Helene Lerner's Blog, page 155

Renee James, now President of Intel

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We have featured Renee James on our site.  But I am bringing back her advice about "Selling a Smart Risk," because it has paid off for her. Renee was recently been promoted to President.

Let Renee help you take a leap of your own—and persuade others to come along with you.

Embrace uncertainty. A challenging economic climate can be the most opportune time for risk-taking, because change can present a shift in the way things are going. What could your company be doing differently? Doing better? Consider adverse economic times an opportunity to change direction, reposition your business for growth, and come out stronger and better on the other side.

Come prepared. When you're proposing something risky or unorthodox, consider what positive outcomes could happen if all went according to plan. Next, gather information about possible downsides or unintended consequences. What is the worst-case scenario? If you end up with more negatives than you had originally thought, come up with a solid back-up plan.

Explain the possibility. You'll be better able to enlist others in your plan when you help them understand the prospect of future change. Explain to them how things could be different if they were to follow your proposed direction. Listen carefully to whatever counterarguments they offer—in some cases, they may even help you modify your initial direction.

Share your passion. Having the data and being well-prepared goes a long way toward getting others on board, but the second crucial part of persuading others is being committed to your goal. Your boss is likely going to grill you on your idea - as she should! - and if you're not passionate about it, she won't be, either. Make sure that conviction comes across.

Hear the response. Monitor the situation throughout the process, and recognize when the argument is done. If you feel like your voice has been heard but there's still no enrollment in your idea, you have to resign yourself to your leadership's point of view, even if you disagree. Over time, you'll learn when to fight and when to walk away.

Bust Stress with these Stress Breakers

. Things are always changing.  Accepting the change, rather than resisting it, will make life less stressful.

. Honor yourself by not denying what you feel.  Follow your intuitive hunches, they'll steer you in the right direction.

. Choose your battles...whether the argument is with your partner, child, parent or friend, you can't win them all. Ask yourself, "Is the issue worth the stress and energy of an argument?"

. Keep your commitments.  Integrity is linked to keeping your word and you'll rid yourself of the stress that generally accompanies the guilt of a broken commitment.

. Learn to see a situation from the other person's perspective.

. Be sure your "to do" list doesn't do you in. Set reachable goals.

. Remember, it's your reaction, not the situation that's stressful.

Never, Never, Never Give Up

Do you get discouraged easily? When you get a few no's, do you throw in the towel? Everyone needs support, and it's that extra step, reaching out to someone who believes in you and what you are trying to accomplish that can make all the difference.

Don't quit. Go the extra mile. And here are some tips to help you do that:

. Allow yourself to feel frustrated.  No one likes hearing the word "no".

. Use the "no" to spur you on--get angry if that helps.

. Reach out to an action "buddy", someone you can report your progress to.

. Acknowledge yourself for not giving up, it takes courage to keep going.

. Timing may not be on your side, but that doesn't mean to throw out the idea entirely. Make a point to revisit it in the future.

Career Coach: Create a Powerful Mastermind Group

 

No doubt you’ve heard the saying, “Two heads are better than one.” Today I’m going to share a practical way to put that idea into action.

The concept of a “Mastermind” group has been around for a long time but was popularized by author Napoleon Hill in the early 1900’s. Hill wrote that a Mastermind group is, “The coordination of knowledge and effort of two or more people, who work toward a definite purpose, in the spirit of harmony.”

You can tap into the power of a mastermind group for mutual support, ideas, inspiration, feedback and accountability. You have endless options for how to “meet” with your group (face to face, over the phone, Skype or Google + sessions, etc.).

Want to start your own Mastermind group? Here are some tips:

•Keep it small: Aim for two to six people.
•Choose your focus: Career, health, writing a book, job search, etc.
•Be consistent: Meet at the same time.
•Keep your eye on the prize: Stay on track and make it a “No Complaining” Zone (It’s okay to “vent” every now and then, but stay focused on solutions and progress.)
•Reflect regularly: set aside time each week for each person to identify:
       -Successes and “wins” from the prior week.
       -Challenges/frustrations you want to address.
(Example: After one person shares for ten minutes, the group responds for ten minutes, then moves on to the next person.)

You have enough to get started! Get your group together, and you’ll wonder why you haven’t been involved in a master mind group all along.

— Alan Allard, Career Coach

Girlometry: Funky and One of a Kind

Remember those colorful pianos from Sunday's Sing for Hope Exhibition at Lincoln Center? Here's the video we promised, featuring a unique piano design by Girlometry.

 

Martha VanEtten, Nerissa Tutiven and Katelyn Lewis make up the artist collective known as Girlometry. These young women have created a brand targeted toward empowering positive self expression for tween girls. In June 2013, Girlometry collaborated with the Sing For Hope Project, creating a unique piano which was displayed on Randall's Island. Listen to Martha and Nerissa describe Girlometry's mission and their work with Sing For Hope.

 

-Video Editor: Elena Havas

What Your Manager Wants From You

 

It’s natural to think of what you want from your company or—after all, you work hard and are a valued employee. But your manager is also thinking of what they need from you. Keep these four things top of mind and you'll know what they want:
 
·Solutions: Never take a problem to your boss unless you have at least one solution to offer. Why? If you bring up problems without solutions, you can easily be viewed as a complainer.

