Saturday, November 20, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Ways To Achieve Great Results
ERMISSION TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in newsletters and on web sites provided attribution is provided to the author, and it appears with the included copyright, resource box and live web site link. Email notice of intent to publish is appreciated but not required: mail to: brent@actionleadership.com
Word count: 850
Four Ways To Achieve Great Results ... CONTINUALLY
by Brent Filson
Leaders live and die by results. For almost a quarter of a century, I've been teaching leaders of all ranks and functions worldwide to achieve not just average results but "more results faster continually." And "continually" is maybe the most important factor.
A lot of leaders live by having people get more results. They live by having them get more results on a faster basis. But they die when trying to get "more, faster" CONTINUALLY.
Here are four ways to make CONTINUALLY happen.
1. Deep Expectations. Clearly, expectations are a self-fulfilling prophecy. When you commit yourself to the expectations that achieving anything less than "more results faster continually" is unacceptable, you've created new contours for success.
I call those expectations "deep expectations" because they involve the five results-drivers that go deeply into your organization. The results drivers are: the strategies that marshal functions around central, organizing concepts; the tactics to execute those strategies; the resources to support the tactics; the people skills to promote great execution; and the motivational leadership to have the people be ardently committed to the execution.
The strategies, tactics, resources, people skills, and motivational leadership must be viewed within the context of and tested by "more results faster continually."
2. Deep relationships. To promote CONTINUALLY, you must champion deep, human, emotional relationships with the people you lead. This means going beyond the relatively shallow relationships involved in order-giving environments. The relationships cultivated in such environments don't go much deeper, in terms of their human bonding, than those involved with the giving, receiving, and carrying out of orders. When you order people to do a job, you may get more and faster results, but I submit that you won't get more/faster CONTINUALLY.
The power of deep relationships has been demonstrated since the dawn of history. In all cultures, whenever people needed to do great things, one thing had to take place: A leader had to gather those people together and speak from the heart. Profound, heartfelt relationships had to be established for great things to be accomplished.
Today, many leaders miss out on deep relationships that can lead to great results. They may know such relationships are important, but they don't know how to consistently create them, maintain them and enrich them.
Think of a time when you've experienced a deep, bonding with somebody -- not sexual as in a significant-other relationship -- but a bonding to achieve certain organizational accomplishments. It might have been with a boss, a friend, a colleague ... doesn't matter who, the important thing is the WHAT, the relationship
Now, picture yourself interacting with that person on one or more occasions. What was the physical setting? What was said? What was done? Recall what you felt. Recall the bonding that took place. What were the physical facts that gave you those emotions, that bonding? What were the actions you took as a result of that bonding? What were the results that came from those actions?
You may conclude that those relationships led to better results – and provided necessary environment for CONTINUALLY.
3. Deep processes. How do we create and sustain those relationships? One answer is through processes. Processes, which are systematic series of mental or physical steps directed toward specific ends, cultivate clarity of purpose and repeatability of outcomes.
A proven, robust process to advance CONTINUALLY is the Leadership Talk. The Leadership Talk is not about having leaders order people to do tasks, but having those people badly want to do those tasks. The ability to have others "want to" separates average leaders from great leaders. Hence, the Leadership Talk is a key driver of CONTINUALLY. (See my website for more information.) In fact, without employing Leadership Talks, leaders fail to create and sustain results-producing bonding between the leader and the people.
4. Deep results. If Leadership Talks are a key process in achieving the deep relationships needed to advance CONTINUALLY, what kind of results should CONTINUALLY encompass?
You can begin to get great results CONTINUALLY by having them flow through the prism of the Leadership Imperative.
The Leadership Imperative is: I WILL LEAD PEOPLE IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE TOGETHER NOT ONLY ACHIEVE THE RESULTS WE NEED BUT WE ALSO BECOME BETTER AS LEADERS AND AS PEOPLE.
You are never more effective as a leader as when, in getting more results faster continually, you are helping others be better than they are -- even better than thought they could be.
Guided by the Leadership Imperative, you'll find yourself realizing deep results. Furthermore, those deep results will advance CONTINUALLY. After all, if people know that in working with you, they will improve their job performance, boost their career, and enrich their lives, won't they want to work with you ... CONTINUALLY?
