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What Will You Subtract This Year?

January 9, 2019 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

Back in the 1990’s, it was all about “collecting.” Baseball cards, toys, coins, comic books – you name it. If you had an interest, there was a “limited edition” just waiting for your purchase. This ran in tandem with a housing market where people were leveling up to bigger and better houses. All these things also elicited another big increase – a sinister side effect that eventually came back to bite us economically – and that was the level of consumer debt.

As with all things that fall prey to a frenzied pace, there came a time of rebalancing. It was ushered in as a housing bust. Suddenly, the market had an influx of expensive houses full of expensive collections that no one was buying.

Then came a new generation whose interests were more in the range of “tiny houses” and minimalistic lifestyles, and where now older and wiser Baby Boomers were seeking to downsize in similar fashion to their younger counterparts.

A similar frenzy occurred in the internet world as well. The frenetic pace of internet marketing coming at the average consumer from every conceivable angle reached a peak. As in anything, there is a need for balance.

And today, people are seeking that balance – in their work, personal development, relationships, finances, and health.

As a coach, I work with leaders across many demographics, across the country, and around the world. And in each case, the reason we work together is to identify those areas of imbalance and make the needed adjustments.

This may be the worn-out executive who is weary of the financial responsibilities that come with keeping a company profitable and making payroll week in and week out in a highly competitive marketplace.
This may be the entrepreneur who has hit the wall on capacity and is fast becoming a victim of his or her own success.
It could be a leader who has climbed the ladder of success only to realize it was the wrong ladder for them.
It could be a very successful leader who suddenly finds themselves in need of a new challenge, a retreat, or a combination of both.
Often, it is a leader who has devoted so much to a successful career that their health and relationships are in jeopardy.

The point is, leaders are people, too. They push too hard, strive for too much, and, yes, even leaders need to take the time to declutter some part of life and work and do some rebalancing.

And so, as we begin a new year, I challenge you to consider where you need to recalibrate.

I am not going to challenge you to take on new initiatives and new endeavors – not yet. Not until you have first considered what you are NOT going to do this year.

Ask yourself, “What do I need to release this year in order to gain margin for the things that matter most to me?”

Here are some considerations for decluttering.

1. Work

Are you finding yourself working all the time? Do you stay late most nights, work weekends, catch yourself checking email in the middle of the night? This level of work will crowd out all other areas of life if you let it. I know, as I spent my many years trying to do it all as well…until the day I got a wake-up call regarding my health. Don’t wait until you hit that wall. Set boundaries for yourself regarding work.

And, by the way, do your team a favor, and don’t email them in the middle of the night, on weekends, and at all hours. Be respectful of your time and theirs.

2. Volunteer Work

I am a major proponent of giving back and supporting my community. But ask yourself if all the obligations you have make sense for you. It is easy to fall victim to volunteer overcommitment. Does the volunteer work fit your values, your schedule, and your passion? Then by all means, continue.

But if those volunteer opportunities have simply become a source of dread, with no purpose behind them, then it may be time to do some shifting. The fact is, organizations are best served by those who have the passion and resources to do the work well. If you can’t be that person, allow someone else to take your place who can fill that role with passion and purpose.

3. Screen Time

Nothing has had more impact on society in recent years than screen time. We are bombarded everywhere with screens – tablets, TVs, mobile phones, movie screens, digital signs and billboards, and JumboTrons™.

According to a shocking study by Nielsen, “American adults spend over 11 hours per day listening to, watching, reading or generally interacting with media.”

The greater impact may be what we are missing during those 11 hours each day. What could you do with 11 extra hours a day? Think about that.

While all our devices and even social media have some benefit, I challenge you to see if you are gaining 11 hours’ worth of benefit from them each day. If not, it may be time to set some limits. Don’t miss the game by giving all your attention to the JumboTron™.

4. Meetings

Teamwork is important. Communication is essential. But ask yourself if you are having meetings that do not result in actions taken, problems solved, or goals determined. If meetings are needed for a specified purpose, then, meet. But if they are simply obligatory because they are on the calendar and have become routine ruminations of the same weekly cud, it may be time to seek more productive endeavors.

