Learning Your Strengths for More Energy

In my latest quarterly meetings I’m sharing the concepts from a phenomenal book. “Now Discover Your Strengths,” by Marcus Buckingham. It changes how people look at their own growth and development. The book works from a couple of essential rules.

First, we tend to be obsessed with our weaknesses and try to improve on them. The reality is that in any area where we’re truly weak, we can climb from pathetic up to really bad. So if you’re not good at math, you’ll never be good at it, no matter how hard you try.

Second, there’s a big difference between a skill and a strength. Many people spend time using skills, but not achieving peak performance. Buckingham’s definition of a strength is something you’re pulled toward and want to do. When you’re doing it, you’re highly engaged. You’re curious about how you can do it better. When you’re finished, you feel energized and want to do it again. If you look at your workday through that filter, you’d probably put your focus in different areas.

For example, I’m a person who’s good with numbers and finance, statistics and so forth. Although this is a skill of mine, if I spent all my time crunching numbers for a company, it would drain me. However, if you give me a chance to work with a challenging CEO or leadership team of a company, I’ll be there in a second. And even though I’ve worked hard, when I’m done I’m energized and want to do more. That’s a strength.

In an ideal situation, you should spend 80 percent of your time playing to your strengths, and spend 20 percent polishing your skills so they’re reasonable. This can create a new environment for growth. According to Buckingham, less than 20 percent of us get to play to our strengths.

Coach Kevin’s Challenge

Are there areas that your company can focus its training to develop employee strengths? Where can you leverage the desire to improve strengths, so you come away with a net energy gain?

Underperforming Team Member

What can you do with an under-performing member of your team? You need a plan instead of telling them you’re not happy, bluntly letting them know they have three months to turn things around or it’s not going to work.

I often see teams with toxic members. These are high-performing, incredibly valued members of a team, but they are toxic to the other team members and their work. In a recent example in my coaching, one team member was an A-player in every way except how they communicated with other people on the team. They jumped in and overpowered anyone on the team who disagreed with them. You’ve seen this kind of person: dominating conversations, aggressive and argumentative—just generally very stubborn.

For some people, a person like that might be easy to deal with. They’re typically so driven, so focused. But in terms of creating healthy team dynamics, someone like that will shut down many other team members. They’ll prevent the less-assertive people from speaking out. These quieter members process internally, and they often have the most brilliant insights. In the presence of a toxic team member, they don’t have a chance. They want nothing to do with the conflict, and if they had their way, they’d crawl under the table.

I’ve seen CEOs deal with these toxic members two ways. They ignore them, which throws the team into massive dysfunction. Or they fire them, which is an absolute waste, because these people bring incredible value in so many other ways.

My solution is something I call “Whacking them over the head with a 2×4.” And it works, most of the time. It’s a private conversation with the individual, where you tell them one-on-one how valuable they are, what they contribute to the team, and how you see them performing in the future. You explain that all their value is overshadowed by their behavior in the meetings, destroying the team dynamic.

You tell them that although you want them to grow with the company, if they can’t learn to be part of a healthy team dynamic, they’re going to have to leave. They need to see their demise staring them in the face if they don’t change. I find they usually react defensively and want to blame other people. I just did this several days ago, when this team member launched into reasons and justifications for their behavior. The key is that you have to be able to continue the conversation with them, until they see this as an opportunity to grow and evolve into a leader.

Coach Kevin’s Challenge

Who do have on your team who, although they’re incredibly value, do more damage than good to the team’s environment? What’s the direct truth you need to use to whack them over the head with a 2×4?

An Outside Facilitator

I’m working in Dubai this month to meet with clients. During my journey here I considered why I fly halfway around the world, every quarter, to meet with companies. The reason is simple. The meetings make sure that their planning and execution gets results.

After the first six to 12 months—while I get a company up to speed on the Rockefeller methods I use—the meetings ensure these methods get ingrained into a company’s DNA. I facilitate a quarterly meeting, sometimes an annual one, in the same way. We work to build habits they can continue on their own.

We review the past quarter: What worked, and what we’ll do better next time. We review the commitments the company was scheduled to deliver on during the quarter. Finally, we decide as a group what the top 3-5 things are to accomplish during the next quarter.

The key is having an outside facilitator at the meeting, someone to hold an executive team accountable to what they said they’d do. Without this, their efforts wouldn’t be as focused, tangible or accountable. I use two tools for this. Number one is counting the percentage of their commitments completed on time. I also measure those top 3-5 things, goals we call rocks. If either of those fall below 80 percent, then we’ve got a failure on our hands.

Acting as an outside facilitator is key. But I’ve got to say, it’s sometimes not fun to hold these CEOs accountable. There are times when the tension in the room is so thick you’d have to cut it with a chainsaw. But the fact is, they haven’t come close to delivering what they intended to deliver. So they let themselves down.

The interesting part? Most of the time when people really miss the mark, I don’t need to be tough on them. With such driven, successful people, during that powerful silence they reprimand themselves. Coaches often struggle with that, because they’re too worried about companies liking them or being best friends. After a meeting with a dedicated, outside coach, they step up their game.

