To continue the discussion about setting goals in your personal life so as to be better at work, I am going to start this post with a quote from Patrick Lencioni’s book "The three Big Questions for a Frantic Family" because I believe it can prove to be an epiphany moment for many business people.
“…most executives claim that family is more important to them than work. And most of them seem to really mean it. However, every one of those executives…would have to admit that they spend inordinately more time thinking about, strategizing about, and meeting about how to run their companies than they do their families. And yet they complain that life at home is far too reactive, frantic, and unfocused. Of course, this makes no sense…It might not occur to us that management tools from the workplace can apply at home. We don’t think about our families as organizations, and ourselves as the executives of those organizations. Additionally, I think many of us feel a little awkward, even embarrassed, at the thought of having a “strategic meeting” to talk about family values or strategic priorities. Who does that, anyway?” (Lencioni, 2008).
When I read this quote it makes me wonder, why wouldn’t a family do this? I mentioned in my last post that my husband and I have a “life’s to do list.” This list is an essential part of a strategic plan because it helps guide our decisions for life’s bigger questions. In addition to this list, we have done planning on a monthly and annual basis so we know what events are coming up, what needs to be done around the house and what we are going to do to improve ourselves. It isn’t a chore as much as cherished time together, talking and dreaming about our life. Yes, some of the conversations maybe harder than others but they help solidify us on our path. Early on in our marriage, we would write everything down in categories such as: health, family, home, careers, church, friends and fun. Using a notebook, we could check off the previous month’s activities and carry what was left undone over to the future. It was a great starting point to planning because we discovered more about each other. I still have that notebook on my coffee table and now we are at the point that has become integrated into our daily conversations. Just yesterday I spoke with him about the numerous family functions we have coming up in March so I am not springing them on him at the last minute – something that he hates. Being proactive about the routine home-life details frees up precious space in our minds for the countless other priorities that come up. We have found that being reactive to those routine home-life details creates chaos if left unchecked.
Now the approach taken in the book, with the use of a fable, has a little more “rose-colored glasses” perspective that might be a little hard to take for some but the overall message is strong. Questions that are posed include: What are your family’s core values and what should your top priorities be? Using questions such as these, in whatever format works best for you, should lay a strong foundation for you to build your family’s strategic plan.
Truly I know all of this may sound “pie-in-the-sky” and if it sounds that way to you then please ask yourself these questions:
Are you really where you want to be?
If not, do you know where you are going and how you are going to get there?
Are you overwhelmed at home and at work by the sheer volume of everything?
If yes, how can you change it?
Are you less than your best at work because of life’s other pressures?
If yes, how will your business ever succeed?
If we are not at our best at home, then we will never be at our best at work. By applying some of our business acumen principles we can create a better balance and achieve greater success in both aspects of our lives.
If you would like more information about "The Three Big Questions for a Frantic Family" here is a link to Patrick Lencioni's website: http://www.tablegroup.com/books/frantic/
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
The dreaded season of resolutions
So here it is another January and of course it is going by way too fast. How many broken resolutions are out there already? Just the thought might be sending you into a panic but instead of looking on resolutions as a way of torturing yourself into a new behavior perhaps resolutions should really be an opportunity to set goals for the future. After all, without goals how do we know where we are going and what we are doing? For this post, I am going to look more on a personal level because to obtain business acumen we need to take care of ourselves too. I hope this discussion will develop over the next few posts through a business all the way up to executive goals.
Personal goals – where to begin? For a simple level, I think it starts with two questions: Where do you see yourself at the end of this year and what steps do you need to take to get there. Thinking with those two questions might guide you to in different categories such as family, home, health, friends, community, education, religion and so on. Approach this as you would in your business - create a list or tool that you can measure your progress against. It doesn’t matter if it is hand written in a notebook or an elaborate spreadsheet but make it so it speaks to you personally. Something that will keep you focused on the steps you need to take to accomplish your goals. Put the items as tasks on your calendar and hold yourself accountable. It is your future after all. There will be some goals that are easily accomplished while other items might have to be deferred due to unforeseen circumstances. All of that is alright as it is a process that needs to evolve to move forward.
Don’t believe me? Don’t think you have an hour to spare for this exercise? Fine, but think about next December 31st. Do you want to be celebrating the success of your accomplishments this year or woefully thinking about your failed resolutions? By spending a little time now to create your list and then dedicating a little time every month to check in on your progress you will create your path. You owe it to yourself to put your life’s plan in place.
