Optimists lose (most of the time)

By Leo Widrich via fastcompany.com   Article

A New Way to Look at Optimism’s Role in Success

“General Stockdale was held captive for eight years during the Vietnam War. After being tortured 22 times and losing many friends in prison, he eventually made it out alive. A few decades later, Jim Collins, author of the famous book Good to Great interviewed Stockdale about his experiences as a prisoner of war. … Collins asked: ‘Who didn’t make it out alive?’

Stockdale’s answer was blunt: ‘Oh, that’s easy, the optimists. Oh, they were the ones who said, ‘We’re going to be out by Christmas …  We’re going to be out by Easter’ … then Thanksgiving … then … Christmas again … they died of a broken heart.’

… I had always considered myself an optimist, as anyone out there striving for greatness might. But was I setting myself up for failure?

The Stockdale paradox: Faith trumps optimism

There is a very clear line between keeping faith and plain optimism that everything will be okay. The last words that Stockdale shared with Collins stress that more than anything else: ‘You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end–which you can never afford to lose–with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.’

… It’s a small change in thinking that made huge difference … If you have faith that you will eventually succeed, by changing and trying over and over, without being frustrated after each individual setback, that’s when things work out. Then the fact that optimists lose (most of the time) isn’t so bleak, after all.”

Takers, Matchers, Givers

By Martha Duesterhoft via tint.com   Article

The Three Things It Takes to Be Wildly Successful

” … research shows … our relationships play an even more important part in an individual’s success. We need to operate in a much more interdependent manner. …

• Project-based work is on the rise. … Having strong interpersonal skills has a huge impact on the results the team is able to achieve.
• Shift to a knowledge and service economy. Having a “service mentality” to meet client/customer needs … You have to understand and CARE about their needs.
• The rise of online social networks. You and your reputation is out there for the world to see. …

… those who put the interests of the team (others) first are the ones who will achieve long-term success.

… “Takers” strive to get as much as possible from others and “Matchers” aim to trade evenly. “Givers” are the rare breed of people who contribute to others without expecting anything in return. … behave more like a Giver …

1. Be willing to give more than you receive. It could be something as simple as sharing an article …
2. Find your “helping” speciality. … a networking master? Invite people to join you at an event or make introductions.
3. … make an unpopular task … more fun, interesting or meaningful. How about playing music while filing or putting together binders? …

… Helping others does ultimately serve you best and sets you up for a wildly successful life. Amen to that sista!”

The Power of Prayer

By Kevin Daum via inc.com Article

The Power of Prayer for Business

“You don’t need to be a religious fanatic or even believe in a particular god to use prayer effectively in business. Here are some basic components:

1. Be Thankful

Whether it’s God, Buddha, Mother Earth, Allah, Ganesh, the Force or even just the universe around you, express your gratitude for the many wonders of the world and the fact that you get to enjoy them every day.

2. Be Humble

Acknowledge that no matter how successful you are or how many people you employ, you are a small part of something bigger. Accept that your role has impact and requires commitment to make the world a better place.

3. Be Hopeful

…  recognize that the universe is not Santa Claus. Ask for that which you are ready to be worthy and deserving.

4. Be Open

So often what I think I want turns out not to be what I really need. … Express that you are open and ready to accept whatever comes and make the most of it.”

Humble

“It is always the secure who are humble.” – G.K. Chesterton, British writer

Ego depletion

Source

Happy as clams

By Roberta Matuson via fastcompany.com   Article

Why Your Company’s Worst Performers are Happy as Clam

“Your slacker employees … actually love their jobs. A new study by Leadership IQ found that in 42% of companies, low performers report high levels of engagement. These employees are more motivated and more likely to enjoy working at their organizations than middle and high performers do.

When I first heard this news, I couldn’t believe my ears. And then, the light bulb went on. In most organizations, low performers are pretty much left alone. They are happy as clams because no one notices or bothers them. …

If that weren’t scary enough, low performers were also more likely to recommend their company as a great place to work than were others in the organization. Just what a company needs. More low performers. …

Once you rid yourself of these low performers you can then seed your organization with a new crop of people who will welcome the opportunity to work alongside other great performers. This will signal to your top performers that you really do care if they sink or swim.”

25,550 Days

Video

“How many days does the average person live? This video addresses the topic with humor, surprise and poignancy, combining infographic-style motion graphics with excerpts from Prem Rawat’s talks and “man-on-the-street” interviews.

Visit wopg.org to hear more.”

