Moving Out of Silos

I consider myself an enthusiast of people improvement. Motivational speeches, blogging, coaching, mentoring, and Employee Engagement consulting are my thing. It is a massively fulfilling cross-over of personal ambition and professional drive....a purpose driven passion. Life is good!

In my advocacy for people empowerment there is a prominent obstacle:
People are still working in silos

In my work with Human Resources groups, I have found consistent requests for:

• Feedback
• Better Management
• A Clearly Defined Path to Success

Let's do a survey...
It seems to be popular opinion that the way to gather employee feedback is by issuing a survey. There are a few reasons why these surveys might fail:
- They do not ask the right questions 
- They do not produce actionable data
- They come from a place of mistrust

Asking an employee for their feedback in private may only produce selective data. If an employee invests in the process of stating their mind, leadership action is necessary. Otherwise, a survey will work as a demotivator.

Protecting the flock
It has been said that people leave bosses, not companies. This is not always the fault of the boss! If transparency is a fear factor in your organizational, your culture will be broken!

Everyone loves social media....we facebook our faces off, we use twitter, and LinkedIn is our professional bible. So, if we know that our employees love social interaction, why are our processes for management still anti-social.

Performance reviews suck, one-on-one calls do not produce action planning for career development, and top down direction does not create a holistic approach to organizational development. There has to be a better way!

PATH
To the former point, your employees can use social media to build their personal brand. OR your company can utilize the social enterprise to enhance your employee's career path within your organizational culture.

If my career goals are confined to a talk with my manager, only he/she can guide (or discourage) my success. If my goals are not clearly defined, documented and/or actionable...all I can do is assume my effort will fulfill the company's expectations. Hardly motivating!

Let's Break Down The Silos

Why are we still protecting employee feedback?
Why is only our manager in control of our career development?
Why are we still coaching with the office door closed?

Too many organizations have employees who are fearful to interact. They believe anything they say can, and will be, held against them. There are employees who believe that if they ask for feedback, they are only inviting criticism. Managers are forced to micro-manage to keep employees on track instead of inspiring them to grow. All silos in a field with no crop circles of interaction.

Motivation 2.0
I have 3 simple suggestions in conclusion to the pain this post has revealed:
1. Discontinue performance reviews...now!
2. Promote socialized goal setting!
3. Solicit feedback from all angles as a means to career empowerment!

Lack of transparency only leads to mass exodus of talent!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

Plant a Tree

My son is out of his mind with excitement! The Lorax is coming! In preparation for this most anticipated artistic event, I have had to recall the story of Dr Seuss' epic tale. The Lorax is, in essence, a story of boy who wants to impress a girl. The songs I have loved, the movies I have cired over, and the athletic feats I have performed have mirrored this boy's ambition. On Friday, my son will join the tribe of boys who do things to impress girls.


Time has a way of wearing down our romantic sentiment. Logic trumps risk, routine becomes standard operating procedure, and our days blur together. The magic tends to fade when the chase is over. My son is sailing on an all together different ship! I look up from my lap top at him in the backyard: running in circles, frolicking among cotton candy trees in his mind, conquering the evil forest....all to impress a girl in his day dream. What a wonderment; to wake up every day full of possibility, to be impressed by everything, to be new!

We have not lost our way, dear readers, we have merely forgotten the power of our imagination. Your perspective can change without venturing to the cotton candy forest in your mind. Those we are tasked with teaching have something to teach us as well. Everyone has something to teach. May we remember the simplicity of escaping convention through original thought....and how easy it is to do that.

Fear Not The Unknown
Ominous in the distance of anyone's mind is a dark forest. It is a place fraught with risk, unknown twists and turns, and evil creatures. We are often terrified to go there for fear of getting lost or being bitten. Without knowing the forest that exists within the trees we choose to ignore the unknown. Our time could be spent performing a task on our "to do" list...and it's better to spend our time wisely.

So you wake up, perform the day's tasks.....and eventually you die having never tried anything new. Safe, secure, and bored! Every great thinker explored new frontiers. Every great athlete ignored the detractors who told them they could not compete at the highest level. Every nerd who kissed a hot chick did so by having the courage to sing her a song.

Our time here is fleeting and no one gets points for doing the safe thing! Try something new today!

Plan An Adventure
An older gentleman I know once told me he got through his career planning one personal vacation a year. Each day on this way to work he imagined himself fly fishing....and it motivated him to get through that day. Vacation time to many of us has become a thing of the past but we all need to take a break from time to time.

Where will you go? Take a week off to travel, go see an old friend, take the kids to the forest...? Whatever it may be you need the assurance of escape to keep you moving through the hard times. When you get there you owe it to yourself to enjoy it! Life is too short to be a slave to your cell phone.

Plant a Tree
Our hero in "The Lorax" lives in a land that is completely manufactured. He embraces the seemingly impossible goal of planting a tree in a plastic world. He will travel to great lengths and will brave danger to attain and plant this wonder of nature. A heroic premise with the hopeful conclusion of getting the girl!

Do you remember the last time you wanted something so badly that you would brave the deep dark forest to attain it?

It's time to start believing again. It's time to put the romance of adventure back into your life. It's time to start a journey into the unknown. You may fail, you may encounter danger, but it will be worth it when you get to kiss the girl!

