Find It, flip It, elevate It

Via flipboard.com  Article

Three Steps for Giving Feedback That Works: Find It, Flip It, Elevate It

“For those of us taught to be kind, delivering bad news can feel like we’re breaking a code of honor. Receiving feedback isn’t easy either. Egos can be fragile, and we are often afraid of what we might hear. Deep down, most of us want to be affirmed. ‘You’re doing a good job! Honest!’ …

Without being willing to give and receive honest feedback, we cannot grow as leaders or help others do the same. … With traditional feedback, the answer is often ‘no, you are not good enough.’ It can feel like an autopsy: a diagnosis of what we did wrong, with little hope of resurrecting our dissected selves. When we shift the focus of feedback from ‘what went wrong?’ to ‘how do we achieve peak performance?,’ we shift the entire dynamic. Feedback can go from draining to exhilarating.

Find It, Flip It, Elevate It

We use a simple three-step process: ‘Find It, Flip It, Elevate It.’ …

#1: Find It: The first step is to identify the ‘problem,’ the issue you want to change.

#2: Flip It: Next, you flip it from a negative to a positive. What do you want more of?

#3: Elevate It: Finally, you elevate it so that it inspires peak performance.

Here’s a simple example: Tim’s office has a reception desk staffed by Carol. Because their team is small, Carol struggles to get breaks away from her desk. That means she often eats at her desk, even nibbling as she talks to colleagues or as guests are entering the reception area.

Find it: Tim thinks Carol’s habit of eating at her desk creates an unprofessional appearance, especially for guests.

Flip it: Tim wants Carol to eat somewhere other than her desk but still keep the reception desk staffed at all times.

Elevate it: Tim reframes what he wants to inspire peak performance: ‘As part of our brand for delivering exceptional service, we want to work together to make an incredible first impression and to convey professionalism to our all customers, guests, and colleagues.’

Next step: Tim shares his elevated vision with Carol and the rest of the team, offering examples of what a professional work environment looks like and asking their help to create it. Then he works with Carol and the team to identify a colleague who could work at the receptionist’s desk throughout the day, to give Carol time to eat elsewhere. In this example, Tim isn’t ignoring the problem; he’s simply putting his focus on attaining excellence.”

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The idea man

By Steve Keating via stevekeating.me  Article

The Importance of Initiative

“I was waiting for a flight a couple of weeks ago when the guy sitting next to me struck up a conversation. He asked what I did for a living and after explaining what I do I returned the question and asked what he did for a living.

He kind of had two answers. He said he worked for the last 9 years as a sales rep for a medical device company but that was merely what he did to earn a paycheck. He then said that he was actually ‘an idea man.’

When I asked him to explain he said that he came up with new and better ways of doing things. Intrigued, I asked him for a couple of examples and then he talked for several minutes without taking a breath. This guy had an idea for just about everything. He ‘knew how to fix healthcare, solve the immigration mess, make a better cell phone, better batteries, he had several ideas on improving the United States banking system, it just went on and on.

When I asked what he was doing with his ideas he seemed a little puzzled. He mumbled something about being ‘the idea man’ but leaving the action to somebody else. I just smiled politely and luckily my flight was called shortly after that. …

As I thought about this guy a little later it dawned on me that he was just like a whole lot of people. He was filled with a ton of ideas, at least some of them surely actionable but he lacked the initiative to act. He was one of those ‘somebody ought to do something’ people who just never thought about the fact that they are somebody.

Here’s the thing, you can have all the ideas in the world but if you lack initiative then you almost certainly lack the ability to achieve your full potential. You may achieve some limited success but it will be just that…limited. …

Initiative is defined as the ability to initiate things independently. The definition is only about getting started. Having initiative doesn’t mean you must know exactly how what you initiate will end. It doesn’t mean that you have to have all the answers to every question before you begin.”

Exactly 1 sentence

By Justin Bariso via flipboard.com  Article

It Took Jeff Bezos Exactly 1 Sentence to Share His Brilliant Formula for Success

“Bezos then summed up his winning formula in a single, brilliant sentence:

‘Success is going to require talented experts, a beginner’s mind, and a long-term orientation.’ …

1. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE.

If you’re going to accomplish great things, you need a team of great people. Notice how Bezos describes these people as ‘talented experts.’ Aren’t all experts talented? In a sense, yes. But as years of research reveal, it’s not only about who is on the team, but how they work together. That’s why hiring is so important: You don’t simply want a bunch of  ‘brilliant jerks,’ as Netflix CEO Reed Hastings calls them. Rather, you want people who know what they’re doing, and have the necessary emotional intelligence to work well with others at the same time.