Joy or fidgeting until we die

By Lawrence M. Miller via industryweek.com   Article

Dr. Deming’s Joy at Work, Happiness & the High Performance Organization

“Dr. Deming was fond of promoting the idea that every employee should be able to achieve joy at work and that joy would lead to improved quality and a high performance organization. …

“Management’s overall aim should be to create a system in which everybody may take joy in his work.” Dr. W. Edwards Deming

The cynic may picture workers sitting around with a drink in hand, party hats, and dancing around the workplace in a silly display of “joy.” But, obviously that is not what Deming was promoting. He was promoting the need and possibility of intrinsic reinforcement, joy from the job itself, the achievement, the self-satisfaction derived from the ability to improve and control one’s own work. …

Dr. Deming’s instruction was based more on his own excellent intuition than on any research. However, in the past 20 years, the most popular area of psychological research has been in what is known as positive psychology … So, what is the big finding of positive psychology?

‘The belief that we can rely on shortcuts to happiness, joy, rapture, comfort, and ecstasy, rather than be entitled to these feelings by the exercise of personal strengths and virtues, leads to legions of people who in the middle of great wealth are starving spiritually. Positive emotions alienated from the exercise of character leads to emptiness, to in-authenticity, to depression, and, as we age, to the gnawing realization that we are fidgeting until we die.’ (Authentic Happiness, p. 8)”

Monkeys in silk suits

By Bill Waddell via Manufacturing Leadership Center   Article

Maximization of Stakeholder Value in Practice

“I often wrote about the lean principles of focusing on all of the stakeholders, rather than abusing some of them for the sake of the shareholders – a la GM borrowing money to pay dividends while laying off employees.  This is not some socialist principle that belittles the importance of capital.  No, it is driven by the common sense point that the stockholders gain the most in the long term when everyone contributing to the business shares their long term objectives.  The problem with the ‘maximize shareholder value’ principle is that it has no time frame perspective, which generally means maximize short term shareholder value because the investment community has a hard time seeing beyond three months into the future. …

More companies should look to the Progressive Insurance approach to this issue.  They have a formula that is well publicized in advance for calculating the annual dividend stockholders will receive – if any.  Then they use the exact same formula to calculate employee bonuses.

I don’t know anything about the insurance business but it’s a safe bet it is a lot like manufacturing in that there are likely to be plenty of accounting tricks available to dress monkeys in silk suits – they can make mediocre, or even lousy performance look good by playing games with the numbers.  The cool thing about Progressive is that, if they choose to play such games, employees benefit to precisely the same degree as Wall Street.  Everyone wins, or everyone loses.”

Measure Your Life

By Steve Gladis via Survival Leadership Blog   Article

How Will You Measure Your Life?

“ Renowned motivational psychologist, Frederick Herzberg’s two-factor theory debunks incentive theory. Satisfaction (hygiene factors) is all about basic requirements for job satisfaction (status, compensation, security, etc.). However, to be motivated requires satisfaction first and then more. So salary may satisfy us, but it will never motivate us. You have to pay people a fair wage, but after that you need motivators like challenging work, recognition, and personal growth.

We all crave meaning and purpose—that’s the “internal” real stuff of motivation, not some “external” factor like a bonus check.

Unfortunately, many of us choose jobs based on great hygiene factors (high pay, fancy office), but then we often get demotivated with a lack of internal motivators like a job with real purpose. This explains very unhappy wealthy business people and very modestly paid but extremely motivated and happy non-profit workers.

We need to ask ourselves new questions to be motivated in a new job: Is this work meaningful to me? Will it give me a chance to develop? Will I get more responsibility?”

Obedience to Passion

By Randy Mayeux via First Friday Book Synopis  Article

Moving Folks from “Obedience’ to “Passion” – Gary Hamel’s Six Levels of Human Capabilities at Work

“A Hierarchy of Human Capabilities at Work

Level 6:  Passion
Level 5:  Creativity
Level 4:  Initiative
—————
Level 3:  Expertise
Level 2:  Diligence
Level 1:  Obedience …

