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Name of author Rick Baker, P.Eng.

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Spirited Definitions

by Rick Baker
On Feb 21, 2012

Action: things people do, and there are only 3 types - Good Habits, Bad Habits, or New Things

Change: the arrival of New Things

Client: a person who receives value from you and pays you for that value

Commander's Intent: (1) the commander's stated vision which defines the purpose of an operation, the end state [Sanjay Mishra] and (2)the unmistakable core of the message [Chip Heath & Dan Heath]

Confidence: what you feel and think when you believe you have what it takes to excel, do well, or at least handle the task and situation at hand.

Conversion: the measurement that confirms the rate of success of an intentional Action [the cause] performed to accomplish a desired result [the effect]

Courage: self-inflicted mental and moral strength to act in the face of fear, difficulty, and criticism; the ‘Great Enabler

Creativity [in business]: using Intuition and imagination to deliver value to Clients

Definite Purpose: the business Leader’s Vision, implemented in accordance with the business Leader’s Personal Values/Master Rules & directed at satisfying Ideal Clients’ needs

Ego is the part of the Mind that causes us to do what feels good to us or looks good to others

Emotions: Paul Ekman’s 7 characteristics:

  1. Signals: Emotions are mental states, most of which exhibit consistent visible cues.
  2. Automatic Appraisal: Emotions occur automatically and very fast...1/4 second.
  3. Lack of Awareness: Consciousness plays little role if any...most emotions are opaque to consciousness and thought. Nature did not want us to be able to consciously control emotions. However, thoughts can re-trigger emotions.
  4. Not Unique to Humans: Other animals exhibit the same emotions as humans. There is no human emotion that cannot be seen in at least one other animal.
  5. Short Duration: Emotions can last for extremely short periods (seconds) or longer, but they never last longer than a day. (longer-lasting ‘states of mind’ are defined as moods)
  6. Conscious Awareness of Emotions is a Skill: using special exercises, it can be developed. We can become skilled at self-monitoring, being present, and self-regulating. We need to explore the motivation and intent behind our emotions. Knowledge and skill around motivation and intent will help us understand and control our emotions.
  7. Emotions can get us into trouble..."I lost my head". In fact, Ekman thinks emotions do present-day humans little, if any, good. Emotions, all of them, are vestiges of evolution.

Entrepreneur: 3 forces drive Entrepreneurs:

  1. Entrepreneurs have this burning feeling inside them…a Need To Achieve something. I describe it as "a wanting".
  2. Entrepreneurs have a desire to create and Build Things Of Value.
  3. Entrepreneurs have a need to Be Recognized As Different – a different type of contributor.
These are defining internal forces driving An Entrepreneur.
 
In addition, An Entrepreneur is a business leader who:
  1. Recognizes, uses, & develops People Strengths…first in self and then in others,
  2. Clicks with other People [has self-control & a pleasing-enough personality], and
  3. Is ready, willing, and able to lead change…first in self and then in others.

Essence: the singular attribute that makes a person, place or thing what it fundamentally is, which it has by necessity and without which it loses its identity.

Focus: to control one’s attention and thoughts then actions to align with goals [this definition developed with Lorie Saxby PhD]

Genius:  a person who possesses the ability to get beyond his/her emotions, regardless of his/her character, and the ability to remove/minimize mental noise, with the result the genius’ mind is free to fully concentrate under the guidance of a focused purpose.

Goal: a desired result: 

  • That is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bounded [SMART] and
  • That has considered the tangible and intangible Action, Conversion, Repercussion, and Emotion required for its attainment.

Habits: thoughts, feelings, and actions that are repeated

Habits [Bad]: do not contribute to our betterment and do not take us toward our Goals

Habits [Good]: contribute to our betterment and take us toward our Goals

Imagination: the source of creative power: creating images in the mind, picturing things in your mind's eye

Initiate: to commence thought or action aligned with goals [this definition developed with Lorie Saxby PhD]

Innovation [in Business]: arranging old concepts, ideas, or plans into new combinations to solve customers’ problems or satisfy customers’ needs

Inspire: to exert an animating, enlivening influence on; to encourage, impel & motivate; to excite and impart motion; to bolster Focused Action

Integrity:

  • When you know your Personal Values and
  • When you can express your Personal Values in writing [showing how you think the think] and
  • When you can talk with others about your Personal Values [talk the talk] and
  • When your Actions are consistent with your Personal Values [walk the walk] and
  • When you acknowledge your think-talk-walk errors and strive to not repeat them

…then you have Integrity.

