Our passion is helping executives increase their leadership effectiveness to achieve their goals in less time, with greater satisfaction and a positive impact on the bottom line.
  
     

 

 

 
 

 
 

July, 2005
U.S. Library of Congress ISSN 1549-893X

Welcome to Leadership Hand™, a monthly e-newsletter
to increase your leadership effectiveness more quickly and
enjoyably with bottom-line results.

To ensure receipt, please add our e-mail address "Info@" plus our domain name to your e-mail address book.

1. Stumbling Block to Stepping Stone

When I worked in the CIO's shop in the IRS people used to ask me what I did. I would answer "I solve problems and I create them. Hopefully, not the same ones." As leaders and more fundamentally, as human beings, we are constantly solving problems that range from the mundane to the challenging. We can also count on a stumbling block arising that has us (or our team, or our organization) stuck. How do you get unstuck? Like undoing a knot in a tightly knotted rope, you have to loosen it first. That is what the following steps will help you do.

What's Your Stumbling Block? Choose a stumbling block with the following characteristics:

  • It's work-related;
  • It's one you would really like resolved;
  • It has persisted over time and you still haven't resolved it; and
  • You have a degree (even if only 5%) of influence over it.

Do you have one in mind?

How to Choose When You Have Several Stumbling Blocks. If you have several stumbling blocks, here are a few questions to help you choose one with which to work:

a. Which one--were you to resolve it--would make the most difference in your professional or personal peace of mind?

b. Which one--were you to resolve it--would make the most difference in your customers' satisfaction?

c. Which one--were you to resolve it--would make the most difference in your company's bottom-line?

You may get different answers for each of these. Don't hesitate to choose peace of mind in either context. The great news is that resolution or progress here brings positive benefit to customers and the corporate bottom-line.

Write a One-Sentence Description. Describe the stumbling block in one sentence and put it in writing. Yes, that's correct--in one concise sentence and not a paragraph disguised as a sentence.

When we ramble on speaking or writing, we are thinking aloud and processing--all incredibly valuable but a crystal clear indicator we have not gotten to the crux of the issue. Honing the problem to a sentence gives us a valid handle and starting point. Now that you have chosen a stumbling block and honed the issue to a simple, clear sentence, let's move on. Be alert to any "aha!" or insights.

What Do You Want Instead? With the single sentence describing your stumbling block, articulate what you want instead. Once you have one or a few sentences describing what you want, answer the next question.

"If I Had This Outcome, What Would I Have That's Even More Important?" Pause for a moment and jot down the answer whatever it is. Do not evaluate it, just write it.

Now, ask the question again based on the first answer. Pause and jot that one down. "If I had X, what would I have that's even more important?" You have taken a valuable step in shifting from a perceptual plateau. Sometimes you may not 'get it' immediately but will find a productive "aha" or insight clicks into place on the commute home, at the dry cleaners or as you start the day.

Example:

A seasoned meeting planner was concerned with fluctuating conference attendance without a steady growth in attendees. Here's how she addressed the stumbling block…

  • One Sentence Description: "Conference attendance isn't growing."
  • What Do You Want Instead? "Conference attendance grows at a steady rate."
  • If I Had This Outcome, What Would I Have That's Even More Important? "I'd have more potential members, some of whom would become members."
  • If I Had This Outcome, What Would I Have That's Even More Important? "If I had more potential members some of whom become members, I'd have increased revenues."

From her initial one sentence description, she moved from what she thought was the issue--conference attendance--and realized it was part of a larger issue--increased revenues. She knew that increasing conference attendance was only one of many ways to achieve the more important outcome and in fact, would clearly best be part of an integrated strategy.

Here's to Creating Stepping Stones!

Beth Hand

© Copyright 2007, Beth Hand. Beth Hand, MBA helps leaders increase their effectiveness and satisfaction, now and for the future. She can be reached at (+1) 703.820.8074 or via her website www.leadershiphand.com.

2. Reprint Permission

This is a copyrighted publication. You are welcome to reprint an issue on a non-exclusive basis provided you:

3. Subscribe • Privacy

Click here to subscribe. To unsubscribe click on the link below. We value your privacy. We never redistribute, rent or sell your information to anyone or any entity.

We invite you to forward this issue to your colleagues!

 
 

© Copyright 2005, Hand Associates and Beth Hand • All Rights Reserved

Hand Associates, LLC
P.O. Box 16376
Alexandria, Va. 22302 USA
703.820.8074 | Tel Eastern
703.820.8018 | Fax

Leadership Coaching & Development
www.leadershiphand.com