Find the Good

Life is hard. Work is hard. Competing is hard. Winning is really hard.

So why in the world do we spend so much time focusing on the negatives when being successful requires so much energy?

You're Surrounded
One of the wonderful things about how we choose to see the world is that we don't have to be stuck in a cesspool of defeat and fatalism if we don't want to. We have a choice. We can make the conscious decision to view the world with unlimited possibilities.

Just think about your team for a moment. Does your mind quickly go to which one is "struggling" or having a "hard time?" Why do we do that? 

Consider instead all of the incredible strengths your team members have that you might be overlooking. Instead of "building a case" against them, perhaps we should build a plan that aligns their strengths with our business needs? Maybe, just maybe, if we allow them to do what they do best...and focus that effort on what needs to be done...we might achieve our goals.

We are literally surrounded with people who are good at some things, but not all things. Yet, we still try to have everyone fit into a specific job description that has an unspoken expectation that each person will be interchangeable with the next.

Does this really make sense in 2016?

What happens when we try to force the square peg into the round hole?
- lost time
- lost productivity
- massive amounts of frustration for everyone on the team, including you

You Too
This philosophy also applies to you and me. We shouldn't try to be everything in every situation...why? 

Because,
- we can't know everything
- we need to play to our strengths too
- and we shouldn't be afraid to bring people onto our teams who are stronger in areas we are not

Our job is to get results...not to embarrass ourselves trying to be Superwoman or Superman.

How About You
When you hit a roadblock in a project, or as part of the execution of your corporate strategy don't throw your hands up in frustration. Look for the strengths on your team to work through, around, or over your problem. If you find the good in your team and in yourself you will be amazed at the results.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Who Helps You Succeed?

"In normal life we hardly realize how much more we receive than we give, and life cannot be rich without such gratitude. 

It is so easy to overestimate the importance of our own achievements compared with what we owe to the help of others."

- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I've written about Dietrich Bonhoeffer's influence as one of my personal heroes many times here on NoExcusesHR. Today's quote speaks as a personal challenge to ensure I don't get too caught up in "me." Instead, I have to remember that without the amazing team of professionals working with me I would have very little.

Who helps you succeed?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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The Hidden Benefit of Teams

Being part of a close team at work or in sports is special. The camaraderie, support, and understanding when something goes wrong is not taken for granted. It is usually earned through hard work and reciprocal support of the other team members.

Work Teams

When we find ourselves working in a real team environment it is terrific. The fear of retribution is replaced with support for taking risks, making mistakes and knowing that trying harder the next time is the norm. Room for error is part of the culture and is used to help others avoid pitfalls as new ideas are tested and implemented.

One of my favorite mantras is that "...we're going to try new things....if something doesn't work, stop doing it...no one is going to get in trouble..."

That is a clear message to the team about the support they have from me.

Sports Teams

The evidence about sports teams gelling has been documented many times. What I find most interesting about the sports angle however, is not what happens on the ice, field or court. What really makes a team special is what happens "in the room." 

The connection between the players in the locker room is what truly tests a team's character. They know what to do when they're "at work" playing the games; but do they support each other when mistakes have occurred, or accept room for error from their teammates?

The good teams do...and that connection often translates in to wins.

 

Blogging Teams

Unlike typical work and sports teams, blogging team members are often spread far and wide. In some cases, team members have never met, or even spoken on the phone. Yet, blogging teams...effective ones...find a way to bring a level of support and camaraderie that is quite astonishing.

Consider this: if you were supposed to work with a new employee, but your only communication was a few emails, no phone calls, no FaceTime and the only image you had of the person was their avatar from twitter, would you be okay with that? How about in sports? Forget it! It's pretty tough to run the power play if your teammates aren't in the arena.

I am blessed to be part of one of those effective blogging teams. My teammates do something far beyond writing good content, sharing their perspectives, and challenging us all to elevate our leadership games. My teammates offer support, encouragement, compliments, helped family members get new jobs, and reach out to connect on issues that have absolutely nothing to do with blogging at all.

How many of our "normal" friends do that? I think I'm discovering a new definition of friends.

How About You

I would encourage you to check out my teammates over at Performance I Create. They are not only a good group of bloggers; but more importantly, they're damn good people too.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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I Used To Rule the World

I was raised in an environment with a heavy focus on leadership that included my parent's roles, their expectations for me, and numerous examples of how to handle situations as they came up in real life. I didn't know any other path for me growing up.

Then I Grew Up
Landing my first formal leadership job at twenty-seven was exciting. I had been groomed for this moment, right? I was ready! Ah, youth. Yes, on one hand I was ready from the standpoint that I really wanted that opportunity. I worked hard to get that position, and dove in with both feet. But I hadn't actually managed any employees before that time.

That presented me with a whole new set of challenges...er...opportunities. Yes, opportunities!

My Ideas!
I had wonderful ideas back in those days. I had a vision that I just knew would work. Combine that vision with my decisions and strategies and I was confident everything would turn out just fine.

Then things didn't turn out just fine.

Oh...It's a "We" Thing

It's amazing what a little experience and a big slice of humble pie can do for one's career. What started as an enthusiastic and fairly narrow perspective has turned into a much more open-minded (at least some of the time!) view of how work actually gets done.

Building teams that feel empowered to take risks, contribute their ideas, and most importantly to feel comfortable telling me when I'm making mistakes is a much more productive way to go through life.

How About You

Are you so focused on "you" that you're not involving those around you? Are you following my early lead and can not figure out why your plans aren't working? Maybe you'll eventually realize what I did...that I was in my own way all along.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.



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