Up-Close with Chin Teik: Re-Think Series

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Up-Close with Chin Teik: Re-Think
Role Clarity for Focused Execution 

I will unpack these 3 sections

1. Why is role clarity and accountability important for focused execution? 

2. How is role clarity and accountability achieved? 

3. What is the difference between job description and role expectations?

Hi my name is Chin Teik. I designed the role expectations framework to help my clients achieve clarity in the communication of expectations, commitment to execute with self-assessment for 70:20:5 and self-monitoring built in for excellence. 

The one requirement is Disciplined Leadership.

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Up-Close with Chin Teik: Re-Think
Hack Your Brain with 3 Words: #Pause. #Language. #Re-Think

These 3 words will allow for brain health, improved control of emotions, increased productivity from solving complex problems.

#Pause, when intentional, allows for choice in response to situations, switching from fast and shallow thinking to deep and slow thinking.
Your brain needs a break. The prefrontal cortex, which is the executive brain, is easily fatigued. It requires lots of energy to think deep and slow - system 2 thinking. System 1 thinking is shallow and fast which reinforces your unconscious biases and assumptions.

#Language. Words matter. We think, we are. They can lift self and others or bring down self or others. Our brains often tell lies to protect us from real or imagined threats. Thus often leaving you stuck and frozen in the past. Be conscious, choose wisely. Reframing is a way to mitigate negative thoughts by replacing them with positive thoughts.

#Re-Think for insights. Impossible becomes possible via insights!  Reframe to replace negative thoughts with positive ones. 
Our paradigms are shaped by 4E - environment, education, experience and exposure
SEEDS represent the 150 unconscious biases we have from our 4E. Similarity, expedience, experience, distance and safety biases often block us from growth, open, outward and promotion mindsets! 

Thank you for pausing from your busyness to listen to my language, which I hope will allow you to re-think!

Peace and Love

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Up-Close with Chin Teik: Re-Think
Collaboration is State of Mind

Questions to begin this episode:

1.   Do you believe that everyone is built to collaborate?

2.  Are you an independent achiever who likes the control that you have on your own results? 

3.  Are you an interdependent collaborator who wants to contribute to a group’s results? 

4. How do you collaborate 

To collaborate or not starts in your mind. 

 Many leaders and managers assume that everyone is built to collaborate. Many believe that setting aside a day to collaborate or asking people to collaborate or advocating teamwork will automatically produce collaborative results. With this episode, I hope that you re-think for multiplier impact.

6 Paradigms of Human Relationships - The Challenge to Collaboration

Based on who we are and where we come from, the 4Es (Education, Experience, Exposure, Environment)  shape our six paradigms (mindset) of human relationships: win-win, win-lose, lose-win, lose-lose, win, win/win or no deal

Collaboration requires:

1. Mindset, 2. Character. 3 Relationships, 4. Framework, 5. Agreements

Summary: 1. Awaken the mind, 2. Provide reasons & results for shift from independent achiever mindset to interdependent collaborator mindset, 3. Provide the culture, resources and support in equipping for collaboration.  Get the mindset right first before equipping for the capability to deliver extraordinary results. 

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Up-Close with Chin Teik: Re-Think
The Vicious Cycle of Yes, The Power of No

Have you noticed how people are way too busy, running from meetings to meetings, working late, not pausing to breath, plan and reflect. People are constantly distracted by new demands from the boss or from the internal stakeholders. The organization’s language is ‘there is no negotiation on deadlines’ and ‘we are not allowed to say ‘no’. Have you ever wondered how these habits have been embedded and the reasons behind this language & mindset? 
I call it the vicious cycle of ‘Yes’ and the need for the Power of ‘No’.

Reflect:

• Is there really no room for negotiation on deadlines? 
• Is everything urgent and ASAP? 
• When is there time for thinking and planning if everyone is running at 100 miles per hour non-stop? 

I hope with this podcast, you will #pause to re-think on how to stop the vicious cycle of yes and allow the power of no because it is impossible for great organizations to be always in the urgent/important and not have time for the important/not urgent.  The pausing of the vicious cycle of Yes and the permission for No (in the right way) will promote 'Less is More'. 

