Some thoughts on “whole-person” July 21, 2008
Posted by Bill Colwell Jr in Inspiration, Leadership & the Self.add a comment
Whole-person is about the entire “me”. This can probably be defined in many different ways. For now, I will describe this as personal; professional; spiritual; physical; intellect; husband; and friend. The “whole” me is a full context picture.
How do I offer my best? Am I offering my best? What might be holding me back? What is my identity? Do I believe I am a liability or an asset? Am I an investment or expense? Am I defined by the accounting office? Who do I believe I am?
Quotes that caught my attention: “We manage things without the power to choose, but lead people who do have the power to choose.” “Leadership is not about control.”
One book that I think of here is “Wild at Heart” by John Eldredge. From his worldview, one can never offer their best without a connection to God. To what am I called? If I offer my best I may be view as “wild” by others. I may be viewed as one who cannot be controlled. Yet, it is my best that I chose to give. In this way I give what God has called me to give. I do have a variety of roles to play in my life. Yet I am more than any one of these roles or even the sum of the roles (as if that were possible).
This means I must spend time getting to know the real me. The “me” that is whole and complete. What are some ways you do this? What are your insights and thoughts?
Strength-based Leadership July 17, 2007
Posted by Bill in Competencies, Leadership & the Self, Organizational Behavior, Development, and Culture.add a comment
Strength-based Leadership
“living your best life” choosing the best for our lives
Cheryl shared some from her own story
Objectives:
understand the difference between themes/strengths
identify at least three strengths
formulate strategies to plan for a “strong week”
Articulate primary strategies to manage the “shadow side of strengths”
develop a template for creating a “strengths based” organization
Primary references
Clifton Strengths finder
Now, discover Your Strengths (Buckingham and Clifton 2001)
Go Put your Strengths to work (Buckingham 2007)
Strengths finder 2.0
Clarification: More than just another tool
Definitions: Themes vs strengths
Goal of strengths initiative:
build a workplace/role where strengths are utilized to advance accomplishment of mission through the collaborative efforts of leaders/tem members.
Theme as applied to, mature itself into a strength in a flawless way
Themes become strengths with effort and practice.
Step one: Reflection
identify the themes
Strengths engagement track
Practical application
Step two:
Conversion of theme to strength/review of strength components
Essential question: How will I ensure that I put my strengths into play just a little more this week than I did last week? (objective is to build your job around the best of you).
Clarification of strengths
Those specific activities at which I do well for which I retain a powerful appetite
Three components:
Talents (innate)
skills (learned – consistent/near perfect performance
Knowledge
S = Success (you feel effective)
I = Instinct (I can’t help but…)
G = Growth (it feels easy)
N = Needs ( a feeling of fulfillment/ being “in the zone”)
Your strengths are those activities that make you feel strong. Note: feelings reveal strengths
Evidenced through our speech:
It thrills me when…
I love it when…
I get so excited by…
I can’t wait to…
Practice this conversation with participant/employees, bosses. this will provide them the freedom to use “strength speech”
Long term objective
How can I play to my strengths a little more this week than I did last week?
- identify exactly how and where each strength helps you in your current role
- find the missed opportunities to leverage each strength in current role
- learn new skills and techniques to sharpen each strength
- build your job toward each strength
consider:
Implication for :
- dissertation topic
- strategies for completion of doctoral studies
- enhanced understanding of how to work more effectively with committee members
What is the “Strengths” of your advisor(s)?
The “shadow side” of strengths
Harm others; excuse behavior; insights to manipulate; to put others down
What to do with weaknesses?
I feel drained when…
Warren Buffett gave Bill and Melinda Gates money to give away because he doesn’t like doing that…
4 strategies to stop your weaknesses
1 – stop doing the activity and see if anyone notices/cares
2 – team up with someone who is strengthened by what weakens you
3 – Offer up one of your strengths and gradually steer your job toward this strength and away from your weakness
4 – Perceive your weakness from a different perspective
Recommended three part proactive strategy
Part 1: strengths chat with boss
Part 2: how can I help you?
Part 3: How you can help me
Strengthen the team
What are you passionate about?
where can I expect to see the best from you?