Level	Descriptor	Supervision Needed	“Result”
Level 6	Passion	Get completely out of the way, and watch with admiration.  Include this person in leadership and strategy sessions. ….	This person isn’t “working at a job” – this person is fulfilling a calling, with great, practically contagious, passion.
Level 5	Creativity	Basically, “get out of the way” of this worker.  Give lots of freedom. ….	This employee is making changes that save the company time and money.  Others learn from this employee.
Level 4	Initiative	Not much	The employee does all of his/her work so very well, and looks for and finds additional ways to help the company thrive whenever he sees a problem or opportunity to tackle.
Now things get different!
Level 3	Expertise	Occasional supervision needed – the supervisor can “relax”	Work is done very well, at a fast pace, with almost no errors
Level 2	Diligence	Attentive supervision – but not as great a need to “check work”	The work is done more efficiently; with fewer errors/mistakes, and completed more rapidly
Level 1	Obedience	Careful supervision – must “check” work	Assigned work is accomplished

End quote

Three Definitions of Power

By Ed Batista via Executive Coaching and Change Management blog   Article

“I define power (and seek to exercise it) differently in three specific contexts: Within myself, in a relationship with another person, and in a group

1. Power within myself is the ability to Express AND regulate my emotions

… becoming more skilled both at expressing my emotions, so that my impact is aligned with my intentions, and at regulating my emotions, so that while feeling them fully I choose when and how to express them in order to meet my needs. …

2. Power in a relationship is being Open to each other’s influence.

…  This is how ineffective leaders so often fail: they obtain compliance without actually changing anyone’s mind, and so their “power” extends only as far as their ability to monitor and police. …

3. Power in a group is feeling Free to speak my truth.

… A powerful group is one in which every member feels free to voice their perspective, even–and especially–when the leadership is ineffective. … while effective leaders will support a culture that encourages members to speak their truth, each member will ultimately have to exercise that power for themselves.”

Work With Someone You Hate

By Suzanne Lucas via Inc.   Article

Why You Should Work With Someone You Hate

“You like different things, so you see different things. … A partner, or an employee, whose viewpoint is different from yours will see things you cannot. She will see areas that you are weak in and you will see areas where she is weak. …

You’re not distracted by social lures. You don’t stop working on a project to plan your weekend activities. Your relationship will be built around the business and the business only.

It’s easier to terminate a relationship. … I’ve received emails from people whose best friend is not doing a good job, and they want to fire and replace that person, but won’t go through with it. … While this may seem like a silly, little, thing, the stress reduction from having purely business relationships is tremendous.

Smart is better than yes. 

You need to surround yourself with smart people. People with great ideas. … Someone who challenges you makes you think harder. Someone who will say, “But…” and will point out the flaws that you’d otherwise overlook.

Respect is key. If you are so annoyed by this person that you are yelling, the business relationship won’t work out. You must respect each other. You must be polite. You must listen to what the other person has to say. But, you don’t need to be friends.”

The Power of Not Solving Problems

By Minda Zetlin via Inc.   Article

” … presented with a problem, leaders immediately swing into solving mode. But before you do, it’s important to check that first impulse and stop to ask yourself a simple question: Should I be the one to solve this? Sometimes the answer is no. Here’s why:

1. Your employee may merely want a sounding board.

It’s a classic complaint from many women: They’ll have just started to describe a problem they want to vent about or try to talk through, when the man they’re talking to begins proposing practical solutions. Not that the solutions themselves are bad, but the woman wanted only a sympathetic ear.

Managers can make the same mistake. Sometimes employees will take the time to describe a challenge in detail simply to let you know how hard they’re working. Or perhaps they want you to listen and lend encouragement while they work through the problem themselves. Or, they may genuinely want you to come up with a solution. Until you know which of these three is motivating an employee to tell you his or her troubles, don’t short-circuit the process by offering solutions.

2. You’ll get better buy-in.

Whatever the solution is to a problem, chances are you won’t be the one who has to actually execute it, your employees will. They’ll bring more commitment to that work if they’re using a strategy they came up with rather than one you handed down to them. …

3. You’ll wind up with happier and better employees.

… Like anything else, solving problems improves with practice, so giving employees the chance for that practice lets them widen their experience and get better at their jobs.”

A sacred gift

By Douglas Van Praet via Co.Create   Article

Research – You’re Doing It Wrong. How Uncovering the Unconscious is Key to Creativity

“Businesses invest billions of dollars annually in market research studies developing and testing new ideas by asking consumers questions they simply can’t answer. Asking consumers what they want, or why they do what they do, is like asking the political affiliation of a tuna fish sandwich. That’s because neuroscience is now telling us that consumers, i.e., humans, make the vast majority of their decisions unconsciously.

