interests to their work. Figure out how to make the employee feel like their work is meaningful.

Meaningful work is the fuel that drives all significant accomplishment.

THIRD, enforce proper boundaries and expectations.

Is there someone with an entitlement mentality who has been on your team for more than 90 days? That's a problem.

Every employee should understand the boundaries and expectations in their role. You should have an on-boarding plan in place for new employees that spells out exactly what your company standards are and how the employee should meet those standards every day.

You should also have a process in place for dealing with boundary violations. Each time a company standard is not met, the problem should be addressed swiftly and effectively, especially in the first 90 days.

Your team will work more effectively and efficiently when everyone understands and appreciates your boundaries and expectations.

A new manager and a better leader!

Cory Kaufman is a member of our current Certified LEADER class that concludes in two weeks. He has been with his company, Assured Technology Solutions in Lake Oswego, Oregon for 16 years. About two years ago he was promoted to Office Manager.

Cory Kaufman

"As a new manager, the Certified Leader Course has been a blessing. Whether your team is large or small, the training and accountability is invaluable. Throughout the course I've grown not only in personal productivity, positive habits, and knowledge, but also in overall confidence to be the systematic leader I need to be in my current role. 

"I looked forward to the one-on-one phone calls with David for accountability and advice. He genuinely cared for me and my development both personally and professionally. I look at this course as a milestone in my career, I cannot be more thankful."

Leaders love our Certified LEADER program because we develop their strengths, work on some of their weaknesses, and almost always enable them to create more time in their workday.

Our Certified LEADER program is often a lot of I.T. service managers (help desk, NOC, field service...), but we have also had owners, controllers, CFO's, VP of product development, operations managers, and other types of leaders gain valuable insight from the program too.

Leaders affect everything in your organization. The efforts of one leader inspires all of their direct reports to be more engaged, and more productive. Plus, the improvement of that team positively affects a lot of other things happening in your company.

Why not be your best?

Our next Certified LEADER program starts the week of July 9th. Learn more and sign-up here before it's too late. We only have a few openings.

Contact us if you have any questions.

Above + Below The Line Exercise

Every leader has a slightly different path to move their career and team from one point to another, which qualifies as their definition of success.

How well have you defined your destination, path to get there, and are progressing towards it?

You are in one of two situations:

(1) You are demonstrating some level of mastery as you navigate the river rapids of your business adventure, rising and falling with the outcomes of your decisions powerfully flowing around and under you, while avoiding the rocks and not getting sucked into hole. Or…

(2) The river of your events is pushing and pulling you in directions and to destinations more than you are maintaining control, and piloting your way through it.

The rudder for mastery as a leader is how and when you make tough decisions that lead to your behaviors and create the results of your legacy.

Let me give you a discussion exercise you can use with your team to build their ability to make better decisions based on what you feel is important.

One good example for this exercise is your company values. These values define HOW everyone, and I mean EVERYONE (including you) should be behaving. If you have worked candidly as a team with wisdom to define meaningful values, then these core behaviors are great for this exercise.

For instance, let’s say you have INTEGRITY as one of your core values.

Question #1

What result as individuals and an organization are we trying to achieve by consistently demonstrating integrity?

Discuss and list outcomes of behaving with integrity. (Do NOT list the behaviors of integrity, but the results.)

INSTRUCTIONS

On a large whiteboard, or presentation Post-It pad list the Outcomes of Integrity.

Next, you are going to create two opposing lists. There are typically two ways to create a visual result of this part of the exercise. Below your list of outcomes, you can first list Dishonest behaviors below a horizontal line and Integrity behaviors on top of the line. Or, you can list Dishonest behaviors on the left or right, and Integrity behaviors on the opposite side, even writing directly opposing behaviors in the same row / line.

Question #2

Let’s make two lists to better comprehend the behaviors, and subsequent outcomes of demonstrating integrity at all times.

First, what are some behavioral examples of dishonesty, the opposite of our core value of integrity?

