Strategically Create the Life and Work Worthy of your Talents, Giftings, Education and Experience

1. Take A Behavioral Style Profile to learn your strengths and weaknesses.  Contact me for more information.

2. Take a Strengths Finder to compliment the Personality Profile

3. Interview your parents, assuming you have a good relationship with them, and ask them what they saw in you as a child, i.e., the strengths they perceived in you that would translate into a career, or other direction for your life

4. Ask 5 friends what they see you’re good at and one thing they see you might work on for greater success

5. Deal with any and all childhood issues that could be showing up as blind-spots, limitations or weaknesses.  This is KEY to your progress.  Ask me for more information if this intrigues you, as I have a workshop that could get you started, and would gladly tell you about my experience with it

6. Learn to use the 24 hr. Rule, to get over a crisis, disappointment, or a “win”, and keep yourself moving forward. (I’ve written on this in past posts, and will write on it again this week.)

7. Begin a “Gratefulness Journal” and write every day of at least 5 things you are most grateful/thankful for.

8. Take a class on “Time Management”, creating systems for every area of your life and work

9. Create your own personal “Mission Statement” and choose 5 to 8 values by which to base, and use as a plumb-line,  all the major decisions you make life

10. Once a year go on a week or month long “Negativity Fast” where you allow family and friends to fine you if you say anything negative about yourself, others, or circumstances.  You’ll be amazed at how cleansing this is!  Take it up a notch and add not listening to any negativity as well!

11. Determine from now on to make decisions based on living out your values and Mission Statement.

12. Find a mentor.  Look for 2 people you admire in different aspects of their life, and then ask them if they would consider mentoring you.

13. Create some form of self imposed accountability for yourself.

14. Learn to be a better communicator, especially in the area of listening.  Most leaders get into trouble more by not listening than by talking.

Stay tune for the rest of the list of 20things, and how to get some help accomplishing these in the next post!

1. You have employees to supervise, but you loathe, no you despise confrontation and avoid it at all cost!

2. You prefer instead, to allow things to work out on their own.

How’s that working for you?  Things won’t work out on their own-they usually escalate and get worse. 

1. In fact, you know you’ve got someone out of position, when a company-wide policy is made for everyone, instead of correcting to the one person abusing the system.

2. You’d rather fix things, and work around the facility, than deal with people, avoiding them until absolutely necessary.

3. You don’t have a natural sense of what to do to motivate, lead, and redirect those in your charge.  Worse yet, you’ve never been given any formal training on how to be a successful leader – manager.   If this is the case, please HEAR ME.  This was not your fault!  Let me say that again, “You are not to blame for being in this position!”  However, that said, you have no excuse to not take the responsibility to obtain the tools and skills necessary to successfully influence and lead, even if you only have two employees!  In fact, every personality style can be an effective, successful leader, by using their personality style appropriately, along with maximizing their strengths, while delegating or eliminating their weaknesses!  In fact, what some would consider natural leaders, can be the very worst leaders, leading like a bull in a china shop!  I liken this to a strong willed horse that’s never been broken. They’ve never learned to bring their strengths “Under Control” to best utilize them.  Luckily, we live in a day and age where resources on this topic are in abundance!  GREAT materials, books, DVD’s, mp3′s, and podcasts on the subject are prolific, especially at our public library.  In fact, go to my LinkedIn profile and you can see my reading list filled with some of the best in leadership.

Stay tuned.  In part III of this leadership series, you’ll find how and when it’s time to move on, or step down from the frustration of trying to be something you have never enjoyed, and have never felt successful doing! You will also discover how to best adapt your style to be the best leader/manager you can be, and how and why a Business Development Coach or Executive Coach can be your best resource to assist you and your organization in establishing successful leaders and managers of every behavioral style.

Are you, or someone you know, in the wrong role/position in your company?  Did someone wave a wand and say: “POOF”, thou art a manager –NOW  LEAD!  But you have NO CLUE WHAT THAT MEANS or what you’re to do differently?  There could be all kinds of reasons you’re out of position:

• Your personality doesn’t align with the requirements of the role – i.e.  say the position needs someone who is commanding, one who is able to change easily and move quickly.  However, you’re a process person and like large amounts of details to then check, double check, and even triple check before you make a move. If so, then you’ll be frustrated in this role, along with making everyone around you frustrated.

