Your best just got better

Can managers "really" think outside the box? This one does!

Over the past 6 years in my life, Dave has been a client, a friend, a mentor and a coach. Recently, he posted an article that made me proud as a consultant...and inspired as a friend.

The title is Dangerous Things you want your Employees to do… and often

Here are just a couple of his ideas...I highly recommend you read the rest!

· Screw up - Try new things; learn from mistakes often and fast!

· Talk to strangers (and accept rides and lunch) - Get out there.

· Be wasteful - Buy a new tech toy and experiment.

 

Mentors...and goals. How are you doing with them?

Technorati Tags:
Mentors, Personal Development

I was reading a book this week on "collaboration" in the not-for-profit workplace, and I started taking several notes in my own journal. Recently, I co-facilitated the coordination of a mentoring program for one of our US-based clients. The idea is to pilot the program with several partners and "career-starters," and then implement similar "learning-mastery" programs in other offices around the world.

It just so happens that client is a large NGO. But, I'm still finding similarities to the kinds of leadership and learning development issues they are facing to the very same areas of focus our corporate clients are dealing with day-to-day in their offices.

In fact, this week I am here in London working one-on-one with a senior executive as we study and dissect their own workflow, productivity and leadership practices. Having facilitated these "workflow-coaching" sessions for the past 9 years, I can anticipate of few of the things that we'll address in our few hours together. Among them will be:

1) Watch your promises - to others, and yourself. It seems that we're making more and more promises, faster and faster these days. A lot of our work comes down to watching very carefully what you say YES to, and then managing those "yeses" to completion.

2) Set up your setup for success - look at your organizational and workflow systems. How are you managing your E-mail, your tasks, your calendar(s) and your ideas? Reading a book on organization, watching a video on focus and workflow attentiveness and attending a course outlining productivity best practices are all great ways to study HOW you work, so you can be more effective in WHAT you have to do.

3) Get someone on your "team." Ok, so I'm writing a full article on this topic for LifeHacker.com this Sunday (check out our past LifeHacker articles here). I hope that you'll take the time, energy and focus necessary to align yourself with a mentor or coach who can help push, pull and encourage you on your way from where you are, to where you think you're heading. The great thing about working with a mentor - especially one who gets to spend an hour or so each month with you over the course of a year - is that they will see where you are going, and make suggestions you might not necessarily come up with on your own.

So, action items...here you go:

Write down 3 possible candidates for a new mentor.

Write down 30 possible goals you would ask a mentor to help you with.

Pick one mentor...pick ONE goal. Go for it, between now and next December. Let's see what happens!

Recruit, Retain and Develop Talent

Developing leaders around you takes a commitment to excellence that is both inspiring and engaging. As such, it also demands you allocate precious resources such as time, focus and energy to encourage people to be at their best.

Listen carefully during the next conversations with a co-worker, associate or mentee; she or he may provide you with an opportunity to assiste them toward further success. Notice first any complaints or frustration they share with you, as those signify areas for personal and professional self-development.

I have noticed over the years of research into mentoring programs, leadership development and team building that when there is a "courting" that goes on well beyond the first few weeks of work, people respond in positive ways. Let the people around you (especially those of you who are leaders, reading this) know that you appreciate their work, and are there to encourage their growth over time.

Work at home, conserve resources, but find a mentor : Ecolife

We have an article published over here on "finding a mentor." I've had a LOT of requests lately from people asking: "How have you found so many people to help you along the way?"

Here is some of my advice on how to find a mentor...

Work at home, conserve resources, but find a mentor : Ecolife

Tags: findinga mentor, mentoring

"Who could it be...now?" Who do you need...on your team?

More than likely, you're interested in learning something new. Maybe you're working to expand one of your interests or skills to a new level of expertise or understanding. And, I believe, there is someone very close to you who could assist you in that endeavor.

Find a neighbor, a co-worker, a friend, or (...uh, watch out!) a complete stranger, and ask for help! Offer to buy a cup of coffee (or lunch, if you want some more time!) and ask a question or two.

Oh, and here's a key: After you ask the second (or third...) question, and the other person really starts talking...be quiet! Listen, pay attention, stay present, and let the information come in.

Oh...one more thing...a day or two letter, send a handwritten note to say thank you, it will make a difference!

Do you know a "young" leader? Please pass this book along

For a limited time, Christopher Scott is making his newest book - Young Leadership: How a young person can make a difference in his organization and community. - available for FREE! Just click here, read all about it, and download, print or forward a copy to a friend!

Keeping going - timeless advice on "Full Engagement"

"Thank goodness for the Internet."

That was what I thought when I checked my netvibes (www.netvibes.com) account and saw a *new entry* from Joe Bruzzese over at Thinking-Forward.

(Here's a video intro to Joe and his organization...)

His post title was "How do you encourage your child's passion?" And, as I read through I realized that the ideas presented can work for children, co-workers, volunteers, partners...anyone!

