Your best just got better

Is competition a part of your Workplace Performance strategy?

Our most recent survey is designed to collect some ideas for an upcoming seminar I am building:

It seems more and more people are realizing that what used to be called "getting ahead" (reading books, going to professional development courses, Etc.) is now actually what people are doing to stay current! Thanks in advance for sharing less than 10 minutes of your ideas with us...

The survey will take less than 6 minutes (and, we're giving something away at the end!). Thank you in advance!

The "debut" of our next seminar in the Mastering Workplace Performance series

The Promise Doctrine:
a system and guidebook for consistently delivering on your promises

If you know of anyone who "may" be interested, we have room for 5 more people to attend our upcoming seminar on 11 July, 9am-1pm in Marin County, CA.

We're making this available primarily to executive directors of not-for-profit organizations, as the title sponsor is the To Celebrate Life Foundation!

After you view our website which introduces our upcoming book, please consider passing this on to just one person you think may be interested. Please ask them to e-mail us ASAP to secure a spot. The room is filling up quickly!

I have a personal goal of there being 35 people in the room. Hopefully, you know someone who will be one of them!

(We are asking for donations to cover the cost of the facility and light snacks and coffee in the morning...)

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Are you sitting with the "right" people?

Put the right people in the room [or, at the table] and amazing things happen.

Last night after work here in London, 5 of us went out to dinner and quickly the conversation went FROM "tell us about California," TO "let's brainstorm ways we can produce educational programming for the bank in a way that engages more learners?"

Jodi and I took the opportunity to share many of the programs we've been involved with creating over the past three years. In fact, just last weekend we were co-presenters during some sessions at PresentationCampLA - a GREAT example of what happens when you "put the right people in the room."

Last night's dinner was very exciting for three reasons:

1) More groups are willing to experiment with "what could be." This is exciting, as we can capitalize on both traditional and "new" learning models to engage more associates in the learning and implementation process. For example, I can take my practice with "Bloom's Taxonomy" of lesson plan building, and add in my own understanding and use of Twitter as a learning tool.

2) It's ok to have a "not perfect" idea. One of the special things about having dinner with people I have a history with, is they know that my idea-generation ability is pretty expansive...Give me a couple of hours, with the right people at the table, and we'll create many more ideas than we could ever implement!

3) And, finally (an extension of #2 above), when I DO pick something to do...Watch out: It will get done! It's amazing when we take the opportunity to Stop...Reflect...Consider...Act...Assess.

So, we'll be back in London in September (and Zurich) and in between now and then A LOT more travel (check out the schedule on the right side of our newsletter page...) as we're partnering with more learning organizations.

The good news about being "learning consultants" is that each group we work with benefits from ALL we see going on out there (and...There is a LOT going on...).

Who knows what you're involved in?

Amazing things can happen...would you agree?

Here is THE question that got me out of bed this morning: "If WHO knew WHERE I am focused, we could positively influence WHAT?"

That is, if we were "here" and needed to get "there," who on our team needs to know we're looking for support, guidance, assistance, ideas and motivation?

Just last night, I was telling my friends about my interest in and support of Kiva.org. We recently "started" the Ojai Kiva Club as an experiment in community. I've been lending to entrepreneurs for quite some time, both informally (friends and colleagues) AND formally (Kiva and other organizations). So, as I described the Ojai Kiva Club about what we're doing, I held their interest for more than a few minutes.

Here's an example of one of the more than dozen loans I've been involved in. So far, only one loan is delinquent, none are in default, one has been repaid, and all the others are making their regularly scheduled payments on time or early.

Almost weekly now, I can go into my Kiva.org account and withdraw OR reloan the funds I have there.

As I ended my day, yesterday, I noticed the "flashing light" of a new e-mail on my phone...When I checked it, I read that one my friends at dinner had already decided to fund more than 10 loans himself! A perfect example: If WHO knew WHAT...they might get involved too!

PS: Now that you know, might you be able to make just one loan? When you do, simply choose the Ojai Kiva Club as your group! You'll get your money back soon enough and get to decide: Re loan or Withdraw? What a cool life, huh???

