listening Archives - Page 4 of 4

✏ Leadership GPS

Imagine if we all had our own personal “Leadership GPS” to carry with us to navigate every situation. Just a simple visual or voice prompt to guide us to the right decisions. All we would have to do is wake up, turn it on, and start our day.

Back to reality…none of us have a Leadership GPS, and likely won’t for a long while. However, we do have an internal voice — a force within all of us that can guide our decisions.

The question is, are you using it?

“There is a voice that doesn’t use words. Listen.”

– Rumi

GPS PROMPT: WHERE AM I?

Just as when we get in the car and begin to program our destination into the GPS, we also need to do the same to ourselves. It’s called SELF-EVALUATION. You need to be humble enough to know exactly who you are. Identify exactly what you are good at and what you aren’t good at. Capitalize on your strengths, and find the time to build your abilities where you have weakness.

Put your ego aside, be honest, and begin your plan of action to execute.

GPS PROMPT: HOW FAR TO DESTINATION?

You will need a map to navigate this journey and achieve the successful outcome that you are capable of.

Let’s begin the journey; in this case, we will define that “journey” as a major business objective that you are responsible for leading. Just like with a long trip, you wouldn’t go into it without preparation. The same holds true for leadership. You will need a specific plan, with identified roles and responsibilities, analytics, clarification of goals and the definition of success.

Use S.M.A.R.T. goals to create your plan: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time frame.

GPS PROMPT: QUICKEST ROUTE?

We all catch ourselves checking the GPS to see how much longer until we arrive. Applying this concept to leadership is the most concerning to me. Just like in a car, leaders are in a rush to arrive at their destination. Leadership is an earned trust, and anything earned requires time. The journey toward being an effective leader cannot occur without time and EXPERIENCE.

If you rush the process, you have cheated yourself and those who are following you.

GPS PROMPT: TRAFFIC AHEAD?

Translate this to leadership and it’s called ADVERSITY. How will you respond? Most people stay within their comfort zone, relying on the excuse of “this is how we have always done it.” Success is not complicated, but it is difficult. It means you need to have the courage to take risks knowing that you may fail. That is a bold statement, but those who can maneuver around the excuses and/or fear are the ones who succeed in the long run.

The best way to prepare for adversity is to be prepared and have alternate plans. Option A doesn’t always work, so you need to be prepared with Plans B and C along the way.

“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as
what you become by achieving your goals.”

– Henry David Thoreau

GPS PROMPT: CHANGE ROUTE?

This ties in with SELF-EVALUATION; are you humble enough to recognize that your plan may not be the best option to get you to the point established as the end goal? Have you earned the respect from those around you for open dialogue? We all are driven to be successful, and as a leader, we understand that the wins and losses fall upon us.

However, change your mindset and the results can be different. If you have empowered others to do what’s right, as opposed to doing what’s easy, you are an effective leader. Listen to those who can offer guidance and solutions, and you will earn just as much respect as if you did it all yourself.

VENTURE + LEAD + PROSPER

Humbled to lead,

#chargeup #lessonsinleadership #leadership #lead #process #patience #change #venture #lead #prosper #reflect #inspire #empower #motivate #beyou #gratitude #integrity #starttoday #humilty

RECEIVE MY FREE WEEKLY E-BLAST, THE WIRE

SUBSCRIBE NOW

The only way we can inspire is to grow our community – would you please share this with family and friends, ask that they subscribe to Charge Up, and follow us on social media?

©2018 Victor Pisano/Charge Up. All rights reserved. You are free to use portions of this publication, provided the following credit is listed at the bottom: ©2018 Victor Pisano/Charge Up, is a media-based entity that provides intriguing, innovative and distinctive content, engaging its readers with real-world challenges and solutions while embracing obstacles and the value that failure can provide. While that sounds serious, we promise you will both learn AND laugh (and sometimes cry).Contact Charge Up at victor@chargeuptoday.com or visit our website at www.chargeuptoday.com.

More . . .

✏ Power Planning: A Mt. Everest Kind of Sunday

Is climbing Mount Everest on your bucket list? If so, is your plan to book your flight, make the 22-hour trip to Nepal, show up and simply hike up the 31,000-ft. ascent to the top of the 60-million-year-old mountain? Of course not — you will first invest your time and effort in carefully constructing a detailed plan. A few facts to consider as you plan this expedition: it will cost you ~$75,000, you’re going to need an experienced ‘Sherpa’ to assist you in putting the logistics together for the 60-day hike and help guide you; be prepared, maximum wind speeds of 200 MPH and temperatures – 76°.

A bit of an extreme example, but I wanted to illustrate a point — challenges require extreme thought and planning to produce successful results. As life continues to increase in speed each year of my professional life, and the challenges and responsibilities increase, I understand that change is inevitable and constant. Never get too comfortable with any routine in your life or career because the competition for market share pushes companies and their staffs to the brink to be an innovator vs. a follower. However, there is one constant over the past 25+ years in my routine that has not changed, and that is spending an hour or so each Sunday evening on my weekly planning.

