Five Fears Preventing Continuous Improvement · Convey your passion and link your strengths to...
Transcript of Five Fears Preventing Continuous Improvement · Convey your passion and link your strengths to...
The Exclusive Online Magazine for Administrative Professionals
March2015
FEATURES:Personal Branding: A Complete Manual10 Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Messy Desk6 Reasons for Feeling Unappreciated at Work and What You Can Do
AdminAdvantage
Five Fears Preventing Continuous Improvement
2
10 Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Messy Desk15
CONTENTSof March ‘15
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6 Reasons for Feeling Unappreciated at Work and What You Can Do
20
Have you seen?13
Five Fears Preventing Continuous Improvement24
Personal Branding: A Complete Manual6
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Personal Branding: A Complete Manualby Lungisa Sonqishe
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One thing for sure, we all have a personal brand. You have a personal
brand and you have been sharing this brand with everyone that you
have ever come in contact with. The way you choose to portray
yourself is your personal brand. Now, the question is do you agree
with this brand? Is it a true representation of who you are?
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7 MARCH 2015
WHAT IS A BRAND?
Your brand is what people say about you when
you’re not in the room” - Jeff Bezos, Founder of
Amazon
Actually a brand is absolutely anything, the mere
fact that you know that one thing is not the
other, is branding. Therefore a brand is a
name, an idea, design, symbols, attributes,
reputation and quality that differentiate
one feature from another. That is why
Apple’s identity
is different from
Samsung’s,
even though
they sell,
essentially, the
same idea.
Same ideas, but different methods of presenting
them. That’s what makes the each one unique.
WHAT ABOUT PERSONAl BRANDINg?
“All of us need to understand the importance of
branding. We are CEOs of our own companies:
Me Inc. To be in business today, our most
important job is to be head marketer for the
brand called You.” - Tom Peters
It is the same concept, the only difference is
that it is now on a personal scale. Your personal
name is your brand name. You look different
from everyone else, therefore your appearance
is your brand design. You have different parents,
fingerprints, values, personality, voice, qualities,
perception and elements than everyone else.
Therefore, you are unique.
This is what personal branding is about, being
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your original authentic self and presenting
yourself as such. You do not see Apple and
Samsung showcasing their brands in a similar
manner, even though they are essentially selling
the same idea.
You too might have the same qualifications,
experience and you might even have gone to the
same learning institution as the candidate you are
competing for the job with. Who then gets the
job? It is all up to your personal brand.
“Personal branding is about managing your name
- even if you don’t own a business - in a world
of misinformation, disinformation, and semi-
permanent Google records. Going on a date?
Chances are that your “blind” date has Googled
your name. Going to a job interview? Ditto.” -
Tim Ferriss
Why is a great personal brand important for your
career?
Top tips:
CVs or resumes are no longer enough. In fact, I
predict that in the years to come, resumes, as we
know them today will cease to exist.
Be consistent in the manner you sell your brand.
Showcase your talent and become a leader in
your area of expertise.
SEll YOUR UNIqUE PROMISE. Communicate your true values, principles, ethics
and integrity effectively and consistently.
Focusing on these strategies will help you get, not
just any job, but a job that is best suited for you.
How is that? Because the manner in which you
communicate your brand is specific and unique to
you. And you might have the exact qualifications
with your job competitor, however your attributes
would be different. This way, you are not a
duplicate of another, as that can be viewed as
boring and predictable. Furthermore, this strategy
allows you to attract the right employer that
appreciates and values your brand promise.
So what would make your brand stand-out?
What makes you different from anyone else? And
why is it crucial to build your personal brand?
This guide will help you build an authentic and
marketable personal brand. Listed below are
the tips to help you be unique in the face of
competition.
lOOkINg AT YOUR STRENgTHS This is an important factor in personal branding.
It is not an idea only centered on your own
perceptions, but also of those who know you well.
Those with a solid personal brand, know who
they are and what they want in life. In fact, they
are crystal clear on that. This is where you get to
understand and describe your unique selling points.
In order to help you with this important task, I have
compiled several questions for you to help keep
you focus on identifying your true strengths:
1. What was/were the highlight/s of my career,
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and why am I so proud of these moments?