But it doesn’t end have to end with the year. If you really want to get a little ambitious and dream a little, create your bucket list – you know, “everything you want to do before you kick the bucket!” My husband and I did this a few years ago and call it our “life’s to do list.” It has everything from the typical, such as finding fulfilling careers, to the extravagant, including living by the ocean someday. We might not obtain everything on that list but it is a guidepost for our lives. In thinking about our year ahead, we are trying to figure out if this is the year we go to the Indy 500 or maybe next year it’s Hawaii for our 10th anniversary (both destinations are on our list). Most of all it’s just fun to think about and strive for the future. It keeps us going and it is one of our strongest common bonds. I highly recommend this exercise to anyone – single, couple, old and young – your demographics don’t matter for this exercise what counts most is your will to want the best out of your future. Additionally, I do think that future goals are constantly changing with time and on that note, one of my goals for this year is to plan time when we can update our own list. Checking off accomplishments only opens the door for new additions to the list!
It may seem that this is one of those topics that is “easier said than done.” Really though I don’t think that it is really the case. In our business lives, we have goals and are judged by our accomplishments – why should it be any different for us in our personal lives? This post just skims the surface and if you want to discuss this more in more detail please contact me. I am convinced that setting your own personal goals will help you to never regret a resolution again.
Next post will take this just a little further and will discuss a book called the “Three Big Questions for a Frantic Family” by Patrick Lencioni. This book takes the business planning concept and applies it to a family. I really like this approach because by being happy at home takes some of our stress off at work. After that, it is back to a business setting.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Personal goals – where to begin? For a simple level, I think it starts with two questions: Where do you see yourself at the end of this year and what steps do you need to take to get there. Thinking with those two questions might guide you to in different categories such as family, home, health, friends, community, education, religion and so on. Approach this as you would in your business - create a list or tool that you can measure your progress against. It doesn’t matter if it is hand written in a notebook or an elaborate spreadsheet but make it so it speaks to you personally. Something that will keep you focused on the steps you need to take to accomplish your goals. Put the items as tasks on your calendar and hold yourself accountable. It is your future after all. There will be some goals that are easily accomplished while other items might have to be deferred due to unforeseen circumstances. All of that is alright as it is a process that needs to evolve to move forward.
Don’t believe me? Don’t think you have an hour to spare for this exercise? Fine, but think about next December 31st. Do you want to be celebrating the success of your accomplishments this year or woefully thinking about your failed resolutions? By spending a little time now to create your list and then dedicating a little time every month to check in on your progress you will create your path. You owe it to yourself to put your life’s plan in place.
But it doesn’t end have to end with the year. If you really want to get a little ambitious and dream a little, create your bucket list – you know, “everything you want to do before you kick the bucket!” My husband and I did this a few years ago and call it our “life’s to do list.” It has everything from the typical, such as finding fulfilling careers, to the extravagant, including living by the ocean someday. We might not obtain everything on that list but it is a guidepost for our lives. In thinking about our year ahead, we are trying to figure out if this is the year we go to the Indy 500 or maybe next year it’s Hawaii for our 10th anniversary (both destinations are on our list). Most of all it’s just fun to think about and strive for the future. It keeps us going and it is one of our strongest common bonds. I highly recommend this exercise to anyone – single, couple, old and young – your demographics don’t matter for this exercise what counts most is your will to want the best out of your future. Additionally, I do think that future goals are constantly changing with time and on that note, one of my goals for this year is to plan time when we can update our own list. Checking off accomplishments only opens the door for new additions to the list!
It may seem that this is one of those topics that is “easier said than done.” Really though I don’t think that it is really the case. In our business lives, we have goals and are judged by our accomplishments – why should it be any different for us in our personal lives? This post just skims the surface and if you want to discuss this more in more detail please contact me. I am convinced that setting your own personal goals will help you to never regret a resolution again.
Next post will take this just a little further and will discuss a book called the “Three Big Questions for a Frantic Family” by Patrick Lencioni. This book takes the business planning concept and applies it to a family. I really like this approach because by being happy at home takes some of our stress off at work. After that, it is back to a business setting.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Don't make an interview just about the past
Just before the holidays I wrote about a post about my adventures in interviewing. A recent article I read made me realize there is more I want to say about the process. In the January/February 2010 issue of Money magazine there is an article called “The Secret to Acing the Interview” by Cindy Goodman. The article discusses how a candidate should perfect their “elevator pitch.” While it is interesting and probably useful information, I fear that it is also very clichéd as is a great deal of the interviewing advice that is out there. I have seen countless pieces written on the “elevator pitch” but I really don’t want to pick on just one aspect of interview advice articles. Actually, to prove my point I go back to the post I wrote about a horrible interview experience where I had to share the reception area with another candidate who arrived to interview for the same position. There was a hidden epiphany in that moment that I am only now realizing its importance.
