Just sharing...the 8 components of Self Discipline Model
1. Formulate mission statement
2. Develop role models
3. Develop goals for each task - set your 'big rock'
4. Develop action plans to achieve goals
5. Use visual and sensory simulation
6. Search for pleasure within the tasks
7. Compartmentalize spheres of life
8. Minimise excuse-making
Source: Andrew J. Dubrin
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Ask the right question! The DOs of Effective Questioning...
Have you ever left a meeting or concluded a conversation feeling that you had not handled things properly or did not get the answer you expected? If your answer is YES, then read through this.
The DOs of effective Questioning:
a. Think First
Where the time, place and person for a conversation with a purpose is known in advance. Normally, the more we think and plan the conversation, the more effective will be.
b. Think Open Question
Bring them (problem holder) to the heart of the matter...the right questions can lead to the right answer to the problem holder.
c. Avoid Leading Questions
Leading questions can be phrased in a closed or open style and are the antithesis to promoting discovery or every problem solving because they push or lead to the 'one right' answer.
e.g. " Definitely you don't have problems about out targets?"
d. Avoid logical closed alternatives
e.g. " Well, it is clear that we have to either reduce costs or increase sales. Which do you prefer?"
e. Use perceptive probing questions
A perceptice probing questions is one that you can only ask when you have become a good listener...
f. Use the right wording
g. Keep questions simple
h. Keep questions single...one at a time
i. Provide answers, when asked
j. Practice - Being an effective questioner (and listener) does not come naturally to most of us. The only way you will improve is to practice, practice, practice and practice again...
The DOs of effective Questioning:
a. Think First
Where the time, place and person for a conversation with a purpose is known in advance. Normally, the more we think and plan the conversation, the more effective will be.
b. Think Open Question
Bring them (problem holder) to the heart of the matter...the right questions can lead to the right answer to the problem holder.
c. Avoid Leading Questions
Leading questions can be phrased in a closed or open style and are the antithesis to promoting discovery or every problem solving because they push or lead to the 'one right' answer.
e.g. " Definitely you don't have problems about out targets?"
d. Avoid logical closed alternatives
e.g. " Well, it is clear that we have to either reduce costs or increase sales. Which do you prefer?"
e. Use perceptive probing questions
A perceptice probing questions is one that you can only ask when you have become a good listener...
f. Use the right wording
g. Keep questions simple
h. Keep questions single...one at a time
i. Provide answers, when asked
j. Practice - Being an effective questioner (and listener) does not come naturally to most of us. The only way you will improve is to practice, practice, practice and practice again...
Shaping the Hearts not Modifying behavior
I've just completed a follow up workshop today, with the objectives of driving high performance driven culture in the organisation. It's an organised and focused session where each and every team members sat in a team, exactly the same team they have in the respective business unit.
One of the key updates was for the team members to recall on what was their promisses to be delivered upon completion of the prime workshop. The first workshop was 5 months back which for me it's the a cool right time for the team to sit and discuss back on the outcomes.
What triggers me during the follow up session was, each and every team are so excited to present their results by putting a nice and flowery powerpoint slides. Again, that's a really a hard work to do it. It was already mentioned before the session for each team member to present the outcomes. I chose not to use powerpoint slides like others, for my team. Instead, I insisted to just showing back on what we promised to deliver and to explain and declare what we have done and the one that still yet in place!
My point is this: When we talk about high performance culture, it strongly link with the values, organisational shared values, values that a team members shall internalise and practice it. To get to this level, be it values internalisation or values practices an individuals and team must reach the followings:
a. To really understand and aware of organisational shared values
b. To agree, wholeheartedly on the values
c. To openly and honestly practice and show on the values
My other points based on the above needs, values internalisation is something that people need to respond through his/her behaviour, not reacting owing to instruction or punishment by an organisation if fails to adhere to the values.
The above expectations will only genuinely shown when people realised its importance and accepted by their hearts and mind, not by forcing or repriminding. Of course, the values are expected to be shown from people's behavioral change. But do not forget that a real behavioral changes will only happen based on individuals will....change...from their heart.
So to speak, to drive people to internalise the new shared values toward high performance culture is by shaping their heart...not modifying their behavior! by doing this, you will get a long term commitment on a high performance driven culture. Plus, avoiding a symbolic change in the organisation...and i a few months after, it lose its grip or the burning fire wont last..
One of the key updates was for the team members to recall on what was their promisses to be delivered upon completion of the prime workshop. The first workshop was 5 months back which for me it's the a cool right time for the team to sit and discuss back on the outcomes.
