tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52606380931191768562024-02-08T00:29:21.339-05:00Survival LeadershipA Leadership Blog from from a leading Executive Coach, Professor and Author of 25 books. Also, visit www.SteveGladis.com and follow on Linkedin.Steve Gladishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988505384316328769noreply@blogger.comBlogger1376125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5260638093119176856.post-33434574368318352472022-07-28T06:53:00.003-04:002022-07-28T06:54:26.773-04:00Maybe the worst thing that ever happened to you--wasn't. <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sUrFZOis0tM" width="507" youtube-src-id="sUrFZOis0tM"></iframe></div><br /> <p></p>Steve Gladishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988505384316328769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5260638093119176856.post-8078886340770210082019-05-28T07:15:00.001-04:002019-05-28T07:22:06.607-04:00REINVENTING YOU!<br />
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reinventing You: Define Your Brand, Imagine Your Future</i> by Dorie
Clark (HBR Press, 2017), reviewed by Steve Gladis, 2019.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Overview</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">.
Most of us know we’re ready for a change long before we do it. Whether you want
a </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">promotion where you are, intend to switch to a new company, find a whole new
industry, or even start your own company—this book will help you. It’s part
storybook and part manual of instruction. Simple to read, story studded, full
of easy-to-digest directions in sections like “Try This” and “Remember,” the
book is well worth recommending to anyone in search of a new path and
rebranding.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Perceive
Yourself</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Find out how others
perceive you. Some techniques like hiring a coach or asking someone from HR to conduct
a 360 is a good start. Asking peers, subordinates, your boss, and even clients
what your strengths and challenges are can help. Try a personal focus group:
Gather 10-15 people for feedback. Too awkward to conduct it yourself? Have
another person conduct it. If you sit in, you only listen—no comments. Also,
check out your online profile. Every potential new employer will!</span><br />
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Find Strategic
Passions</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">. You may know you need a change, but finding your destination
takes time and effort. Start by investigating new careers online. Find people
in those industries and read about their career path to the position. Google
them and read “about” on their websites, their blogs, LinkedIn or Twitter posts.
Next, the informational interview is the king of finding your new job and career.
To get career informational interviews, go to LinkedIn to see who might get you
an intro.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Some tips: Be clear about your
ask; Don’t overstay your welcome; Ask about a typical day; Get more names to
talk to; Thank-You notes matter; Follow up and stay in touch.</span><br />
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Test Drive
Your Future</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">. Once you have a handle on your new path, it’s time to take a
test drive. First, make a list of the companies you’d like to work for, find out
if you’re connected on LinkedIn, decide on what you might have to offer.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Then consider volunteering, apprenticing, and
job shadowing. Volunteering: One way is to find the employer that almost always
says yes to free talent—nonprofits. Volunteers are the backbone of nonprofits,
so if you want to become a speechwriter, volunteer to write speeches and written
content for a nonprofit. Apprenticing: Sometimes to start a new career path,
you have to take a step back and restart. Offering to apprentice can be the
beginning of a restart. Shadowing: If you really want to know what people do on
an average day, follow them around—shadowing. If you’re selective and
respectful, you can get people to help you, and you’ll learn a ton. Just
remember that the path to rebranding isn’t straight, so be prepared for twists
and turns.</span><br />
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Leverage
Skills</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">. While volunteering will help you explore new vistas, you can also
expand your skills while staying at your current job by moonlighting and even by
going back to school. First, at your current job, find out how you can expand
or re-focus your work. This is called job-crafting and a perfect way to
renegotiate your position with your employer, especially if you show how it
will help her/him. Second, consider a side-hustle in the field you would like
to break into. Some people start right where they are, and others start a home
business. Third, be very selective about graduate school. In all but the top 10
MBA programs, carefully consider the brand value and perhaps consider a
one-week executive education program at a name school that’s targeted toward
what you want really want to do—and way cheaper!</span><br />
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Use
Mentors</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">. We all need guides to help us climb the right corporate ladder.
“When the student is ready, the teacher will appear,” is a famous Zen saying
that’s true also about mentors. Once you feel the need, look around and there
are many that have been there all along. And you’ll want to find one with
relevant experience, to whom you’re willing to listen, who has your personal
interest at heart, and genuinely wants to help. Start by making a list of 6
people you admire who might help. Decide on what kind of mentoring you want,
how often you want to get it. Also offer your help—maybe you’re good at social
media or have some technical talents they need. You may have more than one
mentor for different aspects of your life.</span><br />
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Match
Skills to a New Future</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">. Think about the skills you have now and how they
can be used in a future position, and give yourself credit for important, but
often overlooked, skills. For example, a stay-at-home mother who keeps the
finances and the house afloat has critical organizational skills. Next, write
down any professional skills you have—writing, speaking, leading. Provide
concrete examples of each skill you mentioned. Think about any memorable skills
you have—maybe you won a spelling bee in high school.</span><br />
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Create
Your Narrative</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">. Once you’ve laid out your key talents, skills and uniqueness,
it’s time to tell your story. Tell them about your journey, explaining the
twists and turns along the way. The author suggests that you make connections
between your past and present life. Find and connect the underlying themes of
your life, and explain the value you will bring to this new position. Write
down in a couple of sentences why you’re making the transition and rehearse
saying it—first with friends, then people you meet, and finally with
recruiters.</span><br />
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Create
Content</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">. Build your portfolio. Use social media, blogs, and more to publish
your philosophy and content for people to see. Create a video blog (vlog), a
powerful way to frame your brand—think YouTube. Videos are 53 times more likely
to hit the front page of a Google search! Podcasts are another way to extend
your brand—what or who you want people to believe you represent. Schedule your
social media (Hootsuite and Tweet-Deck).</span><br />
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Launch Your New Brand</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">. As you
reintroduce yourself to the community, remember: You can take your current
status with you. Professional athletes sell shaving cream based on that! Have
someone scan your social media to see what image/message you’re sending. Think
of all the unconscious nonverbal cues you send—diplomas on the wall, your formal
or informal clothing—and make sure it matches the job. Have friends provide
third-party validation. Branding/rebranding is a forever thing.</span><!--[if !supportLists]--><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Steve Gladishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988505384316328769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5260638093119176856.post-9678901462426914822018-06-24T07:04:00.003-04:002018-06-24T07:04:35.407-04:00Harvard on TEAMS<div style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.75); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 3.2rem; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigGBMFMluUr8u8g9MDWFWWrhn3iYytYSmThxwYAMl75BaPqxu9mJlU0xDWrvywlOEgu_gUHl9TP4uR6Wlgh5aRRtK5nuG9twlPqgciNk2zbPi2iC10oVkA0cxhOU7F-_3df2w9b2HwpqS1/s1600/HBR+on+Teams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="230" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigGBMFMluUr8u8g9MDWFWWrhn3iYytYSmThxwYAMl75BaPqxu9mJlU0xDWrvywlOEgu_gUHl9TP4uR6Wlgh5aRRtK5nuG9twlPqgciNk2zbPi2iC10oVkA0cxhOU7F-_3df2w9b2HwpqS1/s320/HBR+on+Teams.jpg" width="212" /></a>1. Overview. <span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Georgia, "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 0.975em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Teams</em></span>. The Harvard Busiess<span style="background-color: transparent;">Review has gathered some of its best articles on teams into one convenient book. Authors and scholars like Hackman, Pentland and Katzenbach, Eisenhardt, and Amabile fill this volume with rich content for leaders seeking research-based guidance. For example, using high-end sensors, Sandy Pentland and his MIT colleagues describe accurately how great teams behave based on massive data tracking. Theresa Amabile uses hundreds of daily work diaries to help us understand that people just want to make progress toward a meaningful goal every day—the “progress principle.” And Kathleen Eisenhardt and colleagues teach us how to engage in constructive conflict to produce excellent results while preserving relationships. Here is a summary of several of the best articles in this volume.</span></div>
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2. <span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The New Science of Building Great Teams</span> (by Alex “Sandy” Pentland). What separates average from great teams? MIT researchers equipped over 2,500 people with sensor badges (like those ID badges people wear at work). MIT’s special high-tech badges collected copious interactive communication data, such as voice tone, position of speakers relative to each other, time spent talking and listening to each other—but not recording conversation. From this communication data, highly reliable patterns emerged that allowed researchers to make reliable predictions about effective team behavior. “Those communication patterns were as significant as all other factors—intelligence, personality, talent—combined.” The three key communication factors that impact on performance are energy, engagement, and exploration. Thus, in the best teams, members of the team: </div>
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a. Talk about the same amount of time and in short bursts—no speeches!</div>
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b. Face each other and energetically gesture.</div>
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c. Connect with the team and each other individually. </div>
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d. Carry on back-channel discussions within the team. </div>
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e. Explore outside the team (conferences and meetings) and bring back new info to the team. </div>
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3. <span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Why Teams Don’t Work</span> (Richard Hackman interview). Teams often underperform due to issues with coordination, competition, and motivation. Even excellent leaders often don’t produce great teams. To increase the chance of a great team:</div>
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a. Appoint and protect a deviant. A devil’s advocate (deviant) helps to keep the team from agreeing too much—becoming too homogeneous—a real danger to innovation. The deviant says what others might be thinking, but no one has the willingness to say. S/he must be protected and allowed to tell the truth to power and the team.</div>
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b. Keep the number of team members low. Hackman suggests no double digits, even no more than six members. Become ruthless about whom you allow on the team. ONLY the necessary few should be allowed. Don’t let politics or lack of courage of the leader get in the way of key selections. </div>
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c. Set a compelling direction and purpose. People need to know the strategic direction—the why—of what they’re doing to have any chance at being aligned and successful. A compelling purpose with a single agenda needs to be the rule. </div>
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d. Focus on group process. Forget guiding and correcting individual behavior. Rather, use a coach-approach and group process. Leaders need to know how to launch and assess team progress and outcomes.</div>
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e. Stabilize teams. Data shows that stable teams win more often—whether flying planes, conducting surgery, or running companies. Regular turnover destabilizes teams.</div>
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f. Engage a team coach. Leaders who receive executive coaching are not as effective as the entire team getting coaching—especially at the beginning, midpoint and end of a team project. </div>
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4. <span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Power of Small Wins</span> (Amabile and Kramer). When people make progress toward a meaningful goal every day, they stay engaged. These authors reviewed the daily work diaries of hundreds of knowledge workers and found that a positive inner work life made the difference between average and high-performing, engaged workers. And engaged employees and teams produce measurably more than others. The finding of this research is that when leaders help people make regular progress toward a goal, people feel empowered and motivated. The authors call this finding “the Progress Principle”—the single greatest motivator a leader can offer. In these diaries, best days were described with the word “progress” and on worst days, the word “setback” showed up.</div>
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5. <span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">How Management Teams Can Have a Good Fight</span> (Eisenhardt, Kahwajy, Bourgeois) Leaders want differences to be debated without having personal attacks. Thus, separating personalities from issues is critical. Constructive conflict in a high-speed economy will be critical in the future. So how to do it? Vigorous debate on the issues but little time name-calling and politicking. These steps will help: Focus on facts. Develop alternatives. Agree upon goals, not solutions. Inject humor. Maintain a balance of power. Resolve issues without demanding consensus. </div>
<div style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.75); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 3.2rem; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
6. <span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Virtuoso Teams</span> (Fischer and Boynton). Successful virtuoso teams consist of top performers; intimate and intense relationships; strong communication systems, collaboration and conflict; assumptions that consumers are smart. The temptation is to settle for OK teams. The authors’ advice: DON’T. Ordinary teams produce ordinary results. With the right strategies, virtuoso teams produce high-end results. So, 1) Assemble stars. It’s an investment worth doing; 2) Build the group ego, not individual egos; 3) Make work a contact sport. Cause face to face contact/conflict that’s managed.;4) Respect the customer’s intelligence; 5. Herd the cats. Respect individualism and keep the team focus. </div>
<div style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.75); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 3.2rem; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<em style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Georgia, "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 0.975em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Teams by Harvard Business Press, 2013, reviewed by Steve Gladis, June 2018.</em></div>
Steve Gladishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988505384316328769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5260638093119176856.post-73068318774182089542018-06-14T08:23:00.001-04:002018-06-14T08:23:32.109-04:00THRIVE, DON'T JUST SURVIVE<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thrive
by Design: The Neuroscience that Drives High-Performance Cultures</i> (Forbes
Books, 2017), by Don Rheem, reviewed by Steve Gladis, June 2018.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQM6cqCO25I1_FHv9Jpo6_HC_W9GK4mipdogbvgesj-FSh4PSrtUelU9loE1AU9NzTuZy7aTBf2OTjvSmLADDAI3xO_g_WzVKp9va-5KeWq23A2HPf2fI1B8X9PaUBtN-o81yMWPRVi1jh/s1600/Thrive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQM6cqCO25I1_FHv9Jpo6_HC_W9GK4mipdogbvgesj-FSh4PSrtUelU9loE1AU9NzTuZy7aTBf2OTjvSmLADDAI3xO_g_WzVKp9va-5KeWq23A2HPf2fI1B8X9PaUBtN-o81yMWPRVi1jh/s200/Thrive.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Overview</b>: As a
species, humans are compelled to work together on teams. Survival as a species
has always depended on teams; for example, early hunter-gatherers were only
able to survive by taking down large animals or farming large areas with teams
of people. In today’s high-pressure, competitive workplace, we require that
same kind of connection and teamwork to survive and compete. As herd animals,
we need to feel connected. The author concludes that a great job in the future
will be more about how it feels than how much it pays. So, creating conditions
that sustain motivation, provide meaning and instill trusted relationships will
produce high-performance cultures. Thus valid, regular feedback and recognition
of people on the team makes individuals and the team stronger and more
high-performing. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The
Evolving Workplace</b>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve moved from
the Age of Compliance to the Age of Choice when it comes to talent. People now
have many more options and control over their employment. As a result, many people
seek not only career opportunities but meaning and purpose in their
professions. My-way-or-the-highway leaders will suffer epic talent losses in
the coming decades. Attachment theory indicates that we’re wired to connect as
humans, and when attachment is absent, we feel isolated, fearful, and
vulnerable. Having reliable, trusted resources at work supports a thriving
culture. Leaders who provide a relational culture (values, mission, vision),
not simply a “cool” culture, develop high-performance. Our limbic, early
warning system provides survival instincts and overrides our conscious brain—control
precedence. When employees are immersed in a toxic environment, their brains
divert important resources from problem solving and innovation to here-and-now survival.
Thus, they become worn down, are exhausted and burned out. Our brains ask two
questions, especially at work: What’s next? And, How am I doing? Leaders who
provide regular, positive, honest feedback develop high-performance cultures. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Employee
Engagement</b>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leaders who deliver predictable,
consistent, and fair behavior; provide clear mission, vision and values; and, offer
regular feedback and recognition to employees will attract and retain key talent.
