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If You Don’t Like What’s Being Said – Change the Conversation

July 19, 2017 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

If You Don’t Like What’s Being Said - Change the Conversation

We live in a culture that prides itself on viewing the action of criticizing the failures of its leaders not only as a right, but as a responsibility.

And while this is for the most part very valuable advice, it is easy to get caught up in critiquing others and overlook that failures are a marker of learning. Failure provides guidance for improvement. But this doesn’t mean that it’s easy.

CRITICISM COMES WITH THE JOB

Criticism is part of success. There are no high-level executives — or TV personalities, professional athletes or artists — that have been successful without a peanut gallery full of critics.

Criticism is, in fact, the dominant conversation in our culture.

But it doesn’t have to be. Critics only have the power you supply them with — if you feel ashamed of a failure, make excuses or find someone else to blame, critics will be quick to repeat that narrative — and will frequently enhance that story with their own observations and embellishment.

Consider, however, approaching your recent failure as something to celebrate: This failure means you’ve attempted something new; you’ve stepped “out of the box” and approached a problem in a different way. It is a sign of innovation. It is a symbol of grit and determination.

Failure and personal ego are inextricably intertwined, and so it is impractical to tell anyone not to take criticism personally. It is OK to take criticism personally. But it is not OK to make it personal.

What do I mean by this?

Criticism, by its very nature, puts us on the defensive, and so it is easy to want to give into impulses of self-defense and fire back. These are emotional responses. Actions are productive responses.

By assuming the criticism was given in order to help you improve, even if, and especially if, the intent was more malicious, you effectively take power from your criticizers and use it to fuel your professional development. Congratulations, you have taken the first step in changing the conversation.

NONE OF US ARE ABOVE REPROACH

One of the most beautiful (and most infuriating) aspects of the human condition is that we are fallible; everyone makes mistakes. However, criticism is a great tool for learning — if you allow it to be. Always place yourself in a good position to correct your behavior and improve your performance. Great leaders practice and present to others qualities of self-reflection, self-awareness and self-care.

While the first stage of changing the conversation of criticism is all about rendering disapproval into personal capital gain, it is equally important not to disregard criticism completely. Our knee-jerk reaction to criticism is to be defensive.

I didn’t do that. It’s not my fault. They just don’t know what they’re talking about.

However, the difference between a good leader and a great leader is patience and approach: Listen to what is being said. Even if the delivery is hurtful, is there any truth to the message?

Take a moment to reflect on all aspects of a situation, and never let pride or strong will prevent you from learning. By approaching failure as a learning opportunity, you inherently teach your followers to do the same.

A PRODUCTIVE NARRATIVE

Success is a story of perseverance. In fact, it is the “success-through-failure” stories that get told over and over again:

• Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and even after earning a spot in the NBA, he went on to miss more than 9,000 shots — 26 of which would have been the game-winning shot — and lost nearly 300 games in his professional career. But he sits today as the highest-paid athlete of all-time with a $1.7 billion brand through team contracts and endorsements and a laundry list of distinguished professional accolades.

• It took J.K. Rowling years to write Harry Potter — years filled with poverty, depression and unemployment. The manuscript was rejected by no less than a dozen publishers. Her infamous book series has now landed in children’s literature stardom with millions of copies sold, having been translated into 73 languages and has now accrued more than $20 billion throughout the franchise — effectively making her the first woman to become a billionaire author.

• Oprah Winfrey was deemed “unfit for television” early in her career. She disappointed as a street reporter, and while she had a proclivity for human interest stories, she had a problem staying emotionally unattached. Today, she is a social icon as one of the world’s leading and most famous interviewers and has changed the television industry. She’s captured nearly 30 million Twitter followers, 18 Emmy Awards, nurtured lasting relationships with some of the world’s most influential leaders, and has built a net worth of more than $3 billion.

While success takes many forms, it shares a common characteristic: to push through when it gets difficult and to stay focused despite any opposition.