Results, of course, come in many forms and are measured and evaluated in many ways. I've discovered that most leaders are getting the wrong results, or the right results in the wrong ways. When you aim to start achieving "more results faster continually" you are on the right road to achieving the right results. Be guided by the four ways to make CONTINUALLY happen -- deep expectations, deep relationships, deep processes, deep results -- and you'll insure you'll be getting them in the right ways.
Word count: 850
Four Ways To Achieve Great Results ... CONTINUALLY
by Brent Filson
Leaders live and die by results. For almost a quarter of a century, I've been teaching leaders of all ranks and functions worldwide to achieve not just average results but "more results faster continually." And "continually" is maybe the most important factor.
A lot of leaders live by having people get more results. They live by having them get more results on a faster basis. But they die when trying to get "more, faster" CONTINUALLY.
Here are four ways to make CONTINUALLY happen.
1. Deep Expectations. Clearly, expectations are a self-fulfilling prophecy. When you commit yourself to the expectations that achieving anything less than "more results faster continually" is unacceptable, you've created new contours for success.
I call those expectations "deep expectations" because they involve the five results-drivers that go deeply into your organization. The results drivers are: the strategies that marshal functions around central, organizing concepts; the tactics to execute those strategies; the resources to support the tactics; the people skills to promote great execution; and the motivational leadership to have the people be ardently committed to the execution.
The strategies, tactics, resources, people skills, and motivational leadership must be viewed within the context of and tested by "more results faster continually."
2. Deep relationships. To promote CONTINUALLY, you must champion deep, human, emotional relationships with the people you lead. This means going beyond the relatively shallow relationships involved in order-giving environments. The relationships cultivated in such environments don't go much deeper, in terms of their human bonding, than those involved with the giving, receiving, and carrying out of orders. When you order people to do a job, you may get more and faster results, but I submit that you won't get more/faster CONTINUALLY.
The power of deep relationships has been demonstrated since the dawn of history. In all cultures, whenever people needed to do great things, one thing had to take place: A leader had to gather those people together and speak from the heart. Profound, heartfelt relationships had to be established for great things to be accomplished.
Today, many leaders miss out on deep relationships that can lead to great results. They may know such relationships are important, but they don't know how to consistently create them, maintain them and enrich them.
Think of a time when you've experienced a deep, bonding with somebody -- not sexual as in a significant-other relationship -- but a bonding to achieve certain organizational accomplishments. It might have been with a boss, a friend, a colleague ... doesn't matter who, the important thing is the WHAT, the relationship
Now, picture yourself interacting with that person on one or more occasions. What was the physical setting? What was said? What was done? Recall what you felt. Recall the bonding that took place. What were the physical facts that gave you those emotions, that bonding? What were the actions you took as a result of that bonding? What were the results that came from those actions?
You may conclude that those relationships led to better results – and provided necessary environment for CONTINUALLY.
3. Deep processes. How do we create and sustain those relationships? One answer is through processes. Processes, which are systematic series of mental or physical steps directed toward specific ends, cultivate clarity of purpose and repeatability of outcomes.
A proven, robust process to advance CONTINUALLY is the Leadership Talk. The Leadership Talk is not about having leaders order people to do tasks, but having those people badly want to do those tasks. The ability to have others "want to" separates average leaders from great leaders. Hence, the Leadership Talk is a key driver of CONTINUALLY. (See my website for more information.) In fact, without employing Leadership Talks, leaders fail to create and sustain results-producing bonding between the leader and the people.
4. Deep results. If Leadership Talks are a key process in achieving the deep relationships needed to advance CONTINUALLY, what kind of results should CONTINUALLY encompass?
You can begin to get great results CONTINUALLY by having them flow through the prism of the Leadership Imperative.
The Leadership Imperative is: I WILL LEAD PEOPLE IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE TOGETHER NOT ONLY ACHIEVE THE RESULTS WE NEED BUT WE ALSO BECOME BETTER AS LEADERS AND AS PEOPLE.
You are never more effective as a leader as when, in getting more results faster continually, you are helping others be better than they are -- even better than thought they could be.
Guided by the Leadership Imperative, you'll find yourself realizing deep results. Furthermore, those deep results will advance CONTINUALLY. After all, if people know that in working with you, they will improve their job performance, boost their career, and enrich their lives, won't they want to work with you ... CONTINUALLY?