Click here for some additional ideas on ways to have productive meetings.

5. Projects

For many of us, activity is key. Idleness is a function we avoid at all costs. But activity is not the same as productivity. If you are always moving, pushing, and ideating, it may be time to stop for a bit and just “be.”

This is another leadership lesson I have learned through the years. You may observe I spend regular time at the beach. This is my time to “be.” During these times, I am giving my mind time to reflect and recharge. It is often during these times of “inactivity” that ideas come, or resolutions present themselves.

Ask yourself if all the projects currently on your plate are the right ones for you at this time. Or are they simply ways of keeping yourself busy?

When you focus in on the one to three projects that will get you to where you want to be, you have a greater chance of success. When you focus your activities on that narrowed field, you can reach your goals. And when you schedule fewer activities on your calendar, you can, ironically, accomplish far more than you imagined.

It may come as a welcome relief to many to have read an article about “less” in a world that constantly demands “more.”

What will YOU subtract this year?

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Here is a complimentary tool to help you narrow your focus…and broaden your success.

Looking for a leadership development program you can use with your team? Check out the Boss or Leader: Lead and Learn Kit. It is affordable, effective, and provides high impact. Be a leader who makes a difference!

Click here for details.

Dave Ferguson is “The Leaders’ Coach”, an internationally recognized executive leadership coach, speaker, facilitator, and author. Are you interested in talking to Dave about coaching or having Dave speak to inspire and motivate your team? “ASK COACH DAVE” at 704-907-0171 or at Dave@AskCoachDave.com.

Crossing the Finish Line

December 19, 2018 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

This time of year, in the busy-ness of the holidays, we are also casting a vision for next year and wrapping up this current year. As a leader, I encourage you to watch this short video and consider HOW you are creating the vision…and where you are crossing the finish line with respect to your team.

It’s a short, but powerful message.

PERFORMANCE ESSENTIALS 101 – LIVE GROUP COACHING EVENT

To learn more, click on the image below or click here.

Looking for a leadership development program you can use with your team? Check out the Boss or Leader: Lead and Learn Kit. It is affordable, effective, and provides high impact. Be a leader who makes a difference! Click here for details.

Leaders in Pursuit of Purpose

December 5, 2018 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

You have accomplished a great deal as a leader. Maybe you started a business and hit your initial income goals. Or perhaps you have climbed the ladder of success in your field to a very high level.

Others look at your life and think you “have it made.”

But you know the dirty little secret.

Something is missing. You don’t know what…but something is missing.

While you put on your success face during the day, your nights are filled with restlessness.

While you go through the motions of your work and daily life, there is a sense of apathy, boredom, or dread.

The work you used to love now feels uninspiring.

You may realize your career success has impacted other areas of your life, and not in a good way. Perhaps your health, relationships, or sense of personal fulfillment have suffered.

You read books like Purpose Driven Life, and while the messages are good and sound, you still have that gnawing sense that something is missing.

That “something missing” is, indeed purpose.

Purpose is the driving factor of human beings. We are either living our purpose or searching for it, and it seems elusive. In a sense, purpose is our highest potential – it is the ultimate reason we exist. Even those who are living their purpose will plateau at times and experience a sense of rudderless-ness.

Here are signs you are struggling with purpose.

Boredom
Apathy
Dread
Lack of fulfillment, even though you have everything you need and more
Resentment toward those who are living their purpose
Fear that you may never find your purpose
Issues in other areas of life beyond work: relationships, spiritual, health, or personal finances, for example
Restlessness and feelings that something is missing
Frustration or anger

What to do when you are at these points.

Understand this is a normal part of being human

Humans are designed for purpose. Each of us comes equipped with innate strengths, and we have a unique blend of skills and life experiences as well. We seek to use these tools to fulfill our purpose. But we are human. We don’t have it all figured out yet. And that is okay. The act of seeking, striving, plateauing, and then resuming our pursuit is…life. The key is to expect the ups and downs of fulfilling purpose, and work with it.

