Phillip Van Hooser's Blog: Build Performance Blog, page 14

Strategic Plans Beat Hope

There’s a note written on a map hanging above my desk. The familiar quote reads: “Hope is NOT a strategy.” The note hangs there, prominently displayed. And serves as my constant reminder that as a leader, I can’t afford to simply “wait” and “hope” good things happen. It is the responsibility of any proactive leader to “plan” and “work” to make sure good things happen. So let’s explore the importance of strategic plans for leadership effectiveness.

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When was the last time you focused on your strategic plans? It’s unfortunate, but too few professionals ever seem to find the time. And fewer still seem inclined to systematically plan their personal leadership strategy or the activities necessary to make that strategy a reality.

Non-Planners Are Easy to Spot

Those with no strategic plans among us are easy to spot. They reveal their shortcomings through statements like these.

“Well, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Or: “Don’t worry, time will tell.”

But this is my personal favorite: “We’ll just cross that bridge when we get to it!”

Don’t be lured into such short-sighted thinking. Simple-minded statements such as these are comfortable cop outs. And they are completely unsuitable and inappropriate the conscientious leader.

The fact is we don’t have to “wait and see.” Instead, we can make strategic plans to get us where we want to be.

Yes, “time will tell.” It will tell if we planned our work and worked our strategic plans effectively.

Finally, we certainly will “cross certain bridges” along the route of our professional journey. But the wisest leaders plan their routes carefully.  They work to anticipate and avoid as many of the unnecessary obstacles and detours along the way, as possible.

Hoper or Planner?

So what about you? It’s honesty check time. Are you a “planner” or a “hoper”?

If you recognize a need to be more intentional in your strategic planning, I have two commonsense ideas for you to consider.

First, have you established a crystal clear perspective for your strategic plans? Perspective is attained by knowing what’s to be done; by whom and when completion can be expected. Really! It’s that simple.

Make Strategic Plans for This

Every organization needs rock solid plans for:

productivity and profitability
resource allocation
organizational culture
and social responsibility

Likewise, every individual leader can benefit from plans for:

physical and emotional health and well-being
financial stability
professional acuity
and spiritual significance

So, there’s no lack of options. And it’s not really that hard to plan. Once you know what needs to be planned, the most difficult part is just getting started. So, commit to get started today.

(These 4 questions will find you the starting point for your personal strategic leadership development.)

Progress vs Plan

Second, once your plans are in place, establish a system for tracking your performance progress regularly. I suggest at least weekly. Planning should never be an end unto itself. Planning is done so that performance can be enhanced. And to make sure you’re making progress, never forget that old management axiom:

“That which gets measured gets done!”

So dust off your notes and materials from all those past classes and seminars you’ve attended. Yes, the ones you never got around to doing anything with.

Design a chart, initiate a log, develop a checklist or conduct inspections. Whatever tool you choose, put it to use measuring your progress against your plan. Observable progress tends to stimulate continued activity.

Now… it’s time to get started working your plan!

Does Your Team Need Help Planning + Executing? Let’s Talk How to Do It Better.

#hopeisnotastrategy #strategicplans #strategicplanning #workyourplan #planyourwork

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Increase Productivity by Doing This

Increase productivity and create a more positive employee engagement experience by setting boundaries. Boundaries are not bad — they’re best!

Increase Productivity by Doing This
Setting boundaries when it comes to communication within the workplace is essential to creating an environment that breeds productivity AND a positive culture. Increased productivity benefits are obvious and speak for themselves. A positive culture within an organization has less clearly visible results, but directly affects employee attitude and performance, as well as, high-performing employee recruitment and retention rates. To achieve these positive benefits, make sure you’re setting boundaries effectively. If not, your boundaries may backfire.