What triggers me during the follow up session was, each and every team are so excited to present their results by putting a nice and flowery powerpoint slides. Again, that's a really a hard work to do it. It was already mentioned before the session for each team member to present the outcomes. I chose not to use powerpoint slides like others, for my team. Instead, I insisted to just showing back on what we promised to deliver and to explain and declare what we have done and the one that still yet in place!
My point is this: When we talk about high performance culture, it strongly link with the values, organisational shared values, values that a team members shall internalise and practice it. To get to this level, be it values internalisation or values practices an individuals and team must reach the followings:
a. To really understand and aware of organisational shared values
b. To agree, wholeheartedly on the values
c. To openly and honestly practice and show on the values
My other points based on the above needs, values internalisation is something that people need to respond through his/her behaviour, not reacting owing to instruction or punishment by an organisation if fails to adhere to the values.
The above expectations will only genuinely shown when people realised its importance and accepted by their hearts and mind, not by forcing or repriminding. Of course, the values are expected to be shown from people's behavioral change. But do not forget that a real behavioral changes will only happen based on individuals will....change...from their heart.
So to speak, to drive people to internalise the new shared values toward high performance culture is by shaping their heart...not modifying their behavior! by doing this, you will get a long term commitment on a high performance driven culture. Plus, avoiding a symbolic change in the organisation...and i a few months after, it lose its grip or the burning fire wont last..
Friday, June 26, 2009
Learning from the mountain- Set a common goal!
Let me continue my story on Learning from the mountain which I have described a bit on my experience in climbing Mount Tahan.
Remember the very first step: Planning
The mount climbing project was actually an unplanned activities by a group of people among my college mate. So happenned the College Head was announcing that each student shall involve at least in one co-curricular activities to enable them to complete the college certification. In the beginning, I was stunned that a total of more than 50 activities was made available for students to choose. However, not even one of it interest me!
Then, over a supper time, we have a chat with a few closed mate on how to go about addressing this, since we share the same opinion of not joining any of the 50 activities. Rather, to propose new activity for us to do! With less than half an hour, we come into conclusion to propose the group to go for Mount Climbing which is more challenging and interesting. Apart from that, we managed to come up with a draft of proposal defining project objectives, plans and also defined members roles and responsibilities.
My finding was, the group then change to team!. Why.... because we have common interest, share the same objective and expectation, we began to talk on the same subject and we commit into it!
Back to our corporate working environment,...
Do we set a goals?
Do we share the goals among team members?
Do we involve the team members when formulating the team goals?...to get the buy in...
Does the team members understand and buy the ideas?
Do they have the same values be practice among members?
Remember the very first step: Planning
The mount climbing project was actually an unplanned activities by a group of people among my college mate. So happenned the College Head was announcing that each student shall involve at least in one co-curricular activities to enable them to complete the college certification. In the beginning, I was stunned that a total of more than 50 activities was made available for students to choose. However, not even one of it interest me!
Then, over a supper time, we have a chat with a few closed mate on how to go about addressing this, since we share the same opinion of not joining any of the 50 activities. Rather, to propose new activity for us to do! With less than half an hour, we come into conclusion to propose the group to go for Mount Climbing which is more challenging and interesting. Apart from that, we managed to come up with a draft of proposal defining project objectives, plans and also defined members roles and responsibilities.
My finding was, the group then change to team!. Why.... because we have common interest, share the same objective and expectation, we began to talk on the same subject and we commit into it!
Back to our corporate working environment,...
Do we set a goals?
Do we share the goals among team members?
Do we involve the team members when formulating the team goals?...to get the buy in...
Does the team members understand and buy the ideas?
Do they have the same values be practice among members?
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Teamwork; Learning from the Mountain...
When describing high performance, a Teamwork will always be the big agenda in the organisation regardless of its size and number of people they have. Viewing from a big picture, teamwork has its degree.
When I was in college, I love to climb a mountain together with college mate. However, only few mountain I climbed, later It became my dormant hobby..Well, as time goes by the body structure and stamina doesn't allow us to be active in this arena.
Back to the experience, the first mountain I climbed was Mount Tahan. I still remember the preparation and steps we made:
1. Planning and preparation
2. Training and learning the tools and technique
3. Final Physical and Mental Preparation
4. Climbing = Performing
5. Team and Synergy challenges
6. Celebrating Success
7. Moving forward....Parting new Milestone!
I will share with you on this blog on how teamwork was established and realized among team members on every stages. So, see you on the next blog!