Be a Hero! Plant a Tree!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

Two Things Necessary

We have entered a new year and resolutions abound. It's a time when people reflect on the year past and set goals for the upcoming 365 days. The nostalgia of the holidays has worn off, the success of the year before is buried in the history books and we are charged with putting a new plan in place. Goal setting usually runs in tandem with "what could I have done better". We think back, grind our teeth and forget our victories.

Our path to success is limited to the time we have on this planet and how we choose to spend it.

Setting goals is a simple process....differentiate what you want to do from what you have to do, and prioritize accordingly.

Last year I saw presentations by Tony Hsieh and Google's Compensation Team. Walking out of both presentations people told me directly - My company will never be like Google (Zappos). They missed the point. Tony Hsieh would not spend time away from his company if he didn't believe in his personal mission of delivering happiness. Google would not take their employees out of the workplace if they didn't feel that sharing their model for success would benefit the marketplace.

It comes down to 2 things: Alignment and Adoption

In considering your goals for 2012, ask yourself the following.....

Are your professional goals aligned with your personal purpose?


Do you have a strategy to have your ideas adopted?

Alignment
Zappos has become the model for developing organizational culture. But, you don't need to have parades or weird employees to have an extraordinary company culture. All you need is established core values that align with your business critical goals (and employees who believe in said values).

For several years I have been in search of the true definition of Employee Engagement. The one central truth I have discovered is that no 2 companies are the same....so there is no all-encompassing definition of the aforementioned catch phrase. The best proposed definition I have heard for Employee Engagement?:

Core Values that are aligned with departmental goals

What are your personal core values? Are they aligned with your metrics for achieving success?

Your goal setting for 2012 should start with a long walk. On your journey ask questions of yourself to discover if you are on the right path. If everything that drives you is an expectation of someone else....you are mislead. You have to consider your genuine purpose on this earth and how that influences your work. I am not suggesting that you quit your job and work on a fishing boat in Alaska...I am suggesting that you make your cubicle your fishing boat.

You are the only person on earth who truly knows what you genuinely love (and what you could do without). No one has to know what drives YOU but yourself. Find your fishing boat and let it guide you through the storm.

Adoption
When I was a young man, I opposed almost every directive that was given me by my boss. At one point, he asked me if I had a better idea....? I used to run to my general manager to ask him for special pricing for a client. He consistently asked me for numbers to back up my request for a discount. I was swinging at shadows; unprepared to make change but vocal about what wasn't working.

You have to have a strategy for adoption!

Sit down with a CEO without a distinct plan and data to back it up and you will be thrown out a boardroom window. Ask a client to meet you, show up with a blank pad, and you have lost an opportunity forever. Don't waste people's time by asking them to prepare for you.

The aforementioned Google presentation outlined a 6 point plan for gaining Executive approval. The people who overlooked this strategy for adoption mired by the Google logo don't work at Google for a reason.

Whether you are meeting a client, reviewing strategy with your boss, or choosing a movie with your wife; you have to have a strategy.

At the very least:
* Gather information from the trenches
* Quantify and Qualify the information you gather in the trenches
* Speak with your audiences tongue
* Tell them something they have never heard before

So there you have it. 2 simple things you need to make 2012 (and the rest of your life) a raging success!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

The Art of Goal Setting

Again this morning I braved the cold as the city slept. At the onset of 2011, I set a goal to wake up an hour earlier. I achieved my goal! For an entire year I awoke before 5am and got out the door after showering (hygiene is important). The streets vacant, the weather often cold, the sky dark....alone with my motivation.

I lead a strange professional existence. My job entitles me to work from home....I have never actually worked from home. Coming from a hyper-structured environment, I didn't trust myself to build a home office, so I spend the hours before others awake at the coffee shop. When you are arriving for your morning coffee, I am out the door on to phase 2 of the day. It's difficult avoiding the snooze button, but there is nothing more empowering than starting every day ahead of the competition.

I recently tweeted - "If you strive for perfection you will never fully achieve your goals". I will always set goals for myself that exceed the expectations of others. Achievement of everything is too much to ask if your goals are designed in proper fashion. The art of living is always striving for more.

2011 was a success - I reached my revenue goal. But, there are several areas in which I fell short. No matter how monumental our achievements we can always do more. Too often, we allow the past qualification of possible to drive our motivation instead of shattering the standard.

Five years ago, I evolved my business strategy: to do more with less. To try harder for fewer results....such were the times....they haven't gotten any better. The economy continues to struggle and there does not seem to be relief around the corner. With each year, I try harder to find the door in the dead end. I have learned that hard work always yields results, positivity is the only frame of mind one can possess, and creativity has never been more valued. With these skills in my tool belt I brave another year.

How can we take flight in the eye of the storm?:
1. Find a Larger Purpose
2. Shatter the Standard
3. Self-Assess

Stop Punching
If you are a person who dislikes bravado as much as I do it can be very difficult to "buy in". I understand that the "ra ra" thing can be distracting. That being said, you owe it to yourself to develop a higher professional purpose. In simplest terms:
a. Examine your organization's core values and mission statement
b. Develop the ability to derive personal purpose in every assigned task
c. Take a minute every day to research a personal interest

Work is (not just) work. You can create something that will benefit YOU from an instruction given by THEM.

~ I'm not sure why every organization doesn't present their core values to job candidates...?
~ Every instruction your boss gives you is yours to interpret and prioritize as you see fit.
~ It's a refreshing practice to google something you haven't thought of in a while.