In that situation, I watched as the other candidate arrived the standard 15 minutes early, asked to use the ladies room and after tried to make impressive small talk with the receptionist – including asking about awards on the wall and how nice everyone seemed. Wait a minute – that sounds familiar?!? Horrified I realized I had done many of those same things! Of course, I was so disgusted with the company at that moment that I pushed the horrified feelings aside. Looking back now, just as my actions were based on the plethora of interview advice articles, it is clear that her actions were too.
The realization that many of us are reading the same articles makes me really want to stand out in a genuine way. I want to show my business acumen and not only that – I want to prove how it can be of value to the very best of companies. I really feel this is important for all of us to remember. In perfecting your “elevator pitch” or showcasing the very best of your past, I think the most important component is missing. An interview should not be so myopically focused on the past or on the candidates themselves. To be successful, the interview process should paint the picture of how integral the candidate can become to the company’s future. This takes research on the candidate’s part. He/she needs to look deep into a company’s website, to go on Linkedin and to use any way possible find everything out that can be found out in the formulation of a plan for the future. Of course it may not be a complete picture but it has to be an honest and realistic picture. This will help candidates to truly make the most of valuable time in front of an interviewer. It is a practice that I have used in the past. I don’t go into an interview without conducting as much research as possible on the company and often I will bring a printed PowerPoint presentation with me as a leave behind. This presentation paints the picture of how I can fit into the company’s business model and it is why I know I am a strong candidate who is waiting for an equally strong company.
To be fair, I don’t want to leave the companies out of this either. They shouldn’t become so wrapped up in a candidate’s credentials, GPA, resume buzzwords or other tricks. Don’t hire a candidate based on what is on paper but rather than what they really can bring to the table. Look for the ones that display business acumen in their approach to your time together and their plans from the future. To do so will help you stockpile your talent to ensure that your company and your employees can achieve the successes they so richly deserve.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
In that situation, I watched as the other candidate arrived the standard 15 minutes early, asked to use the ladies room and after tried to make impressive small talk with the receptionist – including asking about awards on the wall and how nice everyone seemed. Wait a minute – that sounds familiar?!? Horrified I realized I had done many of those same things! Of course, I was so disgusted with the company at that moment that I pushed the horrified feelings aside. Looking back now, just as my actions were based on the plethora of interview advice articles, it is clear that her actions were too.
The realization that many of us are reading the same articles makes me really want to stand out in a genuine way. I want to show my business acumen and not only that – I want to prove how it can be of value to the very best of companies. I really feel this is important for all of us to remember. In perfecting your “elevator pitch” or showcasing the very best of your past, I think the most important component is missing. An interview should not be so myopically focused on the past or on the candidates themselves. To be successful, the interview process should paint the picture of how integral the candidate can become to the company’s future. This takes research on the candidate’s part. He/she needs to look deep into a company’s website, to go on Linkedin and to use any way possible find everything out that can be found out in the formulation of a plan for the future. Of course it may not be a complete picture but it has to be an honest and realistic picture. This will help candidates to truly make the most of valuable time in front of an interviewer. It is a practice that I have used in the past. I don’t go into an interview without conducting as much research as possible on the company and often I will bring a printed PowerPoint presentation with me as a leave behind. This presentation paints the picture of how I can fit into the company’s business model and it is why I know I am a strong candidate who is waiting for an equally strong company.
To be fair, I don’t want to leave the companies out of this either. They shouldn’t become so wrapped up in a candidate’s credentials, GPA, resume buzzwords or other tricks. Don’t hire a candidate based on what is on paper but rather than what they really can bring to the table. Look for the ones that display business acumen in their approach to your time together and their plans from the future. To do so will help you stockpile your talent to ensure that your company and your employees can achieve the successes they so richly deserve.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Connections are more than names in your Blackberry
Once again my planned topic for this blog must be delayed for a recent situation that is far too important not to be shared. Unfortunately in this case the delay is due to the loss of my dear friend Judy Tralla Franklin. This week’s post is a tribute to her friendship and guidance which helped me greatly in my life’s journey. Jude, thank you doesn’t seem to be quite enough for all you brought to my life. Those of us who had the honor of calling you friend already miss you so very, very much…
How many of us have names in our electronic contact lists that we barely even know? In contrast how many are names of true connections – you know, people who, at one time or another, made a real impact and difference in your business life. Possibly rarer still, how many people have you helped and made a difference in their careers? I was blessed to have a manager who moved beyond a typical business relationship. She saw my potential many years ago and who encouraged me to live up to that potential. This encouragement ultimately reached the point where she pushed me to seek better opportunities, even though it meant me leaving her at a place of employment which was a mess. She knew I could do far better elsewhere and put my best interests above her own. That manager became my dear friend Jude.