• Talents – say you’re very gifted with high amounts of creativity, but you don’t have an outlet to use it . . .

• Your education didn’t support this role, and you’ve been struggling to try to make it work, but no matter how hard you try, you feel like you’re always behind.

• The experiences you’ve had didn’t prepare you for this role, and your interests don’t align either

This doesn’t mean you’re bad or wrong, it just means that this role/position is not a natural fit for you.  You can still stretch yourself and take on the role.  However, be aware that it will take considerably more effort, energy, and possible skill sets you don’t now have to fulfill.  Not to mention you may not enjoy it.  Another way you’ll know you’re not in the best role for you when required to be THE leader, is if:

• Setting the big-picture vision isn’t natural for you, and instead is difficult!
  

• Directing people – such as:  Providing them with the instructions as to what to do, which may be impossible for you to do – due to your personality style.  For some personality styles, and I know it’s hard for some of us to fathom, this would mean confrontation to them.
  

• Correcting and leading people is difficult and/or frustrating for you, so you’ll avoid it like the plague!
  

If these sentences resonate with you, then you’ve got another clue that you are an “Accidental Leader”.  If so, then one solution for you is to acquire a Business Coach to assist you to discern why you may be discontent, ineffective, and possibly even miserable in the position you’re currently in.  If you do, then you’ll receive the assistance to be successful!

On a positive note, I’ve had the most amazing opportunity to pursue what I’ve loved, and what fits me, for the past 35 years.  Because of my supportive husband, I was given the gift of creating and designing a career that I thrive in, am passionate about, and which gives me the ability to continually grow with and into.  My life mission emerged from one class here and an experience there.  As a result, along with my personality, certifications, and education over the years, it has slowly emerged, until one day I realized I was The epitome of an “Accidental Leader”.  I didn’t begin with the end in mind, as Covey recommends.  I didn’t set out to be a “Business Coach”, that didn’t exist when I went to college.  And I didn’t set out to pursue being a leader or trainer, however I was strategic about each small thing I pursued, until it cumulatively transpired into this awesome role called a Business Coach, Executive Coach and Corporate Trainer.  Like a puzzle that emerges from the similar colors, shapes, and connectivity of its’ pieces, I now help others to be strategically excellent, by making sure their life and work aren’t built upon accidents, but on the best of what they bring to this world, aligning themselves with the people they’re suppose to connect with and serve.

Accidental Leaders are all around, they’re the people who say:

• They just landed their job,

• It accidentally fell in their lap or

• That their position at work just happened

 Let me ask you, when you were younger:

• Did you plan to be in the career you’re currently in?

• Did you dream of it as a child?

• Go to college and train for it?

• Or did you happen to fall into this position you’re in, accidentally ending up where you currently are?

 I encounter people all the time, while training in companies, even executives who’ve been:

• Promoted out of their natural ability

• Are without the necessary qualifications

 (This accident, in many cases a travesty, is also called “The Peter Principle”.) People in this position find themselves muddling their way through, without the necessary training, or influence to truly be effective.  They not only frustrate themselves, but everyone around them with their insecurities and endless need to feel important.

Now I have to explain, that although I don’t believe in accidents, the way I picked up this moniker is that one day while working on the largest project of my life, I thought to myself, “How in the world did I get here?”  You could argue I was at the right place at the right time, however I thought, I’m an “Accidental Leader”.  That project provided the impetus for me to then take the appropriate action to acquire a greater level of qualifications, to fill in the gaps of my training and knowledge that prepared me for future projects.  You may have a similar story regarding how you landed where you are, but don’t let it be an excuse for poor performance!   My mission, and privilege is now to coach people to avoid being an Accidental ______anything, and instead to become “Strategically, Intentionally Excellent!“

1. Refresh, or completely make a new “Vision Board” with all your “Why’s”,  those deep

   seated reasons why you do this business in the first place.  Also called your “burning desire.