Steve Jobs didn’t believe in market research. When a reporter once asked him how much research he conducted to develop the iPad, he quipped, “None. It isn’t the consumers’ job to know what they want.” And according to some measures, the iPad became the most successful consumer product launch ever and Apple went on to become the most valuable company of all-time. …

Einstein once said: “The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” Creativity, the indispensable fuel of economic growth, is being killed by a corporate culture of wrongheadedness. It’s time to stop the violence! It’s time to honor the gift of the unconscious mind! …

My frustration with the tools of my trade led me to search for a more enlightening message. ….”

On behalf of yes

By Seth Godin via Seth’s Blog   Article

“Yes, it’s okay to ship your work.

Yes, you’re capable of making a difference.

Yes, it’s important.

Yes, you can ignore that critic.

Yes, your bravery is worth it.

Yes, we believe in you.

Yes, you can do even better.

Yes.

Yes is an opportunity and yes is an obligation. The closer we get to people who are confronting the resistance on their way to making a ruckus, the more they let us in, the greater our obligation is to focus on the yes.

There will always be a surplus of people eager to criticize, nitpick or recommend caution. Your job, at least right now, is to reinforce the power of the yes.”

The most dangerous word

By Brad Hoover via Fortune   Article

The most dangerous word to use at work

“After fraud, theft, flood, and fire, the most dangerous word to use in the workplace today is short, sweet, and fraught with peril: try. …

Whether in a job interview, on a resume, or in the office, try simply shows a lack of belief, passion, commitment, and confidence — all the qualities you need to succeed in today’s tight job market. Grammarly’s contextual thesaurus has a whopping 66 different synonyms for try, yet none of them are as convincing as words like do, believe, act, tackle, accomplish, or succeed. While try might get you 10%, or even halfway there, employers are looking for strong problem solving skills and unwavering dedication.

I cringe when I hear, “I’ll give it a try,” because the phrase suggests failure. “I’ll do it” inspires confidence every time. …

So don’t try, do; don’t doubt, believe; and don’t wonder, act.”

“Learn as if you were to live forever”

Image

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

–Mahatma Gandhi,
Indian lawyer and activist

Source

New Screwtape Letter

By Ben Lichtenwalner via The Modern Servant Leader   Article

New Screwtape Letter on Leadership Discovered!

“Here are come common tactics that other Tempters found effective when dealing with patients newly promoted to their first, so-called, “leadership” role:

Prey on Ego: … Fill his head with thoughts of superiority. … send your patient his new new business cards, with the new title, at once.

Smother with Symbols of Authority: … reinforce his need to purchase a luxurious car to display …. Have vendors seduce him with expensive dinners and entertainment. Then urge your patient to accept these gifts by viewing them as mere business meetings. …

Entrap in Debts: … Entice him into homes more expensive than he should afford and show him favor with expensive worldly trinkets.

Smother with Praise: The vanity of your patient is among your greatest weapons. … All that is important is that he thinks … [his accomplishment] are valuable and are recognized as such by other mortals.

Whisper “You Deserve It” Often: … [whisper] “go ahead, you deserve this” or “you’ve earned it”. This works especially well when the enemy uses an attack of humility or concern for others. …

Background for those unfamiliar with The Screwtape Letters:

In The Screwtape Letters, author C.S. Lewis wrote a series of letters in the first-person, from a Demonic mentor (Screwtape) to his “Junior Tempter” nephew, Wormwood. Wormwood is tasked with achieving the eternal damnation of his “Patient” ….”

Shareholders versus Stakeholders

By Bill Waddell via Evolving Excellence   Article

“The horrible shootings in Connecticut have set off another round of debates over the fundamental goals of a business – pitting financial gain against social responsibility.  The core principles of lean … are very much built around the idea that the two are not mutually exclusive:  The idea that the best way to make money for the stockholders is to take very good care of all of the stakeholders. …

The alternative is the traditional economic view – that labor (the employees) and capital (the stockholders) are engaged in a zero sum battle with each other – that one’s gain is the other’s loss; that relationships with both suppliers and customers should be adversarial – again a sort of zero sum approach that a nickel negotiated away from a supplier or a customer is a nickel gained for the stockholder …

The difference in views is very much a function of the time frame.  The holistic, lean approach is a proven winner, but is a long term winner.  Optimizing long term shareholder value often means sub-optimizing short term shareholder value.  In publicly traded companies the long term view just isn’t in the cards.  The costs of dumping an investment in  one company and putting the money into another are just too low and the whole thing is structured to enable the trillions of dollars in the markets to lurch from one company to another in a continual quest for the best short term returns.”

