Thought for the day:
"If you want to build a ship, don't herd people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea."
~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery
To your success,
Mary
« May 2010 | Main | July 2010 »
Thought for the day:
"If you want to build a ship, don't herd people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea."
~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery
To your success,
Mary
Posted by Mary Werner at 01:42 PM in Leadership | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Reblog
(0)
| |
Tweet This!
| |
Yesterday was Father’s Day and for me it’s always a time for reflection and remembering my Dad who passed away over 30 years ago. He died suddenly at age 56 (I am now 54…) and I was only was 22 at the time. He was alive one second and gone the next. And even though many years have passed, fond memories of my Dad remain.
My Dad was a loving task master and a strict disciplinarian for each of his five children. He highly valued education and inspired each us to attend college (non-negotiable) and for some of us to go on to earn our Masters degrees and, for my eldest brother, even a PhD.
He was an encourager but set his expectations very high for each of us. I remember vividly these expectations translating into my grades at school. For me, he expected only A’s, a “B” or below clearly was not acceptable. So I worked hard, always wanting to please him and make sure I lived up to his high standards. This effort translated into achieving lots of success in college, and later on, in my career.
But because my Dad died before I hit real adulthood, I missed out on the adult dialogue and understanding of what he really wanted for me. In my 20s and 30s, without the benefit of his clarification, I translated these high expectations into a drive for perfection, afraid to fail, afraid to fall short.
But as I continued to grow and gain perspective, I came to realize that what he really wanted for me was to achieve my full potential. To work at a level he believed I was capable of. I’m thankful for my Dad and for the 22 years I had with him. Now I know what he was looking for.
Gandhi said it best, “Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment. Full effort is full victory.” I know that’s what my Dad’s real message was all along.
To your success,
Mary
Posted by Mary Werner at 11:03 AM in giving feedback, perserverence, success | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Reblog
(0)
| |
Tweet This!
| |
“Everyone has an invisible sign hanging from their neck saying,
'Make me feel important.' Never forget this message when working with people.”
~ Mary Kay Ash
It’s summer, that time of year when many students in their 20s and 30s are involved in internships. CPA firms, law firms, corporations and organizations around the country (and around the world) bring young business students, aspiring lawyers and others into their organizations to experience their desired profession first hand.
Some are paid internships, others are unpaid, but regardless, an internship experience can be a source of intellectual stimulation for the student or a positive introduction to a team or firm’s culture, or better yet, both. The student can be challenged to learn from different situations and be made to feel (at least for the summer) to be an integral part of an organization. The result can be a win-win, even if the firm and the student go separate ways after the summer experience. Goodwill, long term connections and future opportunities abound.
The flip side experience includes giving your intern boring or menial work, an environment in isolation or worse, exposure to unfriendly professionals who make little effort to connect with these young students. What a lost opportunity.
I’ve talked to numerous summer interns in the last couple years, curious about their experience. Two of my daughters (one MBA student, one law student) are involved in internships this summer and many of my client firms bring on summer interns. Plus, I spent the very first part of my career as an intern and as a result of my experience have long standing relationships with my many of my former colleagues (even having met them as a 20 something). Admittedly, the work wasn’t always the most challenging but I was always made to feel connected to the firm.
My takeaway from all these conversations and my own experience is simple:
Ø These young professionals want you to say HELLO. They want you to invite them to lunch, to ask about their career aspirations or their successes in their academic programs. They are hungry to connect with you but they are young and hesitant to make the first move.
Ø They want meaningful work. I don’t mean to draft a complex legal complaint from scratch or generate a tax provision for a Fortune 500 company. They want to contribute SOMETHING for the efforts that they make. They are looking for experience and education at levels appropriate to their knowledge base and capability. This is probably the most challenging aspect of crafting an exceptional internship experience.
Ø They want to hear about your experience. How did you rise up through the ranks? What are your tips or suggestions for them as they navigate through business school, law school or graduate school?
Trust me, you had them at HELLO. Ask yourself: How can I make a difference in these interns’ summer experience? You only get one shot.
To your success,
Mary
Posted by Mary Werner at 11:37 AM in development, giving feedback | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Reblog
(0)
| |
Tweet This!
| |
"A goal properly set is halfway reached."
~ Abraham Lincoln
I recently saw a commercial on TV that actually caught my attention. I wasn’t focused on the product the ad was attempting to sell but rather the big picture concept that the commercial brought to light.
You may have seen the commercial but just in case you haven’t, it goes something like this:
A guy is cutting his hedge (We’ll call him “Joe”). His neighbor comes out to chat holding a big NUMBER under his arm, something like $1,234,567. (We’ll call this guy “Bob”). Joe, the guy cutting his hedge, asks Bob: “What’s the number all about?” Bob explains that the NUMBER is the amount of money he needs to save for his retirement. Bob, in turn, asks Joe: What’s your NUMBER? “About a GAZILLION,” Joe responds looking forlorn. Bob then inquires, “How do you plan for that?”