Intuition: William Duggan’s 3 types

  1. Ordinary Intuition is a feeling, a gut instinct
  2. Expert Intuition is snap judgments, when you instantly recognize something familiar
  3. Strategic Intuition is not a vague feeling, like ordinary intuition. It is slow, clear thought which works in new Situations

Justice: giving and receiving of equal values [James Allen]

Knowledge: information and understanding related to interacting with people, or the details of your business and industry sector, or the details of your role

Leaders: People who possess deep & Vivid Vision and use it to help other People experience improved lives

Manipulation is when you get a person to do something for your good [Zig Ziglar]

Master Rules: 5 to 7 simple, clear, top-down rules that reflect the core values of the business leader

Mind: the personal Essence, which uses energy and information beyond that of the organs of thought and feeling

Monitor: to observe the thoughts and actions of self and others in responses to self [this definition developed with Lorie Saxby PhD]

Motivation is when you inspire a person to do something for their own good [Zig Ziglar]

Networking is meeting new people and re-meeting people in a business or social context with the purpose of delivering and receiving value [this definition developed with LinkedIn Friends]

New Things:  anything a person does that is not a Good Habit or a Bad Habit

Organize: to think about systematic, integrated actions required to achieve Goals [this definition developed with Lorie Saxby PhD]

Plan: to formulate, set, and commit to Goals [this definition developed with Lorie Saxby PhD]

Positive Attitude or Positive Mental Attitude means enjoying a predominance of positive Emotions and having a predominance of positive thoughts, which align with personal Goals...and it means having the ability to replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts.

Process: an arrangement of circumstances that makes things happen in certain ways [based on edward de Bono's definition of 'System', which is a synonym of Process]

Regulate: to bring Integrity and order to the thoughts and actions of self [this definition developed with Lorie Saxby PhD]

Repercussion: the positive or negative result that follows an Action

Shift: to intentionally replace one thought or action with another [this definition developed with Lorie Saxby PhD]

Situations: a snapshot of an instant in business life…the people, the ‘props’, and the immediate environment

Skill: learned and practiced competence of thought or Action; a Good Habit

Strength: consistent near-perfect performance of an activity...with passion

Strength = Talent + Knowledge + Skill [Marcus Buckingham]

Talent: any recurring pattern of thought, feeling, or behaviour that can be productively applied [Marcus Buckingham]

Thick Skin: a state of Mind containing an optimal balance between Ego [which is kept under control] and Confidence [which is kept high, but not too high]

Values & Personal Values:

  • the qualities, standards, and principles a person desires, admires, and aspires to
  • the driving forces, which influence a person’s thoughts and actions
  • the driving forces, which influence the character a person presents to other People

Vision: holding the Mind's-eye picture of the thing you desire, seeing beyond the things that are and conceiving and idealizing what can be, and communicating the desire you idealize to other People

Tags:

Definitions - Spirited Words Defined | Spirited Leaders

Thought Tweet #416

by Rick Baker
On Feb 20, 2012

Thought Tweet #416 “He has a right to criticize who has a heart to help.” #AbrahamLincoln 

 

The Thinking Behind The Tweet

Abraham Lincoln is one of my heroes. So is Winston Churchill, who, on the same topic, said, “Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.

Tags:

Criticism: Constructive Criticism is an Oxymoron | Hero Worship | Thought Tweets

Thought Tweet #415

by Rick Baker
On Feb 17, 2012

Thought Tweet #415 "Only the strongest survive." That's not what Darwin said!

 

The Thinking Behind The Tweet

Here's what Darwin said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” Here's a link to an article about Change.

Getting Present

by Rick Baker
On Feb 17, 2012

Often, we start meetings with a 'getting present' chat. Either we take turns answering a non-business question or sharing with one another how we feel...personal, but not intrusive.

We find getting present questions are a great way to start group sessions and workshops.

Getting present questions:

  • help People get comfortable
  • help People with one another connect
  • help People focus
All of these are very important things to do.
 
Why is it important to help People get comfortable?
 
 
Why is it important to help People connect with one another?
 
Answer: Some People are natural Connectors. Most People are not; most People benefit when Situations allow them to relax and exchange warm-up communication. 
 
Why is it important to help People focus?
 
Answer: Most People find it tough to concentrate; most People spend a lot of time thinking about the past, for example - the last task they were working on; most People spend a lot of time thinking about the future, for example - the work they will complete later in the day; few People are able to concentrate and Focus on the present. 
 
So, Leaders must help People be comfortable, get connected, and get Focused.
 
Tactics like getting present questions help Leaders get this important work done.
 
Leaders can obtain quick & straightforward help in these areas.
 
For example, if you want to understand more about 'getting present' and 'focusing on Now', check out:

Thought Tweet #414

by Rick Baker
On Feb 16, 2012

Thought Tweet #414 “The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.” Nathaniel Branden

 

The Thinking Behind The Tweet

With respect to "Change",  I think there is at least one step between "Awareness" and "Acceptance". That middle step is perhaps best captured with the word "Desire". A link to more thoughts about "Change"

Tags:

Change: Creating Positive Change | Thought Tweets

Social Media - getting more than you pay for

by Rick Baker
On Feb 16, 2012

In this 'Age of Social Media' it is easy to get more than you pay for.

Never before has so much been so available to so many, so easily, so quickly, at so little cost.

'Never before' is a huge understatement: we are living in a time of learning & teaching frenzy.

Social Media - a pandemic of awesome opportunities...

...including The Opportunity - to give more than you are paid for.

Tags:

Leaders' Thoughts

Copyright © 2012. W.F.C (Rick) Baker. All Rights Reserved.