And, employees who feel like they’re in a safe environment will thrive. Leaders
may be of three types: 1) Traditional—top down, hierarchical; 2) Motivational
and Charismatic; and, 3) Transformational, team focused and relational. Isolation
diminishes the capacity of people. They need connections to colleagues to free
up their mental resources to become more innovative. Disengaged employees pull
down strong performers, not the other way around. Don’t let negative employees
hijack the culture. Leaders must model the behavior they want. Positive
leadership strategically moves cultures using a positive bias that supports
employee well-being, productivity and engagement. High-performance teams have a
5:1 (positive to negative) ratio of interactions. Effective leaders offer 3
intentional gifts: Validation—recognizing worth of another; Recognition—praising
performance, behavior, attitude; Feedback—monthly meetings to give each employee
clarity, focus and offer two-way communication. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The
Accountable Leader</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without
accountability, high-performers get discouraged and progress stalls. Both
individual and organizational obstacles lead to such stalls. Individual
obstacles to accountability: Learned helplessness, victim mentality, and
holding grudges. To thwart these obstacles, leaders need to listen, be
vulnerable and invite employees to be part of the solution. Organizational
obstacles to accountability: Poor priorities, silos, avoiding conflict. To
counter such organizational obstacles, leaders who offer inclusive decision
making as a group and have open and honest communication create
high-performance organizations. The old accounting saying—what don’t get
measured, don’t get done—holds true. Metrics make a difference. Measuring
engagement is important and must be done well to ensure you’re measuring
engagement, not satisfaction; it’s of sufficient length without being either superficial
or taxing; and the metrics correlate to engagement principles. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-top: 12.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Culture
of Engagement</b>. There are 4 types of engagements at any company or
organization. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1) Actively Engaged—these
are your highest performers, who are in a calling. 2) Engaged—they have a positive
mindset. 3) Somewhat Disengaged—these folks are ambivalent and have a
wishy-washy commitment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>4) Actively
Disengaged—these folks are checked out and toxic. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leaders need to give employees a sense of
safety, clear focus, and training to create better engagement. Determine the
level of engagement by using a valid and reliable engagement instrument.
Leadership needs to get the results and issue several key themes to employees
to show they’ve been heard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Steve Gladishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988505384316328769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5260638093119176856.post-18513034544640951712017-12-10T09:10:00.003-05:002017-12-10T09:10:38.911-05:00FINDING A NEW JOB--IT'S REAL WORK!<!--[if !mso]>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHcW8tnF51l31Z9bBMx5f5TX48_0ubS_7mj6uPbhSzmfgtTotQ6hFqD5vJOAfUPEpXSm_EfhE7qlXNQHlqtF_gDoZtdSh-MI52Ce127UsRZIdh2iHSy9vXLieaCFXwMW2nRjNP857ptl6e/s1600/parachute.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHcW8tnF51l31Z9bBMx5f5TX48_0ubS_7mj6uPbhSzmfgtTotQ6hFqD5vJOAfUPEpXSm_EfhE7qlXNQHlqtF_gDoZtdSh-MI52Ce127UsRZIdh2iHSy9vXLieaCFXwMW2nRjNP857ptl6e/s320/parachute.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Hlk490978269"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What Color is Your
Parachute 2018: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career- Changers </i>(Ten
Speed Press/Crown Publishing Group, 2018) by Richard Bolles. </a>Reviewed by
Steve Gladis.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Overview</b>: Updated
annually since 1972, this classic stands up to the challenges of modern-day job
seekers and career changers. In fact, it’s got so much information that it
could overwhelm some readers. So, think of it as a reference book. The author
enlightens us about how job seekers and organizations approach filling
positions in exactly opposite ways; how the market has radically changed since
the 2008 recession; how to interview for jobs; how to negotiate salaries; how
to handle the psychological ups and downs of the job-hunting process; how to
conduct a self-inventory; how to take charge of your career; and, even how to
start your own business. There’s a reason that this book has been updated
annually for decades—it works. A terrific manual with many useful PDFs available. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Things
Have Changed</b>: Since the 2008 recession, employers shifted from focusing on
employees to focusing on profit. However, job seekers never got the message and
continued to submit resumes and post on job boards, which don’t work well anymore.
Today, employers want more certainty; so, they search on a hierarchy that
starts with hiring known employees from within; next, with people who either
have consulted for them or have been recommended by an insider—both which mitigate
risk. Bad hires cost about $50K! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, HR
folks are not looking at online lists, and when they do, their job is to
eliminate you from a huge pile—to get from 250 resumes to the 5 top candidates.
Also, the length of time to find a job has increased dramatically. So, what previously
took one month, now can take six months to land a job. And the higher the
salary, the longer the time it takes. We’re turning over our jobs faster—in
some job-seeker age brackets 32% of their jobs lasted less than a year, and
69%, lasted less than 5 years. Thus, part-time work is becoming far more
prevalent, and roughly 50% of Fortune 500 employees will be part-timers. The best
jobs today are in finance, sales and healthcare. Job hunting has become a
normal way of life—people will go job hunting 17 times in their lives. And while
online hunting is not as effective as it used to be, here’s a very good site
for doing so:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.livecareer.com/quintessential">www.livecareer.com/quintessential</a>.
The winners in this market are people who know how to get hired. </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How to
Get Hired</b>: The author offers 17 Principles for getting hired. Here are just
a few.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Find a job that fits you. Don’t just try to
force fit yourself into a job.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Conduct a “Self Inventory.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He uses the “flower experiment” which looks
at your interests, personality as various petals of the flower. He claims that
this approach results in success 84% of the time. </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">c.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Search for what you love: It’s not just about
what you’re good at, but also what you love to do.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">d.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Job hunts are also potential career changes.
This is a great time to scan your history and rethink what you really want to
do, not just what you can do.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">e.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Target companies and organizations, not just
jobs. Regardless of whether a company you admire has a job opening, pursue the
organization. </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">f.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Especially target smaller companies of 100
people or less. These companies tend to be more flexible and open to discussion
and options. </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">g.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Try to avoid HR. As mentioned, HR’s job is to be
a gatekeeper. So, if you can find a way to get to the hiring manager, your
chances increase. </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">h.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Submitting resumes is a necessary evil. However,
conducting a self-inventory, working in association with people and coaches,
and knocking on doors of companies you interested in are all more effective ways
to tackle the search. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The
Interview:</b> One of the 17 Principles, the Interview, is critical.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Practice interviewing with friends, fellow
seekers. </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Conduct informational interviews of people who
actually do the work you’re interested in—this serves as a reality check. </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">c.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Interview for jobs—this is the ultimate goal
that all activities should focus on. In job interviews, here are the only 5
questions they care about:</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -9.0pt; text-indent: -1.5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span>i.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Why are you here? Explain your research—about
what you know about our company and how your talents are a fit.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -9.0pt; text-indent: -1.5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span>ii.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>What can you do for us? Explain how you can
solve our specific problems and tell stories about how you did it in the past. </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -9.0pt; text-indent: -1.5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span>iii.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>What kind of person are you? Explain how you
play well with others!</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -9.0pt; text-indent: -1.5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span>iv.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>What are your distinguishing talents?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Explain why you’re different.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -9.0pt; text-indent: -1.5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span>v.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Can we afford you? Explain parameters,
flexibility, and don’t let money get in the way. </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">d.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Watch the time in an interview.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -9.0pt; text-indent: -1.5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span>i.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Half and Half:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Don’t overtalk the interview. As best you can, try to make the interview
a conversation. And research on effective conversations shows that when both
get a chance to talk about the same amount, it feels like it’s been a good
exchange. </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -9.0pt; text-indent: -1.5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span>ii.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>20 to 2: Answers should take between 20 seconds
to 2 minutes depending on the complexity of the question. But droning on can be
a turn off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, answering in
machine-gun fashion can feel awkward and unsatisfying as well. </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; mso-text-indent-alt: -9.0pt; text-indent: -1.5in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span>iii.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Ask for the job. At the end of the interview you
may want to ask: “Considering all that we have discussed here, can you offer me
this job?” The author swears by this technique. I’m on the fence about it. </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Stick
with it</b>! It’s easy to get discouraged as the process takes more time than
we ever wanted. The key is Don’t Stop—keep the process going. It’s really a
full-time job.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Job
Hunting Links:</b> Finally, here’s a link to some pretty cool PDFs on job
hunting--<a href="http://content.randomhouse.com/assets/97803"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">http://content.randomhouse.com/assets/97803</span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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Steve Gladishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988505384316328769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5260638093119176856.post-71734744358797786612017-08-21T07:40:00.001-04:002017-08-21T07:40:56.032-04:00ACT Before You Think!?<div class="MsoNormal">
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC2Fi8gW6ldO5MOnJMoZp4eqenpiX_85dcSJzlsgrRprZcJDmZO_JzJ4ZzXTOayZMDcR5HmK7T8U6sH3dFhibLeGnrF0qAx3tp7M1jwS1fWJG4b0YuxigD7JBqysJaqeX7aXHV32wK6kfj/s1600/act+like+a+leader.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="183" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC2Fi8gW6ldO5MOnJMoZp4eqenpiX_85dcSJzlsgrRprZcJDmZO_JzJ4ZzXTOayZMDcR5HmK7T8U6sH3dFhibLeGnrF0qAx3tp7M1jwS1fWJG4b0YuxigD7JBqysJaqeX7aXHV32wK6kfj/s320/act+like+a+leader.png" width="212" /></a><i>Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader </i>by Herminia Ibarra (HBR
Press, 2015), reviewed by Steve Gladis<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Overview:</b> Act before you think! Not exactly the advice we might give our kids,
but sage advice that the author, Herminia Ibarra, offers her readers based on
her myth-shattering research about career transition. Leaders need to act—experiment
their way into leadership—and not overthink it. Social science research shows
us that people change their minds only after changing their <o:p></o:p></div>
behavior. We think
of ourselves as writers, runners, lovers only after we’ve acted—written, run
and loved. And becoming a leader from the outside in helps generate the
author’s slogan: Outsight comes from action—by redefining your job, your
network, yourself. Regarding leadership, we act like a leader when we offer new
ideas, network with new people to reach goals, and make contributions beyond
our expertise. To become a better lder, we must stretch. And, when we’re in
transition, reflection should always follow action, not the other way around. By
contrast, too much insight reflects on internal knowledge, past experience and
thought—too much of which can get you stuck in the past. Rather, advancing your
leadership emerges from your acts first, then your thoughts and reflections. <br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>The
“Outsight Principle.” </b>A rapidly changing world calls for an adaptive, do-it-yourself
(DIY) transition. Not waiting for your organization to step up, but taking
charge of your own leadership development makes sense. Called the “outsight principle,”
the author’s revelation says that we need to act against habit and follow a
three-pronged strategy: 1. Work on your job—try new ways at work; 2. Work on
your network—meet new people; and, 3. Work on yourself--connect and engage with
people in new ways. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Redefine
Your Job.</b> We tend to stick with what we’re good at because it feels
good—and we’re also lazy! Nearly 60% of leaders spend time in meetings—getting
bogged down. Shifting from driving day-to-day results to becoming more
strategic is how leaders advance. But
that shift isn’t easy, and we like easy—staying with who and what we know. Getting
off the “dance floor” and onto the “balcony” forces managers to see their job
in a more strategic way. To evolve, leaders must act as bridges between diverse
groups, envision new ideas, engage with people and embody/become the change
they want to see. To do these things, leaders need to get more involved in
outside projects, carve out more time for strategic work, and communicate their
purpose—their “why.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Network
Across and Out.</b> Getting strategic things done demands that leaders become
better networked with stakeholders (both lateral and vertical) to sell ideas,
identify trends, and compete for resources. To develop, leaders also need to
know how to do new things (get new tasks done), which often requires
help—coaching, mentoring, encouragement. Thus, expanding networks to more
strategic levels and well beyond their current tactical levels makes sense. In one study, managers rated external training
(outside networking) as far more valuable than their boss in developing them as
a leader—reinforcing the do-it-yourself (DIY) model of transition. Leaders need
three kinds of networks: Personal (to develop yourself); operational (to get
things done); and strategic (to get to the next level). And, leveraging between
networks leads to synergy. Critical components of a good network are breadth
(diverse), connectivity (links between groups), and dynamic (evolving). But we tend to network with people who are like
ourselves—an evolutionary instinct. In fact, at the beginning of any job
interview, finding something in common with the interviewer dramatically
increases the chances of getting to the next level. Thus, the more diverse,
dynamic and wide a network, the better. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b>4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Be More Playful with Your Self. </b>Talk to
any successful person and they’ve either felt or are feeling like a fraud. So
common is this phenomenon that it’s been called “the imposter syndrome.” Often,
we get trapped into this situation because when you step up to leadership, the
position feels new, weird. Experimenting with new behaviors helps us role play
as we adapt to new identities—which can feel less authentic. However, who we
were in the past is not who we might become. Three ways to play/experiment: draw from other leaders, focus on learning,
and rewrite your story. <b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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</span><!--[endif]--><b>Stepping
Up. </b>Evolving into the next-level leader is not a single event but a process
over time. Transition is never a linear,
straightforward process—more a bunch of false starts and readjustments. It’s a
lot like going to buy a pair of running shoes. You try them on, test drive them
on a treadmill or around the store first. Who you are as a leader isn’t
preconceived but conceived of testing, failing and trying again. According to
Daniel Levinson, we go through transition (3 years) and stability periods (7
years). We tend to incrementally change in stability periods and make bigger
changes in our transition phases. There are five stages when stepping into
transition as a leader: 1. Disconfirmation—a gap between where you are and want
to be; 2. Simple Addition—adding and testing out new roles and behaviors; 3.
Complication—setbacks that happen along the transition; 4. Course
Correction—reflection on new endeavors and impact; 5.
