Peter tells a humorous story about a woman in the TSA security check point line whose actions are clearly not in line with her goal.

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Monday mornings can be difficult. You come back from a relaxing weekend to be bombarded by meetings, phone calls, and basically any other distraction under the sun. To help inspire you to seize the week, we send out a free Leadership Quote of the Week email on Monday mornings. Quotes from inspirational leaders will remind you of your role as a leader, and inspire you to look at the upcoming week in a new light.

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Never under-estimate the value of an open mind.

“I am a man of fixed and unbending principles, the first of which is to be flexible at all times.”

-Everett Dirksen, U.S. politician who helped pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964

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From January 2010 Quest

For the last 20 years, we have had the privilege of working with thousands of leaders. Leaders who are passionate about life and love what they do to earn their living. Leaders who are CEO’s, managers and supervisors representing all types of organizations and industries.

What is important to note is that each of the leaders we have worked with and every one of us who is reading this article are equally fortunate in one way: we are all blessed with the same amount of time each day. Everyone has the exact same 1,440 minutes each day and 365 days each year. Although we are all granted the same amount of time in a day, some people accomplish a lot more in their time than others do.

How are these people able to accomplish so much more?

Read the rest of the Quest article…

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Step Five: Write the Goal

The research on high achievers shows that successful goal setters write out their goals. There is something almost magical about writing down goals. Without writing down the goal, it is merely an idea or a wish. Writing it down helps to bring it to life.

Here is a simple, yet effective guideline for writing good goals. It is called the S-M-A-R-T model. Each letter of the S-M-A-R-T model refers to a characteristic of effective goals:

Specific. Good goals are specific. They detail exactly what is to be accomplished. Don’t be vague or general. Write out specifically what is to be accomplished.

Measurable. You must be able to measure the success of your goal. In other words, how will you know when you are successful? Whether the goal is broken down into number of units produced, salary earned, days worked, pounds lost, chapters completed, or number of classes attended, you need a way to quantify your results. Measuring your results helps to keep you moving toward your goal. Yes, it is a great motivator!

Attainable. Research shows us that high achievers set goals that challenge their abilities, but that are not unrealistically out of reach. When you set challenging, but attainable goals, you will experience success and increase your self esteem. Be realistic about your goals. It is not unrealistic to go back to school for a degree. It is unrealistic to expect to get a doctorate in only one year. Make your goals a stretch, but make them a more guaranteed stretch!

Relevant. Do not forget that your vision is the driver for your goals. Make sure that your goals are relevant to the vision. The accomplishment of each goal should move you closer to realizing your vision. Keep your goals moving on the track to your desired future.

Time bound. Good goals have a time frame. When you set a specific time frame to get something done, it will always take you that amount of time or even less time to complete the task than if you had no time frame at all. One example of this is when you prepare to travel or go on vacation. Usually, when you are leaving on a trip, you have all sorts of tasks that need to be accomplished before you leave. You may be rushed, but you will always get the tasks done. You have to because you are leaving. If you were not leaving, those same tasks may take you two or three times as long to accomplish. Life is short! Set a time frame because you will always accomplish more.

Step Six: Design an Action Plan

Now that you have your goals and they are S-M-A-R-T goals, you know exactly what you want to achieve and by when. The last step in the goal-setting process is to design a specific action plan to achieve the goals. This is a step by step breakdown of the small actions you will take to achieve each goal and when you will complete them.

Back to the degree example. Let’s say your goal is stated like this:

I will complete my M.S. degree by December of 2012.

Each time you complete an action, check it off or scratch it out and then celebrate. You are on your way to achieving your ultimate goal!

Remember, the secret to achieving goals is your willingness to do whatever it takes to get there. It means that you are willing to take the time to create a vision. It means that you are willing to confront problems and roadblocks and work around them. It means that you will write out your goals and ensure that they are S-M-A-R-T. It takes work. And, it also means that you will reap the benefits–that you will bring your vision to life!

