Building on Past Success – Lessons from a Seven-Year-Old

Saturday evening, my seven-year-old granddaughter explained to me that back when she was only six and preparing to do a solo dance performance in front of a hundred or so people, she was a “skinny bit” nervous. She went on to explain that she then remembered how it felt when she had performed a sort of similar exercise routine in front of her Jazzercise class and it went well. My granddaughter reminded me that in addition, she had practiced the routine a lot (she choreographed the routine herself by the way and was the youngest solo performer – bragging grandfather) and that she pretended that the television, chairs, sofa, and pillows were all people in the audience to help her get ready for the big night. For the actual performance, “it felt so good when all the other dancers cheered, and my teacher cheered, and everyone in the audience cheered.”

Very impressed and proud and feeling like there should be some sort of grandfatherly lesson in here somewhere, I told her that remembering what past success feels like and using that feeling to have success in the present is what successful people do. And now that she has another success, she can remember the sound of the cheering and how that experience felt to help her for her next performance. We also discussed the value of practicing and how visualizing helps us get ready for all of our performances. Finally, we agreed that it’s like her to be prepared and it’s like her to be successful and that she should expect success.

So next time you’re a skinny bit nervous about an upcoming meeting, deadline, or presentation (performance), remember your past successes (see and hear the applause and the cheers), prepare as much as possible (practice your routine), and visualize success.

Great Managers and Great Leaders

Last week, I attended a webinar called "The Practice of Great Managers and Leaders" by Marcus Buckingham. Buckingham pointed out the importance of managers to their employees. It is the manager who makes the difference when all other variables (compensation, department culture, nature of the job) remain the same. How long employees stay and their level of productivity depends on their managers. The right managers inspire their teams to maximize their talents towards success.

Buckingham also noted that while some managers "play checkers," good managers "play chess." In checkers, all pieces are the same; in chess, each piece is unique and moves in a different way. Good managers use their employees strategically, knowing that they don't all work the same way. They put their employees in positions where they can use their natural strengths. How do you know about your natural strengths? Buckingham suggests that you reflect on those times when you are naturally successful, those activities that you look forward to in a week, those things that intrigue you, and what it is that fulfills your needs. Only 17% of Americans state that they have the opportunity to use their strengths at work. While managers have a responsibility to make the most of their employees' strengths, certainly employees have a responsibility for self-identifying their strengths and sharing those with their managers.

Organizations also have leaders. These are optimistic individuals who believe in a better future. They rally people towards this future and provide clarity of purpose and about what it looks like. Complementing how managers capitalize on individual strengths, leaders tap into our common or universal traits and strengths. Workplaces need both managers and leaders in order to achieve success - we need to capitalize on the great individual and diverse talents of our incredible employees, while simultaneously moving together into the future towards a common purpose. As Buckingham notes, some people can be both great managers and great leaders.

I am interested in knowing your thoughts about Buckingham's analysis. You can always provide feedback on my blogs by clicking on the "comments" link below. Please know that you can make your feedback anonymous to everyone (including me) if you wish.

Enjoy the Ride

As I reviewed the Finance and Administrative Services Annual Report, I was proud to reflect on the many accomplishments of our departments. It is important for us to understand that while we share our more notable undertakings with the campus community, we continue to perform our "normal" functions on a daily basis and uneventfully (that's a good thing!). With the first full week of classes coming to a close, the excitement of the highest enrollment in our campus' history quickly becomes our new norm. Stretching a bit more to find new ways of working across divisions more readily, we realize that collaboration is not only our best alternative, it's our only alternative. So please accept my appreciation for setting goals beyond where we've been and finding the common threads that bind us together as a university family. Remember to take a few moments to read about your accomplishments and those of your colleagues in our annual report and as you prepare for your next idea to take shape, don't forget to enjoy the ride. Congratulations on your future successes.