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by Rick Baker
On Apr 18, 2012
After reading several 100-year-old self-development classics1, I have concluded there is no room for Passion in the workplace.
I realize that may come across as a contradiction: I have written several articles about Passion in the workplace2.
In presentations, workshops, and one-on-one sessions, I have explained my thinking.
Spirited Leaders uses a Minus10-to-Plus10 Scale to measure feelings.
When we are not feeling good about work we score somewhere between Minus10 and Zero...Minus10 being this is absolutely the worst I have ever felt in my life and Zero being neutral [not bad, not good, just ambivalence].
When we are feeling good about work we score between Zero and Plus10. In the past, I have said:
- a score from Plus1 to Plus4 means we Accept our work. At Plus1 we Tolerate work...don't have much good things to say about it...but, it is bearable and better than doing nothing. As we approach a score of Plus4 we experience increased positive feelings about work.
- a score of Plus4 to Plus7 means we Enjoy our work. We consider our work-time as time well spent and we feel our work-activities are productive.
- a score of Plus7 to Plus10 means we are Enthusiastic about our work. In this range, our work is an important part of our lives. As we approach Plus10 we feel our work is aligned with our life purpose. And - a score of Plus10 means Passion...as in Passion for Work Excellence.
Now, I say all of that except I will not use the word 'Passion' to describe Plus10. Instead, I will say a score of Plus10 means work is 'Completely Aligned with Life Purpose' or, using a more modern phrase, work is 'In The Zone'.
I will not use the word 'Passion' because I now believe Passion is the wrong word. Passion is an inflamed emotional state. It does not fit with work. In fact, it is damaging at work. If we see Passion at work then it will likely be a symptom of unbridled, excessive, optimism or mania...both of which are damaging indeed!
I will use descriptions like 'Completely Aligned with Life Purpose' and 'In The Zone' because they accurately describe how the best feelings of work happen and how we can recognize those feelings.
NOTE: During our workdays, none of us can expect to sustain a score of Plus10. However, almost all of us can feel Plus10 from time to time and feel at least Plus7 most of the time.
Footnotes:
- Particularly, the works of Robert Collier and the works of James Allen.
- Articles about Passion in the workplace: one, two three, four, five
by Rick Baker
On Apr 11, 2012
Yesterday, I introduced a simple tool Edward de Bono provided to help people develop the ability to Pay Attention. The tool was called PMI.
In summary:
PMI (Plus-Minus-Interesting)1
You can develop your faculty of ATTENTION by taking the time to focus on 3 things:
- the Plus aspects of the situation
- the Minus aspects of the situation
- the Interesting aspects of the situation
I recommend we take this Edward de Bono tool a step farther.
For us, the word Process is a synonym of the word System, when both words are taken in the broadest context.
A definition of the word, 'System' and what we mean when we use the word 'Process':
“A system is just an arrangement of circumstances that makes things happen in a certain way. The circumstances may be metal grids, electronic components, warm bodies, rules and regulations or anything else. In each case what actually happens is determined by the nature of the system.”
“The brain is a system in which things happen according to the nature of the system. What happens in the brain is information. And the way it happens is thinking.”
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You can use this little table, a 1-Page Tool, to develop your Attention skill:
- it can be used to develop the skill of Attention by focusing on Situations [as de Bono taught in 'Water Logic', (1991)]
- it can be used to develop the skill of Attention by focusing on People [the #1 thing Spirited Leaders recommends]
- it can be used to develop the skill of Attention be focusing on Processes [also known as Systems]
Processes/Systems have 4 major categories:
- things that happen in our brain [as de Bono describes in the quote above],
- interactions between People,
- Man-made Processes/Systems [as examples: nmanufacturing processes and accounting systems], and
- Processes/Systems of Nature and the Cosmos.
To be more specific about the 'People' uses of this 1-Page Tool:
- self-analysis and self-development [introspection and creative-thinking progress]
- conflict resolution [a person-to-person application]
- getting present
More on this topic of Attention in future future Thought Posts...
Footnote:
by Rick Baker
On Mar 6, 2012
First of all, I believe we all understand we cannot manage time. We cannot slow down clocks or speed them up...the ticking of the clocks was agreed upon and set by our scientific forefathers long before we were born.
We can, however, manage our thoughts and our actions. We can manage the energy consumed by our thoughts and actions.
Managing our energy, that's an important thing to do.
I don't think too many people would argue with that last point.
Manage your energy!
That's good advice.
***
Related to managing your energy, here are some questions to consider.
Per day, on average, how much time do you spend:
- 100% concentrating/focusing on a single task?
- concentrating on a single task, as best you can, while being interrupted by people, thoughts, noises, etc?
- multi-tasking?
- stewing about things that happened in the past?
- being annoyed by things other people do?
- being instructed by people who have authority over you?
- giving instructions to people who follow you?
- worrying about things that could happen in the future?
- getting present?
- meditating?
- thinking or saying - "There are not enough hours in the day"?
