2. Personal Peak Performance - Attitudes and Values for Success

• Integrity

• 4 Ways to Approach Change

• Emotional Intelligence

• Focus on the Important Things

Integrity

Integrity is a key element in peak performance. In the corporate world, it is integrity in customer service that really counts.

When I was a boy I loved going to work with my Dad. My Dad was a plumber. Not a job you would immediately associate with customer service. However, I have to tell you I learnt more about service from him than I did from any text book. My Dad, you see, took pride in what he did. I'm sure the concept of `customer service for plumbers' hadn't even been thought of (maybe it still hasn't!). Had it been, I'm confident many aspects of it could have been modelled on my father and the things he did.

My Dad understood that integrity was the essence of service. As a boy I was working alongside him one time in a dark cellar deep within the bowels of an old but `well-to-do' house. I pointed the torch beam at the small maze of pipes and asked my Dad a simple question. A question that seemed innocent enough at the time. His answer, though, has stayed with me forever.

"Dad, why are you always so concerned about getting the joints so neat and the pipes so perfectly vertical or horizontal?"

Putting the oxyacetylene flame to one side, he stopped what he was doing and turned to look quizzically at me.

"Well?" I continued probing "No-one is ever going to see it. Nobody is ever going to crawl under here and take a look. No one would even know if it was done messy or done right".

He looked into my naive, boyish eyes. "Son." he said laconically, as the light from the torch illuminated a stern look in his eye, "I'd know".

He looked away and picked up the spirit level. I knew I'd learnt a lesson of significance. One that would resonate with me over the years. My Dad understood not only about doing things right but doing the right things.

The lesson is this: The alignment of what you do, what you say and what you think about others, particularly, when they're not there, is in direct proportion to your level of integrity.

Action Steps

Consider the actions you currently do behind closed doors. Make a list of the things you do for others that they do not know about. Then, make another list of the things you could be doing. Finally, put into action the strategies necessary to make the two lists the same.

Ask yourself and your team `When the customer or colleague is not around am I doing this right AND Am I doing the right things?' The answers to these questions will largely determine your level of integrity.

Copyright 2001 Terry Power www.execedge.com.au

This article may be copied and forwarded to others as long as the author's details and copyright attribution is included.

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4 Ways to Approach Change

Are you the creator of your life? Who is responsible for your ultimate destiny? Recently, I have become convinced that there are at least 4 different ways you can approach change...

Firstly, things can (and will) change outside of your awareness. Think about it. Have you ever turned up at work to find that all of a sudden the environment is different to that you were used to? I know many people have had this experience as I have to counsel many of them to try and help them adjust to the loss. This is a dangerous level to be operating on because it puts the locus of control outside of yourself. In other words, the world is doing it to you and there is nothing you can do about it. It isn't possible to anticipate all the changes that are coming in this world but it sure helps to be on the lookout for things that are coming up to that you can adapt to them, or even utilise them for your advantage...

A second way people change is when we are fed up. When finally the pain of staying the same exceeds the pain of changing. At this time we may have what I call a "Significant Learning Experience". I have had a number of these experiences, ones that take you over threshold into the higher reaches of pain. An example was my overeating behaviour in my youth, which was eliminated forever following one wild night of indulgence... Perhaps I will spare the details for another time. Suffice to say that the pain I experienced that night restructured my perceptions around eating - and therefore my behaviour - for a lifetime. Likewise, in the workplace, positive dissatisfaction can be a motivating factor for many to change things for the good.

A third way to change is to notice the direction you - or the things in your life - are heading, and decide to take control of the ship before it hits that iceberg. To anticipate the way things are heading and take advantage of the new direction. To "see the writing on the wall" and respond to it before it is too late. I had an experience like this when I was just seventeen years old that set my entire life direction. I suddenly realised that my socialising and not studying had led me to a point whereby my ultimate goals were threatened, that unless I changed I was heading for a major fall. Fortunately for me, I chanced upon a book by Napoleon Hill that changed my life. That book was Think and Grow Rich, and thanks to the advice contained therein I was able to turn my life around. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in achieving a higher level of success.

