Goals 2014: What’s Your Formula For Leadership Success?

May 20, 2014Leave a comment

A Definition of Success Courtesy of Julian Hall

How is your week working out? Hopefully you have successfully dealt with your Urgent and your Important tasks and you can turn your attention to some strategic planning.

As you think about your strategic leadership goals, what would you consider is your formula for success? How helpful do you find Julian Hall’s equation shown above? Have you got a unique approach to leadership which keeps producing results for your team?

Julian was just one of several great speakers I saw at the Business Show last week (he’s on Twitter @theultrapreneur and online here Tweets from the Show are hashtagged as #TBS2014 ).

If you went to the Show I’d love to know what was your key take away from the various Speakers you listened to? Which of the connections you made was the most significant and why?

Feel free to look at the further ideas relating to your leadership, work and life goals in the Archive section here, on Facebook and Google+ too. Or if you are a Linkedin user you can visit View Roger Dennison’s profile

Goals 2014: What Leadership Lessons Will You Take From #TBS2014 ?

May 14, 2014Leave a comment

The Business Show 2014 Guide – watch out for the #TBS2014 trending on Twitter

Hopefully what I wrote about the Business Show 2013 – on 30 November and 3 December last year – inspired you to go online, to see what you could learn from the coverage of that event.

I’m refining my strategy for The Business Show 2014 , which starts tomorrow. Why not take a few minutes to look at the site and see what’s on offer (The Twitter hashtag #TBS2014 will be in heavy use over the next few days. too).

This time around I have highlighted the Business Show presenters I want to listen to, as they deliver a service to others by sharing their stories. I’m sure they will generate plenty of questions from their audience, and there are a few questions I would like to ask them too.

As the roster of Keynote speakers includes Brad Burton, Karen Darby, Kate Hardcastle and Will King I will have plenty of chances to:

Capture leadership insight from people whose authenticity inspires followers to change their lives
Connect with attendees whose goals include improving their leadership practice
Share my key learning with you by blogging and by posting more widely across social media

Watch this blog space to see what you can take away from the Business Show 2014 and keep an eye on Facebook and Google+ as well. Or if you are a Linkedin user you can visit View Roger Dennison’s profile

Goals 2014: Want To Help Yourself Live More Authentically?

May 11, 2014Leave a comment

Timeless Advice About Authenticity

How is 2014 shaping up for you? Are you conscious of working against the easy flow some people seem to enjoy, in which they embrace their values and their authentic sense of self? If you find yourself out of step with the life you should be living there is action you can take: action which can help restore your flow and develop greater authenticity in work and life.

How do you identify the type of authenticity Goal to focus on?

You might want to focus on several key areas at first, but need to do a little work to identify which ones are causing you to feel inauthentic. Why not test your levels of authentic happiness here courtesy of Dr Martin Seligman at the University of Pennsylvania (free registration necessary). This exercise will help you pin point which of the 24 key areas you can usefully focus on.

OK you’ve got your focus, now what do you do?

You could try Continuing Professional Development, which has the potential to start moving you in the right direction.

In the UK alone it is estimated, by the CPD Certification Service that more than 4 million professionals working in all sections of UK society are members of one of the numerous professional bodies, undertaking a minimum of 30 – 40 hours of CPD each year. How much could you gain in confidence and skills by pursuing a goal in your key area through some CPD?

What are your options if you are not a professional?

Perhaps you feel you don’t qualify as a professional and there are no formal CPD options you can pursue. How would you feel about exploring your lifelong learning options instead?

In 1997 the Canadian Commission on behalf of UNESCO created the Learning Together template of resources, still in use today, as it identifies learning under 4 pillars: To Know – To Do – To Be – To Live Together. The Pillars are a great place to start your exploration of what it means to be a more fulfilled version of yourself.

3 Questions To Consider

Whether you decide to grow by means of CPD or the 4 Pillars, which part of your life will you prioritise to improve your well-being?
When will you take action to start to change your situation and live more authentically?
How will you measure your success?

By all means take a look at the further ideas relating to your work and life goals in the Archive section here, on Facebook and Google+ too. Or if you are a Linkedin user you can View Roger Dennison’s profile and connect with me there.

