7 Ideas Coach

Get On the Same Page with Strat Maps

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-12-10T08:30:56-05:00

Leadership OF an Organization Working ON your business, not just IN it... and make it exceptional Session 7 ~ Strategy Maps: A Tool for Getting Everyone on the Same Page Previous 7 Ideas Coach sessions have discussed how DIRECTION, PERFORMANCE, INNOVATION, STRUCTURE, and CULTURE are core leadership concerns of any organization. How can leaders put them all together into a coherent whole? Try Strategy Maps. Strategy Maps originated as a key part of the Balanced Scorecard model developed by Norton and Kaplan of the Harvard Business School in the 1990s, and is widely used in business, non-profit, and public organizations. A strategy map, or strat-map, is a one page document that shows how specific high level objectives - financial, customer outcomes, operations, and learning - link strategically in accomplishing the organization’s mission and vision. This session covers seven things you will want to know about strat-maps, and how you can use them to get everyone in your organization on the same page. ...click the image below to hear this week’s coaching session 7 Ideas Coach... 7 tips in 7 minutes for busy leaders THINK! Subscribers received related leadership articles in PDF - FREE You can too! Get this article immediately when you subscribe...get articles now

Cultivate CULTURE

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-11-17T08:09:25-05:00

Working ON your business, not just IN it... and make it exceptional ...Previous 7 Ideas Coach sessions have discussed how DIRECTION, PERFORMANCE, and INNOVATION are core leadership concerns of any organization. How do leaders to attend to these concerns? Two tools that leaders can use to influence direction, performance, and innovation within their organization are structure and culture. I think of structure as the banks of a river, giving direction to the water’s flow. I think of culture as the current in that river that pulls people along, unless they make an effort to do otherwise. We focused on structure in the last session - this session focuses on important strategies leaders use to shape their company culture so it adds value. Culture is what people do when the boss isn’t looking. Organizational culture is the behavior, attitude, and atmosphere that happen by default - unless there is intention and effort to do otherwise. If you aren’t paying attention to the company culture, you might be missing a powerful means to accelerate productivity, profitability, employee retention, and customer satisfaction – in short, your organization’s success. Listen to this session for practical ideas for cultivating your organization’s culture... ...click the image below to hear this week’s coaching session 7 Ideas Coach... 7 tips in 7 minutes for busy leaders ...Subscribers received related leadership articles in PDF - FREE ...Get this article immediately when you subscribe...get articles now

Institute STRUCTURE

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-11-10T21:30:46-05:00

Leadership OF an Organization Working ON your business, not just IN it... and make it exceptional Session 5 ~ Institute Structure Previous 7 Ideas Coach sessions have discussed how DIRECTION, PERFORMANCE, and INNOVATION are core leadership concerns of any organization. How do leaders to attend to these concerns? Two tools that leaders can use to influence direction, performance, and innovation within their organization are structure and culture. I think of structure as the banks of a river, giving direction to the water’s flow. I think of culture as the current in that river that pulls people along, unless they make an effort to do otherwise. We’ll focus on structure in this session, and on culture in the next. Structure is the tangible and intangible architecture of how your organization is constructed - and structure drives human behavior. Listen to this 7 ideas Coach session to hear about four categories of structure important for leaders to understand, and three important ideas to consider when thinking about the structure of your organization. click the image below to hear this week’s coaching session 7 Ideas Coach... 7 tips in 7 minutes for busy leaders ...Subscribers received related leadership articles in PDF - FREE ...Get this article immediately when you subscribe...get articles now

Initiate INNOVATION

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-10-22T08:57:36-04:00

Leadership OF an Organization Working ON your business, not just IN it... and make it exceptional Session 4 ~ Initiate Innovation The great business advisor Peter Drucker spoke of innovation as a new dimension of performance. Previously we described how organizational leaders need to articulate direction - i.e. communicate why the organization exists, what it needs to do, and how it should go about doing it. Leaders then need to attend to how well the organization performs moving it that direction, i.e. measure performance. In a fast changing world, ensuring DIRECTION and PERFORMANCE is not enough. Leaders must initiate INNOVATION... yet innovation requires change, which may directly contradict direction and performance. Savvy leaders find ways to attend to them all. In this 7 Ideas Coach session, we cover 7 ideas that are important to consider for attending to innovation in your organization. click the image below to hear this week’s coaching session 7 Ideas Coach... 7 tips in 7 minutes for busy leaders ...Subscribers received related leadership articles in PDF - FREE You can too! Get this article immediately when you subscribe...get articles now

