Patti Cotton

The top executive team was in a lively discussion about impending budget cuts.  This company cared about its workforce, and cutting $1 Million meant many jobs lost.  They were coming up with creative ideas to help transition those employees who would be laid off. 

Talk included exploring ways to extend healthcare coverage for their families, and an emergency fund for those who found themselves in the deepest distress.  Someone suggested that the executive team members themselves take salary cuts, and after some deep thought, all agreed.  After all, how could they ask their people to go through this without giving something up personally?

“Well, team,” said the president…”This has been a painful process, and it will be a difficult transition.  But I want to thank each and every one of you for the sacrifices you have made in your areas of responsibility.  We have our plan!” 

The next week, cuts were announced, and the new budgeted plan rolled out.  Many employees walked away in tears.  “I wish they had included us in earlier discussions,” said one man as he walked along with his department.  “At my wife’s company, they asked their employees for ideas, and each department came up with some great solutions in job-sharing and staggered leaves so that no one had to be let go.  They saved 200 jobs.”

Why didn’t this man’s company leader think of the same thing?  Quite simply, he held the presupposition that leaders are supposed to decide for their people, and that these people should be protected from “the ugly truth” of budget cuts until remedies were decided. Presuppositions are subtle and often hidden to those who have them.  By their nature, they are almost always held subconsciously, and deeply felt. 

I see this fairly regularly when I coach executive teams.  A group of key executives get together to make a decision about an important issue or initiative, and the discussion is free, open, honest and engaged.  But…as intelligent and caring as these decision-makers are, they usually cover only about 20% of the waterfront.  This is because of the presuppositions of one or more of the leaders.  These are usually based on their personal history, experiences and preferences, some or all of which may or may not be relevant to the matter under discussion. And because of these presuppositions, a whole bunch of possible solutions or actions never even reached the table. 

How do you watch and avoid the effects of presuppositions?  The next time you are called to make an important decision, take a few moments to reflect and write down all the presuppositions you are carrying regarding that issue.  Don’t try to edit your thoughts, or to pass judgment on them.  Simply write them down and take them to the meeting with you.  If you will share these with your colleagues, you are guaranteed to have a much more meaningful and effective discussion as a result.

To your success!

Patti Cotton

Patti Cotton reenergizes talented leaders and their teams to achieve fulfillment and extraordinary results. For more information on how Patti Cotton can help you and your organization, click here.

Coaching colleague, Sheri Riley, recently asked the stop-and-think question…

“Are you spending 100% of your time on 10% of who you are?”

You may be hyper-focused on getting ahead in your career.  Or the bulk of your energy may be devoted to an unhealthy or worrisome personal or professional situation.

What about the rest of you?

Over time, an over-emphasis on one part of your life leads to neglect of the rest.  Where are you focusing?  And what are you leaving behind?  How satisfied are you with your life and where you are going?

Take a few minutes to take a two-part snapshot of your life with this two-part exercise…

Part I: Rate these parts of your life from 1-10, with 1 being most unsatisfactory, and 10 being highly satisfactory.

Now, add the numbers you have assigned to each area and total them at the bottom of the second column.  This is the percentage of life with which you are satisfied.

How much of your life are you not living?

Part II:  Answer the following questions, referring back to the areas in the Life Grid, above…

1. What area are you most wanting and willing to make a difference with?
2. What is the current state of this area in your life?
3. What is missing or not working for you in this area?
4. What would you like to create in this area?
5. What is one step you are willing to take, now?
   
   To your success!
   
   

Patti Cotton

Patti Cotton reenergizes talented leaders and their teams to achieve fulfillment and extraordinary results. For more information on how Patti Cotton can help you and your organization, click here.

Whether coaching executives or business owners, I find that even the most success-minded professionals suffer from a lack of confidence in a certain area, or confidence that comes and goes without warning.  This is the biggest reason they can’t move beyond a certain point in income or responsibility.  Underneath this lack of confidence may be a associated fear of failure – or of success.  Whatever the reason, it results in a “stuck state” for the professional.

The most common lack of confidence I see in women professionals (and some men!) is a fear of asking.  One of my clients, Sherri, was a seasoned consultant in a large metropolitan area.  People loved her services, and she had so many clients that she was running ragged.  “I am also hitting an income ceiling,” she said.  “I give away quite a bit for free, or I underprice myself for fear that I will lose the sale.  It’s probably why I have so many clients.  But I am tired of working so hard for such a limited income.  And I just discovered that my competitors charge at least 20% more than I do.  How do I get over being afraid to ask for what I am worth?”