2. What was the most fulfilling task or project I
have ever worked on, and why was it fulfilling?
3. What role do I always play in group tasks, and
how do others in the group view me?
4. How do I overcome the most challenging
obstacles? What tools do I use?
5. What do I enjoy doing the most (business or
leisure)
6. If I were to talk to someone about the subject
that I enjoy the most, what would it be?
7. If I were to accomplish something of great
significance to me, and there would be no obstacles
of any kind to stand in your way, what would it be?
8. Now, try to think of 10 one-word descriptions
of your strengths e.g. creative, compassionate
and so on
9. Choose people who know you, your friends,
family and colleagues and ask them to each give
you their insight of what your strengths are. After
doing that compare your lists with theirs. Share
your list with them and see if they perceive you
the same way as you view yourself.
“Emphasize your strengths on your CV, in your
cover letters and in your interviews. It may sound
obvious, but you’d be surprised how many
people simply list everything they’ve ever done.
Convey your passion and link your strengths to
measure results. Employers and interviewers love
concrete data” - Marcus Buckingham
Now that you know what your strengths are, use
them. Utilize them as part of your strategic plan
in your daily activities as well as with prospective
employers. Let the right target audience know
these gifts. Communicate them effectively using
every relevant resource available to you. You can
use your CV to highlight your strengths, online
profiles and you must unquestionably have a
personal website as your digital CV. Just remember
your values and ethics when communicating to
your audience. This will set you apart.
kNOW YOUR lIMITATIONS We all have weaknesses, but it is not always easy
to acknowledge them. It is in your best interest to
be completely honest with your self about what
your limitations are or you will put yourself on
the spot for major disappointments. Remember
that a weakness is anything from being utterly
uninterested about anything in life to having
limited skills to do anything of interest.
“My attitude is that if you push me towards
something that you think is a weakness, then I
will turn that perceived weakness into strength” -
Michael Jordan
Let’s help you identify these weaknesses:
1. Which aspects of my career/ education that I
like the least, and why?
2. Am I someone who believes completely that I
deserve more and better?
3. Do I become debilitated by the thought of having
to perform certain tasks? What sort of tasks?
4. What were the low points in my career, and why?
5. In a group situation, which role/s do I like
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the least?
6. What was the least fruitful task/project I have
ever worked on, and why did it fail?
7. In the face of obstacles, what makes me give up?
8. What is the most uninspiring subject to talk
about for me?
9. What do I think are my 10 weaknesses? Be
honest with yourself.
10. As on question 9 in strengths, only substitute
weakness for strength.
Do not waste your time with weaknesses that do
not hinder your professional goals. Establish what
limitations you can turn into strengths in order to
jump-start your career. Learn the skills that will
help you progress. Put yourself in uncomfortable
networking situations if you need people skills
for example. Remember to mainly focus on
weaknesses that hold you back from achieving
your potential.
Top tip: Your strengths are what gives you an
edge and it is crucial that you use them to your
advantage.
VAlUES Knowing what your values are, is knowing who
you are and what you stand for. Having strong
values, help you establish and navigate your
thoughts so that they are in synergy with your
passion and essence. In other words, before you
involve yourself in anything at all, ask yourself, “is
this in sync with my values and what I stand for?”
Values are essentially a set of principles that you
live by. They define the codes that determine
your personality, attitude, actions, reactions and
so on. Look at it this way; perhaps the reason
you are unhappy at work is because your values
are not allied with what you do. Having values,
therefore, is standing-up for what you believe in.
It is crucial to align who you are with what you
engage yourself in.
“Love is the expression of one’s values, the
greatest reward you can earn for the moral
qualities you have achieved in your character and
person, the emotional price paid by one person
for the joy he or she receives from the virtues of
another.” - Ayn Rand
DEFINE YOUR VAlUES There are a number of places in the internet that
have great resources on how to establish your
values for your personal brand. These are in a
form of a list of adjectives that describes your
values. Find a list most suited for you and by a
process of elimination, choose the top 5 words
that rings true to you and who you are. Establish
why you chose these particular words and define
what they mean to you. Use them to build your
personal mission statement and hold yourself
accountable if you are not respecting your
values. These values should be communicated
in your CV, website, social media platforms and
blog posts.
