29. December 2010 by Paul J Hindelang.

You can accelerate your performance!

With the time of New Year’s resolutions upon us, I am choosing the alphabet P‘s to guide my resolutions for 2011. It is a bit of fun to search the mind to find where we can improve, why we must, and what we can do about it. Try these: 

Power Performance

You can certainly enjoy increased power in the New Year. As the saying goes, seize the day – or maybe said – seize the power. The truth be known, you have more power at your disposal than you ever use. Think about that undone project at work, or the sales effort with re-igniting old clients, or just clearing away all the accumulation of unnecessary nonsense in your life. You have the power to act. It will surprise you when you step into the arena and make it happen.

Purpose Performance

Why not live life on purpose – your own purpose. Many of us drift through year to year, hardly examining what we should really be about doing. We lack a central purpose. If you should be a great parent at this stage in life, then focus upon it. If you should be seeking a new job to move your career ahead, then focus upon it. If you should be reducing debts, saving for your future, then focus upon it. Get a purpose for 2011. You know what I mean.

Passion Performance

Ah, the passionate performance pleases all. Passion is funny. It seems sometimes quite elusive. What is it that can fire us up, get us going, enthused, thrilled, energized. This is the thing we must pursue to live in the world of passion. Passion will always carry the day. Whether it is a new romance, a new hobby, or a new job assignment, it will be enjoyed if and when we can bring our passion to the party.

Partner Performance

How long can one go on without other persons in their life? Sure, we read of hermits that pursued their life in solitude, study, prayer, or whatever. But how many do you know, probably none.The truth is simply that we humans need other humans to affirm and support our life choices. Whatever resolutions you pursue in 2011, they will be accelerated if you engage another cohort to be an accountability partner. This one to one engagement helps keep you on track and keep you from giving up too quickly when the going gets rough.

Plan Performance

Forever, you have heard experts preach the power of goal planning for the New Year. They are right, you need a plan. And this is where most folks truly fall down big time. It is not the goal, it is the PLAN part. It is tough work to create a plan. It is details, dates, decisions, determination – each of which challenges the mind to the fullest. But, if you fail to engage in this hard work, most of your wishful thinking will be put on the shelf by the end of January.

Performance for 2011 can be yours - remember the 5 P’s and, just do them.

Enjoy your New Year! It can be your best ever.

Paul J Hindelang has provided leadership development services for 28 years through his training and consulting firm, inspiring 1000’s to achieve their personal and business objectives and make business improvements happen.

Paul J has additional ideas on personal leadership results at http://www.PaulJHindelang.com/ and at http://www.selfdevelopmentforyou.com/leadershipdevelopment

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4. December 2010 by Paul J Hindelang.

I recently came across a slide show clip that summarized what is reported as Colin Powell’s 13 Rules of Leadership…

Colin Powell’s 13 Rules of Leadership

#1 -   It ain’t as bad as you think.

#2 -  Get mad, then get over it.

#3 -  Avoid having your ego so close to your position

         that when your position fails, your ego goes with it.

#4 -   It can be done.

#5 -   Be careful whom you choose.

#6 -   Don’t let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision.

#7 -   You can’t make someone else’s decisions.

#8 -   Check small things.

#9 -   Share credit.

#10 - Remain calm. Be kind.

#11-  Have a vision. Be demanding.

#12 - Don’t take the counsel of your fears or naysayers.

#13 - Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.

It is one man’s opinion; but there is likely something to learn from those that have risen to leadership roles — ideas to follow, and ideas to avoid. Embrace only those ideas that resonate with your personal leadership.

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28. November 2010 by Paul J Hindelang.

Richard Lewine, management consultant and co-creator of the most effective Goals management software on the market today - found at www.Goaltrak.com has created a Vision Building worksheet that can help any business person focus on the future rather than dwell on the past. All business success is built from today forward, therefore a future vision is essential. The steps to create such vision are:

1. ) The primary purpose of a Vision Statement is to communicate a consistent future view of the organization to everyone involved with that future’s creation - everyone! Whether senior executive or computer programmer, the performance of each individual contributes to the desired future state. Assurance that decisions made are congruent with a vision, requires that people have knowledge of that future.

2.) Creating the “paint by the numbers” picture of a chosen future, requires a belief that the decisions made today are grounded in the best available information, synthesized in a competent manner, and will be executed upon strategically and operationally by individuals and groups with the appropriate capabilities to achieve success. Without this basic belief, visioning becomes an exercise in futility, all blue sky dreaming.

3.) The process of creating a vision serves another important purpose: as participants in the process visualize the future, they tend to temper their imagination with their current reality. This leads to enthusiastic discussions around issues and topics that may not have received their deserved attention. Resolution of these issues and clarification of the elements within each topic may lead to the conclusion that the vision as first conceived is unrealistic. Modifications may then be made before dissemination throughout the organization.

