Tag Archives: Demp Coaching

Too Few Accomplish Twice as Much as Too Many

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“Too few accomplish twice as much as too many.”

—Malcolm Forbes, Publisher of Forbes Magazine

“The more the merrier” may be a great strategy for a party or special occasion, however this approach can have considerable drawbacks.

Consider the times you had to make an important decision by committee. How did it go? How long did it take? What were the results?

I am all for the idea of people participating in that which they create. My experience in coaching executive leadership groups and project teams leads me to believe that keeping the group to only those essential participants, the better.

EXERCISE:

Choose a high-priority personal project. Then, limit the group working on it to the vital few.

Feel free to reply to this post and let me know what happens to your level of productivity and effectiveness.

A Lot of TRY

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“In every triumph there’s a lot of Try.”

—Frank Tyger, late editorial cartoonist

One definition of the word triumph is, “being victorious in a noteworthy achievement, or a level of exultation and joy over generalized success.”

It is also associated with winning and prevailing in some significant challenge, gaining mastery, rejoicing, and celebration.

In 1965, there was an ad touting, “Put a tiger in your tank,” promising optimal acceleration and performance if you used Esso Gasoline. Trying is the proverbial tiger in your tank, to boost you to new levels of achievement.

EXERCISE:

Where and how can you take Frank Tyger’s coaching and put more “try” into your personal and professional efforts towards triumphs in your life?

If You Think You’re Tops

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“If you think you’re tops, you won’t do much climbing.”

—Arnold Glasow, 20th Century American Businessman

In his 2001 classic business book, Good To Great, Jim Collins and his team of researchers found distinct patterns of behavior that drove leading companies to excel.

One key characterization was Level 5 Leadership, demonstrated by:

  • Extreme personal humility
  • Intense professional will
  • Shunning the spotlight of celebrity
  • Channeling ambition toward the goal of building something great
  • Setting up others for success
  • Consistent, diligent effort and honesty

EXERCISE:

How would the development and engagement of your own Level 5 Leadership efforts keep you climbing? How would it support your personal and professional “Good to Great” journey?

 

Friday Review: Priorities

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FRIDAY REVIEW: PRIORITIES

What are your priorities? How do you prioritize your priorities? Here are a few priority-related posts you may have missed. Click the links to read the full message.

 

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule but to schedule your priorities.”

 

 

“The essence of self discipline is to do the important thing rather than the urgent thing.”

 

 

 

“My brain has too many tabs open.”

 

 

 

 

 

Act Nothing in Furious Passion

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“Act nothing in furious passion. It’s putting to sea in a storm.”

—Thomas Fuller, 15th Century English historian

Image of a boat in rough waters

Image from SafeHavenMarine

Except for the Coast Guard and maybe a few king crab fishermen, no one in their right mind would intentionally go to sea in a storm.

Being “lost at sea” in a toxic relationship is something we all want to avoid.

Stormy relationships, personally and professionally, are often the result of disagreements that rarely work out well for either party. You can see this destructive force in action with a quick look at the great wars, and even our current political state of affairs.

EXERCISE:

Consider the thought, “When Furious, Get Curious” to work out any stormy disagreements to navigate toward calmer seas.

How Can I Help

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“How Can I Help?”

—Author Unknown

Graphic showing today's Quote

Being helpful and serving others is one of the most satisfying ways to spend our days. Such acts give our days meaning and purpose.

Unfortunately, our efforts to help and serve others do not always result in positive outcomes and the appreciation we hope to receive.

Why do so many of us get this wrong by solving other’s problems, providing advice, or doing the job ourselves?

The quick answer is that our authentic gesture was not seen in the light of helpfulness we intended.

EXERCISE:

Consider the direct approach of asking others, “How can I help?”  This will allow you to see through their lens of contribution and hit the bulls-eye of helpfulness every time.

Initiative is to Success

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“Initiative is to success what a lighted match is to a candle.”

—Orlando A. Battista, 20th-Century Canadian-American chemist & author

Image of a lit match

Image from Flickr by Rob Howard

Today’s quote suggests that initiative can be a spark of life, leading us to a brighter future.

What, for you, is the value and importance of getting the ball rolling on your key professional and personal priorities, rather than taking a laid-back, “wait and see” approach?

Many hesitate, thinking, “What if it doesn’t work?” or “What if I embarrass myself and look foolish in taking such a risk?”

If you have these thoughts, consider instead what it would be like if it worked out just as you hoped. What is the likelihood you would wish you had taken the initiative sooner?

EXERCISE:

Where are you currently hesitating or procrastinating on an important matter in your life? What act of initiative that supports a brighter future will you take within the next 24 hours?

What Seemed Best Each Day

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“I have simply tried to do what seemed best each day, as each day came.”

—Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States

image of the ocean with today's quote superimposed

A state of calm centeredness came over me when I read today’s quote. My first thought was “I can do that!”

Many of us experience overwhelm in the enormity of all that must be done in our lives. Far too often we are exhausted by the end of the day, and frustrated by not having achieved what we intended. We then add insult to injury by throwing in our own negative commentary.

Alternatively, being satisfied with our best, which can differ from day to day, grants a peaceful and accepting sense of our humanity, and what Brené Brown would call the “Gifts of Imperfection.”

EXERCISE:

How would taking your life one day at a time, doing your best regardless of what happens, be the source of a happier and more fulfilling life?

Friday Review: Resourcefulness

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FRIDAY REVIEW: RESOURCEFULNESS

How resourceful are you? Here are a few resourcefulness-related posts you may have missed. Click the links to read the full message.

“The highest reward for a person’s toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it.”

 

 

 

“I not only use the brains I have, I use all the brains I can borrow.”

 

 

 

 

“I’m no longer sure what the question is, but I do know that that answer is ‘Yes.’”

 

 

 

 

He can Compress the Most Words

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“He can compress the most words into the smallest ideas better than any man I ever met.”

—Abraham Lincoln, referring to a lawyer

Image saying "Effective Communication = big ideas expressed in small words"

How would you like to be the one talked about in today’s quote?

In a world in which efficient and effective communication is paramount to keeping up with or staying ahead of the pack, this characteristic won’t do.

One of my clients is an expert in the area of cyber-security. He has an amazing ability to communicate big and important ideas on this complex subject in simple, everyday language we can all understand. As you might guess, he has a line of people at his door, hoping he can help them navigate their cyber-security minefields.

EXERCISE:

What changes can and will you make in your communication efforts to pack the biggest ideas into the smallest word packages to better realize the levels of achievement and success you desire?