NOTE: Dishonesty is a soft skill failure. People who allow themselves to be tempted into dishonest behaviors lack training and accountability on the value of integrity. They have bad habits that need to be overcome with new, more powerful, good habits so they can live with integrity at all times.

INSTRUCTIONS

Have your team create a list. It should be at least five behaviors. It might be dozens or up to 100. Try not to limit people’s ability share their thoughts. Allow similarities because sharing specific behaviors expands people’s comprehension of how to apply the value in their every day decision-making. Make certain everyone feels heard, and their ideas respected.

Here are some examples of Dishonest behavior:

1. Lying
2. Stealing
3. Cheating
4. Breaking a promise to do something
5. Missing a deadline
6. Tardiness
7. Slight exaggeration in an expense report
8. Doing personal calls on work time
9. Not doing administrative work you require of others (entering time…)
10. Not enforcing performance boundaries – at all, or disrespectfully

Question #3

Now let’s list behaviors that are consistent with our core value of Integrity above the line (or across from the Dishonest behaviors if you chose that style of visual presentation).

These behaviors can be the opposite of each of the Dishonest behaviors. Again, there is no limit to the number of behaviors you list.

Here are some examples of Integrity behavior:

1. Telling the truth
2. Respecting other people’s property
3. Protect
4. Fulfilling a promise
5. Meeting or beating a deadline
6. Being on time or early
7. Accurate, honest expense report
8. Personal calls only during breaks or outside of work time
9. Completing administrative work you require of others on time
10. Enforcing performance boundaries equally for all

Discuss how the easy-to-identify Dishonest (evil?) behaviors affect outcomes. Here are some areas those failures may hurt:

1. Time
2. Financial – Revenue, Cost and/or Profit
3. People
4. Sales / opportunities
5. Stress / health
6. Relationships
7. Reputation

Bring recent situations into the conversation as examples, either positive or negative. Do NOT call out the failures of anyone.

Discuss the power of habits. Bad habits, the Dishonest behaviors, never go away. How can we as an organization and individuals develop new, better habits of Integrity to overcome bad habits and temptations to be Dishonest, even in a small way?

ZINGERS

The examples above are straightforward, black and white, yes and no. However, life doesn’t always work that way.

Leaders have to skillfully navigate the gray areas of life.

Question #4

What situations come up where we can demonstrate integrity legally or by our policies, but actually the decision lacks integrity or outright violates the heart of our integrity value?

For example, let’s say a customer subscribes to a service. They have a free trial for 30 days and then are automatically charged. 11 Days after the charge, the customer contacts you asking for the subscription to be cancelled and a refund on the first month’s charge because they did not use the product/service.

Option #1: You can confirm they did not use the product/service. What do you do?

Option #2: You cannot confirm whether they used the product/service. What do you do?

You see, if you want to have your people demonstrate the best possible integrity, then everyone has to do so when:

(1) No one is watching.

(2) The letter-of-the-law supports one decision, but true integrity and consistency with your values requires you to demonstrate grace. And, the person joyfully, sincerely, and/or empathetically chooses grace.

Decisions are easier when you discuss the “zingers” and interruptions that may occur, and decide together how your organization responds to them in advance.

Develop your leaders to avoid doing what is comfortable when that decision is actually not right.

It Wasn't The Plan

Ask any 6 year old about their dreams or what they want to be when they grow up.

None will say, “I want to be homeless, begging for money, and addicted to drugs.”

Yet... that’s reality for some people.

It wasn't the plan.

What was your plan? Was it your plan to…

• Have your business be basically the same size it was 25 years ago?
• Still be responding to texts, emails, and phone calls on evenings and weekends?
• Be in a business partnership that is frustrating, stressful, and/or abusive?
• Still have so many bad habits that hurt your effectiveness as a leader?

None of us defined any of the areas above as a goal we wanted to achieve in life. I'm sure each of you have some other regrets you could add to this list.

How do we initiate a turning point in our lives so WE NEVER GO BACK again to the bad habits that are currently holding us down?