Communication Boundaries
How many days have gone by where you come into the office (onsite or remote) with a list of what you need to accomplish, only to realize that by quitting time, there’s still much left undone on your list? There’s only so much time in the day for each of us to accomplish what’s needed. In order to increase productivity for yourself and your team, I’ve experienced that clear communication boundaries are critical.

Think about all the ways we communicate in the office and online. Here’s several:

-email,
-phone call,
-voicemail,
-text,
-online chat,
-office drop-ins,
-a stop in the hallway, etc.!

Communication boundaries help you plan your day by communicating with everyone else when/where/how to best communicate with you AND when/where/how they can expect you to communicate with them.

Effective Boundaries
Effective boundaries are positive for those on all sides.

One example of an effective communication boundary would be setting an expectation on email response times. What could this look like?

Boundary Example: Emails received before lunchtime should be responded to before lunchtime. Emails sent after lunchtime and before the end of the day should be responded to before the recipient leaves work for the day. Emails received overnight and/or over the weekend should be responded to before lunchtime on the next working day. If you are unable to meet this expectation, you must set an autoresponder to communicate when the person should expect a response from you. 

Creating a boundary in this way allows the sender to not feel like they have to constantly be checking their email which will allow them to focus more on the task at hand — uninterrupted — therefore increasing productivity. On the other hand, this boundary keeps senders from wondering, worrying, or whining about why someone has not responded to an email yet.

I’ll say it again, effective boundaries are positive for those on all sides.
Boundaries that Backfire
I’ve seen boundaries backfire too many times. Oftentimes this happens when a person sets a boundary with only their own best interest in mind. What could this look like?

Example: Let’s continue with the idea of setting boundaries around email.

Anna leads a team. Anna goes on vacation and sets an autoresponder that she is out of the office for the week and adds an emergency contact if needed. While on vacation, Anna’s team continues to email her as normal, as different needs/information come up, in order to manage their own productivity and effectiveness. The team knows Anna is on vacation and assumes she will check and respond to her email once she returns to work.

Anna continues checking her email while on vacation and feels the need to respond. Mid-vacation, Anna is frustrated by the emails she continues to receive and chooses to set a boundary — one that ends up backfiring on her. Anna sends a sharp email to the entire team stating they should not email her while she is on vacation. After reading the email, the entire team now has a very bad taste in their mouth for Anna. Tensions rise. Drama begins. Anna returns to work post-vacation with much more than just emails she must deal with.

Anna’s boundary backfired. Why?

First, Anna did not communicate with her team how she preferred to be, or not to be, contacted on vacation. She simply set an autoresponder that said the was OOO (out of office). So, her team continued their regular communication. Anna assumed the auto-responder was enough to communicate her expectation. Anna’s team assumed Anna’s auto-responder was set so she could stop checking email until she returned to work. Different expectations, not clearly communicated, most often leads to issues.

Secondly, effective boundaries must benefit both parties. Anna did not seem to consider why her team may be emailing her while she was on vacation — they were simply making sure they didn’t leave anything undone and were able to move on to the next task. Anna suddenly setting a boundary that no one was allowed to email her while she was OOO seemed selfish to her team.

People don’t want selfish leaders, they want selfless leaders. You can be a selfless leader and avoid backfiring boundaries when you make sure the boundary benefits people on all sides and is communicated early and fully.
Increase Productivity with Solid Boundaries

Boundaries are not bad, they’re best — but only when established correctly. By considering everyone’s needs and clearly, definitively, and consistently communicating the newly set boundary, you can lead yourself and your team to more positive results.

As a leader, what boundaries around communication can you begin discussing with your team so that everyone’s productivity and workplace experience is positively affected?



Need improved leadership results?  Our team can help. Let’s talk.

#productivity #boundaries #employeeperformance #leadershipperformance #companyculture

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Significant Emotional Event & The Impact on Your Employees

After the significant emotional event of COVID-19, employees coming back to work may feel and act differently. What should leaders be doing? Consider this.