When I was in college, I love to climb a mountain together with college mate. However, only few mountain I climbed, later It became my dormant hobby..Well, as time goes by the body structure and stamina doesn't allow us to be active in this arena.
Back to the experience, the first mountain I climbed was Mount Tahan. I still remember the preparation and steps we made:
1. Planning and preparation
2. Training and learning the tools and technique
3. Final Physical and Mental Preparation
4. Climbing = Performing
5. Team and Synergy challenges
6. Celebrating Success
7. Moving forward....Parting new Milestone!
I will share with you on this blog on how teamwork was established and realized among team members on every stages. So, see you on the next blog!
Engaging People
Silent is Golden.. That's one of numbers of advice from a thinkers in the line of People Management. How true is this?
Connecting People
When we talk about connecting people, there are many programs designed to improve people management. You may found it can be in the form of training, workshop, seminar or even a simulation games to develop people management.
What I have observed is, no matter how frequent we engaged with people management programs, the CHANGE will always depends on own motives to connect with people. Means, whether it is practice due to professional reasons or due to personal reasons.
Reasons why I said so because, I can still see people connects when they found similarity -I would say a genuine match, whether they have or had a same experience or same roles; role as a Father, mother, brother, sister, son/daughter, friends and so forth.
My point is, when we want to engage to people, we must explore on his/her circle of concerns, better still explore in his/her circle of influence.
The Key Points:
1. Know your Circle of Concern and Circle of Influence!
2. Know other people's concern and cirle of influence!
What I have observed is, no matter how frequent we engaged with people management programs, the CHANGE will always depends on own motives to connect with people. Means, whether it is practice due to professional reasons or due to personal reasons.
Reasons why I said so because, I can still see people connects when they found similarity -I would say a genuine match, whether they have or had a same experience or same roles; role as a Father, mother, brother, sister, son/daughter, friends and so forth.
My point is, when we want to engage to people, we must explore on his/her circle of concerns, better still explore in his/her circle of influence.
The Key Points:
1. Know your Circle of Concern and Circle of Influence!
2. Know other people's concern and cirle of influence!
The Gen Y Workplace
Welcome to the
Gen Y Workplace
Employers listen up: Raised in comfort and with the Internet, this generation expects work to have deeper
personal meaning
Gwendy Donaker, a quintessential Generation Y-er, decided to defer a prize job offer at management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. just after graduating from Pomona College in California. Instead, she went for a Fulbright fellowship and a year in Venezuela, working with a development bank on issues of sustainable development and renewable energy. A year later, Donaker, 25, joined McKinsey, but quit after three months.
"I soon realized that it just wasn't worth sacrificing two years working so hard on issues I don't care about just so the firm could pay me to go to B-school," says Donaker, who's now a full-time graduate student at New York University's Wagner school studying nonprofit management and who hopes to start an organic food and cultural center.
Does Donaker's experience offer a glimpse of how her generation will deal with work and career issues? Shockingly so, experts say. It's already being repeated at thousands of companies across the nation. It's causing hand-wringing among top executives at corporations and creating worry lines in the foreheads of deans at business schools. Companies are finding it harder to hire and retain younger people, and applications at business schools are plunging. 70 MILLION STRONG. Nick Hahn, a managing director at Vivaldi Partners, a New York consulting firm, remembers just a decade ago when he was looking for a job, how most college graduates would have given almost anything for a top-paying spot at a big-name investment bank or consulting firm. It was taken for granted that to climb the corporate ladder they would all work 80-plus-hour weeks.
That's beginning to change. Increasingly, "today, college grads ask: 'what can your firm do for me' to help them lead a more purposeful and meaningful life," says Hahn. Such a dramatic attitudinal shift toward work will have far-reaching implications for society at large. Gen Y is one of the most closely watched age groups because it's among the largest -- almost three times the size of Generation X. Born from 1977 to 1997, they're 70 million strong and are also known as echo boomers because they're the closest in population size to the 75 million baby boomers.
With both parents working and more disposable income than previous generations, Gen Y has often been branded as an overindulged, spoiled, and disengaged group that looks at the world through a prism of self interest.
Having grown up with the Internet, it's also the first generation that's completely comfortable with technology. And marketers say Gen Y'ers lack attention spans and absorb information in very short chunks.
