ANOVIA - Ginger's Blog

Another Gem - Leadership Transformed

4/30/2015

Here's another gem from Dr. Peter Fuda about trust, one of the pinnacles to becoming a successful leader...and successful change agent. Dr. Fuda states that trust is comprised of three key components:

1.  credibility (do I believe you can do what you or others say you can?),
2. reliability (do you actually do what you say you will?),
3.  intent (what is your underlying motive and how much do you stand to gain?).

Leaders who consistently deliver on their promises, who behave in a way which is honest, open and authentic, and who focus on purpose, contribution and legacy, build enduring trust and dedicated followership."

Dr. Fuda adds that one of the fastest ways to build trust is to extend more trust than is warranted.   Much like a bank account, this means making continual and significant deposits so that when the inevitable problems occur, the resultant withdrawals do not put the account into deficit. This approach can be humbling for many leaders; particularly those who have been raised on a diet of command and control where subordinates are expected to win their trust.

Dr. Peter Fuda, Leadership Transformed

3/19/2015

Dr. Fuda is one of my favorite leadership experts. His focus is organizational change efforts. That's right, I said that dreaded word, "change". In a recent blog, Dr. Fuda addresses the challenges involved with making ch...ch...ch...change. He states, "Any attempt at sustainable change requires a blend of confidence, humility and a good sense of humor. In effect, this involves taking off the ‘mask’ of perfection in favor of a more humble and authentic disposition. De-masking however, presents a significant challenge for business leaders and change agents alike. Leaders are under constant pressure from shareholders, boards and analysts to confidently forecast and deliver results which are bigger, better and faster than last quarter. "

He goes on to add, "Leaders and change agents can be liberated by dropping the mask, accepting that there is no simple program, that change is necessarily unpredictable, and that everyone will need to learn and grow through the process. This acceptance removes the weight of unrealistic expectations and enables everyone to channel the energy previously spent posturing, pretending and politicking into an authentic dialogue about the commitment and disposition required for an effort which will inevitably be harder, longer and riskier than anyone would like."

Basically change requires risk. Risk to ask questions that might feel "stupid". Risk to listen instead of charge on. Risk to be totally honest about the challenges so you can overcome them. Are you ready to take a risk in the interest of creating a better, more productive, more profitable workplace?

For more information on Dr. Peter Fuda, go here.

One Piece at a Time

3/11/2015

My mantra, "one tiny step at a time", in practice...the Italian Bistro is done...

One Simple Thing - Fresh Perspective

2/10/2015

Still working away on my Italian Bistro puzzle, it occurred to me the value of a fresh perspective. After a break from a 30 minute session of piecing things together, WOW, all the sudden...that piece goes there, oh, yeah, those three fit together, and that piece looks like "x".

All too often we become so determined to get a task "finished" that we give up the great for the good.   For example, recall that when you wrote a paper for school, the teacher told you to write away and then walk away (my words, not theirs). You often got all your ideas out on the paper and then hopefully, took a break. When you went back, you probably found things that you wanted to improve, corrected some errors and thought of new ways to present your ideas. It's kinda like a fly wheel, you get it going and then the momentum can lead you further down the path...as long as you give it a breather!

So, on your next project or creative task, try to plan a little extra cushion in your timeline so you can leave your creation, take a breather, and go back later to improve it. Viola! Good to Great. Plus, taking a breather can help you mentally and physically. More studies are showing that sitting is contributing significantly to our obesity and heart disease epidemic. Simply getting up and walking around for 3 minutes every hour can significantly reduce your risk for both obesity and heart attack!

Really Getting Things Done

1/28/2015

David Allen really is the guru of GTD (Getting Things Done). His books are a great resource for how to put the steps in place to reach your goals. I recently ran across his TED talk that outlined his planning process to achieve goals:

1. Determine the Purpose of what you're trying to accomplish.
2. Picture what your idea will look like in the Ideal Scenario.
3. Brainstorm ideas on how to achieve your goal.
4. Determine How You Will Tackle the 2 or 3 things that you have to deal with in order to reach your goal.
5. What is your very Next Action to get you moving toward your goal.

Once you actually work through this process, the light bulbs start going off and things start happening. Try it! To see the short Ted talk, go here.

