Personal Power to Change Results
Set a goal and you achieve it. Keep wishing for something and you are able to get it. Think negative thoughts and bad things happen. Think positive thoughts and good things happen. Ever wonder why?
I know from my own experience and the experiences of my clients that having a well-thought out strategy with quantifiable measure that is actively used to guide the business exponentially increases the probability of improved results. I also know if you don’t have a strategy you’ll go wherever life takes you and it may not be where you want to go. So what gives goal setting and mental message such power?
Napoleon Hill wrote about the Law of Success pointing out that some of the key ingredients are self-control, enthusiasm, commitment to self and belief in possibilities.
It is these same ingredients that make goal setting and mental messages so powerful. If the CD in your mind constantly plays positive messages about possibilities for achieving your goals, inherently your chances of success are significantly improved because you begin to see all sorts of opportunities for fulfilling those goals.
Likewise, if your mental playlist plays only negative tunes and is filled with doom and gloom you will only see barriers to your goals.
We each have the personal power to change the results we are getting because we each have the personal power to determine what we want to think and therefore what we are likely to achieve. If we don’t have influence and power over ourselves, then who can we influence? Getting what we want, succeeding rather than failing starts with a self-commitment to influence ourselves positively in order to fill our lives with possibilities and potential.
Changing our results starts with our own mental messages which are based on our belief system. My belief system is that we all have choices and that we each have to be accountable for owning our own choices. I may not like the choices others make that have adverse impact on me, but I do have choice about how I react, the mental messages I tell myself about the circumstances, and the power to influence and change my own actions as a result.
Maybe now is a good time to do a bit of self-assessment. What is the mental playlist you’ve been listening to lately? Is it affirming or disaffirming what you want in your life? What do you feel you have little control over that in fact you can begin to influence just by how you choose to think about it? Are you willing to try to change how you think about your goals and what you want or does your belief system tell you others are in control of your own thoughts and beliefs?
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Want to improve your business success? Want to improve your golf game? What, you don’t play golf? Not a problem. Come see how you can improve your business success and have some fun on the course at the new “Birdies, Bogeys and Business: Success On and Off the Course” program. See details at http://www.peakperformancecorp.com
Joyce Friel
Peak Performance Consulting
11353 E. Raintree Drive
Scottsdale, AZ 85255
480 236 4266
Management in Toyland
Can you imagine what a catastrophe it would be if Santa didn’t manage his workshop well? The elves would be running amuck and children everywhere would lose faith in the spirit, joy and hope of the big guy in red. I can just picture it now…
- Instead of following the instructions and holding themselves accountable the elves didn’t follow the ‘some assembly required’ instructions so toys didn’t work when they were delivered on Christmas morning
- They had a list, but they weren’t checking it twice so quality control was non-existent
- Teamwork was being eroded by lots of petty bickering and talk behind the elves backs – just picture all those whispers about Rudolf’s nose!
- Being good and nice got replaced with being bad and naughty; there were outbursts of crying and whining in the workshop – the HR department in Toyland was on overload
- The sleigh and big bags for toys were waiting, but the elves hadn’t followed the production plan so last minute crisis and pandemonium reigned right up to the deadline on the 24th
- The financial statement for Toyland is in the RED – there is so much waste, inefficiency and self-interest that Santa is about to declare bankruptcy!
What dire picture, indeed! So to make Toyland run smoothly Santa’s New Year’s Resolution is for everyone…
- To know the mission, rules and procedures
- To be treated with respect and dignity
- To tell truth…always
- To make commitments and keep promises
- To build in quality and do it right the first time
- And for Santa to lead by example by taking a stand for what’s right!
Sounds like a pretty good prescription for success whether you’re the leader of Toyland or your own company, right?
Happy Holidays to everyone – may all your wishes come true!
I appreciate so much your business, referrals and friendship throughout the years.
May 2010 bring each of you prosperity, health and happiness!
Follow me at http://joycefriel.blogspot.com
and on
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The Five P’s of Organizational Leadership
Mental models help us remember critical concepts. One mental model I use daily consists of the Five P’s of Organizational Leadership. The Five P’s are the backbone of all organizational structures. By analyzing each of these individually and also as an interdependent system, the root causes of many organizational malfunctions and performance concerns can be determined. Change any of the five and you inherently change the whole so both independent and interdependent analysis is required.
Every organizational analysis I have ever done has been based upon this simple, yet complete model. The more organizational leaders understand the interdependence of these five dynamics the more they will increase their leadership capability. Leading without understanding these five key functions and the interdependence of them, often leads to increased ineffectiveness.