2. HAVE A LEARN-IT-ALL MINDSET.

The problem with putting a bunch of experts together is you run the danger of everyone thinking they have all the answers. That’s why it’s important to have what Bezos refers to as ‘a beginner’s mind.’ In other words, you don’t want to be a know-it-all; you want to be a learn-it-all.

By doing this, you adopt a student’s mentality, in which you rethink everything from the ground up. … That gives you the liberty to pursue bias for action, to experiment and make mistakes–and transform these into learning opportunities.

3. BE READY TO PLAY THE LONG GAME.

Nobody said transforming an industry or solving major problems was easy. Bezos knows this as much as anyone; he came under fire for decades when Amazon didn’t turn a profit. But he didn’t really care, because he knew that it would take time to achieve goals as loft as the ones he had set–goals like fundamentally changing the way people shop. Or, as stated clearly in the set of principles Amazon sets out for their leaders:

‘They think long term and don’t sacrifice long-term value for short-term results.’

Talented experts. A beginner’s mind. Long-term orientation. That’s Jeff Bezos’s formula for success.”

 

 

Friendship first, business later

By Ashley Stahl via flipboard.com  Article

Whatever You Do, Don’t Make This Mistake At Work

“When was the last time you stopped to ask your colleague how their family was doing? When was the last time you truly cared? If you know anything about international business, you recognize the importance of cultural norms. Sometimes this means exchanging gifts, or having just the right type of handshake. Other times, it’s having dinner and drinks before any words about business are ever uttered. While the norms may vary, we can learn a lot from one that is widely accepted but not practiced nearly enough: truly getting to know those you’re doing business with. …

Whether you’re negotiating with government officials or running a project team meeting, studies show that establishing friendship in the workplace increases teamwork, morale, communication and information sharing. … Here are a few steps you can take right now to implement the powerful ‘friendship first, business later’  approach in your career, no matter your field.

1. Truly get to know your colleagues. As the Afghan official taught me, authentic connection is the key. Regardless of what type of business we’re engaged in, all work is driven by human need, desire, or interest. Therefore, connecting on a human level is critical. Check yourself—are you focused too much on you? Take that as an invitation to switch gears and focus on serving others.
2. Go out of your way to become a team player. Your willingness to do whatever is needed to get the job done is a surefire way to establish yourself as a comrade among your colleagues. That means manning the phones on a hectic day, making the midnight coffee run, or helping an overworked teammate tackle their workload, even if your paycheck and title suggest such jobs are ‘beneath’ you. Successful people are willing to put in the work, but more importantly, they don’t consider themselves to be too good for anything or anyone.
3. Celebrate your colleagues’ talents. We all want to be acknowledged for our skills and attributes, especially in the workplace. Even if you aren’t the boss, showing your colleagues that you notice their unique brilliance is a surefire way to establish likeability, camaraderie, and trust. If you see that someone is exceptionally good at something, offer to take some work off their plate so you can free them up to make better use of their skill set.

Getting to know your colleagues on a personal level will take you far. After all, friendships are built on trust, and in the world of business, trust is a rare – and sought-after – phenomenon. So don’t make the mistake of purely focusing on business.”

From manager to leader

By Ashley Stahl via flipboard.com  Article

4 Ways To Go From Manager To Leader

“A manager knows how to execute. He follows the rules and does everything right. He effectively delegates work, manages timelines, and meets deadlines. A manager can be counted on to get it done. …

A leader has a vision and knows how to inspire a team to go above and beyond. A leader uses emotional intelligence to draw the best out of each teammate and empower them. …

1. Leaders Leave Their Egos At The Door

A true leader does whatever is required to get the job done. If that means running the copier, making the midnight coffee run, or assembling folders, that’s what the leader does, even if his paycheck and title suggest otherwise. This approach not only guarantees that the work gets done; it also does wonders for the energy levels on the team.

One way to implement this is to pay attention to the unique brilliance of each employee on your team. If you see that people are exceptionally good at something, offer to take some work off their plate so you can free them up to make better use of their skill set. …

2. Leaders Know How To Listen

Leaders listen to everyone, even those who might not have as much ‘experience ‘ as other people in the room. The best leaders treat brainstorming as a democracy of ideas. They ask ‘what do you think?’ and get everyone involved. …

3. Leaders Have Emotional Fitness

… Emotional fitness is your ability to flexibly endure the ups and downs of business and life. The difference between managers and leaders is the way they react to and process the failed deals, the lost clients, and even the busted refrigerator in the break room. Managers freak out, sending tiny ripples of panic and chaos through the rest of the team. Leaders tap into an inner Buddha, an unwavering stillness that empowers them to take a deep breath and keep moving forward.

