Before we move to lessons: #3: Roll and #4: Go, I want to emphasize something from lesson #2: The capital “S” is not a typo. The Self is you as a whole human being who embodies all the potential you were born with, all the capacities actualized and not yet actualized. The “self”, little ‘s’, is the one that judges, doubts, criticizes us. It’s the know-it-all, puny, little self.   Tim Gallwey (The Inner Game of Work) when referring to these 2 selves says: Our best performance happens with the “self” is quiet and the “Self” is allowed to act.

#3: Roll.  Move in a different direction.  Break the  unconscious, automatic patterns of action.

Take a different route to work, have a picnic lunch outside with a book of poems or a sketch book, not your blackberry.  Listen to unfamiliar music, spend time with someone you wouldn’t normally.  Changing your physical routine has the possibility of changing your mental outlook because you can’t rely on muscle memory or cruise control.  Re-arrange your cubicle physically. Get a stand-up workstation.  Move to a conference room to do even a short task. You’ll be amazed at how a physical change increases your productivity.

See what people say about the Camille LIVE presentation of The Bright Side of Burnout. Invest in yourself and watch the lively, fun 30-minute video.

#4: Go. Go beyond your comfort zone.

Go 1 more inch. Where you normally stop, withdraw, go silent or give up or give in, go 1 inch more. Not 10 inches, 1 inch. BTW: This inch usually is often an inward measurement, going into yourSelf for the courage to speak up, to reconnect when you’re dis-engaged.

Ask for support. You feel good when you support others. Share the opportunity: let others support you. We all know you can do everything all the time.  What’s the point of that, really?

Draw boundaries. If there’s a situation that always pulls you in, a vortex that sucks your energy and aliveness, get out in front of it. Talk to those who are involved BEFORE the situation turns into the same old emergency that you don’t say No to.

Reduce your insatiable need to achieve. What??? Achieve less? Are you kidding, Camille? No, I am not. If you are comfortable always pressing, working hard and long, continually raising your goals, do what isn’t comfortable: reduce your need to achieve. Do it for 1 week. See what, and more importantly who, shows up when you aren’t fixated on the goal. You aren’t a slacker. You can achieve goals and not run over yourSelf or others in the process. This may be the most uncomfortable thing to do, and it may help the most to reduce burnout.

I’m not saying this is easy, I’m saying this is a way to be alive, engaged, and being your best, rather than burning out.  New mantra: I have more important things to do than burnout!

Because burnout can be invisible until the meltdown, there’s something fundamental to having this tool work for you.  You need a personal, heart-felt reason or commitment that inspires you and makes being burned out unacceptable.

Here’s mine: I am committed to supporting people being fully self-expressed, making their contribution, having a blast and being satisfied in the process, including me.

Invent your own commitment. Something that speaks to you, that brings you joy, that reminds you of who you are and what matters to you at your core.

When we’re centered in our Self, in who we are as human beings, not a cog, a job, a role, we see ourselves differently.  When we embrace our humanity, we see ourselves less as a commodity, more as a possibility.  We see others in that same light. When we see ourselves as a possibility, we make choices about how best to use our energy, talents, time.  We see ourselves as a source and a resource to ourselves and others.

We – your family, friends, co-workers – need you to be engaged, appreciated for your talents and making your contribution. More importantly, you need to be meaningfully engaged for your own sake and aliveness.

Don’t “Stop – Drop – Roll – Go” because I said so, do it because you said so.

The bright side of burnout is that it illuminates what matters so you can come back to your center, to your authentic Self. Pay attention to your Self. Ask, answer and act on your inner intelligence and commitment to be the amazing natural resource you are.

All together now:  I have more important things to do than burnout.

On an international flight from China, the captain’s voice woke us: “Will the doctors on board please press their call buttons.” I looked at my watch. It was the middle of the night.  I automatically reached for the button, then lowered my hand. If I get sued, I put my family at risk — the litigation will bankrupt us.

I know there are 500 people on the flight. Surely, there are other doctors who can answer the call. The captain called again: “Will any doctors on board please push their call button and make themselves known.” I looked at my watch again. 7 minutes had passed since the first call.I was really struggling with myself. Come on, someone. I don’t believe I am the only doctor on board!