- People - As the phrase goes, get the right people on the bus and get the wrong people that are on the bus off. No matter what profession or industry you are in, all of your products and services are delivered through your staff so Rule Number 1 is ‘get the right people on the bus’ and make sure they know where the company is going and how they can help the organization succeed.
- Policies - Policies are those formalized, written ‘rules to live by’ within a company. They specify WHAT. Keep them simple, easy to understand, logical and as few as necessary to be effective. In general, the more you get the right people on the bus the fewer policies you need.
- Practices - Practices are the collective habits and actions that tell people WHAT and HOW to do and not do, but they are not written. They are what people see and hear, not what they read.
- Procedures - Procedures are written sets of instructions that tell people HOW to do specific tasks. They are often used as training aids and help achieve consistency.
- Processes - Systems, structures, infrastructures all have processes that define both HOW and WHAT.
If you have a particular problem or concern you’d like to analyze, give me a call or send me an email. I’d be happy to help you analyze the situation using the Five P’s of Organizational Leadership model.
Joyce Friel
Peak Performance Consulting
480 236 4266
TIPS for Managing in Tough Times
It is never easy to manage a business. There are always a multitude of people, product, process and service issues to be juggled and prioritized. Add to this mix the heightened pressures in today’s business world and it is no wonder today’s managers feel especially stressed. We’ve never been in a time when we all felt we had to do more with less and yet never has it been more important to satisfy both your employees and customers. How do you do all this when the limited resources at your disposal all seem to have become even more scarce? Here are some TIPS for managing in today’s touch times.
BITES
Believe in your self and your staff – If you don’t convey confidence through your own beliefs and actions, your staff cannot project confidence to your customers.
Intentional – Be intentional in your actions and your words. If you’ve got a strategic plan, follow it, reference it as you make your decisions and communicate the intent of your actions and decisions in alignment with your plan. (And by all means, if you don’t have a strategic plan, create one – it is the best assurance you have ending up where you want to be rather than some unintended place.) Everyone can then see how your decisions and intentional actions move the entire organization closer to your goals. This is a fabulous way to lead by example.
Target – Set realistic milestones aligned with your overall targeted goals. You achieve big goals by taking one intentional step at a time toward your targeted dreams.
Expectations – Expect success, expect results, expect a lot of yourself and expect a lot of others. Expectations set the tone for what we will or will not achieve. If we think we can, we can. If we think we can’t, we won’t.
Share - Achieving results and managing toward success starts with personal leadership, but to be effective and have the organization move forward dreams, goals and plans must be written down, talked about, and shared openly.
You eat a big block of Swiss cheese, one morsel at a time – enjoy all those tasty BITES.
BE FAB
I got this from Sharon Lechter, author of Three Feet From Gold and several other best selling books.
You have to BE FAB because no one will hire you or buy your products or come to you for service if you aren’t…
Back Straight – Erect, purposeful, confident
Eye Contact – Meeting others in the eye establishes your presence and is the first step toward instilling trust.
Firm Handshake – Establishes confidence, takes trust to the next level of depth, and creates personal connection
Ask Questions – Asking causes you to listen more than talk and listening is the key to servicing, selling and satisfying others.
Be Behold – Being bold required confidence, knowledge and projects capability – all key ingredients for business and personal success.
REMINDERS of things you know, but may have forgotten…
- Make a DO NOT DO list to ease your mind and gain valuable focus.
- Rejoice rather than worry – focus on your abundant blessings. Worry is praying for what you DON’T want.
- Quit trying to find the ‘one’ right answer – focus on the options and possibilities.
- Live your life for yourself rather than for others.
- RUN, DON’T WALK away from negative people – surround your self with those who believe in possibilities.
- Hire slow, fire fast – get the right people on the bus and help those who are misplaced get off the bus.
- Joyce Friel
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Follow me at http://joycefriel.blogspot.com and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/joycefriel
Peak Performance Consulting * 480-236-4266
Successful Organizational Leadership Requires Conceptualization
The higher you go in an organization the more the skill set needed changes from technical competence to the broader skill of conceptualization. Getting in the door requires technical knowledge of your chosen field, the right attitude and the inherent characteristics valued by the hiring organization. The first several positions you hold are quite likely to be based upon your knowledge, job skill and the ability to delivery specific results. Results get you promoted to higher and higher levels, but at some point the skill set requirements change.