It could be that I'm especially interested in this article because I just finished reading a book called "Callings." A very (VERY) serious book about identifying and following personal and/or professional interests, I read this book between two flights...half on my way TO New York City, and the last half on my way back to California.

Although I remember the author of that book "talking about" different ways of encouraging interest, I believe Joe came up with some of the best advice I've heard to date:

One way to encourage your child interests is by seeking out adults who actively pursue these interests.

So, for anyone reading this...who can you talk to, take to lunch, or meet with to discuss your own changing/growing interests and opportunities. I am convinced it can sometimes make the biggest difference to simply sit down with someone who has a different perspective; there is insight to be gained there!

Here's a quick list of the kind of people I like to connect/meet with to get another point of view:

People older than me: I have 4 mentors above the age of 60 who have committed to sharing their ideas with me, and whom I have committed to bounce ideas of regularly.

People younger than me: The "twenty-something" set is a fascinating group of people - both as individuals and as a whole. Invite one to sit down for a cup of coffee, and get ready to see the world through a different lens.

Women: I learn so much from my wife - especially when we're out in the world and I watch her interact with other people. Of course, our personalities are different (they DO say opposites attract!) but I've observed there's more to it than that...she shares a trait that I've seen in other women around me, a way of relating that is different than my experience.

Culturally-different: I lived in Mexico (in 1991 and in 1993) and in Argentina (1997) and for the past 9 years have traveled (for work, presenting seminars and executive coaching programs) to such countries as Guatemala, Venezuela, The Bahamas, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, England, Switzerland, Germany and Canada. Whenever I can, I enjoy "pressing pause" while I am abroad and meeting with someone different. Whether talk passionately about politics, or casually about local restaurants, I always walk away with a new point of view.

People "bigger" than me: Ok, so this one doesn't always pan out (and, I won't name names here...) but I reach out to the bigger people. I've written letters and made phone calls to other speakers, authors, sports professionals, corporate leaders, TV personalities and more. I share a genuine thanks with them, letting them know what I appreciate about their way of being, contribution or how they use/manage their expertise. Every now and then, someone replies. I've met a few of them, and anticipate meeting more. And, every time this happens, my confidence (and interest in this world) grows tremendously.

Those are just a few of the people I reach out to...who can you connect with today?

Find someone who makes it look easy

I have a new favorite picture from triathlon, here it is...

Now, there are many things going on here, and I will explain why this is my favorite...first, a little background:

 

In the year 2000, I was drastically overweight, had terrible nutrition habits, worked up to 14 hours every day, and had experienced something over the 5 years before (and yes, I tracked these things): I got sick on the first day of every vacation I took throughout my teaching career.

So, in May of 2000, when I weighed in at just over 170 pounds (I'm only 5' 4"), my friend Quanah asked if I'd ever thought about training for a triathlon, I figured he was just mocking me. Little did I know the course of my life would change with that one question.

If you look at the picture above, you'll see two bikes: One yellow, one titanium. And, notice no other bikes. This means that Quanah and I were the first ones on that line to finish the bike leg and start the run portion of the triathlon.

Why is this significant? What does it have to do with the title of this post?

Take someone to dinner...

Many of you who know me have heard me talk about Pop!Tech. Ever since learning about this conference from my friend Buzz, and meeting another friend, Tom, I've been a huge fan.

I won't go into all the details of this story, there's a point I want to make at the end of this post...but, to set it up here we go:

Buzz introduced me via e-mail to Tom. Tom's parents live a half mile from my house in Ojai. Tom came to visit them, so we met for breakfast, went for a hike, and visited the farmer's market. (Here we are out in front...)

Not even a year went by that we knew each other (I did visit him once in Camden, where he and his family opened their hearts and their home to me for a night) before the unthinkable happened. We lost a friend, a mentor, a father and an all around great guy...

So, while I was at dinner in Zurich last Wednesday, I decided to write some notes and have a glass of wine with my friend and mentor, Tom LeVine. (You can see him there in the picture...)

What I realized is that our circles of influence can extend out beyond the "here-and-now-and-me." In fact, I put friends out on the outer circle NOT because they are the furthest away...no, I put them out there because for ME they are incredibly significant.

When I "lump them all together," my friends, acquaintances, mentors, neighbors, and other associates all create a pretty big pool of influence.

A lot more landed in my journal as the night went on, and I owe a lot of it to the inspiration of having dinner that night with my old friend, Tom.

Mentorship...there I go talking about it again!

Well, it happened yesterday afternoon...about 2pm, toward the end of our seminar here in New York City, I brought up the topic: "Who have you asked to be your mentor lately?" (Click on the picture below...)

Then, at dinner with a friend, I asked, "Who are you mentoring?"

Both questions seemed to get people thinking!

My colleague Christopher Scott wrote a great post on "being mentored." I hope you subscribe to his blog!