Even if the journey is long and the obstacles are unknown, you do have complete control over the narrative of your success — and your actions provide the framing.

Thomas Edison could have focused on any one of his critics condemning his failed attempts at inventing a light bulb. Instead, he chose to look at his situation from a productive perspective, famously saying, “I haven’t failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

For great leaders, failure is never a loss.


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

Equip Yourself with Effective Organization Skills

April 26, 2017 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

Equip Yourself with Effective Organization Skills

As a leader, you have constant demands on your time. Where there was once just an inbox and a telephone, with the advent of technology, there are now multiple inboxes, multiple phones, text messages, and more meetings – in person, by teleconference, and by video conference.

This level of demand makes it more important than ever to have a well-organized approach to your work and personal life. Taking time to organize both areas will ensure you have the energy and focus you need to lead effectively.

Here are some actions you can take to protect your time:

  • Your Calendar

Take some time to review everything that currently requires your time. Cancel all unnecessary meetings and appointments, and prioritize the rest. Delegate the clutter of tasks you don’t need to complete personally, and remove those which do not need to be done at all. I recommend use of a time blocking system, whereby you block out time for certain activities. The key here is to make no exceptions during those times. I work with executives through this process often, and the results are great. Without realizing it, many have gotten caught in the practice of responding to everything immediately. A good rule to follow:  If the tasks don’t point toward your personal or business vision, why complete them?

  • Your Physical Space

To maximize daily productivity, it is important that your workspace be organized. As a busy leader, you are well acquainted with the amount of paperwork that ends up on your desk each day. Do you have a system to keep it moving? Is your desk piled high with documents to do and review, combined with sticky notes to remind you to do them?

You are not alone.

This is where an organized support staff can help you immensely. Work with your assistant to develop a system to keep the paperwork off your desk. The first step is to clear the clutter. Random contact notes and business cards? Enter them into a database. To do lists – capture them in one place and place relevant documents in a file folder or scan them into an electronic holding file. Information for meetings – have a folder for each meeting. Books should be on bookshelves, not on your desk. Documents to be filed should not be taking up residence on your desktop. Companies spend millions of dollars each year on records storage for records that are not needed for legal or documentation purposes. Regularly ask yourself if the documents you are keeping need to be retained, or if you are just putting off making a decision on them.

For ultimate focus, the only items on your desk should be those items you use daily and those documents which pertain to what you are working on each day. Clutter is a distractor. Clearing your desk helps clear your mind.

You might even benefit from re-arranging your office so things flow better. What comes in, and where does it land? How and where do you process it? How do you move it on to the next steps (the proverbial out box)? Your desk is not an out box. And who is responsible for clearing that outbox daily?

  • Your Computer

After your physical space is arranged, it is time to clean up your electronic space. This means your e-mail, computer desktop, electronic documents, and your contact list. How you choose to store your electronic files is up to you, but it is important that your electronic space is organized in a way that is easy to use.

In the online world, cleaning up your contact list frequently is not only advisable, it is essential. There is a cost associated with the number of contacts on your mailing list – and if those emails are being bounced or otherwise not delivered, you are paying for contacts who are not getting your communications.

Cleaning up your electronic files may seem like a waste of time…until you spend hours searching for something that you could have found in seconds if your system was organized.

  • Your Mobile Devices

Whether you are a fan of iPhone or android, chances are, you have some type of portable communication device connected to you at all times. Take some time to organize the files, contacts, and applications on your mobile device. If you have applications you no longer need, delete them as a matter of space and security. Consult with your IT expert to optimize your device for syncing of email and contacts. Ask for recommendations on new and better apps to increase efficiency.

Also, take the time to update your phone message, and clean out your voice mailbox. If you are thinking this is not a good use of your time as a leader, consider this: a full voice mailbox often means issues are not being addressed, or important calls are being blocked by a full voice mailbox. Go through your messages, add the contact information to your database, note the actions needed for each, then delete. Make room for new opportunities.

