Coaching for Leaders

The more successful we become, the more likely we will get distracted by other people and priorities. Every effective leader learns how to manage distractions so they can be more productive. Lynn Coffman and Michael Valentine from Coffman Valentine & Associates bring their expertise to help us discover 10 things we can do to become more productive.

Guests: Lynn Coffman & Michael Valentine

Coffman Valentine & Associates

(951) 677-8203

To a knowledge worker, productivity means effectiveness. It’s time to shed the idea that creative, innovative, and evolving work fits neatly into a tightly controlled assembly lined approach. Today’s work is collaborative, often iterative and needs coordination in real time in order to meet the demands of the market. It is fast paced, ever evolving and 24/7/365. Now it’s about doing the right work at the right time in the best way. Are you overwhelmed yet?

With so many things pulling you in multiple and competing directions, it is critical to develop focus. It’s easier said than done, but here are 10 practical ways to eliminate distractions and really focus on getting the outcomes your business and you must deliver.

Turn off self-interrupting technologies. Silence the ding of email/text/IM/Social media notifications.

Corral your communications. Email is not the only communication channel in town. Know what channels are available to you and use the best tool for the job. For example, email is great for handing off information that is not time sensitive. A phone call is better for developing a relationship and understanding. A live meeting may be better for decision making and consensus building.

Use space as a tool. Everyone needs a place to do focus work. Close your office door. Go to another location - on or off- site. In an open office environment, put on headphones to indicate you are not to be disturbed.

Close loops. Once you start a task, take it through to a natural conclusion. If you open an email, read it, decide what to do with it and do it. If a project is closed, write the after action report and put all papers back into the file and file it. If you make a promise to someone, write it down and note on your calendar when to follow up.

Honor commitments to yourself, as much as you honor them with others. Block the time. After all, they pay you to work. Schedule your work first and then allow others to schedule work with you.

Know where you are at all times. Use lists, calendars, spreadsheets or other thinking tools to know what work you (or your group) need to do. It is critical for balancing workload to be able to see both the short term and the long term view of your work commitments at any moment.

Multi-tasking is a myth. You may be able to do it, but it will take you 30–100% more time. It lowers quality of work, speed of delivery, and may be dangerous.

Build quiet time and play into your day. After all, knowledge workers are paid to think. Reflect, absorb, and solve problems. If you are mentally tired, take a break!

Roll with the punches. Work is messy. It never goes exactly to plan. Change your expectations to meet reality. Know how to stop, start, and redirect tasks to keep focus and reach goals.

Sharpen your skills saw. Technologies are constantly evolving. Schedule the time to learn new ways of working.

Community Feedback

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USA: (949) 38-LEARN

Twitter: #CFLshow

Episode #100 (and the two year anniversary of this show) is just around the corner. On episode #100, the show is going to be about success stories from our community members. That’s you!

Please call (949) 38-LEARN to record a contribution or visit coachingforleaders.com/speak. I suggest a three-step outline:

You simply can’t manage without the appropriate amount of authority. In this show, I walk you through six things you can do if you find yourself in this situation. In addition, this is a good check-point for ourselves as leaders to ensure we aren’t putting others into this situation.

The most important thing to know? You can’t manage without authority.

1. What’s likely the scenario?

Poor communication?

Organizational politics?

Discomfort area of the leader?

Is it you? Do you really need authority in this area?

2. Watch and record what happens (or anticipate what could happen).

3. Connect your objectives and evidence to the bottom-line or organizational mission

Almost always there is a cost factor

What does it keep you from being able to do?

Speaks to the logical minds of many leaders (task-oriented, people-oriented)

4. Make the request

Be clear on the problem you are trying to solve and what you need

Have a plan (timeline, steps, etc.)

Show evidence that you have a plan

Be prepared to get something different than you asked for - and ask yourself if it still solves the problem?

5. If necessary, ask to be removed from that project/responsibility

6. If all else fails, find a new position or employer

Here’s a quick check-in for all of us: Are we putting anyone into this situation right now?

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Gary Takacs: The Thriving Dentist

Gary Takacs has been helping dentists become better business leaders for virtually his entire career. He is an expert in professional practice management and helps dentists to learn how to grow and develop their business and leadership skills so they can better serve patients and grow their practices. Gary is also the host of The Thriving Dentist podcast.

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Barry Schwartz: Practial Wisdom

Leadership is often most challenging when the path forward is not clear. In this week’s episode, I talk withcBarry Schwartz, author of the book Practical Wisdom: The Right Way To Do the Right Thing to help us discover how we can make better decisions as leaders.

Here are Barry’s TED Talks:

Our Loss Of Wisdom

Using Our Practical Wisdom

The Paradox Of Choice

Barry also mentioned the book The Blessing Of A Skinned Knee by Wendy Mogel

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Mark Goulston: Real Influence

Check out Mark’s article on this same topic on the Harvard Business Review blog

Three three-step process that Mark recommended:

1. What are you most frustrated about?

2. What are you most angry about?

3. What are you really worried about?

Here are links to Mark’s books:

Real Influence: Persuade Without Pushing and Gain Without Giving In

Just Listen

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Steve Dosier: Blue Star Intel

On episode #89, I welcomed Steve Dosier, a StrengthsFinder expert formerly of Gallup and now with Blue Star Intel, to teach us about the history of CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder). This week, he takes Bonni and I through our StrengthsFinder 2.0 results so you can learn more about the value of utilizing your CliftonStrengths report.