What do I do?

I pressed my call button and went to the flight attendant. “I’m a doctor.”

I followed her to the business class galley. The person in need was unable to stand unassisted. One of the flight attendants said, “Well, he’s not bleeding. He must not be too bad.”  Fifteen years ago, I would have come down hard on her as I am sure I did on nurses making unqualified assessments. She was ignorant, not ill-intended. She saw what she saw. I saw a guy going downhill quickly, about to go into anaphylactic shock.

The purser had already retrieved the plane’s medical kit and had a syringe in her hand, knowing that if no doctor showed up, she was accountable for injecting something generic into the man that hopefully would help. She gladly handed me the syringe. I inserted an IV, pushed lots of fluids. He stabilized. When we landed, he was put in the hands of the waiting medics.

Days later, back at my corporate desk, as I was answering emails, attending meetings, pushing papers, I heard myself wonder: Is this the right job for me? Is this how I want to use my talents and skills? Does it match my values? Am I satisfied in a way that matters to me?  Am I contributing what I want?

[Note to Managers and Leaders: Values impact employee performance. Listen to my free webinar, Values: The Energy Source for Employee Engagement. There's a special offer at the end.]

During the incident, as the man’s pulse returned to normal, the purser patted me on the back, saying “you’re an angel.”  That respect is what I crave. I don’t always get it, or as much as I want, at my corporate desk.  I was happy the guy stabilized, not just for his sake and his health, but for mine, too.

On that plane, in the middle of the night, life was telling me something. I’m listening. I also heard your voice, Camille, and our conversations about my values. When my actions match what matters to me, everything seems to work better. I’m going to stabilize myself and take care of my health and my ability to perform and be at my best by taking care of my values.

Camille Smith understands what it takes to change at the individual, team and organizational levels. It’s not easy, it’s worth doing, and it’s required of everyone today, not just leaders. Specializing in transformational leadership, she provides the knowledge and coaching to teach others to create and sustain breakthroughs in performance. She doesn’t have all the answers, she brings them out of you. Reach her at camille@wipcoaching.com.

(photo courtesy of www.webweaver.nu/clipart/dragons3.shtml)

We may not be able to control unforeseen events and demanding clients. What we can control is how we respond. It starts with arming ourselves with knowledge and confidence.
Knowledge begins by understanding the most common pressures our clients are facing:

1. Information overload is pushing clients closer to “overwhelm” than ever before. They crave simplicity, and will pay handsomely for it. According to sales expert Jill Konrath, author of SNAP Selling, “If you do not offer a quick, easy way for clients to work with you and demonstrate your value, one of three things will happen: they either a) delete your messages, b) delay getting back to you or c) disappear into a black hole.”

2. Larger organizations continue to reduce suppliers.In many services and knowledge businesses, such as training, coaching, software, logistics, and IT services, the purchasing power has shifted from functional areas to the procurement department.  Dynamics have shifted from a relationship orientation to a transaction orientation. Suddenly the purchasing department is your gatekeeper, forcing you into cost reduction conversations.  Beverly Heinritz, Vice President of Customer Service and Support at Rearden Commerce, this has generated longer sales cycles.  Rearden Commerce provides a network platform that connects mobile professionals with over 160,000 suppliers.  Today, even these innovative companies can demonstrate immediate ROI yet still face these roadblocks.

3. Leaders continue to struggle to do more with less. In spite of the number of recovery indicators, massive currency fluctuations, tighter credit, and the increased cost of labor and materials has limited how much organic growth many B2B companies can pursue. This forces even high-end brands to provide lower-priced services to cost-obsessed customers.
How do you protect yourself from these challenging dynamics? Build your defenses by looking first at the gaps in your own company, and how you can eliminate them.
It might be easier than you think.  After working with hundreds of entrepreneurs and dozens of Fortune 500 companies, I discovered that only two major gaps stop most companies from reaching their true potential. Thankfully, both are within your control to address:

1. Lack of a practical, easy to understand growth plan.  You will notice I did not suggest you develop a strategic plan. This is overkill for most small to medium companies.