Internalization—confirming your new identity and sticking with changes. Bottom
Line: To become a leader, act first, then think and reflect on it. Change how
you work, who you hang around with and how you express yourself. In his
commencement speech at Stanford, Steve Jobs said: “You can’t connect the dots
going forward; you can only connect them looking backward.” So, stepping out
and trying/acting into leadership may not immediately make perfect sense, but
one day it will form a coherent narrative if we stay true to our quest to
become a better leader. <o:p></o:p></div>
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</span><!--[endif]--><b>More Good
Stuff Inside:</b> Check out these nuggets: The Outsight Graphic (p. 11); Is
Your Work Environment Telling You It’s Time to Change (p.19); A Network Audit
(p. 73); What’s Wrong with Your Network (p.102); The Big Questions (p. 102); Are
you in a Career-Building Period or in a Career-Transitioning Period? (p. 179).<o:p></o:p></div>
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Steve Gladishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988505384316328769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5260638093119176856.post-25486124586782230342017-08-11T07:09:00.000-04:002017-08-11T07:09:40.390-04:00Talk Like TED--How to improve your public speaking <b><span style="font-size: large;">Overview</span></b>: Using a host of TED Talks, Carmine Gallo offers a powerful<br />
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argument for how to deliver public presentations. Having taught speech for over 20 years and being a former speechwriter, I can highly recommend this book. Gallo suggests speaking with emotion and passion; telling compelling, relevant stories; having a conversation with the audience; teaching something new; inserting show-stopping elements; using situational and personal humor; and, delivering information in short 10-minute segments punctuated by soft breaks—stories, pictures, videos.<br />
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<b>1. Unleash the Master Within</b>: Find a unique passion in your material to supercharge your presentation. You have to inspire yourself first, then others will follow. Passion and inspiration spread like a good virus. The author translates passion into a question: What makes your heart sing? And then, how do you incorporate that into your profession and your presentations. Passionate business leaders are more creative, set higher goals, show more persistence and have better performance than their peers. In fact, the more you speak on a topic you’re passionate about, the more your brain develops. Charisma and passion are related. Charismatic people smile more and generate more energy than others. In short, charisma and passion lead to positive emotions in self and eventually to mood contagion in others.<br />
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<b>2. Master the Art of Storytelling:</b> Using stories to engage your audience is the way to break down audience resistance and to connect them to your central theme, making it both comprehensible and memorable. Using Bryan Stevenson’s TED Talk about social justice, Gallo demonstrates how personal stories woven into the narrative engage the audience. Good presenters use a blend of facts and analysis combined with artful storytelling. Three types of stories: relevant personal stories, relevant stories of others, and success or failures of brands—especially ones that have an unexpected result or lesson learned. To get quoted in the media, tell a story of vulnerability in your speech.<br />
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<b>3. Have a Conversation:</b> “It takes practice to appear natural,” explains this chapter. Deep practice with an eye toward looking as if you’re having a personal conversation with the audience —as you might with a friend—takes rehearsal. Such comfort only comes with practice and emotional rapport with the audience. “Authenticity doesn’t happen naturally.” One way is to get early feedback. Practice with less intimidating audiences, offer presentations for a reduced fee or even free—just to get the practice.<br />
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<b>4. Teach Me Something New—Be Novel:</b> We’re hard wired to learn something new. Our brains are always on the lookout for new information—mainly to figure out whether it’s threatening or not. So, reveal “new” and helpful information to attract people to your speech. Advancing to the next level of a video game or learning new information triggers the chemical dopamine—the brain’s “save” button. “New” excites the brain which wants to learn how to survive, and dopamine flips that switch on—and it’s addictive. Just watch any kid playing a video game. If you can explain your BIG new idea in a tweet, you probably really understand it and can teach it to others. What is the one thing you want people to remember after you talk?<br />
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<b>5. Deliver Jaw-Dropping Moments:</b> Emotional experiences of fear get seared into our lasting memory. You can do this in your speech. Emotions cause the amygdala to access the visual cortex to collect detailed info and then secrete dopamine that enhances memory—it’s like a post-it note to the brain to remember this whole experience. September 11 is a difficult but perfect example. People remember where they were when they heard about it because that day is seared into their memory. Use very concrete examples, charged with emotions, if you want people to remember them. We persuade when we grab a person’s head and heart—logic and emotion. <br />
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<b>6. Lighten Up: </b>Humor breaks down defenses, makes you seem more human and more trustworthy. The brain loves humor because it provides a twist—novelty. Higher ranking people in a group are more likely to use humor. It’s also an “ingratiation tactic” that allows acceptance into a group. Humorous people are regarded as considerate, intelligent and emotionally stable—among other positive traits. In business, humor deflects criticism, relieves tension, and can communicate tough messages. But, avoid telling jokes—a difficult task. Raise humor through personal anecdotal stories that get a smile or chuckle from the group.<br />
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<b>7. Stick to the 18-Minute TED Talk Rule:</b> People can only absorb so much. That’s why TED Talks are limited to 18 minutes. Longer talks require soft breaks (stories, videos, demos) about every 10 minutes—otherwise audiences get “cognitive backlog” which can make them overwhelmed, exhausted, anxious, even angry. Also, willpower is a limited commodity, which gets drained with too many decisions. The lack of glucose—caused by the brain doing too much thinking—causes a drop in willpower. Brain cells are energy hogs—requiring twice as much energy (and glucose) as other parts of the body.<br />
<b>8. Paint a Mental Picture:</b> The brain craves stimulation and loves and learns from multisensory stimulation—auditory, visual and kinesthetic. People remember more when they see, hear and experience information. These connections are a lot stronger than each independently. And this is especially true with people with no or low prior knowledge—clients, students, and the general public—to whom you are explaining a new concept. Vision trumps all the senses, so focus on the visual. The author uses Al Gore’s now famous speech on climate change as a perfect example of how to integrate visual, audio and other breaks to help the audience understand the complex nature of the subject.<br />
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<i>Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Speakers by Carmine Gallo (St. Martin’s Press, 2014) reviewed by Steve Gladis, September 2016.</i><br />
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Steve Gladishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988505384316328769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5260638093119176856.post-55053477003672975042017-07-29T07:42:00.004-04:002017-07-29T07:42:50.958-04:00How to Scientifically Make Life Changes that Stick<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsrJBtMkRzukUz1Ad5eD0IlO7JgsmHSfkwo67kLPo8VWF5WaOoPDXezRr-DGY0UcAqDM_2tPxR4tvVhxtM3qK-QoYpAOexUVr7O8euR4GAWVrl8da2QyH_BTrbQQbZXbum9xvj5P0e35lC/s1600/Stick+with+it.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="230" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsrJBtMkRzukUz1Ad5eD0IlO7JgsmHSfkwo67kLPo8VWF5WaOoPDXezRr-DGY0UcAqDM_2tPxR4tvVhxtM3qK-QoYpAOexUVr7O8euR4GAWVrl8da2QyH_BTrbQQbZXbum9xvj5P0e35lC/s200/Stick+with+it.jpg" width="132" /></a><b>Overview:</b> Dieters won’t stick to diets, patients won’t take their meds, and <span style="text-align: center;">businesses can’t get customers to stay with them. Why? Personality, heredity, or just bad luck? It’s hard to “stick with it”— for things like diet, sleep, exercise, and whatever else is important to you—unless you construct a process around “it.” Sean Young’s research and practice have identified seven forces or principles behind lasting change. He uses the mnemonic S-C-I-E-N-C-E to help us remember these forces: Stepladders (small steps can lead to big changes); Community (we’re pack animals, and follow the herd); Important (things must matter to us); Easy (we do ‘easy’ first); Neurohacks (we act ourselves into change); Captivating (we all like a wow factor); and, Engrained (repetition deepens habits in our brains). Young then shows how these 7 forces can be applied selectively to alter three key behaviors (the ABCs): Automatic, Burning, and Common problems. Using stories, studies, and statistics, the author drives home his process for making lasting changes. Author: Sean Young is a professor at UCLA and director of the Center for Digital Behavior and the UC Institute for Predictive Technology. </span></div>
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<b>1. Stepladders: </b>Great journeys begin with the first step. Starting small makes a big difference. Not overwhelming people with huge first steps is critical. Take a small step, reflect, take the next one. Too much planning can become a barrier. Focus on smaller steps and goals, not dreams, to avoid being overwhelmed and disappointed by failure. It’s all about the “power of the incremental.” Rewarding yourself more frequently with small-step wins motivates you to keep trying—conditions the brain with regular dopamine releases. </div>
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<b>2. Community:</b> Despite thinking we’re fiercely independent, we follow the crowd—like the social, pack animals we are. Social connections offer us support and competition that can lead to healthy change. Communities share common characteristics, beliefs and cultures. Facebook is an example of how community forms and gets reinforced by likes, comments and shares. Here are 6 ingredients of good community: Trust, fitting in, self-worth, social pull, reward, feeling empowered. Connecting and contributing foster community. In social media, it might be as simple as inviting a connection and “liking” or commenting on posts. </div>
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<b>3. Important:</b> For us to continue doing something, it must be important to us. If a product does not solve a problem, customers won’t keep using it. The three top things that are important to people are money, social connections, and health. Being socially connected makes us more likely to do things. When we belong to CrossFit or Weight Watchers, the activity gets more important to us, so we follow through. Understanding what’s important to someone opens the door to them. </div>
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<b>4. Easy:</b> Make it easy for people to do, and they’ll do it. Learn how to remove barriers to make it easier for people to comply. You can control the environment (start dieting by keeping no junk food in the house); limit choices (keep choices to only a few—too many confuses people); or, draw a roadmap (show people the path to take and they will take it). </div>
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<b>5. Neurohacks:</b> We don’t think ourselves into change, we act our way into change and our minds follow. Using neurohacks, mental tricks, can help immensely. If you want to start loving your wife or husband even more, change your password to “I¬¬_love_my_wife.” Want to become kinder? Go out and practice kindness. Neurohacks work because people want to be consistent with their actions and self-image. For example, just physically smiling starts to make you feel and think more positively. And how you speak about self and others affects how you think about yourself and others. </div>
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<b>6. Captivating:</b> Making activities or products game-like, fun, and rewarding ensures they will be captivating and sticky. People will keep doing things if they’re rewarded for doing them—clipping coupons is a great example. We approach rewards and avoid punishment—mostly. To make things captivating: Make it fun; use carrots, not sticks; money is not the best reward; and, make the activity rewarding by setting reasonable goals. Rewards programs work because people envision what they might do in the future—even though many never do. Look at how many airline bonus miles go unused every year.</div>
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<b>7. Engrained:</b> Routines to instill habits make change happen. Repetition creates rewards in the brain. Our brains are designed to make things easy and routine, because it saves energy. The brain remembers, adapts, engrains and changes to retain information it needs to remember to survive. It’s why babies remember their mother’s voice and respond positively to it. Repeating key behaviors, every day, at a particular place and time, engrains it on the brain. Conversely, we need diversity in schools; otherwise, kids get used to seeing only one skin color (similar to them) as safe and others as potential threats. </div>
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<b>8. The ABCs of Behavior:</b> Specific problems require specific tools. Thus, you may use some of the seven tools with certain types of problems and other sets with another problem. Here are three specific, potential problems. Automatic Behaviors: We all have behaviors that we’re unaware of—thus hard to change. To change such unconscious, automatic and deeply engrained behaviors, use easy and engrained tools. Drinking too much soda? Keep a bottle of water on your desk—not soda. On a diet? Keep processed foods out of the house. Burning Behaviors: These are urges or bad habits we’re aware of but can’t seem to stop. Smoking, playing video games, checking emails, and others. Make easy the things that you want to do, and hard if you want to stop them. Limit time on videos or turn off email—set a timer to check. Common Behaviors: Many people try to get started on a fitness program. Doing it alone makes it tough. But add a fitness or weight-loss buddy to your life and watch things start to change. </div>
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<i>Stick with It: A Scientifically Proven Process for Changing Your Life—for Good, by Sean Young (HarperCollins, 2017), reviewed by Steve Gladis, July 2017.</i></div>
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Steve Gladishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988505384316328769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5260638093119176856.post-67012637146811241852017-04-13T08:00:00.000-04:002017-04-13T08:00:25.722-04:00Coaching Teams<b>High Performance Team Coaching: A Comprehensive System for Leaders and Coaches </b>by Drs. Jacqueline Peters and Catherine Carr (FriesenPress, 2013), <i>reviewed by Steve Gladis, April 2017. </i><br />
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<b>Overview</b>: Only 1 of 5 teams is high performing, in part because team coaching has lacked a solid performance model—at least until now. High-performance coaching is systematic and focused on the collective talents, strengths, and goals of the organization. First, the authors define the critical difference between a group and a team. A team is complementary, committed and, especially, interdependent. And a high-performance team hits or exceeds organizational goals they set for themselves. The authors set out several key elements. I’d call them the Key 3s. Three fundamental steps for a team: Assess stakeholder expectations; put a plan in place; measure progress and results. Three critical drivers for success: Team structure, team launch, and team coaching. Three times for best coaching impact: The beginning, middle, and end. And finally, three critical outputs: Quality results, team capabilities and relationships, and individual engagement.<br />
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1.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Team Coaching</b>: Team and individual coaching are different animals. Only in the past decade has team coaching emerged as a sub-discipline of coaching. Moreover, systemic team coaching focuses on the leader, the team processes, and the team’s impact on stakeholders to transform performance of the team and the business. Typically, an external coach works with the leader, the team and, where needed, individuals on the team. Safety and trust are critical factors for high-performance teams. There are 6 phases of High Performance Team Coaching: Assessment, Design, Launch, Individual Coaching, Team Coaching, and Review. <br />
2.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Assessment & Design</b>: Referring to Wageman’s research (2008), the authors cite three essential conditions (a real, defined team; compelling direction; and the right people). Also there are 3 enabling conditions (solid team structure, supportive organizational context, and competent team coaching). Teams need both essential and enabling conditions to be successful. The assessment phase determines the strengths, weaknesses, and gaps between the current and desired states. In general, the essential and enabling conditions that follow provide specific guidance for the first two phases of team coaching.<br />
a.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Essential Conditions of Teams: 1) “Real” Teams have clear boundaries, defined membership, and strong interdependent goals; 2) Compelling direction gives teams a sense of purpose about their work and its impact on their stakeholders; 3) The right people are those with the knowledge, skills and abilities to achieve the team’s goals.<br />
b.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Enabling Conditions: 1) Solid team structure means clear roles, responsibilities, and working guidelines/agreements; 2) Supportive Organizational Context means that a team has resources to support its operation—time, talent, money; 3) Competent Team Coaching refers to coaches with experience in the discipline of team coaching.<br />
3.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Team Launch</b>: New teams are launched, and established teams are relaunched to develop and/or refresh their mission and vision and establish a safe, cohesive unit. Led by competent team coaches, such launches are held offsite to focus teams on the purpose and the ground rules (working agreements) of the team. In essence, a team charter is formulated to keep the team on course, especially when things get rocky. If good rules aren’t established up front and adhered to, people will create them, ad hoc. The authors provide a valuable, simple worksheet to help coaches and teams craft such a charter.<br />
4.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Individual Team Coaching</b>: Coaching the team leader through this transitional period helps provide a valuable sounding board and guide to keep the team coaching and processes on track. In general, coaching is good both for the leader and also team members who might get stuck along the way. Coaching team members can be done by the team coach or an internal or external coach and/or, especially, peers. Peer coaching is easy to teach and implement as long as the team coach creates rules, especially around confidentiality, that lead to safety, truth telling and ultimately progress.<br />
5.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Ongoing Team Coaching</b>: It may be best to have an external coach when launching a new team. Moreover, having that coach at least monitor the team’s progress in the middle and end of the engagement is critical. Sometimes the team leader will take over the reins after the team is up and running well. In many cases, the team coach provides regular, periodic coaching for the team and leader. Again, peer coaching is viewed as a key driver of employee engagement. <br />
6.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Review of Learning and Successes</b>: Reviewing a team’s progress periodically and then at its completion is a key factor for future team success. One of the coach’s jobs is to push the team to review their experiences (tasks, milestones, etc.) and reflect on their collective and personal learning during the team’s lifecycle. Worth noting—often this step is skipped by many teams, especially in the glow of completing a difficult task. Coaches and team leaders must vigilantly reflect on the team’s journey to ensure both the growth of team members and the organization. Excellent teams produce the following three outputs: Quality results, team capabilities and relationships, and individual engagement.<br />
7.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>Team Coaching Activities</b>: Chapter 5 is a goldmine for coaches. The authors provide guidance to ensure that a series of key elements of the six-step team coaching process are followed. For example, in support of the assessment step, The Team Coaching Readiness Assessment provides a list of detailed questions to ask prior to coaching to ensure a greater chance of team success. Supporting the launch step, the Team Charter Page offers a simple, effective team summary including vision, mission, values, key goals, success measures and working agreements.<br />
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Steve Gladishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988505384316328769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5260638093119176856.post-81201717193344007942016-12-01T08:39:00.000-05:002016-12-01T08:39:12.248-05:00Driven to Distraction<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World </i>by Adam
Gazzaley <o:p></o:p></div>
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and Larry Rosen (MIT Press, 2016,) reviewed by Steve Gladis, Dec. 2016.<br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]--><b>Overview</b>. A basic premise of this book:
We have an evolutionary and survivalist need to access information. We
literally forage for important information, much like food foraging. In fact,
novelty and information trigger our brain’s reward-dopamine system. However,
modern access to huge volumes of information creates an overload and the
frustration associated with it. This book outlines why and how we’re
distracted, especially in an e-world full of competing images and sounds. The
big problem: Our ability to set goals is far more evolved than our
goal-enactment abilities. And given the amount of e-interference today, goal
interference looms over us constantly. The authors describe the conflict
between goal setting and cognitive control; attention setting and managing goals
resulting from distractions; and, interruptions and multitasking. The 3 HUGE disrupters
in our current world are the internet, cell phones, and email. Finally, the
authors offer strategies to combat such distraction and make us more resilient
by employing education, cognitive training, certain video games, physical
exercise, pharmaceuticals, and nature exposure. In addition, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiANn5PZ4BI">here’s a TED talk</a> that
will orient you to their work. <o:p></o:p></div>
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</span><!--[endif]--><b>Cognition
and Control</b>. In Section I, the authors discuss how our limited cognitive
control wrestles with interference, distraction (both internal and external) and
poor performance. Interference appears
as ‘noise,” like task switching (erroneously labeled “multitasking”), which distracts
us from our goals. For example, you go to the pantry but forget why you went
there! Our brains have evolved over time
to develop complex goals and focus on them using cognitive control by using
attention, working memory and goal management—all of which have limitations and
are affected by age and daily circumstances. Unfortunately, multitasking is
associated with novelty, pushes the brain’s rewards button (dopamine system), and
is more fun than focusing! Example: I just exported a quote from this book to
OneNote, then tried to sync it, couldn’t find the sync button, and spent 4 minutes
trying to locate it. Now I’m trying to get back to my goal—writing this review!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b>3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Modern Behavior. </b>Today’s technologies
offer us a “foraging” feast and an unlimited ability to trigger the pleasure of
a dopamine (rewards) hit. This external technology is ubiquitous, addictive,
and harmful—all at the same time. Thus, the constant presence of technology affects
our safety (texting and driving); education (website visits and texts during
class); sleep (screen time and sleep interference); and health (spending too
much time sitting and not moving).
