What's Keeping You Up At Night?

Creating a Compelling Vision- Mistakes to Avoid

2013-05-07T09:46:45Z

The two common mistakes that companies make with regard to their vision that keep them from reaching their potential are (1) the failure to clearly articulate a vision and (2) the failure to communicate the vision effectively.

There’s another huge mistake that can derail all the efforts you may make to overcome the first two mistakes. It’s failing to make sure that all employees’ activities support and are in alignment with the vision.

Once a compelling vision is developed the next step is to create a mission. The mission is the short-term view of the vision. What can be accomplished in the next year that will support the vision? From there, you will want to determine the critical success factors. These are usually four to eight key factors that are both necessary and sufficient to realize your company’s Mission. Then SMART goals (Specific Measurable Achievable Realistically High and Time Bound) should be set to meet the Critical Success Factors and then broken down into Action Steps that spell out who does what by when.

The big mistake that most companies make is that often the action steps of some goals are out of alignment with the Vision.

You see, your employees need to understand your expectations and receive your feedback. They need to understand the Vision and how their role plays a part in it.

How To Communicate A Compelling Vision

2013-04-23T09:55:09Z

Once you’ve determined your vision, there are six key elements needed to effectively communicate it.

Keep it simple. Eliminate trite expressions, techno-gobble, or jargon.
Use metaphors, analogies and examples. Paint verbal pictures so people can picture and visualize where they are going.
Use multiple forums. Utilize big and small meetings, memos, articles, as well as formal and informal interactions.
Incorporate repetition. Ideas sink in deeply only after they have been heard many times.
Lead by example. Behavior must be consistent with the vision since we believe what we see more than what we hear.
Give and take. Two-way communication is always more powerful than one-way communication. Listen and be listened to. By listening, you may find out about a better route, a short cut on your journey.

What a Compelling Vision Needs to Be

2013-04-09T09:36:14Z

Creating an effective vision is no simple task. A vision should be succinct, clear, and exciting. It should guide the organization and everyone in it while leaving wide latitude to pursue new opportunities. The vision is a statement of your department/company’s potential; of what your department/company can become. When your vision is effectively communicated to all employees, it should provide a common focus and direction.

An effective and “Compelling Vision” will be:

Based on an insightful analysis of the present situation facing the organization
Appealing to deep desires of those who work within the organization
A clear statement of the motivating force that drives the organization forward
Achievable

Creating a Compelling Vision- The First Step to Great Leadership

2013-03-25T15:58:23Z

As a leader in your organization, part of your job is to get the other people that you work with on the bus. (Getting the right people on the bus and in the right seats is a discussion topic for another time)

Some people may eagerly hop on the bus. Others will probably be more hesitant. They’ll ask things like, “Where is the bus going?” Don’t you think they should know where you’re taking them? Think about it. If you were to go to the bus station and ask a bus driver, where is this bus going? And the bus driver replied, “We’re going to drive around a bit, but there’s no set destination. We’ll see how the trip goes and play it by ear.” That is probably not the bus you want to hop on. Well, that’s how your people feel when you haven’t determined where you are taking your company and where they’re headed on the company bus.

So, the first thing you’ll have to do as the company bus driver is pick a destination. One of the most important responsibilities of a leader is to shape and communicate the vision to everyone in their organization. A simple and understandable vision is essential since delegation to and empowerment of your people depends on a shared understanding of the organizational purpose. A vision should honor the past but prepare for the future. Most importantly, a vision must be “lived.” If your vision is not “lived” every day in every way, it will be hollow and empty. It will not empower anyone. In fact, it may do more harm than good. And you’ll find more people not wanting to ride on your bus.

Strategies for Planning

2013-03-12T14:30:44Z

In my last blog I focused on the fundamentals of time management. Many of you commented that you are still working on implementing your New Year’s resolutions. Below I would like to share with you some strategies for making things happen! Try a few out and let me know how it goes.

Determine your best time of day to plan
Write your plan in command form (Go, Do, Call)
Write one item per line
Prioritize your goals and activities
o Schedule appointments, phone calls, planning time
o Define the Must Do’s/Should Do’s
o Keep an ongoing To Do List
Resolve each “planned” item at the end of each day
Review your goals daily or weekly. Adjust activities to achieve the goals.
Update your plan

Time Management is not a Time Management Issue; it is a Goals Clarification Issue!