  • Your Habits

Practicing good habits will help you rise in leadership, and sustaining good habits will protect your leadership and reputation.

Take an organizational approach to your habits, both good and bad ones. Whether or not you realize it, your habits have a big impact on your work, your personal life, and on those you lead. When coaching executives one-on-one, we work on these extensively. Making you more effective is always the goal.

If there are bad habits you’d like to break, examine them one at a time, and create a plan for how you’re going to tackle each one. If there are good habits you want to cement, take the same approach. Then, equip yourself with the tools and an accountability partner. Adopt the habits you need to have a more fulfilled, balanced life.

  • Your Personal Life

How many executives do you know who have it all together on the business side, but their personal lives are paying the price? Maybe this is you.

You are not alone.

Part of what we consider in executive coaching and especially in our corporate retreats is the personal side of leadership. You cannot divorce the personal and professional side of you without repercussions.

Set aside some time to examine your personal time. Is it protected? How effective are you in that area? Find someone objective (like a coach) to help you with this. Make sure your schedule allows ample time for family, friends, community involvement, and hobbies.

  • Your Priorities

Clearing the physical and electronic clutter is the first step. But to sustain the organization, you must, going forward, work according to your priorities.

Consider how your priorities align with how you spend your time, at work and at home. Ask yourself the difficult questions. Realize that your life is made up of a limited amount of time. Each activity you invest time into requires a certain opportunity cost. What are the low priority items costing you? This is a powerful question, and you should ask it of yourself daily.

In today’s world, the lines between work and personal life are getting increasingly blurry. I’m happy to tell you that you can regain control of your time by taking these steps. Going through this process will not only give you peace of mind, it also will equip you with the clarity and focus your work and your team deserve.

Take a good, hard look at your priorities, and reorganize your time as needed to create and experience the best possible personal and professional life.

What are you waiting for? Get started today…and have a great week!


Dave Ferguson is “The Leaders’ Coach”, an internationally recognized executive leadership coach, speaker, facilitator, and author. For help in getting organized as a leader, “ASK COACH DAVE” at 704-907-0171 or at Dave@AskCoachDave.com.

Five Step Plan to Turn Failure into Success

April 12, 2017 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

Few of us grow up thinking failure is a pathway to success. In fact, our natural instinct is to be ashamed of our failures, humiliated by them. But failure is not just a part of life, it is a fundamental element of success—a catalyst.

As a leader, you will face instances of failure – personal failures, professional failures, and failure on the part of your team members. The big question is, how are you going to handle it?

How do you quickly turn failures into successes?

Here is the five-step plan you can engage for yourself and share with your team.

1. Take a Step Back

Burnout in business is real, and it is often fed by or results in mistakes. While logic compels us to keep on going, push through, and take more risk, the fact is, there are times when you truly need to STOP. Taking a short break, a vacation, or spending time with family can reduce the burnout factor and its unintended consequences. Very often walking away for a short time helps your mind think more clearly and come up with solutions to the issues. For a team, this could be in the form of a corporate retreat. Getting away gives clear perspective to problems and begins to help formulate solid solutions.

2. Own It

It is important to openly acknowledge your mistakes, otherwise you can’t redeem yourself. You don’t have to apologize for your choices, but you do have to confront them so you can make better ones going forward. Harry Truman said it well, “The buck stops here.”

3. Reassess

Look at your situation from every angle, and talk with others about it. Look for those people who will give you honest feedback. They could be your business advisors, friends, employees, co-workers, or family. The key is to listen, synthesize everything, and get the complete picture of your failure. Figure out what happened, and why. With your new perspective, look for ideas on how to move forward.

4. Stay Confident

Failure can be a huge blow to the ego, especially after steps two and three. It’s human. But, if you want to be a successful leader, you must let go of your failure and move forward with optimism and confidence. An occasional ego correction is both humbling and healing. It teaches us to make better decisions in the future. Realizing this is normal will help you regain your confidence to move on.