Measure PERFORMANCE

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-10-10T14:28:20-04:00

Leadership OF an Organization Working ON your business, not just IN it... and make it exceptional Session 3 ~ Measure Performance Performance - the work of the organization - is one of the 5 core concerns of organizational leadership that need focus, alignment, and attention (direction, performance, innovation, structure, and culture). In this 7 Ideas Coach session, we cover... • three ideas to keep in mind when thinking about your organization’s performance; • four categories of performance you will want to include when determining performance measures. click the image below to hear this week’s coaching session 7 Ideas Coach... 7 tips in 7 minutes for busy leaders THINK! Subscribers received related leadership articles in PDF - FREE You can too! Get this article immediately when you subscribe...get articles now

Articulate DIRECTION

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-10-01T15:33:56-04:00

Leadership OF an Organization Working ON your business, not just IN it... and make it exceptional Session 2 ~ Articulate Direction As the great Yogi Berra so artfully observed, “if you don't know where you're going, you might not get there.” Establishing the direction of your organization and communicating that direction is an essential task of leadership. It is one of the five core concerns of organizational leadership: direction, performance, innovation, structure, and culture. In this 7 Ideas Coach session, we cover the WHAT and HOW of articulating direction... • WHAT - four essential elements that need to be included when leaders establish direction; • HOW - three things that are essential to keep in mind for communicating, for articulating direction. click the image below to hear this week’s coaching session 7 Ideas Coach... 7 tips in 7 minutes for busy leaders ...Subscribers received related leadership articles in PDF - FREE You can too! Get this article immediately when you subscribe...get articles now One Page Way leadership article

Ask This Question

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-09-17T13:57:55-04:00

Working ON your business, not just IN it... and make it exceptional Session 1 ~ What Experience Do You Create? Great pricing, quality, and customer service alone won’t accelerate your business. In today’s marketplace, businesses need right-priced quality products and services along with great customer service just to be in the game. For non-profits, NGOs, and public entities, doing good work and operating efficiently is a baseline. Organizations that win our attention are those that meet our higher-level needs – personal attention, belonging, identification, meaning, and image... in short, they create a distinct experience. This ‘coachcast’ explores why asking “What experience Do We Create?” is essential for working ON your business and being a leader OF your organization. Experience is the unifying factor for the 5 core concerns of a leader that will be discussed in future sessions. click the image below to hear this week’s coaching session Keywords for this 7 Ideas Coach session... ... • Don’t Stop at the Customer ...7 Ideas Coach... 7 tips in 7 minutes for busy leaders ...Subscribers received a related leadership article in PDF - FREE ...Get this article immediately when you subscribe... get articles now

Working ON Your Biz Leadership

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-08-29T22:10:00-04:00

Leadership OF an organization is more than leadership IN it ...click the image below to hear this week’s coaching session Working ON your business, not just IN it... and make it exceptional You want your business or organization to be exceptional - of course! But are you feeling pulled in so many directions that your efforts get lost? Are you so caught up in day-to-day routine of operating your organization, there’s little energy left for taking it where you want it to go? It’s a common problem, not just with small business entrepreneurs but with leaders in organizations of every size and every sector - business, non-profit, and pubic. This new 7 Ideas Coach series is designed to get you back on track. In the next 7 weeks we’ll cover: • Five Core Concerns - the 5 elements that need attention and alignment for any organization to thrive • One Key Question - perhaps the most important question a leader needs to answer to keep an organization focused • One Exceptional Tool - a tool that any organization can use to align efforts and get everyone on the same page 7 Ideas Coach... 7 tips in 7 minutes for busy leaders ...Subscribers Receive the PDF Versions of related leadership articles - FREE sign up now

Eagles, Ducks, and Development

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-08-12T13:30:41-04:00

Essential Practices for Managing People... session 7 If you want people to be the best, then help them be better! This 7 minute session provides uncommon insight about avoiding the biggest mistake most organizations make in developing their people, along with essential strategies for providing your people with development and growth experiences that make a difference - to their future, and the future of your organization. click the image below to hear this week’s coaching session see the executive summary article for the Practices for Managing People series 7 Ideas Coach is a weekly series of coaching sessions, 7 nuggets of insight in 7 minutes for busy leaders Get 7 Ideas Coach each week via email or through Apple iTunes