The problem with all of the above ways to change is that either they involve pain as the precipitator of change, or they involve giving up your control to the environment. None of these is, I feel, sufficient to lead us to the future we ultimately desire. The fourth way to change is the way of the future. It is the way of creation. It means sitting back and designing the life (or job, or corporation, or section, or team) you would ultimately like to have. It does not concern itself merely with removal of pain, or symptom removal, or remediation, the approaches taken by most people in this world. Instead, it asks the question: "How would we like it to be if we could choose it any way we desire - without present limits?" This is the act of creation, of invention. Of choosing whatever we wish and demonstrating faith in action by our God-given ability to manifest whatever it is we desire. The question becomes, what would be good to have? What sort of corporation would be worth creating? What sort of world would we like to be part of? And what can we do to start moving towards this NOW.

Actions for Today

Ask yourself these key questions for any area of your life or work: How would I like it to be ultimately? What would be fun to create? What would be worthwhile creating? Then go act upon the answers.

Copyright 2001 Steve Wells www.execedge.com.au

Emotional Intelligence

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Emotional Intelligence: Daniel Goleman's groundbreaking 1995 book Emotional Intelligence heralded a breakthrough in thinking about success and our understanding of what makes people successful in the corporate world. Rather than intellectual factors, Goleman demonstrated that it was in fact the 'people skills' - and in particular those skills some people have to deal with emotions (both other people's emotions and their own) that made the major difference in corporate achievement, life success and overall contentment. Goleman amassed research demonstrating that those who were in touch with their own emotions, and who could read and respond appropriately to the emotions of others - who could in effect manage the "emotional environment" - made more successful managers and employees.

Goleman defined Emotional Intelligence by 5 main traits:

1. Self-Awareness - The ability to recognise feelings as they happen, tuning into one's own "somatic markers" or gut feelings. This is the basis of intuition and hunches.
2. Mood management - This is mainly about being able to change from bad moods to better moods. Reframing - being able to take a different perspective on events - is a key tool here.
3. Self-motivation - This is about being able to generate feelings of enthusiasm, zeal and self-confidence. Optimism is a key. (e.g. Martin Seligman's research found that people who tested high on optimism but failed normal aptitude tests performed better than pessimists who had passed the aptitude tests!) If you're going to employ someone, employ an optimist.
4. Impulse control - Studies on delayed gratification show that those who can control impulses in the service of their goals do better in the long run.
5. People skills - Those who can develop networks with a wide range of people are peak performers - This is regardless of IQ. Among other things, these people can call on others for assistance and gain it willingly.

Emotion Management: At no time in history has the need to manage emotions - and influence the way people are feeling - been so great. And perhaps at no other time in history have emotions been running so rampant. Stress levels are increasing, and anxiety is at almost epidemic levels. Frustration is everywhere, and expressions such as road rage, trolley rage, and computer rage are in common usage. In most workplaces, bickering between staff members is epidemic, resulting in anger, frustration and hurt feelings. These and other factors combine to create illness, down time, and lost productivity.

Why is everyone so stressed? One reason is that massive and continual changes occurring across the world, and in the workplace, have led to great uncertainty. As technology increases there is also a correspondingly increasing need for high touch- a loss of and a craving for the human factor. John Naisbitt, who wrote about this in Megatrends, was right on the money - His recent book High Tech; High Touch illustrates just how strong this need has become. We are relieved these days when we make a call and get to speak to a real person rather than a machine. Now more than ever people need to have their feelings acknowledged - and dealt with compassionately. Those who realise this increased need for the human touch and provide for it will do well in the future.

Emotion Management in the Workplace: The fact is we value people who make us feel good - and who treat us compassionately when we feel bad. Those employees who can influence the customer's emotions positively and who can make the customer feel good about the service are the ones who contribute the most to the businesses bottom line. A workplace team that can work together in a spirit of harmony can get great things done. And a manager who can influence people to feel good promotes high morale and generates high levels of goal-oriented productivity.

Emotion Management Skills fall into two main categories:

No 1 Skill = Ability to manage your own emotional states (Self-management skills)

No 2 Skill = Ability to influence other people's states (Communication & personal influence skills)

If you're going to invest in your own self-development - or the development of your corporate team - this is the place to start.

