Unleash Your Passion for a Perfect Performance

January 25, 2010

The day was crisp and cool, a perfect run day. I pushed off and soon fell into a gentle rhythm. The wind bit my cheeks and I reveled in the sensation of my body awakening to the adrenalin coursing through my body. Today, there were no training notes running through my head – watch your knees, breathe from the belly, check watch, adjust speed. Today, there was no thought of fartleks, tempo runs, pace per mile or negative splits. This one was just for me. I breathed deeply and enjoyed the rhythm of my sneakers and the soft sound of wind. As I warmed, I picked up the pace, celebrating the power in my legs.  Nothing else mattered on that run but to simply feel and enjoy. When I finally turned back, I was breathing harder and drenched in sweat. I was giddy and could have danced the last few yards but instead turned it up and sprinted in feeling like a gazelle, although I am certain I resembled  a middle aged woman with a crazed expression on her face.

Later that evening watching the US Figure Skating Championships I thought about my earlier run. The most enjoyable performances were those where technical acuity was matched by pure unadulterated passion. I watched Jeremy Abbott’s face as he skated flawlessly, his body gliding through the air effortlessly. Yes, he was skating for a medal but he was also skating for the sheer love of sport. His face was not a mask of studied indifference but laid bare revealing an unabashed joy. The raw passion so evident that you felt you had stumbled into a private moment and should quietly back away.

There is something profound about giving yourself over completely to passion. Becoming one with the moment and completely going for it, uncensored, and having a blast.

It makes me wonder why we pull the curtain down on our best selves in our day to day life. Why are we so afraid to just go for it in our work and in our lives? How much better would work life be if we let others see us exercise our gifts and talents with pure joy?

Jeremy Abbott prepared, planned and practiced but in that moment he stepped into the moment and went for it, fearless and passionate. The result was a spot on perfect performance that moved the audience to tears.

Prepare, plan and practice but when it’s your moment lean in, feel the passion and go for it!

How about you, ever go for it without worrying about the results?

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Why?

January 21, 2010

Why?

Why can’t you see past who you are to who you could be?

Why is your vision enslaved to a past that you cannot change?

Why can’t you

Take the vacation of your dreams

Design your own lifestyle

Start your own business

Go after the job you want

Break the rules and do it your way

Try without worrying about the results

Do that thing that scares you silly

Take a big leap of faith even if you fall

Why?

Your answers may differ but I guarantee your why’s can be solved with a s single word – Believe.

So again I ask, why can’t you

BELIEVE in YOU?

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Breaking News

January 8, 2010

We interrupt this broadcast...When you hear those words coming from your television screen or radio, it is a signal that something unplanned has interrupted regular programming. In our own lives, an interruption in the normal broadcast is not announced in a soothing voice, it just appears and demands for you to stop and take notice.

This week, I had my own surreal experience with “breaking news” in a good way. I was presented with an opportunity to be interviewed for a story that will air on World News with Diane Sawyer.

Those that are media savvy are prepared for the breakneck speed with which this happens but I am not a media superstar who can think and talk on cue on camera. Yet, somehow I did it.

I have big plans for this year and none of them involved appearing on television yet when opportunity knocked, I answered.  In fact, I am not particularly fond of anything concerning a camera, but I ignored all of my excuses and fears and simply stopped to deal with the breaking news.

This experience has made me realize how often we may ignore opportunity because it knocks at an inconvenient time. I had less than 12 hours notice before spending an entire day in my home office with a reporter. There was no time to get my hair done, shop for new clothes, squeeze in an extra workout. Opportunity does not care if you are perfect, it only needs you to be ready.

My interview is part of a larger business story that is scheduled to air tonight. I will watch (with one eye open) and I guarantee that for the few seconds I am on, I will be anything but perfect.  Whether I look fat or not will be secondary to the celebration of stepping out of my nicely controlled comfort zone and giving in to the unknown.

How about you, when breaking news arrive, will you answer?