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Step Three: Identify Roadblocks

Now that you have identified your vision and you know what it will take to achieve by outlining key actions or goals, you can begin to identify the barriers or roadblocks that may get in your way. It may sound negative to spend your time and energy thinking about barriers or problems, but there are two good reasons for this. First, if you are able to think about what problems could stop you, you can also begin to generate plans to get around the problems if they should arise. And second, when they do come up, they do not paralyze you. Many people have had their goals undermined when problems surfaced. Sometimes people will even tell you they thought the problems would arise.

Let’s say that your goal is to go back to school and get your degree. Some of the roadblocks you could anticipate in this goal might include 1) not enough time, 2) fear of going back to being a student, and/or 3) financial constraints. For each of the roadblocks you identify, develop some strategies to get around the problem. It may include 1) changing your own thinking, 2) getting help from others, and 3) committing to specific time blocks to do what you need to do. Keep the vision in mind and then overcoming the roadblocks will not be so tough.

Step Four: List the Benefits

If you spend time listing the problems or roadblocks you could encounter, you will find it much easier to generate a list of benefits you would receive when you achieve the goal. The question that then needs to be answered is, “Do the benefits make the goal worth achieving?” If the answer is yes, you know that it is worth tackling the problems to achieve the benefits of goal attainment.

Continuing with our example, some of the benefits of going back to school and obtaining a degree might be 1) improved chances for promotion, 2) increased salary, 3) enhanced self esteem, and 4) the feeling of accomplishing something you have wanted for many years.

As you list the benefits, you will want to make sure the benefits outweigh the problems you will encounter. If the benefits do not outweigh the problems, the problems will stop you. Focus on the benefits. They will help you get through the tough times!

Check back on Friday for the last post of this three part blog: Write your Goal and Design an Action plan.

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Step One: Create a Vision

To start the visioning process, you must get in touch with your true desire. What is important to you? What matters? What do you care about? What do you really want? A vision comes from the heart. It must be truly meaningful to you.

Create a mental picture of what you want. The visioning process requires quiet reflection. Step back from your busy, fast paced environment and relax. Visioning requires imagery and creativity. The more relaxed you are and the farther away you are from day to day tensions, the easier it is to create and visualize. Many people have a difficult time creating a vision because that vision may be so far removed from reality. Yet, it is that very distance or gap between the vision and current reality that propels you toward achieving the vision.

This concept was first described by Robert Fritz in his book, The Path of Least Resistance. Fritz calls it structural tension. There are two components to structural tension. One is the vision or the picture of what you want. The second component is current reality or what you have now. As Fritz maintains, “The difference or discrepancy between what you have (current reality) and the result you want (vision) creates structural tension.”

Structural tension is useful because it seeks resolution. In other words, to resolve the tension between your vision and current reality, one or the other has to give. As Fritz puts it:

Structural tension may be resolved in either of two ways. It may be resolved through a change in current reality, so that your outward circumstances come to correspond more closely with your vision. On the other hand, the tension may be resolved through a change in your vision, so that you alter the result you want to correspond more closely with what you have now.

In summary, to achieve your vision, first crystallize the vision. Make it real, in your mind and in your heart. Then, acknowledge current reality. Feel the tension between the two. Allow yourself to be propelled toward your vision. Use the structural tension as an ally to move you to what you truly want.

Step Two: Decide on Actions

Now that your vision is clear, you can begin to determine the actions that must be taken to achieve the vision. These actions become the specific goals that are to be accomplished. A goal is a target, an end, or an objective. It is the accomplishment of these targets–or goals–that brings you closer to your vision.

For example, if your vision is to achieve a more prominent position in your organization or to move higher on your career path, you would first go through the visioning process and become crystal clear on what it is you actually want. You would know exactly what it would look like and how it would feel. Then ask yourself, “What do I need to accomplish to get to my vision?” One action may be to go back to school and complete a degree program. If you need the degree to achieve the vision, it becomes one of your key goals.

At this point in the goal-setting process, simply list the various actions you must take to achieve the vision. As we move through the next steps, we will discuss how to write effective goal statements.