PASSION Have passion for what you do! That is the biggest
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secret. It might seem difficult to reconcile the idea
of passion and work. However, do establish that
which you enjoy doing. That which gives you joy.
Furthermore, consider topics that fascinate you,
that keep you inspired and wanting more.
If you are still confused about what your passion
might be, think about a time when you could not
wait to do something or read about something.
Think about the time you could not wait to get
out of bed, and about the things that moved you
to tears. Don’t forget the projects that made feel
creative and had you filled with ideas. When you
feel stimulated and motivated to do something,
then you are passionate about it.
Ask yourself:
What do I really like about my current job?
If I were to volunteer, which charity would you
choose? Why?
What do you spend most of your time doing?
“There is no passion to be found playing small-in
settling for a life that is less than the one you are
capable of living.” - Nelson Mandela
Your job related interests should be in more or
less of the following areas:
• Research
• Problem solving
• Analyzing
• Planning
• Managing
• Planning
• Mentoring
• Creating
• Counselling
• Coaching
• Writing
• Other ways of communication
• Listening
• Negotiating and many more
ATTRIBUTES What words would you use to describe yourself?
Also consider the words that others might use to
describe you. Deliberate on the following words
without limiting yourself; creative, thoughtful,
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My name is Lungisa Sonqishe, I am a Personal
Brand, Career & Life Coach. I am based in Cape
Town, South Africa.
My website is http://www.eleven11.co.za
I am known for my creative imagination,
inspiring nature and assertiveness. I take joy
in sharing and acquiring knowledge. Personal
Branding and Life Coaching are my areas of
specialty.
Please visit my website to find out more http://
www.eleven11.co.za
WORKSMART
visionary, ambitious, resourceful, risk-taker,
negotiator, ethical, connected, compassionate,
animated, worldly, diplomatic and so on. Find
attributes that best describes your personality and
use them to communicate your brand essence.
POSITIONINg Once you are clear about your values, attributes
and passion, it’s time to now position yourself.
What does that mean exactly? It is simply means
that you should consider how others perceive
you based on your strengths, values, mission,
attributes and passion. Remember, this is about
authenticity. In the place of work, you have to be
consistent about who you say you are.
Create a positioning statement. This statement
you can use during interviews as it is more
powerful and fresh than going on about your
monotonous career past. It captures your
essence and uniqueness.
TARgET AUDIENCE At this point you should have everything you
need in order to attract the right audience. You
must first determine the industry in which you
wish to work, then search for ideal organizations
you wish to work for. Conduct an extensive
research on these organizations and establish
what problems they are faced with; you might
be a match for them based on your unique
strengths, values, passions and attributes.
With your homework done, create a personal
brand strategy using the keywords in job
descriptions to attract their attention. After all,
they want to hire good talent and someone that
matches their standards. However, remember to
never give everything you have, reserve some of
your good selling points for the interview.
In conclusion
“In Social Media the “squeaky wheel” gets the oil.
You have to put yourself out there, to find people
who will relate or even debate with you, depending
on what you are looking for.” - Jessica Northey
Remember to stay true and be consistent with
your personal brand. All the elements discussed
in this article should be communicated effectively
in the digital media. You should remember that in
this age of information and technology, you have
the power to make or break yourself. Utilize the
platforms that are now available to communicate
your personal brand successfully.
13 MARCH 2015
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HAVE YOU SEEN?
15 MARCH 2015
10 Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Messy Deskby Robert Hosking, OfficeTeam
Take a look at your desk. What do you see? Does the workspace look like a page from
an IKEA catalog, or are there scattered papers, stacks of forgotten folders, a half-eaten
muffin and a wilting plant ruining your feng shui?
WORKSMART
15 MARCH 2015
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A messy desk isn’t necessarily a bad thing,
suggests a recent OfficeTeam survey of human
resources managers (http://officeteam.rhi.
mediaroom.com/2015-01-20-What-A-Messy-
Desk-Says-About-You). About six in 10 (59
percent) of respondents said they don’t judge
a worker whose workspace is cluttered. Nine
percent even think it’s a sign of creativity — à la
Albert Einstein, who famously said, “If a cluttered
desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then,
is an empty desk a sign?”