Sherri’s situation required a two-pronged strategy: one of shifting mindset, and of practicing skillset.  When thinking about asking for money, she feared rejection, and loss of reputation and friendships. This kept her from asking for what she considered her full value.  I worked with her over the ensuing weeks, using a five-step process proven successful in breaking through old, an old, inhibiting and untrue belief about her abilities.  This helped her to step into a new and confident mindset.  I then worked with her to exercise the skills of asking for money so that she felt confident and at ease.

Sherri went forward with poise and assurance to share with existing clientele her new rates and packages.  Surprisingly, most of them stayed with her, stating that they knew she gave above and beyond price in value.  This rise in fee structure and packaging allowed her to hire an intern to help with elementary tasks and activities.  She also limited the number of projects she undertook at any given time. 

The result?  Sherri recently gave me a call.  “I have more time, more money, and I enjoy what I am doing so much more.  Gaining that confidence to ask gave me back my life and love for business.”

For reflection:

In what area of your business or life do you wish you had more confidence?  How much is that lack of confidence costing you in potential business and other opportunities?

Patti Cotton

Patti Cotton reenergizes talented leaders and their teams to achieve fulfillment and extraordinary results. For more information on how Patti Cotton can help you and your organization, click here.

Do you have a growing stash of self-help books in a corner?  You may have read some, and had good intentions for the others – and there may even be a bit of dust gathering over the book pile. 

I had a client I will call Marie, who had a nightstand dedicated to such a pile of books.  She also invested significant sums of money into seminar weekends, workshops, or other types of education that were meant to help her get where she wanted to go.  Topics on leadership development, increasing your influence, how to how to jump start your career, ramping up your confidence level…  You name it, she either owned it or had attended it.

And each time Marie read such a book or attended a seminar, she was energized and excited.  She had big dreams.  When she first came to me for help, she could paint a beautiful vision about her future. 

“But, I don’t know why I can’t make change in my life,” she complained.  “I’m either too busy, too tired, or it’s just not the right time.  Maybe I just don’t have what it takes to succeed at a higher level.”

Marie was wrong.  After I helped her gain clarity around her goals, worked to identify her strengths, and assessed her potential, I determined she had all the ingredients for having what it takes.  But she was guilty of the chief error we commit, and which will keep us from achieving what we want.

“You are a self-help junkie,” I smiled.  “It’s not uncommon.  You invest large sums of money in all this education and it makes you feel good while you are immersed in it.  When it’s finished, you hurriedly look for the next “fix,” and grab another book or seminar.  But you don’t do the one thing it takes to make this work for you.”

“And what’s that?” she asked? 

“You don’t take action,” I replied.  “You don’t incorporate the learning.  Your comfort zone causes you to start feeling anxious or overwhelmed when you think about adopting a new behavior, and you start the negative self-talk I just heard you voice.

Marie got quiet.  “You’re right,” she said.  “I get pretty anxious when I think of having to do something different.  The thought of it seems to grow like a mountain, and pretty soon, it seems impossible.  Why do I do that?”

“Your comfort zone detests that pesky little “six-letter word spelled A-C-T-I-O-N,” I replied.  It guards against any change in thought or behavior.  It just doesn’t know how to run smoothly when you introduce the idea of taking a new action into the mix.  In fact, it sends out danger signals, and these are felt through anxiety, doubt, or overwhelm. You may even get busier, distracting yourself with seemingly good things in order to avoid taking action on the right thing to help you move forward.

“And no action means saying ‘yes’ to keeping yourself prisoner to your present – and guarding against achieving a different future.

Marie and I worked over the following months to identify how she was holding herself back, and successfully incorporated steps to break through her self-defeating behaviors and talk.  No longer confined to an old and limiting comfort zone, she enthusiastically reports taking regular actions that help her to reach her goals and get what she wants.

What about you?  Are you a self-help education junkie?  Or do you have an area in your life where you are holding yourself hostage?  What is one first step you can take to break through?

Patti Cotton

Patti Cotton reenergizes talented leaders and their teams to achieve fulfillment and extraordinary results. For more information on how Patti Cotton can help you and your organization, click here.