Andy Christiansen » Energy Management

Set Goals for 2012!

andy.christiansen — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 21:20:18 +0000

As we look at a new year, consider designing your top ten goals!

Review the suggested goals list below as a primer to get you thinking and create a top ten list. Then create a #1 personal goal and a #1 professional goal to work on over the course of the year. If the word “goal” intimidates you, change the wording, call them passionately hoped for outcomes!

Financial

Buy a home

Start saving – investing

Set up/follow a budget

Pay off debts/credit cards

Create lifetime money plan

Earn more/make more money

Design financial independence plan

Review and create healthy insurance plan

Career

Go back to school

Start own business

Find a new career

Reduce stress at work

Create a business plan

Upgrade career – get a raise/promotion

Relationships

Be more practical

Be more spontaneous

Find Mr. or Mrs. right

Resolve past experiences

Design a family life plan

Get closer to spouse Feel more loved

Spend more time with children, build significant memories

Transition

Be mentored – mentor another

Discover or increase spirituality

Gain – loss of large monies

Divorce care – recovery

Recovery from trauma

Make big life changes

Discover core values

Big loss/failure

Big opportunity

Physical, Spiritual and Emotional Balance

Sleep better Take responsibility

Increase your spiritual relationship

Reduce alcohol/nicotine intake

Reduce sugar/fat intake

Run a marathon

Begin exercising

Lose weight

Goals or (passionately hoped for outcomes) should have four S.M.A.C. characteristics

Specific

Measurable

Attainable (challenging but realistic)

Compatible with your values (compatible with who you are)

TOP TEN GOALS:

Sample: Increase annual income 15% by December 31st this year, or Take my spouse on a meaningful date each Thursday night

1. _______________________________________

2. _______________________________________

3. _______________________________________

4. _______________________________________

5. _______________________________________

6. _______________________________________

7. _______________________________________

8. _______________________________________

9. _______________________________________

10. _____________________________________

Your #1 Personal Goal _______________________________________________

Your #1 Professional Goal _____________________________________________

Wisdom: getting another person or group to provide encouragement and accountability around your goals would increase your success exponentially.

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2012 Goal Setting – Now!

andy.christiansen — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:30:22 +0000

If you’re a high capacity leader, you know that October is the best time to plan out your 2012 goals. If not now or in very early November you will find yourself just like other years juggling Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years only to find yourself in mid January thinking, wasn’t it just October? So, create them now and adjust as necessary. Use whatever tool you’re used to or source my link below for a standard top ten GOALS worksheet.

The best move you can make is to just get them on paper NOW! GOALS TOP 10 WORKSHEET

Go BIG or go Home!

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4 Steps to 4 Weeks off

andy.christiansen — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 01:55:56 +0000

Can you take off a month? Below are four steps to make it a reality! This might sound crazy, but if you want to experience a quality vacation next summer (2012), you need to start planning for it now! Do you want one of those photo album memories that lasts a lifetime? If so, keep reading.

I want to challenge you to take an entire month off to enjoy the benefits of extended physical rest, improved family relationships and personal free time to detox and revive your creative juices and motivations. Most people say, they can’t afford it, I want to suggest, you can’t afford not to! Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

One of our family’s best memories was a month long vacation to Greece. I especially remember a few days we spent on the island of Santorini, where we were fortunate enough to stay in a hotel positioned on beautiful cliffs overlooking the Aegean Sea. During our first morning there, I struck up a conversation with another of the hotel’s guests, a young, Swedish mother of three. When she asked me how long we had been on holiday, I smugly replied, “We are two weeks into a four week vacation!” The tables turned on me when I found out that she and her family had been traveling for six weeks; and my pride in my fantasy that I was the lead dog in vacationing well quickly transformed into a harsh reality check. To most people I met on our trip, our four week vacation was a short one.

For a vacation to be significant, your time off does not have to necessarily number thirty days. But planning for and executing a restful, meaningful holiday must be an intentional exercise. To maximize time off from work, there are some things you need to consider.

1. Vacation is a calendar item. Make it a priority.

2. Plan financially for your vacation.

3. Go where you’re energized. Whether it’s the mountains or the beach, a resort or a cabin, a play-cation or a stay-cation, choose to spend your time in a way that will rejuvenate your body and spirit.

4. Define your vacation obstacles, and work in a strategic way to overcome them. Pre-planning for your absence is a tactical move that will keep your time away from the office from spiraling into chaos.

Every man who possibly can, should force himself to a holiday of a full month in a year, whether he feels like taking it or not. - William James

You can do this, you must do this!

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4 Steps to Fulfilling a Vision

andy.christiansen — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:05:42 +0000

Sam Walton left a $25 billion dollar fortune to his family at the time of his death.

But money wasn’t, and isn’t, his lasting legacy. Instead, we can learn from his life the importance of having, pursuing, and never giving up on a vision.

