Expectations - Risk in Not Clarifying

When I worked as a fitness instructor at a major gym, I added the position of group exercise manager (a part time 15 hour a week job) to my list of consulting engineer, fitness instructor, coach, and speaker. When I hired new instructors I had to send them to corporate for orientation. The session started at 1:00pm and attendees were required to be there on time. If they were even a minute late the doors were locked and they would not be allowed in. They would have to schedule their training for another day. And they all knew it. I emphasized that rule and my employees always made it to training early but others were not so fortunate. 

Even seemingly harsher are the expectations for flight attendants at an airline's training program. Attendants in training are not allowed to be late ever. If they are, they are escorted out of the program. And they all know it. 

The expectations were set. They were explained and they were expected to be followed and the consequences were clear. 

If we don't set clear expectations, we may get all sorts of surprising behaviors. You can't possibly imagine all the scenarios that could come up with people. But sitting down and clarifying what you expect and assuring understanding will certainly improve the chances of getting what you need in terms of performance. 

What risks are you taking by not having these conversations?

What Would Happen If You Took Every Piece of Advice You Were Ever Given?

I was attending a day long women's leadership conference at a local university.  It was an annual conference with a few hundred attendees. I remember attending the previous year and wished that instead of all panel discussions on a specific topic, that they would sprinkle a few workshops or presentations by an individual speaker on popular leadership issues. The conference did have a keynote speaker at lunch, which was delightful.

I was sitting in on one panel and one question posed to the panelists really intrigued me. It was about stolen ideas at work and how to respond. Everyone had a different opinion. One person said to pick your battles and sometimes when another claims your idea for their own it isn't worth it to correct them. Another person said to state that you liked how they picked up on your original idea and added their own twist to it and go on to clarify your idea and thoughts on implementation. Others said to address it in private. Each panelist had a different opinion based on their style and personality. It was important for the listeners to realize they needed to take the advice under consideration, assess their situations and determine their own best path. They also needed to reflect on ways they could prevent their ideas from being stolen in the first place. Paying attention to our inner guidance is key.

I also participated on an SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers) MIT (Members In Transition) panel around the same time. We were providing advice and tips on finding a job, including interviewing and resumes. One person asked how long a resume should be. One fellow said don't worry about that - just get in front of people. A second person said no more than two pages. Another person in the recruiting industry said four or more pages were ok. I said it depends on your experience and what the interviewing company is looking for - that two pages were a typical recommended length but if your career has spanned decades and the job requirements are expansive, you may want to include more. So everyone had a different opinion. It would drive the listeners crazy to try to please all of us or adhere to all of the recommendations.

Following everyone's advice will have you running around like a squirrel, darting from one idea, plan or project to another and you will end up exhausted. 

It is ok to ask for and listen to advice. But don't act on it without thinking it through. Pay attention to what parts of it resonate with you and what parts don't feel right. Formulate your own plan forward based on what you perceive to be the best route for you. Copying other people's ways of doing things will not necessarily get you the same results they experienced.

When have you asked several people for advice on the same issue - what kind of responses did you get? How did you decide what to do?

Need a sounding board? Contact me at www.margaretajohnson.com

There's Risk In Fixation

I've always wanted to own a beach house. Over the years I've rented quite a few in various parts of the country - from the shores of Lake Michigan to Folly beach in Charleston, South Carolina. A few years ago I checked out some houses in Galveston to rent for a weekend yoga beach retreat I was planning. I found one in the second row from the beach that was offset so it really had a front row view. It was perfect and I put my deposit down. It has been on my list as the dream beach house to buy ever since. 

It wasn't until recently that I seriously started to look at beach houses in Galveston to buy one. I searched on-line first and found quite a few I loved. When I was looking at one of my favorites with a roof top balcony and hot tub, a message popped up to "contact realtor" and I spontaneously checked yes. Within a minute I received a call.  I set up a date to meet with her to see the houses on my list. The rooftop balcony one quickly became number one. I decided to rent it out to really check out its condition, inspired by a call from some Michigan girlfriends that wanted to escape the cold. And soon we were sitting on the living room porch looking out at the water. The house across the street caught my attention. Sure enough - it was the house I rented for a yoga weekend retreat a few years ago. No wonder this area and the street seemed eerily familiar every time I drove down it. The beach house I had been waiting for was right there in front of me. I totally missed it with all the other visits to that area. The fixation on the rooftop balcony caused me to totally miss the house that was right across the street.  Unfortunately it's still not for sale - but something tells me it won't be long since I keep coming back to it. 

A few years back I was coaching two executives who wanted to grow their well-established corporate consulting business. One shared his dissatisfaction with a recent airline experience and even detailed the angry letters he had written to the company. I asked if he had considered offering his company’s services to the airline instead of just expressing his customer dissatisfaction. He hadn’t, but in hindsight, thought that would be a great idea. His focus on being frustrated with the airline caused him to miss seeing the situation as a potential opportunity for his business. 

Sometimes it’s hard to remember to look at the big picture. Are you so focused on your current ways of doing or being that you are missing opportunities placed in your lap? Consider intermittent checks from a trusted advisor or coach to help keep you focused yet open to possibilities. Focus on the tasks at hand, but remain open to other ways of accomplishing the tasks or other beach houses to buy! There's a risk in being fixated!