Be Kind to the New Girl
I received a promotion in my company and was moved to a new team. The first thing I noticed was the negativity of the so-called team leaders. They thought I would respect their warnings. I thought, "I am going to be the number one producer on this team in six months".

Tenure can be a tricky thing. No one wants to be the new kid on the block and the tenured reps always seem to be more helpful than they need to be. In most cases, the old guard just wants to help the new folks. But the new crew has different ideas and experiences. Those who set the standard cannot seek to protect it.

There was a book written called the first 90 days. From what I can discern, this book offers suggestions about how to make a good first impression and with whom one should align oneself. I'm sorry....The concept of positioning yourself in an organization without results is complete horse shit!

We all know we can perform above the standards set before us but we must be humble in the process. I would recommend the following:
1. Don't speak unless spoken to
2. Don't ask questions with the intent of showing you know the answer
3. Keep your hand down in team meetings
4. Keep your phone on mute during conference calls
5. Don't drink too much and state your (real) opinions

Do your talking in the ring!

Be your worst critic, but let no one know
I know no one who has been massively successful that has allowed the company for which they work to define them. You must always set standards for yourself higher than those of your boss or the company you represent.

The art form is being consistently critical of your own effort without the slightest degree of public transparency.

Allow me to explain: You cannot endure life's challenges by beating up on yourself. Self-assessment is a healthy way to turn your weaknesses into strengths. Only you know how much time you have, how hard you tried, and what you could have done differently. The only person you report to is yourself!

Question: Have you ever given everything you have to every minute of an entire year?

Why not make this The Year...?

Don't Forget to Remember ~

Dave

Time To Live

I remember hearing that people die in 3's. Death seems to come in greater numbers in recent days. The loss of Steve Jobs, Al Davis, and Joe Frazier upset me. As people pass through this world we hear recollections of their time here: all lives well-served, legacies intact. That is the wish any of us strive to fulfill - time well served and a few people to carry on our legacy.

In reading the eulogy to Steve Jobs, I renewed my mission on earth: to never be distracted by detail, to Love and let those I Love know as much, to be loyal, to be honorable, to be accountable, to be humble...and to lift up those around me.

I appreciated hearing of the true devotion Steve Jobs had to his family despite his fierce pursuit of professional perfection. I know Al Davis helped a lot of people despite his reputation. Joe Frazier remained a loyal friend to Muhammad Ali despite the public embarrassment "the champ" caused him. All men of great achievement with the self-awareness that they were not bigger than the least of their counter-parts. A trait to be mindful of.

In 1998, Mark Oliver Everett wrote an album in tribute to his father, sister and mother...all of whom had departed the world. The album concluded, with the phrase:
"I was thinking about how everyone is dying, and maybe it's time to live"

In my moments of most profound reflection, tears come to me without being released. I think of my sweetie and how every day I work to earn her love...I will never be worthy. I think of my son and how profoundly proud I am to have him carry my name long after I am gone. I think of my daughter sitting in the tree house of my heart. I conclude to live every day as if it were my last.

Precious moments with the ones we love never pan out as we might propose in our time of profound reflection. We hurt the people we love. We neglect our energy to do the extra things, say things we do not mean, and make selfish choices. But, when the final curtain comes down I doubt we will remember our selfish moments. I would like to think that we will ascend into light surrounded by those we love. And proclaim our amazement with it all, as Steve Jobs did. Until then, it's a good idea to maximize every second for everything that it is worth. Better to realize that now than to wait for the final curtain.

Celebrate your imperfection. Be good to one another. Treasure Everything!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

The Smile Priority

The year of 2011 will be concluded sooner than we know it. This means it's time to reflect: To be thankful for the people who care for us, to celebrate our achievements, and to assess potential areas of improvement. Perhaps the most valuable year end evaluation is the recognition of what we desire...and if its worth our energy?

We are motivated by that which we feel we need but do we really need it. Each year my wife and I rush to malls to fill the wish list of our extended families. We stand in line to grab to kids the hot new toy. We use SPIN selling techniques to uncover our unmet gifting needs.
Far more important than these grandiose, over-promoted, milestone family events are the moments in-between. If you think about the best times in your life, I would bet your memory may turn to a Tuesday afternoon in the park (not the events that took a year to plan). While we will never cancel Christmas it is important to reflect on what is truly important. Ask yourself the following and dedicate your energy accordingly:
What do I really need to be happy?
Why do I care about the things that suck the energy from me?
Is my goal setting in line with my pursuit of happiness?

Happiness
I have really enjoyed being part of the Delivering Happiness Movement. This group gathers, reflects, and sets priorities based on one thing: Happiness. People thought Tony Hsieh was nuts for founding a company that used happiness as it's core purpose.....Tony's critics were wrong. What the critics didn't know is that Tony had studied the psychology of motivation. He affirmed that people just want to be happy. He also knew from his time at Harvard, Oracle and as an entrepreneur that people mask their true intent.

We put on professional attire, speak with strategic business language, and align ourselves with those climbing the ladder. We neglect to display our true feelings. This is because the release of professional trappings generally leads to vigilante behavior. Tony Hsieh set out to dispel professional bravado and inspire......not by giving employees a forum to complain but by allowing employees to be happy.

Energy
Most great organizations have that one person who is a spark plug. He/she is always upbeat, driven, looking for solutions to problems no one else wants to touch. That person creates a ripple effect and the organization embraces his/her energy. You don't think that person has moments when they want to give up? The trick is to be uncompromising in your ability to achieve. If you allow detail to derail you, you will never be happy.