Sam Walton believed early on in the value of discount retailing. He wanted to be the best store and the first store to do everything. He had a unique skill of identifying future needs for his company. When he was twenty stores strong, he attended an IBM school in New York for the sole purpose of hiring the brightest star there to computerize his business operations. He understood, long before his competitors, that he would not be able to grow at the pace he desired without this type of system in place. It was just one more intelligent step in his business pursuits that allowed him to outdistance and outperform his competition. Walton’s business savvy was demonstrated again when, in 1991, he did the improbable and surpassed Sears and Kmart to become the number one retailer in the country.

Leaders with vision can be highly successful. But vision is not just an innate talent. It is a skill that can be refined using the following steps.

Research all you can. When you read and study the history and trends in your business, you arm yourself for the future.
Network. Talk and learn from people who have done and are doing what you are doing. Let them be a go-to resource in your life as you are creating and refining your vision.
Learn from your mistakes. Don’t let your past define you. If you have made a mistake in implementing your vision, be humble enough to admit it and smart enough not to defend it. Learn from your past then move beyond it.
Be all in. Once you have refined your vision for your business, pursue it with all the resources you have available to you. That is to say, go for it! Your team will be more likely to follow a person sold out to his principles than one who is apathetic about them.

Remember, we are limited, not by our abilities, but by our vision (Author unknown).

What do you think?

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Take 4 Steps to R.E.S.T.

andy.christiansen — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 14:20:10 +0000

The ability to work is a fabulous gift. It provides an outlet for ideas, imagination, energy, implementation, visioneering, influence, and world change. Work affords the opportunity to relate and collaborate. Work helps define and measure your life. The problem becomes when work is the only standard by which you define and measure your life. Work is only good when balanced by rest.

A recent study on the work habits of Americans show that the average work week is 70 hours, and that at least fifty percent of executives are leaving their jobs because of the demand and pace. Over eighty percent surveyed say that the difficulties of work are affecting their health in an adverse way.

So what can you do to avoid being a stressed out, maxed out, frazzled statistic? Consider these four steps: R.E.S.T.

Continually reflect on your mission and vision. Make sure that your time is spent directly impacting your organization’s mission and your personal vision. Be discriminating with your time and resources. Don’t waste it on the small stuff.
Engage in relationships with positive people. One of the biggest drains on your emotional well-being is a pessimistic person. Surround yourself with problem-solvers, creative thinkers, resourceful workers, and constructive people.
Support an organization or charity that aids a cause you believe in. One of the greatest energizers for your soul is the knowledge that you are a significant part of making the world a better place.
Tackle obstacles in life in a pragmatic, methodical way. You simply cannot improve your life, or others’, with a chaotic, frenzied approach. Be practical. Be thoughtful. Be calm. Keep your eye on the end game, and see the problem through with patience and fortitude.

We find in the book of Proverbs that where people lack vision, they perish. But a lack of vision might not be the sum total of your problem. You may have vision; but if you have surrendered to it in an unhealthy, unbalanced way, then the vision no longer benefits you. Make sure you are evenhanded in your approach to work and to life.

Are you getting enough R.E.S.T.?

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Good vs Great?

andy.christiansen — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 01:28:11 +0000

Sports researcher, John Lather, estimates that it takes approximately 10,000 hours of training for an athlete to reach a world class level of playing. That is 20 hours of intensive, focused, high impact training each week for a solid eight years. This kind of training is the single most significant factor in moving an athlete from good to great. How about those of us who lead? What does it take to move us from good to great?

It takes time. It takes time to learn your business. It takes time to know your people. It takes time to plan, strategize, and create a vision. Good is in a hurry. Great is patient.
It takes focused energy. You may be good at putting out fires, making quick decisions, and brainstorming a vision, but that’s not enough. You must be singularly focused on implementing what you set out to do. Good is satisfied with a ninety percent completion record. Great doesn’t quit until it accomplishes one hundred percent of its objectives.
It takes humility. There is nothing to do but unreservedly agree with Charles Louis de Secondat, baron de Montesquieu who is attributed this quote, “To become truly great, one has to stand with people, not above them.” Good accommodates self. Great makes room for others.
It takes authenticity. Even the least informed on your team will eventually detect falsehood, wherever it may be found. Good tolerates a counterfeit. Great builds confidence in others through genuineness and trustworthiness.
It takes resourcefulness. Extending, stretching, and maximizing your resources is vital to success. Good tolerates waste. Wasting time. Wasting money. Wasting talent. Great never squanders. It cultivates its resources and harvests its success.

So are you settling for good? Or striving for great?

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How to Win Friends & Influnce People – A.S.K.

andy.christiansen — Mon, 16 May 2011 14:31:30 +0000

A Lesson in Socratic Leadership (Socrates 469 BC – 399 BC)

Traditionally, when people think about leadership, they perceive it to be all about telling and directing others in their activities; Socratic leadership, however, expands that definition of leadership to include asking and listening in communication with others. It is a style of leadership designed to engage.

Socratic leadership uses these three steps:

1. Ask: Ask a powerful question. A powerful question is one that you really want to ask and one that demands and inspires a response. See some sample ”what and tell” questions below.