Goals 2014: 5 Questions For People Using Social Media To Connect With Others

May 4, 2014May 3, 2014Leave a comment

Just Some Of The Ways To Be Active On Social Media

How many different channels do you use to pursue your social media goals and present your brand online to the world? As I researched this post I realised just how many social media channels there are, and how little time there would be to make the best use of all of them. That’s why I’m referring to just a handful of platforms.

US versus UK Social Media Statistics

US data from 2013 undertaken by the Pew Research Centre (a non-partisan ‘fact tank’) is relevant here. They have broken down online activity to identify who is using social networking (73% of US adults are apparently) and where they spend time: Would you say your strategy is to form links with 16% on Google +, or the 22% of adults on Linkedin (which celebrates its 11^th birthday on 5 May)? Connect with the 18% of adults using Twitter? Or do you relate more with the 71% of all adults using Facebook?

According to Ofcom in the UK 55% of adults owning mobile web enabled devices use them to visit social networking sites, or networking apps. That’s a hefty segment of users who you could be reaching. Assuming you can find the right channel to engage with the demographic you have

Google+ How Is It For You?

It is a timely question as JP Mangalindan, writing online for CNN Fortune and Money, has speculated about the platform’s future in a recent tech article How productive a space is Google+ for you?

Site Statistics

We’ve all visited sites where the most recent post was six months ago. Perhaps the site’s owner looked at their site statistics, felt it wasn’t getting enough traffic and abandoned it for that reason. I wonder what signal that sends to visitors and to corporations like Google who created the site?

5 Questions For People Using Social Media To Connect With Others

So there is high take up with social media in general, although some platforms are more popular than others. All of this prompts me to ask the following:

What story do your posts tell about your brand (well established leader in your sector, or attention worthy new entrant)?
What timing strategy do you follow when you post to your social media sites (Weekly, or less often? Midweek, or weekend?)
How many new visitors are you adding by posting?
What do your visitors gain by looking at your site (insight from material you create; engagement with other peoples’ posts which you curate and repost; more information about your work)?
When visiting your site on mobile devices do people miss out on some of the desktop content (or could they browse and even buy in both places)?

Your answers to those questions can help you assess the return on the time you invest, in creating and curating social media posts.

Feel free to browse the other ideas relating to your work and life goals in the Archive section here, on Facebook and Google+ too. Or if you are a Linkedin user you can View Roger Dennison’s profile and connect with me there.

Goals 2014: What is the 1 step you will take to be happier this Spring?

April 27, 2014April 26, 2014Leave a comment

Happiness Is Linked To Taking Action

How was your working week? Stressy? Unfulfilling? Seemingly Goaless? Don’t worry if any of those responses ring bells with you. According to Gallup’s 2012 State of the Global Workplace research only 13% of employees are engaged by their work. That suggests the bulk of workers around the world are unhappy with their employment, to some extent. There is action you can take to change your situation.

About a week ago I spent a day out with friends in the 30 and 40 something age range. This social time included setting the world to rights over a meal. Enjoying a relaxed, supportive afternoon with people who are socially engaged set me thinking. I reckon it doesn’t take very much action to become more connected to good people and therefore a little happier.

Research about actions you can take to become happier

It turns out that research conducted by Colby College Professor Christopher Soto, discussed in the Wall Street Journal by Elizabeth Bernstein shows that as we age we become more agreeable and better connected.

Apparently there are 5 psychological domains* which help shape about half of our personality (the other half comes from our biological make up, although Dr Dean Ornish suggests in a TED Talk that your genes are not your fate).

5 Personality Domains Discussed Professor Soto’s research

We can choose an area from the following domains and set an improvement goal for ourselves within that area (I’ve worked on goals in the final domain for instance, so I can confirm that spending time with your friends, works wonders).

Conscientiousness

Agreeableness

Openness

Extraversion

Neuroticism

Your 1 Question Leading To Happiness

Here’s your 1 question: which of these domains will you dip into during the next few days to identify your spring happiness goal? That is your first step toward selecting the most obvious action to take, to move you toward the life you deserve at work and beyond the 9 to 5.