Leading an organization requires the ability to conceptualize about the issues and concerns of an organization, as well as, what is needed in the future. Conceptualization is all about being able to see that which is not there. The ability to look at a set of actual circumstances and see beyond them in order to determine the problem or opportunity they present. This skill is about recognizing how the functions of an organization are all interdependent; how changes in one area impact all the others. The ability to see customers needs and project the solution in not-yet-developed products or services your organization can provide. Conceptualization is critical both in solving today’s problems, as well as, anticipating the needs of the market and then having the solution prepared in time to capture the opportunity.
Conceptualization is not a skill learned once you are at the executive level. It is a developmental skill that needs to be honed all along the way. The ability to see conceptually can be improved by holding a variety of positions and thereby broadening your entire conceptual spectrum of how business operates, taking on special interdepartmental assignments, and working with specific problems that you would not otherwise encounter in the course of your normal work, but which are necessary to broaden your thinking and skill.
So if you are already a good conceptual thinker, what do you need to be doing to help others in your organization achieve this same level of expertise? What did you do to learn this skill that might be of particular value to others? If you need to develop your ability to see conceptually more easily or more deeply, what projects, tasks or assignments do you need to seek out? Is your mentor a good conceptual thinker? If not, maybe you need to find an additional mentor who is particularly good at thinking conceptually.
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a senior-level leader that is still operating at the technical skills level. The higher you go the more you get removed from the technical side of your business. However, you’ll find the best leaders you know are good conceptual leaders and if they recognize this as a weakness in their skill set, they have surrounded themselves with others who have this talent.
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Follow me at http://joycefriel.blogspot.com and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/joycefriel
Is your Business Intelligence System paying you back?
Most companies build a data warehouse with some pretty strong expectations about achieving a Return on Investment. Most companies are still waiting on those returns. Why are the promises (and potential) of BI investments returns not being seen?
In its simplest form, the problem is with the model, and we don’t mean the data model. What improvements drove the business case for the BI system in the first place? You did create a business case, right?
What measures are really driving profit in your business? How does your data warehouse improve the Key Performance Indicators you use every day to track the health and success of your business? If you don’t have the answers to those questions, the ROIs you seek will prove to be very elusive.
Your BI environment should assist you in monitoring and measuring your success against KPIs. Are the processes you manage improved by the information you are able to obtain from the BI environment? While ‘better reporting’ is one benefit of an adequately built BI environment, that isn’t going to cover the high cost of building one.
Now for the hard part – what KPIs are important? Does every department understand how the work they do impacts those KPIs? Does every department even agree on what the KPIs are? These questions should be answered ideally before you even embark on a BI initiative. What if you’re already knee deep in an implementation or have a ‘legacy’ BI environment? Consider a Business Intelligence Competency Center (BICC). A BICC should have one primary goal, and that is helping your organization achieve a Return on its BI investment.
Congratulations! By this step you have made the commitment to protect your most valuable data assets, identified key stakeholders, established regular discussions with these stakeholders, and identified the scope of your governance initiative.
Remember a key to success will be keeping this small, gathering senior level support, and celebrating frequent successes.
The governance model has several components; business elements, actions, metrics, agents.
In your stakeholder meetings you likely have discussed the scope of your initiative and through that discussion identified the key business elements that need governance. These should be the business’s most important or most used data. It is also likely to be the most confidential or most controversial. And for all of these reasons each line of business, business department, or analytic team probably has their own data store and their own data definitions for these (therein lies the problem that you are working to solve).
Next, you and your stakeholder group will define the actions or operations that will be used to align these business elements across the disparate teams, data stores, or reports and get a common definition and common method of handling this data. How will your group make decisions, process approvals, and reconcile differences?
It is critical at this step to be selective and pick the low hanging fruit and the items with the biggest bang for the buck. Don’t try to define actions that cover all situations or you will find yourself endlessly meeting and discussing to account for every possible scenario. I have seen many data governance initiative die at this point because teams cannot agree.
Next, we focus on metrics and the agents that will enforce the model you create.
Part 2: Data Governance Framework – A Framework Defined
A Data Governance framework is comprised of the following parts;
- Oversight Board
- Stakeholder Forum
- Process Agents
- Business and Technical Liaisons
- A Repository
- Defined Focus Areas
Approaches that begin with spending money are doomed to failure, so start by building the portions that don’t require capital expenditures yet have real business impact. The Stakeholder Forum is a perfect place to start for both of these reasons.
Stakeholders are the people, functional groups, and teams that depend on the data within the scope of your governance initiative. To incubate this initiative, be sure to hand pick stakeholders that are already active in data. Business analysts make excellent candidates because the quality of their reports and analytics are directly dependent on the data you are trying to govern.
Establish a roundtable with these stakeholders where you jointly identify the business needs and justification for a Data Governance function in your organization. Next, define the role of Data Steward and leverage the Stewards to solve problems that arise with your data, such as conflicting data definitions. Finally, establish some training, even if just simple documentation.
