 |
|
A Production of Character of Excellence, LLC |
|
|
|
In This Issue:
|
January 2005
|
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
A Note from our
President . . .
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
Public Seminars and
Workshops
|
|
|
|
•
|
From our Bookshelves
. . .
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
•
|
Being an Architect
of Your Success
|
|
|
|
•
|
Look Who is Getting
POP'd!
|
|
|
|
|
|
It is a lesson that, over time, has been said a number of different ways . . . you become what you surround yourself with. Despite the fact that most of us can pinpoint evidence of this phenomenon in our own lives, those of us with a real streak of independence are somewhat resistant to the idea that we could be that easily influenced.
Nevertheless, this simple lesson is at the heart of our concerns as parents (in terms of what our children are being exposed to) and should be at the heart of our concerns as leaders. In his writings on leadership, John C. Maxwell shares a simple “law” of leadership: Your development as a leader is influenced by what you read, what you listen to, and, most importantly, the people that you choose to surround yourself with. You can either be your own architect of leadership success (i.e.: consciously selecting those you surround yourself with) or you can just let life, and your leadership development, happen.
Based on Maxwell’s work, we give clients a semi-structured way to evaluate the people they keep in their “inner circles.” In essence, the exercise asks, “Do these people build you up and create positive forward motion or do they live a life, or have practices, which are in opposition to your beliefs and goals?" Be assured that over time you will be influenced by their beliefs and practices . . . either positively or negatively. It is subtle and may creep up on you, but it is also very real and very powerful.
Our team also considers this “law” on a broader organizational level so we continue to work hard to identify and create alliances with other professionals who think and operate with similar beliefs and goals. For example, included in our inner circle are:
CPP, Inc.
- CPP is the publisher of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) as well as a number of other prominent assessment instruments. CPP products are used by 89 of the Fortune 100 companies. While we have always had a relationship with CPP, we have recently formalized that relationship in becoming the primary delivery arm, domestically, for training and consulting related to CPP products. We are so pleased to add CPP to our inner circle and look forward to possibilities this alliance will create.
Maximum Impact
— Maximum Impact is focused upon practical delivery of leadership training, consulting, and coaching based upon the work of best-selling leadership author and speaker, Dr. John C. Maxwell. We have been a business affiliate of Maximum Impact’s since late 2003, and both our consultants and our clients love the new thought and influence that this partnership brings.
EWF International® — Through peer advisory groups called Forums, EWF International® provides an environment where women business owners and executives confidentially discuss the real business issues that challenge them. EWF International® works with over 70 organizations that employ over 35,000 people and generate annual revenues of $21 billion. We are pleased to be their new delivery arm for the training and consulting needs of the executive forum members. We look forward to providing great things to our clients through our alliance with them.
Hopefully all of this talk about inner circles has you thinking about your own. Certainly our company’s growth, direction, and practices will be influenced by the three alliances above as well as other important partnerships that we have not outlined in this article. Who have you chosen for your personal and your organizational inner circle? Are you letting your own development just “go with the flow” or are you being a deliberate architect of your success?
Kerri Kearney
Senior Organizational Development Consultant
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
As reported in the recently published book,
How Full is Your Bucket?, a Gallup study found that focusing on strengths of employees resulted in a 29% increase in productivity. Focusing on "weaknesses" resulted in a negative impact on productivity. This really caught our attention because it is additional “evidence” of the power of an organizational development approach called appreciative inquiry.
In many American organizations, we are trained from the time of entry to focus on the problem, do a root cause analysis, identify the issues, etc. Most of our clients are so “programmed” with this approach that they initially have difficulty grasping a different approach . . . to focus on the strengths we have around a challenge . . . to try to get a better grip on the instances where someone is doing something “right” in spite of the “problems.” It simply goes against our training to focus on the positive instead of attacking the problems head on.
Using a simple metaphor of a dipper and a bucket,
How Full is Your Bucket?
gives simple, easy to understand evidence of why a focus on our strengths works to resolve the problems. We recommend this book. It uses 40 years of study, much of it associated with the Gallup organization, to show why this approach works in business, marriage, and other aspects of life.
And, if you now have curiosity about how these concepts might be used as a powerful and practical tool in your organization, check out any of the appreciative inquiry books . . . just search one of the online bookstores for David Cooperrider and you’ll find a wealth of resources. If you want to talk further, just let us know. This is one of our favorite topics!
Thanks to Skip Centioli of HSBC, Portland, OR, for suggesting How Full is Your Bucket?
Authors: Tom Rath and Donald Clifton
Hardcover, 128 pages
Gallup Press, August 10, 2004
Related online resource: www.bucketbook.com
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
This e-letter is a
quarterly production
of Character of
Excellence, LLC
(877-263-2761). It
is disbursed only to
voluntary
subscribers and
others who have
requested it.
Although we hope you
will never use it,
an opportunity to
unsubscribe is
provided with every
mailing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