2. Shut-up: Listen fully to the answer. If you can’t listen fully, don’t ask the question; your inattentiveness will communicate disrespect. Start small developing this listening skill. Practice it on children first. They will be an honest audience and tell you when they don’t believe you are REALLY listening. As you become more disciplined in your listening, utilize your new skill on your team.

3. Keep Listening: Ask a follow-up question. You do this to communicate to the other party that you have heard what he has said. Most leaders are only waiting to talk; they are not really listening!

Repeat these steps until the opportune time to offer another question, such as How can I help? or What steps might remedy your situation?

Remember the Platinum Rule: Treat others the way they want to be treated!

Sample powerful questions: Remember, getting to know people builds trust, and trust is second only to love as the most powerful force in the universe.

- What is on your mind right now? Follow-up with – Why?

- What matters to you? Follow-up with – Why do you think that?

- What do you want? Follow-up with Why? or How can I help?

- What is your favorite movie? Follow-up with – Why do you think that is?

- Tell me about your weekend. Follow-up with – What was the greatest take away for you?

- Tell me about your family.

- Tell me what I can do to

Try this for one week and let me know how it works by leaving a comment below.

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Lead on Purpose

andy.christiansen — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 02:03:01 +0000

CNN reported on January 3rd, 2011 that 84% of Americans plan to look for new jobs in 2011. Could this mean that more than half of your staff is thinking the same way? Remember this…people do not quit companies, they quit managers (leaders)!

I believe a huge part of the problem is found in the way we are leading people.

For example, most of the leading experts in talent management believe that we have left the information age and are now in what’s called the conceptual or knowledge worker age. To capitalize on this new era we need to think, hire and lead differently. Putting it in leadership terms, if yesterday required LEADERSHIP 1.0, tomorrow will demand LEADERSHIP 2.0.

Here are five distinctions to help you frame up the differences in your mind:

LEADERSHIP 1.0
Results focused
Quota based
Hire and fire people
People burn out
Limited potential

LEADERSHIP 2.0
People focused
Training and development based
Recruit and develop right people
People produce profits
Unlimited potential

Think about it…which style are you?

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5 Steps to Finding a Mentor

andy.christiansen — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 23:43:47 +0000

Five Steps to Connecting “Intentionally”

Here is a simple five-step process to help you navigate successful connections and meetings with strategic advisors (Mentors).

1. Create a list of candidates. Start by writing down the names of your own personal “top ten”—the ten people whom you would most like to become your strategic advisors. Start big and work your way down, and don’t hesitate to include “heavy hitters” on your list, those you think might be out of your league.

2. Define your reason for the connection and meeting. Before inviting a candidate to meet with you, make sure you clearly explain to him or her the specific reason for the meeting.

3. Make the invitations. Send e-mails, make phone calls, approach candidates in person, or do all three. Your invitations should be clear and concise, explaining exactly what you’re asking for. Don’t try to push or “guilt” someone into meeting with you. If a candidate seems lukewarm, move on to others—you want motivated, excited people.

4. Confirm the meeting. Do so within five days of your scheduled meeting date with a quick e-mail, text, or Outlook meeting notice, confirming the date, time, place, and topic for discussion.

5. Conduct the meeting. Your initial meeting should consist of three phases.

A. Start off by restating the reason you are meeting and asking how much time they have to meet.

B. Get the ball rolling by asking some great questions. Most people are dying for others to be truly interested in them for who they are rather than what they do. Asking others to offer strategic advice is showing interest in them (this is good). Asking them to hire you, buy your product, or support your cause during the first meeting is attempting to get something from them (this is not good). Do you see the difference?

C. Conclude the meeting by communicating two or three specific things you gleaned from your time together.

Be content with this initial meeting, and don’t expect anything more. If you desire another meeting, send up a trial balloon by saying something like, “This really helped me, I’d love to do it again!” Take it either direction from there.

Enjoy!

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Leading with Purpose

andy.christiansen — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 13:29:25 +0000

Here are five distinctions to help you frame up the differences in your mind:

LEADERSHIP 1.0

Results focused
Quota based
Hire and fire people
People burn out
Limited potential

LEADERSHIP 2.0

People focused

Training and development based

Recruit and develop right people

People produce profits

Unlimited potential

As we exit the information age and enter into the creative/knowledge worker age, might you be overdue to upgrade you leadership capabilities? If you want to capitalize on the next wave of leadership, pursue hiring and developing great people, results will soon follow.

Daniel Pink, one of my favorite authors on human behavior makes a few observations about leadership in his recent book titled “Drive”: Drawing on four decades of scientific research on human motivation, Pink exposes the mismatch between what science knows and what business does and how that affects every aspect of life. He demonstrates that while carrots and sticks worked successfully in the twentieth century, that’s precisely the wrong way to motivate people for today’s challenges. He examines the three elements of true motivation, autonomy, mastery, and purpose, and offers smart and surprising techniques for putting these into action.

If you’re still stuck in leadership 1.0 mode, take a risk and experiment with leadership 2.0. If you are already in this new style of leadership, I applaud you!

For more on the distinctions between training and development visit: http://www.highcapacityleader.com/development/about-development/

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