But before you think Einstein and this
survey endorse leaving your cubicle in
chaos, consider the rest of the respondents:
One-third question the professionalism of
employees who maintain a sloppy workspace.
After all, if the desk is disorganized, doesn’t
that mean the worker is disorganized, too?
This is not exactly the trait an administrative
professional wants to project.
Whichever side of the survey fence you’re on,
it doesn’t hurt to take some time and do a little
spring cleaning. It might even make you more
effective at your job. Here are 10 tips for how to
organize your desk.
1. Toss the trash. Getting rid of what you don’t
need is a good place to start spring cleaning.
Throw out used paper cups, food wrappers, scrap
paper, outdated Post-it notes, dried-out pens,
broken rubber bands, old name badges and that
lanyard from a conference five years ago. Be
ruthless: You don’t really need all those ketchup
and soy sauce packets and plastic utensils. Pitch
them or put them in the break room.
2. Manage your paper. One of the hardest things
for administrative professionals to deal with is
all the letters, reports, brochures, catalogs and
other paper clutter that hit your desk every day.
Besides a trash can, your workstation should
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17 MARCH 2015
have a recycling bin and a shredder within arm’s
reach. Go through the piles and recycle or shred
whatever you can. The remaining documents go
in “to do,” “to read” or “to file” trays. But don’t
just let the papers sit there for weeks at a time.
Resolve to empty each tray before the day is
over. A tickler file can also help put paper in its
rightful place.
3. Go paperless. Cut down on all the paper
pushing by thinking twice before printing and
going digital whenever possible. Subscribe to
paperless statements and e-magazines. Scan
or photograph receipts, important letters and
other documents, and create homes for them on
your computer; the originals can be shredded.
Take advantage of mobile apps to reduce
paper waste and be more efficient. Don’t let
networking opportunities fall through by losing
business cards on your messy desk. Enter all
the information on your smartphone using either
the native Contacts tool or an app like Evernote
Hello or CloudCards.
4. Rethink photos and knickknacks. While it’s
nice to display a few pictures and vacation
souvenirs, remember that the office is not home.
This is especially true if your desk is where you
welcome clients, visitors and vendors. Your
decorations should be meaningful but tasteful.
Photos of your family or pet are fine, as is cool
artwork, but don’t bring in anything juvenile,
edgy or overly personal. Your cubicle should not
look like a dorm room.
5. Make the desktop prime real estate. To organize
your desk, think about your work habits. The
surface should hold just what you use often:
your computer, phone, lamp, pens, file organizer,
pads of paper and so on. Put occasional
supplies, such as flash drives and the label
maker, in drawers. The more uncluttered space
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Robert Hosking is executive director of
OfficeTeam, the nation’s leading staffing
service specializing in the temporary
placement of highly skilled administrative
and office support professionals.
OfficeTeam has more than 300 locations
worldwide and offers online job search
services at www.officeteam.com. Connect
with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter,
Google+ and the OfficeTeam blog.
you have on your desktop, the less you’ll have
to move things around when you need to spread
out a project.
6. Keep it neat by your feet. Your desk may be tidy
on top, but how does it look underneath? It’s not a
storage area, so clear out the stacks of files, boxes,
books and magazines there, too. Tame the tangle of
cables and power cords with ties and clips.
7. Deep clean your messy desk. The janitorial staff
empties trash and vacuums the floor, but they
don’t usually touch your equipment. This means
your desk, computer screen, keyboard and
phone are probably dusty and grimy. Get some
disposable dusting cloths and antiseptic wipes,
and every month or so really wipe down all the
surfaces. A small computer vacuum can get out all
the crumbs that have fallen into your keyboard.
8. Do some digital organizing. While you’re tidying
your messy desk, don’t forget the computer. If
you’re like some administrative professionals, your
desktop screen is covered with miscellaneous
files. Create topical folders and organize your
electronic space. If you don’t need something,
drag it to the trash or archive it. As for emails,
don’t be a hoarder. Delete it if you don’t need it.
While you’re putting electronic files in order, make
sure you’re regularly backing up your computer.