Special thanks to Dwann Holmes Olsen and Borders + Gratehouse, true Media and PR Professionals who have graciously mentored, coached and cheered me on. I could never have said “Yes” without them.

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Canada, Border Crossings and Your Route to Success

January 4, 2010

The Davis family drove from Michigan to Canada for the weekend. Like many Michiganders, Canada was a frequent getaway for the family. They knew the route and they had visited many times in the past. Yet, this trip was different. In the past, Michigan residents were able to cross the border and return with nothing more than state identification. However, the rules have changed, and you must now have special identification. The family had entered Canada with no problem. However, when they reached the crossing to head home, they found their familiar route blocked by a new rule.

In 2009, many people felt like the Davis family at the gate. You were motoring along on familiar roads believing you had the proper paperwork and just as you saw the goal, the home stretch in site,  your progress was halted by a rule change.

Some of you crawled under the gate, others motored through it and some may have tried to reason with the obstruction to grant you passage. Whatever choice you made, I’m happy to inform you that you can now cross over.

It is a brand new decade. Last year, the rules changed and this year there may be addendums but in this new decade you control the path. You can adjust your strategy, and route or you can wait until mercy or an immunity period allows you to pass.

Rule changes are part of the game but if you mentally prepare for them they do not have to interrupt your journey. What stood in your way last year and how could you have solved it better/faster or avoided it completely? What changes can happen this year that would slow your speed or worse bring you to a full stop? Your roadmap to success must have alternate routes. Planning for delays or even failures is essential.

On this first Monday check your supplies and your route and make sure that you are ready to go the distance or you may find yourself struggling to prove you really belong on the road.

Note: The names of the family have been changed to protect them from my creative liberties but the story is based on fact, or more accurately the facts as they were related to me and then filtered through my own storytelling perception.  If you enjoy the liberty taking and the post, please visit again.

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What You Need to Know about Business in 2010

December 28, 2009

In the final week of 2009, we will undoubtedly do a lot of looking back and looking ahead. I wanted to take this final Monday to look ahead and share a few things that I learned from reviewing the 2010-2015 strategic plans of other businesses. Read this information and consider how:

• You can apply it in your career to become more valuable in your organization
• Your own strategic plans compare
• You can leverage it to win new business and serve your market in the coming year

I will not share any confidential or proprietary information, but am simply sharing trends and thought patterns that I noted after reviewing strategic plans from several small to medium sized businesses (SMBs). The companies represent a wide spectrum of industries.

The Economy

Without surprise, the economy of the past several years played a factor in all plans. However, not in ways you may expect. All plans reflected a shift in thinking about business processes, and customer engagement. The paradigm shift is driven in large part by increased competition (fewer established competitors fiercely fighting for market share) and the change in consumer behavior and mindset.

Every single plan drives back to the bottom line of growing / protecting market share and profits. All roads to ROI lead through the customer and in all plans the customer was king.

Customers

Two common words could be found in each plan – “customer relationship.” Businesses are interested in building and sustaining relationships with customers. They are shifting their internal processes to better discover and deliver on their customers’ long-term needs. There is a move from transaction based selling to relationships. In the past, companies sought relationship as a way to boost lifetime customer value. While that remains a benefit, the motivation as presented in these 2010 plans is to have the customer truly believe in the business as a trusted partner.

Each company wanted to be a resource for its customers. Planned investments include technology and training that would support collecting better customer information and managing it to provide information and education that was timely and valuable.

Internal

As companies look to shift their external relationships they also want to improve internal relationships. There is a desire to change internal communication structures with more real time, collaborative communication throughout the organization. Executives and front line managers are expected to communicate with teams more frequently, providing feedback and updates about progress against goals. Technology that addresses these needs will be welcomed.

No Buzzwords

None of the plans contained buzzwords like “behavioral marketing” or “social media” but all described a need for exactly what new media offers. Businesses want to improve how they target, talk to and engage their customers. If you are selling to business customers, you will do well to present the benefits and eliminate the jargon. Don’t talk to them about platforms and methodologies but show them how those things help them to achieve their bottom line goals.