Rest

It is hard to bring your fullest potential in your work when you are exhausted. As a leader, managing your energy is critical. You must be at your best in order to lead your team to be their best. Stephen Covey’s Habit #7 – Sharpening the Saw – is a critical habit for long-term success. In this day and age, more is expected of leaders than ever before. Competition is fierce. Margins are tight. Challenges are many. Sharpening the saw is not only a good suggestion; it is an essential life practice.

Look for a new challenge

Some leaders are blindsided when they reach a level of success – something major to which they have aspired – and then find they are not satisfied with that success. This is because there is still more potential.

The cure?

Rest, then pursue a new and higher challenge. You may not “feel” like pursuing a new challenge, but once you begin, you will once again resume your path to purpose.

Face your fears

Fulfilling your purpose and reaching your highest potential can be fear-inducing. What if you miss the mark? What if you pursue the wrong purpose? What if your ladder of success is pinned to the wrong wall? These are fears of failure.

What if you do succeed? This is the fear of success, and it has the same effect as the fear of failure – stagnation.

Give yourself permission to experiment, fail, and even succeed. Everything you learn along the path of life and work is of value to you in your pursuit of purpose. Don’t wait until you know your purpose – start from where you are, and purpose will reveal itself with more clarity as you go.

Focus on legacy

We often confuse accomplishments with purpose. Purpose is bigger than accomplishments. It is the core of who you are as a person, and what you leave behind for those who follow.

In this sense, you lay a path to purpose day by day, but you may never fully realize that purpose in your lifetime.

Think of the many authors, architects, artists, and leaders from history. Many died penniless, perhaps with a sense of purposelessness. But their legacy lived on, well beyond their lives. They had done what they were gifted to do, and that was their purpose. They may not have realized it, but their lives served great purpose.

Leaders would do well to seek to serve with the gifts they have been given, and let purpose unfold in its own time.

In the classical Christmas movie, It’s a Wonderful Life, George Bailey thought he had purpose. He was going to travel and see the world. He was going to have an adventurous life.

But the reality of his life took a different turn. He worked in his father’s struggling business, stayed in his hometown, married, had children, and lived in an old drafty house. His life seemed purposeless to him.

But when given the chance to see how life for others would have been if he had never been born, he realized his life had even greater purpose than he imagined.

As you go about your day-to-day life and business, focus not on purpose, but on service. How can you, as a leader, serve others? This creates legacy.

“The Bridge Builder,” a poem by Will Allen Dromgoole says it well.

When a man was asked…

You’ve crossed the chasm, deep and wide,
Why build this bridge at evening tide?

He said….

There followed after me to-day

A youth whose feet must pass this way.

He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;

Good friend, I am building this bridge for him!

Looking for a leadership development program you can use with your team? Check out the Boss or Leader: Lead and Learn Kit. It is affordable, effective, and provides high impact. Be a leader who makes a difference! Click here for details.

Five Ways Leaders Can Show Appreciation

November 21, 2018 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

Those of us who grew up in the sixties and seventies may remember Rosie the Robot on the Jetson’s cartoon series. Or Star Trek, with its magical ability to transport people through space and time, and make food appear out of thin air. Back then, the idea of instant access, talking face-to-face via a TV-like screen, and having a robot do your work seemed like an out-of-this-world impossibility.

Today, most of these are daily occurrences.

We talk with people all over the world at the drop of a hat. Our refrigerator orders food that appears “out of thin air,” delivered by drones. And our appliances do our work, much like Rosie, but without the attitude.

We have come a long way in a few decades.

Or have we?

This automation comes as a two-sided sword. While it may bring convenience and time savings, it also pulls us more and more into a virtual world, where, if we’re not careful, we can lose touch with the reality of people and relationships.

This phenomena is evident in the business world as well.

According to Ranstad research, technology is having an impact in the workplace, with “over half feeling technology makes them feel less connected” and “more than 90% believing that a face-to-face meeting is the best way to interact with someone.”