Bridges Across Silos

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-08-06T21:53:32-04:00

Facilitate Communication Across Boundaries Essential Practices for Managing People... session 6 Especially in a knowledge-based world, people need to have effective communication within and without their unit, their company, and their industry. Here’s a hit...making use of technology is not the same as engaging in good communication. Once organizations have grown beyond a couple of people, one of the most common complaints I hear is about silos. For smaller organizations, the complaint is about alignment, getting on the same page. This 7 Ideas Coach session provides uncommon insight about what you can do as a manager to create an environment where your people communicate effectively. Break down silos, increase alignment, and create an environment that encourages effective communication....now! see the executive summary article for the Practices for Managing People series 7 Ideas Coach is a weekly series of coaching sessions, 7 nuggets of insight in 7 minutes for busy leaders Get 7 Ideas Coach each week via email or through Apple iTunes

Success Link

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-07-19T17:03:42-04:00

Essential Practices for Managing People... session 5 Extraordinary managers help their people see how work efforts impact the greater good. Do this well and you help bring out best performance. Fail to make this link and you not only miss a motivation opportunity, you risk people focusing on doing their job even when that job isn’t relevant to the organization’s goals. This 7 Ideas Coach session provides uncommon insight into the practice of making visible how the efforts of your people contribute to organizational success. click the image below to hear this week’s coaching session see the executive summary article for the Practices for Managing People series ...About Strat-Maps on Think Leadership Ideas Blog Leadership article - One Page Plans Strat-map for town of Hillsborough ...Think Leadership Ideas - facilitation services Tom Stevens helps both businesses and non-profits create strat-maps and use them to create and sustain exceptional organizations - click here to contact Tom and discuss ways the people in your organization can get on the same page. 7 Ideas Coach is a weekly series of coaching sessions, 7 nuggets of insight in 7 minutes for busy leaders Get 7 Ideas Coach each week via email or through Apple iTunes

Master Performance Feedback

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-07-14T10:00:31-04:00

Essential Practices for Managing People... session 4 If you want your people to be champions at what they do, then performance feedback is essential...let me repeat, essential. Conventional Wisdom tells us natural talent is what drives top performance. Modern research challenges this notion. K. Anders Ericsson, co-editor and contributor to the Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance, notes the common factor of expert performance in almost every domain researched is “deliberate practice” – i.e., ongoing practice and repetition shaped by active feedback. Kenneth Blanchard hit the nail on the head when he said, “Feedback is the Breakfast of Champions.” Talent is important, but mostly as it is a motivator for engaging in deliberative, feedback-informed practice. This week’s “coachcast” explores what managers need to do in order to master the two “flavors” of feedback, and use performance feedback to create and sustain champion organizations. click the image below to hear this week’s coaching session 7 Ideas Coach is a weekly series of coaching sessions, 7 nuggets of insight in 7 minutes for busy leaders Get 7 Ideas Coach each week via email or through Apple iTunes

Match Assignments to Strengths

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-07-08T14:32:27-04:00

Essential Practices for Managing People... session 3 You don’t rise above mediocrity, you don’t become an exceptional performer, by doing everything well enough. You do so by investing in what you already do exceptionally well to keep getting better. Likewise as a manager, if you want exceptional performance from your people, you invest your attention in understanding what your people do well, and matching this to their role in the organization. This week’s “coachcast” explores how managers can identify the unique strengths of the people they work with, to match these strengths to organizational needs... click the image below to hear this week’s coaching session 7 Ideas Coach is a weekly series of coaching sessions, 7 nuggets of insight in 7 minutes for busy leaders Get 7 Ideas Coach each week via email or through Apple iTunes

Enable, Motivate, Empower

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-07-02T08:09:22-04:00

Essential Practices for Managing People... session 2 What’s the value you add as a manager? Sometimes value is very tangible, only because of something you do that your people now are able to do their work. Much of the time, the value you create is intangible - as in providing motivation - although the impact on results is very real. This week’s “coachcast” explores the paradoxical nature of motivation, and offers seven ideas for enabling, motivating, and empowering the people you work with... click the image below to hear this week’s coaching session 7 Ideas Coach is a weekly series of coaching sessions, 7 nuggets of insight in 7 minutes for busy leaders Get 7 Ideas Coach each week via email or through Apple iTunes

Communicating Expectations

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-06-17T09:51:21-04:00

Essential Practices for Managing People... session 1 People have a mind of their own. It’s unleashing that mind of their own which makes people so valuable in organizations, and what makes managing people so challenging. One of the most essential practices of managing people is communicating expectations. The more expectations are clarified, the more people can apply themselves effectively. After exploring what a manager needs to know and be able to do to communicate expectations, this session outlines seven essential things a managers will want their people to understand. click the image below to hear this week’s coaching session 7 Ideas Coach is a weekly series of coaching sessions, 7 nuggets of insight in 7 minutes for busy leaders Get 7 Ideas Coach each week via email or through Apple iTunes

