TIME OUT

If you have children, you may have put them on 'time out' to have them settle down, or give them time to think.  As adults, we could actually use a 'time out' every once in  a while to actually breathe, relax, refocus and reconnect.  We run so quickly in so many directions, attached to all kinds of gadgets with time slipping away from us.


Look back at your calendar.  When was the last time you took a day (or a weekend) for yourself?  Perhaps went away and relaxed with your partner/spouse/bunch of friends?  Perhaps read a book, front to back in one weekend?  Sat in the park and watched the world go by?


Life moves very quickly and we can easily forget to be who we are because we are so wrapped up in just doing. 


I am heading out to Niagara on the Lake, Ontario Canada this weekend with my husband and 4 other couples. We are going to tour vineyards, see plays at the Shaw Festival, golf and spa (just a bit!). I have been looking forward to this re-connect time all summer!  I wish you the best this weekend....take may advice and take a TIME OUT!

The View Around the Roadblock

Roadblocks pop up - that is a fact.
Whenever we are working on a project or through a change, roadblocks are inevitable.
Roadblocks can come in the form of people and attitudes, financial obstacles, time constraints and sometimes even our own mindset or habits.
How do you get a view around the roadblock?

1. Anticipate everything that could get in the way of successfully reaching your goal or completing the project.  By doing this you can list out where or with whom you may need to spend more time.
2. Devise a strategy to handle each potential roadblock - write down what you will do if this specific roadblock appears.  This will help you act in a stressful time instead of having to think on your feet.
3. Develop a vision of successfully getting around the roadblock.  This will give you confidence that you can do the work, and get to the next step without much delay.

Try this out - let us know how it works for you.

TIME - the un-refillable account

Time is spent, and unfortunately never replenished.

Unlike a bank account, where you can take money out and deposit more back in, time keeps moving, never to be refilled.

Instead of developing a habit of filling up every minute of the day with appointments and events, try building in some flex time.  Flex time would be time for yourself - whether there was spill over from another appointment, time needed to catch up on outstanding items, time for an urgent issue that popped up, or even time to catch up on industry material and education.

Time is finite - you control it.  You need to manage it and not let time manage you.

The What Not to Do Blog

Leadership NOT to Do

Many blogs are written about leadership.  Leadership in action, leadership strategy, leadership tips, examples.  It was hard to find any writing on 'what no to do' as a leader.

There are many stories and examples of what not to do.  What Leadership Not to Do explains is that when something occurs that should not, how can you handle it, what steps could you take to rectify the situation.

Not easy, but the examples are from true life stories told to the blogger - of course with names withheld to protect organizations, individuals and even those who should not be protected.

Add your comments, stories, examples...and don't forget to add what to do if it happens to others!

What's Next? Time to Think About It

If you have not taken a few moment this week to think about what is next, you need to stop everything you are doing and get to it!

Why?

1. You need to consistently look at the future to see where you are going. 
2. Understand if there is a gap between where you are now and how you are going to get to your vision of the future.
3. Determine if you are focusing on the appropriate tasks to get you there.
4. Look at the obstacles that could creep up, and think about some ways to overcome them
5. Pat yourself on the back - looking at the future means you have a plan

Get back to work!  You are on your way:)

Inspiration from Young Leaders

Look around and see who is in your neighborhood.  It is amazing the leadership you will find in your own backyard or on the ball diamond or nearby soccer pitch.  Leadership is in action all around us. 

As adults, we sometimes overlook that one of the main features of leadership is caring.  The ability to look out for others, eliminate perceptions and work towards a common goal.

One particular inspiration is an aspiring athlete.  Though he has been told numerous times that his height may keep him from getting very far, he is out playing his sport every day.  He has built a regime for fitness, cardiovascular improvement, sport-specific skills and found teams to play with that make a difference to his skill level.  He will not allow what others have said to negatively affect his performance.  He actually has set out to prove them wrong.

At the same time as he is out there working, he teaches others to play, takes his time with thier skill-level and approaches each day and each shot as the gift that it truly is to him.  His passion will lead him to his future.  The skills he is acquiring now will make his future a success.