We each need a plan that builds on our strengths, overcomes our weaknesses, and enables us to experience the fulfillment of being our best.

The starting point

If you are a leader, then I suggest the place to start is twofold:

#1 – Get an accountability partner or professional coach. Someone who helps you set clear, meaningful goals, not let you fool them with excuses, challenges you candidly, and respectfully holds you accountable.

#2 – Get certified. We are about to start our second and final 2018 class of Certified LEADER. This is 24 weeks, alternating live online training and 1:1 coaching with me. (You get coaching and an accountability partner in one!)

NOTE: Our current Certified LEADER class that started in January was oversold, so we are currently doing two group classes. 

Learn more and sign-up at www.MANAGEtoWIN.com/certified-leader-program. Space is limited because I only have so many hours each week for coaching.

I have had owners, top executives, and plenty of mid-level and new managers participate. All of them have been hungry to learn how to be a great leader and willing to work on their bad habits.

If you look at our Certified LEADER page and still are wondering whether it is right for you or one of your managers, then just email us or click here to schedule time to talk about it.

What is your plan?

If you feel stuck, or stagnant, and if you have felt this way for quite some time, you need to make a change. The good news is you are not alone, a lot of leaders are in the same situation.

However, that is not really good news for you or the world. Refuse to maintain your status quo, and make a choice.

Your clock is ticking and time is passing that you will never have again.

A Simple Exercise to Measure Your Strengths and Weaknesses

Do you want a real assessment of your performance?

Here is a simple exercise to get a glimpse of your current leadership strengths, weaknesses, and impact of your company culture. It takes less than 5 minutes.

First, jot down each list by hand, on your mobile device, computer, or print this and fill-in the blanks.

What are the 7 most important “things” one employee – a superstar, average, or struggling team member - wants from you, her/his manager, and/or your company, listed in order of priority?

List them below in order of priority. Place an "X" next to the frequency each one typically occurs.

Although they may share similar desires, each employee probably wants different things. When you focus on one person, it helps you consider how best to engage that individual. If you prefer, make a list for all of your direct reports, everyone on a team, or all employees in a group.

Now, flip the equation

How are you, their manager, and/or your company, fully engaging this individual or group of employees in a meaningful career?

List the 7 most important things you do for them in order of priority. Place an "X" next to the frequency each one typically occurs.

What are we looking for?

HOW you are engaging employees is equal to or greater than WHAT they want from their boss/employer.

In order for this to work, you need to remove all of your assumptions about how engaged your people are and list the real ways you, your leaders, and company are meeting their work-related needs.

Now, find out if your lists are correct

Your lists are probably inaccurate, but don't worry, there's a simple way to check. Simply ask the employee or group of employees to do the same exercise.

Do NOT share with them the two lists you wrote above before they write their own versions.

Ask them: What are the 7 most important “things” you want from me, your manager and/or our company, listed in order of priority?

Again, flip the equation

How am I, your manager, and/or our company fully engaging you in a meaningful career? List the 7 most important things we do for you in order of priority.

Compare your assessment to those of your employees. There will be differences, however, the key is to resolve them.

Understand the Differences

Differences between managers and employees is a common theme in troubled companies. They are most often due to a lack of Systematic Power, my first strand of 3Strands Leadership. Systems and processes are likely missing, broken, or need updates.

These systems are what I work on each week with Clients, as individual leaders or as an entire organization.

Here are some common gaps in an organization’s Systematic Power:

Inconsistent accountability

Leaders are often poor role models and they don't realize it. They have good intentions without a solid game plan, and it prevents positive results. This leads to excuses, and the ensuing drama kills any opportunities for consistent, sustained growth. Furthermore, any lack of integrity can magnify this problem until the company implodes.

Different standards

Many companies have competing internal standards. The result is an “us vs. them” mentality, whether it is between management and staff, or different work-groups. It destroys productivity, progress, and the ability to make tough, fair decisions in a reasonable time-frame.