VISION ELEMENTS

Results of work with small and medium size organizations includes evidence that visions are most effectively built using a template to start the process. The categories that surfaced as most important in guiding participants through the process of visioning include specific discussion of:

1. Revenue/Income/Funding - what are the goals, minimums and targets, cash flow needs, monthly, quarterly, department, individual product lines.

2. Gross Profit/Net profit/Surplus - how do the margins contribute, by product, by service, by territory, by individual, by client.

3. Products and Services - what are current offerings, needed offerings, competitive offerings, future needs and wants of targeted markets.

4. Ownership/Governance - who owns and influences, controls, or may impact the governance of the enterprise, including, debtors, bankers, and supposed silent partners.

5. Physical Space/Geography - what are existing and future needs to serve market demands, including wasted resources that can be converted to value, repositioned.

6. Technology - what are current limitations and what is competitive and future market requiring to become best in class, including steps to migrate.

7. Customer/client mix - what are current quantity and quality aspects of client base, desirability, and methods to improve margins, effectiveness of service and resales.

8. People - a true assessment of current capabilities of all staff and the specific desires for achieving maximum potential from each.

9. Culture - what is the current and expected culture, commitments, values of the organization and how may they shift to be optimum.

10. Organizational image - what is the feedback from current customers and community and how should it be presented in the future.

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29. October 2010 by Paul J Hindelang.

I had an opportunity yesterday to speak for the Bloomfield Hills, Michigan Optimists Club at their Annual Recognition Breakfast for Youth. This event recognizes high school youth in the immediate area for their achievements as a leader. Each of the high schools nominated 3 or 4 students that demonstrated academic achievement, athletic achievement, school leadeship and most importantly outside school volunteerism. The stories told about the 30 or so young people gave hope for the future. Despite the disruptive state that our entire country currently faces, these young folks accomplished wonders. From tutoring, to arts, to assisting seniors, to engaging in help to the legal process and politics, these students showed what a great community and country can look like. Congratulations to all of them.

My keynote remarks were entitled - Using Personal Leadership. Their stories already presented were all the examples that I needed. My job was easy, just connect the dots to what character traits these leaders held that allowed them to achieve these results from using their personal leadership. I suggested to them and propose to all that the Personal Leader needs four essential traits. They are: 1.) Have a Positive Mental Attitude 2.) Be Self Motivated 3.) Be Goal Directed, and 4.) Have Personal Integrity in all Matters.

It may be time for all of us to follow the leadership example of these youth. Most of us have a job, a roof over head, a meal in the stomach, and far more ability to volunteer to help others than we use. Consider that a few hours of serving others in schools, community, medical or religious setting could add great value to your leadership powers. To see more about the talk details, check out the posts at www.selfdevelopmentforyou.com/leadershipdevelopment.

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15. October 2010 by Paul J Hindelang.

You can get anything you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want.  — A quote from the motivational master, Zig Ziglar 

If want and need some new positive cash flow and you can figure out how to help 5-10 other people get the same, by the same time, it seems that you could probably earn 10-20% of the total for helping them out. You see, life is about othere people. When we get stuck on worry and work for our needs, we block out the possibilities for faster and easier results. Earning 10-20% commission or fees is pretty standard in many fields. Finding the 5-10 people you can help is the tough part. Using this formula, and soliciting the some prospects that we could help by simply asking -what are the top three things that would make your life or business better, happier, more profitable, etc. Then follow up with, do you want some help with that, and how much could you afford to invest in getting it done?Simply, now, figure out a way to get it done, and collect your piece of the action. Then do it 5-10 more times.

Why don’t we just jump at this proposition. Usually, it is because of our own self doubt - what do I have to offer? We all have tremendous assets. We have just not paid attention to how great they are. So, to get it clear in your head, begin with listing a few items under each of the following categories. Something like this: 1.) My KNOWLEDGE assets are: engineering, sales, golf, tennis, math, science, investments, English, writing, etc. 2.) My ENERGY assets are: run a 10 minute mile, good weight, healthy diet, full head of hair, etc. 3.) My TIME assets are: retired, organized, early riser, efficient, fast reader, etc. 4.) My IMAGINATION assets: am a dreamer, creative, love color, traveler, adventurer, etc. 5.) My COMMUNICATION assets are: good writer, speaker, motivator, coach, trainer, etc. 6.) My DECISION MAKING assets are: clear thinker, very analytical, fast, smart, balanced, etc.

You will quickly recall that you have a lot to offer and friends, family, community and businesses need much from the use of your assets. Get to Work. Ask for your piece of the pie, in return for helping enough other people get what they want. Remember focus on What THEY want — and YOU will provide!

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