Change is Good, Donkey! Leadership Secrets from Shrek

“Change is good donkey” says Shrek to Donkey on their walk back to the Kingdom with the Princess Fiona, new to their group. Adding whole new dynamics to the Shrek team, the future, the behaviour, the consequences and the rewards. Now Shrek went from being a lonely, mean and terrifying ogre scaring everyone in the forest to having an overly energetic sidekick (that he didn’t want in the first place) to rescuing the Princess from the castle (that was protected by the dragon)and eventually marrying her. And poor Princess Fiona – she had to connect with the reality that she was an ogre by night and a Princess by day. Shrek made her realize that it was good to be who she really was, twenty-four hours a day, not only the Princess. There were many changes in processes and attitudes to accept along the way of a short lifespan in this movie. Shrek prepared himself before he could get Donkey on board with changes. How did they do it? How do you do it?



Change is a process. Changes come about because of a need. Change projects are ‘need-to-do’ not ‘nice-to-do’ projects and are developed with a clear vision of the future. Change processes develop because something is missing or there is something better out there for the organization, the customer, employees, the stakeholders or all of them combined. There will be a measurable difference in results. To develop the change project, analysis of gaps – ‘today vs. the future’ vision needs to be reviewed and understood so that each step in the change process will be effective, efficient and positively forward-moving.


Change can easily be thrust upon you. Are you ready for it? How do you prepare? How do you communicate change? How do you implement and maintain change?


1. Evaluate the Change


You will need to evaluate what type of change is coming your way. Is it a process change, people change, system change, personal change? Or is the change an accumulation of small steps that are progressive?


2. Understand the People Impact


You will need to understand who is involved in the change. Just you? Your entire team? What other stakeholders will be affected by the change? Your customers? Your vendors? Your employees? Your organization? Will the changes or the effects on the stakeholders be positive or negative? What role are the members of your team playing? Who will be happy with the change – embrace and fully execute all components of the project, even become and advocate? Who will be a ‘change-hostage’ – adverse and slow to change? Who will be a ‘change-vacationer’ – go with the flow and pick later how they feel about the change? Who will not last through the change? There may have to be significant changes to the members on the team for the change to last and be successful.


3. Anticipate Roadblocks


Roadblocks will come up in more than one fashion. You will need to run through many ‘what –if’ scenarios to prepare yourself in advance for roadblocks. When you are in the middle of the change process and encounter a roadblock, it will be difficult to properly think it through – you will get into a reactionary mode, so run through the scenarios in advance.


• People Roadblocks – how will you handle ‘change-hostages’? How will you handle the need to increase or decrease staffing? How will you help your customers through the changes?


• Process Roadblocks – how will you prepare for system breakdowns, process improvements that need tweaking for your specific team or area? How will you explain new pricing strategies? How will you react to lack of or overabundance of product?


• Day to Day Roadblocks – how will you handle double-digit increases in business and still happily exceed your customers expectations? How will you handle the lack of control over the flow of merchandise or sales until a new rhythm develops? What will you do to anticipate and avoid future issues?


4. Make a Personal Commitment to Become a Change Agent


Nothing else will matter unless you decide to become a Change Agent. You will need to have a long look in the mirror and assess your own leadership ability and your skills to work through this change. Are you mentally ready for this change? Is your attitude towards this change positive? Are you prepared to face the challenges that come with communicating and implementing change? Are you prepared to change how you do things personally to keep up with and exceed the expectations of the new vision for the future? You need to analyze your own gaps. It may be time to make serious decisions about your role in the organization – are you going to lead change, follow change or get out of the way? What worked in the past will not work in the future – habits, routines, communication methods, even your daily attitude will be tested. Can you handle the tests and anticipate the changes you will need to make for you to truly be a change agent?


You will need to lead your team through the change. Partial commitment will be useless. Use all of the resources available to you to get through the change – past experiences, experiences of others, projections, project plans, timelines, anything that can provide you with support and help you create a solid plan to communicate and implement the upcoming change.


If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got. When you are in a change process, you will need to encourage your team to work in new ways, build new habits, try new activities, develop new routines, and communicate with new members of the team that can provide insight and expertise. How you teach your team to do this lies squarely on the leader’s shoulders. Your attitude will always be reflected in the attitude your team shows to your customers, each other, your vendors, your stakeholders and your organization.


Shrek was very kind to Donkey expressing his belief in change. Change is good, be prepared personally to get the change started from within yourself. As the leader, you will take your team through the change, the roadblocks, the surprises and the rewards. By committing to becoming a Change Agent, you will ensure the successful implementation and empower your team to reach the vision of the future.