More About A Happy State

If you want a quick pick-me-up before diving deep into goal setting you can always clap along with Pharrell Williams whose song ‘Happy’ puts a smile on my face. To learn more about the connection that song has made with people across the United States and around the globe try this short excerpt from an interview Oprah conducted with Mr Williams recently.

There are further ideas relating to your work and life goals in the Archive section here, on Facebook and Google+ too. Or you can View Roger Dennison’s profile

Goals 2014: 2 Questions To Help You Distinguish Yourself At Work

April 26, 2014April 26, 2014Leave a comment

A Latte – Good For Creativity, Reflection And Patience

Is your local coffee shop your ideal third space, away from work and home? Do you reach your goals more easily with a cup of your favourite coffee in hand? Or maybe you mooch about with a Mocha when you want to refocus your work and life?

If you answered ‘yes’ just then, you may want to learn more about the BBC’s collaboration with the Open University. The first episode of Business Boomers sheds light on the subject of the rise and rise of the coffee shop, a thriving part of the hospitality sector, even after the global economic crisis of 2007-08.

Coffee Shops As Places To Change Your Life

As Chris Ward’s book ‘ Out of Office’ suggests, the wifi enabled coffee shop is a place where you can change your life, or have the big ideas which can change the world around you. Here’s a link to the Business Boomers Open University mini site: if you are very curious you can also click on a programme summary here – Business Boomers Coffee Shop Pdf

Despite the new types of working venues and the new technologies to support that work times are still tough. The focus remains getting the best possible results from limited resources. How much of your To Do list gets done, or thought about outside office hours?

What Is Your Third Space?

One of my local third spaces – Cafe Le Delice – attracts customers for work and leisure by offering an attentive quality of service; handmade food; and flexible usage (reserving a private room for a voluntary project meeting for instance). This makes it the kind of venue where work can still get done, after the 9 to 5.

There’s an analogue to the coffee shop as third space destination of choice. How does an individual stand apart from his or her more prominent peers, when their offer seems similar? How do they retain the work-life balance they want whilst giving their best performance?

Your 2 Questions To Help Distinguish Yourself At Work

Here are two related questions to work on:

What is your unique offer and how does it stand out in quality terms from everyone else’s?
What actions will you take in the next 12 weeks to further differentiate your brand from others; improve your prospects; and enjoy your free time?

Help yourself to the further ideas relating to your work and life goals in the Archive section here, on Facebook and Google+ too. Or you can go to LinkedIn and View Roger Dennison’s profile

Goals 2014: 3 Questions To Help You Get The Leadership And Management You Deserve

April 20, 2014April 20, 2014Leave a comment

What Connections Do Leaders And Managers Inspire?

How confident are you about the effectiveness of your organisation’s senior leadership? What rating would you attach to your manager’s skills?

I ask as an article by Liz Ryan for Forbes online concerning Bad Managers has triggered my post (there are other Liz Ryan articles on LinkedIn ).

I had the privilege last week of sitting in on an Enterprise Nation Webinar, at which serial entrepreneur Doug Richard talked about the goal of Improving Leadership and Management. My favourite quote from that conversation is shown above. The post Liz wrote reminds me that Bad Managers leave a trail of angry and demotivated employees in their wake. The Bad Manager helps create disengagement and they are a liability to their team and their employer.

One of the least inspiring managers I ever worked for had two operating modes. One with senior colleagues, involved smiling and kissing up. Mode Two, with team members, involved micro managing and being divisive. I remember once mentioning some of the valuable lessons I’d learned from my degree course and the Manager’s response was a classic: “Oh, you have a degree. That does surprise me!”

Needless to say I was never happier than when I left that part of the organisation. I wasn’t the only one. Effective management binds teams together and adds value to the connections between team members. Bad management sows the seeds of disruption. The manager I encountered clearly needed support to improve their practice. I only hope that they received it, before their behaviour triggered a complaint.

Here are 3 questions for your consideration this week:

How content are you that your job goals are being supported by your current management?
How congruent are your values with those of the organisational leaders who have the most influence on your work?
What actions will you to take this week because of your answers to the 2 preceding questions?