Coach Kevin’s Challenge

What can you do to stay focused on your commitments? Is there any way to hold your team accountable to your top goals?

How to Lead a Horse to Water — and Make Him Drink

Some people say that we can’t change, that we will always be as we are. I don’t believe that’s true. I see people change everyday. But in order for people to change, they need motivation to change – usually pain of some sort. We need to find a way to use their salt.

I recommend using salt… yes, salt? People also say you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. However, you can feed him a little extra salt.

Salt can get results in other ways. The best motivation I’ve seen is like salt in a wound: Fear, pain, or frustration. Over the years I’ve seen CEOs reach out to coaches when their level of pain or frustration is too great.  They realize they don’t get to spend enough time with their family. Or the stress level in their company is wearing them down. They get burned out with their business, and can’t see a way to make it work anymore. They can’t solve their problems with the same tools, because the same issues keep coming back again and again.

In those cases the salt is already there, making them really thirsty for change. Even when people just want to make their business life better, there has to be salt in the wound, there has to be some sort of dissatisfaction. Without it, people won’t change.

I’ve seen three things people need to make meaningful change:

1. They have to want it.
2. Second, they have to need it, meaning there’s an obvious gap.
3. Finally, they have to be willing to pay for change. This cost is more than just financial. It’s a willingness to do the work.

With those three ingredients, magic can happen – because there is serious commitment to move ahead to a better place.

The real challenge is for people to be able to make these changes before the pain reaches crisis levels… or worse, when it’s too late.  You can look for ways to add salt to the current situation and create a desire to change today—but make sure you add enough to get results you’re after.

Coach Kevin’s Challenge

• What change do you want to make that you’re not motivated enough to do?
• What’s the salt you could add into the mix that would lead you into action?

New Book from Jim Collins: How The Mighty Fall

Here is a clip of Jim Collins talking about the core concepts from his new book, “How the Mighty Fall“.

  

 

I love the simple ways he presents the findings of their research…He breaks the process into 5 stages and in Jim Collins style, links them to a growth chart of a company: 

 

STAGE 1: HUBRIS BORN OF SUCCESS

STAGE 2:  UNDISCIPLINED PURSUIT OF MORE

STAGE 3: DENIAL OF RISK AND PERIL

STAGE 4: GRASPING FOR SALVATION

STAGE 5: CAPITULATION TO IRRELEVANCE OR DEATH

 

 

The key here is to be able to spot if your organization is getting caught on this path – and to catch it early on.

 

There is also a detailed story in BusinessWeek this week.

 

Take a read for yourself…I have yet to read the whole book but expect that it will be as good as Good To Great and Built To Last. 

 

CoachKevin’s Challenge:

•  Where could you be getting caught up in your own success in away that could lead to your demise?
• What can you do to get a good reality check?

Make Sure New People Fit and Bribe the Rest to Quit

Zappos takes fanatical customer service and a high energy culture to deliver more than shoes over the Internet. Zappos CEO Tony Hsich is committed to an organization that constantly amazes their customers. He understands that companies don’t engage emotionally with their customers – people do. The Zappos senior management team is transperent in their thinking allowing employees to be free to do whatever it takes to make a customer happy.

The Zappos corporate culture is bursting with personality. To continue creating the legendary stories about Zappos staff and their customers, Zappos management must hire people who fit their culture. They have introduced an innovative way to help weed out those that don’t fit early in the process – a small practice with big implications.

Every new Zappos employee must first take an intensive four week training program that immerses the new emplyee in the Zappos’ strategy, culture, and obsession with customers. A week after completing the training session and working at Zappos, new employees are called into a meeting and offerred a payment for the work they have done with a $1,000 bonus to leave. The new employees who do not fit the corporate culture take the money and run — about 10% of new call center employees take the bonus offer and leave.

The new employees left are the ones who work for the love of the customer and the experience of working with incredibly committed and high energy people. If you want to create a memorable company, you have to fill your company with memorable people.

Coach Kevin’s Challenge:
Knowing what you know now, who are the people on your team you would be happy if they told you they were leaving today. Why tolerate having those people on your team and what can you do about it?

Try bribing people to quit instead of bribing people to stay.

Article from Kevin Lawrence: How to Turn an Industry on Its Head: Become Masters at Delivering on Big Promises

Things are shifting…Now What?

Economies are changing and it’s time to get back to basics: creating lots of value for the customers we serve in our businesses.

Over the past 10-20 years there are many businesses that became quite successful without being that amazing at what they do or creating tremendous value for their customers…In some cases, businesses just rode the wave of growing economies.

Reality check time…are you creating real, tangible value for your customers in a way that is meaningful to them?

Here is a case study we just completed on a Vancouver, BC based business called Provident Security. I met the owner, Mike Jagger earlier this year and was impressed with how he has taken a basic business like security for businesses, homes and events and built it into a precision value-creation machine.

