Jason Womack

If you could ask a mentor ANYthing, what would it be?

A while back, I sent out a Tweet, a Facebook update, and a LinkedIn status update asking the question: If you could ask a mentor ANYthing, what would it be?

 

I received several email, phone call and status responses, and wanted to share them here. Take a look, and see if any of these match the questions you'd ask...if YOU could!

 

Alex Holman
"How do you maintain composure and retain the confidence of your employees during a recession?"

 

Daniel Richman
"How do you do, what you're meant to do?"

 

Brent Sute

"Why is it more often than not very hard to do anything of significance?"

 

Rae Lauren

"Who do you trust? And how do you know when to trust them?"

 

Chris Babayco

"What is the best way to motivate the people I depend on to complete their tasks?"

Ms. Selene T.

"What has been the most rewarding risk you have taken?"

 

Ben Anderson

"What has been your most crucial moment?"

 

Lisa Peake

"What do you consider your greatest failure (at the time it happened), and what did you learn from the experience since."

 

Bill Staikos

"What were some of the easiest and hardest changes they've made in their life to keep motivated professionally?"

 

I am thankful for the mentors I have in my life, and over the next few months I plan to implement these questions in to my conversations with them. What is the question YOU could ask a mentor? Leave it as a comment below!

"We've got to grow together..." the quote of the evening!

Last Tuesday, I had a great dinner with a new friend just outside of Boston, founder of Elite Leadership Solutions: Bob Maitland. During our conversation, he told me about the business incubator program at Hannah Grimes, here in Keene, NH. One visit to the website, www.HannahGrimes.com, and I realized that Hannah Grimes is not just a person (born in 1776), but an idea. The more I learned, I knew I had to meet the woman behind this effort: Mary Ann.

So (and yeah, this is just how I am) I sent an email and asked if anyone from the center would like to meet while I'm in town for 96 hours! She said yes...

Of course during dinner, I had to ask: Who WAS Hannah Grimes. With a big smile (and more story than we had time for at this one dinner), Mary Ann shared an incredible philosophy. Hannah Grimes grew up in the house that Mary Ann now lives in...over 200 years ago! At that time, everything was local. With today's movement to "think global and act local," or to work and live as a "local-vore," it is interesting to think that in those days way back then, EVERYone supported local - local government, local education, local markets...

I had one other question for Mary Ann: I said, "I emailed you Tuesday night, and by Wednesday afternoon you had agreed to meet for dinner. Thanks for takin' a risk to meet a new friend, but I gotta ask: Why?"

For the next 45 minutes, the conversation turned in to a deep discussion about how important is for people "like us" to grow together... it left a lasting impression on me.

Question for you today: "Who could YOU spend time with today to grow together?"

Thank you, Michael Skapinker...you gave me 2 things to think about regarding creating possibility

I read a great article in the Financial Times this morning written by Michael Skapinker titled, "How poor students become top scientists." Over the past 2 weeks, I have had some incredible experiences that have pushed me in a direction of reaching out to youth.

1. I recently spent a morning with Frances Hesselbein in New York City. Actually, it was just 30 minutes...And, that one meeting has really encouraged me to move further toward my own personal best. After we sat down and shared stories of working with students (she the former CEO of the Girl Scouts of America, and me a high school teacher - teaching US History and Spanish Language), I realized that there is something more for me to do there. So, within 6 days, I had found, signed up for and contributed to a Career Day series of presentations at a local high school in Santa Barbara. Jodi and I shared our experiences of starting, building and enjoying our companies over the past 16 years of working, growing and living together.

Reading Mr. Skapinker's article, I realized we're not alone in wanting to help students. Reading this article, I learned about The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. A group that I've got to find out more about! A general purpose of this group is to identify what students are doing and can do to rise above where they are...this sounds great.

2. Our online community, Mastering Workplace Performance Online, is growing. Reading the article in the Financial Times today, I saw this line: "What distinguished high achievers from poorer backgrounds, apart from spending longer in the classroom, was their attitude."

Reflecting on this community of just about 100 members, I realize that the one characteristic that we ALL share is an attitude of improvement. Though we all come from different backgrounds, industries and experiences we are all considering the future and our possibilities from a perspective of (a) possibility and (b) accountability.

 

What are you thinking about, as you move toward your best?

Who's on your team, to give you a hand? [includes a VIDEO: 1:55]

How are the people around you, supporting you as you make progress?

On your way from "here" to "there," chances are high that other people are going to come along the way to give you a hand (or get in your way!). Taking time now to build them - before you need your team! - is a very important part of improving your productivity and workflow.

Now that you have seen this video, what advice do YOU have for building a team?

10 seconds that say it all

Let this video load, and then skip to this ten-second segment: 11:40-11:50.

That's it, 10 seconds that could change someone's life...as a result of watching this video, what could YOU do today?

