How to ruthlessly defend your time

This chat is not about effective meetings - that's a different podcast.  Nor is this a chat about  managing emails.

It's about how you can ruthlessly defend your time so you have the time do do what is important to you.

1. Know what is important to you.

2. Do an audit to see how you are spending your time.

3. Put big important things on your calendar, be specific, and don't underestimate how long it will take.

4. Decide what your overarching "No's" are up front.

5. Learn to say No politely.

6. Be consistent in prioritize your core values and what is important to you above everything else.

7. Do things on your calendar when you have the right energy and demeanor to do them.

8. Have a sacred time of day.

9. Vet EVERY meeting invite to ensure you are adding or receiving value (aligned to what is important to you).

10. Communicate concisely, efficiently, and effectively.

We have evolved into a world where it has become acceptable for people to steal your time.  But it is YOUR time, so it's up to you to defend it.

Improve your communication significantly by doing this one thing

Start with your Desired Outcome.

Be specific about what you want.  Make it time bound if necessary. Set the context about why they should care - Problem:  Situation; who is involved; pain point Your solution/proposal - What you plan to do about it Close with a Desired Outcome check.  Directly ask for whatever your desired outcome is.  "Can you commit "X" many people for "Y" period of time?, "Will you fund the effort with $10,000.

Are you a Level 5 Leader?

In his book Good to Great, author Jim Collins talks about the 5 levels of leadership.  Before we jump into what those levels are, a brief summary of the book.

Good To Great examines what it takes for ordinary companies to become great and outperform their competitors by analyzing 28 companies over 30 years, who managed to make the transition or fell prey to their bad habits.

In his book, Jim talks about 4 stages to developing great companies.

Stage 1 is having Disciplined people (this is where he identified the 5 levels of leadership Stage 2 is having Disciplined Thought. Stage 3 is having Disciplined Action. And Stage 4 is Building enduring and sustainable greatness that lasts.

Let's take a look at the 5 levels of leadership

Level 1: Highly Capable Individual

At this level, you make high quality contributions with your work. You possess useful levels of knowledge; and you have the talent and skills needed to do a good job.

Level 2: Contributing Team Member

At Level 2, you use your knowledge and skills to help your team succeed. You work effectively, productively and successfully with other people in your group.

Level 3: Competent Manager

Here, you're able to organize a group effectively to achieve specific goals and objectives.

Level 4: Effective Leader

Level 4 is the category that most top leaders fall into. Here, you're able to galvanize a department or organization to meet performance objectives and achieve a vision.

Level 5: Great Leader

At Level 5, you have all of the abilities needed for the other four levels, plus you have the unique blend of humility and will that's required for true greatness. They were the first to own up to mistakes, and the last to take credit for success.

So how can you become a Level 5 leader?

Develop humility.

Level 5 Leaders are humble people. So, learn why humility is important, and make sure that you understand – at a deep, emotional level – why arrogance is so destructive. 

Ask for help.

Level 5 Leaders are sometimes mistakenly thought of as "weak," because they ask for help when they need it.

However, learning how to ask for help  is a genuine strength, because it lets you call upon the expertise of someone stronger in an area than you are. 

Take responsibility.

A top attribute of Level 5 Leaders is that they take responsibility for their team's mistakes or failings.

Develop discipline.

Level 5 Leaders are incredibly disciplined  in their work. When they commit to a course of action, no matter how difficult it is, they stick to their resolve.

Find the right people.

Level 5 Leaders depend on the people around them. They spend time finding the right people , and helping them reach their full potential.

Lead with passion.

Level 5 Leaders are passionate about what they do, and they're not afraid to show it.

Research has shown that leaders who have brought the ‘Good to Great’ transformation are not the ones who are charismatic or big personalities but are rather quiet, shy, and deliberate. They are the ones who have the combination of humility and professional will. Organizations that strive to become great need to have a Level 5 leader.

What level of leader are you?