Check back on Wednesday for part two of this three part blog: Identify Roadblocks and List the Benefits.

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One Manager Questions the Value of a Vision

During a recent leadership seminar, a participant stated that he felt this “Vision” thing was highly overrated. He went on to add that although it may have value for the executives to create a vision for the organization, there is little value for managers or supervisors to create their own visions.

To define the term concisely, a vision is a clear mental picture of a desired future outcome. A vision is like the picture on a jigsaw puzzle box. It shows you exactly what you are trying to create. Call it a vision, mission, purpose, philosophy, or values…the labels vary, but they usually describe the same thing: the overarching purpose of an organization. Some organizations even give employees laminated copies of these carefully crafted, highly worded sentiments, which get placed in a wallet or purse, or better yet, are used as the bookmark for the corporate policy manual.

The problem with the “vision” thing is twofold. First, some organizations do not have a clear vision of where they are heading. Second, other organizations have a stated vision, but they are not living the vision or bringing it to reality. Both of these problems will cause motivation, morale, and productivity to decline.

The participant who asked the original question in this blog was right–the vision thing was overrated. At the participant’s company, the executives passed out nice little cards with the new vision. That was the last time the employee heard about the company’s vision. Even worse, the actions of managers at the company were the antithesis of what is in the vision.

But even in organizations where visions have floundered, a vision can be an incredibly powerful tool for managers and supervisors. Managers and supervisors find it helpful to create visions in two areas.

First, it is helpful to have a Personal Leadership Vision. This is a clear mental picture of how you want others to see you as a leader. It is important to note that this vision has nothing to do with your department’s vision. An example might look like this:

“I am a leader who truly values the contributions of my people and cares about them as individuals. I am also an enthusiastic leader who has the reputation for taking responsibility, getting things done, and who can take calculated risks when necessary. Last, I enjoy the work I do and create an environment where people have fun!”

Some suggestions for creating your Personal Leadership Vision:

• Focus on what you would like your employees–your followers–to say about you as a leader.
• Write down what you want…not what you do not want.
• Make daily decisions that support the vision.
• Do not share your vision until you have “walked your talk” for at least a year.

Second, you will also find it helpful to have a vision for your department or area of influence, a Departmental Vision. This vision needs to tie into the organization’s vision or mission. Unlike your Personal Leadership Vision, you will find it helpful to involve your team members in creating this vision. The more the people on your team participate, the higher the chances are that they will feel ownership. An example might look like this:

“We are a department who gets the job done right…the first time. We have a ‘can do’ attitude and work incredibly well as a team–both interdepartmentally and cross-departmentally in the organization. We are recognized as a great department to work in by others in the company because we do a great job, have high productivity, and have fun doing our work!”

Some suggestions on creating a Departmental Vision:

• Get others in the department involved.
• Get people to focus on what you want to create, not what you want to avoid.
• Shoot for a vision the group will be proud of attaining.
• Tell the group the vision is not about the realities of today, but about working toward creating a better tomorrow.

If you do create a Personal Leadership Vision and a Departmental Vision, you will find that your employees are more motivated. Most people get excited and will direct their energy to creating something better. If we are not working to make things better, than we are working in environments where things are staying the same or where things are getting worse…situations that are definitely not motivating.

When created from the heart, visions are well worth the effort…both personally and professionally.

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Invest in Employee Engagement: it will prove worth your while

The buzz word most associated with employee satisfaction these days is “engagement.” As recently as two years ago we were writing about the impending talent drain, as boomers would be leaving the workplace in masses for retirement. We stressed the importance of creating a workplace where employees would feel motivated, enthused and most importantly, “engaged.”

That was two years ago. Today the whole business landscape has changed. As of December 2009, California’s unemployment rate is 12.1%. Massive layoffs have had a profound impact on not only the way we do business, but on the employees who are left shell-shocked after layoffs, wondering if and when the axe may fall on them. We’re not hearing the word “engaged” much these days as it relates to employees. In fact, some leaders have been so bold as to say, “I really don’t care what employees think and how they feel. They have a job and should be grateful to have survived the last round of cuts.”