To leaders, this can present a challenge, unless you realize that, at the core, the needs of people really have not changed. The mechanisms have changed, but the underlying needs are the same. Perhaps the generational gap is not quite as wide as we might think. This is why, when asked how to lead millennials, I say, “You lead them like you lead everyone else.”

The 11 Essential Needs of Employees apply just as much today as they have for centuries.

Despite increased autonomy, humans still have need for feeling valued. Feeling valued comes from having self-respect and being recognized for your contribution to society.

This is why people hang plaques and certificates on the wall, and why they will carry a tattered handwritten thank you note for years…or even decades. Sincere appreciation and recognition are not only “nice to have’s”…they are essential needs.

Leaders, let that register in your mind for a moment.

Your people NEED you to appreciate them and recognize their efforts.

When was the last time you registered more than a cursory “thank you” for a job well done? Do you want to create a team that is loyal to your cause and works well together? You can do this by simply meeting those 11 essential needs of employees, one of which is sincere appreciation for a job well done.

Here are some ways you can provide recognition:

Write a handwritten thank you note.

Be specific in recognizing the individual’s value to your team. What did they do, and what impact did it have? What is different about them that makes them a special part of the team, and what unique gifts and perspectives do they bring to the workplace?

Tell them thank you, and be specific.

This not only underscores what you appreciate, it also reinforces great behavior.

Tell someone else.

Sometimes, the best compliments are indirect ones. “Mr. Smith talked about you in our Executive Team meeting this morning. He said your work on the ABC project was extraordinarily organized, creating efficiencies that saved considerably on the overall project cost.”

This approach has dual effect – it makes the employee feel valued; and it raises the estimation of their value to other leaders as well.

Find a way to reward deeds well done in the workplace.

Employee of the month programs, special amenities, team lunches to honor those who have done well on a project…these things go a long way toward meeting an employee’s need for feeling valued. With these, be sure to look for and reward each person on an individual basis so as not to cause division. These are especially effective for group efforts, as it sends the message that working together well creates rewards for the entire team.

Give each person an opportunity to shine.

As we’ve talked about before, “set your people up for success.” And then, recognize them for their efforts. Your accomplishments as a leader are gratifying; but seeing your team members accomplish great things under your leadership is legacy. And it doesn’t get any better than that.

It is really not so hard after all, is it? Help your people succeed, and then thank them for it.

Take a look around at your team today. Who NEEDS a thank you? Who NEEDS a little recognition for a job well done?

Looking for a leadership development program you can use with your team? Check out the Boss or Leader: Lead and Learn Kit. It is affordable, effective, and provides high impact. Be a leader who makes a difference! Click here for details.

Eight Ways Leaders Can Set Their Teams Up For Success

November 7, 2018 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

She was an awkwardly shy teenager. An introvert by nature, she retreated even deeper into silence when her parents went through a particularly nasty divorce. It was her only safe place. Those who knew her began to worry about her.

But one truly influential leader took action.

He asked her to be on a team and put her in a position that showcased her strengths. In doing so, he set her up to win.

As she worked to develop those strengths even further, the team began to recognize her value. As they worked together to win championships, the experience of being valued by others on the team and the achievements helped her to heal.

She went on to have a successful corporate career and now owns a thriving business.

What made the difference?

A leader who set her up…to win.

As a leader, are you setting your people up to win, or are you just setting them up?

We all know leaders who, perhaps inadvertently, set their people up for failure. They…

Don’t take the time to see the potential of each person and position them accordingly
Put them in positions that don’t match their strengths
Promote them into leadership positions without leadership training
Fail to equip them for the work required
Don’t communicate clear vision and expectations
Set goals that are too aggressive
Focus on how the team can serve them and not on how they can serve the team
Don’t do and say things to help the team see the value of each individual

Full Circle Leadership

When it comes down to it, beyond career advancement and high levels of income, what most leaders really and truly want is to make a difference.

One of the most significant ways to make a difference is to actively seek ways to set your people up for success.