7 Practices to Manage People

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-06-03T21:07:30-04:00

Managing People... overview coaching session click the image below to hear this week’s coaching session 7 Ideas Coach is a weekly series of coaching sessions, 7 nuggets of insight in 7 minutes for busy leaders Get 7 Ideas Coach each week via email or through Apple iTunes THINK! Subscribers Receive the PDF Version FREE ...sign-up here

Boost Confidence and Professionalism

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-05-18T13:40:07-04:00

Speak Powerfully... coaching session 7 This new 7 minute coaching session quickly reviews seven techniques to boost your confidence and professionalism when making that business speech or presentation. listen to the summary podcast of the Powerful Speaking series click the image below to hear this week’s coaching session

Add Humor to Your Presentations

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-05-04T22:00:35-04:00

Humor is your weapon to win attention, humor is your tool to stand out, humor is your winning edge. For those who need a less aggressive metaphor, humor is the icing on the cake that makes your message attractive and a pleasure to consume. This new 7 minute coaching session quickly reviews seven actions you can take to add humor to your business speech or presentation. ...click the image below to hear this week’s coaching session ... QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7ICspeakinghumor-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7ICspeakinghumor.mov', ... ... ...

Resist Powerpoint Mediocrity

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-04-25T17:14:00-04:00

A speech is like a dance, with the speaker and audience as dance partners. Sometimes leading, sometimes following, effective speakers engage - dance with - their audiences. ...This 7 minute coaching session outlines seven ways that you can maintain and increase the engagement and energy of your audience while making your presentation. listen to the summary podcast of the Powerful Speaking series ... QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7ICspeakingppt-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7ICspeakingppt.mov', ... ...

Engage and Energize Your Audience

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-04-20T15:04:45-04:00

A speech is like a dance, with the speaker and audience as dance partners. Sometimes leading, sometimes following, effective speakers engage - dance with - their audiences. ...This 7 minute coaching session outlines seven ways that you can maintain and increase the engagement and energy of your audience while making your presentation. listen to the summary podcast of the Powerful Speaking series ... QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7ICspeakingenergy-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7ICspeakingenergy.mov', ... ...

Openings That Command Attention

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-04-13T13:08:20-04:00

How you start your presentation or speech sets the audiences expectation. If you begin with a strong opening, end with a powerful close, and have relevant material in the middle, listeners will forget and forgive any parts that are uninteresting or less than well done. They will perceive the entire presentation positively as a whole. This 7 minute coaching session covers the essentials of crafting a powerful opening, and includes seven different ways to do it. listen to the summary podcast of the Powerful Speaking series ... QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7ICspeakingopenings-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7ICspeakingopenings.mov', ... ... ...

Organize What You Say

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-04-07T12:12:44-04:00

If you want to stand out and be heard, then you need to make sure your speech or presentation is organized so it can be followed by the listener. The following are seven things you would do well to pay attention to... listen to the summary podcast of the Powerful Speaking series ... QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7ICspeakingorganization-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7ICspeakingorganization.mov', ... ...

Polish Speaking Mechanics

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-03-30T11:20:28-04:00

Poor speaking is so tolerated as normal for business that perhaps no other skill gives as quick a payback for effort as learning to speak with clarity, brevity and energy. Small and basic improvements in speaking in front of others will typically elevate one well above the crowd. Plus effective speaking is one of the best tools for cultivating influence. Acquiring the skills to improve speaking is not actually difficult to do, but takes time, practice and discipline. The following are a seven key practices to develop speaking mechanics and delivery. listen to the summary podcast of the Powerful Speaking series ... QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7ICspeakingmechanics-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7ICspeakingmechanics.mov', ... ...

Coming Next

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-03-22T14:15:21-04:00

We’re taking a break this week to prepare for our next series... Powerful Speaking Stand Out and Get Your Message Across in the Business Environment Look for it March 30th

Leverage Automatic Behavior

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-03-16T14:18:16-04:00

A fundamental paradox of effective leadership is getting people to pursue excellence without thinking about it, eliciting top performance on “autopilot.” Most people have had the experience of driving and arriving at a destination without remembering the trip. Much of human thinking and behavior is unconscious, essentially on “automatic pilot.” Expert marketers, politicians, and stage magicians are known for how they use unconscious “default” behavior to exert influence in what people think, perceive, and choose. ...There can indeed be a fine line between manipulating and tricking people on the one hand, and nudging and influencing with integrity and transparency on the other. But as Thaler and Sunstein note in their book, Nudge, rarely is there a “neutral” option in choices and decisions. Leaders will invariably find themselves to be choice architects, influencing others whether they want to or not. Listen to hear seven ways that leaders can consciously influence unconscious “automatic” behavior... ... QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7IC-LM7automatic-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7IC-LM7automatic.mov', ... ...