So… does employee engagement still matter?

Watson Wyatt’s 2008/2009 WorkUSA Report, Driving Business Results Through Continuous Engagement, reports that when employees are highly engaged, their companies drive 26% higher productivity, have lower turnover, and are more likely to attract top talent. More impressively, companies of highly engaged employees earned 13% greater total returns for shareholders during the past five years. Clearly, engaged employees positively impact the bottom line.

Many of us today are working with fewer employees and are tasking those remaining employees with doing more than ever before. Times are tough, and now more than ever, employees need strong leaders. The outcomes of an engaged workforce: productivity, high levels of morale and customer satisfaction are absolutely critical to your organization’s survival in this economic downturn.

Here are six tips to Engage! your workforce:

1. Stay Positive
   Your team is looking to you for hope, support and confidence. For your success, and the morale of your team, it is important that you keep a positive vision and remain upbeat by using strategies like these:
   
   • Choose your words carefully. Use positive language.
   • Learn something new. Teach someone else.
   • Set new professional goals . . . for the week, month and year.
   • Spend time with positive people.
   • Show support for senior leadership’s strategic goals and direction.
   • Forbid whining and gossip.
   • Do something you love each day.
   • Be grateful for what you have!

2. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
   During these troubled times, communicate more, not less. Employees are hungry for information, even when the news is not good. Plus, if you don’t keep employees updated, they will keep themselves updated, with gossip, which is always richer than reality.
3. Set New Goals
   Today it’s business as “unusual.” Your work may have slowed down and project priorities may have shifted. There is a tendency to just hunker down and wait out the recession, hoping for mere survival. Unfortunately, hanging out and waiting for something to happen, is demoralizing. Now’s the time to set clearly defined goals, identify measurements of success and then hold people accountable for accomplishing the goals. To energize your team, get your employees involved in setting new goals. Give people a reason to come to work. Having clearly defined goals and measures of success helps people believe in the importance of their team and the work they do individually to contribute to the team/company’s success. Get enthused and be a role model of commitment to successfully achieving the goals.
4. Hold People Accountable
   It’s hard for employees on the team to be fully engaged when they feel they are carrying a “slacker.” Coach the employee who isn’t pulling his/her fair share. If the coaching isn’t effective, work with HR to help move that employee on/out so they can strategically undermine the success of one of your competitors. Working short-handed is much better than being held hostage by an under-performing employee. Effectively dealing with performance issues raises team morale and clearly shows that you are serious about your expectations.
5. Recognize Success & Find Reasons to Celebrate
   Look for opportunities to celebrate team success, even small successes. Ask your team for their ideas about how to celebrate. Go beyond the typical “great job” and find out what motivates that particular employee. To keep people engaged, get to know your employees’ career aspirations and help them achieve their goals.
6. Ensure Everyone Learns and Grows
   So many things have changed in the business world where we now reside. In this new environment, there is an opportunity to unlearn some old, less effective behaviors and learn new ones. When people are learning and contributing, they feel positive and motivated, knowing that they are making a contribution. Expect learning and recognize employees who demonstrate growth.

Being a leader today is tough. Putting these six tips into practice will help you not only survive, but thrive in these trying times. You will be leading a motivated, engaged workforce and will have positioned yourself for success.

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One day, someone who had fished next to the old man was intrigued that he never kept a big one asked, “Old man. How come you are so different from every other person who goes fishing? Everyone else keeps the big ones and throws out the little ones. You do the opposite and keep the little ones. Is it because the little ones taste better?”

The old man replied, “No, it’s my frying pan. It is only 10 inches.”

How many goals have you not set or how many goals have you not accomplished because your frying pan is only 10 inches? There is a little fisherman in every one of us.

“Shoot for the moon and even if you miss you will still be among the stars.”
- Les Brown (American author, entrepreneur and motivational speaker)

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