Life Lessons from the 2012 Olympics

As the 2012 Olympics unfolds, I realize the dedication, effort and sacrifice that must be embraced in order to achieve the high level of performance of each participant in every event from not only those who finish in first place but also those in last place. Their effort spans many years of hard work and sacrifice not only by the athletes but their families and coaches as well.

Each new event brings another aspect of an Olympian’s life into view that only pushes me further into awe. Whether it is watching Michael Phelps collect his 22nd medal and claim his place in history or watching the gymnast Gabby Douglas win her first gold medal, I feel pride at their achievements.  Each one of the athletes has me thinking about the messages that are communicated without saying a word.

Some of the vital ingredients that come together to shape an aspiring hopeful into an Olympian include:

1. The love & support of family – With each smile or tear, that the cameras catch of the athlete’s family, I’m reminded of the tremendous effort that went into arriving at this moment. The faces of the athletes and the parents seem to say that the sacrifices required have been worth the opportunity to experience this moment.
2. Coaches – The Olympic coaches are a vital ingredient in helping the athletes achieve their goal usually bringing an in-depth knowledge of the sport.  But they bring more than that. They hold a picture of what is possible for the athlete to achieve.  This belief coupled with discipline and love moves an athlete from ordinary to extraordinary.
3. Enjoying the journey– As the athletes entered the stadium on opening night, the sheer joy of being a part of the 2012 Olympics is apparent.  The hard work, the dedication to a goal, striving to be the best are the journey and life is about the journey not just the destination.

Ultimately to me the Olympics is not about sports but rather about the human spirit.  Watching the athletes I can see the full range of human emotions that cover the spectrum from:

Hope – The confident desire that “I will achieve my goal”.

Joy – The joy that comes with competing and doing one’s best.

Despair – The disappointment at not doing one’s best and letting one’s self, family, coach and team down.

Renewed Joy – Bouncing back after defeat and not giving up.

Finally to me, the importance of setting goals and committing to and dedicating oneself to achieving them is one of the most important life lessons of the 2012 Olympics.

Interested in setting and achieving new goals? Contact me at www.trignanoconsulting.com for information about coaching and career management including DiSC communication style assessments.   973-722-9961

The “Dominator”- Have you ever had a manager like this?

While talking with Karen the other day, she relayed a story to me about her new manager.

She talked about attending meetings with this “new to the job” manager “Bob” where he detailed his plan to make critical changes to the process that the team had followed for the last 10+ years. He made the changes without asking for any input from the team, without notifying any of the staff of the changes to be implemented and he did not seek feedback about how the changes were affecting the day-to-day workflow.  In fact, he was unwilling to listen to comments from any of the team members who attempted to speak up about the changes.  As you might imagine, resistance and a lot of anger followed implementation of the manager’s plan.

To my HR astonishment, Karen went on to further describe Bob’s behavior when someone did dare to voice a concern about the changes. She described somebody who ranted and raved and yelled at the staff while using a barrage of unacceptable profanity.  He stated in no uncertain terms “this is the way it’s going to be. There will be no further discussion and that is final.”

Despite all the training and education over the years, managers like Bob are still prevalent in the workplace today. There are a growing number of workplace lawsuits each year based on this type of abusive management style and this behavior often continues until someone either brings it to the attention of HR or a mass exodus of employees draws the attention of upper management. As a manager, it is critical for you to be aware of behavioral styles of management in today’s workplace that are unacceptable.  If you feel you need better management skills to effectively lead and motivate a team, seek training or guidance from a peer or company mentor.

One important note here is that Bob is leading a team comprised predominately of female members. There are often major differences between the communication styles of male and female employees.  Understanding the different styles of communication and being able to “flex” your style to address the needs of your staff will significantly improve your effectiveness as a manager.

Here are three suggestions to help you become a better manager:

1. Know the communication style that best suits your team. It is important to understand that men and women have different styles of communicating and actively “flex” your own communication style to best suit the situation.
2. Treat your team with respect.  They will notice and work harder on your behalf to help you succeed. Achieving goals is a team effort. Keep everyone working as a team and you will become a more effective manager and motivator.
3. Get input from all of your team members when making major changes. It may take you a bit longer to achieve your desired changes. However it will serve you well by ensuring that all of your team is on board and working toward the same goal.