You too, can be that person of unlimited energy. All you have to do is to let possibility drive instead of being hung up on what sucks! YOU control two things: your perception and your attitude. You have to be light on your feet to consistently transcend the hurdles before you!

The Marriage of Effort & Happiness
Are you motivated by a task list or a grand purpose? If every day you strive to complete everything on your 'to do' list, success is impossible. You need to stop worrying about the 'what' and get down to the 'why'.

If you know what is genuinely important to you and you act accordingly, success is inevitable. All you have to do is assess every task to your grander purpose and prioritize accordingly. You might be amazed when you find out that others value the same things you do....and could care less about the mundane detail that stresses you out!

Life is a merry-go-round. Every day we have our moment of glee and our fits of frustration. If nothing else, allow the glee to take more of your attention than the frustration.

"More than anything...I want to see you take a glorious bite out of the whole world"
- Snow Patrol

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

The Mountain Top

I gave a speech at the wedding of a misunderstood friend. Some had questioned why this renegade was settling down. I explained that freedom is defined not by what you are running from but by what you are running to. As we grow up, the things we once feared become the very things that drive us: love, responsibility and an extended tribe. I heard Jesse Ventura say that he embraced being Governor with the ethos, "If not me then who". My friend grew up to be a great husband and father and the aforementioned professional wrestler ran the state of Minnesota in honorable fashion. Motivation is the process of what you do with your energy....eventually we all discover that it takes the same degree of energy to run from that it does to run to. In the time you waste avoiding your life's goals you could have achieved them.

Entitlement and Accountability are rival terms that strike us with the same degree of uncertainty. People don't like to be accountable to results...the connotation is motivation by fear. The aforementioned group may also be deemed entitled by seeking recognition for their every effort. We navigate a the tightrope of giving unto ourselves what we feel we deserve (entitlement). We also take a breath when the checklist is complete (accountability). In reality, neither of the previously mentioned forms of motivation are genuine. Short term effort for quick fix results do not serve to improve your personal process. Getting something done just to check it off a list is a means for senseless channeling of effort.

The real challenge should be to find that which you genuinely believe in, to ensure your every effort benefits what is truly important. Purpose, Constitution, and an ever-ascending Mountain Top - these things give a more grandiose reason to wake up in the morning.

Purpose
In his book "Delivering Happiness", Tony Hsieh explores his path to success: Purpose, Passion and Profits. Tony advises that we find the thing we believe in and to pursue it with unflappable intent. If you genuinely care about a cause, the money comes naturally. Conversely, if money is all that drives you, you will never be satisfied.

Purpose is the foundation of decision making. With every idea you have, every partnership you pursue, every person you invite into your life; the question of matching intent should be explored. Are you presenting to your team because you believe in a new directive or do you just want to prove your worth? Are you courting that large company because they are a good partner for your organization or do you just want to prove you can close a large deal? Is that new friend really someone you enjoy being around or do you want something they have?

Constitution
Last week we laughed at the idea of terms like Integrity and Accountability being company core values.
These terms seemed a little too high and mighty to be business terms. Constitution might be a more appropriate term in describing your personal motivation.

What is at the core of you and are you able to make it part of your professional life?

Do you enjoy serving the people you work for? Do you believe in your products and services? Are you empowered to mention if you feel otherwise? Are there parts of your Saturday in your Monday?

The Ever-Ascending Mountain Top
Entitlement comes from our intrinsic human need to have our effort rewarded. After the hunt we want food to bring back to camp. You work out to earn a burger. You hustle through the morning shift to earn a smoke break. This transactional motivation does nothing but fulfill short term checks and balances. It's a push/pull existence with only 2 certainties: a pay check & death!

What if with every achievement you sought not a pat on the back but more responsibility? What if the end result was not a conclusion but a new beginning? What if you quit smoking and gave up greasy food because the diminishing returns left you feeling purposeless.

I left you with a lot to ponder. I sit beside you in digesting these thoughts. It is very difficult not to get caught up in the rat race....to perform, receive praise and assume you have the appropriate direction. We all ponder the valued time we have on this earth and if any of it means anything. Next time you ponder your existence, do something about it.

You owe it to yourself to maximize every opportunity before you with your fullest effort and genuine intent. You should be empowered to ignore the insignificant. Your every action should be set in motion by your place in the sun surrounded by those who matter to you. Once you start climbing the mountain you will be surprised how much stamina you possess!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave 

Follow

What makes a great Leader? We often think of the traits of strong personality, public speaking prominence, and convicted commitment. Vocal, Prominent, Confident, and Ever Present.

Can it be said, however, that those who are truly admirable do not need to be in the public eye?

The question we pose today: What if You Didn't Need to be Validated?

Is our need to step out in front of a group and gather applause a characteristic of confidence or insecurity?

It is evident that Leadership is sorely lacking in today's professional world. I equate this to the fact that the task of Management has overwhelmed the Vision of Leadership. In many organizations the true visionaries choose to stay in individual contributor roles, start their own companies, or leave for different opportunities. In reality, those who are passionate in their conviction are just not willing to 'play the game'. Office politics, meetings about meetings, and the need to restrain genuine thought are management traits that tend to appal true leaders. So, the defacto Managers accept leadership roles as the 'safe bet' and the truly inspired become uninspired.

