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Name of author Rick Baker, P.Eng.

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Leaders & What To Do About Stress

by Rick Baker
On Feb 10, 2016

When our brains/minds register things that are important, our bodies experience stress responses.

The more important the topic/outcome is to us, the higher the stress.

The less control we feel/believe we have over the outcome, the higher the stress.

Spirited Leaders consider the following strategic things to be quite ‘important’:

When individuals’ Talents & Strengths are ignored or sidelined, those individuals will tend to experience energy-draining stress. All else being equal, when those individuals’ Talents & Strengths are put to good use the individuals will be invigorated.

When individuals’ Values & Master Rules are challenged or violated, those individuals will tend to experience energy-draining stress. All else being equal, when those individuals’ Values & Master Rules are embraced the individuals will be invigorated.

When individuals’ Vision/Purpose is ignored or contested, those individuals will tend to experience energy-draining stress. All else being equal, when those individuals’ Vision/Purpose is supported the individuals will be invigorated.

When individuals’ Goals are ignored or contested, those individuals will tend to experience energy-draining stress. All else being equal, when those individuals’ Goals are supported the individuals will be invigorated.

Considering these points, leaders have choices:

  • They can work to drain people’s energy
  • They can work to invigorate people
  • They can be oblivious to the things that drain energy and invigorate

Knowing all this, what do you choose?

(Don't) Guess who's paying attention to detail.

by Rick Baker
On Feb 1, 2016

Guess who's paying attention to detail?

Better still...

Don't leave it to guesswork.

***

When it comes to succeeding with the details, there's a delicate balance between laziness and perfectionism. At that balance point between these two extreme logic-acuity and emotional-savvy exist in perfect harmony... thoughts and processes are clear and comfortable. The right things are being done the right way at the right time by the right people. 

But, who brings about the balance?

Who does that?

Who takes attention to detail seriously enough to think in advance and cover the key facets of work and decisions...without over-killing things or going down ill-conceived rabbit holes?

Who has pre-planned processes for tackling problems?

Who is skilled at resolving 'people issues' efficiently and effectively without going behind backs?

Are you that person?

 

Tags:

Questions?: The Art of Asking Good Questions | Thinking as in Think and Grow Rich

Fixing Attention-to-Detail problems

by Rick Baker
On Jan 4, 2016

I have recently been bombarded by people talking about situations where people they work with are illustrating a lack of attention to detail. The sheer volume of problems brought to me recently cause me to wonder if there is something in the air causing behaviour shifts where people suddenly experience massive difficulty paying attention to details.

Sure, from time to time all of us experience problems paying attention to detail. This happens when we are overstressed. This happens when we are attempting to multi-task. And this can also happen when we are experiencing excessive interruptions while we are attempting to work.

However, this cannot or at the very least should not become a normal state of affairs. We cannot achieve business success if we cannot attend to details and perform with accuracy. Attention to detail is essential to successful performance of business tasks.

Putting two and two together, it certainly appears that many people and many businesses will not be successful…unless we can help them do better in the area of attention to detail.

So, how might we do that?

It's probably a good idea to start by asking questions. That's certainly better than assuming we know why the person is having difficulty paying attention to details.

We can ask a question like, “I notice this error - how do you think that happened?

When we ask that question, we cannot accept an offhand answer. We cannot accept a shrug of the shoulders coupled with, “I don't know.” We cannot accept unclear excuses like, “I'm too busy.” We must make sure the answer has been thought through, at least to a degree.

Sort attention-to-detail problems into two categories:

  1. The person has never had an ability or skill in the area of attention to detail. Under this category, we cannot expect any better performance than the person has illustrated in the past and we should not set attention-to-detail goals that are unachievable. Solution: people who have never exhibited attention-to-detail skill should not be doing work that relies on attention to detail.
  2. The person has exhibited skill in the area of attention to detail but now those skills appear to have slipped away. In this case, something has happened to create a change. Solution: to remedy this problem we must understand what has happened. Who can answer that question? Likely, the person is in the best position answer the question. Make sure the person understands you are committed to understanding what’s happened. Ask the person. That’s the right place to start.
***

As you hear people answer your questions consider how you might help them improve attention-to-detail skills. For example, some thoughts...