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Up-Close with Chin Teik: The Act of Subtracting

This is a key leadership capability to make organizations more human. For some reason, people in organizations, have learned to say yes and believe that they have no power to say no or to negotiate.  I call it the Vicious Cycle of Yes. 
The employees' plates are overflowing with too many ideas or tasks from the top down, impacting:

• Cognitive focus and slow and deep thinking for complex problem solving
• Mental, physical and emotional well-being
• Poor execution impacting customers and business results

The vicious cycle of Yes, has led managers to forget and assume that the employees have limitless cognitive and physical capacities to do everything at the same time.

Listen to my podcast to learn the 7 steps in the Act of Subtracting, including the Power of No. 

Thank you for listening. Be well. 

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Up-Close with Chin Teik: The Power of Leading Indicators

Today, most organizations are focusing on lag outcomes. It's like standing on the weighing scale and looking at the scale daily, hoping for the needle to move without any actions taken. If they want to be consistent in their performance, then I recommend to look at leading indicators.  Regular exercise, diet, sleep are the leading indicators that will move the lag outcomes on weight management. 

• Lag measures tell you if you have achieved the goal and often it is too late; hard to make up for time lost with regards to sales and operations
• Leading measures tell you if you are likely to achieve the goal and thus shapes how you can impact success
• Shift from rear view perspective (how did I do?) to current and actionable view of 'how am I doing?' that truly fuels execution

While it will require more cognitive effort to develop leading indicators, it will be well worth it as they provide predictive success. 

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MC3
21st Century Desired Talent Requirement

Hiring Managers need to re-think hiring right criteria. Given the volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA) of the 21st Century, I recommend MC3 as the 21st Century Desired Talent Requirements.

MC3 
M is mindset. The success mindset includes:

• Growth, Open, Outward and Promotion

3C are:

• Character are equivalent to roots of a tree (deep and is not quick to change with seasons) while personalities are equivalent to leaves of a tree (change with different seasons)
• Capabilities are life skills not soft skills
• Competencies are tied to the functional role or the education earned. They quickly become irrelevant

Re-Think:  Instead of hire for competencies, hire for fit to culture and the potential to grow with the success mindsets and character. 

Listen to my podcast to hear the unpacking of each of the 4 words in MC3. 

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Up-Close with Chin Teik: Re-Think
Breakthrough Performance
Element 1: Keeping Performance on Track

Breakthrough Performance has 3 habits and requires self-discipline

1. Focus on the leading indicators to the lag outcomes
2. Self-monitoring performance feedback
3. Control of resources to get back on track

• Leading indicators are the highest leverage actions or activities that can influence the chance of success in achieving your goals.
• Visual self-monitoring performance feedback is public accountability, requiring humility and courage.
• Control of resources require the individual to know what can he/she can control and what help is required by other stakeholders to get back on track. 

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Up-Close with Chin Teik: Re-Think
Disciplined Leadership
1 Requirement: Keeping Performance on Track

Jim Collins says that a culture of discipline is not a principle of business, but a principle of greatness.

Self-discipline is the base for disciplined leadership. A simple definition: 'Self-discipline is about leaning into resistance. Taking action in spite of the how you feel. Living a lifestyle by design, not by default. 

John C Maxwell says that motivation gets you going, but discipline keeps you growing. 

Disciplined leadership includes:

• A consistency in words and deeds to the purpose and values of the organization
• Providing clarity for focused execution 
• Following the 2-Rhythm
• Following the 2-Rules of Feedback
• Following the rule of subtracting
• Helping each employee to find their intrinsic motivation (Will) and equipping them on the new How to new goals, projects and roles. 

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Up-Close with Chin Teik: Re-Think
Keeping Right Performance on Track - An Overview

Bill Gates: "The most brilliant strategy won't lead to success, unless executed well."

We need to shift from the commitment to plan to commitment to execute. Execution requires a discipline of habits and system.

The framework for Keeping Right Performance on Track includes

• 1 Requirement: Disciplined Leadership
• Element 1: Breakthrough Performance
• Element 2: Culture of Execution

Morris Chang: "Execution without a strategy is aimless, strategy without execution is useless."

Questions for reflection:

1. How would you rate your organization's ability to execute to the right priorities - 95 to 100% - all the time?
2. How well does the organization leaders and managers keep the right performance on track? 
3. Describe your culture of execution or your organization's habits of execution.

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