9. Bring in spring. Now that your messy desk is
tidier, freshen up the space with a potted plant
or cut flowers. Bringing the outdoors indoors
adds life to your workstation, and communing
with nature could help lighten your mood on
days when your energy is a bit low.
10. Clean up before you clock out. It’s almost quitting
time, and you can’t wait to get home or meet
friends for an after-work drink. But not so fast. To
keep your desk from falling back into disarray, tidy
up every day before you leave. Throw out trash,
brush off the crumbs and wash out your coffee
mug. Put folders in their designated places and
supplies back in the drawer. You have a morning
routine; make straightening up your workspace an
afternoon habit.
You work hard as an administrative professional.
With all you have to juggle, it’s understandable
that your work area might become a bit
chaotic. But with some spring cleaning and
organizational tweaks, you can tame your messy
desk and get even more done.
19 MARCH 2015
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20
6 Reasons for Feeling Unappreciated at Work and What You Can Doby Steven Simon, Ph.D.
How many times have I heard “they just don’t appreciate what I do” or
“no one acknowledges how important we are to this organization”? You
may recognize these words because you may feel this way yourself. It’s
a degrading feeling that makes you angry and frustrated. If it’s chronic,
you may be complaining a lot or looking to go elsewhere. So, what does this mean?
Feeling lack of appreciation at work is a perception that who you are and what you
do is not acknowledged as being important. In reality you may be appreciated but
not know it, you may know you’re appreciated but don’t think you’re appreciated
enough... or you may really not be appreciated!
CAREER
20
21 MARCH 2015 21
So let’s examine some reasons you may feel
unappreciated at work and what you can do:
•Theworkyoudoisnotascriticaltothe
organization as you may think. That is you do a
great job, but the focus of the organization is on
other work. For example, if you do IT support
and things are going along well, you may not
hear much acknowledgement. The company is
focused on its products and external customers
so that’s where the interest lies. I once worked in
an agency where the product of my counseling
unit was difficult to measure and was a very
small part of total services offered. It was hard to
find recognition no matter how well we thought
we performed. In situations like these, where
the work is either not mission centered or is not
viewed as high priority most recognition may
need to come from peers, a supervisor, and
directly from the customer. If you don’t have
peer/team or supervisor support then internal
and/or external customer appreciation becomes
critical. Internal customers are people inside the
organization who depend on your work, such as
those in another department or even your boss.
External customers are those who you serve
outside the organization. So what can you do?
Whether you work alone or in a unit with limited
peer or supervisory support, it never hurts to
focus on getting feedback from customers.
This serves multiple purposes. First, you can
get good information about the extent to which
customers are satisfied and if not, why. Second,
you can modify what you do to better meet
CAREER
MARCH 2015
22
customer needs. In both instances you may feel
the effects of customer appreciation and if not,
you will know why and hopefully what to change.
•Managersorleadersdon’treallyunderstand
what you do and direct customer feedback is
limited. This is most likely when you are the only
person in a specialized support role or when
the type or complexity of the work you do is not
understood. For example, if your job focuses on
social network marketing or public relations, it
may be difficult for others to know exactly what
you do with your time. The work you do doesn’t
often cause a positive “splash”, your immediate
bottom line results like increased sales, are not
readily measured, and clients or the public are
not likely to be smothering you with love. So
what do you do? In this case, educating the right
people is most important. The key to effective
educating is relationship building with those that
can benefit from what you do; then keeping
what you do and the results REGULARLY in the
communication mix and on the front burner.
•Theperceptionbyothersabouthowwellyoudo
your job or your contribution to the general good
may be different from yours. When it comes to
receiving appreciation, it’s the external observers
that count... managers, coworkers, professional
colleagues, customers, and sometimes the
public. You may think you’re working hard or
harder than anyone else or doing a better job,
but if others don’t or at least acknowledge your
value, you won’t get appreciation. Worse yet
is others perceiving you as a problem creator
rather than a problem solver. Sometimes
personality conflicts, team competition, or
politics may influence how you are perceived.
However, be careful about dismissing the
possibility that your performance could be
better or that you could improve as a team
player. Negative perceptions often take a long
time to change, so expect peer and manager
responses to your efforts at change to be slow.