Significant Emotional Event & The Impact on Your Employees

I don’t remember a lot of things about my college years. After all, it’s been a long time! When I was a student back in the 1970s, I was introduced to a number of concepts that were new to me. But I have never forgotten one concept that was introduced way back then.

Who Are You?

It was espoused by Dr. Morris Massey, a marketing professor and sociologist. Dr. Massey said you are, we are, human beings are what we were when we were eight years old.

He held that an individual’s personality, values, motivation and fears, for the most part, are locked in based on what they’d experienced up to about eight years of age.

So think about for a second. My mother grew up in the Depression years of the 1930s, and that certainly impacted her for the balance of her life.

I know a number of people who were in their youth during Pearl Harbor and World War II. And that certainly impacted them.

Others may be thinking about the 1960s and the assassination of John K. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King. And how a country’s innocence was lost.

Or maybe for the Millennials among us, it was 9-11 that most impacted our values, concerns, hopes, and our anxieties.

All those were situations that may have impacted someone back when they were eight years old.

And What’s Happened?

But you may be thinking, “I’m long past my eighth birthday. So for good or for bad, my die is cast.”

Well, maybe. But there is one other concept Dr. Massey espoused that you should consider.

Dr. Massey said we are basically who we were when we were eight years old except for one exception. He called it an “S.E.E.”, or a significant emotional event.

He said individuals who experience a significant emotional event, at any age, may change their foundational belief or value system. In other words, it is possible for a deeply significant, emotional event to what we believe and how we act. Significant emotional events have the power to change us.

And that’s pretty impressive.

Now, Massey said SEEs aren’t limited to events. SEEs can be anything that tap into an individual’s emotions. For example, a book, a movie, or a relationship.

I’m Not Who I Once Was

So why do I bring this up? Because as I’m writing this, it’s been about 125 days since America (and the world) was rocked by COVID-19. Almost literally over night, people’s lives changed. They were arrested in their thinking. Many were taken out of the workplace. And they were put in solitary confinement in their homes. These disrupting forces happened so quickly, people couldn’t process or plan for what might be the ultimate reality.

And why is that so important for me to share it with you today? Because one of these days, those employees are going to be coming back to work. Maybe they already have.  And they may not be the same person that left 100 plus days ago.

You see, the experience of COVID-19 is different for every person. So this experience may prove to be the significant emotional event that changes your employees.

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For example, an employee may no longer want to be a part of a team in a physical location. They feel more comfortable being separated and isolated from that team. Or they may not be quite so gregarious anymore. Some may not be ready to interact and engage other people so quickly.

It’s not because they’re bad people. In short, it’s because they’ve had a significant emotional event. And that significant emotional event is something they’re trying to process. They are, I am, maybe even you are. (Use these tips to help your employees lower their stress…and yours.)

What Can I Do to Help?

So what is my advice to leaders today? Well, it’s basically the same advice that I’ve given leaders for a long time. Get to know your followers. If you really want to know what motivates your followers, know your follower.

In other words, spend time with them, talking and listening to them. Observe them and work to figure out what is driving their behavior.

And frankly, it shouldn’t be that hard. Because what’s on a person’s mind normally comes out of their mouth or shows in their behavior.

Now I’m not here to tell you how to do it. Because if I did, I’d be wrong many times. Why? Because people process information, circumstances, and situations very differently.

In short, we have to get to know our employees. Spend time and interact with all of them. As a result, we can discover their values, fears and motivation and respond appropriately.

You are what you were when. But you are also what you are now based on all the you’ve experienced. As a leader, we have to continue to recognize that our employees are changing. And as a result, so must we.

Keep Your Employees Engaged, Motivated & Committed to Your Cause. We Show You How.

#employeemotivation #employeeengagement #postcovidworkplace #leadership #engagedleadership #engagedemployees

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Don’t Call People Out. Instead, Do This!

Many are quick to call people out. As a leader, every word you say matters. If you want your people to perform better, instead of calling people out, call them up…then watch them rise.