Investments

All plans included increased funding for training, technology and new hires but there was a decided uncertainty about the ability to fund these investments in 2010. There were contingencies that extended plans into later years. This was an area that differed from plans I reviewed in past years. All will make the investments needed to drive their bottom line goals but investments may happen at a slower pace. If you sell to businesses, consider phased approaches that would help them invest and realize a return before moving to the next step.

Marketing

Marketing departments are stretched thin and as always are subject to rule changes in the middle of the game. While vendor budgets have been decreased, and will not increase in 2010, there is room for outsourced help. The majority of the plans stated a renewed focus on holding marketing to budget based goals. Nothing new here but in light of the economy, be prepared to show the executive suite the money when it comes to campaigns and communications. The smart internal or external marketer will tie marketing to customer engagement initiatives with a focus of driving bottom line results.

Summary

Business at its core has not changed. Companies want and need to make money. What has changed is the approach, processes and people that will help them with that longstanding goal. Whether you are an employee, business owner or business provider, understanding this will put you ahead in 2010 and beyond.

What trends are you seeing as we near the new year? How can we all do better and serve better in the coming year?

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No Chimney Required

December 14, 2009

Recently, Chris Brogan shared his business wish list for 2010. He invited readers of the post to do the same. Chris said, “We think about our personal wishes all the time, but why not think about it with regards to our businesses?” I agree.

This list is not new for me. However, the decision to share it publicly forced me into deeper reflection about the items on it.

My Business Wish List

• I want to be a published author. Yes, I have lots of published work – books, articles but all ghostwritten. I have loved helping others birth their visions  but it’s time to birth my own. More importantly than just being published I want my writing to inspire, inform and/or entertain.
• I want to teach, mentor and support servant leaders. I am profoundly passionate about creating leaders who respect their teams and cultivate a culture where success and growth flourish.
• I want to improve my blogging and grow my subscribers. I also want this to be a place where readers connect and share with one another.
• I want to help more small to medium sized businesses (SMBs) with my knowledge of integrated marketing strategies and business process expertise. This year, some of my best moments were from helping companies to navigate the changing landscape of customer engagement, new media and marketing. I want more of that in 2010.
• I want to help professionals get serious about actively managing their career and not simply trusting that “the system” will take them where they want and need to go.
• I want to give more business away. I am over the moon when I can influence referrals and help put money in another person’s bank account. In 2010, I want to put giving on steroids.
• I have longed to create information products but have not quite found the right path. In 2010, I want to find my calling in this area.
• I want to work less. One of my driving forces for creating a business was a desired lifestyle. I wanted to serve others with my talents but also have time to write, and pursue my other interests. It is time to make my dream a reality.

Sharing our wish list aloud creates accountability for turning those wishes into action. It also invites the collective support and wisdom of your community. I value that from all of you and welcome your suggestions. If you decide to post your own wish list, link to Chris’ post but please let me know too. I want to support you in 2010.

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When Change Meets Resistance

October 22, 2009

Change is a funny thing. As fervently as we embrace it we seem also to have a natural resistance to it. It’s scary, yet exciting;  we need the new yet often cling to the familiar. If each of us possesses this natural love/hate relationship with change, imagine how it impacts the people in our lives.

Change very often makes the people around us uncomfortable. The overweight spouse who embarks on a health overhaul, the needy sibling who begins to take charge of their life, the quiet colleague that becomes bold about contributing ideas and standing up to peers. All of these changes can provoke chaos in the surrounding environment.

While you may be embracing change as growth and forward momentum, those around you may see it as a threat to their position or relationship with you.  Ultimately, it’s not your change they are really resisting but how that change will affect them. They respond by trying to defend against the “attack” to protect their own comfort zone.

Those who fear change may unintentionally sabotage your growth.  That resistance can sometimes derail your good intentions.