This situation also carries the risk of alienation or
job loss, so sometimes it’s worth considering the
options for changing jobs or organizations and
getting a new start.
•Theorganizationcultureoryourmanagerdoesn’t
nurtureorsufficientlyrewardpositives. For example
if the underlying approach is “management by
exception”, you may get routine performance
feedback mainly when you do something wrong,
or at least that’s what you remember most. If the
culture or a supervisor who doesn’t frequently
recognize or reward is the problem, then it may
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23 MARCH 2015
be necessary to ask for feedback on work you
have done particularly well. Some managers
and supervisors are slower to give unsolicited
recognition or praise than others, and some rarely
do. Asking for feedback can have a counteracting
effect if you are perceived as doing good work
but rarely informed.
•Youfeelunder-compensatedorunder-promoted
for all you do. Although many people feel under
paid, the question is whether you really are.
Base salary can represent the norm for your
occupation which may be low in reference
to your perceived value of what you do, e.g.,
school teachers... or you may be paid according
to company pay schedules and policy. This isn’t
an appreciation issue, unless you are paid less
than those standards dictate. However, pay
changes, e.g., a bonus or salary increase, and
promotions can represent appreciation. If you
don’t make partner in the firm and a colleague
does, you will feel under-appreciated if you
think your contribution was better. Relationship
building with supervisors, openly discussing
concerns and understanding the organization’s
compensation rules are important in dealing
with these issues. In some instances, if the facts
confirm chronic unfair treatment, it may be best
to look for a job elsewhere.
•Youtendtofeelunappreciatedgenerally. If this
occurs in your personal life, has been going
on for a long time, and has resulted in general
unhappiness, it may carry over to your feelings
about appreciation at work. Unhappiness or
depression can have a blunting effect on positive
things that happen. So, even when appreciation
is expressed to you at work you may not notice
or downplay it. If this is happening it may be
worthwhile to seek professional counseling to
help improve your overall life satisfaction.
Chances are that your feelings about lack of
appreciation are due to some combination of
the above. However, sometimes even minor
changes that you make can have a broad
impact on all of the causes. In fact, some people
find that something as simple as expressing
appreciation more to others actually increases
reciprocal expressions of appreciation. That is,
appreciation may be catching! So, be honest
with yourself, identify the reasons you are not
perceiving appreciation, make a few changes,
and see what happens!
Dr. Simon provides career assistance to
women and men in mid and late career,
periods when many workers are looking to
make changes for greater meaning in life.
Feeling lack of appreciation in a career or
job can hasten the desire to make a career
change. Visit us at http://www.hsoutcomes.
com for a free consultation to discuss your
career issues and to use our high quality
self-help resources.
CAREER
24
Five Fears Preventing Continuous Improvementby Joakim Ahlström
Do you have the courage to confront your fears?
If you don’t they will subconsciously influence
your decisions and actions. These five fears are
particularly important to acknowledge if you want
to succeed with continuous improvement:
1. Fear of power loss
2. Fear of regret
3. Fear of losing face
4. Fear of falling behind
5. Fear of losing friends
When these fears are prevalent, openness and
creativity are replaced by ‘watching your back’
and ‘looking good,’ and when those drive you,
you will never truly succeed.
Fear #1 preventing CI – Fear of power loss
Do you have the courage to distribute decision-
making power and ability in your organization or
are you afraid your colleagues will prove to be at
least as capable as you are?
Driven by fear of losing it, managers will hold on
to power by centralizing decision-making and
hoarding information. When this is the case the
majority will never be given an honest chance to
contribute to continuous improvement.
The courageous know that true power is gained
by sharing knowledge, not hoarding it. Only the
courageous can access the full power of their
organization, because only when you let go of
your fear of losing power will you be able to launch
a way of working with continuous improvement
where everyone is empowered to engage.
Fear #2 preventing CI – Fear of regret
TRAINING
25 MARCH 2015
TRAINING
Do you have the courage to let go of your point
of view or are you afraid that taking another
perspective will make your previous choices
appear less than optimal?