2. Start a daily journal and list three things you love about what you do each day.

3. Also write in your journal your hopes for what your business will look like, feel like, what you will accomplish, and provide when you are successful.

4. Set goals to ramp-up your marketing for 21 days.  Choose three marketing strategies off-line, and three online that you will implement during the challenge. (I’ll suggest strategies in other posts)

5. For 21 days go on a “Negativity Fast” where you refuse to moan, groan, sigh, complain, or say anything negative about yourself, or your business. (More on this in a future post)

6. For 21 days turn your car it into your “Mobile Encourager.”   Instead of listening to music, or other things in your car, listen to motivational CD’s, trainings, or MP’3s.

7. Take one day a week, for the next 3 weeks, to tackle those projects you’ve been putting off, that weigh you down.  Set realistic goals.  Use a timer to get you started, and help you to finish them.

8. If you can, hire a Professional Organizer (if not, ask a friend who you’ve invested in, that is detail oriented, to assist you!) Have them help you de-clutter, refresh, and renew your work space.  Make it an office you love spending time in.

9. Go to five people who really know you, telling them your coach has given you an assignment to ask them to help you by sharing:

• Three things you’re good at doing, and three character qualities you possess which will help you be a great business owner.

• Be sure to write them down, so you can revisit them when you need encouragement.

10.  Lastly, as a Business Coach one of my favorite recommendations to assist owners in avoiding burn-out is to take one day during the month and schedule a “Retreat With Yourself.”  Get away somewhere special to contemplate, meditate, pray and listen!  (Suggestions for what you could do on this one day, will be another blog post)

So, which of these sound like suggestions you think would be good to take?  And, if you hope to do the challenge, please let me know!

IF YOU WERE IN DESPERATE STRAIGHTS AND HAD SOMEONE COME TO YOUR RESCUE, WOULDN’T YOU FEEL THE SAME WAY?  YOU BET YOU WOULD!

I always wondered, living with a very proper U of A professor, and genuinely nice mother what the deal was when they just wouldn’t correct the doctor, the store manager, or anyone else in authority that was wrong or taking advantage of them.  Worse yet, it absolutely drove me crazy that they wouldn’t allow me to confront the assisted living home that was holding them hostage in the physical therapy end of the property and $2,000 more, when my dad had obviously become better and no longer needed assistance.  You see, I’ve learned through this study that they were taught that it just wasn’t proper to  question, come against, or by any means buck authority.  They were all prepared for the obedience of the military where if you question an order, you could die.  And why the inordinate loyalty, even love of the government of all things?  Just look, look below and see if it doesn’t blow you away, the way it did me!

You see, after two world wars, and then the Great Depression, the Traditional Generation was in a straight.  It was during this time that the Government came to their aid, and came to their aid big time, just look:

• The New Deal a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936

• Hoover set up Public Works Programs to provide jobs –

• Reconstruction Finance Corp. lent money to banks, railroad co. & insurance co. to stimulate the economy

• National Industrial Recovery Act: developed to end price cutting and worker lay-offs.

• Federal Emergency Relief Act: For the unemployed.  Within 30 days they put 25 million people to work building roads, bridges, and schools

• Created the Civilian Conservation Corp.  Sent l/2 million to the country side to clear hiking trails, plant trees, and drain swamps.

• Works Progress Administration: Employed millions to build countless houses, writing books, favored this project over just giving out cash relief.  Give a man the dole and you save a mans’ body and destroy his spirit. Give him a job and pay him an assured wage, and you save his body and spirit Harry Hopkins

• Revenue Act: wealth tax act designed to increase taxes on the rich

• Wagner Act:  required a company to bargain with any Union it’s workers choose.  Now you couldn’t be fired for joining the union

• Social Security:  The first old age federal insurance system

• FAIR LABOR STANDARD ACT:  creating a minimum wage

“During the Great Depression of the 1930s, when as many as one out of four Americans could not find jobs, the federal government stepped in to become the employer of last resort. The Works Progress Administration (WPA), an ambitious New Deal program, put 8,500,000 jobless to work, mostly on projects that required manual labor. With Uncle Sam meeting the payroll, countless bridges, highways and parks were constructed or repaired.”  Basically the government came to their rescue.  And we wonder why the Traditional Generation is so loyal and appreciative of the Government!