New Year's Resolution - Conquering Weight Loss

1/19/2015

Most Americans are continually on a "diet" or "watching their weight". In my past life as a Health Promotion/Wellness consultant, I often wondered whether the obesity epidemic was caused by the fact that people didn't know what to do (education) or that they didn't do what they were supposed to do (willpower).

Years ago, I do think that a big part of the problem was education - people didn't know what to eat and they didn't know the approximate nutritional value or caloric content in foods. Mass media has pretty much taken care of that and we know what we "should" eat...but many times, we don't.  So that must leave willpower, right? Not so fast.  I don't believe that you can "will" yourself to do something that you're not equipped to do. So how do you get equipped to finally lose that weight? In my mind, the answer is to think about your diet fouls and set up supportive structures to get you on your path.

The first step is to identify your own barriers to success. For me, one of my biggest was (and is) a mindset.   My training workout plan has me exercising quite a bit, so that little voice in my head often says, "You deserve a treat for working out so hard", or "You worked off the calories, so you can afford to eat more." I have to challenge that voice in my head and overrule it with, "I worked out hard and those are calories in the bank toward my weight loss, so I can't blow it by eating that cookie."  Now, I'm a big proponent of moderation of all things including moderation, so an occasional cookie IS in the plan, but it shouldn't be the norm for me to reach my goals.

Another one of my diet fouls is that I often tie watching TV to snacking...so I try to read a little more or do something to keep my mind otherwise occupied while watching TV, like working on that puzzle I talked about in my earlier blog. Distraction is a great tool.

One of my other fouls is that when I'm tired after a long work day, I drink too much caffeine and am on a constant search for sugar...and chocolate.   Having identified this is a challenge for me, if I arrive home tired from a crazy day, I take 10 minutes to relax with my eyes closed and doze. I keep it to 10 minutes, but it does refresh me for the evening without interfering with my sleep.

Ok, enough examples, now it's your turn... If you take the time to really identify what is keeping you from reaching any goal, you can set forth a plan to tackle ANY of your project fouls, including losing weight. Really identifying your barriers and how you might overcome them is the key to success. And I might add that, in many areas, success is a journey, not a destination! So get on your path today...

Getting Things Done

1/11/2015

I'm a big fan of David Allen, author of many productivity books including one called, "Getting Things Done." If you want to enhance your ability to check things off your "to do" list, his books will get you on the right track.

The most impactful thing that I have taken from Mr. Allen is the importance of figuring out your very next step or steps when you tackle a goal. This often starts with clear thinking about the obstacles that are standing in your way to getting started.

I'll take a simple example. I have this beautiful 1,000 piece puzzle with a scene of an Italian Bistro on it that I have been wanting to get started on for months. It's been sitting in the box in our kitchen (so I won't forget I want to put it together) nagging me the whole time. Big goal, not sure how to get started.

Having thought about why I was stuck, I identified that the biggest obstacle was that I didn't have a place to set it up. Obviously, this is something that once started will not be completed over night - I needed a place where it could take up temporary housing...and not at the kitchen table! Then the other problem, the puzzle is huge, so space was an issue.

Game plan : buy some foam core to make the puzzle portable. Keep it downstairs in the basement until I'm ready to work on it and then put it away when I'm finished for that day. Ok, but then that big piece of foam core is also an obstacle - it's too big and cumbersome to easily cart around. Hmmm, then I spied this small tray with a lip on it in our basement that would be perfect as a satellite tool to put chunks of pieces together while I was anywhere. Then I would take the chunks and add them to the bigger puzzle on the foam core. Side note: You will find as I have, that ideas just start popping when you take an action toward a goal and you create momentum!

Cool. So now I have the supportive structure and a plan...go through the pieces and put together the border first. Then, identify like colored pieces and use the tray to put them together one grouping at a time.

Now this was a really simplistic example, but it plays out the point that if you just look at a big goal without even thinking about how you might tackle it, it will sit there an nag you. It is easy to get distracted by our hectic lives and leave our most cherished goals on the sidelines, but sometimes it's just as simple as putting some brain power into it. Start giving goal achievement your attention by figuring out how you can get started...and soon you'll be a starter AND a finisher!

Virtual Partner Goes Down...