What kinds of situations should I actively steer you away from?
Note: there will be critics:
expect it
Identify “champions”
stay the course – make a plan
Strength based Organization
Mission Statement
core values
hiring process
evaluation process
Team building
Succession planning
Strategic long term plan
Conclusion:
Moses was a strengths based leaders…
Ex 15.2
Deut 6:4-10
Ex 15:3
Getting Things Done in the PhD Leadership Program July 17, 2007
Posted by David Jeffrey in Leadership & the Self.add a comment
What do you want to get out of this session?
- stop sabotaging my life
- maintain balance
- set realistic goals
- “have cake and eat it too”
- not self-destruct
- be steadily productive
- have a life and finish the PhD
- want to have a lifestyle of “being in control” (marathon, not a sprint)
- how to help family get through this also
- want to know common mistakes so as not to repeat them
David’s website
The seminar is based on the book. It’s available at the Campus Bookstore.
This book is like having David as your own private consultant.
The goal of the session:
- to maximize efficiency and learn how to relax in the PhD Leadership program.
- to learn to capture all the things that need to get done into a logical and trusted system outside of your head and off your mind
- discipline yourself to make front-end decisions about all your inputs classified into “next actions”
Five Stages of Mastering Work Flow (p.24)
- Collect (not just a PhD thing, but everything – until your mind’s empty)
- Process (typically pieces of paper, email)
- Organize
- Review
- Do
Stage One: Collection Tools
- physical in-basket
- paper based note-taking device
- electronic note-taking device
- voice-recording device
Stage Two: Processing
- stuff > in-basket > what is it?
- actionable? yes or no
- no > trash, someday, or reference
- yes > next actions
- project plans > next actions (never do projects; only work on actions, or else you’re wasting time)
- next actions > less than 2 minutes
- do it
- more than 2 minutes
- delegate or defer
- delegate
- waiting for file (indicate that you’re waiting for it to be finished)
- defer
- calendarize or
- next action (asap)
Stage Three: Organize
- list of projects
- storage of file for project plans
- calendar (only have one calendar – electronically integrated)
- list of reminders of next actions (if you think about your work, doing it is effortless)
- list of reminders of things you are waiting for
Stage Four: Review
- weekly review from the 50,000 foot level (looking at projects to see if things are getting done – takes about an hour)
- this is the critical success factor
- what to review weekly
- projects list
- calendar (check for conflicts, consider having a day for just making phone calls)
- next actions list
- waiting for list
- what to do in your weekly review
- gather and process all your stuff
- review your system
- update your lists
- get clean, clear, current, and complete (do it on Friday to have a better Monday)
Six-Level Model of Review
- 50,000 ft – Life
- purpose or meaning of your life (leader development profile)
- 40,000 ft – 3 to 5 year vision
- strategies, trends, transitions, career
- 30,000 ft – 1 to 2 year goals (goals with family, children, etc.)
- all aspects of your life
- 20,000 ft – areas of responsibility (if you have no mission, then your health isn’t important)
- work, health, home, finances, family, spirituality, recreation
- 10,000 ft – current projects
- 30 to 100 projects on your plate
- Runway – current actions
- calls, emails, errands, agendas
Tools for GTD (getting things done)
- space: office and home
- tools you need
- three paper-holding trays
- letter-sized pad
- pen or pencil
- post-its
- paper clips, binder clips
- stapler and staples
- file folder and lables
- calendar
- waste-basket
Getting things done Companion for Outlook
purchase it for about $70 at http://www.davidco.com, download
software helps with GTD Categories (where things can be done e.g. anywhere, computer. home/ can also organize by project)
email management helps
contact Albert at areyes@buckner.org or www.buckner.org
Schedule sacred time. Albert takes 2 hours nap on Sunday, schedules time for children and family
Assistant needs to read the book and understand how the system works
Assistant takes tasks from his to-do list, answers mail, asks what she could do, handles travel.
All of this is also developing the assistant.
Note: Don’t do anything in your IDP or Porfolio that you’re not already being paid to do at work.
The software enhanced Outlook.
He interviewed about 200 executives and these ideas were the ones that it distilled down to.
“Sufficient to the day the trouble thereof….”
