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Browsing Tags solutions focus

Feedforward – a positive alternative to feedback

September 9, 2010 · by Bob Faw

Sometimes we have to do it, but feedback is tough… even when intentions are good (and we know that they’re not always).

Feedback often triggers “F Responses” (fight, flight or freeze) as we fear judgement, criticism and useless opinions. It can push people away.

Feedback also assumes that we are right about what we’re giving our opinion on. That can be incredibly presumptuous since we rarely know all that went into the decision-making and actions of the person we’re “educating”.

As Marshal Goldsmith talks about in his video, Feedforward is much easier to take, more motivating and helpful.

Ideas to help us succeed in the future are so much more empowering and useful.

Feedforward also tends to get to the point – the goal – much faster.

Next time you want to give feedback to someone, ask yourself, “Am I doing this to help the other person succeed, or for my own needs?”

If this is to help them succeed, then maybe feedforward ideas on how to be more succesful in the future might be a lot more helpful than feedback.

If it’s for your own needs – find another way that doesn’t push people away from you.

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Attitude is Altitude – focus on what you HAVE

August 3, 2010 · by Bob Faw

Nick Vujicic. This man is INCREDIBLE!

He is a living embodiment that attitude is critical. If he is so positive and inspirational, imagine what can you do when you focus on living your dreams.  attitudeisaltitude.com

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When team members compete – who wins?

July 24, 2010 · by Bob Faw

I often ask this question during speeches or trainings, “When you all compete among yourselves, who wins?”

Every time some people respond immediately with, “Nobody”.

I then say, “someone wins”… After a few seconds the light bulb goes on over some people’s heads and they yell out, “our competitors”.

Our brain triggers “F Responses” (fight, flight and freeze) when we’re under stress and we begin treating other team members as enemies. We can feel so righteous and sure of ourselves when we’re doing this (this is the adrenaline, cortisol, etc., pumping through our bodies). Yet when we step back it’s so clear that we win the most when we collaborate.

That’s part of why I talk about “R Responses” as a way to cool off and see the situation more clearly… and begin to see our co-workers as the team members they actually are.

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Positive deviance – not good vandals, but heroes…

July 19, 2010 · by Bob Faw

Positive Deviance is a great movement that works wonderfully in synch with Solutions Focus and Appreciative Inquiry, which I use extensively. It’s particularly wonderful to see the social and environmental ills it helps. This is particularly close to the first two of my Improvement Questions: Goals? What works already?

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Improvisational Leadership – positive influence for everything

June 24, 2010 · by Bob Faw

powerful & positive

I just led a two-day course on Improvisational Leadership. Not only was it a blast, I learned a lot from the students as well.

Some of the key lessons that the students talked about were:

  • the improvisational tools can be layered on almost any management approach to add even more value
  • any culture can increase its capability to improvise in ever-changing situations… and the more leadership models and rewards positive and risk-taking and adaptation, the faster the organization can improvise
  • the “yes and” approach can help make any relationship better – even with oneself
  • one of the side benefits of using improvisational leaders
    hip techniques is being more approachable and popular

Please join in on the posts talking about improvisational culture and what you think that looks like.

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Priming: Focusing on a clear goal guides positive behaviors

June 9, 2010 · by Bob Faw

The Power of Focus: The human brain can only take in so much data at once.

Focus on your end goal

 

What we unconsciously or purposely focus on ends up limiting our ability to see other things. So what happens when we choose to look mostly at negatives or limitations? What happens when we focus mostly on success? Choosing to focus on solutions primes our brain to see opportunities that we may have otherwise missed. Words prime us by creating mental images and feeling states. Negative words such as “stop”, “avoid” and “don’t” try to negate them. The brain immediately sends out emotion biochemicals in response to imagery – creating feeling states within milliseconds. Plus, the brain does not know how to negate a mental image.
E.g., when we say to a child, “No, do not go into the swimming pool,” the child’s mental image is going into the swimming pool.

When we focus on a clear goal, our mind automatically starts looking for ways to get there. Make that goal a positive one that energizes you.

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Got improv culture?

June 3, 2010 · by Bob Faw

Can your team jam?

Here are a few of the top characteristics of an improvisational culture. How many does your organization have?

  1. Clear goals, great training & flexible plans – allow people to use talent and goal focus to grab opportunities of the moment
  2. Moments of “group flow” – that particular state of heightened consciousness in the team that fosters great creativity and very high engagement(1)
  3. Innovation emerges from the bottom up – often from random encounters with potential customers asking radical questions
  4. Collaborative creativity feels like “jamming” (2)– it’s energizing, unpredictable and produces great results
  5. New ideas valued – even those that aren’t used are seen as positive contributions to the group
  6. “Yes and” practiced – rather than criticizing ideas and practices and build on them. No wasting time and energy with blaming. Jump straight to what you do like about a plan and guiding it in a positive direction with positive questions about how to make it fit certain criteria, etc. (3)

Here’s the good news. Cultures can become more improvisational.
Whether it’s a slow change over time, or a rapid transformation (with the right guidance).

(1) Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, University of Chicago Psychologist

(2) John Kao, Harvard Professor

(3) Bob Faw, author of this blog bobfaw.wordpress.com

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Improvisational Organizations – fun and profitable

May 21, 2010 · by Bob Faw

Who's company is it anyway?

Create an improvisational culture in your company

— fast, flexible, empowered and positive.

Imagine your people guided more by principles and less by rules.

Picture them quickly adapting with resilience to customer needs, market changes and sales surprises.

Get everyone engaged in sustainable profitability with clear metrics, a motivating environment and room to experiment!

In an improvisational culture a leader’s primary focus is keeping up with the needs of the groups she supports (rather than manages). Useful information flows throughout the company to where it’s needed. People keep each other on track because they’re passionate about the goals and don’t want any slackers holding them back. Fun is as a staple of an energized environment.

What companies do you see as being improvisational? (no wrong answers here)

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Knowing your purpose and principles protects against manipulation

May 19, 2010 · by Bob Faw
Be clear about your purpose.
  • in life.
  • in your job.
  • in your family.
Why do you do it? How do you know you’re successful? How do you feel when you’re successful?
What are your core principles?
What 3-5 qualities are so important to you that you will adhere to them even if it loses you money (in the short term)?  E.g., integrity, achievement, caring, teamwork, protecting others (or the environment), seeking joy, etc.
When you are CLEAR about your purpose and your core principles you can stay on track when others try to manipulate you.
Seth Godin has a great blog posting “Who is easily manipulated?” that helps you know what not to do.
What is your purpose  — in one word or one sentence? Share with us, or at least remind yourself regularly.

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Influence your mood – enjoy life more

May 14, 2010 · by Bob Faw

Choose to feel more joy - influence it

Feel better more of the time. Influence yourself with imagery.

The images we have in our minds directly influence what neurochemicals (hormones) are released into our body. This is scientifically proven. When we have images of fearful things in our minds it triggers the release neurochemicals that literally make us feel bad. When we have images of good things it triggers the release of neurochemicals that make us feel good. If we’re in danger, the fear responses are helpful. If we’re not, they’re unnecessary stress and to be honest, a real downer.

I use images of past successes, of soothing nature, of great relationships to influence my mood. What do you use?

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