INFLUENCERS

Spending time with people who can make a difference

 

Get out there with someone new

In the past 24 hours have you written down any things to do or focus on? As simple as a to-do list, or as grand as an annual goal, when we write things down they take on a new significance. Now, for many of you reading this you know that I support people identifying their MITs (Most Important Things). In fact, look over there on the right, there is an entire category dedicated to this topic! When it comes time to making new things happen, chances are it's going to be important to surround yourself with and by people who will support your mission.

I've been invited to speak at a Writer's Conference in New York this spring. It's called "The Write Road to Success." I called in to one of the coordinators to chat about the conference, and find out what was going on throughout the entire weekend (I'll be speaking on the first day). During the conversation, she asked if I thought I wanted to attend the entire weekend conference.

"Of course!" I replied. In my mind, this will be an incredible opportunity to meet and mingle with the people I know I want to spend more time with. Sure, last year writing the book with my dad was a success; and this year I want to get another book out there and available. What better way to jump-start the entire process than by spending an entire weekend with people who have done this (in some cases, over and over again!). I know that only coming in for the one day (the morning of the one day, to be exact) and then leaving the conference is not going to serve me in our interactive, engaged world. This year, I'm committed to spending MORE time and focus surrounding myself with people who have common interests and common goals.

What is your next thing to learn? And, how can you spend "a little more time" there? Go out, and meet just one person. Don't know where to start? Ask a friend or a coworker. Identify something you're looking to learn, something you're looking to engage in, and ask people around you, "Who do you know who_______?" Then, when they share someone's name, follow up. Reach out, meet them and see what you have to learn. It's a great way to start the mentoring process.

 

Erik Erikson's Eight Ages of Man

Where are you?

 

Childhood and Society, 1993

 

Basic Trust vs. Basic Mistrust: Drive and Hope

Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt: Self-Control and Willpower

Initiative vs. Guilt: Direction and Hope

Industry vs. Role Confusion: Devotion and Fidelity

Identity vs. Isolation: Affiliation and Love

Generativity vs. Stagnation: Production and Care

Ego Integrity vs. Despair: Renunciation and Wisdom

 

Getting ready...to be ready

Could one sentence change the way I prepare for my next meeting. Short answer: YES.

Never have a meeting or make a presentation without doing your homework.

Longer answer: There isn't enough time in the day...that's kinda how I start. But, when it comes to meeting with someone, I highly recommend making that one of the MITs well in advance of sitting down together - no matter how busy the day. I enjoyed this blog post by Tim Sanders...thanks, man!

What is your homework?  Context.  This is a habit I developed at Yahoo!, and recommend to everyone I know.  When you are going to make a sales call or take a meeting with a new company/person - do some background research so you know the context of the situation.

via sanderssays.typepad.com

How can you make good things happen?

Emmett Carson, Ph.D.
CEO and President, Silicon Valley Community Foundation

 

We have the collective opportunity to impact the causes AND the people to make the good things happen!

Work that we are doing is essential to our advancement...

Collectively we're greater than the sum of our parts...

Strong leadership is required during the current recession...

Almost two years ago now, I had the opportunity to listen to Dr. Carson share some ideas with us on community development and organizational power. He spoke at the Craigslist Foundation Nonprofit Boot Camp (where I volunteered as an executive coach for Directors attending the day-long event).

Dr. Carson shared his ideas for just about 25 minutes or so. I walked away believing in my own business philosophy that much more:

Show up
Do great work
Repeat

 

Build (and build up) TEAM YOU!

There will be a core group of team members you will return to throughout the year.

In our seminars called Mastering Workplace Performance, we spend time presenting specific ways you can reach out to mentors, colleagues and friends to get the support you can use to "uplevel your game." I am always delighted by how many people I work with who realize that with a phone call (or a conversation over a cup of coffee one morning before work), they can discover a solution to a problem they are facing or build the momentum and motivation to take on a new project.

Do you have a team you turn to?

Who are the people you check in with when you are facing a challenge or an "opportunity?"

Is it easy to ask for help?

Here are some sample prompts you could consider asking someone the next time you sit down with someone:
1) "I'm currently working on ____________. Have you ever done anything like it? What did you learn?" Z
2) "I'm thinking of ___________. What do you think I should watch out/look for?"
3) "I'm deciding if I should ___________. Would you share any experiences you have of doing something like it?

One of the most important things I have found in building up my team is the ability to listen. That is: Sit down, ask a couple of questions to get them started, and then just listen. Sometimes I'm tempted to "tell the story" and really describe all the "whys" "what fors" "how comes" and more...But, what I've learned over time is...Just Listen.

Oh, just one more thing if I can suggest it...Write down what you learn the same day you learn it. After your meeting, grab a journal, piece of paper, or open up a Word Processing program on your computer. Something special happens when you turn those thoughts and ideas into words on the page.