5. Revise and Refocus

Now you are ready to learn from your mistakes, improve, and find success from your failure. You simply can’t afford to spend time replaying the pity party or second-guessing yourself. Form a new plan of action and write it out on paper. Then embrace your new plan, and enjoy this new beginning. Consistent action yields consistent results. The mistake that caused the downturn can be a pivot point for the upturn if you consciously adjust your plan based on what you have learned.

Our greatest lessons come from mistakes and failures. Leaders don’t just see failures as an example of what not to do again. They try to learn everything possible, embracing failure as a way to learn how to do things right.

It takes determination, and with each lesson learned, you will pave the way to success.


Dave Ferguson is “The Leaders’ Coach”, an internationally recognized executive leadership coach, speaker, facilitator, and author. For help in getting past a mistake and on to the path to success, “ASK COACH DAVE” at 704-907-0171 or at Dave@AskCoachDave.com.

6 Critical Tactics for Your Business

December 11, 2013 By Dave Ferguson 2 Comments

In today’s crazy and often unpredictable economy, it’s easy for us to lose track of what is most important to our business. We too often get caught up in the day-to-day clutter and distractions (email, voicemail, cell phones, etc.) that must be re-directed, re-focused, and re-oriented continually. Our employees are no exception. As a leader, you need to share your focus and vision for your business with your employees.  If you ignore this critical focus, the possibility of wasting energy, time, talent and resources on trivial matters will keep them from attaining the company’s vision and its mission-critical priorities. Can you afford that?

You probably have heard it said that managers do things right, and leaders do the right things. The first statement speaks to efficiency, and the latter refers to effectiveness. It is easy to be busy but hard to work on the right things. You as a leader should focus on doing the right things – those things that matter most to the success of your department or organization. In short, to be effective, you must drive the focus of the organization. You must channel your time, talent, energy and resources into making an earnest effort to focus on the key priorities and goals of your organization. Keep your focus by constantly asking yourself, “What’s important now?” (something I call WIN).

As you formulate goals, strategies, and action plans for the coming year, I strongly suggest you focus your team’s attention and concentration on these six primary areas:

1. Satisfying your customers/clients.
Your team should know clearly that you expect a culture whereby your team falls in love with its customers and their wants/needs. You are in business to attract, delight, and retain customers in a profitable manner….period.

2. Becoming outcome driven; expecting results, not excuses.
Develop a corporate climate that expects achievement and not just activity. Be a leader who admires thinking and planning.  Be a leader who demands effectiveness and rewards it more than efficiency. It is critical you understand that one of the most important jobs you have is establishing a performance and a goal-oriented environment; then hold employees accountable to it.

3. Learning and continuous improvement.
If your people and systems aren’t improving, your company won’t improve! You must champion an investment and dedication to employee learning. Commit to your employees that you want them to continually learn and improve what they do and how they do it. I’m amazed today at the number of companies that have stopped investing in the continuing education and training of their employees. Crazy!!

4. Maintaining and driving profits.
Lead an offensive, not defensive strategy for success. Don’t forget profits! Remember both top line and bottom line growth. Replace high-maintenance/low revenue customers with low-maintenance/high revenue customers. Watch all your margins, and try to improve them where you can. Now is not the time to reduce your value.

5. Letting them know you are in it for the long run.
Don’t be short-term oriented. Make sure everyone knows you’re in it for the long run. If you have a short-term business mentality, you can’t expect employees to think the other way. Business is a marathon, not a sprint. Pace yourself in 2014, and you will cross the line ahead of the pack.

6. Having fun!

Finally, focus on making your business fun. Celebrate progress and reward your employees for superior results. Make coming to work a meaningful event. If you can master this one, you’ll reduce one of the biggest expenses associated with operating a business…turnover.

If you incorporate these six critical tactics into your business plan and continually focus on “What’s Important Now”, you should be in the WIN column in 2014.

Have a great week! Next week we’ll start adding some RPM’s to your plans. Stay tuned!

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