Cultivate Your Network

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-03-02T07:51:53-05:00

Your network is the sum of connections you have with other people that might be used to share benefits. Networking is the intentional actions you take to build your network. Networking is a lifelong endeavor, likely to play a vital role in making the achievements you desire a reality. There is no time like the present to take the initiative, and begin networking wisely. This session outlines seven fundamental principles of successful networking for long-term value. ... QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7IC-LM5networking-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7IC-LM5networking.mov', ... ...

Speak With Power

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-02-23T10:36:05-05:00

Poor speaking is so tolerated as normal for business that perhaps no other skill gives as quick a payback for effort as learning to speak with clarity, brevity and energy. Small and basic improvements in speaking in front of others will typically elevate one well above the crowd. Plus effective speaking is one of the best tools for cultivating influence. Acquiring the skills to improve speaking is not actually difficult to do, but takes time, practice and discipline. This session gives leaders seven key points to remember: ... QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7IC-LM4speaking-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7IC-LM4speaking.mov', ... ...

Sharpen Thinking

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-02-16T08:21:31-05:00

Effective leaders develop agility in understanding themselves, interacting with others, and managing their life endeavors by intentional development and application of specific modes of thinking. This coaching session outlines seven modes of thinking that are of particular importance to leaders. ... QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7IC-LM3thinking-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7IC-LM3thinking.mov', ...

Generate Credibility

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-02-02T18:22:47-05:00

Credibility generates an assumption of capacity to accomplish objectives. Moreover, credibility generates trust, and trust automatically gains a leader the benefit of the doubt. People carry on with their efforts, look beyond mistakes, and work around annoyances and inconveniences. Savvy leaders know that multiple credibility indicators are more compelling than any single credential or quality. The seven assets and qualities discussed in this session are not exhaustive, but certainly among the most likely to broadly gain leaders credibility. ... QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7IC-LM1Credibility-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7IC-LM1Credibility.mov', ...

Cultivate a Change Culture

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-01-26T13:56:34-05:00

Culture is what people do when the boss isn’t looking. It’s the behavior, attitude, and atmosphere that happen unconsciously. Want a culture that embraces change and innovation? ...I use the word appreciative to describe a company culture where people both contribute to a positive climate AND take care of the business. Appreciative cultures highly value competency, excellence, and results as much as feeling good about their workplace. Two meanings of appreciative fit: to recognize with gratitude, and to increase in value. ...This session outlines seven actions leaders can take to encourage and reinforce a culture of change... ... QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7ICchangeculture-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7ICchangeculture.mov', ... ... ...

Handle Complexity

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-01-19T13:56:33-05:00

In the 21st century, increasing complexity is a hard fact for almost all organizations - whether large or small, or business, public, or non-profit. The combination of knowledge-based work plus increased complexity calls for a different kind of action to move organizations forward, which in turn impacts what kind of leadership styles are most effective and what kind of leaders are needed for the future. The ideas in this session explain 3 different kinds of complexity, as well as appropriate leadership responses to varying levels of complexity... ... QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7ICchangecomplexity-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7ICchangecomplexity.mov', ...

Win Buy-In

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-01-12T13:56:32-05:00

Too many change initiatives suffer from what preeminent executive coach Marshall Goldsmith calls the 1 2 3 7 problem - implementing change is a 7 step process, but leaders often leave out steps 4, 5, and 6. To detail, leaders too often (1) Assess the Situation, (2) Identify Solutions, (3) Plan Action, but then leap to (7) Implement Changes - leaving out efforts to (4) Seek Buy-in Up, (5) Seek Buy-in Across, and (6) Seek Buy-in Down. ...Effective leaders are intentional about creating buy-in for expected change. This podcast covers seven things leaders need to know... ... QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7ICchangebuyin-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7ICchangebuyin.mov', ...

The Real Challenges of Change

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2009-12-17T14:34:03-05:00

Conventional wisdom is that people inherently resist change, automatically making organizational change difficult. This assumption can get in the way of effective change leadership. ...What people resist isn’t necessarily change itself. What people resist is the pain, discomfort, fear, stress, loss, and expending of excess energy and attention that comes with some kinds of change. The ideas presented in this coaching podcast will help leaders understand the nuances of change and better prepare themselves to address real challenges. ... QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/ChangeLeaderChallenge-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/ChangeLeaderChallenge.mov', ... ...