YOUR COACHING CORNER:  Get it?  Do you see how this generation gained their values, and how they relate differently to authority?  If you have parents, or grandparents from this generation, between 1920-1945 then ask them about growing up during this time.

• Take time to listen to the circumstances that so deeply molded them

• Show some appreciation for their making it through.

• What did you learn?

• How does this information help you see and relate to them?

• Know any great Traditional Generation stories, please share them below!

So what is the purpose in understanding the generations when it comes to business?  Let me show you.  You see, the way the Traditional Generation grew up they are:

Practical

 Logical

Dedicated

Prefer to work in a stable environment

Would rather save than spend

Now, who wouldn’t want that on their staff?  In fact, their values guide them to sacrifice for the greater good, so if they perceive this to be your company, they’ll be loyal, faithful, dedicated, and respectful to the end.  Above all else, they want to feel they have something to offer, therefore don’t put them out to pasture, especially now.  Soon, very soon they’ll be gone, but while we have the chance, we have a whole new generation  that has emerged on the workforce scene, the Millennial or Generation Y.  This generation mirrors more of the values of the Traditional Generation and they welcome an opportunity to be mentored by them. Could you see the usefulness in this?  And remember, they’ve been through The Great Depression, bread lines, and WWII, so they have enduring patience, and understand the meaning of sacrifice, so they won’t be petty, and instead of running off with your office supplies, they’ll find ways to cut corners.  If you have someone of the Traditional Generation on your staff, you have a gold mine of not only stability, but you have one of the “keepers” of experience and character.

One of the most rewarding aspects of my career, as a Business Coach, is to be a kind of business match maker.  There is not much better, in my line of work, than to being able to find a talented, quality person and be able into a company who has a gap they fit perfectly.  While I can, and while we still have these pillars in our community, I’m on a mission to find great positions for this generation!

The Baby Boomer Generation 1946-1964 (18 yrs.)78 million strong

(The “Me” Generation)  Optimistic and Competitive, “The: “Question Authority” Generation  – we were to change the world (According to our parents that is!)

PEOPLE  who shaped the culture of this generation:

John F Kennedy                   Martin Luther King       Star Trek

Richard Milhous Nixon    The Beetles                        Elvis

Barbara Streisand                Partridge Family             Janis Joplin

The Rolling Stones              Captain Kangaroo          Dr. Spock (children)

Father Knows Best              “Deep Throat”                  Gloria Steinem

PLACES that shaped the culture of this generation:

The Watergate Hotel           Hanoi Hilton                   Chappaquiddick

Woodstock                              Kent State                         The Suburbs

Planned Parenthood            Boonie Pty’s                     Hitchhiking

CENTRAL EVENTS that shaped their future views on almost everything:

Civil Rights Marches           Watergate Hotel            Sexual Revolution

Creation of the PILL            Concerts                           Burning the flag

Man on the Moon                 Cuban War Crisis         Oil Embargo

Creation television               Space Travel                    Rebellion toward govt.

Vietnam                                    The draft                           The Cold War

Laugh-In                                  Love-Ins                            Sit-Ins

THE CREATION OF:

The Television                        The Pill                           Bell Bottoms

Halter Tops                              Mood Rings                  Beads and Strobe