Feel free to look at the further ideas relating to your work and life goals in the Archive section here, on Facebook and Google+ too. Or you can always View Roger Dennison’s profile

Goals 2014: How Will You Connect And Contribute To Your Network This Week?

April 14, 2014April 14, 2014Leave a comment

Do you have a goal to connect effectively to the people in your organisation, sector, or wider community? What sort of contribution do you want to make to the people in your networks anyway?

Dunbar’s Number

Did you know research by networking advocates Editorial Intelligence suggests that you can only hold stable relationships with 150 people (a figure known as Dunbar’s number)? If communication is part of your goal setting agenda you are under no pressure to make your connections count!

Contacts You Connect With & Contribute To

How Many Contacts Do You Connect With & Contribute To?

Engaging People

Seriously though, these are timely questions. Organisations are setting their goals for the new financial year. Their staff are creating their strategies for personal improvement.

The UK Civil Service even has Engaging People as one of its key values (although it still has some work to do, to improve the feedback process on the blog published by its Head Sir Bob Kerslake ).

Organisational psychologist Professor Cary L Cooper outlines in a blogpost for the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development that our networks not only help us to thrive, they help us to cope. He says networking is a key determinant of success.

John P Morgan is another advocate of inter-connectedness and service. You can find out more about his view here on youtube : his perspective is applicable in the UK, US, the UAE or anywhere else people act collaboratively.

Your Actions

So, now you have a different perspective of the role of contributing to others here’s a question for you to answer (making an appointment with yourself to see it through):

What one action are you going to take, this week, to make an authentic contribution to your network?

There are further ideas relating to your work and life goals in the Archive section, and on Facebook and Google+ too.

View Roger Dennison’s profile

Goals 2014: Here’s 1 Action To Help You Improve Your Personal Presentation

April 4, 2014Leave a comment

Here are some questions for you to reflect on over the weekend. How much effort do you put into the visual side of your personal brand? Could your choice of work wear represent who you are more effectively? What action will you take to improve your personal presentation this Spring?

What Does Leadership Look Like?

Not too sure how to answer? No worries. Here is a short video you can watch now as part of your personal improvement goal. It was filmed at Ad Week Europe and in 4 minutes Gok Wan, Kathleen Saxton, and the Guardian’s John Plunkett outline some useful key presentation concepts. Could this be another theme for you and your coach to explore when you discuss your goals and your values?

Feel free to look at the further ideas relating to your work and life goals in the Archive section on Facebook and Google+ too

Is Improving Your Work Your 2014 Goal? Here Are Your 3 Key Actions To Take In The Next Week

March 22, 2014Leave a comment

Was your week a mix of Highs and Lows? Was one low your boss telling you that your
performance ‘must improve’? If the answer is ‘Yes’ here are 3 actions to help you move forward in the next week, towards your performance improvement goal:

Review the evidence of your previously Successful, or Excellent, reports. This helps you top up your self-esteem. Positive customer feedback has always reflected the quality of your work. Cultivate it from this point
Your Improvement Strategy Will Move You Forward

onwards. Also plan how you will add to your key strengths, respect your values and earn more feedback. Remember your boss’s view is probably changeable. If not your psychological contract with your team may have ended. Other bosses are out there.
Record the specifics of your next steps strategy, so you identify an immediate, positive, action you will take to start moving forward. Call this Phase One of your plan. Make it something constructive, that you know you can do well. If that is not possible within your present role find another role that allows you to reassert your ability to do good work. Outline what you want to accomplish in Phase Two of your plan, at the same time.
Recruit a skilled ally, ideally an experienced coach who: understands the significance of your work goals; recognises the importance of your values; will remain supportive as your performance rises and you start to fill in the detail of your Phase Two outline.

You are now good to go for Phase One of your plan. Take these 3 constructive steps and your week ahead will be focused on improvement and positivity.

Good luck and feel free to get in touch with me to talk about your coaching needs, beyond the #MustImprove stage: use the Contact tab above or visit me on Facebook and Google+ too.

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Tag: Coaching