Read the article, “How to Turn an Industry on Its Head: Become Masters at Delivering on Big Promises” and then, using him as inspiration, ask yourself 3 questions:

1. What is the #1 thing that our customers value most about our product or service when compared to our competition?
2. How can we quantify and then increase that value to our existing and potential customers?
3. How can we articulate the tangible value we create in a way that will position us far ahead of our competition?

If you’d be interested in attending a conference call with Mike Jagger to learn more about how he made these changes in his business, let me know.

Make it a great day.

Kevin

Rockefeller Habits Executive Training – Coming to Vancouver, B.C.

The Rockefeller Habits methodology is, quite simply THE BEST way to improve the performance, profits and growth of any business.  These Habits are clearly applicable to any industry, as proven by over 20,000 companies using it worldwide. 

 

After using it for the past few years with my own clients, I can certainly see why the book, Mastering The Rockefeller Habits, is consistently ranked in the Top 20 strategy books on Amazon.

 

I invite you to come spend 2 days with me  (January 28-29, 2009) for an executive development program for leaders of mid-sized firms with 30 to 2,000 employees. Come experience the power of this system and explore what it could do for your company.  

 

Scheduled over two days at the end of January, it’s the perfect opportunity to map out a strong, strategic course for 2009.

 

You can register online or call me at (604) 313-2229 to learn more.

 

Designed for TEAMS led by C-level executives and division heads, this event teaches the practical application of high-caliber business-building concepts. Participants walk away with a concise, one-page strategic plan – a customized framework for business development for the coming year.

 

This two-day event is designed to position you to:

▪         Recognize and act on high-payoff initiatives

▪         Keep everyone in your organization aligned and accountable

▪         Create customer loyalty that makes price irrelevant

▪         Fuel growth with smart cash-flow management

▪         Multiply cash flow and profits

▪         Drive your company to the next level

▪         Catapult ahead of competitors

▪         Know what’s working at today’s mega-growth businesses

 

If you haven’t read the book, which includes 10 illuminating case studies from client companies achieving stellar results, let me know and I’ll send you a copy.

 

Bring your executive team for this 2-day event and save on tuition. If you bring a team of 5 or more, we will give you and your team a complimentary half-day follow-up session.

 

If you know an entrepreneur, company or colleague that may benefit from the Rockefeller Habits, I want to send them a free copy of the book so they can see if this program is a fit for them. Send me their contact information and I’ll mail the book today.

 

For more information, including FAQ’s and takeaways for this event, please click here.

 

The Most Common Drug in the Workplace

 

Does email boost or hinder your performance? It all depends on how you manage it.

 

Email offers countless ways to save time and be more productive, but when we don’t contain it, our attention becomes fragmented. When attention is constantly shifting over to email, our ability to focus on work and perform really suffers.

 

In 2005, a psychiatrist at King’s College in London administered IQ tests to three groups: the first did nothing but perform the IQ test, the second was distracted by email and ringing phones, and the third was stoned on marijuana. Not surprisingly, the first group did better than the other two by an average of 10 points. The emailers, on the other hands, did worse than intoxicated people by an average of 6 points.[1]

 

Yet, in a recent survey of 320 professionals, 17% check a few times per hour and 68% check email more or less continually – constantly breaking their focus on the primary task at hand.

 

There’s a very good reason that “crackberry” was declared the 2006 Word-of-the-Year by Webster’s New World College Dictionary. Blackberry addiction has become a cultural phenomenon.

 

For a list of 13 strategies to optimize your email usage, and to read the rest of my recent article on this, click here.

 

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[1] Source: “Can’t Get No Satisfaction,” New York Magazine, Dec. 4, 2006

 

How to Learn More in Less Time

 

Information overload is a major threat to productivity, so whenever I discover a resource that makes it easier to navigate in the Information Age, I like to pass it along. Today I have two.

 

Soundview Executive Book Summaries

 

If you and your team could read all of today’s best business books, you’d be flooded with great ways to solve problems, boost the bottom line and increase market share. But it would be very time consuming to read and digest it all.

 

Staying current with today’s thought leaders in the business world is a priority for me and many of my clients, so I was thrilled to discover Soundview Executive Book Summaries. It’s a subscription service that delivers concise, accurate 1- and 8-page summaries of today’s most influential business books.

 

The summaries are available online, in text, or as an MP3 file. With 30 new books every year, the library is extensive and growing. I listen to them while flying, driving, even working out, and I’ve been very pleased with the way they boil down the information. I highly recommend this strategy for staying current and continuously developing your professional knowledge base.

 

 

Faster Audio Speed-Listening Software

 

If you listen to audio to improve your business and life, imagine being able to learn 2-4 times faster – without decreasing your comprehension. Faster Audio makes it possible.

 

Click on the link to test it out for yourself. You really can listen to someone talking at double speed and not miss a thing. This means we can plow though our audio books, podcasts, lectures and more in a lot less time, and the price for this software is surprisingly low. I use it, I love it and I recommend it.

 

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If you have a tried-and-true productivity strategy, please send it to me. I’m always on the lookout for new ideas that deliver.