Don’t Call People Out. Instead, Do This!

Sure, there are a few outliers, but in general, most people reach for what is expected of them. Think about children…if their parent’s firm expectation is that they graduate from school, then most likely they will strive to meet that expectation. Think about employees…if the firm expectation is that they show up at 8:00 a.m., then most of them will strive to meet that expectation.

As human beings, we long to please. As leaders, it’s important that you pause before you call people out. It’s likely better if you call them up. Here’s what I mean…

Call Out

Hear me carefully, leaders must address employee issues in the workplace. My point here is that leaders must do it the right way if they want employee performance to actually improve in the future.

One way to address issues it to call people out. For example, Rachel is a good employee. She completes an assigned project, turns the final draft in, and you find incorrect data within it. You call Rachel into your office. You’re frustrated. You point out the incorrect work and tell her it is completely unacceptable performance. Ultimately, Rachel’s feelings are hurt. She returns to her desk embarrassed. She is unsure of where she stands with you now. She goes home and discusses the situation with friends and family. She decides to either:

1-Put her head down and keep going at work because she needs the job, all while never improving her performance much to speak of.

— or —

2- She decides to look for other employment opportunities.

Either way, it’s a loss for you. Rachel is a good employee.

Calling people out, even when done in private, if not handled extremely carefully can leave a leader with declining employee performance, or worse, in the future. Avoid the mistake of calling people out. Instead, call them up.

Call Up

Again, leaders should never avoid confronting the truth and dealing with issues. However, there is a right way and a wrong way to do it.

We know that people, in general, are inclined to rise to meet expectations. So, instead of calling people out, call them up.

Using the same situation in the above example of Rachel…instead of bringing her into your office and calling her out on what she did wrong and why it is unacceptable, try calling her up. Tell the story of the expectation you have…the bright future you see and believe for her. When you paint that picture in her head, she will know in that moment and when she returns to her desk, exactly where she stands with you as her leader. From there, she will likely work to meet that expectation even more. Once you’ve called her up, show her how her mistake could keep her from reaching the goal. Finish by offering your help in whatever way she needs.

Leaders who focus on calling people up, empower employees to improve their performance!

Little Changes, Massive Difference

You are only as successful as the people you lead. It doesn’t take much to flip the script on your future as a leader — it could be as simple as calling up versus calling out. The words you say, no matter how small it may seem, make a massive difference in how your employees feel about your leadership. By choosing to call people up — instead of calling them out — employees will learn to trust you, respect you, and become more loyal to you.  Trust, respect, and loyalty…that’s a recipe for leadership success!

 

Need your leadership team to perform better?  I can help. Let’s talk.

 

#leadership #leadershipdevelopment #emergingleaders #leadershiptips #dothisnotthat #callpeopleup #inspiringleaders

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Independence Day Reflections

Independence Day Reflections

It could be argued there has never been an Independence Day in American history like Independence Day 2020. America is feeling the constraints of a deadly virus unlike anything known to our generation. Economic turmoil is affecting businesses and workers throughout our land.  Political consensus and decorum have largely been abandoned in favor of accusations and intrigue, finger pointing and blame placing. Civic demonstrations and social unrest — both peaceful and violent — have occupied the streets of large cities and rural hamlets.

No wonder many question aloud, Has it ever been this bad?

The First Independence Day

244 years ago, the quest for America’s future, freedom and independence hung in the balance. On April 19, 1775, first blood was spilled at Lexington and Concord during the first skirmish of the Revolutionary War. In the following months, American colonists faced hardship after hardship. Their land was occupied by a superior and well-equipped force.

Their desire for freedom was clear. But it would require brave men to stand strong for their families, friends, neighbors and countrymen and women. The conflict intensified and the burden became more cumbersome. Then on July 2, 1776, General George Washington, Commander In Chief of the Continental Army wrote: “The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and conduct of this army.”