Further, this technical interference especially impacts people with
ADHD, anxiety, depression, and autism. The danger: “attentional blindness” is
paying too much attention to our top-down brain functions and not enough time to
our bottom-up sensory functions—we lose track of what’s happening in the moment.
People get hit by cars and bump into walls because they’re too distracted by
their phones. In fact, 23% of all car crashes involve distraction by using a
cell phone! At work, interruptions are constant, especially in open offices,
and it can take up to 30 minutes to get back on task. To make up for
interruptions, people work faster, demand more of their brains, and experience
more stress and higher frustration. Socially we are often “alone together,”
paying way more attention to our cellphones and less to people around us. In
fact, the mere presence of a cell phone (iPhone effect) had negative consequences
in social interaction, such as a lack of empathy. The overuse of technology has
been associated with psychological problems. Sleep is critically affected by
screen time, especially an hour before bedtime—it inhibits melatonin release.
Technology—especially the internet, smartphones and social media—has had a
serious effect on the key domains of Attention (selectivity, distribution,
sustainability, processing speed); Working Memory (capacity); and, Goal
Management (multitasking and task switching). <b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b>4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>What to Do. </b>With important tasks, turn
off any distracting devices. However, unimportant, boring tasks might benefit
from paced disruptions. Augmenting our
knowledge of technology’s effects on the brain, decreasing our access to it, diminishing
boredom and reducing anxiety are the keys to getting this technology danger
under control. Here are just a few cautions and tips to diminish distractions. Driving:
texting while driving increases the risk of a crash 23 times! And, just using a
cell phone while driving is like being legally drunk. Boredom: Conversation in
a car is OK unless it requires deep cognitive thought. Audio books seem to be
safe and don’t measurably conflict with attention in a major way. Anxiety: To
avoid compulsive message checking, inform your friends when you’re unavailable
and set up auto-responses. Critical Assignments: Avoid multitasking to increase
productivity and reduce stress. Take regular breaks. Limit yourself to one
screen at a time. Reduce open programs on the computer. Limit daily contact
with email and set time limits. Listen to your favorite music (I prefer
instrumentals)—symphony or smooth jazz.
Rest your eyes; try the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes take a 20 second
break and focus on things 20 feet away. Take short 10-minute naps. Take nature
walks. Keep phones out of sight. Have weekly 15-min. family meetings. Have
family meals—for best child psychological and family relationships. Remove
technology from the bedroom. While drugs like Ritalin and Adderall may help
people with ADHD (a burgeoning class in a distracted world), the side effects,
including addiction, for healthy people taking them can be negative. <b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
Steve Gladishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988505384316328769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5260638093119176856.post-87809622130402050862016-07-31T18:33:00.000-04:002016-07-31T18:33:50.585-04:00Great Leaders Put Others First<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTpyHOktGKl1AUN-n7BHg_zyfEu8Olwpmbt2Vw1sHG8uz4iVGTGxtDNjTN5MlysXPOBKhn-mcnLWC-t2GUyqZQSQ1RNGFg0L7QnJXQrgMQcqPxmodjV_AISVTD4F9iM9smZMxtW6bHHNLL/s1600/leaders+eat+last.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTpyHOktGKl1AUN-n7BHg_zyfEu8Olwpmbt2Vw1sHG8uz4iVGTGxtDNjTN5MlysXPOBKhn-mcnLWC-t2GUyqZQSQ1RNGFg0L7QnJXQrgMQcqPxmodjV_AISVTD4F9iM9smZMxtW6bHHNLL/s320/leaders+eat+last.jpg" width="211" /></a><b>Overview</b>: What makes Marines so great? Marine officers take care of their <br />
troops always. For example, they “eat last”—after the troops. Soldiers act better than most of us because they are willing to sacrifice themselves in service of the safety of others. However, often in business, leaders eat first—get paid more and stand first in line for benefits. Real leaders put others first—protect others first. An excellent organization has a culture of empathy that protects and serves its people first, who in turn look out for the organization. When people feel unsafe and unprotected by leaders, they feel stress and anxiety. They seek safety and protection in silos and engage in internal politics that hurt the company. When we compete between those silos, we give off selfish chemicals; but when we collaborate, we give off selfless ones—allowing us to be our best selves.<br />
<br />
<b>--Employees First</b>: CEO Bob Chapman (of Barry-Wehmiller) bought a number of manufacturing companies and was willing to listen to his employees. Factory workers noted how differently they were treated than office workers. Chapman decided to inject more empathy into the company—allowing everyone the same freedoms and discretion. Through a culture of caring, Chapman grew loyalty and nearly doubled revenues. Advice for leaders: “To earn trust, he [she] must extend trust.” Our minds register threat or no threat, especially from leaders, and Chapman works to be no threat.<br />
<br />
<b>--From Me to We</b>: Sinek offers this simple but powerful concept: The “circle of safety.” In short, strong cultures provide internal protection from external threats. Weak cultures do the opposite and create toxic work environments. Intimidation, isolation, and politics inside organizations with weak cultures can be a serious threat to success. Real leaders protect the tribe from both internal and external threats. Sinek references Steve Pressfield who wrote about how the Spartans (Greek warriors) protected each other: “A warrior carries helmet and breastplate for his own protection, but his shield for the safety of the whole line [comrades].” Without protection, factions (corporate gangs) and silos form for self-protection and ultimately hurt the entire organization. Gallup studies show that 40% of employees will quit if ignored by bosses, and 22% leave if actively criticized. Having little sense of control at work creates stress. And, about a third of workers want to leave their job.<br />
<br />
<b>--The Group</b>: When people feel safe at work, they band together to fight the outside competition. When they don’t feel safe, they expend much energy on self-protection. Size also matters: The optimal size of a company or a working location (office/plant) should be about 150 people. We’re all inclined to cooperate, especially if we know people we work with. In excess of 150, we lose that capacity to know people.<br />
<br />
<b>--Selfish Chemicals</b>: Self-focused chemicals like dopamine, adrenalin, and cortisol drive us to “hunt,” achieve, and compete to win. Dopamine gets released when we reach a goal, cross it off our to-do list—achieve something. Feeling a sense of progress and reward is created by dopamine. Unfortunately, emailing, texting, overwork, and gambling, alcohol and drugs can also cause the release of dopamine—and thus become addictive, destructive habits. In an overly performance-driven environment, dopamine can become destructive to the circle of safety, creating stress, breaking down loyalty, and hurting the organization. Cortisol prepares our bodies and muscles for fight or flight. This hormone protects the body under stress. It’s only intended to surge to protect in the moment. Lingering levels of cortisol—caused by difficult bosses, layoffs, and internal politics—break down the immune system, increase aggression, impair cognitive ability, and lower our capacity for empathy.<br />
<br />
<b>--Selfless Chemicals</b>: Such chemicals as serotonin and oxytocin are the social glue that holds the culture together—they are “the backbone of the circle of safety.” Family, friends, and coworkers all get us through the good and bad times by causing us to produce serotonin, a mood enhancer given off from this support that makes us feel grateful towards those people. Generosity and physical contact (shaking hands, hugs) stimulate oxytocin. Oxytocin also boosts our immune system and makes us less addictive. In safe environments, oxytocin is given off and creates the feeling of love, friendship, belonging and trust. A good tribe should stimulate serotonin and oxytocin (making us feel safe), not dopamine, adrenalin and cortisol (making us feel threatened and competitive). Leaders who sacrifice for the group are revered as alphas and are allowed to lead by their followers. Safety yields trust, and trust is the lubricant of good, responsive business.<br />
<br />
<b>--Examples of What Real Leaders Do</b>: 1. Rather than laying off people, they have everyone, including all execs, take furlough days. 2. They protect (keep people safe), connect (socially bond the group), and direct (project a vision of the future). 3. They break the rules only to do the right thing, not for personal gain. 4. They provide cover from above. 5. They avoid “destructive abstraction” by putting a human face on statistics, not mindlessly employing draconian policies for the sake of numbers—selfless vs. selfish pursuits. 6. They sacrifice for the greater good of others.<br />
<br />
<i>Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t (Penguin, 2014) by Simon Sinek, reviewed by Steve Gladis, July 2016.</i><br />
<div>
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Steve Gladishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988505384316328769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5260638093119176856.post-51996220188167285892016-06-05T14:53:00.001-04:002016-06-05T14:53:06.264-04:00Mindsight--Mind, Brain, and Relationships<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQ9NdzDTaXeGwqMAE-idKZOzrEzScY-ilU1YjLFEkdxWBLHwGDp6MIozADedTlmFHzXrk5gNS-CTx817IH0SE1C3ayIUs5np3J89Xj60RzK3Q5g5IMKdYXAEp8hmSYTq8AUmd9AtwGt0J/s1600/mindsight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQ9NdzDTaXeGwqMAE-idKZOzrEzScY-ilU1YjLFEkdxWBLHwGDp6MIozADedTlmFHzXrk5gNS-CTx817IH0SE1C3ayIUs5np3J89Xj60RzK3Q5g5IMKdYXAEp8hmSYTq8AUmd9AtwGt0J/s320/mindsight.jpg" width="207" /></a><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Overview</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">: I believe that the heart of this book is embodied in a
quote by Martin Luther King Jr. from the </span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Letter
from Birmingham Jail</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">: </span><span style="background: white; text-indent: -0.25in;">"We are caught in the inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a
single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects us all
indirectly."<span style="color: #333333;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Professor and psychiatrist Dan Siegel illustrates
King’s words in action.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">He explains how </span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Mindsight </i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">helps us integrate and
regulate the flow of energy and information both within ourselves and among others,
while at the same time honoring differences and reshaping our own brains. The
brain is a social organ and mindsight is about regulating and integrating
emotional and social intelligence. </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Indeed,
knowing ourselves and sensing the inner world of others is uniquely human. Through
mindful breathing and reflection, we can learn to “name and tame” our emotions
rather than being consumed by and “becoming” those emotions. He proposes a
triangle: Well-being = Mind + Brain + Relationships.</span><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>About
Mindsight</b>: Mindsight focuses on both internal reflection and external
relationships, which result in an integrated, social, and resilient mind—one
capable of weathering the ups and downs of life. For example, when we reflect
and can name an emotion, we get a chance to tame that emotion. Thus, saying “I’m mad” (identifying with the
emotion) is far different than saying “I feel mad” (a transient condition). Well-being
results from Siegel’s mindsight triangle of the mind, brain, and relationships.
Well-being emerges when we integrate information and energy within self and between
others while honoring differences. Such connections with self and others keep
us from becoming too rigid (stuck and depressed) or chaotic (angry and
explosive). Navigating the mindsight process between self and others ultimately
sculpts and changes the shape of the brain. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>About the
Brain</b>: Neuroplasticity describes how our brain changes and grows throughout
our lives, creating new neuronal connections based on our experiences with self
and others. Siegel uses complex systems’ interdependence and dynamics to
explain how various biological, psychological and physical functions interact
and influence the mind. He describes a metaphor for a healthy mind as the flow
of a river, naturally integrating energy and information in a complex system
between two banks—one of chaos reflected by anxiety and anger and one of
rigidity—being depressed or stuck in place. The healthy flow of this “river”
can be marked by an integrated system that is Flexible, Adaptive, Coherent,
Energized, and Stable (FACES). Thus, the river flows smoothly, neither crashing
up against chaos nor against rigidity. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>The Mind and Body: </b>We have both a physical and mental state.
Often doctors separate the two, treating only the physical, ignoring the
mental. Our thoughts shape our brain and that shapes how we feel, relate
and act. We can turn off mindsight and view people different than ourselves—without
empathy—as truly “other.” For example, the Nazis did that to the Jews; in fact,
every act of genocide emerges from this inhumane premise. However, as humans,
we are part of an interconnected whole. Moreover, the brain is the social organ
of the body, but too much focus on the body itself can warp our insight.
Relationship is the lifeblood that makes us human and resilient. When we share
information with each other, energy flows and relationships grow. Our neurons transmit
our information and energy to others, and our mind regulates the process. We
develop our ability to self-regulate through practices like mindful breathing
and meditation. This reflection and regulation takes place in the prefrontal
cortex (PFC). <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Your PFC</b>:
The very front of your brain is called the prefrontal cortex. It connects and
integrates everything—especially the upper (rational) and lower (emotional)
brain. The nerves in the middle of the PFC can be strengthened and accelerated by
reflection, such as mindful meditation. And the more we reflect, the stronger
the nerves become that communicate with and control the limbic system. So,
reflection leads to self- and other-relationship regulation. The PFC is where reflection takes place and what
helps us develop mindsight that promotes the following 9 domains of mental integration:
1. Bodily regulation (regulates heart, digestion, etc.); 2. Attuned
communication with self and others; 3. Emotional internal balance and
meaning—not chaos or rigidity; 4. The extinction of fear (self-calming); 5.
Flexibility and pause before responding/reacting; 6. Capacity for insight into self;
7. Empathy for others; 8. Morality—awareness of the greater good; 9. Intuition—integrating
bodily “felt sense” (the wisdom of the body) with the more logical mind. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->6.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Reflection,
Relationships, and Resilience</b>: When you reflect and understand your own
feelings, you can better navigate relationships with others and become more resilient
to the ups and downs of life. The “tripod of reflection” consists of: 1.