Questions Steve asked of us:

Individual Questions

How closely do you feel your Top–5 Strengths match you?

What do you agree strongly with?

Are there any areas that don’t quite sound like you?

Relationship Questions

What Strengths do you feel you both connect upon and why?

What Strengths do you find complimentary to your own and why?

How do you leverage each other’s Strengths to get the best from each other? (You get the best of me when…)

I feel this Strength helps me provide a unique contribution to our relationship… (My contribution to this relationship is….)

Now that you know each other’s Strengths as defined by the Clifton StrengthsFinder Report, what do you better understand and appreciate about each other? (Was there a point of conflict or disagreement that StrengthsFinder has helped you better understand and manage?)

Bonni’s Strengths:

Relator

Achiever

Connectedness

Futuristic

Strategic

Dave’s Strengths (link to Dave’s report):

Futuristic

Relator

Intellection

Learner

Responsibility

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Steve Dosier: Blue Star Intel

CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder) is one of the most popular instruments utilized in corporate training and coaching programs. In this episode, I welcome Steve Dosier, a StrengthsFinder expert formerly of Gallup and now with Blue Star Intel, to teach us about the history of CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder) and help us discover how we can get the most value from the CliftonStrengths assessment.

Here are some of the resources we discussed during the show:

StrengthsFinder 2.0 book* (a code is included in this book for the instrument)

Now Discover Your Strengths* (also includes assessment)

Living with Your Strengths book (also includes assessment)

StrengthsFinder training for individuals and teams* (use code CFL10 for a 10% tuition discount)

You can purchase a code ala carte to take the StrengthsFinder assessment at this link without purchasing the book.

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Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed

Bonni is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, Dean of Teaching and Learning and Professor of Business and Management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, she was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. Bonni is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*.

What does a life plan give you?

Clarity around what is important

The ability to better manage priorities and balance your time

Better sense of what to say no to…

More of a sense that you are truly living

"Contrary to popular belief, great things almost never happen by accident. Great accomplishments are planned. Sadly, much of the planning we do goes into accomplishments that leave us feeling empty in the end." -Donald Miller

How to phrase a goal:

SMART goals

Careful of negatively-focused goals, such as I want to lose weight...

Focus on what you will gain (as in what will the benefit be…)

Increase the likelihood of following through on goals

Put them somewhere where you'll see them

Track your progress along the way

Share them with others

Create an ideal week that aligns with your life plan and your goals

See Michael Hyatt's book on Creating Your Personal Life Plan

Other resources we mentioned:

Remember the Milk

Hope for the Flowers

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Loren Kousaie: Microsoft

Almost everyone who leads is doing more influencing of people through technology. Many of us are even working remotely or managing others who work remotely. In this episode, I welcome Loren Kousaie from Microsoft to speak about his extensive experience in leading people virtually over the years - and to offer us suggestions and what we can do better when communicating and leading from a distance.

Here are the questions I asked of Loren:

Tell me about your role at Microsoft and how you're physically spaced from your team.

What's a typical day like for you? Also, what kind of tools are you using to connect with your team?

What is different about leading people working virtually than leading in other venues?

How do you set expectations with your team about what a remote relationship with you will be like?

When you started leading virtually, what was the biggest mind shift you had to make?

What would you like to have known about leading virtually that you didn't when you started?

Leadership can be lonely. Leading virtually can be even lonelier - what do you do to stay in community with others, either professionally or personally?

What's a discovery you've made about yourself along the way that's contributed to your success?

“In order to arrive at what you do not know

You must go by a way which is the way of ignorance.

In order to possess what you do not possess

You must go by the way of dispossession.

In order to arrive at what you are not

You must go through the way in which you are not.

And what you do not know is the only thing you know

And what you own is what you do not own

And where you are is where you are not.” -T.S. Eliot

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Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed

Bonni is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, Dean of Teaching and Learning and Professor of Business and Management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, she was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. Bonni is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*.

Virtually all leaders in organizations are called upon to manage (or at least be part of) the hiring process. In this episode, Bonni and I look at some common mistakes made in the hiring process and some straightforward things you can do to get better results in your hiring decisions.

Common Failures in the Hiring Process:

1. Testing for interview skills instead of what it will take to do the job well

Utilize behavioral interview questions

Test for skills instead of only considering interview responses

Book recommendation: Hiring Smart! by Pierre Mornell

2. Falling victim to the halo effect

Sometimes one positive thing inappropriately interferes with our perceptions

Define your criteria in advance of meeting with candidates

Use multiple data points

3. Missing small clues along the way

Have a multi-step process and track the individual's progress through it

4. Forgetting that the very best candidates are interviewing you as much as you are interviewing them

Look at your process from an outsider's perspective

5. Not leveraging technology

Leverage services that will help you connect with candidates

Remember the hidden job market

A mentioned a brief note about episode #85

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Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.