American “soldiers” of the day, according to historian and author, David McCullough in his book, 1776, were actually “…men of every shape, size and color, farmers, schoolteachers, shoemakers, no-accounts and mere boys turned soldiers.” 

McCullough observed: “The darkest hours of that tumultuous year were as dark as any Americans have known.  …(the year) 1776 is a powerful testimony to how much is owed to a rare few in that brave founding. …and what a miracle it was that things turned out as they did.”

A Call for Patriots Then…and Now

The months following America’s Declaration of Independence required an unwavering “call to arms.” Not only for citizen soldiers, but for each and every American patriot. In the December 1776 issue of his publication, Common Sense, Thomas Paine wrote: “…These are the times that try men’s souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country: but he that stands now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”

I am but one person. But I wish to stand for the good and the sacrifice which has secured our freedom. Today I prepare to acknowledge and celebrate Independence Day 2020. But I realize the burdens are heavy for many of my family, friends and countrymen and women.

Despite the current anxiety I feel regarding the physical wellbeing of my neighbors and the frustration I feel regarding current political affairs. Even though I feel isolated and separated from family and friends and I feel pain for brothers and sisters who have been marginalized because of their skin color. Despite of all this, I remain thankful for a country who has its children rise up to acknowledge, defend and celebrate the freedoms we enjoy.

May God continue to bless the United States of America.

Phillip Van Hooser

#independenceday2020 #independenceday #1776 #commonsense #godblesstheusa

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Elevate Performance

Need elevate performance of the leaders in your workplace? This tool will help your leadership team elevate its game and achieve more.

Elevate Performance of Your Leadership Team!

Van Hooser Associates is excited to offer ANOTHER leadership tool for your team! And this one helps you elevate performance of the leaders in your workplace!

Alyson Van Hooser’s new book, LEVEL UP: Elevate Your Game & Crush Your Goals released on June 16, 2020. The book continues to climb the charts. And is currently at #24 on New Releases in the Motivational Management & Leadership and Business Motivation & Self Improvement categories on Amazon!

So you’re wondering what Alyson’s book is all about? And it’s a good question! Watch this.

Who Needs to Elevate Performance?

First, this book is written for those leaders looking to elevate their approach to performance and motivation.

And it’s also for the young professional entering the workforce with big dreams. The ones who want to know exactly what it takes to advance in their career.

Anyone who wants more out of life but just hasn’t been able to make the shift to take control of their future — LEVEL UP is for them!

LEVEL UP gives leaders at all levels valuable information and insights into raising their game. And ultimately, helps them break through barriers to crush goals!

Now, to elevate performance across your leadership team, get copies of LEVEL UP by contacting hello@vanhooser.com today!

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Key to Success

In previous posts, I shared two important elements of success: 1) knowledge with understanding and 2) skills with application. But I stated very clearly there are at least three elements necessary to success. Not one, not two, but three things an individual needs to realize his or her full potential as it relates to the success they desire. So what is this remaining key to success? Let’s take a look.

Key to Success

The truth is knowing (understanding) and doing (skills) are exceptionally important in any venture. But consider this. We’ve all lived long enough to see different circumstances and situations. We’ve seen people be successful. And we’ve seen people be unsuccessful. We’ve also seen a lot of people somewhere in between, trying to figure out which they were.

Have you ever experienced an individual who had great knowledge? They understood well the topic in which they were supposedly the expert or desiring to be successful. And they also had the skills to apply that knowledge in the real world. They’re well on their way, right? And yet they flame out. They have great potential, great possibilities, a great start. But it just never really happens.

To me, this is one of the saddest commentaries about individuals and individual performance and potential, “Oh, what could have been? She had so much potential. He had so many opportunities. They were so good at… And yet they didn’t take what they knew or what they could do — they just wasted the opportunity.”