Openness—being receptive and aware, not judgmental or stuck; 2. Observation—seeing
the context while experiencing an event; and, 3. Objectivity—having a thought
or feeling but not being swept away by it. Reflection through meditative
breathing is the best place to start. Focusing on our breath calms the mind and
integrates the body and the mind. Developing
a regular, reflective mindfulness practice strengthens the PFC’s connection to
the body and limbic system and puts us in a more integrated state capable of
relationships and resilience in our lives. All the research on well-being says
that for resilience, social relationships are the #1 determiner of our success.
And reflection helps us develop and maintain strong, positive, reinforced
relationships. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Mindsight: The New
Science of Personal Transformation</i> by Daniel Siegel, M.D. (Bantam Books,
Copyright 2010), reviewed by Steve Gladis, June 2016. <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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Steve Gladishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988505384316328769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5260638093119176856.post-37982576654191868492016-05-08T18:44:00.000-04:002016-05-08T18:44:12.575-04:00Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj50UTxYpBwCvY3Nl344NWEgTA1hbFubEhb2MwS-qPmkCrdmodUdehISw5r5ARhdv6KPVQiIej0G82or0vRjtP7rUEws6t5MLOJegGXoHUdJIkwMIP7oV1gECYCOco1egmoa7Lh4gaNlnCr/s1600/presence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj50UTxYpBwCvY3Nl344NWEgTA1hbFubEhb2MwS-qPmkCrdmodUdehISw5r5ARhdv6KPVQiIej0G82or0vRjtP7rUEws6t5MLOJegGXoHUdJIkwMIP7oV1gECYCOco1egmoa7Lh4gaNlnCr/s320/presence.jpg" width="207" /></a><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Overview</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">:
To be more productive, Duhigg suggests paying attention to motivation, goal
setting, focus, and decision making. 1. </span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Motivation</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">:</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Make a simple choice early on that allows you
to take the first step, and connect your choice to things you care about. 2. </span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Goal Setting</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">: Set BIG aspirational,
stretch goals that kick your ambition into high gear. Then apply specific, measurable,
attainable, relevant and time-bound (S.M.A.R.T.) goals to break down your BIG
stretch goals into more chewable, digestible ones. 3. </span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Focus</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">: Draw a mental map of your day. What will it ideally look
like? How will it go? Strategize how you could deal with obstacles that might
get in the way. 4. </span><i style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Decision Making</i><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">: Envision
more than one potential future. Consider seeking out different experiences of
others; reach out and objectively consider the data. Sit with it for some time
and then decide.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Motivation</b>:
When we feel like we’re in control, we’re happier. Psychologists have long
known that happy people see the locus of control within them—they get to call
the shots—and depressed people see the locus of control outside themselves,
thus often feeling like victims. Duhigg discovers this first tenet of his book
by talking to, of all people, the Commandant of the Marine Corps. The Corps
discovered this motivational insight and used it to reshape boot camp by
allowing more choice, asking “why,” and praising freedom of action rather than
robot-like rule adherence. Insights:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->a.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Make a simple choice early on that allows you to
take the first step: <i>I’m going to check
my email only three times a day.</i> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><i>b.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal;"> </span></i><!--[endif]-->Connect
your choice to things you care about: <i>If
I limit my email checking, I’ll have more time with my kids. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Goal
Setting</b>: We all want to accomplish big things. We might want to get a
graduate degree or get in shape, even run a marathon. Duhigg calls these
stretch goals because they force us to reach beyond what might feel comfortable.
And to get to such stretch goals you need S.M.A.R.T. goals (or objectives) that
lead you there. Not new, S.M.A.R.T. goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable,
Relevant, and Time-bound. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->a.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Stretch Goals: Set BIG aspirational goals that
kick your ambition into high gear. <i>I’m
going to get in shape and run a 5K.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->b.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->SMART Goals: Take the BIG stretch goals and break
them down into more chewable, digestible ones that don’t scare you, and put
real specifics around them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Focus</b>:
As we live our lives and pursue our goals, obstacles get in the way. As they
say, life happens when you’re planning something else! We’re bombarded with
distractions—the internet, social media, YouTube, email—and if we keep
wandering down those rabbit holes, we’re less likely to reach our stretch goals
or any goals for that matter. Focus happens when we form mental models of where
we want to go—much like having a story or a map in our heads to guide us amidst
all the life distractors.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->a.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Draw a mental map of your day. What will it
ideally look like? How will it go? <i>Today, I’ll have an awesome meeting with the
CEO.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->b.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Strategize how you will deal with obstacles that
might get in the way. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Decision
Making</b>: You can have all your ducks
in a row, like being motivated, having goals big and small, and being focused,
but still not be able to make timely or good decisions. As the saying goes, the
road to hell is paved with good intentions.
So how to translate good intentions into good decisions?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->a.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Envision more than one potential future. You
might want to get a new car. You think about either turning in your car
(reducing the hassle of selling it yourself), or you consider all the money you
might make by being your own sales person. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->b.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Consider seeking out different experiences, reach
out and consider the data. Then sit with it for some time before deciding. So,
maybe you call up a few friends who have sold their own cars and find out what
that takes and mull over that data before making your final decision. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->6.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>More
Stuff</b>: The book also addresses things like managing others and encouraging
innovation.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->a.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Manage How Teams Operate—People have an equal
voice to express ideas, decisions get pushed to the person closest to the
problem, people have a sense of control, and the environment is safe.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->b.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Encourage Innovation—Combine two old ideas into
a new one, watch your own biases, note that stress can create the energy to
accomplish things, and be aware that creating something new can make us
unwilling to take the next creative step. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Smarter Better Faster: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business </i>by Charles Duhigg (Penguin Random House, 2016). Reviewed by Steve Gladis, May 2016.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
<br /></div>
Steve Gladishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988505384316328769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5260638093119176856.post-44186485259398489922016-04-09T09:11:00.001-04:002016-04-09T09:11:44.854-04:00Presence: Bringing your boldest self to your biggest challenges <b>Overview</b>: Whether
it’s Wonder Woman or Superman—transforming from everyday folks into
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_MISsBo6NCRidqwJRpKQJKlakc3gcjetSE_DWwyJpUOj2rF7xc7BXnyImZwaIWH0gk5q7l7AHBDGwaPjY3hU1HVE972CxOSXVk_svBii9gpV8rlOr9I00oAE_uwx8usB-JSESvwcN8sXn/s1600/presence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_MISsBo6NCRidqwJRpKQJKlakc3gcjetSE_DWwyJpUOj2rF7xc7BXnyImZwaIWH0gk5q7l7AHBDGwaPjY3hU1HVE972CxOSXVk_svBii9gpV8rlOr9I00oAE_uwx8usB-JSESvwcN8sXn/s320/presence.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
superheroes—those superheroes can serve as basic examples to help us all become
our best, or what I call our “super-selves.” Harvard social scientist and
professor Amy Cuddy burst onto the scene with her now famed 2012 TED Talk, “Your
Body Shapes Who You Are.” She’s expanded her TED Talk into this deep, research-based
bestselling book that further proves her central claim: Your body and your thinking
can change your personal chemistry, which can move you from feeling powerless
to powerful—changing your mindset, behavior, and even your life. Cuddy teaches us
about how to be authentic and present to better connect to others. Then she
provides a plethora of studies and stories to hammer home her points as she teaches
us how to prime ourselves before critical events to boost the power hormone,
testosterone, in men and women alike. Thus, by priming ourselves with simple
but powerful exercises and showing up as who we are—our authentic selves—we
craft a winning strategy to us help nail our next presentation, meeting or job
interview.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Presence</b>:
What is presence? It’s “…the state of
being attuned to and able to comfortably express our true thoughts, feelings,
values and potential.” Being committed to your own values, emotions, and
beliefs helps. You must sell the real you <u>to yourself</u> before trying to
sell yourself to others. By being true to yourself (authentic), you project
power, passion, confidence and enthusiasm, and others catch those feelings from
you. When you’re fully present, your
speech, posture, and non-verbals align and get in sync, and people notice. And
when you’re not “present” people spot incongruities at an unconscious, but
strongly felt, level. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>The
Authentic Self</b>: Being authentic makes us feel powerful, positive, engaged
and filled with purpose. To identify your best self, try this self-affirmation
exercise. Write down: 1. Three words that best describe you; 2. What’s unique
about you that leads to your best performance; 3. When at work or home do you
feel natural; 4. What are your big strengths and when and how can you use them.
Speakers and students who do this exercise show less anxiety and perform better
in speeches and tests than others. The power of engagement comes from self-affirmation—telling
yourself your authentic story, believing it, and projecting it. Presence breeds
confidence and the ability to take in contrary information without being
defensive. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>The
Imposter Syndrome</b>: When we feel like we don’t belong or don’t deserve to be
where we are despite our accomplishments. In short, we often feel like a fraud
with self-doubts, especially prevalent among high-performing men and women.
With the imposter syndrome, we feel like life controls us (external control)
rather than us controlling life (internal control). Concerned about not living
up to our billing or perfection, we spend much of our time on our image and not
our authentic selves. Such self-monitoring keeps us from being who we are
authentically. We get isolated, and the feeling of isolation actually activates
the same part of the brain that pain does!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Algerian; mso-bidi-font-family: Algerian; mso-fareast-font-family: Algerian;">4.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b>Powerlessness
and Power</b>: With change comes
self-perceived loss of power, then insecurity and anxiety—this is why we hate
change. Power activates our behavioral “approach”
system and makes us open to opportunity and optimism—acting as our best, most
authentic selves. But powerlessness activates the inhibition or “avoidance”
system making us feel anxious and pessimistic—less likely to act as our best,
most genuine selves. And when we feel powerless (and anxious), even if we want
to show our best selves, we can’t. We’re inhibited from taking in the kind of
data we need to make better decisions. Powerlessness makes you not able to focus,
more self-absorbed (alienates you from others).
When you feel like the control in your life is external and not internal,
you start to feel powerless. That leads to an array of negative things —poor
focus, reasoning, memory and being self-absorbed. Anxiety causes
self-absorption which alienates us from others and makes us less attractive—negative
and depressed—to be around. On the other hand, feeling powerful works the
opposite way. For example, people primed to feel powerful before a test or a
presentation do far better than others who are not so primed. Moreover, believing
that the locus of control is internal, note external (beyond our control) makes
us feel powerful, in control, and more open to suggestions to improve.<span style="font-family: Algerian;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>The Body
Shapes the Mind</b>: When we strike a
power pose—become spread out and larger, not smaller and more contained—it affects
our brain and the way we show up. Holding an expansive pose for two minutes,
especially before a critical event (test, speech, interview), raises your testosterone,
lowers cortisol, puts you in a dominant frame of mind, and improves your
performance. By contrast, when you are hunched over an iPhone or wrapped up in
a cross-armed, self-protected stance and strike a low-power pose, you
experience the opposite of power. In sum, power poses make people feel better,
more powerful, and more optimistic. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->6.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Nudging</b>:
Gentle self-nudging can move us toward greater presence. Nudging yourself to at least slow down and
not make snap decisions under pressure can save you from the consequences of
poor judgment. Power posing nudges up your set point of power and the more we
do it, the more it reinforces our mindset.