The power of weekly planning lies in the perspective and control it provides for your life; it allows you a clear path that puts you in a position to be proactive, rather than reactive as the distractions of work and life come at you from all directions. It also eliminates stress, makes you better-prepared for unexpected obstacles and allows you to evaluate your progress. For even the most talented people, time management is demanding, and planning is the most important part of the formula. By spending a small chunk of time without distraction, you can created a powerful weekly action plan to be your compass in efficiency and effectiveness as you navigate the week.

So how do you start? I’ll walk you through the routine I follow. Remember, this is an activity that is based on your personality. Some require specific action plans to accompany their weekly plan, while others work efficiently and simply create a brief road map to ensure they have their priorities in order. Here is how I structure my personal plan:

Data dump. The first thing I do is grab a pen and paper and do what I call a “data dump”. I review the previous week — did I accomplished the items I set as priority? Then, I’ll write down everything I can think of that needs attention, both business and personal, for the upcoming week.
Prioritize. I use a numerical system to prioritize the tasks. It’s simple: 1 for high priority, 2 for moderate and 3 for a task that is low in priority. It’s important to note: always put the big tasks first, those that will require the most time need to be the highest priority. The smaller tasks will fall into place after that.
Time. I review each task and assign the amount of time I estimate it will take to execute. Times can range from 5-10 minutes, or as high as 6-8 hours; either way it is critical that you overestimate rather than underestimate.
Deadline. Assign a deadline for each task. Some may fall within that given week, others may be long-term — but I know that there are specific tasks that need to be completed in phases to meet the end goal.
Resources. Evaluate each assignment and determine if the task is mine, or if it will require the attention of others. If it demands input, resources or feedback from others, I highlight it and note which individuals (by name and/or departments) will contribute.
Personal obligations. I make a separate list which includes personal or family obligations. Bottom line: you must make time for you and your family to live a balanced, successful life.
Build it. Create your weekly planner. First fill in all your personal obligations, then follow by filling the time slots with the tasks based on rank. Finally, structure it using the estimated time you have predetermined in the slots listed.

There is a caveat to all this…even the best-laid plans need adjusting. That’s why daily planning is also critical in the process. At the end of each day, I review that respective day and my week ahead and may have to adjust as needed. While I try to avoid making changes to my high-priority items, I may move around other tasks or push them if the deadline is not necessarily near because of an unexpected task that hits. Don’t be disappointed or feel as if the plan is not an effective tool. Your planner serves as a best-case scenario. However, if you make the planning sessions a habit, after time, you will be a much better judge of your time and find yourself with more motivation, direction and peace in your life.

Bottom line: if you fail to plan, then plan to fail . . .

VENTURE + LEAD + PROSPER

Humbled to lead,

#chargeup #lessonsinleadership #planning #makeaplan #leadership #process #success #moveforward #patience #change #venture #lead #prosper #empower #motivate #inspire #beyou #gratitude #integrity #starttoday #humilty

RECEIVE MY FREE WEEKLY E-BLAST, THE WIRE

SUBSCRIBE NOW

The only way we can inspire is to grow our community – would you please share this with family and friends, ask that they subscribe to Charge Up, and follow us on social media?

More . . .

✏ Control the Controllables

God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.
— The Serenity Prayer

Were there truer words ever spoken? Reading it, you wonder why it’s so difficult to simply live life like this. Four sentences that have the power to inspire you to live the life you were meant to live! In a perfect world, this would be all you need to hear.

BUT . . . THE WORLD IS NOT PERFECT.

In fact, the only thing certain in this world is uncertainty. When we spend time complaining about the things we cannot control, all we are doing is taking the energy and attention away from what we need to be focused on. Life is stressful enough; why add to it?

5 THINGS YOU CAN’T CONTROL:

What others feel, say, do, or think
The past or the future
Loyalty
Conflict
Most of life . . .

Quit fighting change – EMBRACE CHANGE. The first way to accomplish that is to practice acceptance. It can provide you so many benefits in your life, including a positive attitude, greater appreciation, gratitude, and a better perspective. Your attitude toward life is affected by your ability to EMBRACE CHANGE.

Change will happen…the question is, will it leave you behind?

“The world still is the samel you’ll never change it,
As sure as the star shines above . . .”

– “You’re Nobody till Somebody Loves You”
written by Larry Stock

Everybody has certain challenges, lessons and constraints. Approach them wisely, and you can still be bold. You just need to know your limits and that includes the things you cannot control. Look for possibilities, and challenge yourself to think outside the boundaries.

By simply controlling two things — your effort and attitude — you can accomplish more than all the other things you cannot control. The strength is in attitude: once you accept and move past change, you have the ability to find peace in your life.

Acceptance will result in gratitude. Gratitude will make you see things differently. That’s freedom.

5 THINGS YOU CAN CONTROL:

Your INTEGRITY
Your CHARACTER
Your PASSION
Your DRIVE
Your GOALS

Controlling the controllables requires discipline, and you will experience a lot of trial and error. But when you master the art, there will be a tremendous weight lifted off your shoulders, along with renewed inspiration and excitement to push yourself further in accomplishing your goals.

Leadership is a privilege. Make a difference today.