To do this, you simply reverse the failure formula above.

1. Take time to see the potential of each person, and position them accordingly. See them as they can be, not as they currently are. Often, leaders look outside the organization, when the potential best employee is already in the organization. We have become accustomed to treating employees as expendables rather than focusing on long-term career development. There is a need to reconsider this approach.

2. Put them in positions that match their strengths, but challenge them to expand the boundaries of their comfort zones. This powerful “strengths plus growth” strategy builds not only businesses, but, more importantly, individuals.

3. Promote them into leadership positions, but provide training, coaching, and personal mentorship so they can climb the leadership ladder to its highest and most meaningful point: legacy.

4. Equip them for the work required by providing the team, tools, and training they need. If they have ideas for improvements, give them the power and the tools to make those improvements.

5. Communicate clear vision and expectations. The best teams are those who know the game plan and their role in getting there. Assessments show a distinct correlation between lack of clarity, and low productivity and job dissatisfaction. In short, if you aren’t clear on goals and roles, your productivity, profit, and attrition rate will be impacted.

6. Set goals that are challenging but attainable. Don’t set impossible goals for your team and then disappear, leaving them to make it happen. Bosses everywhere do this, leaving a wake of frustrated employees destined for failure. It is better to reach a challenging goal than to miss an impossible one.

7. Focus on how you can serve the team, not on how they can serve you. Set the example of servant leadership as the way you do business.

8. Do and say things to help the team see the value of each individual. Help each team member find their place of achievement and value on the team. If you are looking to minimize conflict, this is one of the best ways to do it.

When your people succeed, you as the leader succeed.

But when you build your people, you succeed beyond the norms of career and financial rewards. You succeed to a level of significance. This is legacy-level leadership.

Here’s the bottom line.

Building your people builds your legacy.

Tearing down your people tears down your legacy.

Failing to build your people is failing to build your legacy.

——

And today, people are seeking that balance – in their work, personal development, relationships, finances, and health.

Ask yourself, “What do I need to release this year in order to gain margin for the things that matter most to me?”

1. Work

2. Volunteer Work

3. Screen Time

4. Meetings

5. Projects

What will YOU subtract this year?

Looking for a leadership development program you can use with your team? Check out the Boss or Leader: Lead and Learn Kit. It is affordable, effective, and provides high impact. Be a leader who makes a difference!

Click here for details.

PERFORMANCE ESSENTIALS 101 – LIVE GROUP COACHING EVENT

To learn more, click on the image below or click here.

Looking for a leadership development program you can use with your team? Check out the Boss or Leader: Lead and Learn Kit. It is affordable, effective, and provides high impact. Be a leader who makes a difference! Click here for details.

But you know the dirty little secret.

That “something missing” is, indeed purpose.

Here are signs you are struggling with purpose.

What to do when you are at these points.

Understand this is a normal part of being human

Rest

Look for a new challenge

Face your fears

Focus on legacy

“The Bridge Builder,” a poem by Will Allen Dromgoole says it well.

Looking for a leadership development program you can use with your team? Check out the Boss or Leader: Lead and Learn Kit. It is affordable, effective, and provides high impact. Be a leader who makes a difference! Click here for details.

We have come a long way in a few decades.

This phenomena is evident in the business world as well.

The 11 Essential Needs of Employees apply just as much today as they have for centuries.

Leaders, let that register in your mind for a moment.

Here are some ways you can provide recognition:

Write a handwritten thank you note.

Tell them thank you, and be specific.

Tell someone else.

Find a way to reward deeds well done in the workplace.

Give each person an opportunity to shine.

Looking for a leadership development program you can use with your team? Check out the Boss or Leader: Lead and Learn Kit. It is affordable, effective, and provides high impact. Be a leader who makes a difference! Click here for details.

What made the difference?

As a leader, are you setting your people up to win, or are you just setting them up?

Full Circle Leadership

To do this, you simply reverse the failure formula above.

Here’s the bottom line.

It is your choice, and you make it daily. Will you set your people up failure or for success?

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