Instead of Making Resolutions, Dream

By Whitney Johnson via HBR Blog Network   Article

“… I believe we’ve got it backwards when it comes to making New Year’s resolutions. Instead of starting January trying to “fix” all the wrongs, let’s take some time to figure out what our objectives really are.

So, dream.

While resolutions are about “shoulds,” dreaming is about hope — and who we may become. Dreaming is at the heart of disruption — it is only when we dream that we can hope to create something truly new, something that will overtake old habits, old customs, and old ways of thinking and being. And we all know by now that a disruptive path leads to a greater measure of success.

According to psychologist Timothy Pychyl … until we have a vision of who we are and who we want to become, we can’t accomplish much.” Pychyl explains the interconnectedness between identity and agency as follows: “Identity is that knowledge of who we are. Agency is the belief that we are in control of our decisions and responsible for our outcomes. It means we make a difference; we make things happen, we act on the world. Thus, being an active agent depends on identity, or knowing who we are.”

In other words, the more you know who you are, the less likely you are to procrastinate. And the more we dream ourselves into becoming who we want to be, the closer we’ll come to accomplishing our resolutions.”

“change-in-the-wrong direction”

By Rosabeth Moss Kanter via HBR Blog Network   Article

Nine Symptoms of Corporate Decline

“… nine universal warning signs of change-in-the-wrong direction …

Communication decreases. … Decisions are made in secret. People mistrust official statements. Gossip substitutes for the full facts.

Criticism and blame increase. People are dressed down in public. They make excuses for themselves and point their fingers at someone else. …

Respect decreases. … Everyone expects the worst of everyone else — and says so.

Isolation increases. People retreat into their own corners or subgroups, suspicious of others and unwilling to engage with them. … Silos harden.

Focus turns inward. People become self-absorbed and lose sight of the wider context — customers, constituencies, markets, or the world. …

Rifts widen and inequities grow. … Power differentials and social distance between groups and levels make collaboration difficult. …

Aspirations diminish. People … are willing to settle for mediocrity. They want to minimize risk rather than to look for big improvements. …

Initiative decreases. … people go passive, following routines but not taking initiative even on small things …

… Here’s what leaders — official or emergent — do to shift a culture from the behaviors of decline to the habits of success: ….”

Daily Habits That Will Make You Happier

By Geoffrey James via Inc.   Article

“2. Take time to plan and prioritize.

The most common source of stress is the perception that you’ve got too much work to do.  Rather than obsess about it, pick one thing that, if you get it done today, will move you closer to your highest goal and purpose in life. Then do that first.

3. Give a gift to everyone you meet.

… Your gift can be your smile, a word of thanks or encouragement, a gesture of politeness, even a friendly nod. …

4. Deflect partisan conversations.

Arguments about politics and religion never have a “right” answer but they definitely get people all riled up over things they can’t control. …

5. Assume people have good intentions.

… Imputing evil motives to other people’s weird behaviors adds extra misery to life, while assuming good intentions leaves you open to reconciliation.

7. Let go of your results.

Once you’ve taken action, there’s usually nothing more you can do. Focus on the job at hand ….

9. End each day with gratitude.

… write down at least one wonderful thing that happened. It might be something as small as a making a child laugh or something as huge as a million dollar deal.”

Six Famous Failures

Via The Heart of Innovation   Source

“What you believe about work either weakens you or makes you stronger”

By Geoffrey James via Inc.   Article

“In my view, there are eight personal beliefs that … [will] give you the emotional oomph to handle just about anything the business world throws at you. Here they are:

1. Today’s success can breed tomorrow’s failure if I let success make me complacent about staying motivated and moving forward.

2. I learn more from failure than from success. Failure renews my humility, sharpens my objectivity and makes me more resilient.

3. Goals that contain the phrase “I’ll try…” are self-defeating. If I want goals that truly motivate me, I use phrases like “I will” and “I must.”

4. What holds most people back is fear of failure, but if I don’t take action, I’ll fail by default, so what have I got to lose?

5. What I say reinforces what I think, so if something is about to come out of my mouth that doesn’t serve my purpose, I should simply keep my mouth shut.

6. I am responsible for my own happiness, so when other people are unkind to me, it reminds me to be kind to myself.

7. There are five magic words that make even the most difficult business situation easier to handle. Those magic words are: “Do not take it personally.”

8. While there are situations (such as a death in the family) where strong emotions are appropriate, most business situations are not worth even an ounce of misery.”