Nudge yourself to not set big goals—start small and keep it up. And, rather
than telling yourself not to be anxious, tell yourself to use the “excitement”
to do your best—experiments support this tactic. Just reframing our emotions pushes
us from feelings of powerlessness to being powerful. <o:p></o:p></div>
Steve Gladishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988505384316328769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5260638093119176856.post-77438913888529470562016-03-31T20:35:00.000-04:002016-03-31T20:35:39.410-04:00Smile. Breathe. Listen.<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #232629; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 32px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
As a busy executive, you might think you don’t even have the hour it takes to<em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Smile. Breathe. Listen: The 3 Mindful Acts for Leaders</em>. Here are some highlights that might just encourage you to read the entire book or at least recommend it to your team.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGo5xfms-IpVxzBS0seL_XOVCk5qdiEu4KbJf6NU_8mC9x7KUkT9HylrKDlAuMmgpuO_Wz0UuEc98XvLWP5FJPXhM2ufYYcm-1Zq4JwfG90LuFKKhTL_1XyiPXD5F6W4Rr_rmmDULG_mk-/s1600/Kindle+Ready+Front+Cover+JPEG_6009010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGo5xfms-IpVxzBS0seL_XOVCk5qdiEu4KbJf6NU_8mC9x7KUkT9HylrKDlAuMmgpuO_Wz0UuEc98XvLWP5FJPXhM2ufYYcm-1Zq4JwfG90LuFKKhTL_1XyiPXD5F6W4Rr_rmmDULG_mk-/s320/Kindle+Ready+Front+Cover+JPEG_6009010.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
read<br />
<h3 style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85098); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 8px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" rel="nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #008cc9; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" rel="nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #008cc9; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"></a><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Smile.</strong></h3>
<ul style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 35px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We are hard-wired to smile. We’re even smiling in the womb. Kids smile like crazy, and mirror neurons allow us to “catch” smiling from others.</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Smiling is good for your long-term health and for a longer and more engaged life.</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Smiling reduces stress, helps us work better, and makes people want to be around us.</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The “Duchenne” smile—a smile that engages the muscles of the eyes as well as those of the mouth―is viewed as genuine and authentic.</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Smiling makes us appear more likable, courteous, and competent.</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Leaders who smile put people at ease, spread positive emotions like a virus, and create an environment in which people can do their best work.</li>
</ul>
<h3 style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85098); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 8px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Breathe.</strong></h3>
<ul style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 35px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Breathing is automatic. However, leaders who understand how to control their breathing will be much more effective.</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mindful Breathing is the “Big Switch” that helps us move from mental rumination or anxious thinking to more a more thoughtful, relaxed state.</li>
</ul>
<ul style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 35px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a research-based, highly successful program based on mindful breathing and consistent, regular practice.</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Regularly sitting or lying quietly starts the “practice” of mindfulness.</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The impact of mindful breathing can be seen in our personal, team, and corporate health.</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Leaders who learn mindful breathing not only help themselves become better people but also help those around them to do the same.</li>
</ul>
<h3 style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85098); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 8px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Listen.</strong></h3>
<ul style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 35px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Listening is a skill possessed by the very best leaders.</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Listening represents an important gift that every leader can give―a leader’s time and attention are highly valued by those around the leader.</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Good listening consists of presence, technique, and practice.</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Presence is demonstrated when leaders are fully engaged, focused, and not distracted when talking to people.</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Speaker-Listener Technique focuses on the listener fully understanding the speaker’s concerns.</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Ladder of Inference demonstrates how anyone, including leaders, can jump to conclusions based on their own often erroneous assumptions and beliefs.</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Despite a prodigious amount of data and statistics about how important listening is, a number of leaders—in business, medicine, and any other profession—have poor listening skills.</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Unfortunately, the prognosis for whether people will become more focused, better listeners is not good, because of technology intrusions (emails, texts, phone calls vying for our immediate attention.</li>
</ul>
Steve Gladishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988505384316328769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5260638093119176856.post-15802308709579615542016-03-15T15:59:00.004-04:002016-03-15T15:59:40.675-04:00Commitments All Teams Should Make to Themselves<div class="article-content" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="article-body" dir="ltr" itemprop="articleBody" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #232629; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 32px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2IM4S_QtnqhdIXnFK6_SBV1kk91tunyiKTP1eTsztj2tN5fdQlhK5vOme8OMtNGOqNWgfkcsFsOLibkffIGfIJIlWXX5sbiDha2l-V1aAoR5lQLevv6dg8l1mkasVuaRUfgIHCBnm7W7e/s1600/The+15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2IM4S_QtnqhdIXnFK6_SBV1kk91tunyiKTP1eTsztj2tN5fdQlhK5vOme8OMtNGOqNWgfkcsFsOLibkffIGfIJIlWXX5sbiDha2l-V1aAoR5lQLevv6dg8l1mkasVuaRUfgIHCBnm7W7e/s320/The+15.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold;">If I were a CEO, I’d ask all my executives to read this book</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 18px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> and then discuss one commitment at every staff mFeeting. Then, I would ask them to hold each other accountable for all of them. Consequently, I believe my “company” would likely prosper! A book about the impact of commitments to leadership, this book has a lot of face validity. It makes sense even in areas where there’s less than an abundance of supporting research. Given the authors’ self-reported experience, they appear to have consulting chops in the real world. I’ll admit that the 15 commitments got a bit tedious; however, they all made sense based on my own experience. Moreover, I could not figure out why there were 15, not 10 or for that matter 25, but I’m not sure which ones I’d eliminate. Again, I’d recommend that serious leaders who want to impact a culture read this one.</span></div>
<ol style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 35px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Above or Below the Line: This is a critical concept in this book about conscious leadership—being self-aware. Above-the-line leaders commit to learning, curiosity and openness. Below-the-line leaders are committed to being right, are judgmental and often remain closed. In fact, we’re all above and below the line every day. The trick is to know where you are when making decisions that matter. In fact, being below the line is a normal state based on the brain’s amygdala, which constantly looks for threats as a way of protecting us. Unfortunately, we can’t always tell the difference real and imagined threats. Fortunately we can learn to shift from below to above the line.</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Content, Context and 4 Ways of Leading. Content is what we’re talking about and context is how we’re talking about it. Most of us focus on content, but context is about being above or below the line when thinking about it. So, I may not be open to an honest discussion about a project if I’m below the line. Unconscious leaders operate from below the line and use stories or ego to color their thinking—this is the place that blame and fault permeate the atmosphere. Four states of leaders: 1) <em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">To Me</em> (victim state—stuff happens to me, and I’m a victim who blames others for my fate); 2) <em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">By Me</em> (more above the line, we can learn, control and affect what happens to us. Taking responsibility for where we are; 3) <em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Through Me</em> leaders see themselves at the center of things in their lives and seek higher purpose—these leaders channel change through themselves. Letting go of control is the gateway to this level; 4. <em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">As me</em> leadership is more about being one with the world. A more philosophical state. Most of us do well shifting from “to me” to the “by me” state.</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Commitments #1-#5: #1. Taking Radical Responsibility—taking full responsibility for our circumstances (above the line), NOT focusing on blame, shame and fear that tend to drive the victim, villain-hero triangle (below the line); #2. Learning through curiosity—open, curious, learning (above the line) v. defensive, closed, focused on being right (below the line); #3. Feeling all feelings—whether the emotions of fear, anger, or joy. Conscious leaders need to name and release their feelings; #4. Speaking Candidly—candor is at the center of strong relationships and teams. Conscious listening is at the center of a candid relationship; #5. Eliminating Gossip—Usually a negative comment in an attempt to control and influence others with information, gossip is the sign of an unhealthy organization.</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Commitments #6-#10: #6. Practicing Integrity—is about being whole, consistent, and aligned with your words and actions. Four pillars: responsibility, candor, commitment, and keeping agreements; #7. Generating Appreciation. Great leaders express sincere, specific and succinct appreciation and avoid feelings of entitlement; #8. Excelling in Your Zone of Excellence. Conscious leaders help others recognize their individual genius and help them use it daily; #9. Living a Life of Play and Rest. To counterbalance the grind of work, good leaders promote playfulness in organizations, resulting in high-functioning teams; #10. Exploring the Opposite. Good leaders remain open to the idea that the opposite of their story may well be true.</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Commitments #11-15: #11. Sourcing Approval, Control and Security. People want security and approval, and if they don’t get it often resort to control. Conscious leaders see control within, not outside themselves; #12. Having Enough of Everything. Good leaders work from a sense of abundance (have what they need in this moment), not scarcity (there’s never enough stuff to go around); #13. Experiencing the World as an Ally. Conscious leaders see people as assets, not problems; #14. Creating Win-Win for all Solutions. Conscious leaders play a win-win game, not a win-lose game; #15. Being the Resolution. Conscious leaders see problems as opportunities for the team to solve. Such leaders don’t feel they have to ride in on a white horse to act like a hero. They start from YES.</li>
</ol>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #232629; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 32px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership: A new paradigm for sustainable success</em> (2014, Booknook.biz) by Diana Chapman, Jim Dethmer,<br />& Kaley Warner Kemp, reviewed by Steve Gladis, March 2016.</div>
</div>
</div>
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Steve Gladishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988505384316328769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5260638093119176856.post-44298156655489465552016-02-27T19:56:00.001-05:002016-02-27T19:58:12.055-05:00Leadership: New on the Job? Go Slow to Go Fast.<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyg-XI6MjO1Kby5SfLXLxO71FSUNe1p9Y2CYPk3opZapV6PNpo56ZND5pHsqiTyIl2VRiwo0iO4FXf5m-fC-fQreLmdmc4UjdqJvZcvISqtLZ0AWUeFsCFEIL-t5pRGQX9MtXOVhMSKEeC/s1600/executive-onboarding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyg-XI6MjO1Kby5SfLXLxO71FSUNe1p9Y2CYPk3opZapV6PNpo56ZND5pHsqiTyIl2VRiwo0iO4FXf5m-fC-fQreLmdmc4UjdqJvZcvISqtLZ0AWUeFsCFEIL-t5pRGQX9MtXOVhMSKEeC/s1600/executive-onboarding.jpg" /></a>As a leader on-boarding into a new company, the first pep
talk by the CEO or your boss is most often<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.livemint.com/Search/Link/Keyword/Claudio%20Fernandez-Araoz"><span style="color: #0c3451;">Claudio Fernandez-Araoz</span></a>, global expert on hiring at executive search firm<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="company"><a href="http://www.livemint.com/Search/Link/Keyword/Egon%20Zehnder"><span style="color: #0c3451;">Egon Zehnder</span></a>,</span> has said that a
job interview is a conversation between two liars! The interviewer lies about
how great the company is and the interviewee lies about how capable s/he is.</div>
<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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That said, often CEOs and hiring managers tell you to hit
the ground running, to break some china, to make things happen, or to stir the
pot. Often their complaint is that the organization has gotten stale,
complacent. Putting pressure on you to set it all right in your first 90 days
is pure and utter nonsense. They know it and you know it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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However, you still take the bait—bad advice. Then in about
6-12 months, the culture rejects you like a bad virus. And what’s worse is that
the same guy who told you to shake things up is now admonishing you for doing
just that. No kidding. This happens with such regularity in companies I have coached
that it’s a cliché. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So, what should you do? First, in the employment interview
or on your first-day-on-the-job discussion with your boss, smile and wave at
whatever s/he says. BUT, DO NOT DO IT. Instead,
make it your job to go slow to go fast. It’s a lot like running a marathon. If
you start out slow and steady, you’ll find your pace and eventually do a lot
better than if you take off like a jack rabbit. Here are some simple but
effective steps:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Step 1. Smile, Breathe, and Listen. Smiling says, “I’m not a
threat.” The LAST thing you want to be is a threat—creates big problems. Breathe
in and out slowly and methodically to reboot your emotions. There’s a lot of
science here. Finally, use the 80/20 conversation rule. Spend 80% of your time
listening and only 20% responding. Good listening is not simply waiting for
your chance to make a point!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Step 2. Ask HR and/or an executive coach to conduct an
assimilation meeting. This involves meeting with your entire team to answer any
questions they might have about you. What’s your leadership style, your pet
peeves, your vision (lay low on this one), your family, your hobbies? This
meeting gives everyone a level set about you and saves a year’s worth of
hit-or-miss encounters. If you’re with a
small company, have all your direct reports make a list of questions they want
you to answer. Ask one person to compile them to keep the process anonymous and
then give you the list before the meeting to think about your answers. Don’t skip
any hard ones if they come up frequently; otherwise, people will think you
sidestep tough stuff—not a good first impression.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Step 3. Meet every one of your direct reports individually.
Spend an hour or more with everyone who works with you. Ask them about
themselves, the work they most like to do, what’s working in the group, what
needs attention, anything that would make their job/life better. No promises—this
is about gathering information. And, no disparaging the leader who preceded you
on the job. Doesn’t ever play well even though it might seem at the time easy
and beneficial to you. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Step 4. Meet every one of your peers individually. Again, as
mentioned above, ask a lot of questions, seek their advice, find out what’s
good about your new team, what needs work, and ask if they will help you
understand the culture. Listen more than you talk. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While there’s more to discuss here, suffice it to say that
going slow in the very beginning of your tenure in a new job is critical to
your success and the corporation’s success. It will feel counter to your very
anxious inner voice telling you to “just do it.” But DON’T do it until you know
what, how and when to do it! Cultures have to accept you before they accept
your opinion.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<i>I explain it this way to my clients:</i> A young man brings home
his girlfriend—who is a top interior designer in New York City—to meet his
parents. While his parents are out of the room getting dinner and wine ready
for the meal, the girlfriend/designer begins to rearrange the living room to
make it even more beautiful. Despite how good it now looks or the extent of her
expertise, ponder for a moment how those parents might react! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Go slow to go fast later, once you’re accepted into the
tribe. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Steve Gladishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988505384316328769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5260638093119176856.post-28992264164628074232016-02-16T20:20:00.000-05:002016-02-16T20:20:14.878-05:00Your Web Browser Might Just Reveal How Creative You Are!<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDdKkOF3sI-mq2wNj-3NU911r_nIxpKm5LSGGhn7V0Mo3FnYxanaaSrsqS5cB0f0u8Apt7eZGUg1O83kxnYVSrAA8kbYCDm2iEpuB9QSGjtctLMvgG-DvmhYuVC79BTAFTXbWr3G6KV2lb/s1600/Originals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDdKkOF3sI-mq2wNj-3NU911r_nIxpKm5LSGGhn7V0Mo3FnYxanaaSrsqS5cB0f0u8Apt7eZGUg1O83kxnYVSrAA8kbYCDm2iEpuB9QSGjtctLMvgG-DvmhYuVC79BTAFTXbWr3G6KV2lb/s400/Originals.jpg" width="307" /></a><b>Overview</b>: My personal
bias—I love the work that Adam Grant does. So, read no further if that <i>Originals</i>, Grant teaches us how to develop new ideas and how to vet
them; how to pitch those ideas to others; when to trust our gut and when not
to; the difference between power and status and so much more! He also busts
some interesting myths like how successful entrepreneurs are not hyper-risk
takers—rather, they hedge their bets; how the creative problem solvers are
often not experts in their fields; and, how procrastination can be your
friend—every writer in the world should now rejoice! Grant uses academic studies, stats and stories
from unexpected places to punctuate a well-orchestrated text. For example, he tells
about how the show “Seinfeld” barely made it to TV and how it took a very
special NBC executive with broad, varied experience to have the courage to put
his reputation on the line. And as a huge Seinfeld fan, I personally salute him!
Finally, I would encourage you to read Sheryl Sandberg’s foreword, because not
only does she do a very good overview of the book while praising the author for
his talent, but she also praises Grant for his empathetic heart. When
Sandberg’s husband suddenly died, Grant dropped what he was doing and flew
across the country to be with her in her darkest hours. Grant, like his book,
is an Original! <o:p></o:p></div>
bothers
you about my objectivity as a reviewer. Grant, a young, uber-smart and engaging
professor at Wharton, might just be the latter-day Peter Drucker, only much
cooler! In <br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Generating
Original Ideas</b>: Grant warns us to question the default—the status quo. He
urges us to remember that people write rules and we can rewrite them when
necessary. To get more good ideas, we need to increase the odds by taking more
“swings,” like a baseball player who takes more at-bats hoping to increase his
batting average. Also, by broadening your base of knowledge and widening your perspective,
you can be far more creative. He notes that Nobel Prize winners were more
likely to paint, dance, and play music than their peers. Grant also suggests
using peers to get accurate feedback. Bosses give too many false negatives, and
we give ourselves too many false positives.<i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Championing
Original Ideas</b>: Grant offers some unusual but useful insights about
creativity. For example, when you take risk in one area but have another area
of more stability in your life, you‘re more likely to be successful in the new
endeavor. Successful entrepreneurs take this bet-hedging approach. Next, as
counterintuitive as it might seem, when pitching ideas, it’s best to point out
first several reasons why people might NOT support your idea. This has a
leveling effect and puts you more on the audience’s side, making you seems much
less like a con artist. To get people used to your idea, repeat it often (10 to
20 times) but in short bursts. Also, connect it to other ideas that are already
known and accepted. Often, analogies and comparisons help. If your ideas are radical or you’re known as
a radical, try to temper your approach. Start lower and slower on the emotional
scale to not upset or antagonize. Connect to group values and customs. <i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Manage
Emotions</b>: When motivated or committed, focus on the future goal. However, when
uncertain, focus on your progress. Trying to use your will to calm yourself down
is difficult, if not impossible; so divert anxiety into positive enthusiasm. Also,
when you see an unjust/unfair situation of another person, focus on helping the
victim, not punishing the perpetrator—more good than bad will happen. Finally,
whether in a difficult job or relationship situation, the four responses to
dissatisfaction are exit, voice, persistence and neglect. Based on their level
of commitment and feeling of control, people tend to respond in one of these
four ways. <i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Creating
Original Ideas</b>: Grant offers some help in this arena. Run innovation
tournaments—employees come up with ideas, develop proposals and evaluate them.
Winners get a budget and help implementing their ideas. Play “kill the company”
by getting in groups and planning how to attack your own products or services—then
take the threats and address them. It’s like opposition research—taking the
other side of a debate to figure out your opponent’s attack. Use all employees
(including accountants, lawyers, and other less traditional operations types)
to propose new products and services—builds a culture of creativity and
innovation. Do the opposite! Take a widely held assumption or truth and ask, what
if or when is the opposite true? A perspective change helps us all look at an
idea in a new way.<i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Building
a Culture of Originality</b>: Don’t just hire for cultural fit, but cultural
contribution. Oftentimes fit means conformity—the opposite of originality. Find
complementary and necessary strengths, not similarity. Have entry interviews
(not just exit interviews) to find out what new employees like to do, why they
chose the company, and their unique perspective. Seeking problems, not
solutions, creates inquiry, not advocacy. Invite and extol the contrary voice
in meetings; it adds to the originality. And it encourage dissent.<i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->6.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Miscellaneous
Gold</b>: There’s a ton of content in this book. To be effective, a leader has
to have both positional power and earned status or credibility of those around
her/him. Stand for something, not just against the status quo. When pitching a
product or idea, start off with flaws—it actually builds credibility! Women and
men are treated differently when they speak up due to stereotyping. But when
women speak up for others (being communal) they’re more likely to get respect.
Grant challenges assumptions and shows when it’s good to procrastinate, why and
when older innovators outperform younger ones.