Building New Beliefs and Creating New Opportunities

Your mindset is the key to unlocking your creativity, intuition, and the kind of action-oriented thinking that gets real results and success.

 But how do you do it? How do you actually change your mindset – especially with so much negativity about where the world seems to be going these days?

1. The first step is identification. Start by identifying one area of your life (career, family, education, finances, etc.) that you want to enhance or improve, and focus on that one area exclusively. For example, one client I worked with identified career as the area he wanted to improve. An employee of a large mortgage firm, my client had watched another colleague quickly advance in the company after weeks of night school classes turned into more money, more benefits, and more power. My client wanted that, too. He wanted to advance in the company.



2. After clear identification of your goal, the next part of changing your mindset is to begin identifying with your own thoughts about that goal and being honest with yourself. Early in our coaching program, my client admitted that he had a "not enough time" mindset that had to change. Not enough time: that was what was holding him back, he said. It seemed there wasn't enough time to study, to take classes, to write papers – even though a close colleague had done it.

So how did we go about changing that mindset? I asked him to write down new two thoughts that he could use to counter the "not enough time" thinking. Here's what he came up with:

"Each day I find an opportunity to learn or practice new skills."

"Every morning I consider some part of my education from a new angle."

• He reviewed these reminders at least once daily; they were either written on 3X5 note cards or scheduled e-mails sent to his mobile phone or e-mail inbox. By reinforcing these new beliefs, he began spot opportunities that his former mindset may have blocked from view. The result: He found a school that catered to working professionals, offering night and internet classes, and he began to believe in his new beliefs.

* photo uploaded by Colby Stuart

What is a person to do? (if they have some free time...)

As many of you know, I'm a faculty member at WealthBridge Connect.

Since I teach over there, I thought I'd also do one of those other things I do best...learn! With one question, I reached out to as many other faculty members as I could find, and asked them a simple (and significant) question:

"If someone has "down time" resulting from a slowing economy, what could they do to get ahead?"

I read several responses, and even talked to a few people as we discussed our theories of what the spring and summer would turn into as far as professional potential and work-life balance issues are concerned.

One of the emails I received from Jay (below) really meant something to me. Over the past four "jobs" I've had, leaving three of them came as a result of me looking out and realizing, "There's something more I could be doing."

Where did that feeling of "something more" come from? Believing Jay's advice (before I'd ever heard it!

This may be the best time to look with fresh eyes on what has become status quo and see incredible opportunities! Jay McChord (WorkplaceBuzZ)

Since about 1991, I've focused on creating and then experiencing the opportunities I heard or learned about. Ways that I've done this (and encourage clients to do around the world) include:

1. Attend a course, speech or workshop. Get out there, and get in there to create the learning opportunity you need to make things up and make things possible.
2. Learn to read faster. I know, I know...I'm still a book-reader. Sure, I have an account at Audible.com, I own a Kindle, and I have hundreds of audio programs on my iPhone (literally...Hundreds!)...I still enjoy holding a book. What made it even MORE enjoyable was learning to read at twice my old speed.
3. Invite people who are wwwwaaaaayyyyyyyy smarter than me to coffee, breakfast, lunch, drinks or dinner. It's amazing, people may not have time to sit in a conference room and talk, but most everyone will make a 15-minute window of time available over coffee. Some of the most intersting, informing and inspiring conversations have been with people I bought a 3 dollar coffee for while visiting out-of-state.
4. Add to a journal. Write. More. Things. Down. Enough said...

Here's a challenge...Over the next 5 days, create 3-4 windows of time (10-30 minutes, that's all) and do something for you...something that might bump you ahead!

What will you put OFF for now?

What are you going to put off, so you can get on with "the rest" of you life.

The Rest: All that is left to come
The Rest: The break between what is left to come

Let the process of WHERE you are map to where you are going...are GOING.

If there is going to be anything different about being there, make it ok that you're doing something differently now.

