Be Brave Not Safe

In the prior post (The World Is Flat) it was mentioned that “Your success depends upon how well you learn to collaborate.”

Since I didn’t cover this previously I thought it would be important to expand upon this topic.

At a high-level, to competently collaborate we must be extremely effective at:

• Managing Interpersonal Relationships and Interactions
• Using the Tools of Collaboration
• Acting Globally

In this post, we’ll expand on the first item above…

Managing Interpersonal Relationships and Interactions

Let’s start with a few quotes that serve as guideposts:

It is not what you say but how you say it. Author Unknown

Tart words make no friends; a spoonful of honey will catch more flies than a gallon of vinegar. Benjamin Franklin

People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Theodore Roosevelt

Many years ago I was asked to lead a training course called “Interpersonal Managing Skills” for employees of our firm.

The purpose of the course was to help individuals at all levels of the organization minimize or eliminate miscommunications and misunderstandings. Because, the effect we have on others may not be what we intend in our daily communications which can dramatically impact results and relationships.

The seminar shared key skills, which were categorized as follows (which really made sense to me):

• Clarifying and Confirming – To uncover essential information; to let others know that you listen to and value their ideas; to make better judgments and decisions.
• Constructive Criticism – To give critical feedback in a way that promotes acceptance and action; to promote high levels of motivation, morale, and mutual respect.
• Discussion Skills – To link all of our interpersonal skills as we interact with others; to facilitate dialogue that is both participative and productive.
• Managing Differences – To deal with differences or potential conflicts in a way that allows you to preserve your priorities without either capitulating or adopting an adversarial stance – or resorting to the arbitrary use of power.
• Crediting – To recognize performance that is worthy of credit; to encourage and maintain a commitment to excellence within your organization.

While I delivered this seminar back in the 1994 timeframe the skills are just as applicable today as ever, for working more productively and harmoniously with subordinates, colleagues, and superiors. That is, we all need to be very effective at ALL of the above in order to competently collaborate with others. And, these skills can greatly enhance our dealings with ALL people including personal friends, family members and acquaintances.

Instead of further expanding on the skills here, there are 2 highly recommended readings that do a fantastic job of covering these topics. They are as follows (and by clicking on the image you will be transported to Amazon.com if you’d like to acquire either of these).

The first is a classic and could be considered the bible on Interpersonal Management Skills.

The second, is a GREAT book overall. And, Part 3: Public Victory covers key points on Interpersonal Management Skills in a very concise and impactful manner.

They are both worthy of an annual read to keep our skills honed in support of Competent Collaboration.

In a subsequent post we’ll cover “Using the Tools of Collaboration.”

In closing, if you’ve been following this blog you should notice that I’m not necessarily throwing new stuff at you. Instead, I’m reinforcing, in many different ways, the foundational skills which are critical for success and providing a reminder on how you can develop them for yourself.

All the best 🙂

I recently received an email from one of my nephews (Michael), an avid reader of this blog, who wanted to share a video that was covered in one of his college classes. After reviewing it I must offer a big/huge THANK YOU, for sharing this!!!

It further reinforces a prior post on The Future of Work – Is Here Now! And, I felt the content was so important that I must share it with others who wish to be equipped for the future. Hence the purpose of this post…

The video is a recording of Thomas Friedman, NY Times Foreign Affairs Columnist, best-selling author of numerous books including one that I found extremely insightful (The Lexus and the Olive Tree) and a 3-time Pulitzer prize winner. In short, he is someone who has a (big) clue about the world and where it is going.

Following is a synopsis of what he covers, in this speech at MIT, as shared in the description of the video:

Back in 2000, Tom Friedman recounts, the world began to shrink and flatten, under the influence of digital interconnectivity. Elaborating on his World is Flat thesis, Friedman describes how this new global order puts creative, entrepreneurial individuals in the driver’s seat, and poses distinct new challenges and opportunities. The digital platform that connects Bangalore, Boston and Beijing enables users from any of these places to “plug, play, compete, connect and collaborate,” and is changing everything, says Friedman.

What follows are just a few key points he makes, which will hopefully serve as a catalyst for you to view the video in its entirety. To NOT do so could prove perilous to your career.

First, he shares a comment made by an industrial leader from India:

The world is changing and you Americans are not ready!

He subsequently covers what he calls the 3 rules of this (interconnected) platform:

1. Whatever can be done will be done. The only question is: Will it be done by you or to you?
2. What individuals can imagine really matters! This is the single greatest competitive edge, in this time of individual empowerment.
3. Your success depends upon how well you learn to collaborate.

The video shares so much more. As such, you are encouraged to invest less than an hour of your time to view the full video, which you can do by clicking here.

In closing, if we wish to excel in the future it is crucially important to understand how we fit into the global marketplace as individuals, how we can effectively compete and more importantly, win! The World Is Flat offers keen insight towards achieving this objective!

Here’s to you making 2015 a great year for you and yours!

Yesterday, a neighbor and I were discussing how things were going at work and commenting on the differences between the performance level of co-workers.

We agreed that some co-workers seem to think they are working super-hard, but don’t really get much done. While others (we consider ourselves in this group) work smart and hard, get much done and have more free time and flexibility.

I recall, when I was still a citizen of Corporate America, someone asked: “How is it that you are able to get so much done?“, in a complimentary sort of way. I thanked them for their feedback, but had other thoughts in my head…

The real answer involved several things:

1. When I was at work, I’d be at work. It was NOT social hour. If I stopped by the water cooler it was to get water, not to talk about the plight of the local sports team. What do they have to do with my future? NOTHING!
2. I arrived at work way before everyone else, so that I was able to get much of my day’s work done BEFORE all the interruptions (and useless meetings) began.
3. At lunch you’d find me at my desk – working!
4. At 5pm you’d see me exit the building so that I could be home to eat dinner with my family, get ready for the Cub Scouts meeting, Little League game or other activity.
5. When I had extra work to do (frequently the case) I’d crack open the laptop for a couple hours at night to get ahead of the game for the next day.
6. These after hours duties often included getting a call in the middle of the night because a customer’s hair was on fire due to a service outage.

Some might consider the above an example of a workaholic. I’d beg to differ.

An article that I came across today on Yahoo! Finance shares great perspective on the difference between a high performer and workaholic. Click here to read this article if you’d like to knock it out of the park in 2015, vs. simply working yourself to the bone.

In closing, there is a big/huge difference between being busy and actually getting meaningful stuff done.

So, which are you: A high performer or workaholic?

Only YOU can make 2015 a GREAT year!