While I don’t know if Bob, the manager mentioned above is a new manager or a more experienced manager, I do know that his tactics are having the exact opposite effect of what he set out to accomplish. By incorporating the suggestions above, he would have more effectiveness and influence on his team.

I am interested in your thoughts about dealing with a manager like this. How would you handle it if this were your manager? What would you do to facilitate a better working environment for yourself and your teammates?

Coach Linda

Interested in improving your management effectiveness?  Contact me at http://www.trignanoconsulting.com for information regarding DiSC communication style assessments.  973-722-9961

Time Demands Press On

When you come right down to it, many of us find it very hard to stay focused in the busy day-to-day world we live in.  The never-ending distractions are everywhere. Between emails, cell phones, the internet, social media sites, personal schedules, work responsibilities, and family needs, it is a wonder how we manage to do as much as we do! Whew, it is difficult to keep up with it all isn’t it?

I was recently in a meeting where the discussion focused on the topic of mental “quiet” time to just think.  Some mentioned the common sight of multi-taskers doing their “things” and wondering how they get anything done!  Others mentioned the generational differences comparing those who manage multi-tasking with ease versus those who have difficultly while others believe that productivity levels suffer.

The interesting thing was that everyone in the discussion was in agreement that having some free mental time – on a regular basis – to just think, was important.  They also agreed that not many are able to get even a few minutes for mental relaxation.  It’s a real quandary isn’t it? We want the time to recharge our selves but the demands on our time never seem to stop.  What’s a person to do??

Here are a few suggestions that will help you to incorporate some “me” time into your daily life:

Make mental free time a priority.  I know this is easier said than done, but I believe that with a focus on your goal or priority, it will become a reality.

Start with a small goal – say 10 minutes a day where you sit back and do nothing but think and listen to yourself.

Let others know that you want and need this time to be alone.  Enlist their help to achieve this time for yourself.

Don’t allow email or cell phone, or the internet to divert your attention from focusing on your goal of “me” time.  Get in the habit of waiting once in a while before immediately responding to these distractions.

Some of these suggestions require a bit of selfishness on your part but I believe that this time, set aside by you – for you, recharges your batteries in a way that renews you and you will be more energetic, more engaged in your life than ever before.

Annoying Meeting Habits

Tags

career management, soft skills

I’m sure that I’m not alone in feeling that some people have habits that make attending a meeting with them just plain difficult and non-productive. It seems that there are always one or two people that show up without any real interest in being there or contributing anything of relevance.

I’ve listed some of the behaviors below that really annoy me. See if you can relate to any that you have seen for yourself. It might also be a good exercise to look at your own meeting habits to ensure that you are not the one who is doing the distracting, however remote that possibility might be.

• Always speaking or taking center stage like they are the only one with the answers or worse, thinking that they have all the answers.
• Texting or sending emails during the meeting without concern about what is going on. The only important thing for this person is reading, responding and keeping up on their emails.
• Making little or no effort to contribute any ideas or offer input during the meeting. This way they can remain untouched when ideas go askew or conflict erupts.
• Interrupting or speaking over others. They are more interested in speaking rather than listening. They do not see their side conversations as a meeting disruption or distraction.
• Making negative comments or telling inappropriate jokes that distract others and disrupt the meeting. The fact that not everyone in the room shares their humor or opinion seems to be of little interest to them.

One of my business coaching clients recently asked for my thoughts on the following scenario. He said that as a team leader, it was necessary to conduct regular meetings to ensure that all team members were kept up-to-date on the progress of the project.

One of his direct reports always shows up, offers little in the way of update and delivers a steady stream of one-liner wisecracks to lighten the mood of the meeting.

I suggested a private meeting with the individual giving him some clear guidance as to what is or is not acceptable during the meetings as well as consequences if he chooses to continue the disruptive behavior. Last I heard, the staff member now routinely gives updates, has stopped the wisecracks and has become a more productive member in the meetings.