Most companies develop plans from the INSIDE OUT. In other words, they focus too much of their time on financials, operations, core values, mission statements, and ‘what if’ scenarios. During turbulent times, your finance and operations teams can be your best friends.  But if you forget to re-focus on your clients during the recovery, they may also forget YOU.

Take a different approach. Start planning from the OUTSIDE IN. Look first at market dynamics, such as:

• The strategic market imperatives (internal and external pressures that are forcing your clients to change) – these may include pressure to reduce error rates, improving internal compliance, streamlining time to market, or positioning the company for eventual sale.

• The consequences and impact on the client if they do not address these imperatives—how will management be affected? Their employees? Their competitive positioning? Their ability to innovate?

• The Ultimate Result and Unique Value Factor—Shine a light on your “UR-UV.” Identify how clearly you understand your client’s needs, issues, and frustrations. What makes your company stand out in their mind? How do you make their businesses and lives better?

• Your Ideal client. After you have identified your company’s unique attributes, review the traits of your ideal client. Instead of focusing first on the demographics, analyze their behavior. This may include their decision-making style, commonly shared values, culture, and innovation philosophy.

2. Letting “the Beast” in your company run wild, and lacking a system to tame it.
The Beast is a whimsical yet pungent metaphor for your limiting beliefs. Author and change catalyst Daryl Conner, author of “Managing at the Speed of Change,” once said “The Beast takes dreams and turns them into nightmares.” He is right. They can kill a perfectly good growth plan and winning strategy in a heartbeat.

The Beast is sneaky. It expresses itself during meetings and private conversation. You may recognize these common Beast remarks:

• “I’m a banker, not a marketer.
• I don’t have time to focus; I am too busy.
• Let me explain why that won’t work…
• Planning is expensive and time-consuming.
• If I focus my market too much, I will miss out on new opportunities as they arise.”

Charlie, the CEO of a global engineering firm, took nearly ten years to identify the Beast in his organization.  In his company, his lead engineer Bill was channeling the Beast. He repeatedly told co-workers “here we go again…another change initiative. This too shall pass.” Charlie’s new initiatives were repeatedly sabotaged.

We asked a series of revealing questions to help this client manage the Beast. In the end, they felt more committed to their key priorities and more confident about their business strategy.  Team members became more open during weekly meetings.  Bill chose early retirement.  Within just 12 months, their collections improved by 50%, profitability was restored, and they were featured in Inc. Magazine.

If you can address these two major gaps, you will be miles ahead of the biggest beast of all: inertia. Don’t wait. Don your finest dragon slayer gear and start now.

About the Author:

Lisa Nirell, EnergizeGrowth

Lisa Nirell is the Chief Energy Officer of EnergizeGrowth® (www.energizegrowth.com) in Bend, Oregon.  She and her team help B2B companies increase their wealth, improve their performance and attract great clients. Within just three years, she helped her clients generate over $83M in new business.

Over the past 27 years, Lisa has worked with Microsoft, Wells Fargo,  IBM, and hundreds of entrepreneurs in nine countries. Lisa is also an award-winning business columnist, FastCompany expert blogger, and the author of “EnergizeGrowth® NOW: The Marketing Guide to a Wealthy Company.” Visit www.energizegrowth.com and register for EnergizeNews to download four complimentary educational bonus gifts and a free chapter from Lisa’s newest book.

Copyright 2010, Lisa Nirell. All rights reserved.

What Makes The Difference

As you might suspect, the variances from location to location are mostly related to the people that work at each site. The behaviors of the leadership teams and the engagement of the employee bases are where the real differences are manifested.

This simple observation makes it easy to propose the theory that if we want to have a thriving organization, we better spend some time making sure we have thriving people. I am sure this is not the first time you have heard this theory, but what are the characteristics of a thriving person?

The Thriving Person

Most people I know, expect that the organization will create an environment where they can grow and thrive. Sadly, no matter what the organization does, it is never enough. That is because we are all individuals and we each need different conditions in order to flourish. As a result, it is difficult for any organization to create a “one-size-fits-all” program for personal development. The thriving person understands this and becomes accountable for their own plan.