Emotional Freedom: Among the tools for Emotion Management that exist, a new group of interventions are showing particular promise. These "psychological acupressure" techniques such as EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) have arisen from a new branch of psychology called "Energy Psychology". EFT can often provide rapid relief from emotional upsets, leaving people able to think more clearly and act more calmly after just a few minutes of using the technique. Basically, EFT involves tapping on various acupressure points whilst focusing on the issue that is upsetting you. Several research studies have shown significant effects for this process on even very severe emotional issues such as phobias and trauma. Almost everyone experiences a relaxation effect, and most people find that the issue no longer upsets them as much. This is an absolute boon for those workplaces where people are getting upset on a daily (sometimes hourly) basis.

Can you imagine the situation in most workplaces if you took the emotional element and changed it radically? What if those who were anxious about the current changes in your organisation could learn to manage their anxiety? They'd find it easier to adapt to those changes. What if those who were constantly getting hurt and upset about seemingly small issues actually learned to put those issues into perspective? Less tension and less petty bickering between employees. And what if those in the front line who are constantly facing angry and upset people learned ways to manage their own reactions when confronted by others and actually learned to turn that anger around? Productivity would shoot up overnight, morale would improve, and stress-related workers compensation claims would be eliminated - or at the very least significantly reduced. This is exactly what we are finding in progressive workplaces that are steadily implementing these techniques.

I believe there are significant advantages available for those businesses that are early adopters of new change technologies such as EFT, and that these benefits are even more significant than the mechanistic advances being touted as the future for business. Their adoption creates positive shifts in productivity and morale for those businesses that embrace these technologies and use them to build their people.

The average workplace is filled with employees who are crying out for the human touch. There's a need for skilled "Emotion Managers" to get in there and help people to iron out the hurts. Will you initiate the process?

Action Steps for Today:

1. Take a walk around your workplace and notice how many of the challenges that occur are related to poor emotion management.
2. Do some research on new techniques such as EFT* and consider how you could implement these techniques in your workplace and in your own life
3. Learn and apply strategies for managing your own emotional state - as this is the main thing that comes across when you relate to others

Copyright 2001 Steve Wells www.execedge.com.au

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Focusing on the Important Things

What is most important in your life? How much time did you spend on this yesterday? How much time will you spend on it today?

One of the key qualities of peak performers is clarity of values. They know what is important to them and they focus their time and energy on those things. If you want to succeed like them, you need to get clear on your real values.

The first question to ask yourself is: “What is most important to me?” Then, keep asking, “What else is most important to me?” until you have a list of those things that matter most. You can do this for every area of your life – work, family, relationship, etc. Once you have your list, place them in priority order. The next step is to begin to focus on these priorities on a consistent basis, so that you are living your highest values every day. A great way to do this is through the use of a personal code of conduct or creed...

A code of conduct outlines how you will live - the ways you will be each and every day. Living by your personal creed on a daily basis will help you to develop the consistency you require for overall success. It is no good, for example, to say that your family is number one if you spend most of your evenings and weekends working and don’t get to spend much time with them. Whatever you value, how will you ensure that you spend time focusing on that each and every day?

Adopting a personal code is about deciding to put your values into action - making what is most important to you come alive. It’s also a standard that you hold yourself to, a way of ensuring that you will live your life “on purpose”. It is easy for us to get distracted by current events, and get “off track” occasionally. Having a personal code of conduct ensures you will be constantly reminded of what is most important to you, and prompted to act in accordance with your highest values.

Some of the greatest figures in history created for themselves a personal creed or code of conduct to guide their actions. Some were given a creed by their mother or father as a reminder to keep on the right path. I believe if we want to lift ourselves onto the shoulders of the giants, this is one of the most direct ways to do it.

You can start right now by listing the ways you will commit to being every day of your life, the ways you will need to BE in order to have and do everything you ultimately desire. Create an incredible life one action at a time by beginning to be right now the person you ultimately desire to be.

Action Step for Today: Create your code of conduct. Write down those values and ways of being which are most important to you – How you aim to be each and every day of your life. Then place that list of values somewhere you will see it on a daily basis, and constantly check in with yourself, asking, “Am I being this way RIGHT NOW?” and “What do I need to do to live this way RIGHT NOW?”

These articles may be copied and forwarded to others as long as the author's details and copyright attribution is included.

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