In business, I  have personally watched leaders hindered in their growth by the fans that surrounded them. New ideas and behaviors were shot down in an effort to “protect” the leader from making mistakes. The leaders remained stuck in patterns that no longer worked encouraged by loyalists who were afraid that change would leave no room for them.

So, how do you balance the complexity of change without alienating everyone around you?

Acknowledge that not everyone will grab their pom poms and cheer the new you. Change is hard! Be sensitive, but firm in your desire to grow.  As I pondered these thoughts on Facebook this week I noted that there are those who may be left behind. I was struck by the very wise words of Kevin Buck which sums it up beautifully:

“As you walk with integrity and a prophetic voice, the community you attract shifts with your transformation.”

Yes, you may lose some people along the way but your transformation will attract new people who will be aligned with who you are and more importantly who you are becoming.

When the resistance is from loved ones, reassure them of their place in your life.  People that love you will come around in their own time and in their own way.

The important thing is to be true to yourself and your calling. While our human nature may resist change, without it we will wither and die.

Have you ever encountered resistance to change? How did you handle it?

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Crazy Colors, Level Doors and Life Lessons

October 5, 2009

I had a dream this weekend that Joanna Young sold me her house. It was under construction with half finished rooms and much of the roof missing. Somehow I had bought the contraption house and was happily living in it while completing construction.

Joanna came to visit and I showed her around, eventually leading her to the master bedroom. The room had a huge bed, a big screen TV and a tub with a seating area in front of it. We sat on the huge bed, me cross legged and grinning and Joanna prim and proper.

“I hate this bedroom, that’s why I sold the house, ” Joanna stated as she involuntarily shuddered.

“We fixed the door, see it’s level and smooth now,” I said beaming with pride, immune to her criticism.

For a few moments we both sat looking at the neon green door that looked like glowing slime, with two windows on either side painted the same color. Still grinning I looked around the room at dark blue walls and the red seating area in front of the tub.

In the light of day I was both mortified and tickled at the realization that I must have a dormant tacky gene that haunts me in sleep. Once I got past the horror of my color scheme, I reflected on the 5 lessons of the dream.

Lesson #1: I am apparently blissfully happy as long as I have a bed, bathtub, and TV even if the color scheme would make a sane person puke. Scary but true.

Lesson #2: The house did not work for Joanna but I found happiness there. My face beamed with joy surrounded by all my tacky colors and half finished house. When Joanna blatantly stated her dislike, it would have been easy to lose my enthusiasm and agree with someone whose opinion I deeply respect. How often in life do we shy away from doing things a certain way because someone smarter, popular or more successful has spoken against it? We may begin to doubt our judgment or ability to make it work when someone “better” could not.

Lesson #3: The color scheme and much of the house needed work but I was able to celebrate the accomplishment of a level door. It is easy to miss what you have already accomplished when you are sitting in the middle of a half finished house. Take a moment and give yourself a pat on the back for what’s been done. That small task is one less thing on your to-do list.

Lesson #4:  The colors may not make sense to someone else but they are YOUR colors. It’s tempting to stay with safe, proven color schemes. You will blend right in and no one will point and laugh but safe colors are precisely that safe. Own your tacky, putrid, neon colors,let ‘em fly! Those colors are your distinction, they are what makes you unique. I would rather be flying my quirky neon flag than trying to compete with the millions of safe colors in the crayon box.

Lesson #5: Visiting with friends always makes you happy even if you’re visiting in a room that one of you detests.

Are you proudly sporting your unique colors or playing it safe? Why or why not?

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Rip the Veil or Close the Blinds?

September 30, 2009

“On one hand access to more is terrific, more info, more options, more entertainment, more flexibility, fewer gatekeeping restrictions….. on the other hand, access to more is like a train wreck of distasteful and tacky come to town, hell bent on leaving it’s mark and lifting its skirt…a lost weekend of things we just really don’t need to know…but some how…watch anyway…”–Janice Cartier

The conversations around transparency have been rich with examples and thoughtful insights. As Janice Cartier, so colorfully observed, a little too much transparency can make us all blush with shame even as we continue to watch in abject horror.