Close friendships in business can be taboo but yet it is in these situations where I seem to thrive. After all, I met my husband at work and through the course of our relationship we were both promoted several times. In the one place of work where I was expressly forbidden from having friendships I was extremely unhappy and disengaged from the organization. Needless to say, I left even though it was a good position. Upon reflection, the correlation between the connections that are made and my job satisfaction is strong. This correlation is explored in-depth in the book “Vital Friends” by Tom Rath. The book uses research to support the theory that we shouldn’t discount the value of business friendships as they actually can significantly increase the engagement of employees. It gives real-life examples of the power of friendship in businesses and the consequences when those friendships are forbidden.
Unsure about this “mushy” stuff? Consider this quote from the book: “Everyone talks about the need for work/life balance – but it might not be that easy to separate the two. Your personal life doesn’t stop when you get to work – and you don’t stop thinking about work when you go home at night. Indeed, if work doesn’t even enter your mind at night or on the weekends, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve attained the elusive work/life balance. It’s more likely an indicator of how little you care about your job (Rath, 2006). Not caring about a job is one of the biggest detriments to achieving business acumen. I have written about this before - If you aren’t engaged in what you are doing, how will you ever achieve success?
Creating an environment in our business life that includes a focus towards improved connections and fostering relationships will increase our business acumen. As businesspeople we want to care about our jobs and to do so we need to be more aware of situations that our colleagues, subordinates or customers may be facing. By reaching out to them in with an honest effort of support, we can strengthen our bonds and create a better environment. Yes, there are needy people out there who always seem to be in crisis – I am not referring to them – I am saying reach out to someone you might have something in common with or who just seems to be having a bad day. Invite someone to lunch – talk about anything but work. If you like something someone did – praise them! There are countless ways you can establish a true connection. Read the book – it will give you tips on how to get started. Take that first step; you might uncover a friendship that can change your life. I am so incredibly thankful that Jude took that step…
One short post doesn’t seem to be doing enough justice to what I feel is an extremely important aspect of obtaining business acumen. To learn more about the book, Vital Friends, please visit the website at: https://www.vitalfriends.com/ . I truly believe it is worth your time not only to read the book but live by its advice.
How many of us have names in our electronic contact lists that we barely even know? In contrast how many are names of true connections – you know, people who, at one time or another, made a real impact and difference in your business life. Possibly rarer still, how many people have you helped and made a difference in their careers? I was blessed to have a manager who moved beyond a typical business relationship. She saw my potential many years ago and who encouraged me to live up to that potential. This encouragement ultimately reached the point where she pushed me to seek better opportunities, even though it meant me leaving her at a place of employment which was a mess. She knew I could do far better elsewhere and put my best interests above her own. That manager became my dear friend Jude.
Close friendships in business can be taboo but yet it is in these situations where I seem to thrive. After all, I met my husband at work and through the course of our relationship we were both promoted several times. In the one place of work where I was expressly forbidden from having friendships I was extremely unhappy and disengaged from the organization. Needless to say, I left even though it was a good position. Upon reflection, the correlation between the connections that are made and my job satisfaction is strong. This correlation is explored in-depth in the book “Vital Friends” by Tom Rath. The book uses research to support the theory that we shouldn’t discount the value of business friendships as they actually can significantly increase the engagement of employees. It gives real-life examples of the power of friendship in businesses and the consequences when those friendships are forbidden.
Unsure about this “mushy” stuff? Consider this quote from the book: “Everyone talks about the need for work/life balance – but it might not be that easy to separate the two. Your personal life doesn’t stop when you get to work – and you don’t stop thinking about work when you go home at night. Indeed, if work doesn’t even enter your mind at night or on the weekends, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve attained the elusive work/life balance. It’s more likely an indicator of how little you care about your job (Rath, 2006). Not caring about a job is one of the biggest detriments to achieving business acumen. I have written about this before - If you aren’t engaged in what you are doing, how will you ever achieve success?
Creating an environment in our business life that includes a focus towards improved connections and fostering relationships will increase our business acumen. As businesspeople we want to care about our jobs and to do so we need to be more aware of situations that our colleagues, subordinates or customers may be facing. By reaching out to them in with an honest effort of support, we can strengthen our bonds and create a better environment. Yes, there are needy people out there who always seem to be in crisis – I am not referring to them – I am saying reach out to someone you might have something in common with or who just seems to be having a bad day. Invite someone to lunch – talk about anything but work. If you like something someone did – praise them! There are countless ways you can establish a true connection. Read the book – it will give you tips on how to get started. Take that first step; you might uncover a friendship that can change your life. I am so incredibly thankful that Jude took that step…
One short post doesn’t seem to be doing enough justice to what I feel is an extremely important aspect of obtaining business acumen. To learn more about the book, Vital Friends, please visit the website at: https://www.vitalfriends.com/ . I truly believe it is worth your time not only to read the book but live by its advice.
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