A poor or non-existent hiring system

A poor hiring system cascades poor performance throughout a company. People are hired who do not match the needs of the position, or your culture, and it costs time, money, stress, and lost opportunities.

Lack of regular training, starting at the top

Companies often fail to train their employees on a regular basis in hard skills and soft skills. The result is a flourishing of bad habits throughout your organization. Poor productivity not only thrives, but is defended or accepted as reasonable.

What's the solution?

The solution to these problems is to first understand the areas in which your company is currently struggling. Use the surveys above to get started.

A little employee feedback can go a long way.

Once you have a measurement of your strengths and weaknesses you can take action. Expand on your strengths, while minimizing your weaknesses.

Do your employees love your pay-for-performance plan? Awesome. Do a quick review to make sure it is working properly, and confirm it's effectiveness with your team.

Do your employees want more feedback from management on their performance? Implement it. Get on a schedule of providing regular feedback to your team. Whether it's regular reviews, or a weekly habit of brief conversations, give them the feedback they need.

Take one step in the right direction and you'll be ready for another one.

The ONE Thing Webinar Series - Part 4 - 3 Commitments and 4 thieves

The fact is you are your biggest obstacle. Gary Keller believes there are 6 lies and 4 thieves holding you back from pursuing 3 commitments that lead to a meaningful life without regrets.

Considering Gary's wisdom takes no time.

While you commute or workout, listen to my four podcasts that share highlights fromGary's book, The ONE Thing. If you hear something intriguing, then look at my presentation decks and/or buy Gary's book.

The ONE Thing will improve your life. Possibly in significant ways.

Anyway... You will be glad to know that today we wrapped-up our review of The ONE Thing. As I hinted in the subject line of my email, two of the five chapters covered were The Three Commitments; and The Four Thieves. However, there was much more than that:

PART 3 – EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS | UNLOCKING THE POSSIBILITIES WITHIN YOU

14.- Live by Priority

15.- Live for Productivity

16.- The Three Commitments

17.- The Four Thieves

18.- The Journey

The ONE Thing webinar #4 of 4: Video | Audio | PDF |

Check out our discussion of earlier chapters below. You can also consider our folder of recent webinars.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

On February 5th, the 1st webinar of this series discussed:

1.- The ONE Thing

2.- The Domino Effect

3.- Success Leaves Clues

PART 1 – THE LIES | THEY MISLEAD AND DERAIL US

4.- LIE #1 – Everything Matters Equally

5.- LIE #2 – Multitasking

The ONE Thing webinar #1: Video | Audio | PDF | PPT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

On February 12th, we discussed LIES #3-6:

PART 1 – THE LIES | THEY MISLEAD AND DERAIL US

… We discussed LIE #1 (Everything Matters Equally) +LIE #2 (Multitasking) last week

6.- LIE #3 – A Disciplined Life

7.- LIE #4 – Willpower Is Always on Will-Call

8.- LIE #5 – A Balanced Life

9.- LIE #6 – Big is Bad

The ONE Thing webinar #2: Video | Audio | PDF | PPT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

On February 26th, we produced our The ONE Thing webinar #3 of 4:

PART 2 – THE TRUTH | THE SIMPLE PATH TO PRODUCTIVITY

10.- The Focusing Question

11.- The Success Habit

12.- The Path to Great Answers

PART 3 – EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS | UNLOCKING THE POSSIBILITIES WITHIN YOU

13.- Live with Purpose

The ONE Thing webinar #3 of 4: Video | Audio | PDF | PPT

The ONE Thing Webinar Series - Part 3

How well are you focused today? Are you looking forward to your day with joy?

If you could be better focused, or happier, then listen to or watch this morning's webinar on chapters 10-13 of the book, The ONE Thing:

PART 2 – THE TRUTH | THE SIMPLE PATH TO PRODUCTIVITY

10.- The Focusing Question

11.- The Success Habit

12.- The Path to Great Answers

PART 3 – EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS | UNLOCKING THE POSSIBILITIES WITHIN YOU

13.- Live with Purpose

If you want to make fewer mistakes, and achieve your dreams faster, then consider our discussion of these chapters.