For some this kind of transparency has become a brand that they have leveraged with success. There are many who put it all on full display, and continue to command attention, while others lose position when we get even a peek behind half closed blinds.

It is clear that there is no universal standard for transparency. We want to pull down the curtain and see the wizard in certain areas and in others we’d rather continue to believe in magic.

In The Transparent Leader, authors Herb Baum and Tammy Kling address transparency in business. They share case studies and successes from companies that developed an “open culture.” Transparency did not equate to “telling it all” but honestly communicating at all levels about issues related to the company. The book acknowledged that business leaders must balance that openness with a certain amount of filtering.

Heather Villa shared how she filters her own open communication:

“I won’t talk about my religious beliefs, my political views, my intimate relationships, or anything else highly controversial or personal. I believe those types of discussions are meant for your immediate family (if not completely personal) and is ‘too much’ transparency.”

Heather is a business owner active in social media. She shares business and personal information but has wisely developed filters for her transparency. In her case, she realizes that too much transparency can be polarizing and may damage current and prospective relationships with customers.

From those in positions of power, we demand a higher standard of excellence. We take joy in the glimpses of transparency but if the blinds are opened too far we lose respect for their position. We like to think of them as “everyman” or “everywoman” but we don’t want them to prove it.

“We have all the tools to publish what happens at every moment in our lives, but we lack the wisdom and experience to edit all that rough draft and make something interesting.”– Jamie Grove

“…airing our dirty laundry to everyone is a little dangerous, and possibly a little over-indulgent.”–Conor

Jamie and Conor aptly point out that exercising a little editing with our transparency is wise. We really don’t have to tell it all. We can tell what is relevant, and even share a little that’s not, but exposing it all can be dangerous and alienating and as Conor noted a little over-indulgent.

Fred Schlegel offered a chilling reality: “Since there really is no way to limit what is public about our lives, we must put in place rules on how the more powerful entities use that info. Sorry to get all George Orwell on ya, but the public info is just the tip of the iceberg.”

Perhaps some believe that they will take charge of the illusion of privacy by ripping down their own veil. I know what’s behind that curtain and I’m determined to hang on to the false illusion of a little mystery for as long as I possibly can.

Does the amount of information shared change your level of respect for a person? Is the boundary the same for everyone or does it depend on other factors?

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The Trend of Transparency

September 28, 2009

Have we pushed the boundaries so far that we have crossed the line from transparency to indecency? On December 23, 2004, President Bush signed the Video Voyeurism Prevention Act of 2004 into law. In less than a decade, we have gone from being outraged by secret videotaping to willingly sharing our own secrets in every available medium.

Between blogs, YouTube and Reality television, nothing is left to the imagination. I don’t know about you but I could live knowing a little less about everyone’s private lives. People date, marry, get pregnant, have children, divorce, fight addictions and illnesses in full view of cameras. The allure of mystery has given way to the fashion of telling it all to everyone and if you’re lucky you may profit from your effort.

“One man’s transparency is another’s humiliation.” –Gerry Adams

This need to “tell all” is not confined to entertainment but has changed how we share information at every level. News reports provide gruesome and unnecessary details about crimes exposing victims and their families to further pain. We demand accountability from the business world but hold ourselves to different standards as customers and employees as we share our perspectives, opinions and ideas without censure.

Don’t get me wrong, this blog and my other social media activities validate that I am an active contributor and participant in new media. I am not a sideline observer but one fully in the echo chamber questioning our use and participation. I applaud the ability to share information, resources, and yes, opinions but openness is not without consequence. Though our current culture seems to suggest otherwise, I still believe that we have responsibility for our words and actions.

Let’s examine it this week. What do you think, have we gone too far or not far enough?

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