Results, of course, come in many forms and are measured and evaluated in many ways. I've discovered that most leaders are getting the wrong results, or the right results in the wrong ways. When you aim to start achieving "more results faster continually" you are on the right road to achieving the right results. Be guided by the four ways to make CONTINUALLY happen -- deep expectations, deep relationships, deep processes, deep results -- and you'll insure you'll be getting them in the right ways.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Blogging Effectively
Perhaps "blogging" isn't such a graceful word. For me, personally, it sounds like a worded drudgery the way cereals can be soggy, skies can be foggy, and the way minds can be groggy. But for now, it's too late to rename this shortened word for web-logging. Widespread blogging is nevertheless one of the most engaging Internet developments of the past few years. As a medium it gives rise to many new and worthy voices and plays a new and vital force in shaping opinions, political realities, trends, and even our language.
I believe that a blog is simply a tool to use for someone who's got something to say. Let me be clear in saying that a blog is a poor choice for someone who needs a megaphone to scream out to cyberspace in order to elicit a meaningful response from Internet users. If you want attention and want it now and expect blogging to bring it to you, then this will surely be a disappointment. However, if you like to write and engage others on subjects of which you have some command or experience, then it's a wonderful application with which you can interact with people who share similar interests as you. The hype is well founded.
Anyway, here's a list of blogging tips…
1.) Be topical.
Cohesiveness in message is not optional. Readers may or may not be interested in your topic, but if your message is haphazard that few will bother remembering to return to your blog because it essentially would offer nothing to remember. This doesn't mean blogs can't jump from subject to subject. For instance, a blog with a humorous focus has all the leeway in the world for subject matter, but it would be foolish for such a blog to turn the humor on and off. In such an example, the aspect of humor would be content's glue, the strength of the blog. The beauty of staying on point and on topic is that eventually, due to the nature of the Internet, you will find those interested solely in your topic. (as opposed to online diaries. There are millions of them on the internet, few have any readers. Email me with examples if I'm wrong and I'll be able to show you why you're showing me a blog and not a diary.)
2.) Refresh your content
Create a schedule and stick to it. Realizing that blogging requires time and effort, don't create unrealistic expectations and be unable to deliver. An occasional lapse or holiday is generally understood but readers returning to find stale, out-dated content are going to find another blog with similar content. New blogs and RSS feeds are popping up on a daily basis. If you have worked hard to develop an audience and a community you don't want to lose them due to lack of communication.
And remember, what's old is not new and, for blogs, thusly not interesting. 2006 isn't the time to rail against Enron or Vanilla Ice. Insight doesn't matter much to yesterday's news.
3.) Clear Language Counts.
Blessed is the blog with a clear line of logic. Write without inside jokes, clique-y catchphrases or ambiguous logic. First time readers need to be close to your message. They are more likely to return to blogs that strike them positively. If the first read is confusing there will not be a second read.
4.) Feed the Spiders.
Search engines take notice of active blogs and blog search engines are especially sensitive to activity. If nothing else, search engines are smarter today than they were yesterday and are only getting smarter. In constantly improving they are seeking to aggregate quality; quality blogs are updated several times a week, if not daily, as opposed to once or twice a month. I don't mean to scare you but a big spider is watching, so dance for them.
5.) RSS.
Think of RSS like a magic to blogging world, because that's the effect it's had. RSS feeds are a way to exponentially sound your voice to the interested. These feeds are a great means to increase the distribution and readership of your original content.
6.) Spell check.
Hey man, use the spell-check. I do – if I didn't you probably wouldn't have made it to #6. It only takes a minute and can save you from looking like a hack.
Your weblog audiences will be small at first. And, frankly, that's the way it should be. Who are you to think that half the internet will flock to you after three or four posts of your blog, anyway?
If you tough it out while maintaining quality, readership will materialize. You will link to good, relevant blogs and, in turn, they will to you. While your voice may be unique, your niche likely isn't and if your content is emitted smartly to the Internet those relevant readers will respond through readership and interaction. That I guarantee.
I believe that a blog is simply a tool to use for someone who's got something to say. Let me be clear in saying that a blog is a poor choice for someone who needs a megaphone to scream out to cyberspace in order to elicit a meaningful response from Internet users. If you want attention and want it now and expect blogging to bring it to you, then this will surely be a disappointment. However, if you like to write and engage others on subjects of which you have some command or experience, then it's a wonderful application with which you can interact with people who share similar interests as you. The hype is well founded.