VENTURE + LEAD + PROSPER

Humbled to lead,

#chargeup #lessonsinleadership #leadership #lead #process #fail #learnfromfailure #bounceback #failure #success #moveforward #patience #change #venture #lead #prosper #empower #motivate #inspire #beyou #gratitude #integrity #starttoday #humilty #control #notcontrrol

RECEIVE MY FREE WEEKLY E-BLAST, THE WIRE

SUBSCRIBE NOW

The only way we can inspire is to grow our community – would you please share this with family and friends, ask that they subscribe to Charge Up, and follow us on social media?

More . . .

✏ The Art of Listening

“I heard you the first time!” Sound familiar? This is the battle cry from kids when you’re trying to get them to complete a task. I give the kids credit, though; they aren’t saying, “I listened the first time!” It proves the point that there is a difference between listening and hearing. We wouldn’t have to tell them more than once if they were listening.

Most of us have the ability to hear, but do we really listen? Often, we tune out because we either don’t agree with what’s being said, or miss out because we are already thinking about what we want to say next.

“Leaders who don’t listen will eventually be surrounded by
people who have nothing to say.”
– Andy Stanley

Did you know:

We spend an average of 55% of the day engaged in listening, and 70% in talking
Most people only remember 17-25% of the things they heard in a given day
The average woman speaks 20,000 words per day vs. 7,000 for the male counterpart
To be fair, it is a fact that men only use half their brain to listen while women use the entire brain

To be an effective leader, listening is a critical skill. You cannot do everything yourself, so empowering others becomes your resource for information. You may have an opinion, and one that serves the conversation, but interruption only causes frustration and wasted time. Listen with intent, respect and curiosity — or you may miss that one great thought due to your impatience.

Follow up by saying, “What I’m hearing you say is…”. This is where miscommunication is discovered.

How can you become a more effective listener?

Don’t interrupt. We are far too eager to interject our opinions. The other person isn’t halfway done, and we have either interrupted or have zoned them out so we can construct our reply. Try instead to just listen: focus their words, and after they have completed their thought, allow a pause to gather your thoughts. It may feel uncomfortable at first, but if everyone in the conversation practices this habit, the dialogue will be improved and the content will be constructive and beneficial. Additionally, if you are actively listening to others, they will learn how to actively listen to you.

Make eye contact. Seems simple, but the skill we were all taught as children has become a lost art. Engaging with someone eye-to-eye is a form of respect. It tells the other person that they have your attention. Some say to never trust a person who can’t look you in the eyes when you talk, or when they talk to you. If that’s true, we have a problem.

No distractions. Our phones, computers, other people and paperwork can cause us to multi-task rather than listen. The distractions are all around us, and that results in ineffective communication. If one takes the time to personally talk with you, rather than sending an email or text, show them they are valued by putting distractions on hold long enough to solve the situation at hand. Put your mobile phone face down, so you’re not tempted to look at it, or better yet, completely out of sight.

Have an open mind. In most cases, we either interrupt or are already processing our response during a dialogue. We do this because we feel as if we must defend our point of view like Custer’s last stand. Relax, listen, and process what the other person is saying without a preconceived opinion. It’s a discussion, not a debate. It’s a win-win situation; the conversation becomes more efficient and the possibilities to discover new ideas are endless. And as a bonus, you earn respect.

Create dialogue. Allow the dialogue to flow in an effort to find resolve, discover strategy, encourage creativity or simply hear someone out. Engage in a productive dialogue and in most cases, you will find it to be both effective and efficient.

You will immediately recognize the impact listening has when you see the trust and respect gained by those you talk with. Human interaction is the key to building trust, and it is through the rapport we have in a one-on-one setting that matters most. When you don’t listen, people stop talking. And when you lose communication, you lose control.

My father always told me, “God gave you two ears and one mouth; you should listen twice as much as you talk.” He was right — you can learn a lot when you listen, and really hear!

Leadership is a privilege. Make a difference today.

VENTURE + LEAD + PROSPER

Humbled to lead,

#listen #hear #chargeup #chargeuptoday #lessonsinleadership #leadership #lead #process #strongleader #patience #leadershipjourney #resilience #failure #success #moveforward #adversity #areyouready #leadandfollow #mentorship #mentor #venture #lead #prosper #reflect #inspire #empower

RECEIVE MY FREE WEEKLY E-BLAST, THE WIRE

SUBSCRIBE NOW

The only way we can inspire is to grow our community – would you please share this with family and friends, ask that they subscribe to Charge Up, and follow us on social media?

More . . .

The only way we can inspire is to grow our community – would you please share this with family and friends, ask that they subscribe to Charge Up, and follow us on social media?

Bottom line: if you fail to plan, then plan to fail . . .

The only way we can inspire is to grow our community – would you please share this with family and friends, ask that they subscribe to Charge Up, and follow us on social media?

The only way we can inspire is to grow our community – would you please share this with family and friends, ask that they subscribe to Charge Up, and follow us on social media?

The only way we can inspire is to grow our community – would you please share this with family and friends, ask that they subscribe to Charge Up, and follow us on social media?

Recent Posts