How Can We Take the Power Back?
* Create your own job description
* Recreate yourself every day
* Ignore the unimportant

The Goals of Self
Reports are homework to document effort. They are also meaningless. The need for metrics to prove professional existence makes people...numbers.

Developing the ability to find personal significance in each task is mastery of your professional existence. You don't need to quit your job. You need to understand what every task means to you, how you can adjust each chore to your vision, and to prioritize accordingly.

Ask Yourself:
1. Who Am I
2. Who Do I Want To Be?
3. What Does This Mean to the Rest of the World?

Stagnation is Damnation
When you stop moving forward, you start falling back. This doesn't mean you have to leap into every mundane task. It means you should recommit and adjust your vision every day. The best way to embrace change is to create it for yourself.

Ask yourself:
Is it better to master one thing or experience many things?

The Best Advice...
From time to time, I get caught up in the unimportant. I let personality differences get in the way of larger goals, I get hung up on passing comments, or mundane detail derails genuine intent.

I once asked my boss...how do you stay level headed in the midst of all these personality clashes?

He said: I ignore them!

Have we come to accept less because we expect less? Are we victims of circumstance? Are we products of our environment? Is our energy wasted on other people's goals?

Kick the peddles out of you way and climb mountains!

Life is far too short to get hung up in the mundane defacto chores of personal validation.

You Are Great Because You Know You Are Great!

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results"
- Albert Einstein

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

The Complaint File

A few weeks back I dropped into a downtown bar to grab a cold one. 3 Gentlemen next to me were trading complaints about each and every one of their co-workers. These fellas talked about how hard they work and the lack of recognition they receive. They talked about the top achievers on their team and their unworthiness of such distinction. In a similar circumstance, there are a group of people who gather at the local coffee shop and get their day started by complaining about everything from their jobs, to the government, and how bad the coffee tastes.

It begs the questions: Why must we relate to others by finding common complaints?

Life can be a grind. So we get up early, talk about how much our day will suck, and then go make it so. We all have pressure at work and our peers understand that more than anyone...so we get a little loud mouth soup in us and sympathize with one another....by complaining.

Complaining is an effort to find validation to life's struggles. But, you don't have to find common group in the negative. In fact, most people's intentions are good, they just want to know others feel the way they do. Shaking your head and sipping your Vodka does not produce solutions...if fact, it makes the challenge harder.

I have had my time in the complaint file. I can recall nights in the similar bar with colleagues...leading the charge. I spoke of the challenges I had before me, that I had done all I could, and that everyone else was falling short. I engaged each day with a furrowed brow and sought to share my discontent with everyone I came across. I thought my narcissism was charming but people walked in the other direction shaking their head.

There are 2 certainties in life:
* You can always find something to complain about
* Every complaint can be conquered by positive thinking

Everyone wants to help more than hinder. To redirect complaints into action items. To invalidate negativity by proposing new ideas instead of adding fuel to the bitch fest.

Start with one day...try not to complain. After a few days, you might find yourself becoming a beacon of hope. Then they will come to you to ask for advice instead of asking for your validation of how bad everything is......

I am not sure why it is so easy to be negative and so impossible to be positive? What I will say is that when you try harder to eliminate complaints YOUR LIFE WILL CHANGE!

If people know you are not going to validate their excuses, they stop complaining. When you are not surrounded by negativity the day moves faster.

Would you rather be forward thinking and Happy or smarter than everyone else and miserable?

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

Your Vision

As the Holiday Season turns to Gray and a New Year approaches the nostalgia wears off. We put the indulgence aside and think about being better people. A New Year: a reason to recreate ourselves. The road map: Goal Setting...what do we need to do to get back to greatness this year.

Some have spent this week strategically planning for 2011, others will get around to writing a few goals down on Sunday through hungover eyes, and there are those who put documentation aside and just wing it (God bless them).

I find every day to be a battle. Each and every day I have a new set of goals and at day's conclusion I assess my progress. Give yourself an hour to think about 2011:
* What are your goals for the year?
* What is your Life Vision?
* Are you serious about getting better?

The Number
We all have metrics for success. We salesfolk call it a quota. It is a necessary attainment to validate our existence. Inability to hit that goal number means you are on the street ringing a bell. Here are a few ideas for hitting your number:
- Win little battles every day
- Find like minds among whom to exude your excellence
- Know what you are awesome @ and Be Awesome!
- Know that criticism is only a means for another to interject themselves in your success...

Get Busy Livin'
We get wrapped up in the day-to-day. That email pissed you off, your staff seems unwilling to put the work in, that jackass in front of you is driving too slow....pull back Friendo! Time to reassess what you and those around you are doing well and allow that to drive your forward motion.

Take in the sunset, listen to children laughing, tell a friend you love them, listen to your favorite music...most of all, be assured, everything is going to be fine! Allow not the mundane to distract you from the Miracle of your existence.

What Are You Gonna Do...?
It's easy to write those goals on a paper slate, Ipad, or white board. It's easy to revisit them from time to time. If you really want to be Awesome you have to be disciplined. Revisit your goals on Monday morning and on Friday afternoon.

I empathise that times are tough but you have to get over it! There will always be excuses for failure (the economy, your boss, your products). Failure is contingent upon one thing - Your Effort. You can always do more, do things differently, choose a different approach, challenge those around you to do more, present your solution in a better way. Man up, accept responsibility and produce!