Fundamentals of Time Management

2013-02-26T16:15:39Z

Get organized – set aside time and organize all paper and projects- block the time in your calendar or PDA
Three D’s – Do it, Delegate it, Dump It- get rid of anything that is not in alignment with your personal/professional goals. When paper comes in create a filing system not a piling system.
- Delegate- to the appropriate person
- Dump – Dispose of in nearest recycling bin
- Do It- decide which category it falls into (1) Immediate, (2)This Week, (3)Next Week, and (4) When I have the time
Do the Right Thing Right- Management expert, Peter Drucker says “doing the right thing right (effectiveness) is more important than doing things right (efficiency)
Timing- Determine your most effective time of day and take advantage of your body’s natural clock to achieve your tasks. Decide the best time of day to plan out your day (typically the night before is the better option)
Expand upon your To Do List- Break the tasks into either “Must Do It” on the top of the sheet and “Should Do”
Plan for interruptions – build in buffer time. If necessary, take your phone off the hook, post a do not disturb sign on your cubicle wall if you don’t have an office door
Make the most use of waiting time
Make your meetings productive
- Provide a written agenda and include the purpose and objectives of the meeting
- Start and end on time
- Have someone take notes and send a summary with the action items to attendees
- Determine the best way to share the information communicated in the meetings
Time Management at home – our professional and personal lives are intertwined – use the same time management skills at home to help maintain control
Learn to say “no”- taking on too much causes stress.

Investing vs. Spending Your Time

2013-02-12T15:22:42Z

One of the most important concepts of time management is to understand and acknowledge the difference between spending time and investing time. The definition of spend, according to the dictionary, is “to use up, exhaust, consume.” However, when we invest our time we do so with the expectation of some sort of ROI, return on investment. If we were to attach the value we put on money to the concept of time, we would be more motivated to manage it better.

Time is like money. You can expect returns if you invest in it wisely (current economic situation excluded) and losses if it is spent without purpose. How you use your time is a reflection of who you are. Not only is it an indication of what you think about yourself it also reveals what you think of others. Your focus on achieving the goals you have set for yourself is reflected in your use of time. How you allocate your time mirrors your purpose, your vision and your values.

Time and the Importance of Meaning

2013-01-30T12:28:05Z

Still struggling to become more effective in managing your time? Perhaps now is a good opportunity for you to review and/or identify what are your purpose, values and visions. We often get so caught up in the “daily grind” that we fail to think about what we really like to do. What we need to do is to stop and consider- is the future a consequence of what we are doing now or is what we are doing now a consequence of how we view our future? To help you get started on this exercise, ask yourself the following questions:

1) What is your purpose in life?

2) What would you like to accomplish in your job? At home?

3) What are your strengths/talents?

4) What gives your life meaning?

5) What is most important to you?

With these answers you can begin to visualize your future and this will help you stretch your ability and achieve higher levels of success.

Ready, Get Set, Get Organized

2013-01-16T12:36:24Z

Was one of your New Year’s Resolutions to get a better grip on managing your time? Are you trying to uncover the secret to effective time management? If so, all you really need to remember is effective time management will occur if you: (1) use a system, either electronic or paper, that works for you (2) learn to prioritize your activities and (3) set meaningful goals. Achieving effective time management will not happen overnight; it takes time to change a personal habit, just ask anyone who has quit smoking or lost a lot of weight by managing their diet. If you make the commitment to make the change in your behavior and keep your word you will see the results and feel more productive.

New Year, New Beginnings!

2012-12-31T15:32:47Z

With a new year in front of us I thought this would be a good time for us to do some dreaming. All great accomplishments, the light bulb, the computer, the iPad, to name just a few, began with an idea, a seed, a dream. Why not take some to time to build your own Dream Inventory. Jot down your ideas, no matter how small or extravagant, whether you can achieve them now or not. They can be materialistic (owning a fancy sports car or handbag) or about the person you would like to become. As you begin to grow and achieve, some of your dreams may become goals.

Have fun dreaming!