- learning how to focus and concentrate?
***
You have energy.
You can only use it 2 ways:
- Thinking
- Acting
The next level of detail...
You can only use your energy 4 ways:
- Thinking in a manner that aligns with your Goals
- Thinking in a manner that does not align with your Goals
- Acting in a manner that aligns with your Goals.
- Acting in a manner that does not align with your Goals.
These apply regardless of how clear or how fuzzy your Goals may be.
These are the 4 ways you use your energy.
These are the 4 ways you spend your time.
You can, by doing #1, choose the right 'balance' of these 4 ways...
...or you can not do that.
To the extent you choose and do #1 you can maximize #3, make the best use of your energy, and spend your time in a way you define as - well.... as in time well spent.
***
Really, what would you rather say...
"That was time well spent."
or
"There are not enough hours in the day."
by Rick Baker
On Feb 29, 2012
Your Key People will buy into improving Measurement & Reporting on Results when:
- Key People view the work-action-changes as Common Sense Important. [Key People need to buy into the fact, this is not contentious work – this is Important work]
- Key People view the Measurement method as Simple.
- Key People view the work-action as Not-Urgent. The less pressure they feel the quicker and better the results. Less pressure does not mean less importance or less dedication to the duty. It means, taking a realistic and less emotional approach. We build on successes. The first Change may seem incredibly slow to observers [and entrepreneurial owners]. The second change will happen a little faster, the third change again a little faster…the pace will increase as People gain confidence.
- Key People feel Comfortable with the pace…Change is Only Constructive when People are Comfortable…break the change up into small steps [Baby Steps]
- The Key People have Positive Attitudes. Pressure tends to cause backfires while positive attitudes tend to be contagious.
- The Key People focus on individual’s Strengths [for example, talking about People's StrengthsFinder Top 5 Talent Themes], never on weaknesses.
- Key People repeat the need-for-measurement messages. Repetition! They must ensure their messages are clear and simple...then they must repeat, repeat, & repeat them.
Change is a process, not an event. To improve Measurement & Reporting on Results the key thoughts are: Common Sense Important, Simple, Non-Urgency, Comfortable pace, Positive Attitudes, Focus on Strengths, and Repeat!
by Rick Baker
On Feb 7, 2012
Some years ago we created a new product and we wanted to meet with industrial buyers to test the market. We forecast what we felt might be realistic numbers and we planned actions. We created a small telemarketing operation to make contact with industrial buyers. We wrote scripts for the telemarketers. We gave them lengthy lists of potential client names and contact information. We set a Goal of 70 calls per day per telemarketer. The telephone action commenced. A few weeks passed. The results we desired did not arrive. We understood each telemarketer was making 70 calls per day. Yet, the number of meetings set up by our telemarketers was far below the target volume we had planned. The manager could not explain why results were falling so short of the target number and he assured us each telemarketer was making the planned 70 calls per day. This carried on until the next telephone bill arrived. A quick review of the bill confirmed our outgoing calls were far short of 70 calls per day per telemarketer...far less than 50%. So, we installed a telephone call monitoring device and told the manager about it. The very next day our outgoing calls increased to 70 calls per telemarketer.
I learned a valuable School-of-Hard-Knocks lesson that day.
It took a situation that graphic to help me fully understand why, for many years, business experts have expressed thoughts like "What gets measured gets done." and "What cannot be measured cannot be managed."
Now I know: meaningful things must be measured.
Now I encourage the use of SMARTACRE Goals.
by Rick Baker
On Jan 17, 2012
As part of our BIG PICTURE, Spirited Leaders has 5 Values.
One of those 5 Values is: Labours of Enjoyment & Enthusiasm.
In simple words, we want our People to at least enjoy their work.
Why?
We have several reasons, here are 3:
- work Enjoyment means People are putting their Strengths to productive use,
- work Enjoyment paves the path for work Enthusiasm, which in turn paves the path for work Passion, and
- work Enjoyment results in full wages.
Full Wages...what does that mean?
It means People, in return for their work, receive much more than money.
In the 100-year-old words of James Allen1, People receive "the completion of wages in its sevenfold fullness as follows:
- Money
- Usefullness
- Excellence
- Power
- Independence
- Honor
- Happiness"
Now, James Allen had strong thoughts about People and work. He wrote, "Work is of two kinds - it is either loving labor or enforced slavery". At one end of the spectrum, Allen described working People as slaves. At the other end of the spectrum he described working People as true workers. And, he didn't see much middle ground.
That's not the way we see working People.
We see working People experiencing a range of feelings about work. People's feelings at and about work change frequently. People's feelings at and about work tend to fluctuate within a range. We use a Minus10-to-Plus10 Scale to describe and measure People's feelings at and about work.
Our goal is to help People feel good about work...that is, at least Enjoy their work. Using our Minus10-to-Plus10 Scale, that means People score on average at least Plus4.
When People score at least Plus4 their enjoyment is contagious...
That's why we Value it!
Footnotes:
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