The kind of web browser you select may predict how creative/original you
are! <i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="text-indent: 0px;"> Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World </i><span style="text-indent: 0px;">by Adam Grant (Viking Press, 2016), reviewed by Steve Gladis, February 2016.</span></div>
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Steve Gladishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988505384316328769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5260638093119176856.post-31890213582904474572016-02-10T20:22:00.002-05:002016-02-10T20:22:55.835-05:00The Art of Stillness: Adventures in Going Nowhere<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSb94nC3pm7SecyTZiG5WUsvWDGd4y-3IjV36JU-u2lmTYgjDRq50oyT2TqUFezNn5AH87ZQzmrlcKVmRfPUna3UyhSY35w56zrnnHJiSYfU6DAJrPBcif2ykQIq-gC2VnwqX8zNEKzVBW/s1600/art+of+stillness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSb94nC3pm7SecyTZiG5WUsvWDGd4y-3IjV36JU-u2lmTYgjDRq50oyT2TqUFezNn5AH87ZQzmrlcKVmRfPUna3UyhSY35w56zrnnHJiSYfU6DAJrPBcif2ykQIq-gC2VnwqX8zNEKzVBW/s320/art+of+stillness.jpg" width="232" /></a><b>Overview</b>: Ever thought about chucking it all and rebooting your life? That’s
sort of what Pico Iye<o:p></o:p></div>
r did; he headed for Japan. Along the way he met musician Leonard Cohen,
who had become a contemplative monk, steeped in the wisdom of being alone.
Cohen told Iyer that stepping away from your daily work was so that you might
see it anew and “love it more deeply.” The ironic subtitle of this book, by a
travel writer no less, says it all: ‘Adventures in going nowhere.’ It also could have been called ‘the journey
inside’ or ‘finding happiness without ever looking for it.’ So this is a book
about experiencing the world within a “framework of stillness.” It’s also about
being present. As the author says, “Heaven is the place where you think of
nowhere else.” And in a hyper-speed world chock full of distractions, finding
respite within ourselves might just be the best thing we can do every day.<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Charting Stillness</b>: The author tells of his covering the Dalai
Lama’s trip to Switzerland, where he met Buddhist Monk Matthieu Ricard, an MIT
molecular biologist who left that scientific world for a more contemplative,
inner journey. Ricard, who is renowned, especially for his TED Talk and
appearances at Davos says: “Simplifying one’s life to extract its quintessence
is the most rewarding of all pursuits I have undertaken.” Called the happiest
man in the world, Ricard earned that reputation after having had his brain
studied by neuroscientists. Employing special MRI equipment with amazing
results, these scientists were able to objectively show Ricard’s ability to
control his emotions and experience a level of compassion and happiness few
will ever know.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Needing Stillness</b>: The author takes a trip to the monastery
in Kentucky where philosopher Thomas Merton (also called Father Louis) went to
be on his journey to nowhere. The science of interruption tells us that it
takes up to 25 minutes to bounce back from a sudden, unexpected visit or phone
call, which happens all day long for many of us! So we’re all fragmented and
not fully present. In Google’s Search Inside Yourself Initiative, all Googlers
are offered a course dedicated to helping them at work and in life. Research
that supports their ‘going nowhere’ program leads to not only clearer thinking
and better health but also to emotional intelligence. Indeed, mindfulness and
meditation have become mainstream in corporations like Aetna, General Mills,
LinkedIn, Twitter, and many others. And with good results. For example, at
General Mills 80% of execs who attended a mindfulness program for 8 weeks
reported a positive change in making decisions and 89% said they were now
better listeners. Worth noting: According to the World Health Organization: “Stress
will be the health epidemic of the twenty-first century.” And the simple act of
mindfulness can help us work toward a cure. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Getting Away</b>: Ironically, the more difficult the day,
the more time we need away from it—or the more breaks we need within it. The
great Mahatma Gandhi once noted that the harder his day would be, the more time
he needed to meditate alone. While this seems counterintuitive, it makes sense
if you think of meditation like charging the battery of your mind. People need
breaks. As the author warns: “…the clock is exerting more and more tyranny over
us.” We need time to do nothing and just allow our minds to solve problems in a
kind of stealth mode. Thomas Merton says that in the contemplative life, we
need to sit down and let life solve problems for us. Letting the mind relax
allows it the perspective and freshness to solve difficult problems.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Final Words by the Author</b>: The author comments in the last chapter
about the value of going nowhere:“In an age of speed, I began to think,
nothing could be more invigorating than going slow. In an age of distraction
nothing can feel more luxurious than paying attention. And in an age of
constant movement, nothing is more urgent than sitting still.”</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<i style="text-indent: 0px;">The Art of Stillness: Adventures in Going Nowhere</i><span style="text-indent: 0px;"> by Pico Iyer (TED Books, 2014), reviewed by Steve Gladis, February 2016.</span></div>
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Steve Gladishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988505384316328769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5260638093119176856.post-70445848196922708992016-01-03T09:16:00.001-05:002016-01-03T09:16:51.929-05:00How Awake and Present are You - Even after Your Morning Coffee?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcK7TumehM5UKIwge88i3g2Fouxvm2sgC0YvlrVgfTVqs2B4ai9Jt07xgO9k58DhICjzqiDShdT5ZYeSgeJ0TGSbGIRtzLQWKug5wTYalN3Q36g0zDjI1PJ5vPdz3CRPYECZps9Q9LWr-7/s1600/Fully+present.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcK7TumehM5UKIwge88i3g2Fouxvm2sgC0YvlrVgfTVqs2B4ai9Jt07xgO9k58DhICjzqiDShdT5ZYeSgeJ0TGSbGIRtzLQWKug5wTYalN3Q36g0zDjI1PJ5vPdz3CRPYECZps9Q9LWr-7/s320/Fully+present.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif;">Fully
Present: The Science, Art, and Practice of Mindfulness</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif;"> by Susan
Smalley, PhD, and Diana Winston (DeCapo Press), reviewed by Steve Gladis.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif;">Overview:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif;"> This is a book about the
science and art of mindfulness written by a scientist and an artist, of sorts. The authors are colleagues at UCLA’s Mindful
Awareness Research Center (MARC) </span><a href="http://www.marc.ucla.ed/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.marc.ucla.ed</span></a><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<i> </i></span><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif;"> Early on, the authors give a definition, “Mindfulness may be
thought of as a state of consciousness, one characterized by attention to the
present experience with a stance of open curiosity.” Mindful Awareness
Practices (MAP) describe meditation and relaxation techniques in this book.
“Mindfulness changes your relationship with life.” How? In this book, the
authors describe what mindfulness does and why it works (the science) and how
to do it (the art). For example, science has demonstrated that mindfulness
reduces stress and chronic pain; it fortifies our ability to cope with painful
events, fear, greed and anger; it improves attention and positive emotions
(like happiness and compassion); and it improves interpersonal skills,
creativity, and performance at work, school, and play. </span><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What is
Mindfulness? </span></b><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mindfulness
is like the seat belt of mental health protecting us from anxiety,
depression and pain. Research demonstrates that mindfulness changes our
brain—our immune system (toward healing), our brain activity (toward
calming), our emotions (toward lessening depression and anxiety and toward
happiness). Neuroplasticity means that the brain changes, and mindfulness
practice affects neuroplasticity. Mindfulness helps quell “reactivity” or
knee-jerk responses to stimuli that produce stress. Instead, mindfulness
helps you respond with a “kind attitude” and compassion toward yourself,
others and the present experience. <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<ol start="2" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Getting Started:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Change is
difficult, but mindful meditation helps. Habits are ingrained and
automatic. Four steps to change habits (like starting to meditate): 1.
Take simple steps—make it easy; 2. Create a supportive environment—hang
out with supporters, not naysayers; 3. Motivate people with evidence and practice
positive self-talk; 4. Repeat, repeat, repeat! Mindfulness increases
attention in just 5 days with 20 minutes a day. Postures for mindful
meditation include lying down, sitting in a chair, sitting on the floor or
on a cushion. Free meditations</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">:</span><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
</span><span style="color: windowtext;"><a href="http://www.marc.ucla.edu/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">www.marc.ucla.edu</span></a></span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Meditative breathing helps asthma
and heart patients, lowers blood pressure, and reduces anxiety. Indeed, breath
is the foundation for calming the mind. Focusing on an anchor
spot—like the nostrils, abdomen, or chest—helps you concentrate on your breathing.
As you breathe, the mind wanders. Bringing your mind back to the breath is
the fundamental practice of meditation.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></li>
</ol>
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<br /></div>
<ol start="3" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mindful Movement</span></b><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: Becoming more attuned to your
body can help heal it and prevent disease by strengthening the immune
system. Mindfulness and weight loss studies show reductions in binge
eating. Furthermore, trying to suppress thoughts about eating or attempting
to avoid certain foods only increases our engagement with them. However, with mindfulness, you note its
presence and then let it go. Faster rates of healing and resistance to
disease were found to correlate with meditation. Moving meditations like
t’ai chi, walking, and yoga increase self-awareness. “The body is the
doorway to mindfulness.” <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></li>
</ol>
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<br /></div>
<ol start="4" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Working with Physical Pain</span></b><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: In biology, pain indicates
danger and makes us retreat from it for self-preservation. We don’t feel
pain when we’re unconscious—as with anesthesia. We feel pain through 3
systems: sensory, response, and evaluation systems. We sense pain somewhere
in the body which gets referred to the spinal column, then to the
brain—which then triggers a defense mechanism to inhibit pain. Jon Kabat-Zinn
suggests that we become solely an ‘observer’ of the pain, which separates
the pain from any story we might attach to it. This “delinking” separates
the sensation from the story. “Pain is inevitable, but suffering is
optional.” Some techniques: Breathe into the pain, practice mindful
distraction, use kindness and compassion toward caring for the pain.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></li>
</ol>
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<br /></div>
<ol start="5" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Feeling Bad</span></b><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: Emotions (fear, anxiety,
sadness, happiness, joy) are biological reactions to danger and
competition. Our emotional brain circuits are much older than our
rational brain and so override our thinking many times. Mindfulness
develops the pause between emotion and action. The fear response is
evolutionary and protects us from threats. Anxiety is fear when no
reasonable threat exists—the amygdala is on overdrive. Mindful breathing
helps to put the brakes on the amygdala—which can act as the gas pedal for
our brain. For the anxious person both cognitive reappraisal and
suppression work. Reappraisal works best. Assume the best and move on is a
good philosophy. “Mindfulness can be a key to learning how to relate to
emotions in healthy and useful ways.” Use RAIN to control the
emotions: Recognition (cognitive labeling)—Acceptance—Investigation
(explore the emotion)—Non-Identification (my emotions are not me). <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></li>
</ol>
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<br /></div>
<ol start="6" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Feeling Good and Finding Happiness</span></b><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: We catch happiness from others,
and it arises from the fulfillment of living a meaningful life—one with
purpose, values, efficacy, and self-worth. Mindfulness increases our
feelings of well-being and happiness and opens up our capacity for
intuition and problem solving. The brain does this through “coherence” or
pulling parts of the brain together (synchronicity) like a symphony conductor.
Self-compassion leads to happiness and has 3 components: kindness, mindfulness,
and awareness of our connection to humanity. <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<ol start="7" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Paying Attention and Stressful
Thinking</span></b><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">:
Our time and attention are the best things we can give another
person. There are three kinds of attention: alerting (preparing to react);
orientating (directing attention to someone or something); and conflict
attention (paying attention when distractions interfere). Conflict
attention is critical to self-regulation. Concentration and mindfulness go
hand in hand, whether focusing on your breath or on an object. Often, we worry about many things that
never happen. Symbolic language developed 77,000 years ago and with it the
prefrontal cortex (PFC) grew to accommodate abstract thinking. The PFC is
the master architect—shifting attention, adjusting, and suppressing. The
PFC functions to move us toward our goals—to plan, organize, and execute.
Mindfulness allows us to see things in their conceptual bareness—as they
are, not with our stories attached that can narrow them with a kind of
prejudice. Meditation keeps us from getting on the train of cascading
thoughts (often negative ones) by focusing and staying in the moment.
Don’t Believe Everything You Think! Focus on the body, not the story the
mind is telling you.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></b><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif;">Mindfulness in Action:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"> Mindful
communication leads to better decision making.