1/3/2015

One of my biggest motivators is data. I headed out this morning sporting my new Garmin GPS with no particular goal in mind other than to cover 5 miles. Started out kinda easy, enjoying the new big screen to read my distances and pace, and then it appeared, "Virtual Partner Pace 9:15". It was accompanied by this little running guy showing significantly ahead of me. I hadn't set up the virtual partner, but there it was beaconing me. I quickly did some math to see if it was even possible for me to catch "him".  The course was hilly and challenging...probably out of my reach. But I kept thinking about it...and looking to see if I was gaining on him.

Point is that the constant feedback/data was motivating me to keep going. Measurement of where you are and progress toward your goals is one of the key ways to accomplish important things in your life. We like feedback and that's one of the reasons it's so important to have a vision of your goal, map out the steps to get there and track your progress. And maybe most importantly, celebrate every little step along the way.

Pick today as your day to set the stage for accomplishing your most cherished dreams in 2015. It's easy:
1) Start by a vision of your goal and what it will mean to you to accomplish it,
2) Set small, bite size steps along the way and identify obstacles that may stand in your way,
3) Proactively plan how you will overcome the obstacles that you've identified,
4) Determine what your measures of success are along the way...and in the final achievement of your goal,
5) Most importantly - determine ahead of time how you will CELEBRATE your accomplishment.

So how'd I do? Well, data is still my friend - I beat Mr. Virtual Partner, even if it was only by a mere 4 seconds!

What's YOUR BHAG for 2015?

1/1/2015

BHAG, Big Hairy Audacious Goal is a term coined by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras in their book, Build to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companires. Their application of a BHAG is for companies to implement visionary goals that are more strategic and emotionally compelling than a typical goal. Taken in a more personal way - what's your major goal for 2015 - one that is going to really challenge you...and really make a difference in your life?

One of my major BHAGs for 2015 is re-launching what was formally my consulting business website into this blog that is more personal in nature and will hopefully inspire and enable individuals to reach their most cherished dreams/goals.

Another BHAG that you'll likely hear about this year is my goal to re-validate my Ironman status and complete Ironman Wisconsin in September this year. It has been 10 years since my last journey toward 140.6 miles of swimming, biking and running, so lots of training ahead!

I saw a NIKE t-shirt today that had, "Win the Day" printed on it. That is going to be my mantra for this year, knowing that each day, each little thing we do, inches us toward our big goals if we just focus on what we can do TODAY! I hope you'll take a step today toward YOUR dreams!

Workforce Assessments : Do You Need an "Undercover Boss"?

7/1/2014

Workforce Assessments are like what you'll see on the TV shows, "Undercover Boss" and "The Profit". An "expert" goes into the workplace and gets a feel for how things are operating. They ask lots of questions and try to "experience" how the workforce operates. Undercover Boss showcases the President/CEO going undercover, while The Profit is an outside consultant that assesses the business and actually invests his own money to direct a turnaround.

I think there is value in an outside, unbiased partner doing the assessment. I might be a bit partial given the fact that I offer such services, but the following is how I used a Workforce Assessment process to positively impact a company's bottom line...

The company was having a client attrition problem. They were losing a significant number of clients each month on a pretty small book of business. My first mode of finding the source of the problem(s) was to conduct a Workforce Assessment. I sat down with each key stakeholder for an hour and we discussed his/her perspective on the work environment, training, tools, compensation, pretty much anything that was on their minds. What I found was incredible. Hard working employees who wanted to do their best in spite of a work environment that seemed to derail them at every step of the way. Onboarding? Training? Technology to support what they were doing? Non existent. And to top it off, the majority of the employees weren't sure where their jobs ended and their supervisor's role began. Feedback on performance? What? They weren't even being held accountable for achieving objectives!

Through focused initiatives, we were able to completely turn things around. We got to the point where, instead of losing 3 or 4 clients in a month, the company wasn't losing any for months. Didn't happen over night, but it's amazing what a little focus will do.

If you are ready to really get to the bottom of how your business runs and move in the direction of changing for the better...a more successful, more profitable route, a Workforce Assessment might help. Let us know if we can be of service - we'd enjoy the opportunity to pave the path toward success!

What You'll Find Here at ANOVIA

ANOVIA is a word that I created from 2 Latin words, "nova" meaning new and "via" meaning path - a new path.

The focus of this blog will be to share the knowledge, motivation and inspiration that will hopefully lead you and your teams on a new path! The topics will be both professional and personal in nature.

Archives

April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013

Categories