The need to motivate others is a sign!

Hiring, Motivation, Struggle, Uncategorized No Responses »
May 022012

The moment you feel the need to motivate someone, you’ve made a hiring mistake or you’ve put the right person is in the wrong role. The’ right’ people don’t need to be motivated. Challenged, lead, taught, acknowledged – yes. But not motivated. The right people in the right job show up motivated. The only thing you need to do as a manager / boss is not demotivate them with your own behaviours; micro managing, focussing on failure and ‘weaknesses’ or competing against them.

 

As far as your line reports go, your job is to encouarge them to put you out of a job by becomming better than you.  (You can then move on to something bigger and bolder for yourself.)  What a fabulous gift to them and you.

Posted by Paul Fox at 8:25 am Tagged with: , ,

Wrapping Up 2011

change, Decisions, Happiness, Momentum, Motivation, Thinking, transition, Uncategorized 1 Response »
Dec 192011

Bring your year end to a definite conclusion and start 2012 with a clear direction. (Why wouldn’t you?)

Myself and Mrs. Fox sit down every year about this time with a glass of sherry and a mince pie and run through the following ‘completion exercise’. In doing so we have tied up and reflected on our last year, giving consideration to accomplishments and setting the tone for what lies ahead. It’s actually really rewarding and quite pleasant!:

  • What did I accomplish both personally and professionally? (Everything counts from landing business deals to surviving another year as a parent with everyone intact!)
  • What difficulties did I have to overcome to realise those accomplishments?
  • What qualities and strengths did I evoke to handle those difficulties?
  • Given all the above what is now possible for me this next year? (Your 12 month personal and professional goals)

 

All the very best for an extra-ordinary 2012.

Paul

Posted by Paul Fox at 12:46 pm Tagged with: , , , , , , ,

Force Generates Resistance – Excellent News!

Momentum, Motivation, Resistance, Results, Uncategorized 2 Responses »
Nov 212011

Everyone’s heard of resistance training right? You get on a machine in the gym, load it with with weights and will your muscles to move the stack.

The resistance of the load is what make your muscles scream in objection, break down and ultimately repair and become stronger.

Resistance to you and your ideas also develops your leadership muscle and diplomacy qualities.

You really, really want people around you who resist you and your ideas – and force you to grow. The alternative? Folks who just roll over and never challenge you. Worse still, your team nod their heads in agreement… and then bugger off and do their own thing regardless.

Hmmm, hang on a minute. So your team never or rarely push back and resist you? That’s because:

  • They believe its not worth the effort. (To convince you and you then do your own thing regardless of the effort and courage it took them to speak up)
  • They are too scared to ‘rock the boat’. (Once your team stop bringing you problems and issues you’ve lost leadership)
  • They are pushing (for now) just you can’t hear it because of your busyness or attachment to your way.
  • You are not pushing hard enough and no one is feeling the need to resist.

Force is good. Force as a force for good not as a force for ego. Make it your business to know the difference.

 

Posted by Paul Fox at 1:51 pm Tagged with: , ,

Change is not Difficult at all. Transition is the Killer

change, Confidence, Decisions, Motivation, Results, transition No Responses »
Aug 122011

Change is not difficult – Transition is difficult.

It’s not starting something new that is tricky, we are good at that. It’s leaving what’s old and familiar behind that we find painful, messy, awkward or just in the too hard category.

Change is easy…Transitions are hard.

Yesterday you were single, today you are married. Last month you were the MD, today you are the new CEO. The change was made there and then in the moment.

Now you are in transition from being a single person to being a married person or being the MD and now the CEO. You are learning this as you go along.

If you can’t let go – no transition will take place. (You’ll either end up divorced if you carry on like a single person or you’ll get the sack if you can’t lead as the CEO!)

Think of how many times you’ve tried to make a change and how many times you’ve been successful… but then, often, resistance turns us back to our old ways when the going gets a bit tougher.

Next time, even though it might be a bit uncomfortable or unfamiliar, welcome resistance as feedback, telling you that you’re working your way through the transition.

Starting something new is not the first step. It’s the third.

Before we can begin something, we must lose something – that is, we need to first stop and secondly let go of what no longer works. This may be the most difficult part of the change process because it is uncomfortable to feel the loss of something familiar. Facing fear is probably the most critical step in making change work… Ask yourself, “What is it you’re holding on to that won’t allow you to move forward?”

Being in transition means ‘you are no longer what you were and not yet what you will become’. I call this the no mans land. It’s supposed to be uncomfortable, challenging, difficult because you are evolving.

Be easy with that discomfort – it goes with the territory.

Keep the faith… soon enough you’ll be in your comfort zone and you’ll have to start a whole new transition. Enjoy the ride!

Posted by Paul Fox at 9:36 pm Tagged with: , , , , ,

The Confidence Game

Confidence, Energy, Motivation No Responses »
Jul 042011

People and their confidence is not a fixed relationship. The significant people around you often have their confidence dwindle, sometimes to almost nothing. The ‘cost’ of that is they’ll play a smaller game and avoid being extra-ordinary.

Don’t even bother asking ask ‘Do I impact on staff confidence?“ You do. Every interaction you have with people will either raise, maintain or lower their confidence. That is a hefty responsibility.

So if you are going to impact confidence you may as well boost not drain. Build them up – don’t pull them down.

Lessons from my mother in law:

Nothing Grandma Penny does with my children has any intent other than to make them feel cared for, that anything is possible and that ‘they can do it’. And when they can’t do it – she holds their disappointment with respect and curiosity about how they can make progress .

The Method:

How is she so good at building the grand-kids confidence?”

  1. Her attention is with them and nowhere else.
  2. She converses with them as equals.
  3. No one is expected to do anything they won’t enjoy.
  4. Creativity is never quashed or corrected. (Purple trees and pink elephant drawings are just fine and dandy)
  5. Behaviour that is desired is praised and rewarded. (We get through a lot glitter stars and sweeties)

The Point:

People who feel cared for and valued live with higher levels of confidence. Confidence makes things happen.

Making people feel confident is a high payback activity for owners and managers and is something that nurtures our own confidence and vitality in the process.

Posted by Paul Fox at 1:16 pm Tagged with: , ,
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