2010 is gone....let it go.....It's time to party like it's 2011! There is no reason why it will not be the best year of your life!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

The YOU

Raise your hand if you had a tough year? Are you better for it?

I have discovered this year, more than any other, that if you bust your butt and keep your head down eventually the hard times will pass. Seth Godin calls it getting through The Dip. His contention that we put forth the majority of our effort before we give up. This practice repeated becomes a whole lot of effort with little result. One of my least favorite sayings is, "Let's not confuse effort with results"...unfortunately it is a point well taken.

In these times of economic decline, foreclosure, marital turmoil and career uncertainty; you must be stronger than ever! You cannot hide in a bar, blow off your next task or pretend to hope your troubles away. You have to put your head down and try harder than ever!

I have seen men cry. They feel sorry for themselves because they have tried harder than ever and are not measuring up. It is difficult to see people in this spot. Unfortunately, we are the product of our effort. If we have tried harder than ever and are still not measuring up, we need to adjust our approach....and try even harder!

Before others Love you...You have to Love Yourself!

Here's How:
Hide Your Despair
Get a Whiteboard
Talk to Strangers

Say Great!
When people ask how you are doing they seldom care what your answer might be. It's a salutation not an invitation to dictate your life story. Tell them "Great"!

Most people are polite enough to hear you out. But, when you leave the table they probably roll their eyes. Stay upbeat, keep up appearances, and save your tears for God!

Document and Revise
My sales results improved drastically when I implemented a sales strategy. Sounds like a no-brainer but many people go into a client, talk about how great they are, and wait for a decision. Wrong!

The way you find a genuine solution is by researching your client, listening to their challenges and re-formatting your game plan each time you step on the field. Get good at researching, develop a strategic approach and save your prayers for God!

Unlikely Friends
Some of the best advise I have gotten about my career are from hair dressers and bar tenders. You never know who might present an angle you haven't considered.

Sometimes we get so trapped in our world that we forget to listen. We try to address problems that are not there. We become slaves to our process and we come off as know-it-alls (not experts). Your clients appreciate your listening skills more than your presentation skills.

The year 2010 is concluding...2008 and 2009 are gone as well. All we have is the future. Things are going to get better, but you have to keep working hard! The simple message I can leave you with is:

Beating up on yourself only makes your critics job easier!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

A Challenge

Bill Parcels had a way of motivating his players by antagonising them. He tempered them to the point that they chose to succeed in spite of him....when they won, he won. Coach Parcels has been profoundly misunderstood. The only shots you see are those of him yelling at his Quarterback after the drive that put them up 4 TD's.

Phil Simms told the story of having played one of the best games of his career after which Coach Parcels discussed with him the potential areas of improvement. Phil felt deflated for giving his best effort, winning, yet receiving no recognition....he told the coach to get lost. To which Coach Parcels responded:
"It pains me to see that my expectations for you are greater than your own"

The Key To Success is to always ask more of yourself than any one else does. To exceed the expectations of others you have to set your own goals higher. To look at your quota, double the number and make that the norm.

Every Company has their Elder Statesman....the guy (or gal) who welcomes you to the company and tells you how 'things are done around here'. This is known as abuse of tenure. The reaction of most 'up and comers' to this altering regulation is usually inspired courage; not because of the Elder Statesmen but in spite of him.

The Challenge:
Allow Not The Past to Dictate the Future
Estimate Impossible Revenue Goals (and Double Them)!
Recreate Possible

Reset
The only reason anyone advises you of what is possible in any given profession is to regulate you. Allow not yourself to be regulated. People will tell you of their extraordinary past achievements to show you a line in the sand. Leap the line. We all know that acquisition of knowledge can take a while. One must learn his/her trade and market. As you grow and progress don't allow yourself to regress based on the ill advising of others. The only reason others tell you about the past is because they want to preserve it. Break The Mold.

Restructure
How do you maximize your plan? Look at the number, put metrics in place to get there incrementally and proceed each day with said plan in mind. Look at the expectation, determine its reality and redefine. Set check points along the way, leave yourself notes and stay the course.

Know this....if you are going to restructure the standard there are no days off, achievement must be measured every day and you have to out work everyone. First to work, last to leave. Are you ready to accept that challenge?

Recreate
So you have put the past behind, committed to winning on a higher scale and now you have to believe it is possible. There is not an achievement that can be put into motion without a belief in yourself. Doubt will creep in, use it to better prepare. Most people will discourage your effort, find courage in the weakness of your detractors. There are no limits. You can achieve anything. You simply have to walk into every day with fierce determination and sustain it!

Are you ready to redefine possible?
Can you commit yourself to every day?

Progress will have new metrics when you are through!

There are 25 work days left in 2010! Go To Work!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

Creating Culture

More often than not when people see my last name I get one of the following responses:
Where are you from?
What Nationality are you?
Is that Russian?

To which I respond: I'm from California, the nation I represent is America and I'm not Russian but I love Vodka (being that we're playing the stereotype game).

Frankly, I found my culture on La Pera circle in the early 80's. Karen Hunter, Gabe Rowland and the Walker Brothers were my countrymen. We started playing ball on our block and when we were old enough we ventured a few blocks over to challenge those kids in a game of touch football. We banned together, we looked out for one another, we took pride in our block and no one was f-ing with us. We didn't need a flag to fly or a discernible physical commonality; it was in the air. If you came on our block you had to get through the guard to play kick ball.