BEYOND MATERIALISM. As the Gen Y-ers begin to marry, have families, and confront the challenges of parenting and career juggling, experts believe they'll bring radically different demands and attitudes to the workplace than did previous generations. Maria T. Bailey, CEO of marketing firm BSM Media and author of Trillion Dollar Moms, says they'll definitely work more on their own terms. She also believes that their command of technology and having experienced affluence so early in life puts them in a unique position to negotiate those demands.
Ironically, that affluence has given many of them a bad rap, especially with the conspicuous consumption associated with the likes of the Paris Hilton-Nicole Richie set. Still, for many, comfort has led to a move beyond materialism, because it means they can focus on bigger and better goals.
"They have experienced personal prosperity and already have their Coach bags, so they can now turn to social issues," says Bailey.
Others agree. This is a generation whose career choices and behavior are driven, first and foremost, by their quest for opportunities to play meaningful roles in work that helps others, say authors Bruce Tulgan and Carolyn A. Martin in their book Managing Generation Y. In essence, they want to be "paid volunteers," joining an organization not because they have to, but because they really want to, because something significant is happening there.
STRAIGHTER ARROWS. Members of this generation volunteer in their communities more than any other in American history. Teen sexual activity is on the decline, and virginity is on the rise according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Teens now form the most religious age group in the U.S., and their participation in church groups rose to 28% from 17%, while drinking among college freshmen is the lowest since 1966.
This social consciousness can be attributed to self-esteem-laced parenting, educating, and counseling of the 1990s, Tulgan and Martin say. In their book, they say Gen Y kids are responding to messages from schools, homes, and churches that they can make a difference -- from toy drives to working for better child labor laws; from supporting local recycling programs to calling for corporate ecological standards.
They've been hearing these messages repeatedly all their lives. It's little wonder that Gen Y'ers exhibit an altruism that embraces the environment, poverty, and community problems. At the same time, two life-altering events the last few years played a big role in shaping the consciousness of this
generation-- the terrorist attacks of September 11 and the shootings at Columbine and other American schools.
THE APPEAL OF ARTISTRY. Take, Ji Park, who graduated from Yale University in
2002 and worked at the bond-trading desks in Wachovia Bank and another New York brokerage. She quit earlier this year to pursue her passion -- to start a restaurant. Park, 24, is trying to learn the business from the ground up and is working in two kitchens at restaurants in Philadelphia. She hopes to join the Culinary Institute of America next year.
"It's not like I didn't like working in finance, but when I evaluated my life and thought about what I wanted my life to end up being, I knew that the corporate check just didn't compare to the artistry of being a chef,"
says Park, who has noticed that many of her peers are making similar career switches. She acknowledges that September 11 has played a role in making Gen Y a more introspective generation.
Is Corporate America ready for them and their new attitude toward work?
Heidi Locke Simon, a partner in the San Francisco office of management consulting firm Bain & Co., hears the same refrain during campus recruiting.
"Instead of a simple 100-hour week, now the model is: work 60 hours a week, devote 20 hours to nonprofit, and spend 20 hours writing a plan to start your own business," says Simon, whose firm offers employees a flexible work schedule that's individualized according to their needs.
Companies will have to respond to this as long as labor conditions remain tight. And it would be smart for executives to check in on human resources and consider rewriting a few policies to prepare for and to capture the talent of Generation Y.
By Pallavi Gogoi in New York
Edited by Beth Belton
Gen Y Workplace
Employers listen up: Raised in comfort and with the Internet, this generation expects work to have deeper
personal meaning
Gwendy Donaker, a quintessential Generation Y-er, decided to defer a prize job offer at management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. just after graduating from Pomona College in California. Instead, she went for a Fulbright fellowship and a year in Venezuela, working with a development bank on issues of sustainable development and renewable energy. A year later, Donaker, 25, joined McKinsey, but quit after three months.
"I soon realized that it just wasn't worth sacrificing two years working so hard on issues I don't care about just so the firm could pay me to go to B-school," says Donaker, who's now a full-time graduate student at New York University's Wagner school studying nonprofit management and who hopes to start an organic food and cultural center.
Does Donaker's experience offer a glimpse of how her generation will deal with work and career issues? Shockingly so, experts say. It's already being repeated at thousands of companies across the nation. It's causing hand-wringing among top executives at corporations and creating worry lines in the foreheads of deans at business schools. Companies are finding it harder to hire and retain younger people, and applications at business schools are plunging. 70 MILLION STRONG. Nick Hahn, a managing director at Vivaldi Partners, a New York consulting firm, remembers just a decade ago when he was looking for a job, how most college graduates would have given almost anything for a top-paying spot at a big-name investment bank or consulting firm. It was taken for granted that to climb the corporate ladder they would all work 80-plus-hour weeks.