February 26th, The ONE Thing webinar #3 of 4: Video | Audio | PDF |

Dave's ONE Thing -- 3rd of 4 Webinars from MANAGEtoWIN, Inc. on Vimeo.

Check out our discussion of earlier chapters below. You can also consider our folder of recent webinars.

From February 12th, we discussed LIES #3-6:

LIE #3 – A Disciplined Life

LIE #4 – Willpower Is Always on Will-Call

LIE #5 – A Balanced Life

LIE #6 – Big is Bad

The ONE Thing webinar #2: Video | Audio | PDF | PPT

On February 5th, the 1st webinar of this series discussed:

The first three introductory chapters

LIE#1 - Everything Matters Equally

LIE#2 - Multitasking

The ONE Thing webinar #1: Video | Audio | PDF | PPT

The ONE Thing Webinar Series - Part 1

AGENDA
- The ONE Thing
- The Domino Effect
- Success Leaves Clues
PART 1 – THE LIES | THEY MISLEAD AND DERAIL US
-LIE #1 – Everything Matters Equally
- LIE #2 – Multitasking

Win the battle against your Army of Orcs

Every day we have too many options. However, the more you focus your time, the clearer you see the masses against you.

There are the urgent tasks and requests screaming at you for attention.

There are the family and health requirements that you want to do to experience love, joy, and good health.

There are friends who struggle to find time in your calendar for fun and laughter.

There are projects and tasks to improve something in your career, team, and/or organization.

And then... there is your ONE Thing, that special opportunity to accomplish something to make everything else easier or unnecessary.

Yet, this activity gets pushed aside most easily.

Why?

(warning: spoiler alert!)

The photo above is Aragorn, the man who would be king of Gondor, in the final episode of the movie trilogy, The Lord of the Rings. He is making a final stand against the army of Mordor, a foul horde of orcs and goblins and trolls.

Aragorn and his allies have fought long and hard over many months against the evil that seeks to keep them from living a long, fulfilling life.

Are you in a similar battle, consciously or subconsciously?

Is your schedule overflowing, yet unfulfilling?

Are too many days lost to fighting fires, rather than building something meaningful that lasts?

Are you driven by past wounds to prove yourself or somehow compensate for one of your mistakes?

These are some of your "orcs". These are the challenges, put in front of you by yourself or others, consciously or subconsciously for one purpose: To destroy you.

How do you fight your orcs?

Aragorn leads his allies into battle against insurmountable odds. There are tens of thousands of orcs, yet only a few thousand men with him.

Not exactly stacking the odds in his favor, eh? Sometimes leaders have to make tough decisions.

In this case, Aragorn is trying to distract the army of Mordor while Frodo and Sam climb Mount Doom in an attempt to destroy the One Ring.

But let's assume that Aragorn is not trying to become the poster child for suicide missions.

How could he possibly win a battle against such odds?

Notice one thing: Aragorn and his men can only fight one orc at a time. Yes, he may slash two with his sword, moving in an arc from one to the other. However, his focus has to be on what is in front of him.

One at a time. One foe must be down before he can move on to another.

So it is with you, as a leader. (If you are breathing, you are a leader). The challenges you face cannot be tackled successfully all at once. You must focus on one domino at a time.

Try this approach:

• Pause at a time when there are no distractions from people, email, etc.
• Focus this daily time in brief Sanctuary - confirm you are focusing on the most urgent task
• Make it a habit by scheduling regular time in your calendar to reflect, evaluate, and focus

Pretty soon you will find that Sanctuary is a longer look at your battlefield, and a boon for your productivity. Are you heading in the right direction? Are you pursuing the "flag" you really need to capture, or are you chasing an illusion of achievement that is actually less important?

To win your daily battle against your unique army of orcs, it takes focus, commitment, and comprehension of what is truly most important.