Great question. You see, trying to plan for saving a GAZILLION dollars is sort of like setting a goal of world peace. Both are valuable goals. But research and actual results have shown that achieving what you want in life (once you’ve identified your vision and values) is all about setting a goal and planning for its achievement. In fact, an integral piece of my coaching process is working with my clients to help them identify and plan for achieving their goals. Whether it’s their career aspirations (e.g. promotion, work achievement, more effective leadership skills) or their personal goals (improved self confidence, assertiveness, organization skills), establishing goals and developing a plan to achieve them is crucial.
One tool you can use in setting goals for yourself is following the S.M.A.R.T. goal acronym. Maybe you’ve already heard of the process but the concept bears repeating. It’s probably what the advertisers had in mind in the commercial (of course in addition to selling their product.)
Creating S.M.A.R.T. Goals
Specific - As I stated previously, a specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal. The goals that you set must be specific, without room for generalization. Specific goals are simple and easy to describe. Vague goals are like bad directions; you may eventually get there, but chances are it won't be the most direct or efficient route.
Measurable - Measurable goals are more effective in facilitating long lasting change than general “do your best” goals or no goals at all. Ideally, you want to measure your goals objectively (e.g. with numbers) in order to be able to focus your energy on a specific target. To determine if your goal is measurable, ask questions such as......How much? How many? How will I know when it is accomplished?
Attainable - When you identify goals that are most important to you and within your reach, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. Setting attainable goals allow you to experience success so that you'll be motivated to reach for the next goal.
Relevant – Is your goal relevant to your purpose in life? Is it consistent with values that are important to you?
Time-Bound - When your goals are time-sensitive, they have more motivational impact. Assigning a target date to finish something enables you to better manage and structure your time.
We all would love a GAZILLION dollars and world peace but why not focus on our most lofty goals based on an action plan that is specific, measurable, attainable relevant and timely. That’s something we CAN plan for.
To your success,
Mary
Posted by Mary Werner at 11:43 AM in goal setting | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Reblog
(0)
| |
Tweet This!
| |
“A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.”
~ John C. Maxwell
I live in Toledo, Ohio, a city about an hour from Detroit and two hours from Cleveland. So it’s not surprising that a major rivalry around here occurs whenever the Detroit Tigers face the Cleveland Indians. The two teams faced each other last night. While I wasn’t at the game, when I turned into the late night news, the lead story concerned the history that almost took place.
It turns out that the pitcher, Tiger Armando Galarraga, was closing in on a perfect game. And it would have been the first perfect game in Tiger’s history. For all you non-baseball fans, a perfect game means that throughout an entire game, the opposing team never gets on base. No runs, no hits, no walks. It is a really big deal and a dream for any pitcher and frankly the team as well.
But unfortunately, Galarraga’s perfect game was not to be. In the ninth inning, and with two outs (and no one yet to reach base), the next batter hits a pitch, the pitcher fields it and dashes over to first base. He puts his foot on the plate, certainly in time for the umpire to call the runner out. Not so fast. The ump calls the runner safe! The pitcher’s perfect game gone in a flash.
But the story doesn’t end there. The manager of the Tigers goes ballistic and the Detroit players plead with the umpire. The replay shows the pitcher’s foot on the bag before the runner reaches the plate. The runner is clearly OUT. The umpire made a huge mistake.
Once the game was over, the umpire reviews his call on the replay and is horrified. Immediately, he admits: “I just cost that kid a perfect game.” He admitted he was wrong and later, in tears, hugged Galarraga and apologized. Although the damage was done and not reversible, the umpire displayed courage in admitting he was wrong.
Admitting our mistakes is a challenge for all of us. From a leadership perspective, however, it is a critical piece of the leadership puzzle. We expect our leaders to set the tone and tenor of accountability. Yet, how can others be held accountable when the leader is not? We expect our leaders to accept responsibility for their mistakes by apologizing and making amends rather than blaming someone else or making excuses.
I had a call last week from a CEO who reluctantly, but courageously, admitted to me that he made a mistake in hiring a guy who was clearly toxic to the organization. We talked about his next steps and how could he make the most of this situation, learn from his mistake and move forward. For him, admitting his mistake and working toward a solution was his most important first step.
How about you? Are you stubborn or reluctant to admit when you’re wrong? Do you blame others when you know you are clearly at fault for poor decisions or bad behavior? We are all human beings and fully capable of making mistakes. No one knows that more than the umpire in yesterday’s game. But think about it. Stepping up and admitting when you’re wrong goes a long way of connecting on a human level to those you lead. And in the end, that's where the real leadership takes place.
To your success,
Mary
Posted by Mary Werner at 01:49 PM in Leadership | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Reblog
(0)
| |
Tweet This!
| |