Add Energy to Meetings

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2009-12-08T12:26:45-05:00

Bringing out the best brainpower and talent in meetings is expedited by a high level of energy. Does the energy level in your meetings slump the longer the meeting continues? This “coachcast” covers seven specific strategies that leaders can use immediately in meetings to maintain and increase energy, attention, and vitality. ... QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/MeetingEnergy-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/MeetingEnergy.mov', ...

Foster Meaningful Discussion

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2009-12-01T13:24:34-05:00

More than anything else, the capacity of people to have a meaningful dialogue is what adds value to meetings by drawing out the brainpower and tacit knowledge around the table. Rich discussion, dialogue, and debate differentiate meetings where work gets done from time wasters that keep people from their work. This session outlines seven ways that effective leaders encourage meeting dialogue: ... QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/MeetingDiscussion-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/MeetingDiscussion.mov', ...

Meeting Essentials

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2009-11-12T10:18:47-05:00

Meetings are an inescapable part of any endeavor that involves more than one person. Where meetings are effective, real work gets done. Are meetings in your organization highly effective and need only maintenance and polishing? Or are they a disaster that people avoid? If they are anything less than the former, first ensure you routinely practice the seven basics covered in this podcast before working on anything else. ... QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/MeetingBasics-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/MeetingBasics.mov', ...

Clarify Your Purpose

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2009-11-21T05:48:57-05:00

Too many meetings seem to be little more than people giving reports. These kind of meetings tend to focus on retrospective information (e.g. last month’s financial report or summaries of projects that people are doing outside of the meeting) - a formula for unproductive and boring meetings. Technology only amplifies bad meetings - who hasn’t narrowly escaped death by powerpoint? Retrospective information can be useful, but in the most productive meetings participants focus on achieving outcomes that are prospective in nature: alignment, attunement, and action. ... QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/MeetingPurpose-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/MeetingPurpose.mov', ...

3 Planning Retreat Errors, and How to Avoid Them

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2009-06-19T10:54:04-04:00

Has your board or leadership team scheduled a planning retreat or meeting? ... • 3 all-too-common errors that organizations make while creating their strategic or action plans; • 3 best practices that will help a group avoid these mistakes; • Plus the single most important thing to get right so everything else falls in place. In short, 7 ideas that will help make your planning effort a success. ... QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7retreaterrors-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7retreaterrors.mov', ... ...

Get On the Same Page

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2009-06-11T16:34:21-04:00

Want to get everyone on the same page? One of the best strategies is literally doing so - get your strategic plan refined to a one pager. ... • Why one page is a great way to go to enhance your organization. • Who can use a one page plan or strategy map. ... • And three ways an organization can maximize benefit from a one page plan. ... QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7onepage-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7onepage.mov', ... ...

The 7 Fundamental, Essential, Intrinsic, Counter-intuitive, and Indispensable Laws of Communication

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2009-05-21T09:17:28-04:00

QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7communicationlaws-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7communicationlaws.mov', ...

Complexity and Change Leadership

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2009-05-08T11:14:17-04:00

QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7complexityleader-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7complexityleader.mov', ... ...

Gain Willing Followers

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-01-05T17:26:01-05:00

There is fundamental paradox of effective leadership - people make their best effort only when they voluntarily choose to do so. Leading is the art of giving people a genuine choice to follow, while making the choice to follow irresistibly compelling. A true act of leading is determined not by the “leader” but by the person who chooses to “follow”. Leading can be defined as the act of gaining willing followers for a course of action when the way forward is uncertain or unknown. At its core, leading is about creating conditions where people willingly change - this session reviews seven ways how... ... QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7leadwillingchange-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7leadwillingchange.mov', ...

Lead Change That Sticks

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2009-12-29T12:12:27-05:00

What needs to stick, of course, is change in human behavior. Replace your office furniture and the change will stay put with no effort on your part. The same cannot be said for getting everyone to respond differently to customers, cooperate across functional lines, or implement those new quality measures. If you want organizational changes to stick, implement the leadership initiatives described in this week’s podcast... ... QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7makechangestick-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7makechangestick.mov', ...

Manage Transitions

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2009-12-22T14:52:40-05:00

Change is different from transition, and leaders ignore transition at their peril. ...Change is an observable event that often occurs very quickly – e.g. you sell your Hummer for a Prius. Transition is an inner state – how long it takes you to get used to driving the Prius. As noted in the previous session, transition is difficult because it requires new learning, new patterns of behavior, and emotional regrouping. This podcast outlines seven actions effective leaders can take to manage transitions. ... QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7managetransitions-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7managetransitions.mov', ...