Missing the Key to Success

So what’s the missing key to success in a situation such as that? I believe it’s the third element of success. The third element or key to success is very simply “attitude.” Or if you prefer, “desire.” Their desire, or lack of it, would not get them over the hump. Their attitude would not allow them or even force them to go that next extra mile. Attitude is the key to elevating performance and success. Desire leads them to apply their knowledge and skills to realize the success that’s available.

So why is that? Some experts will tell us the answer is in our brains. I happen to believe that.

But for many people, they fight with themselves more than they fight with the environment. They can’t imagine themselves going further than they’ve already gone. Or imagine turning loose of something they have as they reach for something they don’t have. They can’t imagine themselves, unfortunately, making the sacrifices necessary to be successful.

But some do, hopefully you do.

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Success Requires Commitment

For us to be successful, for us to accomplish our goals and objectives, for us to realize our full potential, we have to want it. And we have to want it so bad that we not only see it, we not only prepare ourselves for it, we not only work for it, but that we commit ourselves to it.

A commitment requires all kinds of things, among them — time and energy, effort. It oftentimes requires sacrifice. And maybe even a little pain along the way. But the point is very simply this: If our desire to be successful is so great that we’re willing to take what we know and what we can do and commit our attitude and desire to it, then success can be a reality, not a pipe dream. Very little can stand in our way.

It may seem too simple. But if you look back on circumstances and situations in your own life, or if you talk to someone close to you who’s been successful in his or her life, just do a little analysis. Ask them or ask yourself what was the key to success? What happened along the way that allowed me to go from where I was to ultimately where I wanted to be?  To realize success along the way?

I’ll bet you will find 1) you had the knowledge and understanding necessary to take you from point A to point success. 2) You developed and applied the skills that were required at every stage along the way. And 3) through the process of it all, you were focused on staying true to the goal. You kept your eye on the prize. You made the commitment — even the sacrifices — necessary to go from where you were to where you ultimately wanted to be.

Goals Will Change You

I believe this:

Goals change the way you think.

Goals change the way you act.

Goals change the way you are.

My question to you is this. Are your goals in keeping with who you are and what you want? And if they are, are you willing to acquire the knowledge, acquire the skills and continue to focus on the attitude and desire necessary to be successful?

If the three of those are in concert, one with the other, I have every confidence that success is in your reach. You have found the key to success!

Book Recommendation

Success and growth are often uncomfortable. But if you want to shift the trajectory of your life in your favor, I highly recommend the book,  LEVEL UP: Elevate Your Game & Crush Your Goals. LEVEL UP will show you the secrets and the exact steps required to gain respect, increase opportunity, harness the power to crush your goals and own your success! 

#keytosuccess #elementsofsuccess #successtips #successprinciples #goalschangeyou #goalsetting #attitudeiskey #philvanhooser #commitment

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The Second Element of Success

In a recent post I responded to a question posed: “Does all this change we are going through change the formula for success?” I shared my belief that, regardless what changes around us, three elements of success will not change. The first element of success is knowledge — knowing and understanding your area of interest or endeavor. Today, let’s explore the second element: skill with application.

The Second Element of Success

There are certain foundational truths — each an element of success — I believe we can cling to and employ to confidently move us from where we are to where we want to be. In particular, there are three things that are necessary for an individual to be successful. Have one or two of the elements, and you may be frustrated because success is not happening the way you had envisioned it. So having all three elements are critical.

The first element of success is knowledge with understanding — more about that here. Assuming that you’ve already committed  to acquiring knowledge and information suitable to help you move forward toward your success goals, the second element of success that needs to be acquired is skill.

Skills Plus Application

Skill. Not only must you know and understand what needs to be done, but you must also be able to “do it.” You have to have the skills necessary to perform, the skills necessary to progress, the skills necessary to experience the successes that you are searching for or desiring.

