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What Will You Add This Year?

January 23, 2019 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

In the previous article, I posed a question: “What will you subtract this year?”

Apparently, it hit a nerve, as it was one of the most-read articles to date. It was all about ways to better use time – to free up time for the things that matter most to you, personally and professionally.

If you have not read that article, take a moment and do so now…before the next distraction or demand hits.

In this article, I want to address the phase that comes after subtraction: What do you need to add?

Have you ever had a marathon office cleaning session, where you managed to clear your desk? It felt great, right? You could sit down to work with a clear mind. That usually lasts about…one day, or for some, one hour.

Why is this?

The return of overwhelm comes because there is no process for preventing it.

Step 1 was Subtraction – Declutter those things that adversely impact your time.

Step 2 is Addition – Determine focus and create a process that keeps you from returning to overwhelm.

Here is a personal example.

Several years ago, I was a successful executive. I also owned and operated several side ventures and a good amount of real estate. On the wheel of life, “Work” was taking over, which is common among executives. But with so much focus on work, as you would surmise, other areas began to suffer.

After a wakeup call with regard to my health, I realized I needed to declutter some parts of my life to create greater margin, which I did.

But that wasn’t enough.

Fill the void.

Here is a fact of life: Voids will be filled.

That empty spot on your desk; the open calendar space; that time you decided to use for exercise…these will all be filled.

The question is: Who or what will fill the void?

Jim Rohn said it well: “If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan.”

This is why Step 2 is just as important as Step 1.

Step 1 creates margin.

Step 2 determines who or what fills it.

I had managed to create margin, which is both an accomplishment…and a considerable adjustment.

I quickly realized I had to take another step – the step of intentionally filling it.

I determined my three main priorities and created boundaries on time spent working, and scheduled in time for exercise, reading, and being out in nature to fill those spots previously used for work. My calendar was full, but full of very purposeful commitments to each area of life.

“Wait a minute!” you may be thinking. “First you advocate subtracting to create margin, and now you’re refilling the margin?”

Exactly.

Only this time, I did it with great intention. And that has made all the difference.

It has provided a measure of balance in other areas of life, and contrary to what you might think, business and career have improved with the broader focus to all areas and less time in just work. In fact, I am now a healthier and more energetic leader than I was before.

No matter your position in leadership, I urge you to take these two steps. As a leader, you must be strong for your team, and energetically, you set the pace. Addressing all areas and not just one will help you be a more effective leader.

For Step 2, review your wheel of life.

Honestly assess each area as I do with my coaching clients to determine where adjustments need to be made.

Spiritual Health
Personal Development
Physical Health
Business and Career
Relationships
Financials

Where do you need to add?

Where do you need to subtract?

Create margin, then fill it intentionally. Be the best leader you can be.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The 3-Part Process of Leadership Basic Training

April 5, 2018 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

Featured article by Dave Ferguson in CEOWORLD magazine. Reprinted by permission.

In The 11 Essential Needs of Employees, we noted the top reasons for job dissatisfaction. One of those reasons is that employees are unhappy with management and the way they manage.

This is why the first rung on the Leadership Ladder is “Leadership is a Priority.”

Good leadership doesn’t just happen by appointment.

Granted, there are those who are “natural leaders” to some degree; it is their inclination to take charge. But that doesn’t mean all natural leaders are good leaders. The fact is, some “natural leaders” can be really “bad bosses” if their natural talents are not trained in the right direction.

When an unprepared leader is assigned to a leadership position, it can result in disastrous consequences, leaving unhappy employees in the wake. Unaddressed, it can negatively impact the company’s bottom line.

As a leader of leaders, your main focus must be on training your leaders to be good and effective leaders.

How do you do this?

Here is the 3-Part Process of Leadership Basic Training.

1. Un-train

First, you un-train.

As an Air Force veteran, I can tell you that the first few days in basic training are not intended to be pleasant. They are intended to “un-train.”

We recruits came from diverse backgrounds, each with our own ideas as to how things should be done.

We each brought habits – some good ones, and many bad ones. The first few days were all about tearing down those bad habits – and even some of the good ones – to make room for better habits.

Some of us had attitudes. Those were untrained as well…and pretty quickly, I might add.

2. Train

The bad habits and attitudes were replaced with rigorous training for better habits and attitudes. This wasn’t just a matter of positive thinking. It required action…painful, arduous, push-to-the-limits action.

Creating strong leadership habits and attitudes also required repetition. It meant daily practice until the process of what to do was drilled into us so we could carry it out quickly, strategically, and with confidence.

The results of this un-training and training process transformed us from cocky young teenagers to a strong, confident team.

3. Serve

The problem with leadership in typical organizations is that there is no basic training for it. It is simply assumed that a person who is good at his or her job should be able to lead those who do that kind of work, or that someone who is tested and falls within a certain range on an assessment automatically qualifies for a leadership position.

You have an employee who excels in IT, for example, so you make him or her the IT manager. But soon you notice projects are falling behind, and you hear murmurings of discontent among his or her direct reports.

“He used to be our friend. Now he thinks he’s better than us.”

“She did a good job in IT, but as a manager, she’s out of her league.”

Why is it that this stellar employee now fails as a manager?

It often comes down to one issue: They were trained to do a job, but never trained to be a leader.

For them to transition well from being an employee to being a manager, they need to be un-trained on some practices and trained on some new ones.

Before a leader can serve well, they must be un-trained and trained well.

Your organization is all about people – the people who lead, the people they lead, and the clients and customers they collectively serve.

If your leadership team is functioning well at all levels, your clients and customers will be served well.

Are you, as the leader of those leaders, equipping them with the tools and resources they need to do their jobs well?

Leadership Training Resources

Leadership training can take the form of books (at a basic level), workshops, retreats, extended leadership programs, or executive coaching, depending on the needs of the organization and individuals.

Where specific issues need to be addressed, executive coaching can help a leader push through personal or professional obstacles that may be holding them back, or get specific help in dealing with a situation. Executive coaching is also good for strategic planning and accountability, while also offering a confidential sounding board for ideas and issues.

Where teamwork is a component of the leadership training, we encourage group platforms such as workshops and retreats.

Where extensive training for leaders and teams is needed, an extended leadership program will give you and your team time to learn new principles, apply them in the workplace, and then review and refine for best results.

Living to Lead offers all of these, plus an innovative new option where you as a leader can lead your team through a 16-week leadership training program. We provide the tools you can take to your team for learning and application. With this option, you are learning and developing your leadership skills right along with your team. This gives you a chance to get to know your team and generate real solutions and ideas for your business.

To discuss and determine the type of leadership training and team development options that best fit you and your team, feel free to contact me at livingtolead.com/contact.

Why is this?

Here is a personal example.

Fill the void.

Step 1 creates margin.

Step 2 determines who or what fills it.

For Step 2, review your wheel of life.

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.

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.

This is why the first rung on the Leadership Ladder is “Leadership is a Priority.”

Here is the 3-Part Process of Leadership Basic Training.

1. Un-train

2. Train

3. Serve

Leadership Training Resources

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