Before all of our Business Record Power Breakfast events, we invite the panelists to the Business Record office for a pre-event meeting to prepare for possible topics. We always leave that meeting wishing we could have invited our entire audience into the room. [Read more…]
Mind Speed vs. Heart Speed
Think about this concept for a moment: mind speed vs. heart speed.
What do our brains do so well without any prompting on our part? [Read more…]
Mindful Meetings
If you truly believe that people are the most vital element of your organization, then one must “create practices for people to support each other in their inner work while doing the outer work of the organization.”
One way of being that is in meetings. Here are examples of simple practices to help participants keep their egos in check and interact with each other from a place of trust and respect in being mindful of each person’s presence. [Read more…]
Leaders Ask Profound Questions
Far too often, we look toward leaders to give answers, to lay out the road map to success. Important, but there is another essential component of reaching your leadership potential.
You need to embrace asking questions!
In John Maxwell’s new book Good Leaders Ask Great Questions, he opens up with this insight about questions. “The more questions I ask, the more valuable I recognize them to be. Without the wise counsel and insightful answers I’ve received to questions over those decades, I wonder where I would be today.”
In Maxwell’s book, he lists 8 reasons why questions are important. I want to give an example to reason #7 – Questions give us a different perspective. [Read more…]
Radio Program: Insight on Business – Are You Mindful
Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is a production
of our advertising agency, Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications and is the only business broadcast in the Des Moines Metro. The News Hour is made possible through the sponsorship of: Merit Resources of Urbandale, Iowa Computer Repair of Windsor Heights, ReMax Real Estate Concepts of the Des Moines Metro, the Iowa Association of Business and Industry, DWebware of Urbandale, The Strudl Haus of Des Moines, Manpower of Central Iowa and the Kreamer Law Firm of West Des Moines.
How would you like to un-clutter your mind to boost productivity, enhance your personal relationships and even more? Who doesn't right? Meet Tabby Hinderaker and Kevin Pokorny who have teamed up to bring "Mindfullness" to the Des Moines Metro on May 8th. Here is what it is and how being "Mindful" can help your career, your business and your personal life. And here is where you can go to sign up!
Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only business broadcast in the Des Moines Metro and a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications a full service advertising agency based in Des Moines. Connect with us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour and, for more fun, here is our Facebook Page.
On the Air Tuesday April 28th, 5pm CT
How does one start being mindful?
I was presenting a workshop on the Power of Pause at a business association conference for HR professionals earlier this month. During the workshop, a person asked me two questions, “How does one start being mindful? And, how do I bring mindfulness to my workplace?”
I paused before I responded. Then I said that if being mindful is about cultivating one’s ability for moment-to-moment awareness without judgment, then it starts with self. My thought behind that is, how can I bring that presence to my work if I’ve not given time to cultivate that internally? [Read more…]
How do you build vulnerability-based trust?
In Patrick Lencioni’s book Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team, he contends that to overcome the absence of trust is about the willingness to be vulnerable. “Vulnerability-based trust is predicated on the simple – and practical – idea that people who aren’t afraid to admit the truth about themselves are not going to engage in the kind of political behavior that wastes everyone’s time and energy, and more importantly, makes the accomplishment of results an unlikely scenario.”
Vulnerability-based trust may be a simple idea, but is a challenge to create and maintain in the workplace. It is an ongoing practice.
I experienced this with a client of mine last month in their sincere and committed attempts to create and build vulnerability-based trust. I facilitated a two hour session with them in a practice they called “Monthly Family Meetings.” This was the first time they engaged in this practice.
What happened during the meeting? [Read more…]
A Mindful Lesson
Last week was a lesson in mindfulness, of being aware that I was not aware, that resulted in a personally embarrassing situation.
I was at a client to facilitate their leadership team meeting. As people came into their small conference room, Sue (not her real name) walked in. I’ve known Sue for a year or so and we’ve met several times. When I looked at her, my mind told me she was pregnant. Well, guess what came out of my mouth? “Sue, you are pregnant,” I said with a joyous tone. Sue was startled, and with her face flushed she replied with sternness, “No, I’m not.”
Oh my, these are life situations that you wish you could take back and do over. Has this ever happened to you? [Read more…]
Coaching with FAST Feedback
In my recent work with a client in developing a workshop on coaching for managers, we came upon a handbook that offers an insightful and effective framework for providing feedback called FAST Feedback by Bruce Tulgan.
FAST Feedback “is a practical method for giving employees the kind of feedback they need the most.” It is based on the formula FAST, an acronym that stands for:
FREQUENT – Giving employees feedback at their individual rates of need.
ACCURATE – Giving feedback that is correct, balanced, and appropriate.
SPECIFIC – Focusing on concrete action steps.
TIMELY – The sooner, the better.
The handbook addresses why FAST is important, the causes for and consequences of managers who are not effective coaches, and guidelines to be a good coach. At the end, the handbook offers The FAST Feedback Manager’s Tool Kit that contains four worksheets and planning tools to prepare and implement each of the four coaching elements.
This handbook packs a punch if you are serious about coaching. And, there is no dispute that a serious flaw for many managers is their inability to coach effectively.
So, get this book for every manager in your organization and do it FAST!
Watch Bruce Tulgan talk about how managers are to be coaches. He is inspiring.