Lights                                         Marijuana, LSD, Heroin

Dripping Candles                   Long Hair/No bra

Again, the number one mistake most people make is to think that the other generations must view things, understand things, and think things like, well like “we” do.  Different doesn’t mean wrong, just different!  And, when we look closely at what made the ideals, views, and outlooks of the generations, what made them they the way they are today, we can see why the Traditional Generation places such a high value on the Government and obeying authority, it’s what won two world wars, and carried them through the Great Depression!  Why they are such penny pinchers who live by the slogan:  “Waste not want not!”  In the same say you can also see that when the Vietnamese War arrived why the Boomers rose up against it.  Now I didn’t say this was right or wrong, I’m just saying it is understandable that we didn’t just go along with what we felt was a gross misjudgement on the part of our government!  We didn’t just accept and obey, we questioned EVERYTHING, swinging the opposite direction from the beliefs and values of our parents.  It makes sense, when we look at the history that shaped us, why we Boomers are a driven generation, consumed by our work.  In fact, most of us don’t even plan on retiring.  This was because our parents said we could do anything, be anything, and by golly we were going to fulfill their expectations and more.  We weren’t going to have to live like our parents, with an outhouse, war, and depression, we were instead going for the gusto, the real deal!  Can you see what molded our thinking and our drive from the above scenarios? As a Business Coach I encounter the values clash in the workplace almost daily.  The Traditionalists value earning their place on the leadership team, while accepting the input of their manage as the gospel without question.  Boomers however, want to process decisions, to  meet and plan the “right” option.  Because we grew up with 78 million peers, we had to learn to work together and on teams, so we do the same in the work environment.  Yet to stand out from among this large crowd, created a kind of competitiveness and drive that keeps us going, and going, and going.  Can you see the way our differences emerged? I find this fascinating!  And there is so much more I will review and reveal in the next post, to put parts of the generational puzzle together!  We’ll get into the best way to market to each generation, and even how to lead them while demystifying some of the wrong assumptions we tend to work off of, and hopefully you’ll find useful information to make your efforts to collaborate and work with the different generations a peasant experience.

Your Coaching Challenge:  Talk with someone from the Traditional Generation: (born between 1920 and 1945) and ask them questions about growing up, and what they had to live with, or without.  Then do the same with a Boomer, all the while discerning the differences in their approaches to things and why.  Then write about your experience below for us to learn from as well!  And enjoy the process!

Hope you enjoy, and then implement. Please implement, or it’s just a great picture called an infographic. After you’ve done that, post it on Facebook and other sites so we can see how you’re using it. Cheers, and best to you, and happy blogging!

I

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The Baby Boom Generation Continues Their Mass Retirement. Baby Boomers (those born between 1946 – 1964)

The first baby boomer to turn 60 took place in 2006.  Every day since, 11,000 boomers have join the ranks as they too turn 60.  If the Boomers do happen to retire, and the majority haven’t saved enough to be able to, it will create a skill shortage in every department.  Why is that? Because The “ME” generation, as my generation is called, boasts 76 million strong, and is almost twice the size of generation that follows. Generation X consists of 45 million!  How did that happen?  Think about it, never before in the history of man were you able to choose if and when you wanted to have children.  With the advent of birth control, more women were opting to go to college, while putting off that blessed event.  Companies, corporations, and especially our government are now scrambling to put together succession plans, trying to fill the gaps the Boomers leave.  One answer we’re learning, as I continue to offer Business Coaching to companies, isn’t to just rehire Boomers, better yet, it’s to find a way to retain them.  This is the “Now” generation, and we’ve barely paid off our mortgages, much less saved for a retirement. This means that your best strategy is to intentionally/strategically keep us employed, by valuing and providing incentive’s, according to our motivations.  In other words, create incentives, and a reason for us to STAY!  Another reason to keep us is that the Boomers live to work, therefore tending to be workaholics.  Whereas your “Generation X”, they work to live.  It’s as important for them to take time off and play, as it is to finish any project.  And why not, they watched Mom and Dad give their entire life to work, and the pay-back was:

• lay-offs

• down-sizing

• mergers

• and acquisitions

Our generation was dispensable to big corporations!  No more did we have loyal companies that took care of their employees like family, as the Traditional Generation did, who stayed at a company for life. Big business meant:

• there was now an ivory tower

• while paying their CEO’s the big money

• The day of the Rolex Watch and golden parachute WERE NOW GONE

So. why should Gen X’ers give their lives to one company for their entire work-life?  You see, if you need loyal, hard-workers, you can still find them, however you may have to look for those with white hair. (Unless they have color hiding it.) They’re found among my peers, my generation. .  . the Baby Boom Generation.    (More of their characteristics, values, and what shaped them to come in the next posts!)