Mindful dyads seek information, have a positive perspective, see
multiple perspectives, can describe their thoughts and feelings, acknowledge
partner’s communication, use participative language, and demonstrate turn-taking
(Jackie Krieger, Western Michigan University). “Better than/less than” thinking
is the source for evil in society. Note the Stanford Prison Study where
“guards” treated “prisoners” cruelly due to this kind of thinking. Mindfulness
helps us overcome this bias. Mindfulness in Schools: Studies in schools in India, Britain, and the
US (New York, Arizona, California) demonstrate that more mindful students
perform, test and behave better in class, and exhibit less anxiety and stress. Teaching
mindful practices to students from kindergarten through college enhances well-being. </span></li>
</ol>
Steve Gladishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988505384316328769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5260638093119176856.post-18857523111236024862015-12-30T20:18:00.002-05:002015-12-30T20:18:26.473-05:00Taking Down the Christmas Tree<div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 32px;">
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Each year our family puts up a Christmas tree. My principal role in this annual ritual is to serve as unskilled labor. I drive my wife to the local United Methodist church, which sells the trees as a fundraiser. I hold the candidate trees with my leather work gloves while she methodically compares and chooses; lash her selection into the trunk, and wrestle it into the tree stand in our living room. After that, I’m not allowed to do anything else associated with the process.<br />That’s when my wife, serving as skilled labor, takes over. With delicate care she unwraps hundreds of ornaments she’s collected over our nearly 37 years of marriage. She then selects the precise branch on which to display each. Slowly she creates a mosaic of bright-colored wood carvings, ceramics, hand-sewn fabric figures, multifaceted crystals, and tiny white lights from top to bottom. This glittering mélange gets joined together by a two-inch wide, finely textured gold silk ribbon that winds around the tree from its base to the gold-silk, tree-top bow. And while I admire the annual tree in the aggregate, I never understood it until one time (in January) when my wife asked me to help take down the decorations.<br />For once, I wasn’t in a rush to just get it done. I actually looked at the decorations.</div>
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“Hey, didn’t your mother make this one?”<br />“No, that’s the one Mrs. Maupin made. She’s in a nursing home now.”<br />“What about this one?” I ask, holding up a delicate tin star with fine-hammered designed impressions covering its surface.<br />“From Santa Fe,” she said, referring to a family trip to New Mexico in 2001.<br />Then my wife held up an ornament that said, “Federal Bureau of Investigation,” one from my days as an FBI agent.<br />“Here’s one from Julie when she first started painting,” she said, holding up a glass ball hand painted by a woman whose first art gallery showing we’d attended a year ago.</div>
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Then more ornaments came down: the walnuts my wife had painted red and topped with green felt leaves to look like strawberries—hand-crafted to save money when we were young and broke; the carved miniature figures like the old, bearded Alpine skier, which we picked up traveling and camping in Europe when my wife was pregnant with our first child, now 34; the silver claddagh, an Irish symbol of love, friendship and loyalty, given to us, like a number of other ornaments, from close friends we’d made over the years as we moved around the country; the raft of gaily colored felt ornaments of whimsical characters that my mother-in-law and her friends—many now gone or infirmed—had sewn by hand in their church basement; the University of Virginia ornament, representing the place where I also used to work; and the rudimentary ornaments our now-adult children made when they were very small.</div>
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Two ornaments in particular caught my attention. One was a tiny colored-glass encrusted frame with a picture of my wife and her father, “Pop,” who died several years ago. The photo was taken at his 90th birthday party—one of the last large clan gatherings he was able to attend. His health declined over the next year and, after hospitals, hospice and heartaches, he died—leaving a gaping hole in our holidays, not to mention our family.</div>
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The other special ornament I noticed was a grey cat in a basket. Originally, this particular decoration had represented “Mellie,” my wife’s cat from many years ago. After Pop’s death when my widowed mother-in-law was feeling lonely, she decided, with some urging from my wife, to get a cat. We all went to the animal shelter and found “Smokey,” a beautiful grey cat who has become a loving member of the family. My wife picked up these two special ornaments and inspected them before wrapping them with deliberate care and putting them away with the others in the large box marked “Christmas Ornaments” to be stored away for next year’s tree.</div>
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Participating in the careful undoing of our tree has given me a new appreciation for this old custom. Christmas trees are much more than holiday accessories that provide a wide base for mounds of gifts—they are bright tapestries of memories and living histories of our lives. Every decoration on our tree symbolizes a story about someone who’s crossed our family’s path, and every year the tree gives us a way of honoring those people and our relationship with them. It’s a way of retelling our family history so we don’t forget. And when our children have their own families, their own trees, their own rituals, I hope they’ll have an ornament or two to remember us by. *</div>
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*This story originally appeared in the Washington Post in 2008 -- the title the editor's used was The Undoing of Christmas Becomes a Joyous Surprise.</div>
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Steve Gladishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988505384316328769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5260638093119176856.post-56737888495177809692015-12-17T20:44:00.000-05:002015-12-17T21:01:00.843-05:00Who was with you today in the shower? Mindlessness in a frantic world.When I was showering this morning, it got pretty crowded!<br />
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There was the VP of Human Relations I’d be speaking to later this morning; the couple I would be having lunch to talk about their new business; and my PT therapist who will be working on my sore<br />
<br />
Simply put, when a challenge confronts us—an important meeting or a tough conversation with a relative—the oldest part of our brain (the limbic brain), and especially an almond-shaped structure called the amygdala registers threat. That sends the brain on a kind of wild-goose chase, mostly in search of safety and certainty. Remember at this instinctive level, the brain doesn’t know that it’s reacting to reality or fiction at this point. Adrenalin and cortisol get pumped into our body based on the mind not knowing the difference between a movie or someone cutting us off on the highway.<br />
<br />
Thousands of years ago when our ancestors were hunters in the wild, they would get stimulated by hunting for food. But after the hunt, they would sit around, eat, rest and digest. During those rest periods they recovered before the next round of survival challenges. The problem today: We direct and play in many fictional movie “hunts” within our own brains. We’ve become good movie producers—creating movies (or narratives) in our own minds. Thus, in today’s hyperactive world, we get sent on repeated mental hunting expeditions. Unfortunately, we get little rest and recovery between “hunts,” which in time mentally wears us out. We start to work even harder to solve our problems, real and imagined. Eventually, we sacrifice more and more of our time trying to catch up with everything going on in our real-and-imagined world: We have to impress our boss, have to attend every sports game kids will ever play, have to keep up the house, have to stay in shape…. The list of tasks—real and imagined—gets overwhelming. That’s how you end up with a crowd in your shower as you attempt to multi-task—an impossible activity. Neuroscientists have proven that we don’t multitask; rather, we do what’s called task switching—which actually degrades our performance on both activities. Finally, according to Professor Richard Boyatzis and his team at Case Western Reserve University, we keep giving more and more of ourselves to solve all the problems around us—he calls this The Sacrifice Syndrome. But eventually we slip into a state of exhaustion, frustration, and anger called “dissonance.” We become out of tune with others around us. And the best test to diagnose if we’re in the state of dissonance is if everyone around us looks like a jerk—When actually, we’re the jerk! And the bad news is that, because of our overprotective amygdala, dissonance is the default.<br />
<br />
Question: So, what’s the antidote to dissonance? Answer: Mindfulness, the antithesis of mindlessness. Instead of engaging in multitasking, mindfulness puts us in the present state, right here, right now—attending to only one activity at a time. So, eating mindfully is a much slower process involving savoring, chewing, swallowing and pausing to enjoy the taste—not gulping down a sandwich on the way to a meeting. The good news about becoming more mindful is that it’s triggered by something we do unconsciously all the time: Breathing. Mindful breathing requires some discipline and practice, but not much to get started. However, it does take an investment over time if you want to get good at it.<br />
<br />
To get started, try this. Sit in a chair—more toward the front of it, not leaning or slouching into the back of the chair. Sit upright in an alert but comfortable position. Put both feet on the ground and your hands on your lap. Now, just breathe. There’s no single best way. Just breathe in and out slowly. This is mindful breathing—especially when you concentrate on it by thinking in your mind, I’m breathing in and now I ‘m breathing out. Such deep, concentrated breathing begins to relax your mind and switch your body from the fight-flight mode to the rest-and-recovery mode. Don’t worry if your mind wanders, daydreams, or raises thoughts about the past or future. That’s normal. Just treat those thoughts as clouds passing by and refocus on your breathing. Eventually, you’ll get good as you practice more. It’s like weightlifting for your brain—without all the sweat!<br />
<br />
If you begin to practice this state of mindful breathing, eventually your reaction to the stimuli around you, real and imagined, starts to slow way down. You’re less likely to get anxious, upset or angry because mindful breathing becomes part of your adaptation reflex. Literally, in time, you’ll start to take a deep breath or two or three before responding and reacting to whatever’s going on. That powerful pause gets learned by practice. Start by practicing mindful breathing for just 2 minutes a day and tie it into to your daily routine—after breakfast, before you start your car, when you arrive at the office. Remember that regularity and habit are more important than duration or episodic events.<br />
<br />
And when you take a “mindful shower” with just you and the warm water, you’ll know you’re making progress.<br />
<br />
tendon later today. These unlikely shower mates were all characters in an adventure movie playing in my mind. However, neuroscientists would be quick to point out that our bodies don’t know what’s real or what’s fiction. When we slip into a monkey-brain, mindless state, our bodies react as if the movie were real. Notice how you can watch a James Bond chase scene and how your body reacts—you feel it in your stomach, you grip the arm rests of your seat. When you’re in the shower, driving to work, or sitting at lunch, you have a choice: To be either mindless or mindful. And while it’s always a choice, for most of us mindlessness and dissonance are the default. This has both a biological and evolutionary basis.Steve Gladishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988505384316328769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5260638093119176856.post-40456905530668347662015-12-07T06:26:00.003-05:002015-12-07T06:27:42.583-05:00An Essay: Finding Your Larry Bird<!--[if !mso]>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Finding
Your Larry Bird </span></b></div>
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By Steve Gladis</div>
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We all need a touchstone—someone who makes
us the best person we can be. I’m not talking about superstition, like rubbing
the bald guy’s head before you place a bet at the race track or throwing salt
over your shoulder for good luck. No, I’m talking about finding the person who makes
you the best you possible— your Larry Bird.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiBWU2dHTUgG_9VEGOrKF99FIuwTKO-8fLhxYaYywpWsDnmLNOtO6whnUteYAJck0_ULOZ6D6iIEor4Oglugul-2LxpXmLofzA1n53sr7FsKQJlMRdr-fB_WponmnlLg8GzKvcrEZdfwuB/s1600/larry-bird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiBWU2dHTUgG_9VEGOrKF99FIuwTKO-8fLhxYaYywpWsDnmLNOtO6whnUteYAJck0_ULOZ6D6iIEor4Oglugul-2LxpXmLofzA1n53sr7FsKQJlMRdr-fB_WponmnlLg8GzKvcrEZdfwuB/s320/larry-bird.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Who is Larry Bird?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
you don’t know pro basketball, Larry played his entire career with the Boston
Celtics. He’s arguably one of the very best to ever play the game. He’s been on
3 NBA championship teams, been the MVP several times, was on the Olympic Dream
Team, coached the Indiana Pacers and now is their president and guiding light.
In Boston and Indiana, Larry Bird is an immortal. </div>
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Larry’s coach, the famed and storied Red Auerbach, regarded Bird
as one of the most coachable players ever. As legend has it, Auerbach had a
rule that no matter who scored, Bird had to touch the ball at least once on
offense, because 99% of the time Bird would make the best decision about
whether to pass or shoot. Larry Bird was the natural touchstone for the Boston
Celtics. In fact, one quote attributed to Bird affirms this legendary practice
of having Bird touch the ball:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"It doesn't
matter who scores the points, it's who can get the ball to the scorer.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Like basketball, business has had its share of great leaders
with their own Larry Birds. Steve Jobs (the marketing genius) had Steve Wozniak
(the technical genius) to pass to at Apple. At Microsoft, Bill Gates had Paul
Allen. Warren Buffet has Charlie Munger at Berkshire Hathaway. Michael Eisner
had his own Larry Bird at Disney, now deceased Frank Wells. And, Larry Paige
and Sergey Brin have each other at Google. </div>
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Some people are lucky enough to find their touchstone. I
married mine! My wife, Donna, has always been my Larry Bird. She has the uncanny
ability to always stay calm, untangle emotion and facts, and either “pass or
shoot the ball” at exactly the right time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In short, she gets the ball to the scorer. There are many examples in my
life. I remember when I was set to leave the FBI where I had been an agent for
years. I was being recruited by a large firm. In fact, they had made me a very
nice offer, which I was close to accepting. However, I brought home an
advertisement for a job on the faculty of the University of Virginia that a
friend had given me. Donna saw it and thought it might be worth my consideration.
When I mentioned how financially good the firm’s offer was, she said, “You’ve
never been about money.” She was right, and I ended up at the University where
I was very happy. </div>
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The two keys to finding your own Larry Bird are simple: Look
and listen. </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Look</b> at what
people do. The Romans had a saying, “facta, non veba,” which means “deeds, not
words.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People say, even promise, all
sorts of things but often don’t actually deliver. For example, an executive might
give speeches about integrity and honesty and then do shady things to maximize
corporate profits and look good to Wall Street. A father might talk about healthy
eating to his children and then constantly stuff his face with junk food. Sure,
we all disconnect from our words from time to time—but the Larry Birds of the
world have a better track record at staying close to what they say. In my
world, Donna’s as consistent a person as I’ve ever met. Her say-do consistency
is remarkable. So, keep your eyes wide open for people who consistently do what
they say.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Listen </b>to what
they say. While I don’t have a lot of empirical data to support this, my
personal and professional experience with thoughtful advisors has been heavily
weighted on the side of introverts. And there is data on them. In the world,
there are roughly 3 times as many talkers (extroverts), as there are listeners (introverts).
This means that there’s a lot of chatter or noise going on. However, when extroverts
talk, it’s like brainstorming. It’s often unrehearsed and free form. Don’t
listen too much to extroverts, at least not to their early “rough drafts.” If
you let them talk long enough, you may get to what they really mean. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However when an introvert speaks, listen up. Introverts
don’t “publish” words or advice unless they’ve thought about it a lot and are
strongly committed to what they’re saying. Donna is the kind of person who
talks softly and a lot less frequently, certainly less than me. Something we
extroverts need to learn is to shut up and listen. Often the wisdom of an
introvert can get muted by the barrage of words from extraverts. Be careful to
avoid suppressing introverts and listen. </div>
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In short, it might take you some time to find your Larry
Bird. But if you find a person with a sense of say-do integrity who speaks
softly but profoundly, you might just have found yours. Run your critical ideas
by them before you shoot or pass the ball—you’ll be glad you did. </div>
Steve Gladishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988505384316328769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5260638093119176856.post-67093061542492266202015-11-27T15:15:00.002-05:002015-11-27T15:15:58.691-05:00Leadership Essay: In Praise of Working Mothers by Steve Gladis In Praise of Working Mothers<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtjK90RFFGQsjc9psGZNhYzsdIQnIAXULcn2vuar7X9hftkJSbcKCiXCj4272LpGEWc0pq-FyMxc_rmen5M86Nsir-6um6bFz1FxUxaT-APl-Wv4XQ7xTYm641aE-xEJTShz9Ev1Y1iEnu/s1600/working+mother.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtjK90RFFGQsjc9psGZNhYzsdIQnIAXULcn2vuar7X9hftkJSbcKCiXCj4272LpGEWc0pq-FyMxc_rmen5M86Nsir-6um6bFz1FxUxaT-APl-Wv4XQ7xTYm641aE-xEJTShz9Ev1Y1iEnu/s200/working+mother.jpg" width="200" /></a>In my life, I have been a jerk—regrettably, on more than one occasion. Just ask my wife. Fortunately, I have learned a lot. Indeed, the great gift of aging is wisdom. <br /><br />In one of my many states of “jerkdom,” I believed that in the workplace everyone should be treated equally, including working mothers. That sounds like a great democratic notion, however impossible and wrong-headed. Many critics of such special accommodations are often men—like me years ago—and woman without children, both of whom share once tragic flaw: They have NO idea what it means to be a working mother. Personally, I did not appreciate what it took to work full time and raise a family. In my era, one partner worked and the other stayed home to raise the children—usually, but not always, the wife.<br /><br />However, when I had a close-up-and-personal look at what my two grown daughters, both with young boys, have to do just to get out of the house in the morning to get to work, I was stunned. It’s like having two full-time jobs, not one: Your “work” job and your child-rearing job. And in many cases you also run the family business—the household—a third job. It’s a wonder more working mothers don’t just quit all their jobs and head off to Tahiti to escape.<br /><br />If propagating the species is one of humankind’s primary responsibilities, we have to make special accommodations for working mothers. It’s simple: No new babies, no future for the world. We accommodate the workplace for all sorts of reasons: Injuries as well as both physical mental disabilities. Surely, mothers don’t have a disability; rather, they just have the most important of all jobs—raising children. <br /><br />So, how do you teach people who want equality in the workplace that raising kids requires the help of the village? I’ve heard of a great experiment that high school kids are put through to teach them about having children. Each of them is asked to bring in a five-pound sack of flour to class. For one month, they must take it everywhere with them or ask someone to take it, while they go to the bathroom or go out on a date! It doesn’t take long to get the big picture: Raising a bag of flower—that doesn’t get sick, doesn’t cry, and doesn’t need to be changed, rocked, taken to expensive daycare, fed, bathed, put to bed or be worried about—is still an enormous amount of work.<br /><br />So, the next time some very-hard-working mother has to take her child to the doctor or stay home for an extra half-hour to help her child get over a nightmare—just ask yourself: How much do I care about the human race? <br /><br /><br />
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<br />Steve Gladishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988505384316328769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5260638093119176856.post-19801494058253880442015-11-26T19:39:00.000-05:002015-11-26T19:39:00.076-05:00Beyond Happy: FINAL PostFinal Words. Beth Cabrera has written an important book for women and men alike. We need to pay attention to what we expect from each other. Outdated social constructs around the role of women are not only irrelevant but also pernicious to a healthy, productive society. Men and women need to address policies, attitudes, and expectations. Moreover, Cabrera has given us all a clear path toward being happier, healthier and more purposeful.Steve Gladishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00988505384316328769noreply@blogger.com0