That's beginning to change. Increasingly, "today, college grads ask: 'what can your firm do for me' to help them lead a more purposeful and meaningful life," says Hahn. Such a dramatic attitudinal shift toward work will have far-reaching implications for society at large. Gen Y is one of the most closely watched age groups because it's among the largest -- almost three times the size of Generation X. Born from 1977 to 1997, they're 70 million strong and are also known as echo boomers because they're the closest in population size to the 75 million baby boomers.
With both parents working and more disposable income than previous generations, Gen Y has often been branded as an overindulged, spoiled, and disengaged group that looks at the world through a prism of self interest.
Having grown up with the Internet, it's also the first generation that's completely comfortable with technology. And marketers say Gen Y'ers lack attention spans and absorb information in very short chunks.
BEYOND MATERIALISM. As the Gen Y-ers begin to marry, have families, and confront the challenges of parenting and career juggling, experts believe they'll bring radically different demands and attitudes to the workplace than did previous generations. Maria T. Bailey, CEO of marketing firm BSM Media and author of Trillion Dollar Moms, says they'll definitely work more on their own terms. She also believes that their command of technology and having experienced affluence so early in life puts them in a unique position to negotiate those demands.
Ironically, that affluence has given many of them a bad rap, especially with the conspicuous consumption associated with the likes of the Paris Hilton-Nicole Richie set. Still, for many, comfort has led to a move beyond materialism, because it means they can focus on bigger and better goals.
"They have experienced personal prosperity and already have their Coach bags, so they can now turn to social issues," says Bailey.
Others agree. This is a generation whose career choices and behavior are driven, first and foremost, by their quest for opportunities to play meaningful roles in work that helps others, say authors Bruce Tulgan and Carolyn A. Martin in their book Managing Generation Y. In essence, they want to be "paid volunteers," joining an organization not because they have to, but because they really want to, because something significant is happening there.
STRAIGHTER ARROWS. Members of this generation volunteer in their communities more than any other in American history. Teen sexual activity is on the decline, and virginity is on the rise according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Teens now form the most religious age group in the U.S., and their participation in church groups rose to 28% from 17%, while drinking among college freshmen is the lowest since 1966.
This social consciousness can be attributed to self-esteem-laced parenting, educating, and counseling of the 1990s, Tulgan and Martin say. In their book, they say Gen Y kids are responding to messages from schools, homes, and churches that they can make a difference -- from toy drives to working for better child labor laws; from supporting local recycling programs to calling for corporate ecological standards.
They've been hearing these messages repeatedly all their lives. It's little wonder that Gen Y'ers exhibit an altruism that embraces the environment, poverty, and community problems. At the same time, two life-altering events the last few years played a big role in shaping the consciousness of this
generation-- the terrorist attacks of September 11 and the shootings at Columbine and other American schools.
THE APPEAL OF ARTISTRY. Take, Ji Park, who graduated from Yale University in
2002 and worked at the bond-trading desks in Wachovia Bank and another New York brokerage. She quit earlier this year to pursue her passion -- to start a restaurant. Park, 24, is trying to learn the business from the ground up and is working in two kitchens at restaurants in Philadelphia. She hopes to join the Culinary Institute of America next year.
"It's not like I didn't like working in finance, but when I evaluated my life and thought about what I wanted my life to end up being, I knew that the corporate check just didn't compare to the artistry of being a chef,"
says Park, who has noticed that many of her peers are making similar career switches. She acknowledges that September 11 has played a role in making Gen Y a more introspective generation.
Is Corporate America ready for them and their new attitude toward work?
Heidi Locke Simon, a partner in the San Francisco office of management consulting firm Bain & Co., hears the same refrain during campus recruiting.
"Instead of a simple 100-hour week, now the model is: work 60 hours a week, devote 20 hours to nonprofit, and spend 20 hours writing a plan to start your own business," says Simon, whose firm offers employees a flexible work schedule that's individualized according to their needs.
Companies will have to respond to this as long as labor conditions remain tight. And it would be smart for executives to check in on human resources and consider rewriting a few policies to prepare for and to capture the talent of Generation Y.
By Pallavi Gogoi in New York
Edited by Beth Belton
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Leading your team towards high performance
To lead your team towards high performance, avoid being a chief. Play your role as a Coach. Coach your people for result. Coaching for improvement, reinforcement and Coaching for results.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)