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A dose of excitement, energy, inspiration - Pop!Tech

Through an amazing chain of events, I was introduced to Pop!Tech about three years ago. If you want some great content to go into your mind...Content that can change your life as it has changed so many of those before us who are changing the world for the better...Visit the Pop!Tech.org site!

Here's a short intro...

What could a coaching program do for me?

So, I'm working AS and WITH a coach this week here in Colorado.

And, I'm as happy as can be! You see, I know, without any doubt, that I am where I am, and will get to where I'm going, as a direct result of who I'm surrounded by.

Who are you surrounded by?

Here's a good activity - one that I've used for years - to get your team together.

Imagine sitting in a beautiful (whatever that means to YOU!) conference room with 7 other chairs around. Make a list of the "kinds" (titles, experiences, accolades, talents, skills, etc) of people you'd like sitting in the other chairs.

Don't write people's actual names, you don't know them yet; instead, write the qualities you're looking for in those other people. I remember the year (way back in 2000) I wrote something like:

An editor
Successful writer
Kind, outgoing person
Local (in Ojai)

It was only a couple of weeks later that I wound up meeting Doug Adrianson - editor of one of the sections of the Los Angeles Times. That was the year I wrote four articles that were published in the LA Times Sunday edition!

Who are you going to "get around," to get going?

There are 3 spaces left for the February Ojai Institute series of seminars

If you're focused on making 2009 great, visit www.OjaiInstitute.com and one of the last three to join the February TeleSeminar series.

The series begins tonight at 6:15pm PST.

Thank you Dr. Lonnie Rowell at University of San Diego

Early this month, Dr. Lonnie Rowell invited me to present the keynote at the "10th Annual Forum on the State of Counseling and Guidance in Schools." Over 60 minutes, I talked about three themes:

Engage with your work

Develop yourself professionally

Care about what you're doing

Indeed, the audience was incredibly inspiring; there were over 100 school counselors, principles, teachers, administrators and others...it was a great presentation and one that I am very proud of putting together.

It was one of the "monthly" pro-bono presentations we at The Womack Company like to produce. One of the reasons I started my own company was to be able to "pay it forward" to people doing good work. The opportunity to stand up for this community was just outstanding...

During the presentation, we encouraged everyone to break out of their comfort zone and meet someone new. Watching people walk around was simply awesome.

One of my mentors (met him again last month in Las Vegas)

I first met Benjamin Zander at TechLearn 2000...wow, that seems like a long time ago.

(This was the Elliott Masie conference I attended as a "first-year" David Allen Company employee...when I went to learn about eLearning and to build as many ideas as I could!)

Upon seeing him present a Keynote on the "art of possibility," was hooked. This guy was/is AWEsome!

Later, as a student at USM (University of Santa Monica), I read his book, by the same title. Ben and Rosamund Zander put together a great primer on creativity in life AND at work. I'd encourage anyone read this book, The Art of Possibility.
Just last month, I was onstage twice at the Mastery Business Plan event in Las Vegas. I spoke on Monday and Thursday...well, one evening, we got to see Ben Zander speak...and, it was awesome! I don't know if MBP will ever post the event, but here's a video I've watched at least half a dozen times!
(Continue reading below...)

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!