Organizations that recognize this concept create cultures that foster the development of thriving individuals. This means that they value initiative taking, proactiveness, decisiveness and the encourage their people to take risks, even when some of those risks result in failures or setbacks.

Still, creating a healthy environment does not move the responsibility from the individual. He or she, must be willing to set meaningful goals, make decisions, walk with purpose, and demonstrate a willingness to move initiatives forward in the face of obstacles that threaten success. Most organizations value these behaviors, even when their cultures do not foster their development.

Permission To Grow

Do you get what I am saying? You are responsible for creating the thriving you. Nobody else can, and nobody else will. Do you understand that if you don’t like your current circumstances, you are free to change them?

I imagine that you do understand this concept, so I am inviting you to examine where you are. Consider your current circumstances:

What are you doing that is good? How can you do that better? What will it take for you to become your best?

Who can help you become your best? When will you ask then to help?

This is a great time of year to review your personal progress. The more time you spend undestanding your own needs, the more likely you are to be seen as a valued employee. Just consider the things you can do right now that will help you thrive and become your best. Then get busy. I love forward to seeing you thrive.

Live Today! Love Today!

Andrew Thorn
760-559-3548

In organizations around the country, good-intentioned programs are put in place to fix poor morale. An overwhelming majority of organizations have recognition programs but most have little effect. Why? Because employees see these programs as superficial fluff intended to distract them from their day to day workplace frustrations.

Sometimes the only appropriate recognition is to recognize the existing problems and fix them:

If there is distrust in your workgroup, forget about presenting certificates of achievement.

Employees won’t trust you to be sincere anyway. It is better to recognize employee value by working to restore their trust. Provide information. Have an open book policy. Solicit employee opinions and use what you learn. Be fair and consistent. Employees will view these things as truly meaningful recognition.

If employees are working with outdated equipment and inadequate resources to do their jobs, forget about bonuses.
When employees don’t have the tools they need they often see that as a lack of respect, or recognition, for the job they do. If you give them bonuses when they lack basic resources they will doubt your ability to manage. At a fundamental level, you recognize employee value when you provide them with the tools they need to do their job well.

If the quality of the products or services you deliver is poor, forget about team recognition.

It would be better to focus on generating the kind of improvements that would allow employees to have pride in telling others where they work and what they do. A sterling reputation in your community and your industry provides its own form of recognition. If employees feel unchallenged, forget about touting their accomplishments.

It will seem hollow. It is more effective to recognize employee capabilities by providing new challenges that will allow them to grow and perform at new levels. New opportunities and challenges provide the kind of recognition that will really improve job satisfaction. Fix problems in the workplace, and you show employees that they are valued.

You create inherent recognition. Once you have a work environment that provides this inherent recognition, you can offer additional opportunities with peer-nominated awards, individual praise, and more. Just remember that, without the right foundation, most recognition is a waste of time and money.

Managers, who are most successful, spend less time thinking about recognition itself and more time thinking about how they can help the people they work with. The same is true of organizations. Those that put the most effort into creating the most positive and productive work environment have the most motivated employees.

When these managers and organizations say that people are the most important asset, they mean it. They help others learn and grow. They share information and trust people to use it appropriately. They value both the individual and their contribution.
People can tell when someone really cares about them. That can’t be faked. When it comes to recognition that works, nothing can replace sincere respect and the positive relationships that it creates.

Recognition is not a miracle cure. While lack of recognition may be part of the morale problem, in many cases the manager’s attempt at recognition only makes things worse. If a morale problem exists figure out what is causing it, fix it, then supplement your efforts with recognition programs.

Cindy Ventrice is the author of the best-selling book Make Their Day! Employee Recognition That Works and the companion guide Recognition Strategies that Work. She has been quoted in The New York Times, Harvard Business Update, Workforce Magazine and on CNBC. She has worked with managers in 14 countries and has helped hundreds of organizations improve employee morale and loyalty through effective recognition strategies.