The culture I subscribed to was created by me and my friends and it meant more to me than the songs of my forefathers or the meals my Grandmother made. So, It stands to reason that in evolution from our names, skin colors or gender; there is a climate to our lives that focuses on now not then. In example, it can be said that the place you work is a culture in-and-of-itself.

A lot has been said about organizational culture of late and this is one HR trend that I believe in. Without question, if you can create an engaging environment between the four walls of any office, satisfaction is guaranteed.

So what do you need to do to create an Engaging Organizational Culture:
* Core Values
* Metrics for Success that Reflect the Population
* Action Oriented Leadership

How Do You Spell Integrity?
Recite your organization's core values...How many people can actually do it? My guess is not many and that is a shame. Take away departmental goals, rank, tenure & the Core Values of any organization are what level the playing field.

Core Values fail to engage for two reasons:
They are too broad
Middle Managers have failed to interpret them to in a meaningful way

I would bet that 80% of organizations have Integrity and/or Accountability as a core value. The extended definition is honesty, the most important professional characteristic any one can possess, why don't we understand that? If as a Manager you cannot explain to your team why honesty is important you are mis-cast. Traditionally, what you will hear from Middle Managers is, "its a core value, its important to our Chairman, know the definition". What a waste!

The definition of engagement is knowing the significance organizational core values have to YOUR role in the company.
* If you can differentiate the company mission to your own success you are guaranteed to find personal significance in every day....within the goals of the organization.

Know Your People
As a consultant people ask me, "as an expert, what would you recommend to improve our culture?". How should I know, it's YOUR company. If you don't know what the people who work for you want, how can I help you? If I offer industry best practices that are not applicable to the people who walk your halls, you are simply re-manufacturing more mediocrity...that's what got you into this mess in the first place:
- Don't worry about being safe
- Make it meaningful
- Make it fun

Detachment is not a Strategy
How often do our Leaders work from a 10,000 foot view? Of course, our CEO cannot be in Kansas every month to opinion poll the Transportation Supervisor. But, there are a few ways to get the real facts:
- Use your Open Door Policy as a means for improvement not to judge who is un-coachable
- Engage real conversation with people at all levels to get 'real' feedback
- Take the formality out of Organizational Input

Surveys are tough because I know that even though they are framed as 'confidential', someone above me will be looking at my feedback and judging me accordingly. This is not the fault of the CEO or the individual contributor but rather an affect of insecure Middle Managers. (see a trend developing here?)

You have to develop a culture of trust! To know that I can give you feedback and you can discern if I am bitching or actually interested in evolving organizational objectives. How can we do this?
- Look for hard facts to accompany the (sob) story
- Ask how the 'problem' effects the Organizational Mission
- Share feedback instead of burying it
- Help redirect instead of judging

In Summation (without assuming):
It doesn't matter what you look like, how you talk or what your life goals might be. If I can ask everyone to find the pot of gold on the same treasure map, our goals are laid out for us. Different teams may take different routes but in the end we all find the treasure.

Create a Mission and help each of us understand it's significance to our own lives. Stop asking for feedback if you are not going to use it to evolve organizational goals! Create team goals that reflect our input and strategize accordingly.

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

10 in 10

There are 11 weeks left in 2010. But the last week seldom counts and 10 in 10 just sounds cooler. One cannot help but think that as this year comes to a close we are closer to getting through the hard times.

Call it a recession or what you might but it has been a couple of challenging years. We have just shy of 3 months to make something of 2010 and to set the table for 2011. A new year, despite our consequence going into it, always brings a feeling of hope. No matter how far off the path we have drifted there is sunshine on the horizon (or at least we have 365 days to turn our fortune around).

In 2010 those who have succeeded despite the economic decline have worked five times harder, found different angles, learned from their mistakes and consistently been willing to take chances.

What have you learned?

What can you do in the next 11 weeks to make 2010 complete?

We can start by reviewing the aforementioned keys to succeeding against all odds:
Work Harder
Find a New Angle
Learn from Your Mistakes
Put Yourself Out There

"What Got You Here....
...won't keep you here", a tremendous asshole once said to me. His tact was off but the sentiment was right. In trying times you cannot expect to duplicate half efforts of the past and replicate results. In fact, evolution is always the goal. The minute you stand still you start moving backward.

Yup, it's unfair. But you have to bite your lip and work harder to produce equal results. Or you can work five times harder and produce twice the results. That, my friends, is what separates the men from the boys.

Think about your family and buckle down!

More than one way
We are at a point when the unconventional is becoming conventional. I will reiterate, if you are over looking the social media thing, you are soon to be bulldozed into obscurity.

Our pride often tells us we've been doing this for 44 years and NO ONE is going to tell us our methods are wrong. Sure, but make 114 calls and get 3 live people....or reach 50,000 in one tweet. #justsayin

Once
Is the number of times a great man once told me I could screw up. His point being, if I made a mistake as a result of taking action he could accept that. Better to act now and apologize later. But, if you make the same mistake twice, you're just a dum dum: action without discourse is the revealing of the incurable disease of stupidity.

Whatever Happens
Keep trying! It is the coward that tries, fails, and hides behind commentary. There are a hundred stoners sitting on couches revealing their philosophy....need I say more.

So here it is: 11 weeks, 1 goal - achieve that which was once deemed impossible!

No One has the right to tell you which goals are realistic.
No One can put a finger in your face.