·Positive Feedback: Let your manager know what she is doing right and what strengths you see in her. Why? Because your manager doesn’t hear positive feedback often enough from her boss.

·Customized Communication: Some managers prefer the bullet points first and they don’t want the details unless they ask for them. Adapt how you communicate so it matches your manager's style. Why? You will have greater influence and impact.

·Explain the “Why” behind the “What”: When you make a request, frame it in the context of how it benefits your manager. Why? Address the “what’s in it for me?” and you will greatly improve the odds of getting your request approved.

 – Alan Allard, Career Coach

   

Three Rules of Office Politics

 

Many of us tend to undermine the power of politics at work. We tell ourselves that we simply will not give in to it. But choosing not to abide by these informal rules won’t change how things work. You can say it’s “Not fair” and accuse a colleague or two of being a “Brown-Noser,” (or worse) but the one who’s likely to lose out is you.

Instead of fighting it, stick to these three rules:

 

Grow up. Just because you don’t like office politics doesn’t mean you’re exempt from them. If your company promotes those who work long hours and on the weekends from home, do you really think you’re going to be the exception?

Identify the “Power Brokers.” Whether they have “earned” their titles or not is irrelevant. Its crucial that you forge useful relationships with powerful figures even if you feel that they don’t deserve to be where they are.

Fit in or move on. Every company has a culture with spoken and unspoken rules. If your company tolerates those who claim credit for what others have done, you can't do anything to change that. You have to decide if it’s a deal-breaker. If so, it’s time to move on.

It’s been said that “rules are meant to be broken.” True enough. But from years of coaching employees from the CEO down to recent college graduates, I can tell you that more often than not, trying to break these three rules will only end up breaking you.

– Alan Allard, Career Coach

Experience these Amazing Pianos

Yesterday I passed Lincoln Center in NYC, and there were a lot of pianos near the big fountains in the plaza area. They were being played by children, adults, even a dog was perched at one of the keyboards. The pianos were painted in varying designs and displayed as art. It was really quite amazing. We will be posting a video this week about three women who designed one of the pianos, stay tuned!

Enjoy these photos in the meantime.

 

 

 

Coached to Win Olympic Bronze: A Father/Daughter Story

We asked Bronze Metal winner, Jill Kintner, (2008 Olympics) about her relationship with her coach and father Peter Kintner.

Read this heart-felt interview.

 

How did you get involved in BMX (Bycyle Motocross Racing)  initially? 

Initially my brother and I were just normal kids on junky bikes riding around the neighborhood with other kids. We lived about 5 miles from a bmx track, so it was easy to ride down there. Of course our parents would watch us, picking us up when we fell. Seemed like a pretty mellow way to get exercise and have fun. Think the dog came too!  My dad took over coaching us when we were a few years into it, going every day.

 

How did having him as a coach strengthen your bond?

We had a lot of fun doing this sport. My dad was as into it as I was, so we had a really tight bond. He was a downhill skier, raced go-carts, and played tennis. He had a lot of knowledge to pass on about sports and competition, which was awesome.

How do you see his influence in yourself today?

Probably more than I could say. He was always pretty calm, never raised his voice, and was a tough competitor.

When your father passed away, how did you handle your grief and what made you compete again?

That was such a brutal time in end of 06, then 07-08. I was lost trying to cope with my grief. Riding bikes helped me be present and gave me something positive to focus on. My dad really thought I should pursue the BMX olympics, but at the time, I didn't want to switch back to BMX from mountain bikes. When he died, it took me awhile to come around, but I decided whole heartedly to qualify for him. His spirt helped me along the whole way, and the stars aligned in Beijing. I take satisfaction in knowing that he had a front row seat.

My father was and is really important to me. I dedicated the whole experience to him for a lifetime of hard work.

 

Against All Odds: Lessons from a leader who never gave up!

I watched an interview this week of Sonia Maria Sotomayor, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Talk about a hard job to land. Whether you agree with her leadership, we can all learn from here example.

It’s not where you start, it’s where you end up:
She was born in the Bronx and grew up with an alcoholic father who died when she was nine. That wasn’t easy but she never let it to limit her thinking. When she went to Princeton University there were few women students and even fewer Latinos—about twenty. According to Wikipedia, she said that being at Princeton (in the beginning) was like being "a visitor landing in an alien country." She didn’t start out at the front of the line when it came to pedigree, money or connections.

Strong beginnings don’t always have strong endings and just because we start out from behind doesn’t mean we can’t end up in a winning place.

It pays to be stubborn:

Justice Sotomayor was asked about her scholarships to both Princeton University and Yale Law School in relation to Affirmative Action. She encountered prejudice and rejection from some people who wondered why she was chosen for endowments while those with higher academic achievements were passed over. When asked how she managed to handle criticism, disappointment and rejection along the way,  she smiled and said,  “I’m probably the most stubborn person I’ve ever met.”

Being stubborn can keep us in the game when others are trying to throw us out.

Alan Allard