With regard to the first element of success, I said knowledge equals understanding. I’ll make a similar corollary: “skills equal application.” Ask yourself this question. Do you know someone who has great knowledge and great understanding of a particular discipline? Something that they wish to be successful in, yet their success goals are thwarted because they really don’t possess the skills to be able to accomplish that which they’re desiring?

There are many people who would love to be a professional musician, but they don’t have the skill of singing or playing an instrument. They have the knowledge, they can read music. They have a good ear, they know what they like. But they haven’t dedicated themselves to developing the skill necessary to being a musician. Could the same could be true in your chosen endeavor?

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3 Necessary Leadership Skills

I get this question a lot. Are there foundational skills that are necessary to be a leader? I say, absolutely! I don’t care whether you’re leading in the social realm, the professional realm, the theological realm, or in the educational realm. It really makes no difference. If we’re going to be successful as a leader, there are certain foundational skills that are necessary.

The skill of planning, the skill of communicating, and the skill of execution.

Planning — Knowing what the first step, second step, third step, should be in terms of us moving toward our goal or objective.
Communicating — Being able to communicate that goal because others are going to help us along the way, and if we can’t communicate or haven’t communicated what our goals in, how can they step in and help? In fact, they may actually hinder us because they’re assuming they know.
Execution — Being able to understand the process required and to take actions necessary to accomplish a desired objective.

While these three skills are an example of what skills you might identify and apply toward your ultimate goal of being successful, I would argue that almost any of your goals would benefit by developing the skills of planning, communicating and execution.

Skill with application is the second element of success. But for me, the third element of success is unquestionably the most important. In my next post, I’ll share the most critical element of success!

#elementofsuccess #skillwithapplication #planning #communicating #execution 

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Leaders Must S.E.E. Clearly

Everything rises and falls with leadership. Especially because of recent events, if you want yourself and your team to come out of this in a positive way, you have to S.E.E. clearly. If you’re wondering how to do that, I can help.

Leaders Must S.E.E. Clearly

I thought it would be helpful to give you some pre-release access to one of the chapters in my book in order to help you successfully navigate the multiple issues facing our country — your people — right now.

I teach often on the characteristics of the five different generations in the workforce and multiple informative motivational theories, but if you’ve ever been in one of my keynote presentations or leadership training sessions, then you’ve heard me express the criticality of understanding the personal stories that have shaped your people into who they are today.  

 

[Excerpt from LEVEL UP: Elevate Your Game & Crush Your Goals; Author, Alyson Van Hooser] “As you dig into the psyche of people, you will find outliers who don’t conform to the generational and motivational information. The outliers do not make this information obsolete at all because most of the time, the basic principles apply. However, you have to be able to recognize the outliers. If you do not, YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO TRULY CONNECT WITH THEM.

*An example of an outlier might be a Gen X employee who is not an independent worker where research suggests that the majority of Gen X adults are very independent workers. More discussion on “outliers” is featured in the book.

Outliers will not fit the statistical norm. Why? Because something in their life has happened that shaped them into who they have become, which is different than the majority. Sociologist Morris Massey coined the term Significant Emotional Events (S.E.E.). A Significant Emotional Event is one that causes a person to question and even change their values. To create a more influential connection with people, you need to know the stories of the Significant Emotional Events in their lives — good and bad. There is information held within those stories that you will never be able to gather from science or statistics….

To truly know the people around you and understand what motivates them and what makes them tick, you have to build relationships with them. When you build a relationship established on trust, then the people around you will open up to you and allow you into their lives by sharing very real — sometimes good, sometimes tough — stories of what they have been through that have formed the why behind what they do.” 

 

With so much nationwide turmoil potentially affecting your team (personally and professionally), it’s likely one or more of your people are experiencing heartache, despair, stress, etc. It’s incredibly important that you as a leader appropriately show love to your employees in the way of tender communication and finding ways to help that would lighten their load and heal their hearts. A great place to start is simply asking and listening to their stories. When you ask and listen, it shows them you care…and also helps you know exactly how to take action. …Just two of the many benefits of a leader who S.E.E’s clearly.