When YOU set the agenda the day is much easier to navigate!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

The 2nd Half

We are looking down the backside of the mountain that is 2010. We must plan well, execute and reap the rewards! I work as an organizational strategist. Together with my clients, we often discover that the more we entrench ourselves in detail, the more distant our goals appear. Sometimes we have to pull back and slow it down. As we will learn in my forthcoming book Awesomeness.....simplicity can be the pathway to success!

In setting goals for the second half of 2010, may I suggest a 3 step process:
1. Prepare and Predict
2. Give More Than You Take
3. Own the Results!

Prepare and Predict:
This social media craze has a million detractors. One thing twitter and the like does for us is create exposure. Use it to your advantage. To be sure, if you enter any conversation without having done your research, you are a dum dum! Along with the information you have gained on an individual and their organization you need to differentiate your product or service to their goals. Going in 'blind' is unacceptable. Find your target market, design a plan to differentiate yourself as the logical partner, and articulate a story that ties it all together. Spend your time wisely through research and put a bullet proof plan together that eliminates the guess work.

Observations:
1. If someone tells you they are too busy, they are usually wasting their time on needless tasks.
2. If you throw a blanket over any relationship do not expect respect in return.

Give More than You Take:
It seems simple enough. For better or for worse, the Internet has educated people very well. If there is the slightest bit of fraudulence in your relationship strategy you will be exposed, untrusted, and cast into insignificance. You may win on the premise of price or best widget but if that is all you have going for you get used to being treated as an abused commodity....we reap what we sew!

You have to put yourself in a position of generosity. To give more than you take. To be kind, generous and elegant; and to mean it. If you don't believe in the people you work for, those who support you or the product you represent - quit!

Observations:
1. They will always see you sweat.
2. When money comes second you will make more of it than you ever have.

Own the results:
You will lose a deal due to consequences beyond your control. If you tried your best and made the right moves, you lost the commodity battle, that is a battle no one wants to fight anyway...your competition just sold themselves into suckerhood!

You cannot blame others when you lose, you need not beat your chest when you win. Class is the greatest characteristic in the human psyche. It means carrying yourself with confidence....know that you have always done the right thing by being true to your genuine intent.

Observations:
1. Liars are always exposed.
2. Hard work and generosity are the only elements of success.

Put your plan in place, execute it well, learn from your mistakes, be generous and accountable!

The goal line is closer than you think: CLOSE HARD!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

The LED Process

It is within the context of a very annoying cartoon that my kids love that I heard the triumphant phrase, "what's gonna work?..Teamwork"! When sung by rodents the this sentiment stings the ears, but the concept in it's simple nature makes sense.

In the past I was the victim of self imposed criticism based on my inability to fulfill the expectations of others. Since then I have learned that the only expectations that matter are my own, projection is often a habit of self preservation and that everybody really just wants to be loved.

We all want to be understood, have our opinions validated and to be part of something bigger. So I ask you dear readers.....what's gonna work?

TEAMWORK

The phrase has become overused and is commonly affiliated with negotiation exercises, ropes courses and uncomfortably framed roll playing. My approach to teamwork is a little simpler:
* LISTEN
* EMPOWER
* DIRECT

Listen:
You have gathered your team in the conference room: The VP wants to see the ROI, the Director wants to ensure your process meets company branded strategy, the Manager makes every effort to protect his/her team, operations blames sales, sales blames operations and customer service is stuck in the middle.

Amid this battle of attrition is one thing: Everyone just wants to have their opinions heard, understood and adopted. As such, it would make sense to hear everyone out. It is vitally important to know your strategy and to be able to channel the opinions of others within said strategy. This is the key to Dale Carnegie's 16th Principle: Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers.

1. Accept Input
2. Repeat their intent
3. Make a suggestion based on the greater strategy you wish to channel

They got the words out and the emotions off their chest - take the input and run with it.

Empower:
Every team has the well intentioned individual contributor that has been around for several years and knows the ins and outs of the organization. Let's call him Phil. The reason Phil has been in the same position for 12 years is because he has trouble conveying his good intentions to the point that his outspoken suggestions for organizational improvement are perceived as complaints. No one ever took a chance on Phil and as a result he is alone in a tunnel with no light on the West end. Take a chance on Phil!

You have 3 choices with those who distract progress:
* Ask probing questions to discover the true intent of their message (if any)
* Re-direct their negativity to a productive goal
* Have a heart to heart and tell them how they are perceived

Direct:
In Unzip Your Soul we concentrate on Re-direction. This is the key element to dispelling arguments, empowering input and creating positive synergy.

How to Re-direct?

Find out what moves people forward and what holds them back...play to the former.

Example: If I tell you that administrative work is drowning me from achieving my sales numbers schedule a one to one 'time management meeting' with me:
- In this meeting identify all the elements of administrative work
- Understand the time dedicated to each area
- Develop a process of delegation
- Use the remaining time to better develop a strategy to dedicate time to the important stuff

100% of the time you will discover that it is not a matter of 'too much paperwork' but a misdirected strategy!

The Benefits of the LED Process:
* Allow individuals to get their thoughts out there
* Let them know they are being listened to
* Create forward moving synergy

Final Thought: It is vitally important to know the greater organizational intent of every task. If you ask your team to do things without explaining why.....you have lost their respect!

Don't Forget to Remember!

- Dave

Http://twitter.com/davidkovacovich