Organizational Shift

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2009-04-09T16:00:50-04:00

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Cousin Tim's First Leadership Podcast

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2009-04-01T11:40:39-04:00

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Play Well to Excel

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2009-03-25T11:43:15-04:00

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1237 Change Fail

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2009-03-19T11:02:37-04:00

QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7ic1237changefail-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7ic1237changefail.mov', ... ... ...

Resisting the Mood of Doom

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2009-03-05T16:32:08-05:00

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Questions on Increasing Your Top Line in a Tough Economy

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2009-02-28T10:43:02-05:00

QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7topline-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7topline.mov', ... ...

Adding Value to Meetings

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2009-02-18T10:47:54-05:00

QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7meetingvalue-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7meetingvalue.mov', ...

Wizard of Oz Leadership Lessons

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2009-02-11T21:50:52-05:00

Seventy years ago MGM produced one of the best and most beloved movies of all time, based on L. ... Published in 1900, it was the first of 14 Oz books written by Baum, followed by dozens more from other authors. ...She engages the wonders, the adventures, the friendships, the dangers of Oz, but she is never distracted from her purpose of finding her way home. ...One reason the Wizard of Oz endures is because it deeply resonates with our experience of the human condition. We recognize that a fully complete human, or team, or leader, must draw from head, heart, courage, and spirit. The leaders we need for today’s world, not to mention tomorrow’s, are those who have significant mastery of these four aspects of character; wisdom, humanity, courage, and resilience. ... The Tilt goes beyond most 360 instruments that focus on skills and competencies, assessing these four “meta-factors” of leadership character. ...For those who are fans of Good to Great, one of the books key messages is great organizations face brutal reality head on, while at the same time never lose faith in their purpose and capability. ...Wise leaders keep their people moving down the yellow brick road, and always expect and give help along the way. ...Some of the best advice I ever received was to be careful not to believe my own press clippings. ... It is in authentically connecting to other people - as in the movie when the wizard is finally engaged as a real person - that the real magic begins. ...The gift leaders bring their followers is a way of looking at the world that opens the way forward. Doors that seemed closed are open, and paths appear in the wilderness, and people suddenly possess what seemed out of reach. ...At the end of the movie Glinda the Good Witch informs Dorothy she has always had the power to go home. ... You can’t read a book and know how to ride a bike, drive a car, fly a plane, or be a leader. ...Leadership is so much more than telling people to go down the yellow brick road.

Simple But Under-Appreciated Leadership Tools

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2009-02-04T10:59:24-05:00

QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7leadertools-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7leadertools.mov', ...

Building High Levels of Trust

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2009-01-27T06:13:01-05:00

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Focus On Strengths

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2010-02-09T11:27:06-05:00

If you truly are driven by escaping mediocrity and accelerating achievement, you have to resist what most people do, which is focus on weaknesses. Most people have been introduced to the idea that they should emphasize building on their strengths. Even so, Individuals and companies alike still persist in approaching development and performance management by identifying relative weaknesses and then trying to shore them up. The trouble is, if you do everything generally well, you will probably avoid failing but certainly fail to achieve excellence. This session offers seven ideas to stimulate your thinking on strengths. ... QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7strengths-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7strengths.mov', ...

7 Resolution Solutions

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2008-12-30T17:37:55-05:00

I find most leaders are eager and hungry for ways to expand their skills and capacity, and not just at the time of traditional New Year’s resolutions. ...Too many people go about self-improvement simply by making a list of a couple of items they wish they could do better - often things that are outside of their natural talents or interests, but are perceived as weaknesses. ...One size does not fit all, so following you will find seven different types of change to consider, spanning from specific types of action to changing how you think about the world. If you diligently apply any one or more of these to your specific circumstances, you might be astonished at the impact in your work and in your life. ...They have a system that gets the routine part of their work done, freeing time and energy for important efforts – the Quadrant II work as discussed by Stephen Covey (e.g. tasks that are important but not necessarily urgent). ...I continue to find many people have a predisposition to ‘fix’ weaknesses often at the expense of building on strengths, a predisposition that becomes institutionalized in the performance management systems of their organizations. ...For most circumstances, however, I coach people to think of putting at least 80% of their effort into building up their strengths. ...With a good understanding of one’s strengths, systematically polishing, honing, improving what one does well almost always yields results far beyond those achieved by moving forward on relative weaknesses. ...On the other hand, what you are able to accomplish with your time is likely as related to your personal level of energy as much as the minutes and hours you allot to a task. ... That exercise program may create a net loss of time you can apply to projects - but it may create a net gain in energy, and therefore a gain in productivity. Consider thinking about projects, agendas, etc. in terms of how much of your energy do you want to apply, rather than how many minutes you want to use. ...However if the goal is increased competence, consider what the impact of being more present in what you do might have over simply trying to be “better” at it. What would happen with your important relationships (business and personal) if you focused on being more present and authentic rather than using “better” communication skills? ...According to a recent Fast Company article, at least one west coast company, Posit Science Corporation, has built a “fifth-day” learning strategy into their company structure, where workers spend one day a week in an area outside of their normal discipline. ...Changes you make in how you work and live will have incredible impact if it builds on your strengths and frees your time and energy for effort that matters. ...This article may be freely reprinted in your company, association, or commercial publication (or website) under the following terms: that the author attribution, copyright notice, and contact information be included; and that you inform us that you are using the article (samples appreciated).