  • Consider the power generated by Napoleon Hill's advice: “Plan your work and work your plan (‘Think and Grow Rich’, 1937). Embedded within this advice: schedules help us remember to do the right things at the right times. Doing the right thing at the right time promotes focus and concentration on that thing. Timing, focus, and concentration are the ingredients of attention-to-detail.
  • Be Present - when struggling to concentrate, at the very least a person can pause and work at removing thoughts about the past and thoughts about the future. When we remove thoughts about the past and the future we are at least limited to thoughts about the present situation. That's a good step toward focus and concentration.
  • Airline pilots confirm check-lists save lives - if check-lists work in the airline industry that proves check-lists have some value. And, what about medical teams in operating rooms. And what about shoppers in grocery stores. Check-lists have proven their value. People who choose to ignore check-lists are bucking a successful trend.
  • Know how to say, “No” - this applies from small "No" to large "No", from saying "No" to co-worker interruptions to saying "No" to boss work-dumps.
  • Don’t fight the fact you cannot multi-task and achieve meaningful success - multi-tasking is the route to mediocrity.

First published October 7, 2014

Why can't you teach an old dog new tricks?

by Rick Baker
On Dec 8, 2015

Certainly, there must be some old dogs out there who can learn new tricks.

Maybe people have sold old dogs short, writing them off too quickly.

Or…

Maybe most old dogs have written off humans, for giving up too quickly.

Or...

Maybe, under too much domestication, old dogs have evolved to rely on humans to evolve better teaching of new tricks.

Or...

Maybe old dogs need to be hungrier in order to learn new tricks.

Regardless, I’m convinced some old dogs can learn new tricks.

 

PS: On top of all this, there's that admonition about 'Letting sleeping dogs lie". I cannot see how sleeping dogs can possibly be liars...I need to see some concrete evidence waking dogs are liars before I can accept the concept that sleeping dogs can be liars. Seems to me it is time to reconsider the value of all the ancient wisdom involving our canine friends.

The Joy(?) of Business Stress & Struggle

by Rick Baker
On Sep 24, 2015

Many people appear to enjoy the day-to-day struggles of business. We see them choosing to fight the same battles, repeating the same struggles over and over. Sometimes, they repeat the same interpersonal battles, day after day: battling the same people; arguing about the same topics; using the same [losing] combat strategies and tactics - giving no ground, gaining no ground.

Stresses run high during these repeat battles, in some situations to almost unbearable heights. Regardless, the battles rage on and on and on…repeating themselves over and over and over.

Many people seek no help to put an end to these battles. 

Many people refuse help when it is offered.

Many people choose to remain on the interpersonal battlefield…accepting the status quo, accepting the useless struggles, and accepting the resulting business failures.

Why?

Why do business people choose to fight the same battles over and over and over?  Are they simply brutes for punishment?  Do they believe there are no better ways? Or, do they derive gratification from such experiences? Do they enjoy dragging others into the battles, killing energy and killing success-spirit?

Do you have any of these people at your business?

If so – what are you doing about it?

 

What are you doing to ensure your business is not bogged down in personality-challenged battles?

Tags:

Personalities @ Work | Questions?: The Art of Asking Good Questions

On Purpose, With Willpower – and a willpower development tip

by Rick Baker
On Sep 22, 2015

What awesome power lies in the combination of strong willpower guided by strong definite life-purpose.

Willpower is wonderful, but without proper guidance it consumes energy without purpose.

Definite purpose is wonderful, but without willpower to guide and control action it is unattainable.

When strong and combined, willpower and definite purpose are destined to succeed…and be accompanied by lives well lived.

Are you living on purpose?

Are you living with willpower?

Are you living on purpose with willpower?

If not, why not…

  • Through ignorance...you've never learned about purpose and willpower?
  • Through lack of hope...you do not believe you have the ability to change/determine your fate?
  • Because you doubt purpose and willpower are the key ingredients...you think there is a better way?

published July 21, 2015

 

***

 

Willpower Development Tip

from Frank Channing Haddock, ‘Power of Will’, (1910)

  

"The effort to overcome an aversion always develops Will."

"Determine that nothing which you must touch more or less habitually shall control the sensation which it produces."

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