4. Leaders Live Outside Their Comfort Zone

Playing a big game doesn’t always feel natural or comfortable, but it’s a choice that true leaders make again and again. As kids, we are often conditioned to go with the grain and to avoid disrupting our environment. We often keep ourselves from really being seen, and from being different. The problem here is that this encourages us to grow into very average adults who only feel comfortable when we’re playing small.”

Screw ideas

By Nicolas Cole via inc.com  Article

This 1 Sentence Summarizes the Entire Millennial Generation

“Ambition is an admirable trait. Impatience is not.

I am a Millennial. I am 27 years old. Most of my friends are Millennials. My peers are, of course, Millennials. So, in terms of ‘the great debate’ of what makes a successful (or unsuccessful) ‘Millennial,’ I see what works and what doesn’t based on the performance of those around me. Let me tell you: There is no shortage of ambitious Millennials.

We are labeled as the Generation With the Most Potential

We know the internet inside and out–yet we see value in detoxing from our screens. We’re old enough to understand how the world works, but naive enough to chase big ideas in the name of leaving ‘our dent’ in the universe. We are mature enough for people to take us seriously, but young enough not to take ourselves too seriously. We’re at the perfect age for greatness.

Unfortunately, many Millennials think their age is enough

I hate to be the one to admit this, but the stereotype that Millennials are impatient is true. Now, are Millennials all like this? No, certainly not–no sweeping generalization is ever 100 percent accurate. But in more cases than not, it’s the impatient Millennials that end up living a life of dreams instead of realities. … they operate under the faulty belief that being young, somewhat digitally savvy, and ambitious is enough. And it’s not. …

This one sentence summarizes the entire Millennial generation:

‘I want to be the one who comes up with the idea, not the person who executes on it.’ That’s the problem. The world doesn’t need more ideas. Ideas are easy. Ideas are as abundant as air itself. What the world needs is more hands on deck, more doers, more builders–more people who know the value of patience, and who can take something that sounds great in theory and work to bring it to life.

Because let me tell you: The way an idea starts is never the way the idea ends. What sounds like utopia often turns out to be a complicated web of inconsistencies. And any idea that is immediately validated because it sounds good usually turns out to be a weak or worthless idea.

Ambition = Ideas

Screw ideas.  Stop trying to be the person who sits on a couch and throws verbal paint at a wall. Stand up. Grab a marker. And get to work. You’re making those of us who truly believe we can change the world look bad.”

 

Every intelligent person needs to hear this

By Jessica Stillman via inc.com  Article

This Is the No. 1 Piece of Advice Bill Gates Would Give His Younger Self

“[Gates was asked:] ‘If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be? …’

Bill Gates didn’t have to scratch his head long to come up with an answer. According to Business Insider, his response was to express regret that he once thought traditional smartness, in the sense of a high IQ, was all you need to succeed in life:

I was so naive about different skill sets. I thought if somebody had a high IQ, they could be good at everything. And that idea that you had to blend different skills together, that still surprises me. This notion that there was just this simple idea of smartness, and it could solve everything — I wish I had known better than to think that.

The smartest people in the world know IQ isn’t enough.

There are several reasons why that’s a great answer, and one that people who fancy themselves blessed in the brains department would do well to listen to.

First off, because it’s simply scientifically true. While we tend to think that smarts equals IQ, Harvard research shows there are actually six other types of intelligence, including everything from the ‘bodily kinesthetic intelligence’ of gifted athletes and dancers to the ‘intrapersonal intelligence’ that gives us the self-knowledge to understand and manage our own feelings, preferences, and quirks.

Traditional intelligence is certainly handy to have, but it’s also possible to achieve great things with less raw computational horsepower and higher levels of these other skills. And if you really want to get to the very top, as Gates suggests, it’s probably essential not just to hone your IQ but to work on complementary intelligences like EQ as well. (Alibaba billionaire Jack Ma insists the key to greatness is actually something he terms ‘LQ.’)

Want some more evidence? Scientists recently found that leaders with super high intelligence are often actually rated lower by their teams, who struggle to communicate with the egghead boss. Being an excellent leader isn’t just about having the biggest brain then. It also requires the complementary emotional and communication intelligence to convey the amazing ideas in your head and inspire others to help you make them a reality.

So smart aspiring leaders, listen up! Gates has been in your shoes and certainly knows what he’s talking about. Don’t rest on your laurels or get cocky about your high IQ. And certainly don’t think the big brain you were gifted with is enough to allow you to coast your way to greatness. Being smart is a fabulous head start in life, but it’s only a start. We all need to appreciate and cultivate other types of intelligence as well.”