7 Recommended Books

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2008-12-26T11:31:09-05:00

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Creativity Stimulators

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2008-12-18T12:23:25-05:00

QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7brainstormtips-poster.jpg', ... ...You say, “Give me your best thinking on…” or “What is your most creative solution to…” ...The request for “best” and “most creative” ideas pre-supposes that any idea suggested must at least be good. Therefore, ideas that do not meet a conventional and quick analysis of ‘good’ are mentally screened out, both consciously and unconsciously. A better method is to set up a scenario for generating LOTS of ideas, creative ideas – without screening for them to be ‘good’ ideas. Judgment, screening, and analysis are appropriate (and necessary) later, when it’s time to sort, choose, and apply ideas. Use the techniques below during brainstorming to generate off the wall ideas that on later analysis may trigger useful insights. ...Pose questions about how to achieve the opposite of your aims, for example, what’s the most stupid thing we could do? ...Ask how would someone else look at an issue from the perspective of another business or industry? ...Look up quotes and consider how they might apply to your situation. (our quote page is a great resource) ...Avoid sports, war, and racing metaphors – these are overused and more likely to lead to just more conventional thinking. ...Select a random a word from a book, newspaper, or magazine, and brainstorm how your issue relates to that word. A variation is to use an object in the room, or one of several items on a table. ...If, for example, you are brainstorming ways to improve eyeglasses, consider how to improve the frame, the lens, the bridge, nose pads, hinges, the little screws that hold everything together. ...For example, assumptions about airplanes would be they have wings, have pilots, need airports.

Facilitation Techniques to Boost Productivity

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2008-12-11T10:46:06-05:00

Too often leaders have a one-size-fits-all approach to get input and discussion at meetings... the leader opens the floor for anyone who wants to speak. ... ◦ everyone participates in a freewheeling discussion and everything gets fully discussed, so the group runs out of time before getting to really important matters. A few simple facilitation techniques, applied in the right circumstance can make these kind of meetings much more productive. These techniques are useful to bring balance to participation, to get meaningful input without taking a lot of time for discussion, and to separate what topics need deeper discussion from those that don’t. Leaders are often reluctant to try these techniques, but doing so can give a huge boost to meeting productivity, not to mention reduce frustration of meeting participants. This week’s coachcast discusses seven facilitation techniques you can try at home... or at least at work: 1 Roundtable - the most basic technique get everyone to participate, go around the table and each person takes a turn speaking. ...When everyone uses their voice at the beginning of a meeting, they are more likely to continue participating. ...Then go around and let people say one idea at a time until all lists are exhausted. This techniques can help prevent one person from talking too much, and helps cut down or idea repetitions. 4 Top-Three Roundtable - great when there are diverse stakeholders and complex issues, in this roundtable each person is invited to present a limited number of key points in a limited time. (e.g., each person has three minutes to talk about their top three priorities.) Combined with flipcharts or index cards, this method can get everyone’s top ideas on the table for further grouping, sorting, or prioritizing as well as discussion. 5 Metric Roundtable - a roundtable where everyone is asked to rate an idea or proposal, typically on a 1-100, 1-10, or 1-5 scale. 6 Instant Metric - similar to the previous technique, but rather than a roundtable, everyone reveals their rating to the group at the same time. Ratings can be written on a sheet of paper, or a hand can show a 1-5 rating. 7 Three Buckets Instant Metric - a version of the instant metric, the group is asked whether they fully agree, disagree, or have questions by showing one, two, or three fingers (e.g. one=agree/positive, two=questions/mixed, and three=disagree/negative).

Make Meetings Matter

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2008-12-04T12:10:09-05:00

QT_WritePoster_XHTML('Click to Play', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7meetings-poster.jpg', 'http://media.libsyn.com/media/tomstevens/7meetings.mov', ... ...

Fostering Optimism

tom@thinkleadershipideas.com — 2008-11-21T14:09:29-05:00

7 Ideas Coach Audio Podcast