Remember to start your Data Governance program by identifying the business’s most important or most used data. Select a team of folks (such as business analysts) that use and depend upon this data and therefore have a vested interest. Then leverage this team to create a Data Stakeholder forum and define needs, solutions, and training.
Data Governance Framework – Getting Started
The topic of Data Governance can be abstract and difficult to define, furthermore, it often fails because of a lack of business focus.
Don’t let these challenges keep you from managing your extremely valuable data assets. Data Governance, done properly, establishes a foundation for defining, managing, changing, and integrating the Data in your organization. It enables the processes that will care for your Data and outlines the organizational decisions which impact Data’s meaning and value.
In this series of posts, we’ll outline the steps in building a framework to give concrete meaning to Data Governance in real business terms.
Your starting point is to create a Data Governance Framework which defines the essential scope and supporting processes. The goal is to align business needs with the governing functions, ensuring that the most important and most necessary pieces are established first. Move one step at a time and do not try to tackle the entire framework at once (it’s too daunting).
Before you can obtain the support of your executive management team, you first must identify critical business data needs and then pick the one most relevant to your business. If you are unsure where to start, try in sales or financials. Find the data elements are most controversial, most used, most confidential, or most regulated. Use these examples to build your business case and your sales pitch to gain executive leadership support for the concept.
Assuming you have support for the initiative, establish your Data Governance Organization. This is the authoritative body when it comes to Data decisions. Most importantly, it can be virtual and does not require additional staff (avoiding additional costs will be key to your success). This organization is responsible for the guidance, planning, and stewardship of your Governance initiative and we will define these responsibilities in more detail in the next post.
Let the framework serve as your roadmap to creating and launching a successful and business focused Data Governance program.
The Parallels of Golf and Leading Your Business
First of all I want to credit my friend, client and fellow golfer, Deb Waitkus, with the idea for this article. Deb is the founder and CEO of Golf for Cause. She is an expert in demystifying the game, turning ‘Golf into GoldTM, and leveraging golf for business. The Rules of Golf which as you may know can be very obscure, daunting, and at time bewildering. It struck me as I read them there are many parallels between golf and leading a business. The rules of leading effectively can also be quite daunting and at times bewildering.
The Royal and Ancient Club may not have had business lessons in mind when those rugged Scotsman devised this challenging game, but they did us all a great service both recreationally and professionally when they codified the rules of the game over the years. Here are a few samples of how golf and business parallel each other.
| Golf | Business |
| Penalty Strokes | OK, you goofed. You did something by mistake or even knowingly did something that you could have done better. Be honest about it, admit the error, take the penalty stroke, learn from the error and move on. |
| Maximum 14 Clubs | What are the 14 ‘go to’ tools you use most frequently and effectively to lead and manage effectively? Golfers are continually following technological development and buying new clubs to get that edge. Are your ‘leadership tools’ the ones you need in your bag? Are you technologically savvy? |
| Be Ready | Being ready and prepared for your next shot are critical in maintaining pace enjoying your round of golf. Are you anticipating and are you ready to meet your next business challenge? Are you considering the lie, have you lined up your next move, can you visualize the ability of your company to respond, are the other players on your team ready to respond? |
| Etiquette | Golf is not just getting the lowest score. It is also about etiquette, honesty, and following the rules. You learn a great deal about a person’s character, ethic and personal code of conduct when you’re playing a round of golf. Wouldn’t it be nice to know how your potential clients and colleagues react under pressure before you engage them in business? You can learn this in a friendly round of golf. |
For those of you that are golfers I have adapted the Slow Play Test from Golf for Cause newsletter to a Slow Play Test for Leaders and Managers.
Slow Play Test for Leaders and Managers Yes No
| 1. Am I courteous? | ||
| 2. Do I know when it is appropriate to make the next move to close the deal or coach a subordinate? | ||
| 3 Am I ready and proactive when action is needed? | ||
| 4. Do I note the reaction and change in market to my strategy and tactics; do I learn from the markets reaction? | ||
| 5. Do I delay and procrastinate to avoid difficulty decisions? | ||
| 6. If in doubt, do I have a contingency plan prepared? | ||
| 7. Am I decisive and committed to my decisions? | ||
| 8. Do I know how to ‘take relief’ and guide my team when minor adjustments need to be made? | ||
| 9. Am I preparing for my next leadership action as I observe the activities of my team? | ||
| 10. Do I note the score, take a quick assessment of results and then move on rather than dwelling on the past? |