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Elements of Success

In light of changes brought on by the coronavirus crisis, the most often-asked question I’ve gotten in recent days is this: “Does all this change success? I feel like I’ve been working toward a goal and I want desperately to be successful. But will all that is going on around us, how has that changed?” That’s a fair question. In response, I believe there are three elements of success. Regardless what changes around you you can gauge your progress by these. Let’s take a look at the first one.

Elements of Success

Certainly a lot has changed recently. We have to be aware of all those things that are in the midst of changing even now. But there are also constants that we need to be aware of too. The constant truths in our lives are the things that we need to continue to focus on and concentrate on during these days.

I’ve always believed there are three elements of success necessary for an individual to excel regardless of how that individual may define success. I stress three elements — not one, not two, but three. With only one or two of them present, we will not experience the real level of success that we’re capable of. So all three are necessary.

The First Element of Success: Knowledge

In a three part conversation, I will identify each of the elements of success. The first characteristic of success? It’s knowledge. Knowledge. Now most of us have been blessed with the opportunity for education, from the elementary level to the high school level. And many of us have had the opportunity to go on to higher levels of learning through institutions such as colleges, trade schools, or special certifications.

Knowledge is a good thing. It is the accumulation of facts and information that is available to us at any moment in time.

But I would suggest to you that knowledge alone is not enough to be successful. It never has been and it isn’t now. With the change we’re experiencing, it never will be.

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What is “Knowledge”?

So what is knowledge? Is it important enough to focus on? Of course it is. We have to acquire the knowledge necessary for those activities in which we are wishing to be successful. If you want to be a successful doctor, you have to acquire the foundational base knowledge necessary. To be a successful parent, you have to learn what it takes to be a parent. And if you want to be a successful business person, that knowledge is necessary as well.

But I’m going to argue that it’s not knowledge specifically that is most important in the acquisition of information. Instead, it’s the understanding of that information that brings the knowledge to life — the understanding.

Knowledge Equals Understanding

Think about it this way. For success purposes, knowledge for equals understanding. How would I define understanding? You can know that you understand the knowledge appropriately in a couple ways.

First, can you answer questions others ask of you about the particular subject? For example, if someone asks you, “I’d like to talk to you about this issue. I have a few questions to ask you.” Hopefully you’ll be able to answer most, if not all of the questions they ask. And if you can answer them intelligently with knowledge-based responses, then quite frankly, you’re on your way to being successful.

Congratulations! Now, here are two actions you can employ to take your understanding even further.

Does “Not Knowing” Mean Disaster?

But what if they ask me a question that I can’t answer? “Phil, can you answer this question?” And the answer the honest answer is “No, I can’t answer that question.” Does that mean I have now derailed my possibility for success? No.

See knowledge equaling understanding simply means I have to know what I know. But also when I don’t know the answer to something, I have enough understanding to know where to go to find that information. In other words, if I can’t answer the question, I’ll at least have some alternatives that can lead me to the answer.

So knowledge is not just knowing facts, figures, statistics, etc. Knowledge is having that information, but then understanding it well enough to know how to use that information. That is a critical step in the success formula going forward.

Remember what I said before? To be successful requires three elements. Knowledge with understanding is the first of those three elements of success. I’ll share the other two elements of success in my next posts.

What to Do if Knowledge is Lacking

But for you today, the question should be this: “In the area that I’m trying to be successful, do I have enough knowledge and do I understand it well enough to move forward?”

If the answer is no, it’s time to go to work. It’s time to increase your knowledge and understanding. Start working in that realm. But if the answer to your question is “yes, I have good knowledge and I understand it fairly well,” then stay tuned — the next of the three elements of success is coming soon.

#knowledgeequalsunderstanding #knowwhatyoudontknow #elementsofsuccess

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