Executive Presentations

In this chat we cover how to present to Executives.

We start by understanding what executives think and care about.

We then talk about 6 tips that can help you to put together and then deliver your your presentation.

Use TAPS to be a better Coach and Mentor

In short, coaching is helping someone else to reach their full potential.  By coaching, you are helping them to learn how to think instead of teaching them something.  Coaching is a good tool to use when their problems are personal, emotional, or complex.

Mentoring on the other hand is a good tool to teach something linear or procedural.

The TAPS model is a 2x2 with a vertical axis that on the bottom has TELL, and on the top has ASK.  On the horizontal axis, on the left it has PROBLEM, and an the right it has SOLUTION.  The first letter of these words spells TAPS.

• In the bottom left quadrant you have TELL/PROBLEM - Consulting / Managing
• In the bottom right quadrant you have TELL SOLUTION - Mentoring
• In the top left you have ASK/PROBLEM - Counseling
• In the top right you have ASK/SOLUTION - Coaching

In this chat I also cover several examples of each of these quadrants and share some coaching questions.

8D - 8 Disciplines Problem Solving

Recently Vice President Kamala Harris went to Central America to find "root cause" for "the problem at the US Southern border".

Initially, I thought, wow, root cause, good job.  But after thinking about it some more, I realized she jumped ahead a little.  Root cause of what?  What is "the problem at the Southern border"?  From whose point of view?  Who is impacted?  How does that impact manifest itself? What is the context?  What does success look like when "the problem" is resolved.  The issue is that Vice President Harris didn't really define the problem.  As such, what was she searching root cause for?

Following the 8D (8 Disciplines) problem solving methodology would have helped.

1. Create a team to resolve the problem.  In my experience, the team should be led by the person accountable for the process that is causing the problem.
2. Define the actual issue.  Not the perceived issue.  I'd also recommend that you make sure that all your stakeholders agree this is the problem that is being solved.  Define that as who is involved, what is the impact (pain point), what is the context, what does resolution look like and how is that measured.
3. Take containment actions.  Protect the "who" defined in the problem identified in D2.
4. Identify root causes of the issue.  Use techniques like 5 Whys, fishbone diagrams, etc.
5. Define and implement corrective actions.  Fix the issue and eliminate the problem.
6. Validate that the corrective actions are indeed working.
7. Prevent recurrence of the problem.
8. Congratulate and recognize the team.

Managing Change - 10 Steps to Manage Resistance

I recently saw an ad where the state of West Virginia is having a lottery and offering custom guns, custom trucks, scholarships, lifetime fishing and hunting licenses, and even cash prizes up to $1.5M if residents get vaccinated.  This is essentially an incentive program to entice people who are resisting getting vaccinated to do so.

I recommend an more holistic approach to getting people to exhibit a desired behavior in order to achieve a desired outcome.

1. All change begins with understanding "Why?"  Give people information about the nature of the change, why it is important, and the risk of not changing.
2. All change requires a personal decision.  You can't make people do something, they have to want to do it.  But you can tell them what's in it for them.  What are the benefits to them.
3. Once people have decided to get on board, they must know how to perform the new behavior.  In WV, do people know how or where to get the shot?
4. All the above doesn't actually accomplish the desired behavior.  In our WV example, nothing changes until more people get vaccinated.  So people must demonstrate the ability that is desired.
5. Finally, all change should be reinforced.  If someone gets their first shot, how do you make sure they get their second.

If you go through this comprehensive approach to managing change and people are still resisting, then take these 10 steps to managing resistance.  It's important to start with the first 4 in order.  Then you can use the rest as applicable.

1. Listen and understand their objections
2. Focus on the "What" and let go of the "How"
3. Remove barriers
4. Provide simple, clear choices, and consequences
5. Create Hope
6. Show the benefits in a real and tangible way
7. Make a personal appeal
8. Convert the strongest dissenters
9. Demonstrate consequences
10. And finally in the case of West Virginia, provide an incentive