Thank you, Mr. Klum (...and National Geographic magazine)

What an amazing and inspiring exhibit of some photographs that Mr. Klum has taken over the years.

If you have a chance, go by the National Geographic store on Regent Street and give yourself an hour or so to walk around.

Regardless, get a journal, set aside some time each day, and let your creativity show up...hear what you are thinking, to identify the thoughts to follow; really, the Most Important Things!!!

Thank you, Yoda...for making things possible

I can only imagine the influence this scene had on my life.

When people ask me if I've always been "so positive," and able to focus on what is possible out there, I reflect back on some of the "life lessons" I've experienced over the years. Here's one I KNOW was significant...

Admiral's Cup, 2009 (sprint distance triathlon)

Admiral's Cup Triathlon - Sprint Distance
30 MAY 2009
400 meter swim / 12 mile bike / 3 mile run
Air Temp: 64 / Water Temp: 50 / Wind from NW / Ocean Current toward SE
2009 Admiral's Cup Triathlon Race Results by EternalTiming.com

 I've always thought it would be amazing to have a "race report" written before, during and after a race. But, as I'm nowhere NEAR a professional athlete, the day after will have to do! Below, just a couple of pictures of the event, and a little (I promise, just a little!) commentary about the connection I see between performing on the field, and performing in the workplace. Please click on each picture to see it a little bit bigger. (Send me an invite to Facebook, and you can see more commentary on each photo!)

 

Since starting to race as an "age-grouper" competitive triathlete in 2001, as well as starting the path toward owning and operating my own consulting firm, I've found at least four connections to performing on and off the actual "field."

Right Mind: On the way to the event, I "rehearsed" the course in my mind several times. I'd completed this race many times over the past few years, and knew "most" of it. When we arrived, and listen to pre-race announcements, we learned they had changed the run portion to be a 2-lap, out and back twice, route. With the swim and the bike the same, I was able to quickly and effectively visualize this new run course.

I do a very similar activity before each coaching call, on-site coaching program and seminar. (In fact, I also visualize submitting an article, if that's what I'm working on!) I have found this to be an extremely powerful process...To see it before I see it! (For the intro to our last OjaiInstitute TeleSeminar, click below!)

See It Before You See It 01

Right Equipment: Gear makes a difference...It just does. I've got PLENTY of tri gear, and I admit I'll probably buy some more before the year is over. There is just something special about setting up in transition area and believing that I do have quality equipment, sized right, maintained properly, and ready for the race. I like to "forget" about the gear I have, and just work.

This is why I wrote the book, "Maximizing Microsoft® Outlook®." You see, too many people let their tool / gear / system slow them down. The moment you have to "think" about whether or not the tool will do something (or, worse, when you get frustrated that it DOESN'T do something!) you slow down. Your attention is compromised, and your performance drops.

Right Support Team: I wouldn't want to race alone; a team makes (more) things possible. I like to arrive to my races early enough to set up, and then spend a few precious moments with friends and family who come down to support me through the day. Years ago I read several books by Steven Covey, and even went to a few seminars. One of them talked about making "deposits" into an "emotional" bank account. During the race, I want people yelling my name...Before and after I need to let them know how much I appreciate them.

The "mentoring" program I started for clients years ago works as an 8-week "check-in" process that uplevels their work/life game. The people who are attracted to this process always realize within 2-3 weeks how critical it is to have people "on their team." (Or, as Jim Collins says, "on the bus!")

Right Results: I'll always remember the time I was talking to a 6th grader at a race years ago. He was there to watch one of his brothers race...When he found out I too was competing, he turned to me and asked, "So, are you any good?"

It's a good question to ask yourself when you look in the mirror in the morning. "Am I any good?" It doesn't matter what the subject is, just ask yourself and see what happens. On the way to the race yesterday, I was focused on Placing in the top of my bracket. I had heard they were only giving awards to the top two athletes in each age group, so that gave me one of two chances to earn the medal.

All the training, mental visualization, gear and support paid off. I had a good day, placed second, and am already getting ready for the next race!

Woo Hoo

!