Anyway, here's a list of blogging tips…
1.) Be topical.
Cohesiveness in message is not optional. Readers may or may not be interested in your topic, but if your message is haphazard that few will bother remembering to return to your blog because it essentially would offer nothing to remember. This doesn't mean blogs can't jump from subject to subject. For instance, a blog with a humorous focus has all the leeway in the world for subject matter, but it would be foolish for such a blog to turn the humor on and off. In such an example, the aspect of humor would be content's glue, the strength of the blog. The beauty of staying on point and on topic is that eventually, due to the nature of the Internet, you will find those interested solely in your topic. (as opposed to online diaries. There are millions of them on the internet, few have any readers. Email me with examples if I'm wrong and I'll be able to show you why you're showing me a blog and not a diary.)
2.) Refresh your content
Create a schedule and stick to it. Realizing that blogging requires time and effort, don't create unrealistic expectations and be unable to deliver. An occasional lapse or holiday is generally understood but readers returning to find stale, out-dated content are going to find another blog with similar content. New blogs and RSS feeds are popping up on a daily basis. If you have worked hard to develop an audience and a community you don't want to lose them due to lack of communication.
And remember, what's old is not new and, for blogs, thusly not interesting. 2006 isn't the time to rail against Enron or Vanilla Ice. Insight doesn't matter much to yesterday's news.
3.) Clear Language Counts.
Blessed is the blog with a clear line of logic. Write without inside jokes, clique-y catchphrases or ambiguous logic. First time readers need to be close to your message. They are more likely to return to blogs that strike them positively. If the first read is confusing there will not be a second read.
4.) Feed the Spiders.
Search engines take notice of active blogs and blog search engines are especially sensitive to activity. If nothing else, search engines are smarter today than they were yesterday and are only getting smarter. In constantly improving they are seeking to aggregate quality; quality blogs are updated several times a week, if not daily, as opposed to once or twice a month. I don't mean to scare you but a big spider is watching, so dance for them.
5.) RSS.
Think of RSS like a magic to blogging world, because that's the effect it's had. RSS feeds are a way to exponentially sound your voice to the interested. These feeds are a great means to increase the distribution and readership of your original content.
6.) Spell check.
Hey man, use the spell-check. I do – if I didn't you probably wouldn't have made it to #6. It only takes a minute and can save you from looking like a hack.
Your weblog audiences will be small at first. And, frankly, that's the way it should be. Who are you to think that half the internet will flock to you after three or four posts of your blog, anyway?
If you tough it out while maintaining quality, readership will materialize. You will link to good, relevant blogs and, in turn, they will to you. While your voice may be unique, your niche likely isn't and if your content is emitted smartly to the Internet those relevant readers will respond through readership and interaction. That I guarantee.
Make A Net - Work
Many job seekers are confused about networking, and therefore doubt its effectiveness. Networking is the art of building and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships. So, like anything else, networking requires a bit of practice and finesse, but if done correctly, networking can be an invaluable part of your job search campaign.
Here are a few tips that can help develop a network that works for you:
Be Patient
Networking doesn't happen overnight; it's a process. Networking is not just something you can check off your job search list like "Send resume to Pfizer".
While people may want to help you, they might not be able to do so right away.Quite simply, you may not be the first item on their agenda. So, if someone agrees to meet with you but can't do so immediately, accept their offer graciously and patiently. Never let an opportunity to meet with someone during the course of networking slip away. Always be open to meeting!
Be Authentic and Kind
When you do meet with someone resulting from your scheduling attempts, take a sincere interest in their life, not just the information or possible assistance they can offer you. Don't push people for their knowledge or connections and then abandon the relationship. Networking means fostering relationships. This objective cannot be achieved by one person constantly taking while the other person constantly gives information or time. Relationships are built on trust and sharing over time.
Remember, one day you might be in a reverse career position; so be considerate and respectful to all you meet. Find ways to periodically reconnect with the contacts in your network to stay up to date on their lives,and let them know that you genuinely care about what is going on with them. Also, connecting and re-connecting, take the time to let them know that their advice and counsel was heard and put to good use. Acknowledging their individual value to you and to your career. Reinforcement of the time and advice offered by those in your network will foster gratefulness, awareness of their value to you and encourage them to continue helping you and others.
