|
"If you can
change your mind, you can change your life. The greatest revolution of
my generation is the discovery that individuals, by changing their inner
attitudes of mind, can change the outer aspects of their lives. "
William
James, 1897
Fall is coming! Change is in the
air. Are you ready to change your career? Change your way of
thinking? Change your business and personal relationships for the
better?
While nature's glorious change of seasons seems
effortless, humans don't take to change quite as seamlessly.
True, there are those of us who embrace change and are bored with status
quo; but most of us like stability and consistency, and knowing what is
going to come next.
If you want to change something you don't
like, it often takes an external stimulus to do it. As we've said
before, change doesn't just happen by consulting yourself. You
need to input new information into the brain. It takes 21 times to
form a new habit, so repetition of new ways of being, doing, thinking are
important.
IF YOU REALLY WANT TO CHANGE, START HERE.
I've spoken about DISC behavioral assessments several times in my
newsletters and I am even more enthusiastic about them each month due to
their ability to effect change in people and organizations.
One of my clients in the financial industry
came to me several months ago, frustrated at her inability to get things
done. She was overwhelmed; she didn't seem to be able to 'farm'
out work to others. She was extremely detail-oriented, and felt she
had to do it all herself for it to be done 'right'. She was
personally putting all the data about potential clients into the computer,
which took up way too much of her time. The DISC assessment helped her see
her strengths more clearly, and understand how she could better utilize her
business talents. DISC also pointed out the specific
behaviors that kept her from properly delegating. After a session
of talking about this, she decided to hire part- time hourly workers
carry out these time -consuming tasks. By doing this, she
was able to free up all those hours and focus instead on building
her client relationships. More on delegation in the column
to your right.
THE BEST MOVIE ISN'T IN THE THEATER:
What Works Best in the World by DeWitt Clinton. At a seminar recently
this was the opening film, a 25 minute jewel that combined images and words
in a presentation that left the audience silenced when it was over, so
powerful was its message. At the risk of reducing it to a trite
encapsulation that wouldn't do it justice, I will say that the
audience was able to experience how magnificent life can be if we just
look for what IS working in our lives and magnify it to achieve personal
greatness. I am thinking of purchasing this film and opening seminars
with it, it is not one that can be downloaded or rented or purchased
without an investment. But if you are interested in it, I may be
announcing a seminar at some future date and you won't want to miss it.
|
“The future is not some place we go
to, but one we are creating. The paths are not to be found, but made, and
the activity of making them, changes both the maker and the destination” John Schaar
8 Ways to Delegate More Effectively.
Think of all the pros of being a good delegator:
You can accomplish more, take on bigger projects, create a team
spirit, have extra eyeballs to catch mistakes you might otherwise
overlook. Stop holding on to tasks and see how you and your business
can grow by letting go! Here are some guidelines:
- Make sure that you
communicate effectively. Explain with a vocabulary the
individual can understand. Don't use technical
jargon unless you are absolutely sure the other person knows the
terms. How do you know if you've communicated effectively? Ask
that person to repeat your instructions to make sure you are on the
same page.
- Assign priorities
and a due date. Pick people who can accept responsibility.
Not everyone can. You are in trouble if you think that you can
hand off tasks to just anyone, regardless of his or her attitude.
- Delegate with the
other person's skills and interests in mind. Play to their
strengths; try to match the person to the task. You'll get it
back sooner.
- Recognize the
reality of the learning curve. The person performing the
task may not do it well the first time. You may be tempted to
take over the project. You will need to weigh the time you might
lose to train someone against the time you will save in the long
run.
- Give the task
importance. Try something like "I want you to take on a job
that is important to the success of this project." vs...
"This is a no-brainer" If you undervalue their
participation in the project, you might get sloppy work or it might be
put on the back burner.
- Don't hog the
credit. "Thank you" does so much to empower
others, and so many people forget to show their honest appreciation.
By acknowledging their efforts they will feel good about you and the
organization.
- Be prepared to let
delegates put their own spin on an assignment. Be willing to
listen to their ideas as they may have an improvement. Even if
you decide not to accept it, they will feel valuable by having been
heard.
Receive a FREE flow chart on Good Delegation.
Email: harvey@CarolinaBusinessCoach.com
"The value in which Harvey has helped me
and my company is immeasurable. The owner of Nature's
Blueprint Inc. has been working with Carolina Business Coach for quite some
time now, and claims to owe a great majority of our success to Harvey." Brad Helms, General Manager, Natures
Blueprint, Inc. Summerville, SC
What's holding you back? I will help you take
the first step with a free coaching session. . I certainly believe in
coaching. And people who have experienced this
emerging profession agree. Invest in yourself. Think of how
much money you could make if you had more wisdom, more strategies, more
people know-how?
Ready for Success? Call or e-mail Harvey and see if
coaching will assist you in making this your best year yet. Harvey is
a Certified Business Coach with the International Coach Federation and
the University of North Carolina. He is also certified as a
Professional Behavioral Analyst. For more information visit:
www.CarolinaBusinessCoach.com
|