From time to time I hear people asking, “Why
didn’t we do this earlier?” To me, the question
has a simple answer: “Because you didn’t know
then what you know now.” Your decision to
change is in fact a sign of learning that should
be celebrated and not a reason for regret.
When fear of regret becomes overwhelming
you will defend the perspective that makes your
previous choices seem rational. Unfortunately,
by defending your history you also prevent
yourself from creating a better future.
The courageous accept what is and let go of what
was to create the future they desire. Only the
courageous can change their perspective without
fear of regret, since they know that they have done
and will do the best of they can in every situation.
Without fear of regret you will go from defending
your own viewpoint to sharing each other’s
perspective, and only then will you learn from each
other and give yourselves optimal conditions for
creating the future you truly desire.
Fear #3 preventing CI – Fear of losing face
Do you have the courage to stop window
dressing and point out the purposeless activities
you see or are you afraid of being put in the
naughty corner?
In the short tale “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” two
weavers promise an Emperor a new suit of clothes
that is invisible to those unfit for their positions,
stupid, or incompetent. When the Emperor
parades before his subjects in his new clothes, it
takes the untainted mind of a child to point out the
obvious fact that the emperor is naked. When you
see the kind of behavior the tale illustrates in an
organization, you know that fear of losing face is in
the air. When it is, you will hear a lot of talk about
following routines and preparing for audits, but not
as much about shared purposes and customer
needs. This is a sign that the original intention of
things has been lost and that you have started
doing them for their own sake.
The courageous know that the truth may hurt
for a while but a lie hurts forever. Only the
courageous dare to ask questions such as: “Why
are we measuring this?” “What is the purpose of
this meeting?” and “How does this improve our
performance?” When you’re not afraid to lose
face you can stop unnecessary window dressing
activities and spend your energy on important
improvement initiatives instead.
Fear #4 preventing CI – Fear of falling behind
Do you have the courage to take time to reflect
and try to find a smarter way or are you afraid
that will make you fall behind?
Recently a friend only half-jokingly told me that the
best way to get some time to think at his workplace
was to walk quickly through their big office space.
26
Joakim Ahlstöm is the author of How to
Succeed with Continuous Improvement: A
Primer for Becoming the Best in the World,
available at Amazon; for more info, visit
http://www.SucceedwithCI.com.
TRAINING
If he did, people would assume he was in a hurry
to an important meeting and would not throw a
pointless assignment at him. If the fear of falling
behind is widespread in an organization, the
main focus will be to do as much as possible as
quickly as possible. What you do is secondary.
In this environment a pile of papers on your
desk and a lot of unanswered emails are almost
considered status symbols. They show that you
have a lot to do and that people should leave
you alone.
The courageous know that even if they win
the rat race they are still just rats. Only the
courageous will be able to see that running does
you no good if you are heading in the wrong
direction. When you let go of your fear of falling
behind, you will be able to stop focusing on
short term productivity and spend some time on
the strategic initiatives you ‘never had the time
address because of all the firefighting.’ That’s
when your improvement work can become the
growth strategy it is supposed to be.
Fear #5 preventing CI – Fear of losing friends
Do you have the courage to hold your
colleagues accountable or are you afraid to ruin
your artificially cheerful relationship?
In organizations where fear of losing friends is
in the air, people are afraid of expecting too
much of each other. Instead they tiptoe around
one another to avoid ruining the friendly but
artificially blithesome atmosphere.
The courageous address people’s desire to utilize
their full potential. Only the courageous realize that
true friendship is about expecting the very best
of one another rather than allowing each other to
be lesser versions of ourselves. When you let go
of your fear of losing friends you can start helping
your colleagues to utilize their full potential and
their strengths. The effect will be improved results,
people who grow and superficial friendships
turning into deep and mutual trust.
Fear will either stop you or strengthen you
Without the courage to confront these five fears,
you will never get down to the true root cause of
many of your problems, and they will stay with
you and forever prevent you from succeeding.
Remember that your fears, like vampires, will
lose their power when they are exposed to
the light. The courage to talk openly about
these five fears will be rewarded with true
power, satisfaction, recognition, peace of
mind, rewarding relationships and, last but not
least, a foundation for truly succeeding with
continuous improvement.