Be a Conduit
Remember, the objective of networking is…well…more networking. You should be constantly adding people to your list of contacts. Always find more contacts to meet and, in turn, become a great connector yourself! Open up your network to others. Hopefully they'll follow suit and do the same for you, keeping the cycle going. Think about those contacts who could help others in your network,then introduce them!
Keep in mind that not everyone you meet will understand what networking is or how they can help you. Many people think that the best way they can help you as a job seeker is to take your resume and pass it along to their human resources department. While their intentions are noble, their strategy won't help you and could actually wind up being counter-productive and consequently,losing you a great job.
HR managers, like recruiters, are sometimes only motivated to take action on your resume if there is a current job opening within the organization that matches your skills. If a position is not available, they have no incentive to contact you and the connection is lost.
Rather than giving your contacts a resume, ask them if they could introduce you to a member of their company so that you can learn more about their position, industry, and organization. This way, you'll learn more about the company, share information about yourself, and begin to build a relationship rather than ending up as just another resume lost at the bottom of the pile.
Be a Helper
Networking is all about reciprocity. No matter who you're dealing with, you should always try to give more than you receive. For example, if you have information about a particular company, industry, or educational program that would be valuable to someone in your network, share it. By sharing you will help others and in turn, others will help you.
Whether you're currently employed or job seeking is irrelevant - networking is a constant process. Obviously, you'll be more on the receiving end of your contacts' information when you're on the look out for a new job. But that just means you need to work that much harder at giving information and sharing your network while happily employed.
If you're constantly looking for ways to help people in your network achieve their goals, they'll be much more likely to help you in return.
Here are a few tips that can help develop a network that works for you:
Be Patient
Networking doesn't happen overnight; it's a process. Networking is not just something you can check off your job search list like "Send resume to Pfizer".
While people may want to help you, they might not be able to do so right away.Quite simply, you may not be the first item on their agenda. So, if someone agrees to meet with you but can't do so immediately, accept their offer graciously and patiently. Never let an opportunity to meet with someone during the course of networking slip away. Always be open to meeting!
Be Authentic and Kind
When you do meet with someone resulting from your scheduling attempts, take a sincere interest in their life, not just the information or possible assistance they can offer you. Don't push people for their knowledge or connections and then abandon the relationship. Networking means fostering relationships. This objective cannot be achieved by one person constantly taking while the other person constantly gives information or time. Relationships are built on trust and sharing over time.
Remember, one day you might be in a reverse career position; so be considerate and respectful to all you meet. Find ways to periodically reconnect with the contacts in your network to stay up to date on their lives,and let them know that you genuinely care about what is going on with them. Also, connecting and re-connecting, take the time to let them know that their advice and counsel was heard and put to good use. Acknowledging their individual value to you and to your career. Reinforcement of the time and advice offered by those in your network will foster gratefulness, awareness of their value to you and encourage them to continue helping you and others.
Be a Conduit
Remember, the objective of networking is…well…more networking. You should be constantly adding people to your list of contacts. Always find more contacts to meet and, in turn, become a great connector yourself! Open up your network to others. Hopefully they'll follow suit and do the same for you, keeping the cycle going. Think about those contacts who could help others in your network,then introduce them!
Keep in mind that not everyone you meet will understand what networking is or how they can help you. Many people think that the best way they can help you as a job seeker is to take your resume and pass it along to their human resources department. While their intentions are noble, their strategy won't help you and could actually wind up being counter-productive and consequently,losing you a great job.
HR managers, like recruiters, are sometimes only motivated to take action on your resume if there is a current job opening within the organization that matches your skills. If a position is not available, they have no incentive to contact you and the connection is lost.
Rather than giving your contacts a resume, ask them if they could introduce you to a member of their company so that you can learn more about their position, industry, and organization. This way, you'll learn more about the company, share information about yourself, and begin to build a relationship rather than ending up as just another resume lost at the bottom of the pile.
Be a Helper
Networking is all about reciprocity. No matter who you're dealing with, you should always try to give more than you receive. For example, if you have information about a particular company, industry, or educational program that would be valuable to someone in your network, share it. By sharing you will help others and in turn, others will help you.
Whether you're currently employed or job seeking is irrelevant - networking is a constant process. Obviously, you'll be more on the receiving end of your contacts' information when you're on the look out for a new job. But that just means you need to work that much harder at giving information and sharing your network while happily employed.
If you're constantly looking for ways to help people in your network achieve their goals, they'll be much more likely to help you in return.
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